Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos
Program-Record Eight Falcons Named All-MW
11/2/2021 10:03:00 AM | Cross Country
Air Force set a conference record with eight of the 14 all-MW selections.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following an impressive day of running at last week's Mountain West Cross Country Championships in Albuquerque, Air Force received an impressive haul of accolades from the conference office, including a program-record number of all-conference selections and two individual awards.
The men, who won their second-straight MW team title – and fourth overall – with an impressive 37-point victory on Friday morning, dominated the list of all-conference award recipients, claiming a conference-record eight honors. With four first-team and four second-team selections, the men accounted for more than half of the 14 all-conference awards – with six claiming repeat accolades.
Junior Sam Gilman and senior Ryan Ioanidis finished second and third, respectively, in the 76-runner field, for their second-straight all-MW awards, while fellow senior Will Kitzhaber (sixth) nabbed all-conference honors for the third consecutive year and junior Scott Maison (seventh) rounded out the quartet of first-team honorees his second-straight award.
With his award, Kitzhaber became just the seventh Falcon to earn all-MW honors in three-straight years.
Sophomore Luke Combs, classmate Sean Maison and junior Ryan Johnson earned second-team accolades after finishing ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively – with Combs and Johnson repeating as all-MW honorees, and junior Ethan Marshall rounded out the Falcons' list of all-MW selections following a 13th-place finish.
After leading the men to their third team title under his watch, Ryan Cole was named the Mountain West Men's Coach of the Year, marking the fourth time in seven years he has been tabbed as the league's top mentor (2015-men, 2016-women, 2020-men, 2021-men).
On the women's side, Halle Hamilton was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year after claiming the best finish (15th) by a true freshman on the 6K course at UNM North Golf Course. Hamilton, who finished 15th in the 97-runner championship and paced the women to a fourth-place finish in the team standings, became the first Air Force female to be named the league's top freshman – and the third-straight overall – joining Johnson (2019) and Combs (20).
CONFERENCE AWARD WINNERS
Mountain West Men's Head Coach of the Year: Ryan Cole
Mountain West Women's Freshman of the Year: Halle Hamilton
All-Conference First Team: Sam Gilman, Ryan Ioanidis, Will Kitzhaber, Scott Maison
All-Conference Second Team: Luke Combs, Ryan Johnson, Sean Maison, Ethan Marshall
The men, who won their second-straight MW team title – and fourth overall – with an impressive 37-point victory on Friday morning, dominated the list of all-conference award recipients, claiming a conference-record eight honors. With four first-team and four second-team selections, the men accounted for more than half of the 14 all-conference awards – with six claiming repeat accolades.
Junior Sam Gilman and senior Ryan Ioanidis finished second and third, respectively, in the 76-runner field, for their second-straight all-MW awards, while fellow senior Will Kitzhaber (sixth) nabbed all-conference honors for the third consecutive year and junior Scott Maison (seventh) rounded out the quartet of first-team honorees his second-straight award.
With his award, Kitzhaber became just the seventh Falcon to earn all-MW honors in three-straight years.
Sophomore Luke Combs, classmate Sean Maison and junior Ryan Johnson earned second-team accolades after finishing ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively – with Combs and Johnson repeating as all-MW honorees, and junior Ethan Marshall rounded out the Falcons' list of all-MW selections following a 13th-place finish.
After leading the men to their third team title under his watch, Ryan Cole was named the Mountain West Men's Coach of the Year, marking the fourth time in seven years he has been tabbed as the league's top mentor (2015-men, 2016-women, 2020-men, 2021-men).
On the women's side, Halle Hamilton was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year after claiming the best finish (15th) by a true freshman on the 6K course at UNM North Golf Course. Hamilton, who finished 15th in the 97-runner championship and paced the women to a fourth-place finish in the team standings, became the first Air Force female to be named the league's top freshman – and the third-straight overall – joining Johnson (2019) and Combs (20).
CONFERENCE AWARD WINNERS
Mountain West Men's Head Coach of the Year: Ryan Cole
Mountain West Women's Freshman of the Year: Halle Hamilton
All-Conference First Team: Sam Gilman, Ryan Ioanidis, Will Kitzhaber, Scott Maison
All-Conference Second Team: Luke Combs, Ryan Johnson, Sean Maison, Ethan Marshall
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Ryan Cole interview Sept 30, 2025
Tuesday, September 30
Katie Ryan- Mike Ryan AF Athletics Hall of Fame Induction video
Monday, September 29
Katie Ryan - Hall of Fame SPEECH
Monday, September 29
Mike Ryan - AF Athletics Hall of Fame Induction video
Monday, September 29
