STANFORD, Calif. – For the second consecutive year, a Stanford cross country/track and field program has been deemed the best in the nation.
On Wednesday, the Stanford men's program was named the best overall for its success in cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field during the 2018-19 academic year.
This is the first time the Stanford men have been so honored at the John McDonnell Division I Men's Program of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Last year, Stanford was awarded the Terry Crawford Women's Program of the Year honor.
All the programs are under the oversight of seventh-year coach Chris Miltenberg, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field.
The distinction comes days after the Cardinal men placed fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with only four athletes – Steven Fahy, Grant Fisher, Thomas Ratcliffe, and Harrison Williams – who each placed no lower than third in their events to give Stanford 32 points and its best NCAA outdoor finish since 2001.
In addition, Stanford was fourth at NCAA Indoors -- its' best finish since 2007 -- and fifth in NCAA cross country, placing among the top five for the fifth consecutive year.
Among the 2018-19 highlights were NCAA individual championships by Fahy in the steeplechase outdoors and Williams in the heptathlon indoors.
Fisher earned his second consecutive Pac-12 individual cross country title while leading the Cardinal to back-to-back team crowns. Fisher went to finish second in the NCAA in cross country, the indoor 3,000 meters and outdoor 5,000, as well as anchoring the Cardinal to a runner-up finish in the NCAA indoor distance medley relay.
In 2018-19, Stanford crowned thee All-Americans in cross country, five in indoor track and four outdoors.
