Bigger D1 flex? Sub 14 5k in track or get to run in XC nats b/c team made it?

Everyone runs their prs indoors now, especially below 5k

Neither are really a "flex" so it seems to me that you're thinking about it thw wrong way. They're both evidence of quality but they don’t set you apart from the crowd that much more than simply being DI. I guess your PR puts in pretty rare air vs. the total population (but nobody really cares because you're still not even close to elite), whereas XC Nats is a really cool experience that you can remember forever that most other runners would relish.

Ok. How big is my flex. I ran sub 14 in the early 90's on a flat 200m indoor track, definitely no super shoes or spikes, if I remember correctly, it was in Asics Gel Racers.

I was a decent miler and crappy XC guy in college 15 years ago but even I got to run at D1 XC nationals as the 7th man on a team with an exceptional top 5 but no depth beyond that. Didn't go well for me personally but I had fun. Would I trade that experience for the ability to run sub 14? Probably not.

The biggest D1 flex is not working in a shoe store after graduation.