2020-21 Track and Field Roster
Maria Mettler
- Class:
- Senior
- Events:
- 1500m / 5000m
- Hometown:
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Height:
- 5-2
- High School:
- Air Academy
- Squadron:
- 03 Dogs of War
SENIOR YEAR | 2020-21: Team captain.
JUNIOR YEAR | 2019-20: All-American in the 5000-meter run...Mountain West Indoor champion in the 3000-meter run...registered the second-fastest times in Academy history and set Junior Class Records in both events...earned the team’s MVP award...clocked a career-best 5000-meter time of 15:49.58 to finish as the top collegiate (second overall) in the Invitational section of the Iowa State Classic...that time was ranked 12th in the NCAA during the 2020 season...named the Mountain West Track Athlete of the Week following that meet...also competed in that distance at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Boston Season Opener, improving own No. 3 standing with a (then-best) time of 16:01.36...posted a career-best 3000-meter time of 9:12.10 (adjusted for altitude) to win the conference title...became the first member of the women’s team to capture MW titles in multiple events...finished the 2020 season ranked 21st nationally in that distance...first moved into the top-three of the program’s all-time standings with a 9:19.05a performance at the Colorado Invitational (third all-time)...competed in the mile once, clocking the sixth-fastest time in program history (4:52.28a) to win the Air Force Invitational...academic all-conference selection.
SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2018-19: Mountain West Indoor champion at 5000 meters...all-conference selection...NCAA qualifier at that distance during the outdoor season...impacted the Academy record book in five individual events...clocked the third-fastest 5000-meter times in program history during both the indoor (16:14.82 at the Husky Classic) and outdoor (16:17.17 at the Stanford Invitational) seasons...indoor time is a new Sophomore Class Record...crossed the finish line in 16:42.23 (adjusted for altitude) to win the Mountain West title...also accounted for the program’s fourth-fastest 3000-meter time (9:30.98a) during a scoring performance the conference meet...posted the sixth-fastest mile mark in Academy history (4:53.47a) during only appearance in that event at the Air Force Team Challenge...debuted in 10th on the program’s all-time 1500-meter standings during a 4:30.47 performance in the Elite division of the Bryan Clay Invitational...also impacted the Academy record book as a member of two relays...anchored the third-fastest 4x1600-meter relay (19:53.08) and fourth-fastest distance medley relay (11:24.69) that collected fifth-place finishes at the Drake Relays...scored for the Falcons in the 5000-meter run at the MW Outdoor Championships (16:25.62)...finished 27th in that event at the NCAA West Prelim (16:18.27)...earned the team’s Track Athlete of the Week award twice...academic all-conference selection.
FRESHMAN YEAR | 2017-18: Recorded the sixth-fastest 5000-meter time in Academy history during the outdoor season...became the program’s first female freshman to break 17 minutes in that event after posting a time of 16:41.98 at the Drake Relays...earned the team’s Track Athlete of the Week award after that meet...initially broke the Academy’s Freshman Class Record during a 17:00.80 performance at the Stanford Invitational...ran the mile once during the indoor season, finishing fifth at the Air Force Team Challenge in 5:02.64 (adjusted for altitude).
MAJOR CROSS COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS: Earned All-America honors in 2019 after finishing 36th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships...two-time all-conference and all-region selection...nabbed first-team all-MW honors as a junior (third), after claiming second-team status as a sophomore (14th)...also accounted for all-region honors during those two years (10th in 2019, 24th in 2018)...member of the record-setting cross country team that finished eighth at the 2019 NCAA Championships...also ran on the squad that finished second at the conference meet and third at the regional meet...helped the team to the highest national women’s ranking (12th) in Academy history.
HIGH SCHOOL: Air Academy High School...captured three state titles as a senior...finished first at the 2016 Colorado 4A Cross Country Championships...won state titles in the 800-meter and 3200-meter events at the 4A state track and field championships in 2017...also finished second in the 1600-meter run at that meet...named to the 2017 All-Colorado Girls Team for cross country and track...selected as the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference’s Female Cross Country Runner of the Year...also named “Peak Performer of the Year” for the Pikes Peak region by the Colorado Springs Gazette...earned top-six finishes at the Arcadia Invitational (sixth at 3200 meters) and Chandler Rotary Invitational (fifth at 1600 meters)...also played soccer...second-team all-league selection as a midfielder...member of the Nevada Olympic Development Program Team...earned first-team academic all-state honors all four years...Women’s Rotary Champion for Colorado Springs...received the Les Schwab Academic Team Championship Award...received the Principal’s Scholar Award in 2016...named to the Honor Roll.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Miles and Christy Mettler...mother ran track and cross country at South Dakota State University...has one older brother, Zachary, who is a member of the track and cross country teams at William Jessup University...also has one younger brother and one younger sister...majoring in behavioral science...future plans include working in intelligence or contracting...serving as Honor Officer...named to the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s List...hobbies include reading, watching scary movies and eating ice cream...also loves running (a lot) and competing...favorite memories are those with the team...has memorized 50 numbers of pi...participated in a Cadet Summer Research Program over the summer...would like to add “I value my faith, friends, and family” and “I would not be here without the support of my family”...member of Cadet Squadron 03.
JUNIOR YEAR | 2019-20: All-American in the 5000-meter run...Mountain West Indoor champion in the 3000-meter run...registered the second-fastest times in Academy history and set Junior Class Records in both events...earned the team’s MVP award...clocked a career-best 5000-meter time of 15:49.58 to finish as the top collegiate (second overall) in the Invitational section of the Iowa State Classic...that time was ranked 12th in the NCAA during the 2020 season...named the Mountain West Track Athlete of the Week following that meet...also competed in that distance at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Boston Season Opener, improving own No. 3 standing with a (then-best) time of 16:01.36...posted a career-best 3000-meter time of 9:12.10 (adjusted for altitude) to win the conference title...became the first member of the women’s team to capture MW titles in multiple events...finished the 2020 season ranked 21st nationally in that distance...first moved into the top-three of the program’s all-time standings with a 9:19.05a performance at the Colorado Invitational (third all-time)...competed in the mile once, clocking the sixth-fastest time in program history (4:52.28a) to win the Air Force Invitational...academic all-conference selection.
SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2018-19: Mountain West Indoor champion at 5000 meters...all-conference selection...NCAA qualifier at that distance during the outdoor season...impacted the Academy record book in five individual events...clocked the third-fastest 5000-meter times in program history during both the indoor (16:14.82 at the Husky Classic) and outdoor (16:17.17 at the Stanford Invitational) seasons...indoor time is a new Sophomore Class Record...crossed the finish line in 16:42.23 (adjusted for altitude) to win the Mountain West title...also accounted for the program’s fourth-fastest 3000-meter time (9:30.98a) during a scoring performance the conference meet...posted the sixth-fastest mile mark in Academy history (4:53.47a) during only appearance in that event at the Air Force Team Challenge...debuted in 10th on the program’s all-time 1500-meter standings during a 4:30.47 performance in the Elite division of the Bryan Clay Invitational...also impacted the Academy record book as a member of two relays...anchored the third-fastest 4x1600-meter relay (19:53.08) and fourth-fastest distance medley relay (11:24.69) that collected fifth-place finishes at the Drake Relays...scored for the Falcons in the 5000-meter run at the MW Outdoor Championships (16:25.62)...finished 27th in that event at the NCAA West Prelim (16:18.27)...earned the team’s Track Athlete of the Week award twice...academic all-conference selection.
FRESHMAN YEAR | 2017-18: Recorded the sixth-fastest 5000-meter time in Academy history during the outdoor season...became the program’s first female freshman to break 17 minutes in that event after posting a time of 16:41.98 at the Drake Relays...earned the team’s Track Athlete of the Week award after that meet...initially broke the Academy’s Freshman Class Record during a 17:00.80 performance at the Stanford Invitational...ran the mile once during the indoor season, finishing fifth at the Air Force Team Challenge in 5:02.64 (adjusted for altitude).
MAJOR CROSS COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS: Earned All-America honors in 2019 after finishing 36th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships...two-time all-conference and all-region selection...nabbed first-team all-MW honors as a junior (third), after claiming second-team status as a sophomore (14th)...also accounted for all-region honors during those two years (10th in 2019, 24th in 2018)...member of the record-setting cross country team that finished eighth at the 2019 NCAA Championships...also ran on the squad that finished second at the conference meet and third at the regional meet...helped the team to the highest national women’s ranking (12th) in Academy history.
HIGH SCHOOL: Air Academy High School...captured three state titles as a senior...finished first at the 2016 Colorado 4A Cross Country Championships...won state titles in the 800-meter and 3200-meter events at the 4A state track and field championships in 2017...also finished second in the 1600-meter run at that meet...named to the 2017 All-Colorado Girls Team for cross country and track...selected as the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference’s Female Cross Country Runner of the Year...also named “Peak Performer of the Year” for the Pikes Peak region by the Colorado Springs Gazette...earned top-six finishes at the Arcadia Invitational (sixth at 3200 meters) and Chandler Rotary Invitational (fifth at 1600 meters)...also played soccer...second-team all-league selection as a midfielder...member of the Nevada Olympic Development Program Team...earned first-team academic all-state honors all four years...Women’s Rotary Champion for Colorado Springs...received the Les Schwab Academic Team Championship Award...received the Principal’s Scholar Award in 2016...named to the Honor Roll.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Miles and Christy Mettler...mother ran track and cross country at South Dakota State University...has one older brother, Zachary, who is a member of the track and cross country teams at William Jessup University...also has one younger brother and one younger sister...majoring in behavioral science...future plans include working in intelligence or contracting...serving as Honor Officer...named to the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s List...hobbies include reading, watching scary movies and eating ice cream...also loves running (a lot) and competing...favorite memories are those with the team...has memorized 50 numbers of pi...participated in a Cadet Summer Research Program over the summer...would like to add “I value my faith, friends, and family” and “I would not be here without the support of my family”...member of Cadet Squadron 03.
Ryan Cole Interview - August 26th, 2025
Tuesday, August 26
Ryan Cole Interview March 11, 2025
Tuesday, March 11
Ryan Cole Interview May 20, 2024
Monday, May 20
Ryan Cole Interview - May 20, 2024
Monday, May 20
