Complete results: Men | Women
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – History. On a cold and blustery day in Terre Haute, Ind., the San Francisco Dons blew through the 2016 NCAA Championships course, and came away with a plethora of cross country program firsts, both individually and as a team.

The Dons will return to San Francisco with exuberance, after earning its highest-ever team finish and two All-American athletes.
 
The USF women entered the day ranked as the 10th-best squad in the country, and they exit it with a No. 6 team finish on the national stage, propelled by newly-minted All-American Charlotte Taylor's impressive 10th place run.
  The senior from Spalding, England, ran from the top from the outset racing against the top women in the country, completing the 6,000 meter course in 20:02.7. Running in her third championships field, teammate Elena Burkard earned 42 points in the team scoring with a time of 20:37.1 with sophomore Weronika Pyzik clocking in at 20:46.6 to add 69 points to the USF score.

USF's Isabelle Brauer (20:50.7) and Marie Bouchard (20:58.5) were the next to cross the line, picking up 77 and 107 points, respectively. Tatjana Schulte (21:56.0) and Heleene Tambet (22:07.1) rounded out the USF contingent at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.

After a lengthy pause to tabulate the team scores, USF found itself three points ahead of last year's champion New Mexico to claim sixth in the standings. The Dons' previous best finish at the NCAA Championships was 18th place, recorded in 2013.

The stellar finish for the women was not the end of the successful day in Terre Haute, as Alex Short toed the line as an individual qualifier in the men's championship race.

He stayed in the lead pack for the duration of the grueling 10,000 meter distance before crossing the line in 22nd place to earn All-American status. The senior from Bicknacre, England, has been the team's leading competitor all season long, capturing the West Coast Conference individual championship crown earlier this fall.

Last year, Short also qualified to race at the NCAA Championships, but failed to finish the course. Fueling his deep desire to break through on the national stage and become an All-American, USF head coach Helen Lehman-Winters motivated Short by sending him a daily text with an American flag throughout the season, reminding him of his deep-seated goal.

Taylor stands as USF's second cross country All-American woman (Laura Suur, 2011), and Short has etched his name in the Dons' annals as the first All-American male runner.

The last time two Dons earned All-American status in the same academic year was 2014 (Jana Soethout – Track & Field, Bradley Zimmer – Baseball). Two teammates have not picked up first-team All-American honors since 1967 (Kirk Apostolidis and Sandor Hites – men's soccer).
 

6th best team in the NCAA and 2 individual All-Americans. Can you hear us now?????

A photo posted by Donsxctf (@donsxctf) on Nov 19, 2016 at 11:35am PST

USF Results
San Francisco Women – 6th place (307 points)
Pl. (Pts.) Athlete - Time
10 (10). Charlotte Taylor – 20:02.7
62 (42). Elena Burkard – 20:37.1
87 (69). Weronika Pyzik – 20:46.6
99 (77). Isabelle Brauer – 20:50.7
135 (107). Marie Bouchard – 20:58.5
220 (184). Tatjana Schulte – 21:56.0
228 (192). Heleene Tambet – 22:07.1
 
San Francisco Men – Individual
22. Alex Short – 30:12.1