As we get closer and closer to the holidays, the fall air is slowly chilling into the winter cold. While a brisk and dry 37 degree morning is almost tropical for us in the North Country, the hosts of the 2022 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships all the way out in Stillwater, Oklahoma were feeling the unexpected cold. Despite the conditions, this year’s championship was shaping up to be one of the fastest in history.
It is without a doubt that the potential of a historically fast race came down to the absolutely loaded field. Starting with the women, two clear front runners who have yet to clash this year, synthesized a much-anticipated rivalry. NC State’s Katelyn Tuohy and Florida’s Parker Valby both clocked in mind-blowingly fast results during the regular season and decisively separated themselves from the rest of the competition. On the other
hand, the team race shaped up to be much more of a toss-up. The NC State wolfpack look to defend their title from last year but have been thoroughly challenged by New Mexico as well as host Oklahoma State.
On the men’s side, the battle for the individual title was also a shoot-from-the-hip toss-up. However, some of the headliners consist of Stanford’s Charles Hicks and Ky Robinson, Northern Arizona’s Nico Young and Drew Bosley, Tennessee’s Dylan Jacobs, and Alex Maier of Oklahoma State. Lastly, in similar fashion to the women, the men’s race was shaping up to be very, very close. Whilst not ranked number one going into this weekend, Northern Arizona is by far the most dominant team in recent history winning five of the last six national titles,. Despite their success, they hit rocky waters during the regular season as they won none of the major invitationals, they competed in. On the other hand, the men of Stanford have dominated during the regular season with their big three of Charles Hicks, Ky Robinson and Cole Sprout create a nearly unstoppable trio. However, their drop back to their fourth and fifth runners pave way for the deep squads of BYU and Oklahoma State to potentially upset these squads.
As the first gun went off, the women got out to a hot start. Like she did in the 5,000-meter championship on the track last spring, Florida’s Parker Valby immediately hit the front and established a large gap between her and the chase pack. Despite her early lead, the chase pack refrained from following Valby’s ambitious pace and stuck together.
However, as the women hit the four-kilometer mark, Tuohy decided it was time to go. Over the next mile, Tuohy chopped Valby’s twelve second gap to zero, and with 400 meters to go, Tuohy charged into the finish running 19:27, edging Valby by 3 seconds for her first NCAA Cross Country title. Shortly after the front two came in, all eyes shifted to the team race. As if it was scripted, NC State’s Kelsey Chmiel flies in shortly after in third, and with strong all-American finishes from junior Samantha Bush and senior Nevada Mareno, the NC State Wolfpack cemented themselves as back-to-back NCAA champions.
Soon after, the gun for the men’s race rattled through the Stillwater air. When the mass crossed through the first kilometer mark, the NAU duo of Nico Young and Drew Bosley emerged from the chaos to establish a commanding upfront presence. Despite the blazing pace, they were not alone as Stanford redshirt-sophomore Charles Hicks tagged along for the ride. This trio, in similar fashion to the women’s race, created a monumental gap between them and the following peloton.
As they hit the eight-kilometer mark, Charles Hicks made a move on the NAU duo. Young covered the move, but Bosley began to strain. Young and Hicks kept the battle alive for the next mile as they cranked up as the pace became scorching. However, with the downhill 200-meter stretch to go and the finish line in sight, Hicks found another gear and edged out young for the national title.
Amidst the chaos of the front pack, the spectators and commentators scrambled to figure out this team score. Young and Bosley’s two-three punch were big points for NAU but the OSU duo of Alex Maier and Isai Rodriguez, who under a year ago sustained career-threatening injuries from a car accident, were not far behind.
However, after officials went to the cameras to officially count out every single place, the closest team result in NCAA history came down to a score of 83- 83 between Northern Arizona and Oklahoma State. However, there are no ties in cross country, and each teams’ results are com- pared head-to-head to determine the winner. It was here where the commentators realized NAU’s third runner Santiago Prosser, with the race of his life, upset Oklahoma State’s third runner Victor Shitsama, ultimately clinching the title for the NAU lumberjacks.