Happy is an understatement.  Lisa Koll was simply beaming the last four laps on her way to captureing her second NCAA 10,ooo meter title.  Not only did she win, but her Iowa State teammate, Betsy Saina, finished second for the Cyclones.

Struggling with injury since the 2008 Olympic Trials, Koll continued a great outdoor season, which included the new American collegiate 10k record.

When asked about her race plan going, Koll responded, “The plan was to go anytime after 5k.  I was going to feel it out.  If it was really a slow pace I a might have a gone a little earlier around 5k.  But the pace was good….I make my move with seven laps to go.”

Koll will be doubling back in the 5,000 meter final, where she will face Illinois’ Angela Bizzarri.   The have kindled a friendly rivalry which has gone back and forth in 2010.  Bizzarri was able to beat Koll at NCAA indoors in the 5,000 meters, while Koll got the better of Bizzarri at Stanford’s Payton Jordan invitational.

The only other person getting more cheers than the national champ, were those for Oregon senior, Nicole Blood.  The 2009 runner-up in the 5,ooo meters started off her distance double with an impressive third place finish and an all-important six points for the Lady Ducks.

Blood talked about the support she received from the fans at Hayward.  ”That crowd carried me.  I’d say for two miles.  But it really came in handy that last 600 (meters), when I felt like I had nothing left.”

Finals
  1 Lisa Koll                 SR Iowa State            32:49.35   10
  2 Betsy Saina               SO Iowa State            33:13.13    8
  3 Nicole Blood              SR Oregon                33:22.62    6
  4 Clara Grandt              SR West Virginia         33:23.22    5
  5 Pasca Cheruiyot           JR Florida State         33:23.63    4
  6 Tara Erdmann              JR Loyola Marymount      33:27.66    3
  7 Danielle Domenichelli     SR Santa Barbara         33:32.81    2
  8 Stephanie Marcy           JR Stanford              33:32.92    1
  9 Andrea Walkonen           SR Boston University     33:33.18
 10 Jessica Rydberg           FR Notre Dame            33:34.60
 11 Amanda Goetschius         SO Charlotte             33:38.11
 12 Megan Duwell              SR Minnesota             33:40.94
 13 Kimberly Ruck             SO Clemson               33:42.88
 14 Mattie Bridgmon           SR Oregon                33:43.64
 15 Anita Campbell            SR Washington            33:44.57
 16 Natasha Labeaud           SR Georgetown            33:44.63
 17 Tonya Nero                JR Wichita State         33:45.83
 18 Katie DiCamillo           SR Providence            33:53.61
 19 Semehar Tesfaye           SO Iowa State            33:55.95
 20 Catherine DeSarle         JR Syracuse              33:58.13
 21 Bridget Lyons             JR Georgia               34:02.80
 22 Carly Seymour             SO Duke                  34:06.40
 23 Sarah Cummings            JR Princeton             34:13.04
 24 Zsofia Erdelyi            JR Southern California   34:44.63