LAKE CHARLES Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns student-athlete Anna Katherine Devitt was selected as the women's Cross Country Runner of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association in a release by the organization on Friday.

Head coach Lon Badeaux was named the LSWA women's co-Coach-of-the-Year after guiding the Ragin' Cajuns to their best-ever finish at the Sun Belt Conference Championships while sophomore Matthew Rice was named to the LSWA men's team. The seven-member team was selected by a panel of sports information directors from across the state.

"It's really nice, because AK and Matt are everything we thought they would be" Badeaux said. "It just shows where we've come as a program, where we're finally developing and the kids are showing what we thought they had two years ago. It's a really nice honor for both of them."

Devitt, a junior from Baton Rouge, was the Ragin' Cajuns top runner on the women's side earning six top-10 finishes in seven meets in 2014. She also had five top-5 finishes and was the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational champion, covering the 5K course in 17:32.40.

Devitt, the 2012 LSWA Freshman of the Year, also placed third at the 6K South Alabama Azalea City Classic (20:54.90), had a fourth-place finish at the McNeese Relays and a fifth-place finish at the 5K McNeese Cowboy Stampede. Devitt placed ninth at the Sun Belt Conference Championship, earning second-team All-SBC honors, with a clocking of 17:27.29 and led the Ragin' Cajuns at the NCAA South Central Regional with a 40th overall finish (21:36.2).

Rice, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, finished as the top runner on the men's side for the Ragin' Cajuns on the season, earning four top-10 finishes. He earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors after finishing 14th overall at the SBC Championships.

Rice claimed first-place honors in consecutive meets beginning at the Florida State Invitational, completing the 8K course in 25:16.53 before earning first-place honors the following week at the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational, completing the 4-mile race in 19:48.19.

He earned a fifth-place finish at the 4-mile McNeese Cowboy Stampede, completing the race in 19:42.0 and led the Ragin' Cajuns to a 15th-place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional, finishing 47th overall and completing the 10K race in 31:11.8.

Badeaux, a UL alum and in his fourth season as head coach, led the Ragin' Cajuns women's cross country team to its best showing at the Sun Belt Conference Championships with a fourth-place finish in the 11-team field.

Badeaux, who shared the award with LSU's Khadevis Robinson, helped guide a Ragin' Cajuns women's squad that was led by Devitt and Ashley Irwin to the Ragin' Cajun Invitational team title, a second-place finish at the South Alabama Azalea City Classic and a third-place finish at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede. Competing at the Florida State Invitational, the Ragin' Cajuns earned a fifth-place finish, placing ahead of Auburn the No. 7-ranked team in the NCAA South Region.

"That's a tribute to the girls, and really a tribute to (assistant coach) Kelly LaMaison, who is in charge of the cross country program," Badeaux said of the coaching honor. "It's an honor, and really just a testament to where the program has come. Coming off the best (Sun Belt) finish in program history, we're just excited and we're really looking at it as a starting point. Now, let's see where can we go from here."

2014 All-Louisiana Women's Cross Country Team
Lauren Bartels, Tulane
Gemma Bridge, McNeese
Anna Katherine Devitt, Louisiana
Catherine Fakler, Xavier
Emma Newton, Tulane
Morgan Schuetz, LSU
Celia Zaeringer, Southeastern

RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Anna Katherine DeVitt, Louisiana

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Celia Zaeringer, Southeastern

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Gemma Bridge, McNeese

CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR
Lon Badeaux, Louisiana
Khadevis Robinson, LSU

2014 All-Louisiana Men's Cross Country Team
Moses Aloiloi, Tulane
Ryan Holroyd, McNeese
Kwame Jackson, Xavier
Oliver James, McNeese
Philip Primeaux, LSU
Matthew Rice, Louisiana
Harry Wiggins, Southeastern

RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Moses Aloiloi, Tulane

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Enock Bor, McNeese

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Moses Aloiloi, Tulane

COACH OF THE YEAR
Brendon Gilroy, McNeese