2016 USTFCCCA All-Americans For NAIA Cross Country

By Tyler Mayforth, USTFCCCA

November 21, 2016

NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Monday the 59 student-athletes who earned All-America honors by finishing among the top-30 in the men’s and women’s races at the 2016 NAIA Cross Country Championships this past weekend in Elsah, Illinois.
Only those student-athletes who compete for USTFCCCA member schools are eligible for these awards.
No team had more All-America selections than the British Columbia women. The Thunderbirds had four All-Americans and rolled to their fourth NAIA title in the past five years. Natalia Hawthorn led the way for British Columbia as she placed 6th overall. Nicola Symonds (14th), Brianna Cairns (16th) and Madelyn Brunt (30th) also finished in the top-30 for the Thunderbirds.
Of note, the British Columbia men had the most All-America selections of their gender, too. The Thunderbirds had three All-Americans as they finished 3rd as a team. Jesse Hooton and John Gay went 4-5 for British Columbia, while Kieran Lumb took 26th overall.
Southern Oregon, the men’s team champion, only had one All-American. That was Connor Cushman, who finished 16th.
Seven teams nabbed two All-America honors apiece this past weekend: Five women’s teams and two men’s. Those women’s teams that earned that distinction were Aquinas (Mich.), Biola (Calif.), Carroll (Mont.), Northwest Christian (Ore.), Oklahoma City and Southern Oregon. Those two men’s teams that brought home two All-America awards were Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) and Saint Mary (Kan.).
Though their teams didn’t win national titles, individual winners Jackson Thomas of Bacone (Okla.) and Aminat Olowora of Oklahoma City also brought home All-America distinction.

2016 USTFCCCA All-Americans: NAIA Cross Country

MEN


Student-Athlete	Year	Institution
Jackson Thomas	SR	Bacone (Okla.)
John Gay	JR	British Columbia
Jesse Hooton	SR	British Columbia
Kieran Lumb	FR	British Columbia
Adam Sandidge	JR	Campbellsville (Ky.)
Daniel Garcia	JR	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)
Jonathan Kimutai	FR	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)
Chance Hyatt	JR	Carroll (Mont.)
Billy Godfrey	SO	College of Idaho
Colin Deyoung	FR	Cornerstone (Mich.)
Sam Beal	SR	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Caleb Drake	SR	Dordt (Iowa)
Nic Maszk	JR	Eastern Oregon
Jordan Bramblett	SO	Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)
Ryan Smith	SR	Goshen (Ind.)
Danny Aldaba	SR	Midland (Neb.)
Taylor Tafelsky	SR	Milligan (Tenn.)
Ulysses Orozco	JR	Missouri Valley
Will Norris	SR	Northwestern (Iowa)
Mark French	FR	Oregon Tech
Benson Koech	FR	Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
Christian Graham	JR	Saint Mary (Kan.)
Tony Weber	JR	Saint Mary (Kan.)
Aesop Brown	SR	SCAD Savannah (Ga.)
Connor Cushman	JR	Southern Oregon
Joey Santillo	SR	St. Francis (Ill.)
Matt Hall	SR	Taylor (Ind.)
Geoffrey Kipchumba	JR	William Carey (Miss.)
Jamal Boma	SR	William Penn (Iowa)

WOMEN


Student-Athlete	Year	Institution
Kathy Middaugh	SR	Aquinas (Mich.)
Melissa Winchester	SO	Aquinas (Mich.)
Lauren Benzing	SR	Benedictine (Kan.)
Lyndee Dawson	SR	Biola (Calif.)
Emily Ransom	SO	Biola (Calif.)
Madelyn Brunt	JR	British Columbia
Brianna Cairns	SR	British Columbia
Natalia Hawthorn	SR	British Columbia
Nicola Symonda	SO	British Columbia
Leah Esposito	SR	Carroll (Mont.)
Janie Reid	JR	Carroll (Mont.)
Lila Klopfenstein	SR	College of Idaho
Stephanie Johnston	JR	Concordia (Mich.)
Emily Poole	SO	Dalton State (Ga.)
Marissa DeWispelare	SR	Doane (Neb.)
Tiffany Rauch	SR	Indiana Tech
Hannah Seagrave	SR	Milligan (Tenn.)
Sierra Brown	SR	NW Christian (Ore.)
Alyssa Harmon	SR	NW Christian (Ore.)
Sarah Moore	SR	Oklahoma City
Aminat Olowora	JR	Oklahoma City
Danielle De Castro	SO	Oregon Tech
Elie Willging	JR	Saint Xavier (Ill.)
Greta Van Calcar	FR	SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)
Anna Havranek	JR	Shawnee State (Ohio)
Kayle Blackmore	SO	Southern Oregon
Jessa Perkinson	JR	Southern Oregon
Abigail Frankian	JR	The Master’s (Calif.)
Betsy Douglas	SR	USC Beaufort (S.C.)
Jackline Jemeli	SO	Wayland Baptist (Texas)