Selig, Norton, Colvin claim accolades at UAA cross country championships

Selig, Norton, Colvin claim accolades at UAA cross country championships

WALTHAM, Mass. – Three members of the Brandeis University cross country teams were honored by the University Athletic Association following 2010 UAA Championships hosted by New York University at Van Cordtland Park in the Bronx this weekend. Seniors Grayce Selig of Narberth, Pa., and Paul Norton of Amherst, Mass., both earned first-team All-UAA honors for the women's and men's teams, respectively. On the men's side Ed Colvin of Roslindale, Mass., was named the UAA Rookie of the Year.

Selig, a two-time UAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week this season, was the runner-up at the meet in her first time competing on a six-kilometer course this year. Selig covered the 6K distance in 21:30.97 to finish 14 seconds behind champion Liz Lawton of the University of Chicago. She improved 18 spots on her 20th-place finish from a year ago.

This is the first time that Selig earned All-UAA honors in cross country. She also owns three other All-Association honors in track and field. Her second-place finish at the UAAs is the highest by a Brandeis woman since Mariko Tansey Holbrook '03 won the race in 2002.

As a team, Brandeis finished in sixth place out of the eight teams with 140 points, 35 points behind fifth-place Emory and two spots below their 2009 finish. All five teams ahead of them in the standings among the top 35 in the nation according to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

On the men's side, Norton earned first-team All-UAA cross country honors for the second year in a row. After finishing as the runner-up over the eight-kilometer course as a junior, Norton finished in third place this year with a time of 25:42.01. Despite competing in a collegiate race only once previously in 2010, Norton was among a pack of four runners that finished within three second of each other. Washington University's Michael Burnstein and NYU's Michael Zitek both pulled away at the last moment to take the top two spots. Norton also owns five All-UAA performances in track and field, including being named Most Outstanding Track Performer as the 2010 UAA Indoor championships.

Colvin, competing in his first UAA competition, earned Rookie of the Year honors with his 24th-place finish. Colvin covered the course in 26:23.20, 17 seconds ahead of the next-closest rookie. Colvin in the third Brandeis runner to earn UAA Rookie of the Year honors in the last four years and fourth overall.

Colvin was the Judges' fourth finisher of the day. Senior Kerwin Vega of Waltham, Mass., placed 15th with a time of 26:07.15, missing second-team All-UAA honors by less than two seconds, while junior Chris Brown of No. Chelmsford, Mass., was 22nd in 26:20.59. As a team, the Judges, who are ranked 25th in the nation, placed fourth at the meet with 92 points, 17 behind 24th-ranked Carnegie Mellon. It was a one-spot improvement from the 2009 championships.

Selig is a 2007 graduate of Springside School. She is the daughter of William and Deborah Selig, Narberth, Pa.

Norton is a 2007 graduate of Amherst Regional High School. He is the son of David and Claire Norton, Amherst, Mass.

Colvin is a 2010 graduate of Catholic Memorial High School.

Vega is a 2007 graduate of Waltham High School. He is the son of Salvador and Dolores Vega, Waltham, Mass.

Brown is a 2008 graduate of Chelmsford High School. He is the son of James and Susan Brown, No. Chelmsford, Mass.