This past November in Terre Haute, Indiana, cross country fans witnessed a stunning upset on the biggest college stage. Villanova senior Patrick Tiernan and Syracuse junior Justyn Knight both pulled away from three-time defending champion Edward Cheserek to finish 1-2 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. 



Tiernan's victory marked the first time since 2013 that Cheserek hadn't won an NCAA cross country title. If Cheserek won the championship, he would have made history as the first athlete to win four straight cross country titles. 

Tiernan claimed the crown one year after setting a brisk pace in an attempt to win the 2015 NCAA cross country title; however, Tiernan's hopes were dashed when Cheserek ran him down to win. This year proved to be a completely different story when Tiernan surged ahead of Cheserek in the closing 2K stretch to earn redemption in his final NCAA championship.