Justyn Knight finishes runner-up at NCAA Cross-Country Championships

Canadian Justyn Knight had a stellar run on Saturday at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships finishing second to Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan. The Syracuse University student was undefeated heading into the American university cross-country championships and improved on his fourth-place finish from 2015.

The heavy favourite, Edward Cheserek, known as “King Ches,” finished third as he faded in the closing stages. He had won the three previous NCAA division one national cross-country titles. Tiernan, an Australian, had a few steps on Knight entering the final straightaway and was able to hold off the 20-year-old Canadian.

?? @justyn_knight finishes 2nd (@CuseXCTF, @Cuse) at the #NCAAXC Championships, Patrick Tiernan with the win.

— CanadianRunning (@CanadianRunning) November 19, 2016

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Tiernan covered the 10K course in 29:22, while Knight, a Vaughan, Ont. native, was just seconds back in 29:27.3. Cheserek was a non-factor in the end finishing 20 seconds back of Knight in 29:48. The race was hosted by Indiana State University and held at LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind. Some are calling Knight as a favourite for next year’s event as he is only a junior (third-year eligibility).

Highlights

Knight’s placing is the best men’s result by a Canadian since Simon Bairu won the event in 2005. Sheila Reid is the most recent Canadian champion in NCAA cross-country having won in 2011. Also of note, Brigham Young’s Rory Linkletter, a native of Calgary, finished 32nd overall on Saturday.

Video of men’s finish

Congratulations to Patrick Tiernan of @NovaTrackXC
He is the 2016 #ncaaXC individual Champion! pic.twitter.com/zGz9fsAOyJ

— TrackTown USA (@GoTrackTownUSA) November 19, 2016

Knight’s second-place finish helped Syracuse to a third-place result in the team standings. The Syracuse Orange entered Saturday as the defending team’s champion. Northern Arizona won the men’s title.

In the women’s 6K, two Canadians finished in the top-100 including Jaimie Phelan and Jillian Forsey. The national championships for U.S. universities is considered one of the deepest and most competitive cross-country races in the world.

Top ?? results at #NCAAXC Championships:

65th: @JaimiePhelan
97th: @jillianforsey

Full: https://t.co/6Iwms3hEwX https://t.co/kyRGa7TgKb

— CanadianRunning (@CanadianRunning) November 19, 2016

RELATED: Photos from the 2016 Canadian University Cross-Country Championships.

The Oregon women won the team title while Missouri’s Karissa Schweizer captured the individual title.

Video of women’s finish

? KARISSA SCHWEIZER ?#Mizzou junior is the 2016 Women's #ncaaXC CHAMPION! pic.twitter.com/Sc0JEQhXhd

— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) November 19, 2016

List of Canadians who competed at Saturday’s NCAA Cross-Country Championships

Women

Jaimie Phelan: 65th
Jillian Forsey: 97th
Branna MacDougall: 152nd
Nicole Hutchinson: 197th
Charlotte Prouse: 208th
Katie Fisher: 210th
Evelyne Guay: 223rd

Men

Justyn Knight: 2nd
Rory Linkletter: 32nd
Ben Preisner: 72nd
Nathan Tadesse: 113th
Isaac Dobos: 159th
Brandon Allen: 197th
Jay Ort: 219th

The Canadian University Cross-Country Championships were held last weekend in Quebec City. The national meet for all Canadian runners will be held in Kingston, Ont. at the end of November.

Full NCAA results can be found here.