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Toronto’s Justyn Knight races to NCAA cross-country win to cap college career

Nov 18, 2017 | 3:45 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Justyn Knight of Toronto raced to victory in the NCAA cross-country championships on Saturday, in his final NCAA event.

The 21-year-old pulled away over the final 400 metres of the 10-kilometre route to finish in 29 minutes 0.11 seconds, framing the word “CUSE” on his singlet with his hands as he crossed the finish line. 

The victory was his first NCAA title, and the first national individual cross-country title in Syracuse history.

Knight battled cramps around the four-kilometre mark, and said his strategy was to stick close enough to the leaders to give himself a chance down the stretch.

He didn’t decide to kick, Knight told reporters, until “literally on the straightaway.”

“I was just sitting in third or second place, and then when I got to the straightaway, I just kind of had an out-of-body experience, and said ‘You know Justyn, you’re going to look back at this and if you don’t go right now, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.’ So, I just did that,” he said.

Knight was second at last year’s NCAA cross-country championships, and won bronze in the 5,000 at the NCAA outdoor championships last summer. It was his college career goal to win a national title.

“Oh definitely,” he said. “From the day I was first recruited here, coach (Chris) Fox told me we were going to go for a team title, and we’re definitely gunning for the individual title,” Knight said. “And I’ve come really close too many times, and it’s just really heartwarming to win one for Syracuse.”

Knight was an impressive ninth in the 5,000 metres at last summer’s world track and field championships in London.

The Canadian Press