Finish Lines
December 28, 2021 | by Taylor Pill
WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Maranatha Cross Country Teams set a high bar with record-breaking performances last year, and a noteworthy 2021 season just added to newfound momentum for the program.
Both teams captured the inaugural NCCAA North Region Championships, and multiple awards, PRs, and Top-20 times spangled the headlines of the six-race campaign.
On the men's side, Jeremy Fopma was a fixture at the front time and time again in the season, as he fit into the team role of pacing Jordan Hoffmann for a number of races - Fopma and Hoffmann would run side by side before Fopma accelerated to the finish line. Fopma finished in the Top 5 at the Wisconsin Private College Championships in November with a 25:52 8K - just 48 seconds shy of his PR - and he took home the title at both the NCCAA North Region Championships and NCCAA Nationals.
Fopma made NCCAA and Maranatha history in one fell swoop at Nationals, becoming the first runner on record to win three consecutive NCCAA National individual titles.
Behind Fopma, returner Drew Smith was the only runner to post a PR during the season, striding out to a 30:21 time at NCCAA Nationals. Six newcomers joined the squad this season for the men, each posting a PR at either NCCAA Regionals or NCCAA Nationals. Like the women, the men wrapped up the season with a third-place finish at NCCAA Nationals in Joplin, Missouri.
On the women's side, 10 out of 11 runners PRd during the season. Abigail Doak was the only one out of that group, as the reigning NCCAA DII National Champion had to fight through multiple injuries for the duration of the season. The team peaked when it mattered most, as every PR came in the NCCAA postseason.
Sierra John PRd at NCCAA Nationals and broke into the Top 5 times in program history. Katie Jean Lingle (13th), Ashley Brungard (19th), and Katelynn Nutzhorn (20th) all broke into the program Top 20 with their final race of the season, capping off a third-place finish at the national stage and an exclamation point on the 2021 season.
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Each runner made significant strides in the season. A list of all PRs and awards is below:
| Season-Best Time (Women) | Time (5K) | Date | Event |
| Sierra John | 20:46*# | 11/12 | NCCAA Nationals |
| Abigail Doak | 21:13^ | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Katie Jean Lingle | 21:45*# | 11/12 | NCCAA Nationals |
| Ashley Brungard | 22:26*# | 11/12 | NCCAA Nationals |
| Katelynn Nutzhorn | 22:33*# | 11/12 | NCCAA Nationals |
| Abby Gilliam | 22:34* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Lydia Neubert | 22:57* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Taylor Ellis | 25:51* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Melissa Shetter | 26:56* | 11/12 | NCCAA Nationals |
| Michelle Rees | 29:29* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Kaitlyn Mayer | 32:09* | 11/12 | NCCAA Nationals |
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| Season-Best Time (Men) | Time (8K) | Date | Event |
| Jeremy Fopma | 25:52 | 10/16 | Wisconsin Private College Championships |
| Jordan Hoffmann | 29:03 | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Jefferson Rupert | 29:55 | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Josiah Cochran | 29:58 | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Drew Smith | 30:21* | 11/12 | NCCAA Nationals |
| David Dorothy | 30:56* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Jonathan Gilliam | 33:56 | 10/16 | Wisconsin Private College Championships |
| Nathan Terry | 36:59* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Felipe Diaz | 37:13* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
| Jeremiah Markle | 39:04* | 10/16 | Wisconsin Private College Championships |
| Curtis Fink | 48:02* | 10/23 | NCCAA North Region Championships |
*PR | #Program Top-20 Time | ^Previous Top-20 Time
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AWARDS
In the semester's-end athletic awards assembly, Coach John Warnke and the coaching staff highlighted standout runners from the season, as the team recognized both national award winners and team awards:
| Team Awards | Recipient |
| Most Improved (Men) | Curtis Fink |
| Most Valuable (Men) | Jeremy Fopma |
| Sportsmanship and Virtue Award (Men) | Drew Smith |
| Newcomer of the Year (Men) | Felipe Diaz |
| Most Improved (Women) | Ashley Brungard |
| Most Valuable (Women) | Abigail Doak |
| Sportsmanship and Virtue Award (Women) | Katie Jean Lingle |
| Newcomer of the Year (Women) | Lydia Neubert |
| NCCAA North Region Selections (Men) | |
| Jeremy Fopma (1st) | Jefferson Rupert (4th) |
| Jordan Hoffmann (2nd) | Drew Smith (7th) |
| Josiah Cochran (3rd) | |
| NCCAA North Region Selections (Women) | |
| Abigail Doak (2nd) | Abby Gilliam (7th) |
| Sierra John (4th) | |
| NCCAA Nationals Overall/DII Winner (Men) | |
| Jeremy Fopma | |
| NCCAA Scholar-Athletes (JR, SR, GS only) | |
| Abigail Doak | Sierra John |
| Taylor Ellis | Katie Jean Lingle |
| Jeremy Fopma | Jefferson Rupert |
| Jonathan Gilliam | Drew Smith |
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For more on the program, visit their team page HERE (Men) and HERE (Women).
