NCAA National Chmpionships - Komen brings home Individual National Championship

Nov. 18, 2006 (Pensacola FL)- The Western State men and women's teams came a away with top finishes in the NCAA Divison II championships held in Pensacola, Florida on Saturday. The men, ranked 5th, in the latest poll, finished Third over the 10,000 meter course at the Equestrian Center in nearby Escambia.

The Western men were led by sophomore Kim Hogarth who finished 5th in a time of 29:32 was the first RMAC finisher. He was followed by sophomore Aaron Clark (13th, 29:50.5), Cole Murch (25th, 30:13.1) and Scott Dahlberg (38th, 30:31.2) all of which earned All-American honors for the Mountaineers. Sophomore Jason Graham finished 60th in 31:05.3 and seniors Zach Cordel (31:33.2) and Andrew Hoffman (31:34.6) finished 83th and 84th. 24 teams and 187 runners were involved in the National meet. Abilene Christian won the title with 57 points, followed by Adams State with 70 points and Western State with 113. The Mountaineers finished an outstanding season with 2nd place finishes in the RMAC Championships and the North Central Regional Championships and a 3rd place finish at the NCAA Chmpionships. The team will return 4 members next year - Hogarth, Clark, Dahlberg and Graham.

The Western State women, ranked number two going into their 6,000 meter race finished 2nd by a mere 7 points to defending national champions Adams State, a team Western had upset by 8 points in the regional meet two weeks before. Western State sophomore Esther Komen, who finished 2nd last year, wrapped up her perfect postseason by winning the Individual Championship at the NCAA Division II National Championships at Pensacola, Fla.

Komen had no problems in the women’s race, finishing the course at the Escambia County Equestrian Center in 20:09.4. Mass-Lowell’s Nicole Plante finished second in 20:15.6.
The victory for Komen means a clean sweep of the RMAC Championship, North Central Regional Championship and the NCAA Division II National Championship. Last year as a true freshman, the Iten, Kenya native finished second in all three races.

Komen’s name now belongs with Elva Dryer (1993 and 1994), Tuma Urio (1995) and Hannah Lawrence (2001) as Western State’s only Female Individual National Champions.
Agnes Kroneraff picked up her third straight All-American honor for the Mountaineers with a fifth place finish in a time of 20:29.8.

Komen and Kroneraff finished well ahead of the next RMAC finishers - Adams State’s Brittany Somers (7th, 20:35.4).

Also earned All-American honors for the Mountaineers were freshmen Anne Ronoh (17th, 21:07.8) and Elsa Goshu (22nd, 21:19.4). Shannon Filar finished in 56th place in 21:56.7 and Natalie Provost (22:03.4) and Jenny Hockman (22:05.5) were 63rd and 65th.

Komen on her way to a National Title

Hogarth ran for a 5th place finish

NCAA Divison II National Runners-up

The Men's Team placed third

Western State Fans showing their support