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Ben Flanagan Wins NCAA 10,000 Meters, Doesn't Vomit
Ace •

In the before times, I ran cross country for a few years after I realized professional careers in soccer or basketball were rather unlikely. I wasn't very good—my career peaked with a 19:59 5K in a JV race—but I was and remain a foolishly competitive person, so I'd dig deep and "sprint" the final leg of every race, known as the "kick."

Then I'd bend over and hurl, because that's what happens to normal people who run a substantial distance and finish by pushing their body to its limit.

Ben Flanagan is not normal. The senior from Kitchener, Ontario—break out the Stauskas flag—won Michigan men's track & field's second individual national championship since 2007 with a monster kick, flying past pre-race favorite Vincent Kiprop of Alabama over the final stretch of the 10,000-meter final.

The run itself is impressive. Then the truly impressive bit: instead of collapsing in a heap of sweat and vomit, Flanagan pumps his arms, then finds the camera so he can thank his mom and a host of others. He doesn't even seem particularly winded. 

This capped a memorable season for Flanagan on and off the track; yesterday, he was one of two Michigan athletes—along with Brienne Minor (women's tennis)—to earn Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Awards, and he received it for some very important work:

Flanagan, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Social Work degree, closed out his Michigan career by winning the national 10,000-meter title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Wednesday (June 6). After running down the pre-meet favorite over the final 100 meters to claim victory by less than a half-second, Flanagan turned to the ESPN camera and -- in a quintessential demonstration of his sportsmanship -- began thanking his parents, his teammates and his coaches while hugging several of his competitors in congratulations. The national title capped off a 2017-18 season that also saw him earn All-America, Big Ten Runner of the Year and Great Lakes Region Runner of the Year awards in cross country, and claimed the Big Ten Outdoor 10,000-meter title.

The native of Kitchener, Ontario, is also a champion of mental health issues, putting his graduate studies to good use even before the completion of his degree. As a member of the Michigan Athletics Student-Athletes Advisory Council, he serves as the co-representative for mental health. In that role he acts as a liaison between student-athletes at Michigan and the Performance Psychology and Athletic Counseling offices, and helps organize events for student-athletes to promote mental health support. He also spearheaded a fundraising campaign leading up to the NCAA Cross Country Championships that raised $1,000 for men's mental health awareness and involved other teams from around the nation.

Shoutout to Flanagan, his mom, and his intestinal fortitude.

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