Air Force Academy
NCAA Championships
Riley Coates Finishes 77th at NCAA Championships
11/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Air Force senior Riley Coates capped off an impressive 2014 cross country season this afternoon (Nov. 22) by finishing within the top third of the field at the 2014 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Competing against 250 of the nation's top distance runners, Coates placed 77th with a 10K time of 31:20.3.
Recording the program's second-highest individual finish at a national championship meet since 2009, Coates made his way through the large field of runners at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, gaining over 124 places throughout the 10K race. Contributing to Coates' final time were splits of 9:19.8 (3K, 201st), 15:39.5 (5K, 135th) and 25:04.4 (8K, 87th).
"I felt very good about my race today," Coates said after the meet. "It would've been great to finish in the top 40, but I was still able to finish in the top 80 and I thought that was a solid finish based on how my season has gone. Overall, I'm happy with today's performance and thought it was a great day to cap off my cross country career."
Coates, who finished fourth among conference runners at the NCAA Championships, cut one minute off of his time from last year's national championship meet, while improving his overall finish by 129 places.
"Riley ran a very steady race today to finish off the season," Air Force head coach Ryan Cole said of his senior team co-captain. "He moved through the field really well and competed hard against the top distance runners in the country. He's had an extremely solid season ... and not just in terms of racing. He has been a tremendous example of what needs to be done on a daily basis to improve at distance running. Riley's a great representative of the Air Force Academy and our distance running program."
Top-ranked Colorado won the men's team title for the second straight year, while Oregon's Edward Cheserek successfully defended his individual title in a time of 30:19.4.
With the cross country season complete, Coates and his distance teammates turn their attention to the indoor track and field season, which begins on Friday, Dec. 12, with the Air Force Holiday Open.
Players Mentioned
