If every NCAA xc champion were all thrown into the same race who would win?

Indeed. I know Rono is revered by many and it’s for good reason, but personally I think Kennedy winning NCAA cross titles at ages 18 and 22 is more impressive than Rono winning titles at ages 24, 25, and 27.

I think it probably comes down to either Sally Kipyego or 2023Valby. The Rosetta Stone to try and put the two in perspective is to look at the performances of athletes that ran both the (longer version) Nuttycombe (Nutty) course and Terre Haute (TH), where Kipyego set the 19:28 course record.

Here is a list of some of those performances:
Yr…….Athlete…Nutty1…Nutty2…..TH
2016…Wright….20:02….…///…….20:13
2016…Rohrer….20:03….19:36….19:45
2016…Peloquin.20:01….…///…….19:55
2019…Monson…19:39…20:00…19:57
2019…Kelati……..19:49….///……..19:48
2019…Werner……19:52….///……..20:11
2019…Rohrer……20:10…20:11…20:28
2019…Kurgat……20:22…///…….20:18
2023…Valby…….. 19:17…..///……..?????

Looking at all those performances, it’s not conclusive whether the Nuttycombe course runs faster, slower, or about the same as Terre Haute. Considering the conditions at 2023 Nuttycombe, and that 2023Valby ran that 11sec faster than Kipyego’s Terre Haute course record, gives 2023Valby the win.

Did Kim Smith ever win NCAA XC?

Anyone wanting a quick reference can use these pages:

en.m.wikipedia.org

NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_cross_country_championships

Link:en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_...

en.m.wikipedia.org

NCAA_Division_I_women%27s_cross_country_championships

Link:en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_...

Past champions tabs will show every year’s winner and their times. If you click on “details” under the year you can see the top 10 individuals going back many years.

As another poster referenced, the AIAW meets served as the national college XC championship for women prior to 1981 for anyone interested in the early history.

trackandfieldnews.com

AIAW Cross Country Championships Results — 1975-1981 - Track & Field News

Sieg Lindstrom

compiled by Kirk Reynolds In the years 1975–1981 the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) conducted national championships in... Read More

Link:trackandfieldnews.com/aiaw-cross-count...

This is not ironic.

At quick glance I see at least six future Olympian in that 1978 race: Mary Decker, Margaret Groos, Joan Benoit, Lynn Jennings, Judi St. Hilarire, and Joan Hansen.

Parker Valby no doubt. She would also beat 1/3 of all men in their race as well. She is super fast.

Here's my (second-hand) Rono story.

Let's start with this video of Rono running 13:35 for 5,000m on grass in Australia in 1981. The primary commentator in that video clip is Steve Ovett.

When I went for a run with Steve in the early 90s, he told me the true story behind the race shown in that video. Rono was contracted and paid an appearance fee to run the race, but disappeared several days before the race was due to take place. The organisers didn't find him until literally the day of the race, and were horrified to find that he'd been drinking non-stop for the previous 3 days. He was allegedly completely sh*t-faced, and they desperately tried to sober him up to the point where he would be able to run and thereby keep the organisers' promise and Rono's appearance fee.

Rono didn't just run the race and win it - he demolished Mike McLeod, a 1984 Olympic 10,000m silver medallist (behind acknowledged doper Alberto Cova).

FWIW I have a (first-hand) story of Mike McLeod, possibly the smoothest and most elegant runner I ever ran with. A post for another day.

Pre.

The question was who would win, not who was more impressive.

Lynn Jennings was the NINE time champion of USA cross country and THREE time world cross country champion.

poor Vinny Mulvey... about time you moved on from your old college crush mate, he never felt the same about you and it's been over 20 years

Oh come on man, Rono’s victories were against the weakest competition in ncaa history, a bunch of no names.

You have to acknowledge the age

At the age of 21, Valby is #7 on the all-time Indoor list.

PLACE/ATHLETE/AGE/TIME/DATE/CURRENTAGE
1/CRANNY/25/14:33.17/11FEB2022/27
2/FLANAGAN/27/14:47.62/07FEB2009/42
3/FRASER/24/14:48.51/27FEB2020/28
4/FRERICHS/29/14:48.75/11FEB2022/30
5/INFELD/29/14:51.91/27FEB2020/33
6/ROGERS/31/14:52.21/10FEB2023/32
7/VALBY/21/14:56.11/02DEC2023/21
8/HUDDLE/31/14:57.31/20FEB2016/39
9/SIMPSON/23/14:58.67/14FEB2020/37
10/O'KEEFFE/24/15:01.34/10FEB2023/25

The competition is tougher today in the NCAA.

Even more amazing, he ran those times while hungover.

Parker Valby can beat everyone, including the men. She make me happy in pants.