NCAA DI XC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Upsets Galore in Cross Country Town USA

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana — Take everything you knew about NCAA Division I Cross Country this season and turn it on its head.

The only thing that held true was that the top-ranked Northern Arizona men were the team to beat. Everything else was subject to change — and it did.

On a blustery day at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, the Lumberjacks rolled to the team title, while the 12th-ranked Oregon women became the lowest ranked team to ever to win the crown thanks to a one-point victory over 5th-ranked Michigan.

Surprise winners were the theme of the day as Missouri’s Karissa Schweizer and Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan captured the individual titles. Schweizer used a ferocious kick to take down Michigan’s Erin Finn in the final 100 meters and Tiernan pulled away from the pack over the final 1K to beat Syracuse’s Justyn Knight.

History must wait at least four more years as Edward Cheserek’s bid to win his fourth NCAA XC title in a row fell short. Cheserek finished 3rd, 26 seconds behind Tiernan.

Northern Arizona put two in the top-15 — Futsum Zienasellassie (4th overall) and Matthew Baxter (11th) — and had four All-Americans total. The Lumberjacks scored 125 points to top a podium that consisted of No. 3 Stanford (158), No. 5 Syracuse (164) and No. 11 Mississippi (196).

Both the Oregon women and Michigan women had three All-Americans, but the title came down a sprint between Maggie Schmaedick and Jaimie Phelan. The two were separated by one-tenth of a second in 64th and 65th with Schmaedick beating Pehlan to the finish line.

Joining the Ducks and Wolverines on the podium were No. 1 Colorado (134) and No. 2 NC State (223).