Sometimes I wonder if the intersection is nothing more than the ultimate Instagram filter? Whether you’re running or spectating on the course, it’s just a way to appreciate the nuances of the beautiful natural landscape. And that’s especially true with this side course in Columbia, Missouri.
But I can’t see for a long time because the instructions letsrun.com Accessing ESPN via Sling does not work. Not just paying for an ESPN subscription.
Luckily, we have a friend watching for this recap, my Jamaican friend Khari. Being Jamaican, Khari has a healthy enthusiasm for the track. Although he’s more into sprints, he had a college roommate who ran for USF and was at least interested in the distances enough that when we watch track together, I can use all the useless knowledge in my head to explain it to him. Also, Khari can fix the ESPN channel for me.
So we are going Announcer John Anderson says “show me” (a reference to Missouri’s quirky state motto) as the runners take off, and there’s a cascade of more than 200 runners sprinting off the line jostling for position as the wide-opening funnels enter the jam.
Carrie calls this a “beautiful rainbow of colors,” so they’re on their A-game.
My memories of covering this race last week was that the 6k goes down like a whirlwind. Even in the opening kilometer, you’re scrambling to find your next spot to see the runners, and the shot above shows a countercurrent of ant-like figures scurrying to follow.
I admit I’m less of a womanizer. It was mostly out of habit, because when I got into the sport as a spectator for five years, I followed the men. They also tend to separate the men’s and women’s NCAA track finals, which has historically taken away my incentive to jump in unless I know a lot of names. Am I sexist? Maybe, but I also point out a legitimate flaw in the system.
FortunatelyMy three trips to NCAA track this calendar year (NCAA Indoors in Virginia Beach, Penn Relays, Southeast Cross-Country Regional) have made me invest in some stars. With the Southeast fresh in my mind, I’m rooting for whoever is from there and would be especially happy if South Carolina, Vera Sjoberg (I like the name Vera, hey, sports fandom is arbitrary) or any of the three UVA women I interviewed.
Even if I didn’t follow sports this year. There will be one name I know: Jane Hendegren.
Like Katelyn Tuohy and Parker Valby before her, this freshman has been the star that is making headlines at a level that elevates the sport. She’s similar to Caitlin Clarke, though I’m not sure if the sport’s mainstream fan base offers that much potential for growth. Discuss among yourselves?
As I watched Jane Hedengren asserts her dominance, I couldn’t help but be amazed that so many prognosticators claimed that Doris Lemgoli was the only runner who could beat her. After all, Jane’s win over Pamela Kosgei should have made her the absolute favorite, not just the favorite. I assumed that Dorris was just the last “big name” that Jane hadn’t run into yet, and in my head I mistakenly presented Dorris as a flat event runner, while I thought Hilda Olemomoi was the NCAA champion jumper who had qualified for Worlds. Oops, you fool! While the confusion speaks volumes about my underqualification for the job, there is a grain of truth in the fact that hosts should always at least have a two-way race to add drama.
At the one kilometer mark Sydney Thorvaldson Arkansas is the top seed and there are plenty of upsets. At 2K characters, it’s a beautiful sight. the package is broken. This is a great argument that the women’s race offers something that the men’s race does not. Even better, surprise Southeast Region champion Salma Elbadra is No. 4.
At 3K, the leading pack is only 8, and another person I interviewed at the Southeast Regional, Sylvia Jelelgo, is in the pack. The moral of the story is, let me interview you and you have a 25% chance of being in the top half of the NCAA nationals. I’m enjoying this thin package early on and I think it gives the casual audience a chance to lock into some of the personalities. The camera work is excellent as we have drone footage as well.
As the two projected stars split, Washington State’s Rosemary Longisa is a solid third, but is being swallowed up by another chasing pack. John Anderson “That group that’s in the persecution group, it’s not a bunch of plumbers.” Is this also a Missouri phrase? What planet am I on?
It is the third broadcaster Chris Derrick who I vaguely remember from the world championships and professional running scene. I didn’t follow the NCAA much when she was there, but it seems like she was a perennial bridesmaid and had a number of close attempts at an NCAA title. He’s also a Stanford graduate, which may explain why he rose to the occasion and landed a coveted career in broadcasting. John asks him why athletes fluctuate so much in their spots from year to year. Or does it ask at every kilometer marker? I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about this. It doesn’t make things any easier that Derrick’s answer, the pack can get really thick and you get lost in it, can apply to both scenarios.
At the 5K mark, Hannah Gapes NC State is ranked #4. A user on the LetsRun message board posted about how it’s the funniest last name in the industry. We need to track him down and recruit him to co-author next year’s post.
We are now comes the real drama, which isn’t so easy to pull off when there are only two runners. But Jane’s form is killer; his stride is so long it looks like he’s running in slow motion. You can see Jane hitting on Doris a little bit and the tension is building as we don’t know if any of these moves will lead to a disconnection. It’s really up in the air.
Fortunately, the broadcast also shows a bit of the race for third that I tend to feel is often hidden.
At some point, Doris snaps. I think this is a pretty solid result. What’s a fun freshman win? What challenges will he face after this? Parker Valby didn’t win her freshman year, and she’s back with a vengeance like a scorned mythical goddess. This is the best way to ensure Jane doesn’t burn out.
How? When Doris crosses the line, two shocking things happen.
The camera does not show the race for third place and beyond. For a full eight seconds, the camera stays on Doris as she is carted off to the side. What the hell?
WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CHAMPION.
🏆 Doris Lemgole from Alabama
⏰ 18:25.4:#NCAAXC x 🎥 ESPNU pic.twitter.com/tEwIHEtlfn— NCAA Track Field (@NCAATrackField) November 22, 2025
Even worse, I express this to my Jamaican friend Khari and he is on the phone. A little more background on Khari. he is a great multi-tasker who is sometimes glued to the phone and sometimes not. It’s hard to tell if he’s present. This brings up two points. 1) Is the sport hopeless if Khari is not excited enough to finish to keep his eyes glued to the screen? 2) Do I need more friends to watch this sport? Hell yeah RunBlogRun should host some kind of promotional contest to be my viewing buddy!
🔊🔵 Jane Hedengren wanted to leave it all on the course.
She jumped ahead early and put in a valiant effort before finishing runner-up to Doris Lemgole at the NCAA Championships 🏆 #NCAAXC25 and: #CollegeXC coverage provided by @Haka: pic.twitter.com/o0HlI6nfKq
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) November 22, 2025
I was watching with some guys I worked with at the running shop, but I lost touch with one of them and the other one, Tripp, moved to Charlottesville. This is a good time to text Tripp, and he’s pretty bummed that Jane lost. Tripp predicts what’s next for Rocky Hansen. Will it happen? Follow along to find out.
