Jane Hedengren went into the NCAA 10,000-meter final as the favorite. She left it third.
Mercyline Kirwa, a 26-year-old Iowa State freshman from Kenya, ran her last 400 meters in 61.84 seconds to win in 31:54.88, according to a race report by LetsRun.com. She passed defending champion Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico and BYU’s Hedengren on the home straight at Hayward Field, turning what had looked like a two-woman duel into one of the bigger upsets of the championships.
Hedengren, the 19-year-old freshman who set the NCAA record of 30:46.80 in her 10,000m debut earlier this year, finished third in 31:57.94. Kosgei, the 2025 champion, was second in 31:56.49.
The race started slow. The first 1600 meters ticked by in 5:27, and the lead pack stayed bunched. Hedengren took over before the halfway mark and tried to grind everyone down with 76- and 77-second laps. Seven women were still in it with 800 meters left.
Then Hedengren dropped a 71.22 on the penultimate lap. Only Kosgei could go with her. Then Kirwa came. She had been more than a second back at the bell. By 200 meters to go, she was on Kosgei’s shoulder. Kosgei attacked. Hedengren had no answer. Kirwa matched the move, then went by with 150 meters to run. Gault timed her final 200 at roughly 29.3 seconds.
Her winning time was three seconds off her personal best of 31:51. This was not a slow race that a kicker stole.
Hedengren, who won two NCAA indoor titles in March, kept her composure afterward but did not hide her disappointment.
“Walking away wanting a little bit more from this 10,000 meters, but proud of my efforts,” Hedengren told reporters.
Asked whether she should have pushed earlier, she paused, then reconsidered her first answer.
“In hindsight, maybe I should have taken it from the gun and made it a little bit more steady and fast,” she said.
It has been a long year for the BYU freshman: second at NCAA cross-country, two indoor titles, two NCAA records on the track. Her path through nine high school national records already had the running world watching. She praised coach Diljeet Taylor for managing her training.
“I am excited for a break after this week, but I am feeling good and we’ve structured training in a way where it’s all very intentional and smart,” Hedengren said. “Breaks are definitely important and built-in.”
Kirwa’s win was not easy to predict on paper. She finished fifth at the Nuttycombe Invitational, missed NCAA cross-country with a knee injury, and ran 14th at indoor nationals nearly a minute behind Hedengren. Her 31:51 outdoor season’s best was more than a minute slower than Hedengren’s collegiate record.
One number gave it away. Kirwa closed her Big 12 10,000m win on May 14 in 60.23 seconds, in a race that took 34:02. That kind of finish, built on the strength-and-speed work Kenyan runners are known for, does not show up often. She brought the same legs to Eugene against much faster company.
Iowa State got another strong run from freshman Betty Kipkore, fourth in a personal best 31:59.72. Joy Naukot (West Virginia, 32:01.51), Jadyn Keeler (North Dakota, 32:04.97), Rylee Blade (Florida State, 32:08.83) and BYU’s Jenna Hutchins (32:16.16) rounded out the top eight.
Kirwa is also entered in the 5,000 meters this week. Hedengren, Kosgei and Alabama’s Doris Lemngole will be there too. The women who finished behind her in the 10,000 will not have to wait long for a rematch.
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