rosadeltoro [Editor's note: Although GreaterLongBeach.com loves sports---love-love-loves 'em---so far it hasn't done much sports coverage. It doesn't feel good about that. But there is one sport so close to GreaterLongBeach.com's heart that it will always receive coverage ... and that sport is cross country.  GreaterLongBeacy.com loves cross country---love-love-loves it. GreaterLongBeach.com is weird that way.]

Long Beach State senior cross country runner Rosa Del Toro, who last week became the first woman in university history to win the Big West Conference individual title, on Wednesday was pronounced the conference’s cross country athlete of the year. That marked a first in university history, too.

Del Toro did the unprecedented all season long. She set school records over both the 5,000-meters (17:09.8) and 6,000 meters (20:27.0) distances, and twice—Sept. 6 and Oct 17—was selected Big West Women’s Athlete of the Week.

Del Toro, who came to Long Beach from Van Nuys, won the Fullerton Open and the Big West Championship, finished third at the UC Irvine Invitational and fourth at the Bronco Invitational. Her efforts led Long Beach State to a team victory at the Bronco Invitational and the program’s highest finish—second place—at the conference championship.

And the season isn’t even over yet. Long Beach State returns to action on Nov. 12, traveling to Northern California for the NCAA West Regional at the Stanford Golf Course hosted by Stanford University.

2011 Big West Conference Cross Country

Men’s Athlete of the Year – Chad Hall, UC Riverside
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Mitchell Moriarty, Cal Poly
Men’s Coach of the Year – Mark Conover, Cal Poly
Women’s Athlete of the Year – Rosa Del Toro, Long Beach State
Women’s Freshman of the Year – Meghan Breadmore, Cal Poly
Women’s Coach of the Year – Drew Wartenburg, UC Davis