The Red and Black

Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: BECKY HAY Sarah Madebach, a senior from Augusta, poses for a portrait in the Intramural Fields Wednesday. Madebach was named SEC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year on Tuesday. [Click to enlarge]

From a virtual walk-on to the best in the SEC, senior Sarah Madebach has accomplished a couple feats no other Georgia cross country runner ever has.

Saturday, she won the Individual Cross Country Championship in Lexington, Ky. As a result, she was named the 2007 SEC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.

"It's kind of funny. My coach told me that normally the SEC champion gets recognized as that," Madebach said. "I thought it would be pretty cool, but when I heard, I was so excited and elated."

Madebach recorded her second-best time of the season, 20:49.11, to beat Arkansas' Christine Kalmer by almost four seconds and win the SEC Individual title. Madebach, an Augusta native, came to Georgia with her twin sister Rebekah to run cross country.

However, she received only a small scholarship as a freshman.

"Sarah's been the epitome of what this team has evolved into in the past four years, where she essentially walked on the team," cross country coach Dave Hartman said.

Despite the lack of scholarship, Madebach set out to prove what a great athlete she is. In her first race as a member of Georgia's track team, she finished second in the two-mile race. Last year, she was the SEC champion in the steeplechase, and helped guide the Lady Bulldogs track team to its first-ever NCAA South Regional title.

"She's been the workhorse, putting in the time and making the drastic improvements," Hartman said. "Throughout her career, she's steadily progressed and now is one of the best runners in the SEC, if not the best. Hopefully, she will receive All-American honors."

Next up for the Lady Bulldogs is the South Regional Championships Nov. 10. Madebach is riding high on her recent accolades.

"It's so exciting, I've been really happy the past week," she said. "My friends are so supportive. It's just a good feeling."

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