BYU Women’s Cross Country Team Wins NCAA National Championship

PROVO, Utah – BYU continues to prove itself as a powerhouse in NCAA cross country. The BYU women’s cross country took home the 2020-21 NCAA D1 Cross Country National Championship on Monday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

🏆 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0Bqvl7NkLH

— BYU Track & Field/Cross Country (@BYUTFXC) March 15, 2021

BYU put together a team score of 96, which was 65 points better than second-place finisher NC State from the ACC.  The rest of the top five included Stanford (207), Michigan State (212), and Minnesota (239).

Last season, BYU finished as a runner-up and had four consecutive top-12 finishes coming into Monday’s Championship. This National Championship is BYU’s first since 2002.

It’s the second team National Championship in BYU athletics since Tom Holmoe became athletic director in 2005. The other national championship was from the BYU men’s cross country team in 2019.

#BYUrun4her🏆 pic.twitter.com/rA87hpQJlz

— BYU Track & Field/Cross Country (@BYUTFXC) March 15, 2021

BYU produced three runners who finished in the top 20 of the championship. Senior Anna Camp-Bennett from Fillmore ranked the highest with an 11th place finish. Behind her was Aubrey Frentheway in 15th, and Panguitch native Whittni Orton in 17th place.

This national title is now the fifth women’s cross country championship in BYU’s history. It’s the first under women’s head coach Diljeet Taylor, who took over the program in 2016 after leaving her previous coaching role at Cal State Stanislaus.

NCAA Women’s Cross Country Championship Results

1. BYU, 96

2. NC State, 161

3. Stanford, 207

4. Michigan State, 212

5. Minnesota, 239

6. New Mexico, 274

7. Colorado, 279

8. Alabama, 280

9. Boise State, 304

10. Arkansas, 316

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.