A Conference Medal is awarded anually to each member institution's outstanding male and female student-athletes. The awards are based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.

Abdirahman came to the UA after spending two years at Pima Community College, where he ran competitively for the first time as a freshman. His rise to the top of college athletics was virtually unparalleled as he finished his collegiate career as an eight-time All-American.

After a solid junior season, Abdirahman continued to improve as a runner, finishing second at the 98 Cross Country Championships, as well as becoming an All-American three times on the track in the indoor 5,000m and outdoor 5,000m and 10,000m. Abdirahman also won four Pac-10 Championships over his career (98 5,000m and 10,000m, 98 Cross Country and 99 5,000m). He was named the Pac-10 Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1998.

A native of Somalia, who has become a U.S. citizen, Abdirahman set a school record in the 10,000m earlier this season, running 28:06.65 at the Cardinal Invitational. His time was also the No. 7 all-time mark in Pac-10 history and is the No. 4 time run by an American collegiate athlete in history. Abdirahman earned his first All-America honors as a junior, finishing seventh at the 97 Cross Country Championships. He followed that performance in the track season by earning All-America laurels in the indoor 5,000m and outdoor 5,000m and 10,000m in 98.

Skieresz, a native of Westlake Village, Calif. who has lived in Tucson since coming to the UA in 1995, was a ten-time All-American for the Wildcats in both track and field and cross country. She did not compete in the 1999 track and field season because of a benign tumor on her right femur diagnosed at the end of the 1998 cross country season. Because she did not compete this year as a track and field athlete, she is eligible for the 2000 season, but her return is uncertain at this time.

Skieresz won seven NCAA titles in her four years at Arizona. In 1996-97, she became the first woman in NCAA Division I history to win four NCAA titles in the same year (96 Cross Country, 97 ondoor 5,000m and outdoor 5,000m and 10,000m). Skieresz defended her three titles on the track in 1998, and finished second at the NCAA Cross Country Championships three times, 1995, 97 and 98. She never lost a race on the track to a fellow collegiate competitor and finished first in 22 of 26 cross country meets, never finishing lower than second.

Skieresz won seven Pac-10 Championships over her career, and became the first woman in Pac-10 history to win four straight cross country championships, 1995-98. She was the Pac-10 Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year all four years, the Pac-10 Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 1997 and 98 and was awarded the Honda Award for cross country in 96 and for track and field in 97 and 98. She was also named NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field athlete of the year in 1997 and 98.

Last year's recepients of the Pac-10 Medal from Arizona were football player Joe Salave'a and softball player Nancy Evans.