Cross Country Awards: The history of the USTFCCCA’s cross country national athlete of the year

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's is given to the most outstanding male and female NCAA cross country athletes. Harvard's Graham Blanks and Alabama's Doris Lemngole won the men's and women's awards in 2024, respectively.

Here's everything you need to know about the annual honor.

How does National Athlete of the Year voting work?

The National Athletes of the Year for Division I cross country are voted on by member coaches of the USTFCCCA. The voting is based on results from the voting year's DI cross country championships and the regular season.

GLOSSARY: Get to know the basic and advanced cross country terms

When is the National Athlete of the Year winner announced?

The DI cross country men's and women's National Athlete of the Year winners are announced after the conclusion of the DI cross country championships.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Men's complete history since 1938 | Women's complete history since 1981

National Athlete of the Year winners by school

28 schools have won at least one National Athlete of the Year award, whether that be a men's or women's win. From those 28, just 15 schools have won multiple awards in their history.

BYU, Colorado, Oregon, Texas Tech and Wisconsin lead all schools with four total National Athlete of the Year. BYU added to its total with the 2021 men's and women's awards.

Here are the schools with the most combined (men's and women's) National Athlete of the Year awards.

FAST: The fastest finishes in NCAA DI cross country championships history

Men’s winners by school

Here are the schools with the most men’s National Athlete of the Year awards.

Women’s winners by school

Here are the schools with the most women’s National Athlete of the Year awards.

NCAA XC: Here's how the cross country championships work

National Athlete of the Year winners by conference

Here are the conferences with the most combined (men's and women's) National Athlete of the Year awards.

COURSES: Here are the top cross country courses you can run

Men’s winners by conference

Here are the conferences with the most men’s National Athlete of the Year awards.

Women’s winners by conference

Here are the conferences with the most women’s National Athlete of the Year awards.

NOVA: How Villanova won the most women's cross country championships

Complete history of past National Athlete of the Year recipients

In 2023, Harvard's Graham Blanks and Florida's Parker Valby won the men's and women's DI cross country National Athlete of the Year awards, respectively. Blanks and Valby give the award two first-time winners from their respective schools for the second straight year, with the award again going to the individual title winners from the NCAA championships.

Stanford's Charles Hicks and NC State's Katelyn Tuohy won the 2022 men's and women's DI cross country National Athlete of the Year awards, respectively. Hicks and Tuohy are the first recipients of the award in each of their school's history. Both Hicks and Tuohy won the 2022 DI individual title at the NCAA championships.

The year prior, BYU swept the 2021 men's and women's DI cross country National Athlete of the Year awards with Conner Mantz and Whittni Orton winning the men's and women's awards, respectively.

With the win, Mantz became the fifth man to win consecutive awards joining Edward Cheserek (Oregon, 2013-15), Sam Chelanga (Liberty, 2009-10), Simon Bairu (Wisconsin, 2004-05) and Godfrey Siamusiye (Arkansas, 1995-96). Colorado is the only school to have two different consecutive winners with Jorge Torres (2002) and Dathan Ritzenhein (2003).

On the women's side, Sheila Reid (Villanova, 2010-11), Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech, 2006-08) and Shalane Flanagan (North Carolina, 2002-03) are the only women to win consecutive awards.

See the full list below.