DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) - North Carolina Central University freshman cross country standout Amber Brooks has been named the Nationwide Insurance NCCU Student-Athlete of the Month for October 2011 in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments on the trail.
 
During the month of October, the rookie runner out of Tampa, Fla., made huge strides for the women’s cross country program at NCCU. On the first of the month, while competing at the Great American Cross Country Festival in the HBCU Women’s Challenge, Brooks took home overall first place by crossing the finish line after 19 minutes and 5 seconds.
 
On Tuesday, Oct. 5, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selected Brooks as the Women’s Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week for the second time during the season.
 
Closing out the regular season at home during the NCCU Classic, Brooks continued her win streak, topping the pack again on Oct. 15, with a race time of 18:45.
 
To end the month of October and the cross country season, Brooks competed in her first collegiate conference competition at the MEAC cross country championship in Princess Anne, Md., where she finished in 15^th place among the 84 student-athletes competing. Brooks’ final time during the championship clocked in at 19:46, earning her a spot on the All-MEAC women’s cross country team.
 
Brooks is an athletic training major at NCCU.
 
For a complete list of award winners, visit the official website for NCCU athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.