STANFORD, Calif. – In a season that began with Stanford at a disadvantage because of a COVID-forced late start, the Cardinal closed it out in spectacular fashion, with twin Pac-12 team championships and NCAA top-five team finishes.
The team got together for the first time on Feb. 4, in time for a cross-country flight to the Florida State Winter Classic, which the Stanford men won and the women placed second. Their first training session together was Feb. 8.
Six weeks later – with twin Pac-12 team titles already in hand – the Cardinal began the only program in the country to place both teams among the NCAA Championships.
Ella Donaghu led the Cardinal at nationals with a 10th-place finish and was named as the West Region's runner of the year. Charles Hicks, 14th at the NCAA's, earned the same regional honor plus the Pac-12's Freshman of the Year award. Donaghu and Hicks were Pac-12 runners-up and first among conference runners at the NCAA Championships.
Stanford's top three men at nationals were freshmen in eligibility as were five of its top eight at conference. Stanford's NCAA women's lineup included three freshmen in eligibility, including Zofia Dudek, who was third in the Pac-12 and the conference's Freshman of the Year.
J.J. Clark, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field, and Ricardo Santos swept the Pac-12's Coach of the Year honors.
As strong as the present is for Stanford cross country, the future looks just as bright.
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Achievements and honors:
Team
Swept team titles at Pac-12 Championships for its first time since 2010.
Combined 58 points were its fewest in conference meet since 2003.
Only program this season with top-5 NCAA men's and women's team finishes.
13th time both teams placed among the top five in the same year at NCAA's.
Five consecutive top-6 men's and women's NCAA finishes.
27th consecutive year qualifying men's and women's teams to NCAA's.
Both teams honored for Team Academic awards by the USTFCCCA.
Men
Third Pac-12 team title in four years.
15th conference title.
28 points was its fewest at conference since 2010.
Eight consecutive seasons with an All-American.
Seventh consecutive top-6 NCAA finish.
NCAA fifth-place finish.
29th NCAA team appearance all-time.
27th consecutive NCAA team appearance.
26th consecutive Pac-12 top-three finish.
19th NCAA top-five team finish.
65 consecutive victories over Cal in championship meets when both have full teams.
33 consecutive victories over Cal at conference championships.
Two All-Americans.
USTFCCCA Team Academic award.
Five on USTFCCCA All-Academic team.
Honors
Ricardo Santos
Pac-12 Coach of the Year
J.J. Clark
USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year
Callum Bolger
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
All-Pac-12 second team
Devin Hart
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
All-Pac-12 second team
Charles Hicks
All-American
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
USTFCCCA West Region Athlete of the Year
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
All-Pac-12 first team
Alek Parsons
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
All-Pac-12 first team
DJ Principe
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
Ky Robinson
All-Pac-12 second team
Cole Sprout
All-American
All-Pac-12 first team
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Women
Repeated as Pac-12 team champion.
22nd conference team title.
Ten consecutive seasons with an All-American.
Fifth consecutive top-5 team finish.
Third at NCAA Championships.
Matches highest NCAA team finish since 2012.
33rd NCAA team appearance all-time.
28th consecutive NCAA team appearance, the longest streak in the country.
28th consecutive top-16 NCAA team finishes.
22nd NCAA top-five team finish.
17th NCAA top-three team finish.
55 consecutive victories over Cal in championship meets when both have full teams.
30 consecutive victories over Cal at conference championships.
Two All-Americans.
USTFCCCA Team Academic award.
Five on USTFCCCA All-Academic team.
Honors
J.J. Clark
USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year
Pac-12 Coach of the Year
Christina Aragon
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
All-Pac-12 second team
Grace Connolly
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
Ella Donaghu
All-American
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week (twice)
USTFCCCA West Region Athlete of the Year
Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
All-Pac-12 first team
First Stanford runner with multiple NCAA top-10 finishes since Arianna Lambie in 2005-07.
Zofia Dudek
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
All-Pac-12 first team
Julia Heymach
All-American
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
All-Pac-12 first team
Jessica Lawson
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
All-Pac-12 second team