2024 NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP: BYU SWEEPS, GRAHAM BLANKS REPEATS, DORIS LEMNGOLE KICKS | BIGGEST WINNERS + LOSERS
Description
Harvard senior Graham Blanks successfully defended his NCAA Division I cross country championship on Saturday, winning the 10,000-meter race in 28:37 .2, narrowly edging New Mexico's Habtom Samuel.
BYU became the first school since 2002 to win both men's and women's team titles at the same championship.
Men's Championship
Blanks' Victory: Blanks is the 13th runner in history to defend his title, cementing his legacy on the Thomas Zimmer course.
BYU's Team Triumph: The Cougars scored 124 points for their second men's title, led by Casey Clinger's 6th-place finish and Creed Thompson's 12th. All BYU scorers placed in the top 50.
Team Standings: Iowa State (137 points) finished second, followed by Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Northern Arizona. Defending champion Oklahoma State placed eighth.
Women's Championship
Doris Lemngole: The Alabama runner won the 6,000-meter race in 19:21 , improving on her runner-up finish from last year. Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico was second in 19:27 .8.
BYU Women Dominate: The Cougars scored 147 points to win their sixth title, with Lexy Halladay-Lowry finishing as the top scorer in 14th place overall.
Team Standings: BYU edged out West Virginia, with Providence, Northern Arizona, and Oregon rounding out the top five. Defending champion NC State finished eighth.
Historical Context
BYU’s sweep marks the first dual-team victory since Colorado’s achievement in 2002, highlighting their depth and dominance.
Blanks joins an elite group of repeat champions in the 86-year history of the NCAA men's cross country race.
The Big Picture
BYU's historic team wins and standout performances from Blanks and Lemngole underscore the competitiveness and unpredictability of collegiate cross country’s biggest stage.
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