Eritrean Habtom Samuel wins NCAA championships, Oklahoma takes the team title on the backs of non-American athletes

© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated

Dave Smith, head coach of Oklahoma State University, had strong words for Ed Eyestone, head coach of Brigham Young University: “shut up and coach your team.”

Mark Twain once wrote, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

Smith may have won the battle, but his credibility was lost in the swirling eddy torrent of his terse advice. Let’s see if the NCAA admonishes him for his lack of diplomacy.

The race

Last year’s runner-up from Eritrea, Habtom Samuel, took the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships individual title. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State University placed four athletes in the top 40, securing the team win.

Freshman Tayvon Kitchen with Brigham Young University took the early lead with a brazen run to the front. Rocky Hansen and several University of Ducks led early. Kitchen continued to lead through 5km. He clocked a 14:35 split.

Two kms later, Samuel pushed to the lead, as little movement was happening at the front.

The 2023 and 2024 runner-up, Habtom Samuel @HabtomSamuel31 wins the individual title at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships. 🐺🥇🐐 pic.twitter.com/1xpqTIDNMz https://t.co/WLBp2B1BzR

— John Benavidez (@ProfBenavidez) November 22, 2025

Samuel pushed hard, dropping the pace after the 9km point. No one could keep up, and he drove the final 500m fast and confident, knowing he had spread the field.

Samuel clocked a 28:33.90 finish time for the win.

Taking second was Rock Hansen with Wake Forest, 4.1 seconds back. Soloman Kipchoge took third in 28:40.10. He runs for Washington State University.

Three of the top 16 finishers were American. There were Irish, Kenyan, Eritrean, Moroccan and British runners, with 10 of the top 20 being from Kenya.

Oklahoma State University finished first with a team low score of 57. New Mexico finished second with 87 points, and Iowa State, with 158 points, took third.

Are American student-athletes losing out?

Eyestone called out Smith. Smith is accused of recruiting East African athletes through an agency, and apparently, money is involved. Four of the top 12 finishers in the men’s races were from Oklahoma State University; none of them are American athletes.

Smith retaliated to Eyestone’s concerns about recruiting mostly foreign athletes, “I have no problem with anyone running their program within the rules and doing things the way they should be done. I believe if someone doesn’t like a rule or doesn’t like a situation, don’t bitch about it. Go change it. Get involved, get involved in the sport, get involved in leadership and make change the way change is meant to be made; otherwise, shut up and coach your team.”

Earlier in the day, 19-year-old Jane Hedengren finished second to 23-year-old Kenyan Doris Lemngole in the women’s championships.

Many of the top athletes in the women’s race were also not American. There will be more to come from this.

Results

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