Assuming he would have had the same run

... break rules. Many in the sport prefer the placement of the sixth man being a tie breaker. I'm of two minds on it. The sixth man involves more of the team, which is a positive. But the method used by the NCAA this year seems to be a good way to compare the teams. My bottom line is that ties are rare enough that it really doesn't matter.

Tulsa beat them in the Midwest Regional on a tiebreaker, also 3-2, runner-by-runner. OK State probably didn’t care about that nearly as much as yesterday’s heartbreaker as they were confident of qualification and ran a “controlled” regional (coach’s words) to prepare for the national meet.

The special-purpose XC course in Stillwater is a sight to behold. I’ve never seen anything like it — and there can’t be many others like it.

Most college XC races are on golf courses or in more general park areas.

... purpose course. Wisconsin has one, but I don't know how many others do.

Plus they host the Nuttycombe every October.

I’m hoping to see their course to be able to compare it to OK State’s …. Until your note, I hadn’t been aware they also have a special-purpose course.

Somebody mentioned to me on Saturday that TAMU may also have one and may host the final before too many more years pass …. but that’s a bit surprising, as, writ large, Texas is not really “distance-running country”, at least not right now on the US collegiate landscape.

qualified. I hope she had fun her first year.

She had a very promising season overall. Only seven run in the region and the national meet. She traveled to both as one of two alternates. The team finished second behind OK State in the Midwest region, was nationally-ranked for the first time in 20 years and advanced to the national meet for the first time since then as well.

The quality of athlete at the national meet — in the men’s and women’s races — is absolutely surreal!

Upward and onward!

P.S. Her older sister, my Domer daughter, won her Baraka Bouts bracket last week.

her schools website, your daughter seems to be the fastest Freshman. Visiting Eugene, running on Pre's Trail, and watching a few world records at Hayward's Field was a good summer trip for you to take your daughter to prepare for her college career. Tell Maddy congrats to her to earn the right to travel as an alternate and also to your boxing Domer.

Truth be told, the Aussie freshman also had an excellent first month before a stress fracture and surgery prematurely ended her season. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oy! Oy! Oy!

Getting passed on Pre’s Trail by Dutch legend Hassan — at half-speed, no less — on the Sunday morning was definitely a summer highlight for my daughter. (Or was that Saturday morning? Either way, I will pass along your regards!)

As for Purple, #1 runner Rachel McCardell has exhausted her eligibility after a remarkable career. But all the other scorers have at least another year. And 2-3 additional formidable competitors are due back from injury. Plus, who knows what the (awesome!) coaches will bring in from the recruiting trail or the portal. This past summer, they brought in a D3 transfer who finished second last fall individually in XC and first this past spring in both the 5k and 10k from — get this! — Wellesley (decidedly not a prodigious producer of national champions in any athletic endeavor). She’s actually an Oregonian (south central down near the CA border). She’s incredibly, incredibly impressive!!

My daughter will have her work cut out for her to become impactful. But she’s committed to the cause. And we couldn’t ask for anything more from her teammates and coaches as competitors and people. All very impressive!

As for the boxer, there was an impressive retinue of MMA / UFC scouts at the Baraka finals. We’ll see how many Irish are up for that!