Utah State Men’s Cross Country places 11th at NCAA Championships

STILLWATER, Okla. – Utah State’s men’s cross country team earned its best-ever finish at the NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships, which took place Monday at the OSU Cross Country Course.

The 21st-ranked Aggies scored 351 points to place 11th overall, surpassing their previous best championship finish of 16th in 2019. Utah State beat 15 ranked teams, including 10 that were ranked ahead of them.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these kids,” said Utah State head cross country coach Artie Gulden. “The guys getting 11th is freaking fantastic. We showed tremendous heart and grit. Caleb (Garnica) fought hard and is an All-American. Camren (Todd) came so close, just like Katie (Haviland) in the women’s race, but the guys did great. Words cannot describe how proud I am.”

Garnica, a junior, crossed the finish line in 30 minutes, 31.2 seconds to place 28th in the men’s 10-kilometer race and earn All-American status (given to the top 40 finishers).

“I am amazed with the men on this team today,” said Garnica, the Mountain West Men’s Student-Athlete of the Year. “This was our highest finish in USU history and it’s an honor to race with them. Being an All-American has been a goal of mine and to finally achieve it is amazing. It was a fantastic day for all of us, and was a great finish to our long season.”

Todd narrowly missed giving Utah State a pair of All-Americans as he placed 42nd with a time of 30:50.2. Senior Haydon Cooper (31:28.5) placed 92nd and sophomore Bridger Altice (31:35.6) finished 108th. Sophomore Spencer Nelson (32:05.5), junior Darren Harman (32:20.5) and junior Mark Crandall (32:29.6) rounded out the Aggies finishers, placing 138th, 161st and 176th, respectively.

Northern Arizona won the team title with 60 points, while BYU’s Conner Mantz, a product of Sky View High School in Smithfield, won the individual title with a time of 29:26.1.

Haviland represented Utah State’s women’s team as an individual after the senior garnered second-team all-MW honors by placing eighth at the conference championships. On Monday, she placed 43rd in the 6K race with a time of 21:01.6.

“It was a tough course and that’s definitely the most I’ve ever hurt in a race,” Haviland said. “I went out wanting to do big things, and even though it does hurt to have come so close to being an All-American, I know I gave it everything I had. It makes me hungry for another chance to compete with the best, and I am really grateful for the experience.”

Added Gulden: “Katie started us off so well. She fought and moved her way up, and ran the best race of her life and just missed out on being an All-American. She ran so tough.”

Mountain Region-rival BYU captured the women’s team title with 96 points.

Fans can follow the Utah State track & field and cross country programs at twitter.com/USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at instagram.com/USUTF_XC. Aggies fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.

 

2020 NCAA DIVISION I CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Monday, March 15, 2021

Oklahoma State Cross Country Course

Stillwater, Okla. • Women – 6K • Men – 10K

Men’s Team Results (31 Teams):
1. Northern Arizona – 3, 5, 6, 8, 38, (54), (129) – 60
2. Notre Dame – 9, 18, 19, 14, 20, (21), (31) – 193

  1. Oklahoma State – 7, 15, 23, 30, 67, (158), (194) – 142
  2. Arkansas – 10, 33, 34, 49, 55, (140), (175) – 181
  3. Stanford – 13, 14, 39, 60, 68, (85), (121) – 194
  4. UTAH STATE – 25, 36, 78, 93, 119, (137), (150) – 351

Men’s Individual Top-Five Finishers: 1. Conner Mantz (BYU) – 29:26.1; 2. Adriaan Wildschutt (FSU) – 29:48.2; 3. Wesley Kiptoo (ISU) – 29:54.9; 4. Nico Young (NAU) – 29:58.3; 5. Patrick Dever (TUL) – 29:59.9.

Utah State Men’s Finishers: 28. Caleb Garnica – 30:31.2; 42. Camren Todd – 30:50.2; 92. Haydon Cooper – 31:28.5; 108. Bridger Altice – 31:35.6; 138. Spencer Nelson – 32:05.5; 161. Darren Harman – 32:20.5; 176. Mark Crandall – 32:29.6.

 

Women’s Team Results (31 Teams):
1. BYU – 9, 12, 14, 27, 34 (92), (151) – 96

  1. North Carolina State – 4, 7, 20, 51, 79, (101), (189) – 161
  2. Stanford – 8, 11, 45, 70, 73, (125), (148) – 207
  3. Michigan State – 13, 28, 29, 61, 81, (96), (168) – 212
  4. Minnesota – 6, 37, 48, 57, 91, (167), (200) – 239

    Women’s Individual Top-Five Finishers: 1. Mercy Chelangat (ALA) – 20:01.1; 2. Taylor Roe (OSU) – 20:06.6; 3. Amaris Tyynismaa (ALA) – 20:10.2; 4. Mahala Norris (AFA) – 20:11.8; 5. Hannah Steelman (NCSU) – 20:14.9.

 

Utah State Women’s Results: 43. Katie Haviland – 21:01.6.

 

NCAA DIVISION I CROSS COUNTRY POSTSEASON AWARDS
All-American

Utah State Men: Caleb Garnica

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