CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (November 18, 2023) – Following a historic season, the Northern Arizona University cross country teams saw their best program finish in school history. Both teams placed second after impressive team races which saw the women score 124 points and the men score 71 points.
The women's team saw their best finish in school history after placing second behind No. 2 NC State, with the Wolfpack finishing one point ahead of the 'Jacks.
Gracelyn Larkin led the team to the finish, placing 13
th with a time of 19:35.6.
Annika Reiss was not far behind in 15
th, finishing with a time of 19:36.8.
Elise Stearns had a solid race, running a time of 19:52.2 to place 20
th.
Ruby Smee and
Aliandrea Upshaw finished out the scoring for NAU, placing 54
th and 57
th respectively, with times of 20:15.1 and 20:16.6. Larkin, Reiss, and Stearns each earned All-American status for their efforts.
Also running for the Lumberjacks were
Maggi Congdon and
Maisie Grice. Congdon finished 60
th with a time of 20:19.0, while Grice placed 76
th with a time of 20:31.1.
Along with being the best team finish in school and conference history, this is also the first time the women have placed three athletes in the top-20. It is the first time the Lumberjack women have seen three athletes finish as All-Americans since 1991, when the top three runners finished in 21
st, 26
th, and 37
th.
The women followed No. 2 NC State (123) and were followed by No. 4 Oklahoma State (156), No. 7 Notre Dame (237), and No. 8 Florida (268).
The men saw their best team race of the year as they finished in second behind No. 2 Oklahoma State.
Drew Bosley and
Nico Young battled it out at the front of the race, eventually finishing in fifth and sixth. Bosley ran a time of 29:03.8 to edge out Young, who finished with a time of 29:04.2.
Aaron Las Heras placed 18
th with a time of 29:29.1, with
Santiago Gomez-Prosser not far behind in 21
st with a time of 29:32.6.
Brodey Hasty was the final NAU scorer, placing 25
th with a time of 29:36.3. All five scorers for the men earned All-American honors.
Also competing for the 'Jacks were
Corey Gorgas and
Theo Quax. Gorgas ran a time of 30:08.7 to place 62
nd in his first NCAA National Championships appearance, while Quax finished 84
th with a time of 30:25.9.
This was the eighth consecutive year that the men have finished in the top-2 at the national meet, and the 11
th total time they have finished either first or second. Young and Bosley both finished in the top-10 for the second straight year, placing second and third in 2022. This is also the second consecutive year that the Lumberjacks have finished with all five of their scorers earning All-American honors.
The men finished behind No. 2 Oklahoma State (49), and were followed by No. 3 BYU (196), No. 7 Arkansas (221), and No. 17 Iowa State (230).
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