Conner Mantz won the Individual NCAA Cross Country National Championship on Monday afternoon in Stillwater, Oklahoma as the Cougars finished 7th in the team results.
Mantz was in stride with heavy favorite Wesley Kiptoo from Iowa State through the first 9 kilometers but kicked in the last kilometer to win with a time of 29:26.1 with a huge 22 second margin over second place.
Mantz became the first American to win the Men’s Individual Title since 2008, and the first BYU Individual Champion since 2006.
The Cougars won the team National Title in 2019, beating rival NAU in a big upset, but the Lumberjacks were too strong in 2021 as they won with a score of 60.