As Blanca Fernandez crossed the finish line Saturday at the Division I NCAA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, the senior runner collapsed.
“I lied on the floor like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m done. Thank God,’” Fernandez said.
Finishing 29th in her final race of the cross country season, Fernandez was exhausted after passing 10 runners in the final 200 meters of the 6K race.
“I’ve never been in a race like this with a group that is so high level,” Fernandez said. “Everyone is as good as you are and as smart as you are. It was OK in other races when you are the best and it’s good, but it wasn’t like that.