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Utah State University Athletics

2019 Cross Country Roster

Profile

  • Senior
    Class
  • Blackfoot, Idaho
    Hometown
  • Snake River HS
    High School
Wade Denniston/USU Athletics
Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos
James Withers
James Withers
Senior
Class
Blackfoot, Idaho
Hometown

Summary

Biography

HONORS: All-Region: Cross Country (2019); First-Team All-Mountain West: Cross Country (2019); Mountain West Scholar-Athlete (2016 T&F); Academic All-Mountain West (2016 T&F, 2016 XC, 2017 T&F, 2017 XC, 2018 T&F, 2018 XC, 2019 T&F, 2019 XC); USU Whitesides Scholar-Athlete (2017, 2018, 2019).

INDOOR RECORDS: Ranks fourth all-time in USU history in the 5,000 meters (14:19.61).

OUTDOOR RECORDS: Ranks sixth all-time in USU history in the 10,000 meters (29:32.21) and ninth all-time in the 5,000 meters (14:23.29).

2020 (SR)
Cross Country (2019): Helped lead Utah State to a 16th-place finish at the NCAA National Championships by placing 94th with a time of 32:05.5… Garnered all-region accolades by placing 25th with a time of 31:13.7 at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships… Earned first-team all-Mountain West honors after placing sixth with a time of 23:4.9 at the conference championships… Helped the Aggies capture their first-ever MW title with 42 team points… Made season debut at the Montana State Cross Country Classic, where he finished first among Aggie competitors, and third overall, with a time of 24:50.2… Helped lead Utah State to its third-straight team title at the Paul Short Run, placing 17th with a time of 23:50.6… Placed 110th with a time of 24:39.5 at the Wisconsin-hosted Nuttycombe Invitational... Earned academic all-MW honors.

2019 (SR)
Cross Country (2018): 
Placed 54th with a time of 30:46.6 at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships… Finished 26th with a time of 25:36.9 at the Mountain West Championships… Ran in five races for the Aggies during the season with his best finish coming at the Utah State-hosted Sagebrush Invitational, where he placed third with a time of 21:45.24… Finished 27th with a time of 24:57 at the Lehigh-hosted Paul Short Run and placed 99th with a time of 25:04.1 at Pre-Nationals... Earned academic all-MW honors.
Indoor: Placed seventh in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:56.35 at the Mountain West Indoor Championships… Recorded career-best time of 14:19.61, which ranks fourth all-time in school history, in the 5,000 meters at the Washington Invitational… Ran career-best time of 8:27.64 in the 3,000 meters at the New Mexico-hosted Don Kirby Invitational, where he placed second in the event… Finished first in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:44.11 at the Montana State Dual Meet.
Outdoor: Placed 11th in the 10,000 meters with a time of 31:34.43 at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships, where he also competed in the 5,000 meters… Finished second in the 5,000 meters with a personal-best time of 14:23.29, which ranks ninth all-time in USU history, at the Mt. SAC Relays… Ran personal-best time of 29:32.21, which ranks sixth all-time in school history, in the 10,000 meters at the San Francisco State-hosted Mike Fanelli Track Classic… Earned academic all-MW and USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete accolades.

2018 (JR)
Cross Country (2017): 
Finished 149th at the NCAA National Cross Country Championships with a time of 31:07.14… Placed 37th at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships with a mark of 31:21.3… Finished 16th at the Mountain West Championships with a time of 24:33.41… Competed in four other races for the Aggies, with his best finish coming at the Utah State-hosted Sagebrush Invitational, where he placed second with a time of 21:18.420… Finished among USU’s top three in six meets during the year, including finishing second among Utah State runners five times… Earned academic all-MW honors.
Indoor: Placed 11th in the 3,000 meters with a season-best time of 8:28.22 at the Mountain West Indoor Championships… Also finished 17th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:25.83 at the Indoor Championships… Captured third place in the mile with a personal-best time of 4:16.58 at the Boise State-hosted Jackson Nike Boise Indoor Invitational.
Outdoor: Placed ninth in the 10,000 meters with a time of 30:42.31 at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships… Finished 20th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:32.93 at the San Francisco Distance Carnival… Earned academic all-MW and USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete accolades.

2017 (SO)
Cross Country (2016): 
Placed 53rd with a time of 25:59.00 at the Mountain West Championships… Competed in six meets during the season with his best finish coming at the Utah State-hosted Sagebrush Invitational, where he placed 15th with a time of 21:34.02… Earned academic all-MW honors.
Indoor: Placed 17th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:40.39 at the Mountain West Indoor Championships… Finished first in the 3,000 meters with a season-best time of 8:38.32 at the New Mexico Team Invitational and first in the 5,000 meters with a season-best time of 14:36.54 at the Boise State Challenge.
Outdoor: Placed sixth in the 10,000 meters with a time of 31:36.12 at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships… Recorded season-best time of 29:44.28 in the 10,000 meters at the Stanford-hosted Cardinal Classic… Also ran season-best time of 14:25.51 in the 5,000 meter at the UC Irvine-hosted Spring Collegiate Classic… Earned academic all-MW and USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides honors. 

2016 (FR)
Indoor: 
Finished 14th in the 5,000 meters with a season-best time of 15:15.87 and 31st in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:57.40 at the Mountain West Indoor Championships… Placed first in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:51.10 at the Boise State-hosted Ed Jacoby Invitational. 
Outdoor: Finished 14th in the 10,000 meters with a time of 31:24.45 at the MW Outdoor Championships… Placed second in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:36.84 at the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational… Earned academic all-MW and MW Scholar-Athlete accolades.

HIGH SCHOOL: A four-time letterwinner in track & field at Snake River High School in Blackfoot, Idaho… Recorded track & field bests of 4:24 in the 1,600 meters and 9:24 in the 3,200 meters… State champion as a junior and senior in the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters… State champion in cross country as a sophomore.

PERSONAL: One of eight children of Mark and Camille Withers… Served an LDS Church Mission in Australia from 2013-2015… Majoring in biology.

PERSONAL BESTS INCLUDE:

EVENT INDOOR OUTDOOR
Mile 4:16.58 NA
1,500 Meters NA 4:04.50
3,000 Meters 8:27.64 NA
5,000 Meters 14:19.61 14:23.29
10,000 Meters NA 29:32.21

POSTSEASON RESULTS:
NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
YEAR PLACE TIME
2017 149th 31:07.14

NCAA CROSS COUNTRY REGIONALS
YEAR PLACE TIME
2017 37th 31:21.03
2018 54th 30:46.06

MW CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
YEAR PLACE TIME
2016 53rd 25:59.00
2017 16th 24:33.41
2018 26th 25:36.9

MW INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
YEAR EVENT PLACE TIME/MARK
2016 5,000 Meters 14th 15:15.87
2016 3,000 Meters 31st 8:57.40
2017 5,000 Meters 17th 15:40.39
2018 3,000 Meters 11th 8:28.22
2018 5,000 Meters 17th 15:25.83
2019 5,000 Meters 7th 14:56.35

MW OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
YEAR EVENT PLACE TIME/MARK
2016 10,000 Meters 14th 31:24.45
2017 10,000 Meters 6th 31:36.12
2018 10,000 Meters 9th 30:42.31
2019 10,000 Meters 11th 31:34.43
2019 5,000 Meters -- DNF
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