Kenosha, Wis. – On a cold morning at the iconic Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course, Adams State delivered a championship performance worthy of its storied legacy, crowning two individual national champions and placing both teams inside the top four at the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
The women's race belonged to Tristian Spence, who took command early and never looked back. Spence pushed the pace until the field began to fade behind her. She crossed the finish line in 20:11.0, winning by more than six seconds and holding leads as large as 10 throughout the race. Her run was nothing short of dominant, an exclamation point on a championship morning.
Senior Ava O'Connor, competing in her final cross country race in green and black, delivered a memorable finish of her own. She surged to eighth place in 20:31.2, earning All-America honors. Claragh Keane followed in 59th at 21:24.5, scoring 50 points, while freshman Kiera Damron (62nd, 21:24.8) and Tanya Bouet (65th, 21:27.0) closed out the scoring pack just seconds apart.
Léa Navarro added a 75th-place finish in 21:34.4, and senior Maggie McCleskey capped the Grizzlies' efforts in 99th at 21:48.5. Together, the lineup powered Adams State to a fourth-place national finish with 168 points.
Then came the men's race, and with it, one of the most dramatic comebacks of the day.
After slipping back to 18th place, Kidus Begashaw began a relentless climb through the field. With less than 0.6 kilometers remaining, he made his decisive move, surging into the lead and never relinquishing it. He broke the tape in 29:38.8, securing his first national title with a finish that brought the crowd to life.
Julian Campos, in his final national championship, battled with the front pack throughout and crossed in sixth place at 29:53.8.
Behind him, Danyom Yosief and Housem Hrabi charged in with back-to-back finishes in 22nd (30:25.1) and 23rd (30:25.8), adding crucial points to the team score. Max Aldrich closed the scoring with a gritty 31st-place finish in 30:32.9, earning All-America honors and solidifying the Grizzlies' position near the top of the leaderboard.
Jack Gumm (31:12.8) and Nathan Scherbarth (31:16.1) rounded out Adams State's seven-man squad.
When the dust settled, Adams State stood on the podium once again, national runner-up with 71 points, just nine behind champion Wingate's 62 in one of the tightest team battles of the morning.
