Samuel Breaks Through, Lemgole repeats a wild morning at Gans Creek
The NCAA Cross Country Championships returned to Columbia with the kind of tension that can only be exacerbated by cold air and wet grass. The Gans Creek Course softened the overnight rain, allowing the athletes to enter a race that required patience, smart pacing and the courage to make bold moves at the right time. Nothing about the day went smoothly. The base was uneven, the jumps were wrong, and the front boxes of both races tightened and loosened like a rubber band stretched by nerves.
Women set the tone early. Doris Lemgoli, who has made it a habit to run from the front without appearing to be in a hurry, took her place among the leaders, as if picking up the thread of a story that began long ago this season. Jane Hedengren stayed close. The BYU freshman skated into the fall with a kind of confidence that’s rare for a freshman, and every step he took suggested he might have another breakout performance. Their opening kilometers went at a steady pace that fooled no one. It was clear the race would break open at some point near the back half.
By 3K, they had separated themselves from a pack that was starting to wear off. Lemgol’s stride looked relaxed, almost light, while Hedengren had a sharper edge to his pursuit. They hit the 5K mark in 15:24. From there, Lemgoli went from controlling the speed to turning the run around him. He surged into the final half-mile with the confidence of an athlete who has experienced enough championship pressure to know when to attack. Hedengren answered, though his legs no longer carried the same shock that had characterized his previous races. Lemgole struck quickly and won in 18:25 to secure his fifth NCAA title.
The team race behind them unfolded with the kind of methodical execution that NC State has become familiar with. Laurie Hennessy’s band carried the memory of last year’s eighth-place finish and turned it into something sharper. Their five points crossed the line inside the top 44, with Hannah Gapes and Grace Hartman anchoring them in fifth and sixth place. They beat BYU by sixteen points, with Oregon and New Mexico filling out the podium. The gap between NC State’s fourth runner and BYU’s third runner shaped the final lead and revealed the Wolfpack’s stability on their roster.
Congratulations to everyone who competed in NCAA XC this year, and to all the fans and coaches who make the DI Cross Country National Championships one of the most popular events in our sport. @NCAATrackField https://t.co/evXVALKKed
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) November 26, 2025
The men’s race followed and had a different kind of drama. The early kilometers looked like a sight every trainer dreads, a pack so big that any sudden movement could cause bodies to slip and lose rhythm. Oklahoma State has remained patient. They didn’t win the lead. They allowed Oregon, New Mexico and Iowa State to push the early pace while keeping their five athletes within striking distance.
The defending individual runner-up, Habtom Samuel of New Mexico, stayed stuck in the pack with the composure of someone who has lived through the agony of finishing second twice. His running always seems in control, but this morning it had a kind of purpose running through every step he took. The 5K run was completed in 14:25. Through the 7K and 8K, the Cowboys began to form at the front of the points table.
Then the calm patience that defined Samuel’s first eight kilometers gave way to a different gear. With a mile to go, he took the lead, holding it tight while the pack behind him thinned. Wake Forest’s Rocky Hansen tried to respond, but Samuel pulled away on the grass going into the final turn. He crossed in 28:33 and lifted his first national title with a sense of accomplishment. The celebration looked subdued, almost reflective, befitting the long wait leading up to it.
Oklahoma State’s team effort was the most decisive performance of the day. Brian Moussaoui, Fouad Messaoudi and Denis Kipngetic finished fourth, fifth and sixth. Their climb through the field began after 6K and gained more power with each break. Kipngetic was up twenty-six points between 6K and 7K, a momentum swing that swung the entire match. According to 8K, the Cowboys held a lead that New Mexico couldn’t touch. They won by 57 points and felt in control for most of the second half of the race.
New Mexico finished with 82 points and Iowa State topped the podium with 148 points. Syracuse finished fourth with 212 points. Similar to the women’s race, the final standings were made by depth. Five Oklahoma State scorers are ranked in the top 30, something coaches dream about months before the championships arrive.
