The NCAA News - News & Features

Division II

Adams State likely to continue streak

Overview: In four years of NCAA competition, Adams State has done what no other institution has done -- won an NCAA title every year it has competed. This year, Adams State is vying for title No. 5, and should accomplish that feat. A year after blowing away the field by 81 points, the Grizzlies enter the championships with an equal amount of talent and more experience. Adams State, ranked No. 1 in the coaches' top-25 poll, returns all five starters from its 1995 championship team. Nikole Sterling and Kim Bugg lead the way for the Grizzlies. Both have enjoyed standout campaigns, each earning top-five finishes at the Great Rocky Mountain Shootout October 5 and the Hind/Cal Poly Invitational on October 19. Adams State also returns the standout trio of Denise Summers, Nara Hawker and Janelle Olson .... The primary threat to Adams State's reign should come from Abilene Christian, which placed second in 1995 and currently is ranked No. 2 behind the Grizzlies. The Wildcats' top returnee is Casi Florida, who finished as runner-up individually at the 1995 championships. Florida headlines an Abilene Christian squad that also includes Miranda Boonstra and Vivian Ruijters .... Western State, which placed third last year, and Northwest Missouri State, ranked No. 4 in the coaches' poll, likely will be among teams battling for a top-five spot. Western State relies heavily on Nicole Jefferson, the 25th-place finisher at the 1995 championships, and Maria Lopez.

Field: A total of 132 individual competitors will be selected. Seventeen teams of seven individuals -- at least one team from each of six regions -- plus 13 individuals (at least two individuals from each region) will make up the field.

Dates and sites: Regional qualifying will be November 9 at six sites. The championships will be November 23 at Humboldt State.

Information/results: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1915); request numbers are 1285 for dates/sites/schedule and 5077 for championships results. Championship results also will be available on the World Wide Web at www.ncaa.org. Results will be published in the December 2 issue of The NCAA News.

Championships notes: Abilene Christian's Florida and Adams State's Sterling are the top returnees from the 1995 championships. Florida finished second, while Sterling was fifth overall .... Adams State and Western State were the top two non-Division I teams at the Great Rocky Mountain Shootout. Adams State outdueled its rival, 20-45.