Interviews with the top collegian finishers in the 2016 Collegiate Running Association 10K Road Race National Championship held for the 3rd consecutive year within the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K presented by Martin's in Richmond, VA on Saturday, April 9. Over 2,600 college students representing over 100 colleges and universities traveled to Richmond, VA to join 30,000 runners from across the U.S. for this destination event.

With 25 mph winds the men’s race started slow with a pack of 8 runners covering the opening 5K in 16:00 as athletes played cat and mouse.  At the turn around things heated up with eventual champion Silas Frantz (University of Virginia) throwing in a sub 4:45 mile from 3-4 miles. Frantz ran 30:46 to win and claim the $2,000 prize for the 2016 Collegiate 10K Road Race National Championship. He covered the final 5K in 14:46 under tough conditions. He was chased by Ryan Hagen (VT Elite/Mary Baldwin University) who ran 31:04 to claim $1,000 for 2^nd place.  Hagen, a 4:00 miler and All-American out of Virginia Tech, also placed in the runner-up position in the 2015 Collegiate Half Marathon Championships held in Norfolk, VA last November. Sheryak Connor (Georgetown-3^rd-$500), Matthew McKenna (Univ. of Richmond-4^th-$400) and Johnny Hogue (Univ. of Richmond-5^th-$300) rounded out the top 5 among collegian men.

Nicol Traynor (NJNY TC/Hudson County College) claimed victory and the $2,000 first place prize for the women. She ran 34:01 to earn her first #CRA10K title.  Like the men, the women held a controlled pace early before hitting the turn around and heading home. Traynor, a 2012 NCAA D1 All-American in the 3KSC for the Richmond Spiders and U.S. Olympic Team Trials Qualifier in the event, dropped the pace at the turn covering the second half (5K) in 16:46.  She was followed in 2nd by Bethany Sachtleben (Northern Virginia College) in 34:45 on the cold and windy morning.  Sachtleben, a standout for cross country and track undergraduate athlete for George Mason University last year, was the runner-up in the 2015 Collegiate Trail Running Championships held last June in Indianapolis, IN. Abigail Motley (Virginia Tech-3^rd-$500), Autumn Eastman (Georgetown-4^th-$400) and Tara Richardson (Wake Forest-5^th-$300) rounded out the top 5 among collegian women.

Both college athletes collected $2,000 for their individual wins as the top collegians! The #Ukrops10K provided $10,000 in prize money specifically reserved for the top 10 college students. For eligibility requirements for prize money within the Collegiate Running Association Road, Mountain and Trail Running Championships visit our website HERE.

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   2016 Collegiate 10K Road Race National Championships (TOP 10)

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