Oklahoma State, Habtom Samuel win men’s titles, NC State, Lemngole take women’s titles in x-country

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The top-ranked Oklahoma State men and N.C. State women continued to collect team titles, Alabama junior Doris Lemngole defended her championship and New Mexico’s two-time runner-up Habtom Samuel took the men’s title at the NCAA Division I cross country championships on Saturday.

The Cowboys finished an undefeated season putting four runners in the top 12 to win their second title in three seasons and fifth in program history. They finished with 57 points, followed by New Mexico with 82 and Iowa State with 158. Brian Musau, Fouad Messaoudi and Denis Kipngetich were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

The N.C. State women won their fourth title in five years with 114 points, followed by BYU with 130 and Oregon with 153. The Wolfpack had two runners in the top 10 with Hannah Gapes fifth and Grace Hartman sixth.

BYU won both titles last year, the first school since Colorado in 2004 to sweep the titles.

Samuel, second to Graham Blanks of Harvard the last two years, finished the 10,000-meter course at University of Missouri Gans Creek Cross Country Course in 28 minutes, 33.9 seconds. It was a close contest throughout, but Samuel finished his race 4.1 seconds ahead of Wake Forest junior Rocky Hansen. Washington State sophomore Solomon Kipchoge was another two seconds back.

Lemngole toured the 6k course in 18:25.4, a comfortable 13 1/2 seconds in front of BYU freshman Jane Hedengren. Florida’s Hilda Olemomoi was third in 18:46.4.

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