Justyn Knight tops field at conference race, contender for NCAA title

Justyn Knight is three-for-three this season at cross-country races including his latest victory at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships.

The Toronto native and Syracuse University standout won his first-ever conference title on Friday. Conference meets are the first of three races in U.S. cross-country’s “post-season.” Regionals and nationals follow in November. Friday’s meet was held in Raleigh, N.C. at WakeMed Park.

The Syracuse junior (third-year) won in 22:50.7, two seconds over Edwin Kibichiy, in the men’s 8K event. Knight’s individual victory helped Syracuse win its fourth-consecutive team title at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. (Syracuse has won five straight conference championships but the most recent four are ACC wins.)

“It was amazing out there, this is a big deal for our team,” Knight said per the Syracuse Orange. “We’ve been defending this title for a very long time now, so this was done for the alumni. It came down to the stretch, Edwin Kibichiy is a talented runner and a good friend of mine, and I had a little extra in the tank and came out with a win.”

RELATED: VIDEO: Canadian Justyn Knight unleashes huge kick to win major U.S. race.

Knight, who finished fourth at the NCAA cross-country championships last year, is a contender for the American university cross-country title in 2016. He provides one of the biggest threats to Oregon’s Edward Cheserek, who has won NCAA cross-country nationals three consecutive years.

Five-straight conference titles. Seven of the last eight. That's #TCB pic.twitter.com/zQlu6arSnG

— Syracuse XC/Track (@CuseXCTF) October 28, 2016

The 20-year-old is known for his finishing kick in the final 100 metres of the race. He continued that trend on Friday by overtaking Kibichiy with the finish line in sight.

Justyn Knight. ACC champion. pic.twitter.com/YIn7opqjiI

— 13244 (@suxc) October 28, 2016

Next up for Knight are the Northeast championships on Nov. 11 (regionals) followed by the NCAA Division One Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 19. Syracuse is the defending men’s team champion.

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The last time a Canadian has won the men’s individual American university championships was Simon Bairu, running for Wisconsin, in 2005. His 2005 win was the second of two NCAA cross-country titles he won during his career.