Adams State becomes winningest program in NCAA finals history with 20th Division 2 crown, including third in a row, as Cotter secures seventh career national title; Colorado School of Mines wins third championship with largest men’s margin of victory, as Powell leads seven All-Americans for Orediggers 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Phil Yearian | Photos by Kim Spir

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – The spotlight centered Friday around the Adams State women, who became the most decorated cross country program regardless of gender or division in NCAA championship history with a 20th Division 2 title at Chambers Creek Regional Park.

But when it comes to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, if some is good, then more is better, and Adams State didn’t mind sharing its presence on the podium with Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Christian and UC-Colorado Springs.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Colorado School of Mines had all seven athletes earn All-America honors by finishing in the top 30 overall to capture its third men’s crown in eight years, producing the largest margin of victory in Division 2 finals history with a 43-177 triumph against Wingate University of North Carolina.

Emporia State held the previous Division 2 all-time mark for most lopsided win by defeating Akron by 130 points in 1963.

Dillon Powell, the reigning Division 2 champion in the 10,000 meters, added a 10-kilometer cross country crown with a strong second-half surge to become the first individual winner for the Orediggers in 29 minutes, 28 seconds.

Colorado Christian took third with 191 points and Grand Valley State finished fourth with 209 points.

Adams State then achieved its own highlights, as Stephanie Cotter became a two-time women’s individual cross country champion by covering the 6-kilometer layout in 19:45.2, leading five All-Americans for the Grizzlies, who won their third in a row against Grand Valley State by a 75-126 margin.

Cotter, who pulled away Friday from runner-up Lindsay Cunningham of Winona State (20:27.2) at the 2-mile mark, also prevailed in the 6-kilometer final in 2019 at the Haggin Oaks Golf Course in Sacramento by clocking 19:15.5.

Since placing 11th at the 2018 Division 2 cross country final in Pennsylvania, Cotter has won seven national titles, including six individual victories along with contributing to a 2019 championship in the indoor distance medley relay.

Colorado School of Mines took third in the women’s final with 164 points and UC-Colorado Springs finished fourth with 184 points.

Adams State surpassed Division 3 men’s dynasty North Central from Illinois, which won 19 NCAA titles from 1975-2018.

The Grizzlies have won 20 Division 2 championships under coach Damon Martin since 1992, which followed three NAIA women’s crowns in 1981, 1989 and 1991.

Martin has guided Adams State to 22 women’s national championships, including the Grizzlies’ last two NAIA titles, along with 10 Division 2 men’s crowns since 1989.

Adams State has appeared on the Division 2 women’s podium in 29 of the past 30 seasons, including 21 in a row, with only a fifth-place finish in 2000 separating from the Grizzlies from a perfect run.

It marked the first time since 2001 that the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference claimed both individual titles and both team championships in the same year. Western Colorado swept all four crowns that year in Pennsylvania.

Brianna Robles, the reigning Division 2 indoor and outdoor 5,000-meter champion, finished fourth for Adams State in 20:44.9, Precious Robinson was 15th in 21:00.2, Emily Schoellkopf placed 25th in 21:10.1 and Morgan Hykes held on for 38th in 21:20.3 for the Grizzlies, who also had Nicole Lawrence earn 65th in 21:41.5 and freshman Maggie McCleskey place 118th in 22:12.9.

Grand Valley State, which made its fourth straight podium appearance including the 2018 national title, had three All-Americans in third-place finisher Klaudia O’Malley (20:43.0) – last year’s runner-up – along with Lauren Kiley securing seventh in 20:51.8 and Natalie Graber grabbing 35th in 21:17.9.

Colorado School of Mines achieved its third straight podium performance, led by Molly Maksin in 12th place in 20:54.9, Elite 90 award winner Zoe Baker finishing 33rd in 21:15.2 and Grace Strongman taking 39th in 21:20.7.

UC-Colorado Springs, making its 13th all-time appearance at the Division 2 national final, earned its first trip to the podium, highlighted by Layla Almasri placing 10th in 20:54.0.

Kate Hedlund took 20th in 21:08.2, Anna Fauske finished 24th in 21:09.2 and Riley McGrath secured 32nd in 21:14.2 for the Mountain Lions, who had never finished higher than seventh in a women’s championship race.

Florance Uwajeneza (20:48.9) and Eleonora Curtabbi (20:50.2) placed fifth and sixth for West Texas A&M, Alaska Fairbanks’ Kendall Kramer earned eighth in 20:52.2, Minnesota State’s Amanda Montplaisir grabbed ninth in 20:53.4, Augustana’s Megan Means took 11th in 20:54.6, Pittsburg State’s Lara Murdock achieved 13th in 20:55.0 and Chico State’s Marissa D’Atri was 14th in 20:56.4.

Although the men’s teams from Wingate and Colorado Christian joined the UC-Colorado Springs women’s lineup by celebrating the first podium finishes in program history, no team had a more impressive showing than the Colorado School of Mines men’s roster.

Powell was supported by Elite 90 award winner Duncan Fuehne taking third in 29:48.3, Loic Scomparin placing 10th in 30:06.5, Luke Julian finishing 13th in 30:11.5, Chris Cathcart (30:16.8) and Paul Knight (30:17.6) achieving 23rd and 24th, respectively, and Steven Goldy earning 30th in 30:23.6.

Wingate, which secured sixth last season, had four All-Americans, led by Scott Nutter grabbing 22nd in 30:16.1, Cas Kopmels placing 27th in 30:20.7, Oliver Way taking 32nd in 30:25.8 and Pierre Galbourdin finishing 34th in 30:26.8.

Colorado Christian’s third-place performance was highlighted by a trio of All-Americans, with Josh Pierantoni securing 11th in 30:08.6, Matthew Storer finishing 17th in 30:14.2 and Trent Cochran taking 31st in 30:24.8.

Grand Valley State extended its streak of men’s podium finishes to nine consecutive Division 2 finals, led by runner-up Tanner Chada clocking 29:47.1, Caleb Futter placing 14th in 30:11.8 and Brock Wooderson giving the Lakers a third All-American by securing 39th in 30:30.0.

Walsh’s Zach Kreft (29:53.6), Afewerki Zeru of UC-Colorado Springs (29:54.2), Alaska Anchorage’s Cole Nash (29:57.1), Saginaw Valley State’s Dayton Brown (29:57.2), Mississippi College’s Jan Lukas Becker (29:57.2) and Wayne State’s Ransom Allen (30:04.3) finished fourth through ninth, with Western Colorado’s Simon Kelati clocking 30:08.8 to earn 12th and Simon Fraser’s Charlie Dannatt producing the best finish in program history by taking 15th in 30:12.2.