In a neck-and-neck 2007 NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championship 10K race, Liberty senior Josh McDougal kicked it up a notch in the final stretch to knock out Oregon’s Galen Rupp and claim his first national title with a time of 29:22.4. Collapsing at the finish line in more pain than excitement, McDougal captured the moment of his first-ever national title in his bittersweet, fourth-try victory.

McDougal captured five All-American awards in 2006 alone, boosting his collection to tally 11. He is a Big South favorite, being the second athlete to win back-to-back Big South Howard Bagwell Male Student Athlete of the Year awards. He was also named Big South Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year, Big South Men’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Big South Men’s Indoor Track Performer of the Year, and 10-time Big South Male Athlete of the Week.

2007 Cross Country (Sr.): Won all five of his races, including the first NCAA national title of his career … became Liberty’s second NCAA Division I national champion on Nov. 19, clocking a 29:22.4 to hold off Oregon’s Galen Rupp … the All-America honor was his 12th … named USTFCCCA’s NCAA Division I Men’s Athlete of the Year … became the 10th man in NCAA cross country history to win four-consecutive conference titles … broke the Pre-Nationals 8K course record (22:56.4) on his way to his third-straight meet victory … finished his Liberty career having won 23-of-27 cross country races. 2007 (Jr.): Captured five All-America awards (cross country, two indoor track, two outdoor track) … repeated as the Big South Howard Bagwell Male Student-Athlete of the Year … Big South Men’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year … 10-time Big South Male Athlete of the Week … won six Big South event titles (cross country, two indoor track, three outdoor track) and four IC4A individual crowns (indoor track, three outdoor track) … placed 27th at the NCAA national cross country meet … took third at the NCAA indoor meet in the 3K and was eighth in the 5K … finished third in the NCAA outdoor 10K and fourth in the 5K … ran the fastest indoor 5K in the world, 13:37.32, to win the IC4A title … became the fifth-fastest collegiate 5K performer of all-time with his 13:20.43 clocking at the Mt. SAC Relays … broke the prestigious 4:00 mile, running a 3:57.46 on his home track … became the first athlete in the 131-year history of the IC4A Championships to win the 1,500, 5K and 10K at the same meet. 2006 (So.): Became the first Liberty athlete to win NCAA Division I All-America honors in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in the same academic year … earned a total of four All-America distinctions … Big South Howard Bagwell Male Student-Athlete of the Year … Big South Men’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year … USATF Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year … placed fourth at the national cross country meet … finished fourth at the NCAA indoor meet in the 5K and was fifth in the 3K … took ninth in the 5K at the outdoor national championships … broke Meb Keflezighi’s cross country course record at Stanford … Penn Relays 5K champion … IC4A 10K titlist. 2005 (Fr.): Won two All-America recognitions as a freshman, placing 13th in cross country and taking fifth at the indoor 3,000 meters … became the first Big South freshman to win the conference cross country meet … broke Alan Webb’s cross country course record at Winthrop … placed fourth at the USATF Cross Country Championships, earning a spot at the World Championships … claimed the IC4A indoor 3K crown. Prep: Home schooled … placed fourth at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships as a senior … represented the U.S. at the World Junior Cross Country Championships … ran 2004’s fastest indoor two-mile time by a high schooler (8:50.40) … ran the fifth-fastest all-time high school indoor 3,000 meters … finished 12th in the Junior World Championship 5K … three-time high school All-American.
The native New Yorker and kinesiology major boasts an all-time best 8K run of 23:12 and 10K run of 29:32.