Friday night at the Jackson’s Indoor Track in Boise, Idaho, was all smiles for junior Betsy Saina. Not only was she an All-American, but was also crowned champion of the 5,000-meter run.

Going into the race, Saina was set to be a No. 2 seed next to California’s Debrah Maier. As the race unfolded, however, it appeared Saina was going to be the victor.

With nine laps in the race, Saina took the lead and went toe-to-toe with Maier. Saina clocked in at 15:38.83, which was an all-time collegiate top-10 time.

Teammate Meaghan Nelson came in with a time of 15:52.37 in fourth place. Nelson also earned All-America honors for the second year in a row.

Going into Saturday’s events, the ISU women were in the lead with 15 points. Saina clocked a time of 9:16.16. 

Saina got tripped up within the first couple steps of the race. She sat towards the back of the pack until the last lap, then made her final kick.

The women will now transition to the outdoor season and compete in Arizona at the ASU Invite on March 23.