Masai places top 40 at NCAA Championship
Hofstra's Alex Masai concluded his collegiate cross-country career as an All-American placing in the top 40 finishers at the 2020 NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Championships on Monday, March 15 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
His 10,000-meter time of 30:39.1 earned him 32nd place overall as well as his second ever All-American honor, awarded by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Masai is the first runner in program history, on both the men’s and women’s sides, to become an All-American in cross country.
The graduate student’s first All-American honor came last March after qualifying for the 2020 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships. However, the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 just days before he was set to race.
Monday’s accolade adds to Masai’s long cross-country resume while at Hofstra, complete with three Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships over the last three years and the Most Outstanding Performer honor at all of them. He also holds multiple school records and is the reigning NCAA Division I Northeast Regional Champion after a victory in 2019.
On a sunny day in Stillwater, Masai got out to a quick start coming through the 1,000-meter mark in fourth place in a time of 2:33.3. He led the pack for much of the race, running in second place and fighting with Iowa State’s Wesley Kiptoo for the lead by the 4,000-meter mark, both with a split of 11:15.9.
Masai held on to a top-four spot through 8,000 meters with a time of 23:32.7 until taking the sixth position with one kilometer to go. Tired legs on a hilly course eventually caught up to him as he fell back to finish overall in 32nd place.
Brigham Young University (BYU) junior Conner Mantz claimed the men’s individual title with a time of 29:26.1, as Florida State University’s Adriaan Wildschutt claimed second with Kiptoo taking third.
The reign of Northern Arizona University continued in Stillwater as their 60 total points earned them the men’s team title, their fourth title in five years. Notre Dame University placed second with 87 combined points as the hosts themselves, Oklahoma State University, took third with 142 points.
Before the men even took the course, Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat was crowned victorious in the women’s 6,000-meter race with a time of 20:01.1 as Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State took second and Chelangat’s teammate, Amaris Tyynismaa, took third.
BYU’s women’s team earned the team title with 96 combined points as NC State University and Stanford University placed second and third overall, respectively.
Masai, his teammates and the collegiate running world now look ahead to the 2021 outdoor track season. The Pride is set to race next on Saturday, March 20 at Fordham University.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
