Mars Hill men, Lincoln Memorial women finish 24th at NCAA Cross Country Championship
PENSACOLA, FL - The Mars Hill College men's cross country team and Lincoln Memorial University women's cross country team each placed 24th at the 2006 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships.
Mars Hill's Jon Stoehr (Antigo, WI) led MHC once again finishing 98th overall and 80th in the team place in a field of 187 runners with a time of 31:48. The complete men's results can be found by clicking here.
Lincoln Memorial's Cheri Kern was the top finisher for the Railsplitters, finishing 161st overall and 139th in the team place with a 23:48.4. Complete women's results can be found by clicking here.
Individual performers included Wingate's Jayce Watson, who placed 101st with a time of 31.50.6, for the men.
For the women, Wingate's Amber Hines finished 94th with a time of 22.22.4; Carson-Newman's Aubrey Morris finished 110th with a time of 22.38.5, and Mars Hill's Kate Prichard (Clemson, SC) placed 119th with a time of 22:47.
Twenty-four teams and 187 runners competed in Saturday's NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country National Championship Meet at the Escambia County Equestrian Center in Pensacola, Fla. Abilene Christian posted three top ten finishers en route to the programs first-ever national championship. Junior Nicodemus Naimadu of Abilene Christian won his third individual national title in three tries.
Abilene Christian adds their first men's cross country national championship to their 28 indoor and outdoor track and field national championships.
Twenty-one of the 24 teams competing were nationally ranked in the top 25. The nation's second ranked Abilene Christian finished with a combined time of 149:04.3 for 65 points in the 10K race edging No. 1 Adams State who recorded a time of 149:43.6 and 82 points. Fifth ranked Western State's 151:12.2 for 141 points was good enough for a third place finish, and No. 3 Chico State posted a time of 151:43.0 for 171 points. Fourth ranked Grand Valley State rounded out the top five with a time of 153:24.7 for 217 points.
Sixth ranked Harding's time of 153:08.6 for 241 points put the Bisons in sixth place. They were followed by No. 7 Colorado School of Mines who finished with a time of 153:41.9 and 251 points. Ninth ranked Wayne State crossed the finish line in eighth place with a time of 155:26.3 and 318 points. Thirteenth ranked Minnesota State at Mankato slid into the top ten with a ninth place finish with their 156:54.4 and 375 points. Eleventh ranked Stonehill closed out the top ten with a time of 156:59.9 and 392 points.
Naimadu broke the NCAA II record for individual national titles with this third championship. He recorded an impressive time of 29:17.5.
Julius Kosgei of Harding finished in second place with a 29:19.9. Chico State's Scott Bauhs crossed the line in third place with a 29:24.5. Ryan Blood of Lock Haven cruised to a 29:27.0 time, which was good for fourth, and Kim Hogarth of Western State closed out the top five with a time of 29:32.2. Charlie Serrano of Chico State posted a sixth place finish with a time of 29:34.9. Michel Yorek led Adams State to a second place finish with his team leading time of 29:37.5. Julius Nyango (29:42.3) and Serge Gasore (29:42.6) of Abilene Christian finished eighth and ninth respectively. Adams State's Aucencio Martinez checked in at 29:45.3 for 10th place.
The Adams State College women's cross country team won a fourth straight NCAA Division II National Championship on Saturday morning in Pensacola, Fla. PENSACOLA, Fla.- It was not as dominating of a performance as some, but in the end the Adams State College women's cross country team claimed a hard-fought fourth straight and 12th overall NCAA Division II National Championship on Saturday morning at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. The Grizzlies put three runners in the top 20 and had four of the top 20 team scorers to edge arch-rival Western State College by seven points, 94-101.
The victory was the narrowest of the dozen that Coach Damon Martin's squad has won in the 15 years since both schools made the jump to the NCAA ranks in 1992. The winning team score of 94 was also the highest in the history of the meet, which dates to 1981.
However, one can be sure that Martin and his team, that recorded four All-America performances, is very satisfied.
Saturday's victory on the flat and fast 8,000-meter course fully avenged a setback to Western State a fortnight ago at the NCAA Division II North Central Regionals. That 40-48 defeat at the hands of the Mountaineers was ASC's first loss in 15 meets and gave hope to the rest of Division II that the Grizzlies' run at the top may be over.
The setback also forced pollsters to move the Grizzlies, who had been ranked first since Sept. 23, 2003, down to No. 3 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Rankings behind No. 1 Grand Valley State (Mich.), and the No. 2 Mountaineers.
The top 30 overall finishers were named NCAA II All-Americans, and the top 30 time's for American runners only were also named All-Americans.
In order to be eligible to participate in the championships, teams and individuals had to qualify in their respective NCAA region competitions.
All regions automatically qualified two teams of seven student-athletes each. Additional berths were awarded to the regions with the first eight team finishers at the 2005 NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country Championships.
All regions automatically qualify the top two individuals from non-qualifying teams. In addition, all individual competitors who finish in the top five overall places in their respective regional meet and are not a member of a qualifying team automatically advance to the championships.