Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos
Air Force Men Sweep MW Postseason Honors
10/31/2022 3:38:00 PM | Cross Country
The combined program also accounted for six all-MW performers, including five first-teamers.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following a dominant performance at last week's Mountain West Cross Country Championships in Laramie, Wyo., the Air Force men swept the league's individual postseason awards, while the full AFXC program accounted for six all-conference accolades, including five first-team selections.
The men, who won their third-straight MW team title – and fifth overall – with a conference-record 20 points on Friday morning, were honored with the conference's Athlete of the Year (junior Sean Maison), Freshman of the Year (Max Sannes) and Head Coach of the Year (Ryan Cole) – marking the first time in program history that the men have claimed all three awards in the same meet.
After winning the conference title with an 8K time of 23:37.8, Maison became the second member of the men's team to be named the league's Athlete of the Year – joining the program's other Mountain West champion, Isaiah Bragg (2013).
Maison, who paced the Falcons to the first 1-2-3 finish by the same team in conference history, was one of four Falcons to garner first-team status on the men's side. Seniors Ryan Johnson and Ethan Marshall finished second (23:38.8) and third (23:40.9), respectively, as just 3.1-seconds separated the first trio of Air Force finishers. Classmate Sam Gilman added a sixth-place time of 23:43.0 for his third-straight first-team selection, while sophomore Bryce Lentz rounded out the men's list of all-conference honorees, as he garnered second-team status with an eighth-place time of 23:45.3. On the women's side, sophomore Halle Hamilton claimed first-team status finishing seventh with a 6K time of 20:06.9
Gilman became the first Falcon to claim first-team all-MW honors in three consecutive meets, while he and Johnson brought the number of men with at least three all-conference awards to 10.
Sannes was named the MW Male Freshman of the Year after claiming the best finish (27th, 24:32.1) by a true freshman on the 8K course at Jacoby Golf Course. Sannes, who finished 27th in the 79-runner championship race, marked the fourth time in as many years that an Air Force runner has been named the league's top freshman (2019 Johnson, 2020 Luke Combs, 2021 Hamilton).
After leading the men to their fourth cross country title under his watch, Cole was named the Mountain West Men's Coach of the Year – marking the fifth time in eight years that he has been tabbed as the league's top cross country coach (2015 men, 2016 women, 2020 men, 2021 men).
The men, who won their third-straight MW team title – and fifth overall – with a conference-record 20 points on Friday morning, were honored with the conference's Athlete of the Year (junior Sean Maison), Freshman of the Year (Max Sannes) and Head Coach of the Year (Ryan Cole) – marking the first time in program history that the men have claimed all three awards in the same meet.
After winning the conference title with an 8K time of 23:37.8, Maison became the second member of the men's team to be named the league's Athlete of the Year – joining the program's other Mountain West champion, Isaiah Bragg (2013).
Maison, who paced the Falcons to the first 1-2-3 finish by the same team in conference history, was one of four Falcons to garner first-team status on the men's side. Seniors Ryan Johnson and Ethan Marshall finished second (23:38.8) and third (23:40.9), respectively, as just 3.1-seconds separated the first trio of Air Force finishers. Classmate Sam Gilman added a sixth-place time of 23:43.0 for his third-straight first-team selection, while sophomore Bryce Lentz rounded out the men's list of all-conference honorees, as he garnered second-team status with an eighth-place time of 23:45.3. On the women's side, sophomore Halle Hamilton claimed first-team status finishing seventh with a 6K time of 20:06.9
Gilman became the first Falcon to claim first-team all-MW honors in three consecutive meets, while he and Johnson brought the number of men with at least three all-conference awards to 10.
Sannes was named the MW Male Freshman of the Year after claiming the best finish (27th, 24:32.1) by a true freshman on the 8K course at Jacoby Golf Course. Sannes, who finished 27th in the 79-runner championship race, marked the fourth time in as many years that an Air Force runner has been named the league's top freshman (2019 Johnson, 2020 Luke Combs, 2021 Hamilton).
After leading the men to their fourth cross country title under his watch, Cole was named the Mountain West Men's Coach of the Year – marking the fifth time in eight years that he has been tabbed as the league's top cross country coach (2015 men, 2016 women, 2020 men, 2021 men).
CONFERENCE AWARD WINNERS
Mountain West Men's Head Coach of the Year: Ryan Cole
Mountain West Men's Athlete of the Year: Sean Maison
Mountain West Men's Freshman of the Year: Max Sannes
Men's All-Conference First Team: Sean Maison, Ryan Johnson, Ethan Marshall, Sam Gilman
Men's All-Conference Second Team: Bryce Lentz
Women's All-Conference First Team: Halle Hamilton
Mountain West Men's Head Coach of the Year: Ryan Cole
Mountain West Men's Athlete of the Year: Sean Maison
Mountain West Men's Freshman of the Year: Max Sannes
Men's All-Conference First Team: Sean Maison, Ryan Johnson, Ethan Marshall, Sam Gilman
Men's All-Conference Second Team: Bryce Lentz
Women's All-Conference First Team: Halle Hamilton
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