Intermont posted 67 points on the final day of competition to move from fifth to second, surpassing indoor national champions Lindenwood College by two points. Dickinson State (Nd.) defended its national outdoor title with 99 points.
Virginia Intermont was bolstered by five individual event champions, the second highest total in NAIA history. Fernando Cabada took home two national event titles, winning the 10,000-meters Thursday night in 29:53.09 and coming back on Saturday to win the 5,000-meters in 14:42.08. David Cheromei, runner-up to Cabada in the 5k at 14:44.78, nearly broke the national record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase earlier in the day, winning with a personal best of 8:45.43, less than five seconds off Sammy Nyamongo's record of 8:40.98.
Corey Duquette paced the entire 10k on Thursday night, only to finish third behind Cabada and NAIA national cross country champion Soimo Kiplagat of Lindenwood three seconds back at 29:56.85. Duquette still had a taste for a title and rallied in the 1500-meters, after a pedestrian 2:06 opening 800-meters, to best a stellar field with a 3:49.45. His sub-55-second finishing 400 earned him the title, while teammate Elkana Chepsiror moved to finish second in 3:50.90. Chepsiror had his turn at the tape less than two hours later winning the 800-meters in 1:51.05.
Mudasar Haidat contributed in the early morning hours finishing second in the marathon with his surprise 2:27:00 debut, beating cross country national champion Kiplagat in the process. All five Cobras earned All-American awards for their efforts, while teammates Jason Lewis and Steeve Gabart contributed points with their seventh place 800-meter and eighth place 5,000-meter finishes, respectively.
The top 10 team finishers were: 1-Dickinson State (99); 2-Virginia Intermont (83); 3-Lindenwood, Mo. (81); 4-Oklahoma Baptist (76); 5-Azusa Pacific, Ca. (46); 6-Southern Oregon (42); 7-Malone, Oh. (29); 8-Doane, Nb. (28); 9-Wayland Baptist, Tx. (26); 10-Hastings, Ne. (23).
Virginia Intermont finished the year as the NAIA's best cross country and track program. The Cobras won the cross country national title in the fall, while taking the runner-up spot in both the indoor and outdoor track championships. Lindenwood was next best with its third place cross country and outdoor track finishes and its indoor national title.