JOPLIN, Mo. (Augustana) — Ryan Hartman won his fourth consecutive race while the women’s program took the team crown to earn spots in the NCAA Championships after a successful day at the NCAA Regional on Saturday morning.
Hartman becomes the first individual champion on the men’s side since Tom Karbo in 2014. The senior was neck and neck through 5k, trailing by just .1 seconds, before blowing it open on the back half, running away with an eight second victory.
“ Ryan Hartman continues to set the bar and he beat some very talented runners today to win the individual title,” said Tracy Hellman . “He is entering the NCAA Championships running his best and is full of confidence. Our men’s team just came up short but we will bounce back and we gained valuable experience in this meet.”
The nationally-ranked Augustana women’s cross country team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA DII National Championships after placing first at the NCAA Central Region Championships on Saturday morning. It is their fourth title in the last five seasons.