From Dec. 23 - Jan. 1, Kevin Hadsell, the director of track & field and cross country, shares with utrockets.com his list of the Top-10 cross country and track memories of the last 10 years. Hadsell is in his 12th year as the head men's and women's cross country coach and has guided the women's track team since 2004.

One of the greatest, most-decorated athlete in University of Toledo and Mid-American Conference history is 2010 Varsity "T" Hall of Fame inductee Briana Shook. Over the course of her career, her dominance of Mid-American Conference distance running, and her development into one of the top distance runners in the world, makes her career the most-memorable moment of the last decade in Toledo cross country and track.

As a sophpomore in the spring of 2001, Shook began to mature as a distance runner. She was an NCAA provisional quaifier in the 3000-meter steeplechase and MAC Runner-up in the event. She also placed fourth in the 5000-meters in that meet.

At the 2001 MAC Cross Country Championships, Shook ran away from the field to win her first MAC Cross Country title and lead the Rockets to their first-ever MAC Championship team title. At the NCAA Regional Championships, she led the Rockets to an amazing fourth place finish with her fourth place individual placing, and earned herself her first trip to the NCAA Championships. At the NCAA's, she finished 64th overall.

During the indoor track season of 2002, Shook was the MAC Runner-up at 5000-meters and won the MAC 3000-meters title in a then-MAC meet record time of 9:43.35. 

It was during the 2002 oudoor season that Shook started establishing herself as one of the top female distance runners in the country. She won her first (of four straight) Penn Relays 3000mSC titles. At the MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she won both the 3000mSC (10:04.18) and 5000m (16:22.75). Both were MAC meet records. She went on to finish fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and was named All-American for the first time.

Shook ended 2002 as the fourth-ranked woman in the United States and ranked 17th in the World.

In the fall of 2002, Shook won her second-straight MAC Cross Country Championship and Runner of the Year title. She led the Rockets to another MAC Championship and their third straight nationally-ranked season. At the NCAA Regional Championships, she became the only MAC runner to ever win the NCAA Regional title and was named Regional Runner of the Year and was a finalist for the NCAA Runner of the Year. Shook earned her second All-American certificate by finishing 24th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

During the indoor season of 2003, Shook helped lead the Rocket women to one of the most dominating performance in MAC Championships meet history. She won the 5000m in a meet record time of 16:33.00. She then came back 30 minutes later to lead-off the DMR with a 3:28 (1200m split) and lead the team to a Runner-up finish. Then, on the final day, she won her second-straight indoor 3000m title in an epic battle with teammate Everlyne Lagat with a meet record time of 9:25.91.

In the outdoor season of 2003, Shook redshirted collegiate competition and concentrated on the USA Championships. The season was a tremendous success as she won the USA Outdoor Track and Field title in the 3000mSC in an American record time of 9:44.91. She ended the year as the No. 1 ranked American woman and the eighth-ranked woman in the World.

In 2004, Shook returned to the track after missing most of the fall with a hip injury. Taking the indoor season to prepare for outdoor, she won her 3rd straight indoor 3000m MAC title and 2nd straight indoor 5000m title.

The 2004 outdoor season was unprecedented in MAC history. Shook once again won the 3000mSC (9:59.22) and 5000m (16:22.46) and finished 2nd in the 1500m (4:21.15). The steeplechase and 5000m times are MAC meet records. The 1500m time is the 2nd fastest time in MAC meet history.

Shook went on to win the 3000mSC, for the second time,  at the NCAA Regional Championships in a meet record time of 9:55.98.  She was named the Regional Female Athlete of the Year once again.

At the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Shook was Runner-up in the 3000mSC. She then went on to win the USA National Club Championship in the 5000m in a new school record of 16:08.90.

Following a DQ in the Olympic Trials, Shook became the first American woman to ever win the steeplechase in a World Grand Prix event. Her time of 9:29.32 crushed the American record again and she finished the year ranked No. 1 in the USA and No. 3 in the World.

Over the course of her career, Shook won 11 MAC individual titles and added three MAC runner-up performances. She was a three-time All-American and twice held the American Record in the steeplechase. She was MAC Runner of the Year four times and NCAA Regional Runner of the Year twice. She had three-straight World Rankings and finished her career as one of the greatest athletes in Toledo, MAC and NCAA history. In addition, she still holds two all-time MAC records and four MAC Meet records.

"Bri's career and her performances are the stuff of legends," said Hadsell. "She was one of the most-feared runners of all-time as she was famous for taking races out incredibly hard. She had a desire to win that I have never seen before."