In the highly anticipated duel between defending champions BYU and NC State, the three-peat champions from 2021 to 2023, it was the Wolfpack who emerged victorious. Behind BYU’s runner-up finish, the women of Oregon claimed third, outperforming their pre-champs USTFCCCA ranking of sixth.

Besides merely being the three best-performing squads in Columbia, these teams have something else in common. Is it year-round altitude training? Only BYU has that. An abundance of resources, courtesy of a nearby sportswear giant? That might just be Oregon. A storied history of success? Sure, that applies to all three right now, but each squad has had its ups and downs over the past couple of decades.

The difference-maker here is that the top three women’s teams are all led by women.

In a sport where head coach and director roles remain overwhelmingly male, this unique podium speaks volumes. NC State’s Laurie Henes, BYU’s Diljeet Taylor, and Oregon’s Shalane Flanagan are not just coaching championship teams; they’re paving the way for women to obtain leadership roles in our sport, and proving that women-led programs can reach the top of collegiate distance running.

Henes, now in her 34th year at NC State, has built a distance running dynasty that has become a perennial podium threat, even in supposed “rebuilding years.” Taylor, now in her ninth year at BYU, has rapidly become one of the most respected coaches in the NCAA and is known for her boisterous coaching style and ability to cultivate confidence and self-belief in her athletes. Flanagan, in her fourth year leading the Oregon women, brings serious proof of concept to her coaching efforts after concluding a professional career that included four Olympic appearances and a victory at the 2017 New York City Marathon. And that’s only scratching the surface of what these women bring to their programs—and the professional athletes they also guide.

What makes their accomplishments even more impressive is their ability to develop athletes. Yes, all three programs attract top high school prospects and grad transfers, but the growth these athletes experience after arriving on campus is tough to ignore.

Take Oregon’s Silan Ayyildiz, for example. Her best 1500m time coming out of South Carolina was 4:12.11 and her best mile was 4:32.14. In less than two years under Flanagan’s guidance, she ran 4:23.46 in the mile to set the NCAA indoor record and qualified for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Or consider BYU’s Riley Chamberlain. In 2023, she placed 216th at the NCAA Championships. In 2024 she jumped to 31st. This year she finished fourth, trailing only Doris Lemngole, teammate and freshman phenom Jane Hedengren, and 14:52 5000m runner Hilda Olemomoi. That kind of development has become a hallmark of Taylor’s program.

NC State offers countless examples as well. Angelina Napoleon’s well-noted improvement could easily be highlighted, but Hannah Gapes’s ascension is perhaps even more impressive! She finished 73rd at NCAAs in 2023, moved up to eighth in 2024, and placed fifth this year. Under Henes’ guidance, she may very well break into the top three as a senior next fall.

These coaches know how to develop talent, inspire confidence, create supportive team cultures, and produce world-class athletes who go on to make national teams. Their shared rise to the top of the podium reflects a turning point for representation in collegiate coaching. These coaches are having a profound impact not only on their athletes, but on the sport as a whole too.

Will this suddenly open the floodgates for more women to move into head coach and director roles? Probably not immediately. But results like this weekend’s will become less and less remarkable over time. With leaders like Coach Henes, Taylor, and Flanagan at the forefront, the future of women in coaching looks bright.

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