GLIAC -- Four GLIAC cross country teams earned top 10 finishes at the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships on Friday, Dec. 2 at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Wash.
GLIAC and Midwest Region champion Grand Valley State led the way, claiming a second place (women) and fourth place (men) finish overall.
The Laker women clinched their seventh Division II National Runner-Up finish with a team score of 126 points. All-American Klaudia O'Malley led the way with a third-place finish in a time of 20:43.0, followed by Lauren Kiley who crossed the finish line seventh with a new personal-best time of 20:51.8. Kiley was the first freshman to cross the finish line and the only freshman to place in the Top 30.
Tanner Chada led the Lakers' men's team to a top four finish with his second consecutive national runner-up finish. Chada recorded a new personal-best 10k time of 29:47.1.
The Wayne State women's cross country team tied the second-best finish in program history, as the Warriors claimed ninth place in the event.
The Michigan Tech men's cross country team ran to a program-best finish, placing 10th. The race was highlighted with two All-America performances, senior Clayton Sayen (30:13.7) and sophomore Drew Kolodge (30:21.8) placing 16th and 28th, respectively.
Individually, Saginaw Valley State junior Dayton Brown finished seventh with a personal best in the 10K of 29:57.2 seconds to earn NCAA DII All-America honors. His seventh-place showing is the second-best individual finish for the SVSU men's cross country program.
Wayne State redshirt junior Ransom Allen finished ninth with a time of 30:04.3. With that finish, securing All-America honors for the second consecutive season. Allen now stands alone at the top of the WSU men's cross country mountain, as ninth place is the highest finish for a Warrior in program history.
A total of 10 GLIAC athletes earned All-America recognition by finishing among the top-40 athletes in their gender’s respective races at the 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
USTFCCCA Division II All-Americans
Women
Natalie Graber, Grand Valley State
Lauren Kiley, Grand Valley State
Klaudia O'Malley, Grand Valley State
Men
Tanner Chada, Grand Valley State
Caleb Futter, Grand Valley State
Brock Wooderson, Grand Valley State
Drew Kolodge, Michigan Tech
Clayton Sayen, Michigan Tech
Dayton Brown, Saginaw Valley State
Ransom Allen, Wayne State
