Max Sannes

Photo by: Ricky Bassman

Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos

Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Big Bear Lake, Calif.
Squadron:
31 Grim Reapers
High School:
Big Bear

AIR FORCE HIGHLIGHTS

Member of Team USA at the World U20 Cross Country Championships (2023)

All-Region, Cross Country (2023)

First-Team All-Conference, Cross Country (2023)

Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Cross Country (2022)

JUNIOR YEAR | 2024: Competed at the Nuttycombe Invitational, before missing the rest of the season with injury…was the Falcons’ top finisher in Wisconsin, clocking an 8K time of 23:43.4 to finish 14th out of 246 runners…MW Scholar-Athlete.

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2023: All-region and all-conference honoree…competed in six meets…member of the Falcons’ postseason lineup…Falcons’ top finisher at the Mountain West Championships…clocked a career-best 8K time of 23:27.3 to finish fourth out of 79 runners and collect first-team all-conference status…helped Air Force to a sixth-place finish at the Virginia Invitational as the team’s No. 3 finisher…clocked a time of 23:53.2 to finish 36th out of 238 runners at that meet…added a 24:08.2 finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational to finish 53rd in the 280-runner field…captured all-region honors after finishing 19th at the NCAA Mountain Regional…clocked a 10K debut of 29:29.3 to finish as the Falcons’ No. 2 runner at that meet…opened the season with a runner-up finish at the Air Force Classic, clocking a five-mile time of 25:51…academic all-conference…Mountain West Scholar-Athlete…earned Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators…named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2022: Mountain West Freshman of the Year…clocked an 8K time of 24:32.1 to record the best finish by a freshman at the Mountain West Championships (27th)…Falcons’ No. 2 runner at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational (24:30.6, ninth) and Trojan Invitational (career-best 24:10.4, third)…helped Air Force to the team title at the Trojan Invitational…named MW Freshman of the Week after both meets…made collegiate debut at the Air Force Classic, posting a four-mile time of 20:32 (12th) …earned the team’s Newcomer of the Year award…academic all-conference selection…Mountain West Scholar-Athlete.

TEAM USA: Helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2023 World Athletics U20 Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia…No. 3 runner for Team USA after finishing the 8km race in 26:24 (21st)…earned Team USA spot after finishing fifth at the USATF U20 Cross Country Nationals in a time of 23:54.2.

MAJOR TRACK AND FIELD HIGHLIGHTS: Set Air Force’s Freshman Class Record in the 10,000-meter run (29:35.46) at the 2023 Bryan Clay Invitational…recorded the fourth-fastest time in program history (28:25.20) at the 2025 Payton Jordan Invitational…named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators as a junior.

HIGH SCHOOL: Big Bear High School…California D4 state cross country champion as a senior…three-time CIF Southern Section champion (once in cross country, twice in the 3200-meter run)…East Bay Nationals finalist…class valedictorian.

PERSONAL: Full name is Maxwell Michael Sannes…goes by Max…nickname is “Mooch”…son of Michael and Monique Sannes…has one older sister…majoring in civil engineering…named to the Dean’s List every semester…loves to run…hobbies include ultimate frisbee, frisbee golf, wake surfing, and running…grandfather served in the Army…served on the Transition, Quarantine and Concussion Flight over the summer, taking care of basic cadets who were not able to train…member of Cadet Squadron 31.