A brief history of cross country and distance running at Western State

Women

Western State College started its Women's Cross Country program 1982, with Dr. Duane Vandenbusche as its head coach since its inception. During its 23-year history, WSC has won one NAIA national title (1990) and three consecutive NCAA Division II national championships (2000, 2001 and 2002) in cross country. WSC has never finished out of the top 10 at nationals. In the last 11 years, Western State has finished as one of the top three teams in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

The women's Cross teams have included 57All-Americans and three individual nation champions--Tuma Urio and Elva Dryer, who won the national title twice while at Western, and Hannah Lawrence, who won in 2001. Four WSC women have been voted as "Runner of the Year" by the nation's coaches. These include Dryer, Nicole Jefferson, Jennifer Michel, who won the award twice, and most recently, Alisha Williams, in 2003.

WSC cross country runners regroup in the winter for indoor track and in the spring for outdoor track, contributing heavily to success of these programs, including over a 100 All-American finishes and numerous individual nation chamionships. This list includes Jefferson (Mile), Michel (Mile) and Williams (twice in the Mile). The Western State women have also won individual championships in the outdoor season, including Michel in the Steeplechase and 3000 meters, Lorie Moreno in the 10K, Tuma Urio in the 5K and Williams once in the 1500 and once in the 3000. Michel also holds the NCAA DII Steeplechase national record.

Some runners familiar to WSC cross country have been seen elsewhere. Elva Dryer, coached by husband and former WSC runner and coach Russ Dryer, competed in Olympic games in 2000 and 2004. Nicole Jefferson Aish, now an assistant coach, won a bronze medal in the Pan American games. Alisha Williams competed on the US Junior Cross Country team while a freshman at Western State and competed in the 2004 Olympic Trials in the 1500. In addition, Western State women have competed in the World University games, World cross country championships, and Ekeden Relay Championships.

Men

The Western State's Men's Cross Country team won a NAIA title (1986) and five NCAA national championships (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002). 2003 saw the team ranked second behind arch-rival, Adams State. While the WSC team hoped for an upset, no one could have predicted the shocking 5th place finish, with one runner going down with heat exhaustion, another runner unable to finish due to a stress fracture suffered during the race and yet another runner losing a shoe and continuing to run on a mostly hard and rocky surfaced course with one bare foot.

The men's cross country team have included 59 All-Americans and one individual national champions–Michael Aish, who won the national championships twice–in 1999 and 2001–while at Western.

As with the women, the WSC cross country men are frequently on the podium at nationals for Indoor and Outdoor Track. The cross country men have earned over 100 All-American awards plaques in track and numerous individual championships. Indoor national champions include Aish four times in the 5K, Scott Nagelkerke and Will Banks. The WSC men had an unheard of finish at the 2002 Indoor Track Nationals, where they finished first through sixth in the 5000. Many of the cross country men's team did triple duty by winning titles in the outdoor season. These top finshers include Aish, Josh Eberly, Philip McPhearson, Kelly Christenson, Hamish Smith and Dennis Leck.

Several of the current and former WSC cross country men have also been doing some "globe-trotting." Aish, now an assistant coach at Western, competed for New Zealand in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Eberly competed on the 2004 USA Cross Country team and is now running on the Hanson team. Current team members Tim Parr, representing the US, and Iain Donnan, representing Scotland, competed in the 2004 World Mountain Running Championships.