With a little more than half a mile to run on a cold, rainy and muddy day at the NCAA Division III cross country championships in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 23, Patrick Watson allowed himself a quick peek over his shoulder.
The next closest runner was more than 50 meters away, and that's when Watson, a senior runner for Stevenson University, began to really grasp and appreciate what was about to happen.
"It almost didn't feel real," he said.
As Watson crossed the finish line in 24 minutes, 13.9 seconds, nearly six seconds faster than anyone else on the 8K course (4.9 miles), he became the first Stevenson athlete to win an individual national championship in any sport.
