Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos
Cross Country Announces 2022 Award Winners
12/1/2022 5:26:00 PM | Cross Country
Halle Hamilton and Sam Gilman claimed MVP honors for their respective squads.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force cross country team celebrated the 2022 season this week, as it held its annual award banquet. Sophomore Halle Hamilton and senior Sam Gilman claimed MVP honors for their respective squads, while six other Falcons were honored for their performance and dedication during this past season.
Hamilton had a stellar sophomore campaign on the cross country course, claiming all-conference and all-region honors, while earning an individual bid to her first NCAA Championship meet. Hamilton, who finished seventh at the Mountain West Championships and 12th at the NCAA Mountain Regional, was a vital member of the Falcons' scoring lineup in every competition, including a top-25 finish at the prestigious Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational (21st of 265). With a sixth-place finish at the Mountain West Championships, Gilman helped the men to their third-straight conference title and became the first Falcon to ever capture first-team all-MW in three consecutive meets. The senior, who also earned all-region honors and was a two-time MW Runner of the Week, was the Falcons' top finisher at both the Cowboy Jamboree (28th of 230) and Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational (10th of 245), while earning a scoring finish in every other meet.
Juniors Rachel Crytser and Sean Maison were named the Most Improved Athletes, while first-year Falcons India Jones and Max Sannes were honored as the Newcomers of the Year.
After missing last year, Crytser returned to the lineup in 2022 and earned scoring finishes for the women at both the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational and Mountain West Championships. Maison, a second-team all-conference runner last season, raced to the MW title this year – becoming just the second member of the Air Force men's program to capture a conference title and the MW Athlete of the Year award. Maison, who led the men to their third-straight conference title, also scored for Air Force at the Cowboy Jamboree and NCAA Mountain Regional. Jones, who walked onto the team following the fall tryouts had a tremendous debut season. A MW Freshman of the Week, Jones scored for the Falcons in every race she competed in, including finishes as the team's No. 3 runner at the conference and regional meets. Sannes capped his impressive debut season as the Mountain West Freshman of the Year – marking the fourth time in as many championships that Air Force has claimed the top finish by a true freshman. A two-time MW Freshman of the Week, Sannes placed 27th at the conference meet, while finishing third out of 109 runners at the Trojan Invitational and 10th out of 323 runners at the Woody Greeno Invitational.
Seniors Maddie Edwards and Ryan Johnson rounded out the Falcons' list of award winners by claiming the Coaches' Award for their respective teams. Edwards, one of just two seniors on a young women's team, was a member of the Falcons' top five at the Air Force Classic and Cowboy Jamboree. Johnson finished his cross country career with the trifecta of post-season awards – all-conference (first-team), all-region and All-American. The senior, who finished second at the conference meet to help Air Force to its third-straight team title, scored for Air Force in every meet he contested and was the squad's top finisher in the 10K races at the NCAA Mountain Regional (10th of 119) and NCAA Championships (28th of 255).
2022 Cross Country Award WinnersHamilton had a stellar sophomore campaign on the cross country course, claiming all-conference and all-region honors, while earning an individual bid to her first NCAA Championship meet. Hamilton, who finished seventh at the Mountain West Championships and 12th at the NCAA Mountain Regional, was a vital member of the Falcons' scoring lineup in every competition, including a top-25 finish at the prestigious Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational (21st of 265). With a sixth-place finish at the Mountain West Championships, Gilman helped the men to their third-straight conference title and became the first Falcon to ever capture first-team all-MW in three consecutive meets. The senior, who also earned all-region honors and was a two-time MW Runner of the Week, was the Falcons' top finisher at both the Cowboy Jamboree (28th of 230) and Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational (10th of 245), while earning a scoring finish in every other meet.
Juniors Rachel Crytser and Sean Maison were named the Most Improved Athletes, while first-year Falcons India Jones and Max Sannes were honored as the Newcomers of the Year.
After missing last year, Crytser returned to the lineup in 2022 and earned scoring finishes for the women at both the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational and Mountain West Championships. Maison, a second-team all-conference runner last season, raced to the MW title this year – becoming just the second member of the Air Force men's program to capture a conference title and the MW Athlete of the Year award. Maison, who led the men to their third-straight conference title, also scored for Air Force at the Cowboy Jamboree and NCAA Mountain Regional. Jones, who walked onto the team following the fall tryouts had a tremendous debut season. A MW Freshman of the Week, Jones scored for the Falcons in every race she competed in, including finishes as the team's No. 3 runner at the conference and regional meets. Sannes capped his impressive debut season as the Mountain West Freshman of the Year – marking the fourth time in as many championships that Air Force has claimed the top finish by a true freshman. A two-time MW Freshman of the Week, Sannes placed 27th at the conference meet, while finishing third out of 109 runners at the Trojan Invitational and 10th out of 323 runners at the Woody Greeno Invitational.
Seniors Maddie Edwards and Ryan Johnson rounded out the Falcons' list of award winners by claiming the Coaches' Award for their respective teams. Edwards, one of just two seniors on a young women's team, was a member of the Falcons' top five at the Air Force Classic and Cowboy Jamboree. Johnson finished his cross country career with the trifecta of post-season awards – all-conference (first-team), all-region and All-American. The senior, who finished second at the conference meet to help Air Force to its third-straight team title, scored for Air Force in every meet he contested and was the squad's top finisher in the 10K races at the NCAA Mountain Regional (10th of 119) and NCAA Championships (28th of 255).
Most Valuable Athletes: Sam Gilman, Halle Hamilton
Most Improved Athletes: Rachel Crytser, Sean Maison
Newcomers of the Year: India Jones, Max Sannes
Coaches' Awards: Maddie Edwards, Ryan Johnson
The Falcons had a memorable 2022 campaign on the cross country course, as the men won their third-straight Mountain West title, earned the first top-five national ranking in Academy history and finished seventh at the NCAA Championships – the program's highest finish in 55 years. Individually, Sean Maison became the program's second MW individual champion and Ryan Johnson claimed the team's 17th All-America honor, while Max Sannes was named the MW Freshman of the Year and Ryan Cole was honored as the MW Coach of the Year for the fifth time in eight years. The Falcons set a conference-record 20 points in their dominating 1-2-3-6-8 victory at the MW Championships, with Maison, Ryan Johnson, Ethan Marshall, Sam Gilman and Bryce Lentz all claiming all-conference accolades.
On the women's side, Halle Hamilton earned a bid to the NCAA Championships – marking the seventh time in eight years that a member of the women's team has competed at the national meet. The sophomore, who claimed all-conference honors following a top-10 finish, was one of two Falcons to earn all-region accolades after placing within the top 25 at the NCAA Mountain Regional (Lindsey Peters).
On the women's side, Halle Hamilton earned a bid to the NCAA Championships – marking the seventh time in eight years that a member of the women's team has competed at the national meet. The sophomore, who claimed all-conference honors following a top-10 finish, was one of two Falcons to earn all-region accolades after placing within the top 25 at the NCAA Mountain Regional (Lindsey Peters).
2022 Cross Country Highlights
All-American: Ryan Johnson
All-Region: Eli Bennett, Sam Gilman, Halle Hamilton, Ryan Johnson, Ethan Marshall, Lindsey Peters
MW Champion (Athlete of the Year): Sean Maison
All-MW Runners, First-Team: Sam Gilman, Halle Hamilton, Ryan Johnson, Sean Maison, Ethan Marshall
All-MW Runners, Second-Team: Bryce Lentz
MW Freshman of the Year: Max Sannes
MW Coach of the Year: Ryan Cole
MW Weekly Awards: Ryan Child (Runner of the Week: Sept 20), Sam Gilman (Runner of the Week: Sept 27; Runner of the Week: Oct. 18), Jadyn Heil (Freshman of the Week: Sept. 20), India Jones (Freshman of the Week: Sept. 27), Lindsey Peters (Runner of the Week: Sept. 27), Max Sannes (Freshman of the Week: Sept. 20; Freshman of the Week: Oct. 18)
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