Cross Country Team Honored by Cadet Wing
11/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 3, 2015
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force men's cross country team was honored for winning the Mountain West title during the Academy's noon meal on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The 21st-ranked Falcons, who earned the program's first MW title in 12 years, presented the trophy to Air Force athletic director Jim Knowlton and the Cadet Wing, while Knowlton and head coach Ryan Cole spoke to the cadets.
Backed by four all-conference selections, the (then) 26th-ranked men earned the program's first conference title since 2003 on Oct. 30 in Reno, combining for 49 points to better a field that included No. 30 Colorado State (second, 53 points), No. 16 Boise State (third, 56) and six-time defending champion New Mexico (fifth, 120).
Placing second (26:30.41) and third (26:30.52), respectively, in the 61-runner, 8000-kilometer event, senior Patrick Corona and junior Kyle Eller paced the Falcons to the title. Including an additional top-10 finish from senior Dan Caddigan (10th, 27:01.65), all five of Air Force's scoring runners finished within the top 21, as junior Matt Dorsey finished 13th (27:05.73) and senior Daniel Shellhouse placed 21st (27:34.16).
The women also had a strong showing at the conference championships, finishing third in the 6K race for its best placement ever at a Mountain West meet. Senior Hannah Everson, who finished third (22:12.11) out of 83 runners to claim program's highest individual finish ever, captured all-conference honors for the third straight year and became the first Air Force female to accomplish that feat.
Air Force returns to action next Friday (Nov. 13), when it travels to Albuquerque for the NCAA Mountain Region Championships.
Players Mentioned
