Where good news shines

Adams State has a national champion.

Tristian Spence raced to her first NCAA cross country individual national championship Saturday with a time of 20 minutes, 11 seconds, in Kenosha, Wisc. A redshirt sophomore from Grand Junction Central, Spence also won a 5K national title at the 2025 Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Colorado School of Mines’ Grace Strongman, Emily LaMena and Lexi Herr finished in second, seventh and ninth place, respectively. The Orediggers had 65 points to finish second in the team competition to Grand Valley State’s 69. 

Five RMAC programs finished in the top 10: Colorado School of Mines (second), Adams State (fourth), Western Colorado (fifth) and UCCS (sixth). CSU Pueblo finished in 10th.

(“Colorado Sunshine” celebrates the good news in sports. Suggestions are encouraged through sports editor Paul Klee at [email protected].)