Photo by: Ricky Bassman
Cross Country Announces 2023 Award Winners
11/29/2023 4:47:00 PM | Cross Country
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force cross country team celebrated the 2023 season this week, as it held its annual award banquet. Junior Halle Hamilton and senior Sean Maison claimed MVP honors for their respective squads, while eight other Falcons were honored for their performance and dedication during this past season.
Hamilton had another strong campaign on the cross country course, claiming all-conference and all-region honors for the second-straight year, while earning an individual bid to the NCAA Championship meet for the second time in as many years. Hamilton, who finished third at the Mountain West Championships (the second-highest placement in Academy history) and 21st at the NCAA Mountain Regional, was a key member of the Falcons' scoring lineup in every competition. Maison, last year's conference champion, led the Falcons in two meets this season, while garnering first-team all-conference and all-region honors. Maison, whose 15th-place finish in the 238-runner Virginia Invitational vaulted the men to No. 8 in the national rankings, added a top-50 finish (49th) in the 280-runner Nuttycombe Invitational during the regular season, before finishing sixth at the Mountain West Championships, 23rd at the NCAA Mountain Regional, and 64th at the NCAA Championships.
Juniors Ally Peterson and Jason Renze shared the Most Improved Awards, while senior Luke Combs and junior Tiaree Towler claimed their team's Comeback Awards.
Peterson and Renze both secured all-conference honors in 2023, with Peterson earning second-team status after finishing ninth and Renze claiming first-team honors after finishing seventh as the team's No. 3 runner. Peterson paced the women at the Virginia Invitational, finishing 76th out of 211 runners, and was a member of the team's scoring lineup in every meet, including as the team's No. 2 finisher at the Nuttycombe Invitational and MW Championships. Backed by the all-MW performance, Renze was a scoring member of the Falcons' lineup during three of the final four meets – including the NCAA Championships, where he was the No. 4 runner on Air Force's 12th-place team during just his second 10K.
Combs, who saw limited action in cross country and missed the entire track season as a junior, capped his fall resurgence by becoming the 18th Division I All-American in program history following a 28th-place finish in the 254-runner championship. Combs, who also garnered all-conference and all-region accolades in 2023, was a member of the squad's scoring lineup in every race – including four of the six where he was the team's No. 1 or No. 2 runner. Towler, who raced just twice during last year's cross country season, had a strong return to the lineup this year, posting a top-25 finish at the Mountain West Championships and a top-55 finish at the NCAA Mountain Regional Towler, who scored for the Falcons in every race, was the team's No. 2 finisher in three meets and posted the second-fastest 5K on the team.
The freshmen duo of Anna Harden and Patrick Lawson were named the Newcomers of the Year following stellar debut seasons. A two-time Mountain West Freshman of the Week, Lawson finished within the top-10 finishes during both of his races. As the top freshman finisher in the full 108-runner field, Lawson's 10th-place finish helped the men claim the team title at the Roadrunner Invitational. Harden, the Falcons' only first-year runner to make the trip to the NCAA Mountain Regional, was the women's No. 3 finisher in her regional debut – finishing 55th out of 135 runners. Harden added a scoring finish at the Virginia Invitational, while placing within the top 35 of the conference championship.
Seniors Eli Bennett and Rachel Crytser rounded out the list of award winners by receiving the Coaches' Awards for their respective teams. Bennett was a scoring member in every meet, highlighted by an all-conference performance at the Mountain West Championships (ninth) and finishes as the team's No. 3 runner at the Nuttycombe Invitational and NCAA Championships. Crytser also recorded scoring finishes in all four of her meets – finishing in the top 35 at the conference meet and within the top half of the field in the Virginia Invitational, Nuttycombe Invitational and NCAA Mountain Regional.
2023 Cross Country Award WinnersHamilton had another strong campaign on the cross country course, claiming all-conference and all-region honors for the second-straight year, while earning an individual bid to the NCAA Championship meet for the second time in as many years. Hamilton, who finished third at the Mountain West Championships (the second-highest placement in Academy history) and 21st at the NCAA Mountain Regional, was a key member of the Falcons' scoring lineup in every competition. Maison, last year's conference champion, led the Falcons in two meets this season, while garnering first-team all-conference and all-region honors. Maison, whose 15th-place finish in the 238-runner Virginia Invitational vaulted the men to No. 8 in the national rankings, added a top-50 finish (49th) in the 280-runner Nuttycombe Invitational during the regular season, before finishing sixth at the Mountain West Championships, 23rd at the NCAA Mountain Regional, and 64th at the NCAA Championships.
Juniors Ally Peterson and Jason Renze shared the Most Improved Awards, while senior Luke Combs and junior Tiaree Towler claimed their team's Comeback Awards.
Peterson and Renze both secured all-conference honors in 2023, with Peterson earning second-team status after finishing ninth and Renze claiming first-team honors after finishing seventh as the team's No. 3 runner. Peterson paced the women at the Virginia Invitational, finishing 76th out of 211 runners, and was a member of the team's scoring lineup in every meet, including as the team's No. 2 finisher at the Nuttycombe Invitational and MW Championships. Backed by the all-MW performance, Renze was a scoring member of the Falcons' lineup during three of the final four meets – including the NCAA Championships, where he was the No. 4 runner on Air Force's 12th-place team during just his second 10K.
Combs, who saw limited action in cross country and missed the entire track season as a junior, capped his fall resurgence by becoming the 18th Division I All-American in program history following a 28th-place finish in the 254-runner championship. Combs, who also garnered all-conference and all-region accolades in 2023, was a member of the squad's scoring lineup in every race – including four of the six where he was the team's No. 1 or No. 2 runner. Towler, who raced just twice during last year's cross country season, had a strong return to the lineup this year, posting a top-25 finish at the Mountain West Championships and a top-55 finish at the NCAA Mountain Regional Towler, who scored for the Falcons in every race, was the team's No. 2 finisher in three meets and posted the second-fastest 5K on the team.
The freshmen duo of Anna Harden and Patrick Lawson were named the Newcomers of the Year following stellar debut seasons. A two-time Mountain West Freshman of the Week, Lawson finished within the top-10 finishes during both of his races. As the top freshman finisher in the full 108-runner field, Lawson's 10th-place finish helped the men claim the team title at the Roadrunner Invitational. Harden, the Falcons' only first-year runner to make the trip to the NCAA Mountain Regional, was the women's No. 3 finisher in her regional debut – finishing 55th out of 135 runners. Harden added a scoring finish at the Virginia Invitational, while placing within the top 35 of the conference championship.
Seniors Eli Bennett and Rachel Crytser rounded out the list of award winners by receiving the Coaches' Awards for their respective teams. Bennett was a scoring member in every meet, highlighted by an all-conference performance at the Mountain West Championships (ninth) and finishes as the team's No. 3 runner at the Nuttycombe Invitational and NCAA Championships. Crytser also recorded scoring finishes in all four of her meets – finishing in the top 35 at the conference meet and within the top half of the field in the Virginia Invitational, Nuttycombe Invitational and NCAA Mountain Regional.
Most Valuable Athletes: Halle Hamilton, Sean Maison
Most Improved Athletes: Ally Peterson, Jason Renze
Comeback Award: Luke Combs, Tiaree Towler
Newcomers of the Year: Anna Harden, Patrick Lawson
Coaches' Awards: Eli Bennett, Rachel Crytser
Players Mentioned
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