The rich got even richer on Saturday at the D2 NCAA XC Championships. Both the Adams State men and the Grand Valley State women won their 3rd straight titles today in Louisville, and each did it in dominating fashion. The Grizzlies won with just 69 points led by individual champion Tabor Stevens, while the Laker women swept the top three spots en route to a 50 point final score. 

Men’s Race
The Louisville area was hit hard with rain throughout the week, which made for muddy course conditions at the E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park. The course had so much standing water that the men’s 10k was shortened by more than 400 meters, but that did not stop defending individual champion Tabor Stevens of Adams State from capturing his 2nd straight title. Stevens stayed with the lead pack which included both his Grizzly teammates Kevin Batt and Matt Daniels through 5k, as the group split 15:30 on the sloppy course. Aaron Dinzeo of California (PA) and Mike Biwott of American International were also part of that small group, which was broken up when Stevens finally made his move around 7k. The 2x NCAA steeple champ left his teammates Batt and Daniels before shaking both Dinzeo and Biwott with just over a mile to go, and would cross the line in 30:02, well clear of 2nd place finisher Dinzeo in 30:19. Mike Biwott’s perfect season came to an end as he would settle for 3rd, followed by Batt and Daniels of Adams State. The Grizzlies had four men in the top 20, which all but eliminated their concerns about lacking a 5th man. Freshman Jackson Sayler finished in 56th, rounding out the top five to give Adams State a 69 point total. Grand Valley State would finish 2nd with 127 points, followed by Augustana (S.D.) then Colorado Mines to round out the podium teams.

Stevens was thrilled to come out on top individually and as a team. “I can’t believe it. I thought this was going to be the hardest race of my life, and it was. I just stuck to my plan and it worked.” Stevens added this victory to give him a combined four NCAA titles over a two year span. The senior will go for his 3rd straight steeple title on the track this spring. 

This year’s title came with added meaning for the Grizzlies, as they have been inspired this season by former ASU runner Drew Graham, who was seriously injured in a diving accident on September 21st. Kevin Batt spoke about how Graham’s inspiration impacted their season. “We were all thinking about him before the race. He’ll get the trophy after this because he was a great Adams State runner. Today wasn’t just a victory for Adams State, it was also for Drew Graham, who is in the battle of his life. To win that for him today was awesome.”

You can help in Drew's recovery by visiting his fundraiser page HERE.

Women’s Race
We knew the Grand Valley women were loaded up front, but to go 1-2-3 at NCAAs is nothing short of spectacular. The Laker trio of Kendra Foley, Allyson Winchester, and Jessica Janecke dominated up front on Saturday, and led GVSU to a commanding 50 point victory and their 3rd title in a row. Hillsdale College finished in 2nd, followed by Minnesota-Duluth in 3rd and Adams State in fourth. 

Sophomore Kendra Foley took the win in 21:05.8 on the rain-shortened course, separating herself from the lead pack shortly after 3k. Foley made the most of the treacherous terrain, and was able to win comfortably ahead of Winchester (21:11) and Janecke (21:14). Bellarmine senior Emily Frith placed fourth on her home course in 21:16.  

Full Results HERE!