STILLWATER, Okla.
Abby Nichols led the Colorado women s team to a seventh-place team finish at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships Monday, recording her first All-American honor in cross country in the process.
Nichols, a graduate transfer from Ohio State, finished 18th overall, improving from 41st at the 2019 championship when she raced as a member of Buckeyes cross country team.
Alec Hornecker was the top male, finishing the 10k 59th overall.
WOMEN S RACE
The women s 6-kilometer race was run as a tight pack. Through the first kilometer, Nichols was only 2.2 seconds back from the leader, coming through at 3:07.3, which was 60th place. Because of the close pack, she moved down to 82nd at the next split (2k), but again, was not far off the pace.
Mestler earned his place in the NCAA Championships field on the strength of a bronze performance at the Pac-12 Championships (March 5) in University Place, Wash. That finish was a career-best at the conference meet, and earned Mestler a spot on the all-conference first team. In the team standings, he led the Ducks to a fourth-place.
In his two previous appearances at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Mestler posted identical 73rd-place finishes in 2018 and 2019.
Monday marked the end of a busy NCAA Championships weekend that saw the Men of Oregon win their fifth national indoor track and field title two days ago in Fayetteville, Ark. Powered by six individual titles, the Ducks scored 79 points to establish the second-highest total in meet history. For the UO women, Kemba Nelson won a national title in the 60 meters with a time of 7.05 which set a new collegiate record.