Newly crowned NCAA Division 1 Cross Country champion Conner Mantz joins DyeStat editor Doug Binder to talk about his victory on March 15 at Stillwater, Okla. Mantz became the first American-born winner of the NCAA Cross Country Championships since 2008 (Galen Rupp) and he took on one of the most challenging courses in the history of the event to do it. Mantz admits that he nearly got dropped three times during the race but managed to stay focused. One key moment in the race came when Florida State's Adriaan Wildschutt came alongside and suggested they work together to catch Iowa State's Wesley Kiptoo and Hofstra's Alex Masai, who had broken away.