LOUISVILLE – Junior Neely Spence, the 2010 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country national individual champion, was named the 2010 USTFCCCA Division II Cross Country Female Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.

Spence became the first women's cross country champion in school history on Saturday and earned the second All-American award of her career after navigating the snow-packed 6K course at E.P. 'Tom' Sawyer Park in Louisville. Her time of 20:41.2 was 15 seconds faster than Western Washington's Sarah Porter.

Her efforts also helped Shippensburg come away with a trophy, as the team's fourth-place team finish at the national championships was the second-best result in school history.

Spence has lost just once over her last two seasons of collegiate cross country racing. She is the three-time defending PSAC and Atlantic Region champion who finished the 2010 season undefeated in six races. Spence finished 70 seconds ahead of the field at the PSAC Championships and 51 seconds ahead of the field at the Atlantic Region Championships.

At the Greater Louisville Classic, an event held in much more pleasant weather conditions than Saturday's national championship race, Spence posted a 5K time of 16:32.90 and finished more than four seconds ahead of Georgia's Kristie Krueger and 25 seconds ahead of Porter. The time was a new course record by more than 16 seconds.