BYU Sweeps 2024 NCAA DI Cross Country Titles
The 2024 NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Champions unfolded at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, November 23. BYU made history by sweeping the team titles, a feat last accomplished in 2004 by Colorado.
Women’s 6k Race Alabama’s Doris Lemngole, rebounding from her first loss of the season at the South Region Championships, broke away from New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei and Florida’s Hilda Olemomoi in the race's climax. The trio had been part of a dense lead pack that only dispersed in the final kilometer. Lemngole crossed the finish line at 19:21.0, followed by Kosgei at 19:22.9 and Olemomoi at 19:28.7.
Stanford’s Amy Bunnage and NC State’s Grace Hartman rounded out the top five, finishing at 19:31.1 and 19:39.5, respectively.
The BYU women, led by Lexy Halladay-Lowry’s 14th-place finish, clinched their second title since 2020 by edging out West Virginia 147-164. Providence and Northern Arizona took third and fourth place with 183 and 206 points, respectively, while Oregon (210) and Stanford (213) narrowly missed the podium.
Women's 6k Leading Results:
| POS | NAME | YEAR | TEAM | TIME | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doris Lemngole | SO-2 | Alabama | 19:21.0 | 1 |
| 2 | Pamela Kosgei | FR-1 | New Mexico | 19:27.8 | 2 |
| 3 | Hilda Olemomoi | JR-3 | Florida | 19:28.7 | 3 |
| 4 | Amy Bunnage | SO-2 | Stanford | 19:31.1 | 4 |
| 5 | Grace Hartman | SO-2 | NC State | 19:39.5 | 5 |
| 6 | Ceili McCabe | SR-4 | West Virginia | 19:41.2 | 6 |
| 7 | Paityn Noe | SO-2 | Arkansas | 19:42.3 | 7 |
| 8 | Hannah Gapes | SO-2 | NC State | 19:42.7 | 8 |
| 9 | Chloe Thomas | SR-4 | Connecticut | 19:43.5 | |
| 10 | Kimberley May | SR-4 | Providence | 19:45.1 | 9 |
Men’s 10k Race Defending champion Graham Blanks of Harvard, despite an early-season loss to New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel at Pre-Nationals, confirmed his dominance with a tactically sound performance. Blanks, responding to several aggressive moves from competitors like Washington State’s Evans Kurui, BYU’s Casey Clinger, and Oklahoma State’s Brian Musau, made his decisive move with just over 1k to go. Riding on the momentum of Musau’s surge, Blanks secured his second consecutive title with a time of 28:37.2. Habtom Samuel, finishing closely at 28:38.9, once again took the second spot, replicating their finish from the previous year.
Other top finishers included Furman’s Dylan Schubert, Arkansas’ Yaseen Abdalla, and Oklahoma State’s Musau, clocking in at 28:39.6, 28:41.5, and 28:44.9, respectively.
BYU outpaced Iowa State 124-137, claiming their first team crown since 2019.
This year's NCAA Cross Country Championships highlighted remarkable individual performances and strategic team efforts, setting new standards of excellence in collegiate cross country racing.
Men's 10000m Leading Results:
| POS | NAME | YEAR | TEAM | TIME | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Blanks | SR-4 | Harvard | 28:37.2 | 1 |
| 2 | Habtom Samuel | SO-2 | New Mexico | 28:38.9 | 2 |
| 3 | Dylan Schubert | SR-4 | Furman | 28:39.6 | 3 |
| 4 | Yaseen Abdalla | SR-4 | Arkansas | 28:41.5 | 4 |
| 5 | Brian Musau | SO-2 | Oklahoma State | 28:44.9 | 5 |
| 6 | Casey Clinger | SR-4 | BYU | 28:45.1 | 6 |
| 7 | Parker Wolfe | SR-4 | North Carolina | 28:50.2 | 7 |
| 8 | Ethan Strand | SR-4 | North Carolina | 28:53.0 | 8 |
| 9 | Liam Murphy | SR-4 | Villanova | 28:55.7 | 9 |
| 10 | Said Mechaal | SR-4 | Iowa State | 28:59.8 | 10 |
