IRVINE, Calif. -- With the conclusion of The Big West Cross Country Championships, The Big West has unveiled its 2023 cross country award winners.
 
The 2023 Big West Men’s Athlete of the Year goes to Cal Poly’s Davis Bove. The junior was the individual winner in the men’s 8K at The Big West Championship with a time of 23:37.4. The Franklin, Tenn. native has finished in first place in all three races this season, winning the Dellinger Invitational and Santa Clara Bronco Invitational before becoming conference champion. It is the 14th time that a Mustang has won the Men’s Athlete of the Year award.  
 
UC Davis senior Sierra Atkins is the 2023 Big West Women’s Athlete of the Year. Atkins was the individual champion in the women’s 6K at The Big West Championship, crossing the finish line in 19:52.5. The Santa Rosa, Calif. product has two other top-10 finishes this season. Atkins is the third individual from UC Davis to win the Women’s Athlete of the Year honor after Brianna Weidler last season and Sarah Sumpter in 2009.
 
Cal Poly rookie Chris Caudillo is the Men’s Freshman of the Year. Caudillo was the top freshman at the championship, coming in 13th place with a time of 24:27.1. The Clovis, Calif. native has raced two other times this season, highlighted by an 8K personal best, 24:09.3, at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational. Caudillo is the ninth Mustang to win the conference’s top men’s freshman award.
 
Cal Poly’s Sydney Sundgren wins the Freshman of the Year honor. Sundgren was the top freshman, 22nd overall, at The Big West Championship, finishing the course in 21:49.7. The Clovis, Calif. product has raced in three other competitions this season, with a personal-best 6K time at the XC23 Open of 21:47.8. Sundgren is the 11th Mustang to earn the top freshman accolade.
 
Cal Poly’s Ryan Vanhoy is the Men’s Coach of the Year. Vanhoy helmed the Mustangs to their 19th title in program history with four scorers in the top 10, led by Bove’s individual win. It is Vanhoy’s second top coaching honor and 18th time that a Mustang head coach won the Men’s Coach of the Year.
 
Cal Poly’s Michelle Chewens is the Women’s Coach of the Year for the second straight year. Chewens led the Mustangs to their ninth title in program history with four runners in the top 10. It is the ninth time that Cal Poly has won the top coaching award.
 
All-Big West honors went to those that finished in the top 10 at The Big West Championships. Joining Bove on the men’s all-conference team is Aidan McCarthy (Cal Poly), Ethan Godsey (UC Santa Barbara), Ashraf Abdelmagid (UC Riverside), Anthony Guerra (Cal Poly), Spencer Pickren (Cal Poly), Andrew Castellon (UC Riverside), Alexis Garcia (Cal State Fullerton), Ethan Brooks (UC Davis) and Lukas Amare (UC Irvine). Joining Atkins on the women’s all-conference team is Brianna Weidler (UC Davis), Danielle Barrett (UC Davis), Schulyer Gooley (Cal Poly), Linda Perez (UC Riverside), Hana Catsimanes (Cal Poly), Tatiana Cornejo (Cal Poly), Carissa Buchholz (Cal Poly), Sameen Andar (UC Irvine) and Jicel Fernandez Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton).