Virginia Beach, Va. --- Minnesota State's bid to repeat as National Champions came up a single point short as Adams State rallied late in the competition at the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championships to take top honors with 52 points, while the Mavericks claimed runner-up honors with 51 points.  It was a contrast in styles as all 52 points earned by Adams State came from just four events, and were exclusively in mid- and distance track events.  MSU, conversely, scored points in eight different events, with a heavy concentration on sprints but also mixing in distance, jumps, and throws.  The Mavericks and third-place finisher West Texas A&M tied for the lead in most events scored in as both programs tallied points in eight different events.
 
MSU has now finished in the top two places in each of the past three years, with second place finishes in 2021 and 2023 sandwiched around the 2022 National Championship.  This is the first time any school has posted three consecutive Top Two finishes since Lincoln (Mo.) accomplished the feat from 2009-2011.
 
During the meet, Minnesota State posted a remarkable 18 All-American performances.  MSU moved up to ninth-place all-time in points scored at the NCAA National Meet (366), passing Western Colorado (355) this year.  Also, with a pair of individual National Champions this year (junior Denisha Cartwright in the 60-meter hurdles; junior Makayla Jackson in the 60 meter dash), the Mavericks can now boast 13 National Champions, which stands eighth in NCAA Division II history.
 
MSU had three All-American performances right off the bat in the first event of the day as junior Flore Gracia led the charge in the triple jump by finishing fifth with a mark of 12.66 m (41' 6.5") that came on her fourth jump of the event.  Also earning Second Team All-American Honors were freshman Lillian Washington in ninth (12.33 m; 40' 1.5") and sophomore Stella Neophytou in 10^th (12.14 m; 39' 10").  It was the second straight year Gracia earned All-American honors for Minnesota State after a Second Team effort last year.
 

Maverick Triple Jump All-Americans	Year
Katelin Rains	2008
Elizabeth Brunner	2019 (Second Team)
Flore Gracia	2022 (Second Team), 2023
Stella Neophytou	2023 (Second Team)
Lillian Washington	2023 (Second Team)

 
Cartwright successfully defended her title in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles with a facility record time of 8.11 to claim her second consecutive National Championship in that event.  Cartwright led right out of the starting block as she was the first person to reach and clear the opening hurdle, and just kept expanding her lead from there.  With the repeat title, Cartwright becomes the first person since Danielle Williams of Johnson C. Smith in 2013-14 to go back-to-back as the winner of this event, and is only the fifth person in NCAA Division II history to repeat as champion of the 60 meter hurdles.
 

60 Meter Hurdles Repeat NCAA Champions	School	Years
Marquita Davis	Saint Augustine's	2006-07
Shermaine Williams	Johnson C. Smith	2008-09
Indira Spence	Adams State	2010-11
Danielle Williams	Johnson C. Smith	2013-14
Denisha Cartwright	Minnesota State	2022-23

 
 

Maverick 60 Meter Hurdles All-Americans	Year
Altonice Williams	2016, 2017 (National Champion)
Alexis Smith	2019
Denisha Cartwright	2021, 2022 (National Champion), 2023 (National Champion)
Mackenzie Keune	2021

 
A mere 20 minutes later, Cartwright returned to the straightaway to join junior Makayla Jackson in the finals of the 60 meter dash.  And just as Cartwright defended her National Championship in the 60 meter hurdles, Jackson did the same in the 60 meter dash with a scorching time of 7.20 that equaled a NCAA National Championships record and broke the MSU school record, and was also the third-fastest time in NCAA Division II history.  Cartwright was able to claim All-American honors for the third consecutive year in the 60 meter dash with her third place finish in a time of 7.31.  Jackson becomes the fifth person in NCAA history to be a multi-time winner of this event.
 

60 Meters Multiple NCAA Champions	School	Years
Lashawndra Ratcliff	Texas A&M-Kingsville	2004-05
Barbara Pierre	Saint Augustine's	2007-09
Latoya King	Lincoln (Mo.)	2012-13
Dianna Johnson	Adams State	2017-19
Makayla Jackson	Minnesota State	2022-23

 

Maverick 60 Meters All-Americans	Year
Brittany Henderson	2008, 2009, 2010
Khenadi Jones	2019 (Second Team)
Denisha Cartwright	2021, 2022, 2023
Makayla Jackson	2021, 2022 (National Champion), 2023 (National Champion)
Ja'Cey Simmons	2021 (Second Team)

 
Senior Lexie Hurst showed steady improvement throughout the finals of the shot put, with her final throw of 15.25 m (50' 0.5") standing as her best.  With that, she earned First Team All-American honors by finishing in fourth.
 

Maverick Shot Put All-Americans	Year
Lesa Pederson	1987
Kortney Ihnen	2003
Katie Taylor	2021, 2022
Brea Perron	2021 (Second Team), 2022
Lexie Hurst	2023

 
The finals of the 200 meter dash were the fastest in NCAA Division II history as Cartwright turned in her career-best performance of 23.38 to lower her school record and post the fourth-best time in the history of the division.  The only problem was the two fastest times in Division II history were also posted in the race, leading to a third-place finish for Cartwright.  Still, this is the third consecutive year where Cartwright has earned All-American honors in this event.
 

Maverick 200 Meters All-Americans	Year
Brittany Henderson	2008, 2009
Afure Adah	2017 (Second Team)
Denisha Cartwright	2021, 2022 (Second Team), 2023
Makayla Jackson	2021 (Second Team), 2022, 2023 (Second Team)

 
Senior Amanda Montplaisir picked up an important team point by becoming the first All-American in MSU history in the 3000 meters with her time of 9:24.77 taking eighth place.  She shaved nearly eight seconds off her own school record in that event.
 

Maverick 3000 Meters All-Americans	Year
Amanda Montplaisir	2023

 
In the final event of the meet, Minnesota State needed to place seventh or higher to clinch the national championship.  Despite the quartet of senior Rose Gaye, junior Eilika Lane, junior Rose Cramer, and Jackson posting a time of 3:47.92, which is the third-fastest mark in school history, that time ended up taking ninth place by just 0.77 seconds, and allowing Adams State to hold onto the National Championship by a single point, 52-51.  Still, the 4x400 relay team earned Second Team All-American honors for their effort.
 

Maverick 4x400 Meter Relay All-Americans	Year
Jenny Goesch, Brittany Henderson, Alissa Kurke, Kelsey Leonard	2007
Brittany Henderson, Kelsey Leonard, Katelin Rains, Andrea Sellers	2009
Nyeaee Robins, Mackenzie Keune, Denisha Cartwright, Mackenzie Woodard	2021
Rose Gaye, Rose Cramer, Denisha Cartwright, Sherona Stewart	2022 (Second Team)
Rose Gaye, Eilika Lane, Rose Cramer, Makayla Jackson	2023 (Second Team)

 
 

Place	Team	Points
1	Adams State	52
2	Minnesota State	51
3	West Texas A&M	46
4	Azusa Pacific	37
5	Winona State	36
6	Grand Valley State	35
7	Central Missouri	27
T-8	Colorado School of Mines	24
T-8	Pittsburg State	24
T-10	Angelo State	22
T-10	Northwest Missouri State	22
T-12	Colorado State-Pueblo	19
T-12	Lenoir-Rhyne	19
14	Academy of Art	17
T-15	Findlay	14
T-15	Missouri Southern State	14
T-17	California (Pa.)	13
T-17	Concordia-St. Paul	13
T-19	Cal Poly Pomona	11
T-19	Indianapolis	11
T-21	Adelphi	10
T-21	Chadron State	10
T-21	Seattle Pacific	10
T-21	Wayne State (Neb.)	10
T-25	Minnesota Duluth	8
T-25	MSU Moorhead	8
T-25	Western Colorado	8
28	New Mexico Highlands	7
T-29	Simon Fraser	6
T-29	Westminster	6
T-29	Wingate	6
T-32	Catawba	5
T-32	Lincoln (Mo.)	5
T-32	Southern Wesleyan	5
T-35	American International	4
T-35	Ashland	4
T-35	Carson-Newman	4
T-35	Colorado-Colorado Springs	4
T-35	Edinboro	4
T-35	Harding	4
T-42	Augustana	3
T-42	Mary	3
T-42	Shippensburg	3
T-42	Washburn	3
T-46	Hillsdale	2
T-46	Saginaw Valley State	2
T-46	Stanislaus State	2
T-46	Texas-Tyler	2
T-50	Lee	1
T-50	Lewis	1
T-50	San Francisco State	1
T-50	Tiffin	1

 

2023 Minnesota State All-Americans	Event
Denisha Cartwright	60 Meters (First Team)
Denisha Cartwright	60 Meter Hurdles (First Team + National Champion)
Denisha Cartwright	200 Meters (First Team)
Flore Gracia	Triple Jump (First Team)
Lexie Hurst	Shot Put (First Team)
Makayla Jackson	60 Meters (First Team + National Champion)
Makayla Jackson	200 Meters (Second Team)
Makayla Jackson	Long Jump (First Team)
Paige Hickson	Pole Vault (Second Team)
Kynnedi Malone	60 Meter Hurdles (Second Team)
Amanda Montplaisir	3000 Meters (First Team)
Stella Neophytou	Triple Jump (Second Team)
Kary Petricka	Long Jump (Second Team)
Lillian Washington	High Jump (Second Team)
Lillian Washington	Triple Jump (Second Team)
Mariah Williams	Long Jump (Second Team)
Makenna Thurston, Eilika Lane, Marissa Ellenbecker, Amanda Montplaisir	Distance Medley Relay (First Team)
Rose Gaye, Eilika Lane, Rose Cramer, Makayla Jackson	4x400 Relay (Second Team)

 

Maverick National Champions	Event	Year
Amanda Frame	Pole Vault	2004
Amanda Frame	Pole Vault	2005
Katelin Rains	Pole Vault	2007
Katelin Rains	Pole Vault	2008
Katelin Rains	Pole Vault	2009
Lauren Stelten	Pole Vault	2011
Altoniece Williams	60 Meter Hurdles	2017
Katie Taylor	Weight Throw	2021
Makayla Jackson	60 Meters	2022
Denisha Cartwright	60 Meter Hurdles	2022
Makayla Jackson	Long Jump	2022
Denisha Cartwright	60 Meters Hurdles	2023
Makayla Jackson	60 Meters	2023