DES MOINES, Iowa- Iowa State’s Lisa Koll secured her spot among the greatest athletes to ever compete in a Cyclone uniform Thursday night as she was crowned the nation’s best 10,000-meter runner at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Koll. “I wanted to run fast tonight because the weather was perfect. The crowd helped a lot. Being at Drake, at nationals, and having the crowd cheer as loud as they did was amazing. To finally have the chance and the opportunity was great. It was something really special.”
Over 9,600 fans packed the Jim Duncan Track to watch the home-state hero make history, becoming the first Cyclone female athlete since 1991 to win an NCAA title. When the gun sounded, Koll stayed tight with the pack for the first two laps and then she made her move leaving the field behind. With 10 laps to go, the Fort Dodge native grew stonger and stronger lapping other competitors and cruised to a first-place finish with a time of 32:44.95 earning her fifth All-American honor. Coming down the final homestretch, Koll received a thunderous roar of applause as she crossed the finish line. Adding to Koll’s successful night, her time broke Drake’s stadium record that has been intact since 1988.
Full Story 
Linear Mode
