When Porter won the NAIA was clearly the second toughest division. D2 and D3 were only several years old. It's feasible that Porter, while not likely to challenge for a D1 title (he ran during the UTEP years) would have been good enough to place highly had he run in that division. His career XC results are easily the most impressive of any US runner, probably never to be equalled.
Allie Ostrander has gotta be up there for the womens side.
Dont remember why she missed 2016, maybe injury but she was 2nd, 4th, 6th the other 3 years.
Kelsey Chmiel 22, 9, 6, 3
With the arrival of Lemngole, Hilda Olemomoi--6th as a frosh, 4th this year--could join this list in a few years.
I don't think Mark Nenow was ever close to the podium at NCAA XC Nats, but he finished 17th in a field of 200+ at World XC 1981 a year after leaving UKY and broke Salazar's US 10k record in 1986.
Monson? beat Kelati at Nuttycombe but did not win NCAA XC. 4th and 2nd.
This is kind of cheating but without question Pat Porter never won an NCAA championship but he did win 8 straight US titles and 5 Top Ten finishes at Worlds.
Porter's win streak was followed by a 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd. His 15 year US champs record started with an 18th place in '81 and finished with a 20th in '95. Pretty remarkable.
Haven't seen Des Linden up here yet. Not saying she's the best, but she's definitely someone whose professional performances far exceeded anything she did in college (and whose college performances far exceeded her high school performances).
College XC - 205, 150, 44, 41 in 2001-2004
2nd at Chicago - 2010
2nd at Boston - 2011
1st at Boston - 2018
3rd at USAs in the 10,000m in 2010
World Record holder at 50k.
All pretty impressive for someone whose best finish at XC nationals was 41st.
This is kind of cheating but without question Pat Porter never won an NCAA championship but he did win 8 straight US titles and 5 Top Ten finishes at Worlds.
Porter's win streak was followed by a 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd. His 15 year US champs record started with an 18th place in '81 and finished with a 20th in '95. Pretty remarkable.
He fits the criteria as it pertains to the thread; using xc only, not track or marathon or road results never won an NCAA xc title, and is unsurpassed in his xc accomplishments. Lock the thread, it's over.
Haven't seen Des Linden up here yet. Not saying she's the best, but she's definitely someone whose professional performances far exceeded anything she did in college (and whose college performances far exceeded her high school performances).
College XC - 205, 150, 44, 41 in 2001-2004
2nd at Chicago - 2010
2nd at Boston - 2011
1st at Boston - 2018
3rd at USAs in the 10,000m in 2010
World Record holder at 50k.
All pretty impressive for someone whose best finish at XC nationals was 41st.
Hmm I wouldn’t count her, solely because her best distance was clearly much further than a 6k. 41st isn’t surprising, given her track PRs.
Also Luke Puskedra was absolutely legendary for Oregon a little more than a decade ago (back when Oregon was really good at XC)
5th, 21st, 3rd, 6th
Since Derrick and Puskedra were both mentioned, I have to bring up German Fernandez. While he never had to placing that really came close, it's worth mentioning that his freshman year at NCAAs he went down with an injury while in the front pack. This is the same race that Puskedra finished 5th and Derrick finished 7th and German would later prove to be the best of the lot at Jr XC by placing top 15 in the world. His later finishes were on much diminished fitness due to injuries but he definitely had the potential to be a champ.
Greg Fredericks briefly had the US 10,000 record and made the 1980 Olympic team such as it was. Frank Shorter and Horace Ashenfelter did okay in the Olympics as did Jack Bacheler and Kenny Moore, though neither did nearly as well as Shorter and Ashenfelter. I don't know how far down in distance you want to go but you maybe could put Jim Ryun on the list. Rudy Chapa had a short post collegiate career but he was very good at Oregon. John Ngeno won the NCAA 10,000 in 1974 (I think it had changed from six miles that year.)
I probably should have included Billy Mills and Bob Schul.
With the arrival of Lemngole, Hilda Olemomoi--6th as a frosh, 4th this year--could join this list in a few years.
I was going to say Chmiel. She is one of those runners that is even better at XC than on the track. I haven't heard if she will run professionally, but I hope she continues to run cross country after school.
If Joe Klecker gets a mention, it's probably worth giving Chris Solinsky a look. He never won the NCAA cross country title, but he was really good, and we all know how his later career worked out (legendary 26:59 AR to beat Galen Rupp; 12:55).
If Joe Klecker gets a mention, it's probably worth giving Chris Solinsky a look. He never won the NCAA cross country title, but he was really good, and we all know how his later career worked out (legendary 26:59 AR to beat Galen Rupp; 12:55).
The 2005 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 67th annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 25th annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and indiv...