Fast Women: NCAA wins for Lemngole, Willis, Kosgei, and O'Sullivan
Doris Lemngole runs an incredible 8:58.15 steeplechase.
Issue 355, sponsored by the Flagpole Hill Fund
Doris Lemngole wins NCAA steeplechase title with a huge performance
With so many records falling in recent years, it’s gotten harder to do anything truly jaw-dropping, but I am blown away by Doris Lemngole’s performance in the steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She ran a world-leading 8:58.15, broke her own collegiate record by 11.98 seconds, and is now ranked 11th on the world all-time list. Her run has to be considered one of the best NCAA distance performances of all time.
In one race, the Alabama sophomore went from the best in the NCAA to one of the best in the world. Lemngole took the lead early and stretched things out so much that there wasn’t much drama in the race. BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry remained within striking distance through about halfway, but with four laps to go, Lemngole dropped a 68.75-second lap, and it was over. Halladay-Lowry took second in 9:08.68, also dipped under the previous collegiate record, and PRed by 9.35 seconds.
NC State’s Angelina Napoleon took third in 9:16.66, an 11.19-second PR that moves her to fifth on the NCAA all-time list and puts her under the world championship standard. At the start of the season, she was a 9:54 steepler.
In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised by Lemngole’s run, considering how easy she was making 9:10–9:20 performances look. She now has her eye on making the Kenyan team for the world championships, and it would be great to see her do that. Because she hasn’t had much competition in the steeple recently, she’ll have to get up to speed on racing in a pack again.
This was Lemngole’s fourth NCAA title in just over a year. She earned her first title in the steeple last year, won cross country, won the 5,000m indoors, and finished second in the 3,000m indoors. It’s too bad we didn’t get to see any head-to-head racing between Lemngole and New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei outdoors, but no NCAA distance runner has put together a stronger 2024–25 season than Lemngole. With all of the NIL money floating around the NCAA, it would be nice to see her sign with a brand. (Steeplechase replay | Results)
Patience pays off for Roisin Willis
This year’s NCAA 800m final featured unprecedented depth, and a lot of the pre-race attention focused on LSU’s Michaela Rose and BYU’s Meghan Hunter, who went in with the two fastest times. As a result, Stanford junior Roisin Willis almost seemed like a bit of an underdog ahead of the race, despite being the 2023 NCAA indoor 800m champion and last year’s runner-up outdoors.
Willis has been open (Runner’s World) about her struggles with anxiety, depression, and insomnia during her time at Stanford. She managed to remain one of the NCAA’s top runners despite what she was going through, and over time, things have gotten better. After the race, she talked about learning to keep running in perspective.
Rose made it clear she had her eye on the NCAA record, while Willis was more focused on racing, which ultimately helped her. Rose took the race out hard, hitting 400 meters in 56.09 seconds. In the prelims, Rose split 56.86 and went on to run a meet record of 1:58.95. But fractions of a second can make a big difference.
Hunter and Duke’s Lauren Tolbert entered the bell lap in second and third, right behind Rose. But it was Willis and reigning NCAA indoor champ Makayla Paige of UNC who fared the best, likely thanks to hanging back ever so slightly on the first lap. Willis was only in fifth with 200m to go, but she made up a lot of ground in the homestretch and won in 1:58.13. She broke Rose’s meet record from the prelims and moved to third on the NCAA all-time list. And she finally broke the PR that she set at the end of high school, shaving exactly one second off of her time.
Paige took second in a personal best of 1:58.97. Hunter (third, 1:59.03) and Rose (1:59.47) still had solid performances, but it didn’t quite go the way they wanted. And I was really impressed by Duke’s Lauren Tolbert at this meet. She broke 2:00 for the first time during the prelims, and did it again in the final, taking fifth in 1:59.88. She also helped Duke’s 4x400m relay finish fifth. (800m Replay | Results)
Thanks to the Flagpole Hill Fund for supporting Fast Women
This month, Flagpole Hill Fund is proud to recognize individuals and organizations that are using running to improve lives and improving lives for runners.
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Pamela Kosgei wins her first two NCAA titles
It was clear when New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei, 20, entered the NCAA that she was likely to have an immediate impact. Her credentials coming in included a bronze medal in the U20 race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships. After finishing second at NCAAs in cross country and third in the indoor 5,000m, she earned her first two national titles last week, in the 10,000m and 5,000m.
Kosgei made her 10,000m win look easy. NC State’s Grace Hartman took the race out at a quick pace, and shortly after halfway, she, Kosgei, and Oregon’s Diana Cherotich broke away from the field. But with 10.5 laps to go, Cherotich walked off the track.
It was down to Hartman and Kosgei, but with about two miles to go, Kosgei ran a 72-second lap, which was enough to drop Hartman. Kosgei settled back into her previous pace, but the damage was done, and Hartman began to fade slightly. Kosgei won in 31:17.82 and Hartman held off the chase pack, taking second in 31:32.15.
Next across the line were West Virginia’s Joy Naukot (third, 31:34.34), Arkansas’ Paityn Noe (fourth, 31:36.91), and Georgetown’s Chloe Scrimgeour (fifth, 31:41.6). The top five all surpassed the meet record of 31:46.09 that Parker Valby set last year. Valby still holds the collegiate record of 30:50.43, though. (10,000m replay | Results)
Kosgei used a very different strategy in the 5,000m, and with one lap to go, almost the entire field was still in contention. It wasn’t until the final 100m that she pulled away, winning in 15:33.96.
Less than two hours earlier, Boston University’s Vera Sjöberg had a somewhat disappointing race in the 1500m final, finishing 11th. But she more than made up for it in the 5,000m, pulling off a surprise runner-up finish in 15:34.77. Stanford’s Sophia Kennedy finished third in 15:35.08. The top eight runners were separated by less than two seconds.
Kosgei and Doris Lemngole will end the year as the two best distance runners in the NCAA. Both will return next year. (5,000m replay | Results)
In her last race for UW, Sophie O’Sullivan earns her first NCAA title
I thought the 1500m had the potential to be one of the most dramatic races of the meet, but in the end, Washington’s Sophie O’Sullivan was so good that no one could challenge her at the end. The race was tactical, and nearly everyone was still in contention with a lap to go. O’Sullivan led the way, and with 200m to go, she took off. With a 58.43-second final lap, she won in 4:07.94.
Virginia’s Margot Appleton moved up over the final lap, split 58.98, and took second in 4:08.00. NAU’s Maggi Congdon, another one of the top contenders, finished third in 4:09.31.
O’Sullivan has run well representing Ireland over the past couple of years, so it’s hard to believe that until this race, she had never earned first-team All-America honors. But with this win, she ended her collegiate career on a very high note. This is a really talented crew of 1500m runners, and I look forward to seeing what some of them can do later this season, beyond NCAA competition. (1500m replay | Results)
Other NCAA Notes
Caryl Smith Gilbert coached the University of Southern California to NCAA outdoor titles in 2018 and 2021, and on Saturday, she led the University of Georgia to its first outdoor title. That makes her the first woman to lead two different schools to NCAA outdoor titles. Georgia dominated the meet, winning with 73 points. USC took second, with 47 points.
Michigan’s Savannah Sutherland broke Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s collegiate record in the 400m hurdles by 0.29 seconds, running 52.46. Sutherland, a Canadian Olympian, is now ninth on the world all-time list. McLaughlin-Levrone ran in the NCAA for only one year before signing a pro contract.
Fun fact: Roisin Willis and Sophie O’Sullivan’s mothers, Breeda Denehy-Willis and Sonia O’Sullivan, both represented Ireland in the 5,000m at the 2000 Olympic Games. It’s wild to have been around the sport long enough that the people I originally covered now have children winning NCAA titles. I suspect there will only be more of that in the future, as more young people now have mothers who had athletic opportunities.
Michaela Rose said after the 800m final that she is pretty sure she has made a decision regarding her professional running plans, but she’s not ready to announce anything yet. She raced with the words “Jesus, My King” on her face. I appreciated Jonathan Gault asking her (above link) whether it had anything to do with the No Kings protests happening nationwide that day. Demonstrating that we all live in our own bubbles, she said, “That’s the first time I’m hearing of this, this is nothing in relation to that, so don’t strike me down.”
It was interesting to hear Rose say she had never taken bicarb before a race, until the semifinal, where she set the meet record.
Maggi Congdon said she has her pro plans sorted out and they will be announced at a later date. Given that her coach, Mike Smith, is going to exclusively be a Nike pro coach going forward, it will be interesting to see if she stays with him. Margot Appleton also plans to go pro, but she said she isn’t sure of her plans yet.
One year ago, Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker won the NCAA outdoor 800m title. This year, she’s taken a step away from the sport to prioritize her mental health. She posted an Instagram story on Saturday, highlighting her teammate Willis’ 800m win, and wrote, “Proud doesn’t even begin to cover it. Yes, for the result, but even more for the person you have become.”
Taylor Roe wins her third national title of the year
A week after running well at the New York Mini 10K, Puma Elite’s Taylor Roe and ZAP Endurance’s Amanda Vestri were back at it on the streets of Peoria, Illinois. Saturday’s USATF 4 Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic, didn’t attract a large pro field, but it was competitive up front.
Roe, Vestri, and Molly Born, Roe’s Puma Elite teammate, ran together for the first two miles. The first runner to hit the two-mile mark earned a $1,000 bonus, which meant that Roe and Vestri started pushing the pace a bit as the second mile marker approached. Roe got there first, barely, and Born began to drop back about a half mile later.
With a mile to go, it was still Roe vs. Vestri, but then Roe dropped the hammer. The final mile of the race is downhill, but she split an incredible 4:25. She crossed the finish line in 19:41. Four miles isn’t an American record distance, but her run is believed to be the fastest four-miler by an American woman. Vestri took second (20:02), and Born was third (20:10).
After the race, Roe said on the broadcast that she was given “strict guidelines” as far as her tactics. It’s clear that she’s good at hammering from the gun, but it’s good to see her using her recent races to try out some different tactics. And if Saturday’s instructions were to act like she was shot out of a cannon with a mile to go, she passed with flying colors. (Results)
The fourth time being fourth is a charm for Jess McClain
Five days after USATF announced that Betsy Saina, Susanna Sullivan, and Erika Kemp will represent the U.S. in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in September, Saina shared her own announcement. She’s pregnant with her second child, who is due in September. As a result, she has declined her spot on the team.
I do not know why Saina initially accepted her spot on the team. Some people have speculated that there could be a bonus in her Asics contract for being named to the team, but who knows? She quickly passed the spot along. The team was announced Friday and this Runner’s World article from Cindy Kuzma indicates that McClain was offered a spot on the team that weekend.
McClain told Kuzma she thought it over for a couple of days before accepting. She was the alternate for both the 2024 U.S. Olympic marathon team and the 10,000m team. And then she finished fourth again at the USATF Half Marathon Championships in March, a selection race for the World Athletics Road Running Championship. That one might have been a blessing in disguise, though, because the championship was ultimately canceled.
It’s good to see McClain on the team because her seventh-place, 2:22:43 finish at the Boston Marathon showed she is currently one of the top U.S. marathoners. She would have been one place higher on the list, but because the Boston marathon drops 3.27m/km on average, and the maximum allowable amount is 1m/km, she qualified via world ranking rather than by having the world standard (2:23:30). With McClain, Sullivan, and Kemp, it’s now an all-Brooks team.
Grand Slam Track cuts its inaugural season short
Early Thursday morning, The Times (UK) reported that Grand Slam Track had called an “emergency” meeting for athletes and their agents, and Front Office Sports broke the news that the league’s LA Slam, scheduled for June 28–29 at UCLA, had been canceled. And on Thursday night, Grand Slam Track sent out a press release indicating that the season is over, though they avoided using the word canceled by saying the LA Slam was “postponed until 2026.”
The release did not offer any specifics about what changed in the 11 days since the conclusion of the Philadelphia Slam that caused the league to do an abrupt about face. The only hint offered was this, from GST founder and commissioner Michael Johnson: “The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to endure our long-term stability as the world’s premier track league.”
Front Office Sports’ sources “close to GST” indicated that the league had a “poor lease agreement with UCLA,” the “geopolitical climate” in LA didn’t help, and that a new strategic partner/investor might be coming on board. (Though I’m not sure why the latter would lead to a cancellation.) The Times seemed to think it had more to do with the league’s finances.
In GST’s press release, Johnson is quoted as saying they did not take the decision to cancel lightly, but the decision is “rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season,” which feels disingenuous to me. The season has been building toward the finale in Los Angeles, and to try to spin this like they’re cutting things short because they’ve achieved their goals is insulting to fans.
GST has done some fantastic things this season. They’ve injected a ton of money into the sport, the three Slams produced some great races, the Philadelphia Slam attracted a really solid crowd for a pro track meet, and most of the athletes really seemed to have a good time. I am rooting for them to succeed. But I don’t like the way they handled this announcement, or how last-minute changes in Philly and LA affected fans who were doing their best to support the league.
The league posted a video from Johnson with a caption stressing their commitment to transparency, while not being particularly transparent. The league’s press release stated that they would have no further comment at this time.
GST has indicated that they will return in 2026, and it will be interesting to see which athletes remain on board. But if I were a fan, I’d be concerned about making any non-refundable travel plans to attend any of the meets. Everything I’ve seen from the racers so far has been complimentary. Even with this plot twist, the athletes still made a lot more money than they otherwise would have to race at this time of the year.
“Just want to give a million thumbs up to Grand Slam Track,” Nikki Hiltz wrote in an Instagram story. “Coming off of Philly, we all felt the incredible energy and momentum this league was building, and I obviously would have loved to race again in LA. But at the end of the day, this thing is a startup and the U.S./global economy is a hot mess right now. I’m leaving the inaugural GST season with nothing but [immense gratitude].”
Bobby Kersee, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach, expressed his disappointment in an Instagram post. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek have been named the league’s Racers of the Year.
Other News
USATF also put out the request for proposal and bidding handbook for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials last week. The 71-page document isn’t the most fascinating read, but one thing I thought was interesting is that page five of the document indicates that the Trials will be held on either March 25 or 26, 2028, between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. ET. It seems that perhaps the TV deal has already been negotiated. While a host hasn’t yet been determined, I wonder if the lack of flexibility on the date might rule some cities out. But if you skim the document, you’ll find other reasons why it’s hard to find organizations and cities that can afford to host the event. I also thought it was interesting that they’re planning to give preference to any bids that also include the Paralympic Marathon Trials, which would be a new addition.
USATF announced last week that the 2025–26 USATF Cross Country Championships will be held in conjunction with Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) December 6–7 in Portland, Oregon. The race will serve as the selection event for the World Cross Country Championships, which will take place in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10. World Cross hasn’t taken place in the U.S. since 1992, so there’s more excitement surrounding next year’s event. For the first time, there will be a 2K race, which will select the four athletes who will race the mixed 4x2K relay at Worlds.
Alex Hutchinson a good piece (Outside) about some of the technology Faith Kipyegon will be using in her sub-4:00 mile attempt.
Bella Whittaker had an NIL deal with On, now she has a pro deal with the company.
Olivia Howell, the 2023 NCAA indoor mile champion, has signed with Adidas.
I enjoyed Nikki Hiltz’s latest YouTube video looking back at their Grand Slam Track experience in Philadelphia, and the appearances from other pros are always my favorite.
Molly Huddle wrote about giving birth to her second child, and Abbey Cooper announced the birth of her second child.
Kim Smith, a three-time Olympian for New Zealand and a former Providence College standout, said in an Instagram post that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is starting chemotherapy.
I appreciated Kaela Edwards sharing this personal part of her story. Her former coach and partner was temporarily suspended by SafeSport last year.
World champion Gelete Burka recently went on an Ethiopian TV program to say that her husband sold her properties without her permission, and that she’s afraid he will kill her. She has appealed to Ethiopia’s prime minister for help.
Additional Results
After edging out Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi by 0.18 seconds at the Doha Diamond League meet last month, Kenya’s Faith Cherotich, 20, pulled off another narrow victory over Yavi at the Oslo Diamond League meet, 9:02.60 to 9:02.76. Courtney Wayment led the U.S. women (sixth, 9:13.65) and Gabbi Jennings (eighth, 9:20.85), Val Constien (ninth, 9:32.87), and Olivia Markezich (11th, 9:36.92) were also in there. Just under 1K into the race, Constien took a fall that would have been hard to avoid. Running her first Diamond League meet, Bella Whittaker edged out crowd favorite Henriette Jæger of Norway to win the 400m, 49.58 to 49.62. Ethiopia’s Yenawa Nbret, 18, won the 10,000m in 30:28.82. And Rose Davies took fourth in an Australian record of 30:34.11. (Results)
Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell closed well to win the 800m at Sunday’s Stockholm Diamond League meet, in 1:57.66. Addy Wiley led the race for a stretch but finished seventh in 1:58.86. Australia’s Linden Hall held off Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat to win the 3,000m, 8:30.02 to 8:31.27. Innes FitzGerald, 19, of Great Britain closed well to take third in 8:32.90. And Whittaker earned her second 400m win over Jæger, 49.78 to 50.07. (Results)
At last Monday’s FBK Games in the Netherlands, Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai won the steeplechase in 9:07.79. Angelina Ellis of the U.S. took fourth in 9:22.85, just off the PR she set a few weeks ago. France’s Anaïs Bourgoin won the 800m (1:59.53) and Sage Hurta-Klecker was third in 1:59.77, her fourth 1:59 in a row. (Results)
Australia’s Jess Hull won the 800m at the Portland Track Festival in 1:58.69. Running her first outdoor race of the year, Sinclaire Johnson won the 1500m in 4:01.46. Canada’s Simone Plourde took second in a PR of 4:03.83. And after missing out on advancing to the NCAA 1500m final on Thursday, BYU’s Riley Chamberlain ran 4:03.98, a 4.44-second PR, to take third. Also opening her outdoor season, Katelyn Tuohy closed well to win the 5,000m in 15:04.07, a near-PR. Abby Nichols won the 10,000m in a 34-second PR of 31:52.94. And in the same race, three-time Olympian Michelle Rohl, 59, set a world record for the 55–59 age group, running 36:38.32. Gracie Hyde won the steeplechase in a PR of 9:24.62. (Results)
At France’s Meeting International de Montreuil, Heather MacLean edged out France’s Clara Liberman to win the 800m, 1:59.44 to 1:59.46. And France’s Alice Finot won the 1500m in 4:05.64. (Results)
At the Adrian Martinez Classic in Concord, Massachusetts, Nia Akins won the 800m in 2:00.77. Ajee’ Wilson won a separate heat in 2:02.24. And Laurie Barton won the 1500m in a personal best of 4:05.17. (Results)
At Canada’s Johnny Loaring Classic, Taiya Shelby won the 800m in 2:01.84. (Results)
At the Motonet GP in Lahti, Finland, Helen Schlachtenhaufen won the 800m in 2:02.34. (Results)
Correction: Watching Lea Meyer run a small personal best of 9:09.21 in the steeplechase in Oslo reminded me that when writing about New Balance Boston last week, I should have specified that they previously had four U.S. Olympians but five Olympians total. Meyer ran the steeple for Germany at the Paris Olympics.
Podcast Highlights
I thought Courtney Frerichs was great on last week’s episode of Fast People. She discussed seriously considering retirement after her injury last year, her plans to attend medical school, how she ended up being coached by Ed Eyestone, and returning to the steeplechase. And I thought she had a lot of good insights about the sport and professional running in general. I also appreciated her weighing in on what training groups are good for, and what their limitations are. Frerichs ran 15:13.65 for 5,000m late last night, at the Portland Track Festival.
Olympian-turned-race announcer Hannah England and two others have launched a new podcast called Podium Athletics, and it’s off to a great start. Their first guest was Scotland’s Eilish McColgan.
On the Ali on the Run Show, Des Linden discussed some more details about pacing at the Western States 100 and which races she has her eye on. She also mentioned that she’s coaching a celebrity who is running the New York City Marathon, identity to be revealed at a later date. He’s a singer and actor, and Brooks is involved in some way. Those are the only clues, for now.
Allie Wilson announced on I’ll Have Another that she’s being coached by BYU and Swoosh TC coach Diljeet Taylor now. She said she felt like her body was craving a different type of training. Wilson has moved to New Jersey, so they’re still figuring out how it will all work, but she’s expecting to spend a fair amount of time training in Utah.
Anna Gibson discussed winning the USATF Mountain Running Championships a week after running Zegama, a trail marathon, on The Steep Stuff Podcast.
Heptathlete Anna Hall discussed body positivity and self acceptance on The Gist of It.
Additional Episodes: Jess McClain on The Marathon Podcast (recorded before she found out about the World team) | Great Britain’s Ellie Leather on The Sunday Plodcast | Mary Denholm on The Lane 9 Podcast | Alexa Efraimson on The Fueling Forward Podcast | Riley Brady on For the Long Run | Emily Richards on the Lactic Acid Podcast | Australia’s Jess Stenson on the Inside Running Podcast | Diljeet Taylor on Hurdle
Thanks again to the Flagpole Hill Fund for supporting Fast Women this month, and make sure to check out Bras for Girls. Thanks, also, to all of you who help keep Fast Women going via your support on Venmo and Patreon. I hope you all have a good week.
Alison
I saw someone fall in the last turn of the NCAA 5000m final but I couldn't figure out who it was. Any idea? She was wearing a white top and dark shorts.