LA CROSSE, Wis. – Cornell's
Isaac vanWestrienen nearly accomplished the difficult distance double, taking runner-up in a battle with Roger Williams' Nathan Tassey Saturday afternoon in the men's 5000-meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Veteran's Memorial Field.
VanWestrienen led virtually the entire 5K race, as was his strategy in claiming Thursday's 10000-meter crown only 43 hours earlier. Cornell's senior star clocked an impressive 58.28 split on the final lap and crossed the finish line second in 14:03.28.
Tassey turned in a sizzling 57.50 split and overtook vanWestrienen with about 50 meters to go. Tassey, who took runner-up to vanWestrienen in the 10K, posted a winning time of 14:02.77. NYU's Theo Udelson-Nee was third in 14:05.74.
Facing a grueling test of endurance over three days, VanWestrienen held the lead for all but about 500 meters over the 37 ½ total laps the two distance races required at the Championships.
VanWestrienen capped his illustrious collegiate career as an eight-time all-American, tying him with Abrah Masterson (2015-17) as the most distinguished in Cornell track & field history.
VanWestrienen's historic performances this weekend vaulted head coach
Jerry Monner's Rams to 10th place in the final team standings with 18 points. That tied the 1963 Cornell squad for the highest-ever NCAA team finish. The 18 points also equaled a program-best at nationals.
Saturday marked vanWestrienen's fourth career all-America medal in the 5000, earning the distinction twice at outdoors (second – 2026, fifth – 2025) and twice at indoors (seventh – 2026, fifth – 2025).
Throw in a third-place effort this past fall at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, vanWestrienen collected five all-America awards during an unparalleled 2025-26 season.
VanWestrienen established Top 10 all-time Division III marks in both the 5000 (13:53.13) and 10000 (28:51.60) races. Thursday's win in the 10000 made him Cornell's first-ever outdoor national champion in men's track & field.
