Host Mizzou’s showing at NCAA Cross-Country Championships signals bright future

At their core, humans are fairly limited. They aren't very strong, they can't live forever, nor are they particularly durable.

Across thousands of years, however, the human body has evolved toward one defining, quieter purpose: to endure.

Humans have always survived by outlasting. Built with spring-loaded tendons, internal cooling systems and a physiology that allows the body to keep moving long after strength fails, endurance is the oldest athletic trait humans have.

Nowhere is that legacy more visible than in cross-country. It's a sport that strips competition to its elemental core: just lungs, legs, grit and the ability to suffer longer than the person beside you.

"Our sport is your sport's punishment," as runners often say.

Oklahoma State men, NC State women lead the way

That inheritance was on full display at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships on Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course.

The nation's top distance athletes gathered to test who had honed that evolutionary gift to its sharpest edge.

The Oklahoma State men and the NC State women proved to be the keenest of the bunch, wrangling in the team titles. New Mexico junior Habtom Samuel secured his first individual title after finishing as the runner-up the past two years, and Alabama junior Doris Kemngole defended her own individual title while topping BYU true freshman Jane Hedengren, who was a seemingly unstoppable force in her debut season.

But among them was Mizzou, racing upon its own home course with a renewed presence.

In a season full of firsts for Missouri, freshman Monica Wanjiku carried that sentiment all the way to the national stage, bringing with her the same breakthrough energy that earned the Tigers their first trip to the NCAA Championships since 2016.

Wanjiku earned All-America honors with a 35th-place finish in the women's race after clocking a personal-best time of 19 minutes, 17.4 seconds over 6,000 meters. The Tigers placed 28th overall with 632 points in their 13th appearance at nationals, a result that coach Kyle Levermore agreed was reflective of where the program now sits.

Wanjiku's effort marks the second time in program history a freshman has earned All-America status, alongside the late Mizzou Athletics Hall of Famer Andrea Fischer in 1981.

"It's a dream come true in my first nationals," Wanjiku said. "I knew it was going to be hard, but at least now I have experience for the next one."

Gans Creek embodied an atmosphere it has never before experienced. Spectators stacked three and four deep along the edges of the course, buzzing with anticipation and noise. Through the closing stretch, the course transformed into a narrow tunnel of sound, and the finish chute erupted when the runners finally came barreling through.

"It felt so loud," Wanjiku said. "I didn't expect to see so many people like this, but it was good. I loved the environment, the cheering; they made us have motivation for running fast."

Fueled by the atmosphere, the Tigers settled into their races, each navigating the course on their own terms. Freshman Mirriam Chepkirui shattered her former personal best by 17 seconds, taking 154th with a time of 20:15.4. Fellow freshman Kobi Walker followed in 188th with a 20:27.9. Junior Rahel Broemmel clocked a season-best time of 20:29.3, good for 191st, and junior Suzy Lecoutre rounded out Mizzou's scoring five, placing 209th after crossing the line in 20:42.0.

"I'm really proud of what we put together, really proud of what Mizzou's done with this championship," Levermore said through tears following the race. "The result today is a starting point for us."

Following Wanjiku's finish, Levermore was there waiting to meet her with an embrace. He emphasized how overjoyed he was with the performance of a team full of freshmen and sophomores, saying that the sky is the limit in the years to come.

Though they've faced two major coaching changes in the past four years, the Tigers have seemingly found their stride under Levermore.

"We've brought this program back to the national level, and for the (alumni), I want them to have something to be proud of," Levermore said. "I wanna give the state something to be proud of, and I hope we've done that, and I hope people are excited about what's happening here in Columbia."

With a roster full of young talent gaining experience on the national stage, the foundation is set for even greater achievements. If this season is any indication, Levermore believes Mizzou's best days in cross country are still ahead.

Overall, NC State's title was its fourth in the past five years. The Wolfpack tallied 114 points while topping defending champion BYU by 16.

In a bout between the veteran and the prodigy, Alabama's Lemngole put on a commanding display to take the crown and defend her throne. Her time of 18:25.4 was 13.5 seconds faster than that of Cougars phenom Hedengren. It was the largest winning margin in the women's title race since 2007. The pair were neck and neck through the entirety of the race before Lemngole pulled away in the final 500 meters.

Feeling the Burns

The NCAA Cross Country Championships also served as a homecoming for a local legend, as Southern Boone alum and Oregon sophomore Connor Burns returned to Gans Creek for the title race.

"It was great to be on the home course," Burns said. "A lot of friendly spectators."

His return was not as joyful as he might've hoped, however, as the Ashland product finished 177th with a time of 30:15.2 in the men's 10,000. Burns was in 12th following the first 2-kilometer loop but continuously fell through the remainder of the race. He dropped 107 places across the second half.

"I was definitely looking to run a lot better than that," Burns said. "I've had a bit of a rough year with injuries and stuff, but it's not an excuse to come out here and run that bad."

Still, the Big Ten men's 5,000 indoor champion is eager to make up for it, looking ahead to the approaching indoor track & field season.

"Looking to get a little more training under me, be more consistent and hopefully have a bigger base," Burns said, "and that should translate to way better results than what I showed today."

The title for the Oklahoma State men's team was its second in three seasons and sixth in program history. The Cowboys totaled 57 points, with three Pokes in the top 10. New Mexico followed up in second with 82 points, upsetting Iowa State as the runner-up.

The Lobos' Samuel came away with the individual title by clocking a Gans Creek record of 28:33.9. After finishing as the runner-up in the previous two national championships, Samuel finally secured the crown after surging ahead of the lead pack in the final mile. Wake Forest junior Rocky Hansen followed up in second after crossing the line in 28:38.0.

In a morning full of freshman breakthroughs and record-setting performances, the NCAA Cross-Country Championships at Gans Creek showcased both the timeless endurance of the human body and the growing culture of cross-country in Missouri, signaling a bright future for the sport across the state.

Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian

This story was originally published November 23, 2025 at 6:29 AM with the headline "Host Mizzou’s showing at NCAA Cross-Country Championships signals bright future."