Fort Lewis College Athletics

Head coach Shawn Jakubowski and Katie Fankhouser celebrate First Team All-American honors at the finish line

Fankhouser named First Team All-American with 26th-place finish at NCAA DII Championships

12/2/2022 1:40:00 PM

By: Angela Roberts, Assistant AD - Communications

SEATTLE, Wash. – Katie Fankhouser is bringing home First Team All-American honors to Durango.

The junior out of Lyons, Colorado became the Skyhawks' first All-American in any sport since 2017 after racing to a 26^th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships at Chambers Creek Regional Park.

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and South-Central Region were well represented in the ranks, led by Adams State University which claimed its third-straight national title with 75 points. Colorado School of Mines and UCCS followed in third and fourth place, respectively. CSU Pueblo, Western Colorado, and Colorado Christian also joined the top 10 in the 6k race.

"Once again, Katie proved that she is one of the biggest rising stars at the NCAA Division II level," said head coach Shawn Jakubowski. "At the start of the season the goal was to be an All-American and she went out and did it today."

How It Happened
Competing in her first nationals, Fankhouser hit the ground running to prove herself among the stacked field. At the one-mile mark, she was sitting in 10^th place with a 5:26.2 split. The two-mile split saw her fall to 19^th place with a total time of 10:59.9 and a split time of 2:41.4. She improved one spot at the 4.2k mark with a time of 14.41.1 as they neared the home stretch. She looked to be fading at the 5k mark, dropping to 31^st place at 17.41.7. Teammates in attendance at the watch party showed no signs of worry, though, and immediately spoke about her incredible kick and ability to turn it on when others are showing signs of fatigue. Those who know her best were spot on, and Fankhouser climbed five spots to cross the line in 26^th place at 21:10.2.

Members of the men's and women's tf/xc teams gathered to watch Fankhouser race at the NCAA Division II Championships — Members of the men's and women's tf/xc teams gathered to watch Fankouser race at the championships

"It was a cold, muddy, and snowy day and Katie thrives in those conditions, so we knew right away that it was going to be a good day," noted Jakubowski. "I've never coached an athlete as mentally strong as Katie. She is a unique and special athlete that a coach only gets a few of in their careers. Now we will take a small break before gearing up for track season. Expect her to turn more heads in the spring."

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