Jackson Bland was named the 2024 NJCAA DII Men’s Cross Country National Athlete of the Year. Bland, who hails from Surprise, Arizona, captured the individual title at the 2024 NJCAA DII Cross Country Championships this past weekend in Mechanicsville, Virginia. The Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC star crossed the finish line in 25:14.0, more than 13 seconds faster than the runner-up. Bland also turned in strong performances this season at the UCR Cross Country Invitational and Drews/Neubauer Invitational, where he finished in fourth and 14th place, respectively, mostly among athletes from four-year programs.