Mighty Duck

The fans at the NCAA Division I men's cross-country championships in Terre Haute, Ind., weren't experiencing déj√† vu when they saw Oregon's Edward Cheserek (FACES IN THE CROWD, Oct. 10, 2011) dash across the finish line to first place on Nov. 22. The sophomore from Newark completed the 10K course in 30:19.4 to secure his second straight national title. His performance put him alongside an Oregon running legend: Cheserek became the first Ducks runner to win back-to-back national championships since Steve Prefontaine (FACES, June 2, 1969) in 1970 and '71. As a freshman, Cheserek took home the crown at Terre Haute in 29:41.1 and also won two indoor national titles in the 3K and 5K. And he still has two years to add to his total. "I'm not saying that I'll come back here next year to defend it," he told reporters after the race. "But I would like to."

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KIRBY LEE/USA TODAY SPORTS (CHESEREK)