University of Richmond Athletics
Spider XC/TF Announces Program Awards
08/16/2022 | Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Richmond, Va. — University of Richmond cross country and track and field coaches Lori Taylor and Steve Taylor have announced the 2022 program awards.
Elizabeth Stockman has been named Most Outstanding Rookie for indoor track, while Lindsay Colflesh took home the honor for outdoors. Rachel Helbling earned the Most Outstanding indoor track and field track athlete nod, while Kayla Woods claimed it for field athletes.
On the men's side, Jordan Bendura was named Most Outstanding Rookie of the spring while Peter Borger was named Most Outstanding athlete for the spring.
Women's Indoor and Outdoor T&F:
Most Outstanding Rookie Indoor Track — Elizabeth Stockman (R.-Fr.)
The redshirt freshman ran a fast mile, 3,000m, and 5,000m during the indoor season and was on the Spiders' school record-setting DMR squad. Stockman opened the indoor season running a flat track time of 9:42.05 to win the CNU Invitational and qualify for the ECAC Championships. At the prestigious 2022 Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, she ran 17:12.45 for an indoor 5,000m debut. At the Rutgers Open she ran an indoor personal best in the mile (4:48.95) to place fourth and returned to run 9:42.96 in the 3,000 to claim sixth. Later in the season at the JDL DMR Flat Track Invitational she teamed up with Kayla O'Connell, Rachel Helbling and Brooke Fazio to set a school record in the DMR of 11:21.53. During the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championships she earned All-Conference honors by running an indoor personal best of 16:58.46 to claim bronze in the 5,000m and returned to place fifth in a strategic mile (4:57.88). She scored 10 points for the Spiders and helped her teammates earn second as a team. The season was topped off with a personal best of 9:36.71 in the 3,000m at the 2022 ECAC Championships where she earned All-East honors with her eighth place finish. She was the top ranked freshman in the Atlantic 10 Conference for the 3,000 (9:36.71) and 5,000 (16:58.46) while she was the #2 ranked freshman in the mile (4:48.95) behind teammate Madison Trippett's 4:46.09.
Most Outstanding Rookie Outdoor Track — Lindsay Colflesh (Fr.)
Colflesh capped the indoor season as a member of the gold medal-winning 4x800m relay at the 2022 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships. She carried the momentum into the outdoor season when she ran 2:16.77 to place sixth helping the Spiders claimed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th at the Colonial Relays and helped the Spiders claim third in the 1,600m SMR. She also ran a personal best of 4:41.50 to claim 15th in the 1,500m. The next weekend the team traveled to the Duke Invitational where she ran a personal best of 2:15.75 in the 800m. She capped the season at the 2022 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships where she teamed up with Isabel Blaylock, Brooke Fazio, Kate McAndrew to win the 4x800m.
Most Outstanding Indoor and Outdoor Track — Rachel Helbling (Sr.)
In 2022 Helbling set indoor records in the 400m (54.18 at the ECAC Championships in Boston, Mass.), 500m (1:11.82 to win the 2022 Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. At the time her mark ranked #4 in the world), 600m (1:30.97 to win the 2022 Rutgers Open) and DMR (11:21.53 at the JDL DMR Flat Track Invitational. She ran the 400m leg in 54.34 and teamed up with Kayla O'Connell (1200M-3:29.66), Brooke Fazio (800M-2:08.10) and Elizabeth Stockman (1600M-4:49.43).
During the 2022 indoor season she Ranked first in the NCAA in the 500m (1:11.82), 29th in the 600m (1:30.97), and 82nd in the 400m (54.18). She was the 2022 Atlantic 10 Indoor 400m champion and ran a leg on the Spiders winning 4x400m relay team and placed eighth in the 500m. She earned All-East honors in the 400m and 4x800m relay, placing third in the ECAC 400m final and helped the Spiders to finish third in the ECAC 4x800m relay championship. During the outdoor season she opened by winning the 800m (2:08.70) and the 4x400m relay (3:45.30) at the Spiders' Fred Hardy Invitational. At the 62nd Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. she ran a personal best of 2:07.23 to place eighth in the 800m. At the 2022 Penn Relays she anchored the Spiders 4x800m relay in 2:08.46 as the team placed sixth, setting a program record of 8:34.14. The effort ranked ninth in the NCAA for the 2022 season. A week later she defended her 2021 titles in the 400m and 4x400m and was undefeated at the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championships winning the 400m (54.94) after having the fastest time in the qualifying round (54.40). She returned to run the second leg on the Spiders' winning 4x400M relay (3:43.34) to close out the 2022 A-10 Championships. At the 2022 ECAC Championships she earned All-East honors claiming the silver in the 400m (54.03) and the 800m (2:07.78).
She ranked 65th in the 400m and 77th in the 800m in the NCAA East region. Helbling defended her titles in the 400m and 4x400m, silver at ECAC in both 400m and 800m.
Other career achievements for Helbling include:
Most Outstanding Indoor and Outdoor Field — Kayla Woods (Sr.)
One of the most decorated long jumpers in Spider history, Woods is a six-time Atlantic 10 Champion and holds three school records; the indoor long jump (6.09M), outdoor long jump (6.21M) and the outdoor 4X400M (3:41.40).
She set the indoor school record in the long jump with a best of 6.09m at the 2022 Rutgers Invitational where she placed third. At the 2002 Atlantic 10 Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships she won the long jump (5.92m) and was a member of the Spiders' winning 4x400m relay (3:46.56).
She won the 2022 Virginia Grand Prix long jump with a jump of 6.05m and was a member of the Spiders' winning 4x100m relay. Her season best in the long jump came at the Virginia Challenge where she jumped 6.09m for seventh place. At the 2022 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships she claimed silver in the long jump (6.08m) and was a member of the winning 4x400m relay (3:43.34). The next weekend she earned All-East honors winning the 2022 ECAC Championship in the long jump (6.00m). She followed that the next day winning the VCU Final Qualifier with a jump of 6.01m. Her season best of 6.09m was good enough to qualify for the 2022 NCAA East Preliminary Championships where she placed 36th.
Men's Most Outstanding Rookie Spring — Jordan Bendura (R.-Fr.)
Bandura had quite a spring season with a few of the highlights including his personal best of 8:31.86 in the 3,000 at the Rutgers Invitational. He followed that with an outdoor track personal best of 14:43.04 at Bucknell's Bison Outdoor Classic. Bendura continued to show improvement through the spring saving his best for the end. In April he claimed fourth in the Collegiate 10k Road Race Championships held within the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond. In early May he traveled to Athens, Oh. where he claimed the runner-up finish in the Collegiate Trail Running National Championships in Stroud's Run State Park where he sprinted to the line to edge out Ohio University's Tony Tonkovich by .02 seconds. He closed out his season running a personal best in the mile (4:14.3) to place seventh in the Collegiate Road Mile National Championships in Winchester, Va. Bendura was named to the 2022 Collegiate Running Association's All-America Trail Running Team (top-5 finish) and All-America 10k Road Race Team (top-10 finish) for his performances.
Men's Most Outstanding Spring — Peter Borger (Sr.)
Borger won the 2021 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship in October to became the first Spider individual A-10 Champion since NCAA All-American, Andrew Benford in 2010. He was named the Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year for his efforts throughout the season.
In early February he won the Rutgers Open 5,000 with a time of 14:27.38 and qualified for the IC4A Indoor Championships. To close the indoor campaign, Borger traveled to Boston where he earned All-East honors in the 5,000m running a personal best of 14:19.09 to claim eighth. At the Spiders' Fred Hardy Invitational he won the 5,000 after sprinting away from the filed over the last three laps to set the meet record in 14:37.08. The next weekend he traveled to the Raleigh Relays where he ran 30:17.70 in the 10,000m. In April he ran 30:32.03 to place fifth in the 10,000 at the Virginia Challenge. The following morning, he chose to close his season by running the Collegiate 10,000m Road Race National Championships held within the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10,000m Borger claimed the runner-up position in the national championship event to claim 2022 Collegiate Running Association All-America honors (top-10), with a time of 30:21 in his second 10,000m race in as many days. He was also recognized as the William L. Lumpkin Track & Field Leadership honoree. During the 2022 SPIDYs was awarded the Spider Pride Award, given to the student-athlete who best exemplifies what it means to be a Spider both on and off the field of competition.
Elizabeth Stockman has been named Most Outstanding Rookie for indoor track, while Lindsay Colflesh took home the honor for outdoors. Rachel Helbling earned the Most Outstanding indoor track and field track athlete nod, while Kayla Woods claimed it for field athletes.
On the men's side, Jordan Bendura was named Most Outstanding Rookie of the spring while Peter Borger was named Most Outstanding athlete for the spring.
Women's Indoor and Outdoor T&F:
Most Outstanding Rookie Indoor Track — Elizabeth Stockman (R.-Fr.)
The redshirt freshman ran a fast mile, 3,000m, and 5,000m during the indoor season and was on the Spiders' school record-setting DMR squad. Stockman opened the indoor season running a flat track time of 9:42.05 to win the CNU Invitational and qualify for the ECAC Championships. At the prestigious 2022 Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, she ran 17:12.45 for an indoor 5,000m debut. At the Rutgers Open she ran an indoor personal best in the mile (4:48.95) to place fourth and returned to run 9:42.96 in the 3,000 to claim sixth. Later in the season at the JDL DMR Flat Track Invitational she teamed up with Kayla O'Connell, Rachel Helbling and Brooke Fazio to set a school record in the DMR of 11:21.53. During the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championships she earned All-Conference honors by running an indoor personal best of 16:58.46 to claim bronze in the 5,000m and returned to place fifth in a strategic mile (4:57.88). She scored 10 points for the Spiders and helped her teammates earn second as a team. The season was topped off with a personal best of 9:36.71 in the 3,000m at the 2022 ECAC Championships where she earned All-East honors with her eighth place finish. She was the top ranked freshman in the Atlantic 10 Conference for the 3,000 (9:36.71) and 5,000 (16:58.46) while she was the #2 ranked freshman in the mile (4:48.95) behind teammate Madison Trippett's 4:46.09.
Most Outstanding Rookie Outdoor Track — Lindsay Colflesh (Fr.)
Colflesh capped the indoor season as a member of the gold medal-winning 4x800m relay at the 2022 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships. She carried the momentum into the outdoor season when she ran 2:16.77 to place sixth helping the Spiders claimed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th at the Colonial Relays and helped the Spiders claim third in the 1,600m SMR. She also ran a personal best of 4:41.50 to claim 15th in the 1,500m. The next weekend the team traveled to the Duke Invitational where she ran a personal best of 2:15.75 in the 800m. She capped the season at the 2022 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships where she teamed up with Isabel Blaylock, Brooke Fazio, Kate McAndrew to win the 4x800m.
Most Outstanding Indoor and Outdoor Track — Rachel Helbling (Sr.)
In 2022 Helbling set indoor records in the 400m (54.18 at the ECAC Championships in Boston, Mass.), 500m (1:11.82 to win the 2022 Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. At the time her mark ranked #4 in the world), 600m (1:30.97 to win the 2022 Rutgers Open) and DMR (11:21.53 at the JDL DMR Flat Track Invitational. She ran the 400m leg in 54.34 and teamed up with Kayla O'Connell (1200M-3:29.66), Brooke Fazio (800M-2:08.10) and Elizabeth Stockman (1600M-4:49.43).
During the 2022 indoor season she Ranked first in the NCAA in the 500m (1:11.82), 29th in the 600m (1:30.97), and 82nd in the 400m (54.18). She was the 2022 Atlantic 10 Indoor 400m champion and ran a leg on the Spiders winning 4x400m relay team and placed eighth in the 500m. She earned All-East honors in the 400m and 4x800m relay, placing third in the ECAC 400m final and helped the Spiders to finish third in the ECAC 4x800m relay championship. During the outdoor season she opened by winning the 800m (2:08.70) and the 4x400m relay (3:45.30) at the Spiders' Fred Hardy Invitational. At the 62nd Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. she ran a personal best of 2:07.23 to place eighth in the 800m. At the 2022 Penn Relays she anchored the Spiders 4x800m relay in 2:08.46 as the team placed sixth, setting a program record of 8:34.14. The effort ranked ninth in the NCAA for the 2022 season. A week later she defended her 2021 titles in the 400m and 4x400m and was undefeated at the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championships winning the 400m (54.94) after having the fastest time in the qualifying round (54.40). She returned to run the second leg on the Spiders' winning 4x400M relay (3:43.34) to close out the 2022 A-10 Championships. At the 2022 ECAC Championships she earned All-East honors claiming the silver in the 400m (54.03) and the 800m (2:07.78).
She ranked 65th in the 400m and 77th in the 800m in the NCAA East region. Helbling defended her titles in the 400m and 4x400m, silver at ECAC in both 400m and 800m.
Other career achievements for Helbling include:
- Richmond Spider Club Female Athlete of the Year (2022) – given to the university's top athlete across all sports.
- Richmond co-nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year (2022)
- In total, Helbling owns 8 school records for the Spiders (Indoor 400m-54.18, Indoor 500m-1:11.82, Indoor 600m-1:30.97, Indoor 4x400m-3:42.68, Indoor DMR-11:21.53 and Outdoor 4x400m-3:41.40, Outdoor 4x800m-8:34.14, Outdoor DMR-11:18.43)
- 8x Atlantic-10 Conference Champion including 3x gold medalist in the 400m (2021 – 2022 outdoors, 2022 indoors), 10x Atlantic-10 Conference Medalist
- 10x All-East, with 10 medals at the ECAC Championships including 1 ECAC Championship Gold in the 4x400m (2021 outdoors)
- NCAA East Preliminary Championship Qualifier in 2021 (400m)
- Finished the 2022 Indoor season with the #1 time in the NCAA in the 500m (At the time of the performance it ranked #4 in the World and #1 in the USA.) AND she finished the 2021 Indoor Season with the #3 time in the NCAA in the 500m
- 3x VASiD Second-Team All-State (400m x 2, 4x400m)
- 3x Atlantic-10 All-Rookie Team (Fastest Freshman in the Atlantic-10 in the 400m and 500m indoors 2019; 400m outdoors 2019)
- 2x USTFCCCA Academic All-American (2021, 2022)
- 2x Atlantic-10 Academic All-Conference (2021, 2022)
Most Outstanding Indoor and Outdoor Field — Kayla Woods (Sr.)
One of the most decorated long jumpers in Spider history, Woods is a six-time Atlantic 10 Champion and holds three school records; the indoor long jump (6.09M), outdoor long jump (6.21M) and the outdoor 4X400M (3:41.40).
She set the indoor school record in the long jump with a best of 6.09m at the 2022 Rutgers Invitational where she placed third. At the 2002 Atlantic 10 Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships she won the long jump (5.92m) and was a member of the Spiders' winning 4x400m relay (3:46.56).
She won the 2022 Virginia Grand Prix long jump with a jump of 6.05m and was a member of the Spiders' winning 4x100m relay. Her season best in the long jump came at the Virginia Challenge where she jumped 6.09m for seventh place. At the 2022 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships she claimed silver in the long jump (6.08m) and was a member of the winning 4x400m relay (3:43.34). The next weekend she earned All-East honors winning the 2022 ECAC Championship in the long jump (6.00m). She followed that the next day winning the VCU Final Qualifier with a jump of 6.01m. Her season best of 6.09m was good enough to qualify for the 2022 NCAA East Preliminary Championships where she placed 36th.
Men's Most Outstanding Rookie Spring — Jordan Bendura (R.-Fr.)
Bandura had quite a spring season with a few of the highlights including his personal best of 8:31.86 in the 3,000 at the Rutgers Invitational. He followed that with an outdoor track personal best of 14:43.04 at Bucknell's Bison Outdoor Classic. Bendura continued to show improvement through the spring saving his best for the end. In April he claimed fourth in the Collegiate 10k Road Race Championships held within the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond. In early May he traveled to Athens, Oh. where he claimed the runner-up finish in the Collegiate Trail Running National Championships in Stroud's Run State Park where he sprinted to the line to edge out Ohio University's Tony Tonkovich by .02 seconds. He closed out his season running a personal best in the mile (4:14.3) to place seventh in the Collegiate Road Mile National Championships in Winchester, Va. Bendura was named to the 2022 Collegiate Running Association's All-America Trail Running Team (top-5 finish) and All-America 10k Road Race Team (top-10 finish) for his performances.
Men's Most Outstanding Spring — Peter Borger (Sr.)
Borger won the 2021 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship in October to became the first Spider individual A-10 Champion since NCAA All-American, Andrew Benford in 2010. He was named the Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year for his efforts throughout the season.
In early February he won the Rutgers Open 5,000 with a time of 14:27.38 and qualified for the IC4A Indoor Championships. To close the indoor campaign, Borger traveled to Boston where he earned All-East honors in the 5,000m running a personal best of 14:19.09 to claim eighth. At the Spiders' Fred Hardy Invitational he won the 5,000 after sprinting away from the filed over the last three laps to set the meet record in 14:37.08. The next weekend he traveled to the Raleigh Relays where he ran 30:17.70 in the 10,000m. In April he ran 30:32.03 to place fifth in the 10,000 at the Virginia Challenge. The following morning, he chose to close his season by running the Collegiate 10,000m Road Race National Championships held within the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10,000m Borger claimed the runner-up position in the national championship event to claim 2022 Collegiate Running Association All-America honors (top-10), with a time of 30:21 in his second 10,000m race in as many days. He was also recognized as the William L. Lumpkin Track & Field Leadership honoree. During the 2022 SPIDYs was awarded the Spider Pride Award, given to the student-athlete who best exemplifies what it means to be a Spider both on and off the field of competition.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
/ Cross Country
Middle Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
/ Cross Country
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