Adams State College won their seventh straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women’s cross country championship title and their fourth consecutive RMAC men’s cross country championship title. The WNMU Mustangs finished 11th on the women’s side; whereas the men finished ninth. The 2008 RMAC Cross Country Championships were held today in Grand Junction, Colorado at the 27 1/4 Road Motocross Area.
The Grizzlies women’s team won the 6K race with 29 points, which was 18 points better than second place Western State. The title was ASC’s 22nd overall conference championship title since 1981. Adams State also swept the individual awards with Lavenna Mullenbach earning the RMAC Runner of the Year and J.J. Lende earning the RMAC Freshman of the Year award. Head coach Damon Martin was voted the 2008 RMAC men’s and women’s cross country coach of the Year.
Coming in first for the Mustangs was Cassandra Sanchez (Acoma Pueblo, NM) in a time of 24:44.3, good for 48th place. Amy Roybal (Pojoaque Valley, NM) followed behind in 63rd, posting a time of 25:20.1.
Click here for complete women’s results.
The ASC men’s team finished 29 points ahead of Western State to earn their 31st conference cross country title. Aaron Braun won the men’s 8K race to earn the 2008 RMAC Runner of the Year honor. Braun also won the award last year and was named the 2006 RMAC Freshman of Year. New Mexico Highlands Nicaise Kazingo was the first freshman to cross the line and was named the RMAC Freshman of the Year.
Mustang runner James Moloney (Tamworth, Australia) came in at 28:35.3 and 58th place. Tennis player-turned cross country runner Wilton Atkins (Wanganui, New Zealand) was the next purple and gold runner to finish with a time of 30:06.1. Atkins finished 70th.
Click here for complete men’s results.
Twenty-one student-athletes were named to the All-RMAC women’s and men’s cross country teams. The first seven place finishers were named to the All-RMAC First Team, while the next seven runners (eighth-14th) were named to the All-RMAC Second Team, and the 15th-21st place finishers earned All-RMAC Third Team honors.
Women’s Team Scores
1 Adams State 29
2 Western State 47
3 Mesa State 108
4 Metro State 115
5 UC-Colorado Springs 140
6 Colorado Mines 166
7 Nebraska–Kearney 197
8 Fort Lewis 223
9 Regis University 224
10 N.M. Highlands 272
11 Western N.M. 317
12 Colorado Christian 346
13 CSU-Pueblo 368
RMAC Runner of the Year: Lavenna Mullenbach, Adams State
RMAC Freshman of the Year: J.J. Lende, Adams State
RMAC Coach of the Year: Damon Martin, Adams State
First Team All-RMAC
Lavenna Mullenbach, Adams State
Shannon Payne, UC-Colorado Springs
Heather Wood, Adams State
J.J. Lende, Adams State
Julianne Payton, Western State
Alexis Skarda, Mesa State
Lisa Thomas, Western State
Second Team All-RMAC
Hilory Davis, Western State
Esmeralda Martinez-Ramos, Mesa State
Sofia Monroe, Adams State
Janette Cary, Adams State
Chelsea Rutter, Metro State
Sarah Lyle, Western State
Emily Schmidt, Western State
Third Team All-RMAC
Melanie Peddle, Colorado Mines
Ashley Quintana, Adams State
Danielle Kehoe, Metro State
Sydney Laws, Colorado Mines
Alexandra Tayrien, Western State
Vanessa Roy, Adams State
Natalia Guerrero, Western State
Men’s Team Scores
1 Adams State 20
2 Western State 49
3 Colorado Mines 81
4 Metro State 135
5 N.M. Highlands 143
6 UC-Colorado Springs 162
7 Nebraska–Kearney 184
8 Fort Lewis 200
9 Western N.M. 303
10 Regis University 309
11 Colorado Christian 312
RMAC Runner of the Year: Aaron Braun, Adams State
RMAC Freshman of the Year: Nicaise Kazingo, N.M. Highlands
RMAC Coach of the Year: Damon Martin, Adams State
First Team All-RMAC
Aaron Braun, Adams State
Brian Medigovich, Adams State
Laurent Ngirakamaro, NM Highlands
Ryan McNiff, Adams State
Reuben Mwei, Adams State
Tyler Pennel, Western State
Iain Donnan, Western State
Second Team All-RMAC
Babey Wagnew, Adams State
Loren Ahonen, Western State
Florian Theophile, Adams State
Ben Zywicki, Colorado Mines
Nicaise Kazingo, NM Highlands
Sean Brown, Western State
Jason Graham, Western State
Third Team All-RMAC
Sean Cusick, Colorado Mines
Nate Hatleback, Colorado Mines
Drew Graham, Adams State
Drew Soucy, Adams State
Jacques Annandale, Colorado Mines
Tyler Rasmussen, Western State
Tanner Fruit, Nebraska-Kearney