2012 NCAA Division II West Regional Cross Country Championships
Men's 10k Individual Results
Men's 10k Team Results

2012 NCAA Division II West Regional Cross Country Championships
Women's 6k Individual Results
Women's 6k Team Results

Kahuku, HI -- A historic moment for Academy of Art University was met with even more tears of joy as senior Jenny Bergren officially qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championship race at Saturday's NCAA West Regional Championships at the Kahuku Golf Course. Bergren, who ran alongside fellow Urban Knights freshman Arianna Michaels (46th) and senior Cassandra Schumacher (141st) in the 6k race, captured 6th overall and earned her spot as the second of the top three individuals not on a qualifying team. Two members of the ART U men's team were also in action as sophomore Jack Nevins posted a 60th place finish and freshman Clemens Kammer took 74th in their first 10k race.

“The feeling of making it to nationals is like none other,” Bergren said. “This has been goal of mine for some time so when I found out I had a good cry! I feel so lucky to have the chance to race at Joplin and to have a great staff to support me.”

“Jenny had one of those days where she wasn't feeling 100 percent, but she ran an incredibly tough race,” assistant coach Torrey Olson said. “She was not where she wanted to be two thirds through the race, but she battled back into position and that was incredibly hard especially when you know your legs have had better days. I'm very proud of her and it was a really gutsy race. I cannot wait to see what she can do at Nationals.”

"Wow, what a moment," head coach Charles Ryan said. "It's hard to articulate how profoundly proud I am. First and foremost, all praises to Jenny. To qualify individually out of the NCAA West Region is extremely difficult. She has come in and been so focused, so dedicated to the process. It's really hard to come in and embrace a new environment, new school, new coaching plans, and thrive the way she has and that speaks to how mentally tough she is above anything else. She has worked so hard and I'm honored to have her on the roster. When the history of this athletic department is written, Jenny Bergren will always be remembered as the first Urban Knight to represent ART U at a NCAA National Championship. She is amazing."

Bergren, the first Urban Knight to reach such an elite status after Academy of Art became full-fledged NCAA members this past July, turned in a time of 21:51.76 which edged Chico State's Sara Mikesell by two seconds and made her fifth overall among those finishing in their teams' first position. The senior posted a 5:52 average per mile keeping her right in line with the best competitors the NCAA DII West Region has to offer. For her familiarity with the course and conditions after last weekend's PacWest Championships, Bergren still cited the runner's approach as crucial.

“I think racing the weekend before and training the week in Hawaii definitely helped to get acclimated to the heat and getting familiar with the course,” Bergren reflected. “With that said, racing is so mental that staying positive really was the key here.”

Recipient of an NCAA All-Regional Team honor for her performance, Bergren will head to NCAA Nationals which are scheduled to be held on Saturday, Nov. 17 in Joplin, MO and will be hosted by Missouri Southern. She will be joined by the two other individuals who qualified Saturday including Cal Poly Pomona's Tiffany Dinh and Rachael Young of fellow PacWest member Dixie State.

“I think it's a really special experience to be the first Academy of Art University runner to make it to NCAAs!” Bergren said excitedly. “I have no doubt our program will continue to succeed.”

“I always try to think about things in relation to the 'big picture,'” Coach Ryan said. “I've never been one to shy away from challenges or want to stand in the back and wait patiently for things to happen. I told the team in the beginning of the year that ART U 2012-13 was about one goal: Make history! Today, Jenny Bergren and the rest of the cross country team accomplished that feat. On November 17th in Joplin, Jenny will carry the flag up the hill to the next historic plateau for Academy of Art University Athletics while the rest of her teammates gear up for the start of the Indoor Track season which is only four short weeks away. This is such an exciting time, and the scary part is now we have expanded our NCAA talent pool. That's right. We now have distance runners who are a threat to the best of the NCAA. The story just started and Jenny Bergren is chapter one.”

Perhaps a future chapter and already leaps and bounds ahead of where she “should be,” Michaels also turned in a memorable performance on Saturday. The freshman from Valencia High School delivered a 23:11.34 mark on the Kahuku Golf Course to wrap up what has been a strong first campaign as an Urban Knight. Michaels placed 46th to edge out runners from Alaska Fairbanks and Central Washington in her second lowest time on a 6k course this year.

“I was proud of how our people ran today,” Coach Olson said. “Arianna was really good and continued racing very mature compared to her age and eligibility. We were very happy for her to take 46th overall. She was 5th in terms of PacWest competitors and the 11th freshman overall so that's pretty impressive.”

In a field of 170 runners, Schumacher crossed the finish line as the third Urban Knight in 141st place. The Sweet Home, OR native used a 6:56 average mile time to take a 25:50.03 time home in the final cross country race of her Academy of Art University career. Schumacher, the team's top runner in 2010, concludes her stint with ART U cross country having been instrumental in the program's steady development and success.

Alaska Anchorage's Susan Tauni won the 6k race by a five second margin (21:18.5), but it was Chico State who won the team title, edging UAA by five points. Those two squads, along with Humboldt State, Cal State Stanislaus, and Seattle Pacific, will all head to Nationals as well.


The ART U women's team were not the only ones making history Saturday as Urban Knights Jack Nevins and Clemens Kammer competed in the 10k race to pioneer the men's cross country program in the post season. Nevins, regularly the finisher in the second position, broke out for a 34:33.35 time to take home 60th overall. He was the 9th highest finisher among PacWest runners and crossed nearly a full 30 seconds in front of a collection of competitors from BYU-Hawaii and Dixie State.

Kammer, having the unique opportunity to compete in the post-season in his first year as a collegiate athlete, pushed through the heat and captured 74th overall in the 10k. His time of 35:02.67 reflected a 5:39 average per mile and provided him an important building point to cap off his strong freshman year as ART U's top finisher through its first five races.

The men's race was won by Micah Chelimo of Alaska Anchorage with a time of 31:57.35, but again Chico State captured the team title with all five of its runners in the Top 20.

After the meet, Coach Ryan offered high praise to Coach Olson and the Academy of Art coaching staff for their dedication to making this year, the program's first as full members of the NCAA, truly historic.

“My title says 'Head Coach,' but the results we have witnessed all year in ART U Cross Country are because of the work of the athletes and my assistant coaches, Torrey Olson in particular,” Coach Ryan said. “This is his show, his system, his training, and the athletes have responded well all year. Torrey has been a life-saver for me. He is dedicated, thoughtful, and has a vision for our distance crew. Torrey is everything a head coach could ask for in an assistant and to see such a turn-around from where things where with this group at the end of last year is amazing. He deserves all the coaching praise for the cross country results this year.”