Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan wins NCAA Cross Country championship

Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan is bringing home another NCAA National Championship to the Main Line.

The fifth-year senior, who competed for Australia in the Rio Olympics, dominated the NCAA’s 10k course in Terra Haute, IN finishing in 29:22 a clear 5 seconds ahead of the next finisher.

Tiernan’s victory ended the possible four-peat for Oregon’s Ed Cheserek who had been the Aussie’s nemesis over the past few years.

“I came into it with the mentality that I wasn’t coming second again,” Tiernan said. “Came second last year and as good as it was, you always want to go one better. Last race, you can’t leave the NCAA without a championship. That was my mentality and nothing was going to get in my way.”

This is Villanova’s first individual title since Victor Zwolak in 1963.

Northern Arizona won the Men’s team Championship. Karissa Schweizer of Missouri won the Women’s individual title with Oregon taking home the title in a 125-126 victory over Michigan.