SAINT LEO, Fla. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's cross country team finished seventh out of 34 teams this morning, matching their highest finish ever at a NCAA DII National Championship meet.  UCCS scored 263 points and were one of 34 teams competing for the national title, which was won by Adams State University (59 points).
 
INSIDE THE NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

• Course | Location: Abbey Golf Course | Saint Leo, Fla.
• Course Length: 6K

 
AROUND THE COURSE

• Layla Almasri and Riley McGrath ran to All-American honors as they finished in the top 40.  Almasri finished 12^th overall in a time of 20:57.9, marking her highest finish at a national championship.  McGrath's time of 21:28.4 was the 39^th fastest time this morning.
• Anna Fauske, Hannah Ellis and Kate Hedlund finished in a pack of five seconds of each other.  Fauske ran to a personal best time of 22:01.5 to place 83^rd overall, as Hannah Ellis was one second behind her in 22:02.8 for 87^th place.  Kate Hedlund finished 91^st overall in 22:06.3 to round out the Mountain Lions scorers.  Ellis, who competed in her third national meet, also recorded a personal best time today.
• Sarah Bassett and Kelsey Rycenga rounded out the Mountain Lions competing this morning as they finished 153^rd (22:51.2) and 183^rd (23:15.0), respectively.

                          
RACE LEADERS

• Adams State University won the national championship with 59 points, 20 points better than second place Grand Valley State University.  GVSU claimed the top two individual finishers as Hannah Becker bested all 250 runners in 20:22, followed by teammate Klaudie O'Malley in 20:26.9. 

 
BEYOND THE FINISH LINE

• Almasri and McGrath become the fourth duo in program history to earn All-America honors (2000, 2005, 2006).
• As a team, the Mountain Lions have competed in 12 national championship meets.  This also marked Ellis' third national meet and Almasri's second.
• Four RMAC teams finished in the top 10: Adams State (first), Colorado School of Mines (fourth), UCCS (seventh) and Western Colorado University (ninth).

 
UP NEXT

• An at-large bid for the Mountain Lions would qualify them for the national meet in St. Leo, Florida on Saturday, Nov. 20.

 
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.