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Lovell and Barton Deliver NCAA Titles for BYU

The wins that extend BYU’s steeplechase legacy mark the program’s first NCAA decathlon crown since 1981.

Overview

  • Taylor Lovell won the women's 3,000m steeplechase with a personal-best 9:21.03 to claim her first NCAA title in a late-race surge.
  • Ben Barton captured the men's decathlon with 8,169 points, edging Louisville by nine points and giving BYU its first NCAA decathlon champion since Tito Steiner in 1981.
  • Freshman Jane Hedengren, who set NCAA records earlier this season in the 5,000m and 10,000m, finished ninth in the 5,000m in 15:22.88 and said she had been bedridden the prior Friday.
  • BYU scored 22 points on the women's side, a total driven largely by steeplechase and mid-distance results that underline the program's strength in select events but limited depth elsewhere.
  • At least one outlet reported a post-race disqualification in the women's 5,000m that altered the finishing order, a development described in coverage as disputed or limited and not uniformly confirmed.