Posted: Nov 12, 2021

Only the Best

November 12, 2021 | by Taylor Pill

STORY

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Jeremy Fopma and the Sabercats peaked when it mattered most this season, as Fopma won an unprecedented third straight National Individual Title while PRs, Top-20 times, and team-best times abounded this morning at NCCAA Nationals. Both teams put up their fastest times of the year to finish third in the NCCAA, with the Men's Team finishing just two points shy of Alice Lloyd College.

You could write two separate stories - one for Jeremy and one for the teams - as "Flying Fopma" won by almost a full minute to secure an unprecedented achievement: he becomes the first recorded in NCCAA history to win three straight individual titles*. Fopma spent his first few kilometers pacing teammate Jordan Hoffmann before pulling away to cut the tape with a time of 26:07 to win by almost a full minute over Bob Jones University's Doug Stone. What was slated to be a dogfight turned into a runaway win for Fopma, who caught Stone towards the middle of the race and never looked back.

Fopma captures the Runner of the Year title yet again, securing the top spot in the All-America listings while he was at it. Hoffmann finished 11th with a time of 29:13 - less than 30 seconds off his PR, while Josiah Cochran (17th) and Jefferson Rupert (20th) rounded out top-20 finishes. Drew Smith, Felipe Diaz, Nathan Terry, and Jeremiah Markle all set PRs on the day. Bob Jones University easily defended their national title, scoring just 27 points to lock up their sixth straight championship. Maranatha was an agonizing two points away from the Alice Lloyd Eagles, who finished runner-up.

Bob Jones made it a sweep of the titles, capturing their second straight women's title with just 26 points. Sierra John broke into the program Top 5 with a PR time of 20:46 and an 11th-place finish. Abigail Doak came 16th with a time of 21:19, and Katie Jean Lingle cemented the 13th-fastest time in program history with a 21:45 5K. Ashley Brungard (19th - 22:26) and Katelynn Nutzhorn (20th - 22:33) broke into the Program Top 20 with PRs as well, and Taylor Ellis, Melissa Shetter, and Katelyn Mayer all set PRs to secure the third-place finish, bringing the total PR count to seven on the day with four Top 20 times in program history.

Sarah Alferink nabbed the individual title and Runner of the Year honor, zooming through the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course with a time of 19:26.

*Detailed NCCAA Individual Results date back to 1988.

SOUND BITE

"What made today a success was the toughness and boldness of the runners displayed in their races," said Head Coach John Warnke. "On the women's side, we had several significant season-best or personal-best races, especially from Sierra [John], Katie Jean [Lingle], and Ashley [Brungard]. On the guys' side, Jeremy ran a very smart race and helped the team get into position early on before taking the win. Drew Smith put it all out there and ran a lifetime best to conclude his career.

OVERVIEW

Event: NCCAA DII National Championships (Joplin, Mo./Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course)
Men's Finish: 3rd/6 - 70 points
Team Time: 2:25:54*
First Runner: 1st - Jeremy Fopma - 26:07 (8K)
Women's Finish: 3rd/7 - 90 points
Team Time: 1:48:44*
First Runner: 11th - Sierra John - 20:46*# (5K)
Host: Ozark Christian College