LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Sophomore Neely Spence was named the PSAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season on Thursday afternoon by the conference office after winning the PSAC and Atlantic Region title during the 2009 campaign.

Spence, the daughter of men's and women's Coach of the Year Steve Spence, helped lead the Lady Raiders to only their fourth overall PSAC and regional titles in school history and their second straight.

She coasted to the women's individual title at the regional meet with a time of 20:14 that edged Millersville's Priscilla Jennings by 26 seconds. She also won the PSAC Championship meet with a time of 21:32 and earned a victory every meet in which she competed save for the national championships.

Perhaps her most impressive feat this season was her victory over an armada of Division I competition at the prestigious Brooks Paul Short Run, where she bested 363 participants to earn the individual championship with a time of 19:58 and add another outstanding achievement to an already wonderful career. She also won the PSU National Invitational held at Lock Haven.

Spence is the second straight woman to claim the PSAC cross country Women's Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons after Edinboro's Rachael Lanzel was the Athlete of the Year in both 2006 and 2007. No woman has even claimed the award in three straight seasons, which Spence, only a sophomore, will have the opportunity to do next season.