Year: 2019
Award: Cross Country, College
Location/Affiliation: Adams State University, Alamosa
- Division II NCAA Cross Country National Champion
- Set National Championship Meet Record
- Led team to National Title.
Traveling from Cork, Ireland, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the Rocky Mountains, the San Luis Valley, and finally landing at Adams State University in Alamosa, turned out to be a pretty successful trip for cross country runner Stephanie Cotter. After putting in all those miles, the distance that mattered the most was 6,000 meters, or 3.7 miles, and she and her Grizzlies teammates ruled it in 2019.
At the NCAA Division II National Championships, Cotter finished as national champion. And, the Grizzlies won the team title.
Even more impressive for Cotter is the record-setting way she finished. She didn’t just set a championship meet record, she shattered it. Cotter ran her way to the title in just 19:15.16, making her the first Division II woman to run under 19 minutes 20 seconds at the national meet.
And, it turns out Cotter and her team excels beyond the cross country course. They’re just as committed and dedicated to academics. The Grizzles were named the Division II Scholar Team of the Year. And, who do you think led them? Stephanie Cotter, of course! Stephanie’s the NCAA Division II Scholar Athlete of the Year.
