IT was a weekend of gold for Adams State when its teams competed in the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships and NCAA DII Wrestling Championships. All told, Adams State athletes won five gold medals and the women’s indoor track and field team won the national championship.
Adams State edged past Minnesota State, 52 points to 51, to capture the NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor Track and Field title. The Grizzlies finished runner-up in the men’s field during competition over the weekend at Virginia Beach.
Stephanie Cotter added to her national trophy case with two more national titles, winning the mile run and the 3,000 meter run. Brianna Robles finished second in the 3,000 meters and second in the 5,000 meter run to help the Grizzlies win the team title. It was Cotter and Robles, you’ll recall, who also led Adams State to this season’s national cross country championship, with Cotter winning the individual crown as well.
Adams State swept the women’s and men’s national indoor mile titles at the NCAA Division II championships.Adams State’s Miguel Coca won the men’s indoor mile, giving the Grizzlies both the men’s and women’s national indoor mile titles for the first time in the same season. Coca also finished second in the 3,000 meter run and Awet Beraki was runner up in the men’s 5,000 meter run. A full rundown of results is here.
Rider wins second consecutive NCAA wrestling title
In wrestling Adams State captured two individual titles – Brendon Garcia at 125 pounds and Josiah Rider at 149 pounds. For Rider it was his second national wrestling crown. As a team Adams State finished fifth overall, and senior Noah Hermosillo, who entered the tournament unbeaten and won the national title a year ago, was third in the 157-pound weight class to finish his outstanding career.
Garcia may have had the most thrilling victory. He scored a takedown with seven seconds left in his match to win the national title, 4-2, over Jaxson Rohman of Augustana. Rider won his second national title with a dominating win over Jason Hanenberg of Western Colorado. Rider pinned Hanenberg in 3 minutes, 46 seconds, of their championship match.
