Every time Kendall Kramer competes, history is on the line.

This time was no different. The UAF senior capped her illustrious collegiate cross-country running career in monumental fashion: national runner-up.

Kramer covered the 6-kilometer course at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in 20 minutes, 30 seconds, while teammate Rosie Fordham finished in a career-best eighth place as both collected All-American honors.

Once the starting gun sounded, Fordham, Kramer and the Nanooks set sail on the soggy, two-loop course in Sacramento, Calif.

Fordham accelerated in her signature start, tucking behind the early leaders and powering through the first kilometer in 3:17. The senior trailed only Colorado School of Mine’s Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge, who won the loaded Lewis Crossover earlier this season.

“I found myself in the front pack early and it felt pretty controlled,” Fordham said in a press release. “The atmosphere was incredible and it was an awesome feeling to be up in the front of the national field.”

Kramer, a West Valley High grad, was four seconds back in 31st but remained within striking distance of the leaders to cover future moves when necessary.

“I didn’t really know how it would go,” Kramer told GNAC Sports. “I knew it would go fast, and Rosie (Fordham) always starts faster than me. I’m grateful for Rosie for starting out fast and potentially tiring them out and making bold moves.”

Fordham remained in the top five through the second kilometer, while Kramer moved up 17 spots and into the 14th position.

The teammates from the northernmost NCAA school reunited over the next two kilometers, with Kramer joining Fordham and SPU’s Annika Esvelt in the top seven.

By the fifth kilometer, Kramer had moved into the top 5, while Fordham fought to stay with the lead group.

Over the final kilometer, Kramer made another surge, passing Ramsey-Rutledge and trailing only Esvelt and Grand Valley State’s Lauren Kiley, who led since the second kilometer.

Kramer trimmed the deficit from the leader by 5.2 seconds in the final 400 meters to overtake Esvelt but ran out of real estate to catch Kiley, who clocked 20:28.

The senior left everything on the course, finishing 2.2 seconds behind Kiley to earn national runner-up and collect her third All-American honor, after finishing 8th (2022) and 23rd (2023).

“Rosie and I have been having an awesome season, and it’s hard finding the words because it’s so amazing we’ve gotten to this point,” Kramer said in a press release. “It seemed so out of reach, especially for our school.”

The senior’s runner-up finish is the highest in program history for cross country and joins UAA’s Caroline Kurgat (1st in 2017; 3rd in 2016) and Soldotna’s Allie Ostrander (2nd in 2015, Division I) who have placed in the top 3 at cross country nationals.

Fordham’s courageous effort resulted in an eighth-place finish in 20:43, combining with Kramer as the highest two finishers from the same team. Fordham’s placement earned her second All-American honor, after finishing 36th in 2023.

“This was a big jump from last year,” said Fordham. “I had a little hope of aiming to be in the top 10. It took everything I had and I’m super stoked to be a top-10 national finisher.”

“It’s bittersweet to be wrapping up (my) last NCAA championship and I’m so happy to have had four incredible years on this team,” said Fordham.

Additionally, this marked the second time in as many seasons that the Nanooks had a pair of All-Americans at the national cross country meet.

“It was an absolute privilege to watch Kendall (Kramer) and Rosie (Fordham) trade blows with the best runners in the nation today,” said coach Conrad Haber in a press release. “Sometimes you need to step back and simply appreciate and enjoy greatness when you see it. Today was a day when I was not only a coach but a fan.”

The Nanooks concluded their historic season with a 13th-place finish of out 34 teams — a program best by four spots — after qualifying for the first time since their national debut in 2011.

“The team showed up today and we proved we are a top 15 team in the nation,” said Fordham. “I couldn’t be prouder of the girls, they all work so hard and we have a lot of fun traveling and racing together.”

Behind Kramer and Fordham, Tabitha Williams finished 132nd (22:26), followed by Anchorage’s Lucca Duke in 146th (22:35), Teegan Silva in 171st (22:55) and Fairbanks’ Hazel Probst in 251st (25:12).

Perhaps even more impressive, the Nanooks achieved it all while working out in less-than-ideal conditions, practicing indoors for the better part of two months due to Fairbanks’ cold, snowy conditions.

Also competing at the championships was Cedarville’s Emily Walsh of Eagle River and Western Washington’s Sophie Wright of Palmer.

Walsh, a senior, placed 42nd in 21:27, setting a personal best in her national debut and leading her team to a 16th-place finish. She moved up significantly throughout the race, passing 92 runners to finish just two spots shy of securing All-American honors.

Wright, also a senior, finished 89th in 22:03, crossing the line as the Vikings’ second runner in her second national appearance. Wright jostled for position for much of the race, ultimately improving by 86 spots from last fall, while the Vikings finished 11th, achieving their best finish since 2015.

Adams State ran away with the team title — their 21st in program history — with 61 points.

In the men’s race, UAA’s John Peckham and CSU-Pueblo’s Kaleb Beloy of Anchorage ran strategically at the championships.

Competing in his second national meet, Peckham passed 140 runners throughout the 10-kilometer race to finish 91st in 31:15. The junior also improved by a staggering 107 spots from last fall.

“John (Peckham) showed a lot of grit after getting out a little more carefully than was ideal, but he moved up well throughout,” said coach Chas Davis in a press release. “It was a good day.”

Beloy, a South High grad, overtook 57 runners in his second national meet to finish 116th in 31:29. The senior was the fourth finisher for CSU-Pueblo, as the ThunderWolves finished 14th out of 34 teams.

West Texas A&M’s William Amponsah defended his title in 29:40, while Colorado School of Mines overtook Wingate in the final kilometer, winning 63-66.

At the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Madison, Wis., Northern Arizona’s Santiago Prosser of Anchorage collected his third All-American honor.

The senior covered the 10-kilometer course in 29:24 — a swift pace of 4:43 per mile — placing 38th overall.

Prosser, a Dimond High grad, moved up well throughout the race, coming through the first kilometer (2:48) in 80th place, just five ticks behind the early race leaders.

The NAU senior moved up an impressive 50 places by the halfway mark, coming through five kilometers in 14:34. By the eight-kilometer mark, Prosser was jockeying for position to stay within the top 40, coming through in 23:32, nearly matching his timing from last fall.

Over the final two kilometers, Prosser gritted through one last surge to hold off late-charging competitors to finish 38th out of the 252-person field.

“Ultimately, 38th is not what I pictured or wanted for my last race but I couldn’t give in,” shared Prosser on Instagram. “I had to stay in it for every point. I had the (expletive) NAU team counting on me to show up, even if it wasn’t glamorous.”

“I did just that for them and for me. I show up when it matters and I don’t quit, even if it’s ugly.”

Prosser collected his third All-American honor, after previously placing 19th (2022) and 21st (2023).

He was the second Lumberjack across the line, while Northern Arizona finished fifth out of 31 teams with 237 points, moving ahead of three teams in the final kilometer. The placement marks the 11th straight year the ‘Jacks have finished in the top five.

Kodiak’s Trevor Dunbar, an assistant coach for Virginia, was also present at the championships. The Hoos collected two All-American honors — one apiece for the women and the men, who placed 14th and 21st respectively.

Harvard’s Graham Blanks defended his title in 28:37, while BYU captured the team title with 124 points.