DES MOINES — The cheers echoing around the Jim Duncan track sounded more like a broken record than that of a national track championship.

It was impossible looking into the swarm of people without seeing splashes of cardinal and gold, and although the race had yet to begin, it was obvious whom the crowd had already chosen as the winner.

“Go, Lisa!” fans yelled to distance runner Lisa Koll.

“Let’s go Lisa!”

“Come on, Lisa!”

As the 10,000-meter race started, the groups began to thin out and the different levels of athletic ability became apparent. The looks of pain and discomfort started to surface; 15 minutes into the race, fellow runner Sarah Porter withdrew herself from the last event of the night.

At 19:33 into the race, the announcement came that Koll had taken the lead. An eruption wiped over the crowd lining the famous blue track at Drake Stadium, almost as if her name had never been spoken.

But for anyone who has paid attention to collegiate track, a more inaccurate statement couldn’t be made.

Twenty-three minutes in, another announcement was made.

“Alright everyone, five laps to go! We have a home girl out in front; let’s hear it for her!”

As Koll ran the main straightaway, deafening cheers were heard honor her.

With two laps left, Olympian Amy Yoder Begley hadn’t watched anything except the back of Koll’s head for four laps.

Just shy of the final lap, Begley’s experience allowed her to take the lead and carried her to the finish line ahead of Koll.

Only 5.27 seconds separated the former Olympian and Iowa State’s pride.

Lisa’s mother, Leta Koll, was in the stands watching her daughter run her last race as a Cyclone.

“Everyone else’s reaction to her,” Leta said when asked what’s been the best part of watching her daughter’s time as a track star.

“Everyone else has always encouraged her, and they show so much support for her. If we’re someplace and we tell them we’re here to watch Lisa Koll, they always say ‘Oh I’ve been watching Lisa.’ It’s really neat that other people have watched and recognized her accomplishments.”

Koll’s fans aren’t the only ones who have noticed her collegiate success; Koll has decided to postpone attending veterinary school at Iowa State and will become a professional. Thursday’s show was her first act of duty competing on the professional level.

Knowing her daughter is only beginning the newest chapter of her track career couldn’t be more exciting for Leta.

“[This race] wasn’t as emotional as NCAA’s were,” Leta said. “I cried at NCAA’s. I didn’t really cry here. I’m just so glad she did so well. It’s a good step in what … her future is going to be.”

For Koll, the future couldn’t look much brighter. Leta said Koll is working out details regarding getting an agent and looking at contracts. The next item on Koll’s list is the 2012 Olympics in London.

“I’m really just a proud Mom,” Leta said.

The only regret during her daughter’s time in the cardinal and gold?

“I apologize to anyone over the last five years who’s had to sit next to me,” Leta said with a smile extending from ear to ear.

Coach Corey Ihmels can relate to the proud parent feeling. During his three years with Koll, he’s watched her develop into the athlete she is.

“It’s kind of been a storybook ending,” Ihmels said. “We couldn’t have scripted it any better.”

Although he admits Thursday’s race might not have been Koll’s top performance, Ihmels made it clear Koll’s career couldn’t have ended on a better note.

A rough season paired with tough competition forced Koll to do the best with what she had, and Ihmels said he couldn’t be more satisfied.

The support and admiration bellowing from the stands during all 10,000 meters made the entire experience worthwhile.

“That’s the cool thing about having this race here for her,” Ihmels said. “This is like a home meet for us. Whether you’re a Cyclone fan, a Hawkeye fan or a Drake fan, you’re going to cheer for the Iowan that’s out there.”

Koll claimed the NCAA Championship title 2008 when she won the same race she ran Thursday evening. Ihmels talked about the feeling of success that night and said Thursday’s second place finish didn’t disappoint.

“[Lisa’s] signing a professional contract. She’s off to bigger and better things,” Ihmels said. “I think she’s always going to embrace her time in cardinal and gold. She has good memories”

Although this is the last time Cyclone fans will see Lisa Koll with the ‘I-State’ logo across her chest, it is by no means the last time anyone will hear her name.

“I think we’ll be able to watch her succeed in the next 10, 15, 20 years,” Ihmels said.