SPARTANBURG, S.C. (November 22, 2025) – Emerson College senior Yasmin Defne Dadikhi charged through the field and capped her collegiate cross country career with an All-America finish at the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, hosted by Converse University and OneSpartanburg, Inc., at Roger Milliken Center Cross Country Course today.
Defne Dadikhi receives her All-American medal following today's championship race (PHOTO BY Nico Klementzos) |
Defne Dadikhi's patience in the early going paid off as she charged from 163rd place after the first 1,000-meters for a program-best 33rd place finish overall as she completed the six-kilometer championship in 21:52.1. She earns the first All-America honor in program history from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) with her finish inside the top 40 at the meet, becoming the tenth All-American in Emerson College history all-time.
"Words aren't adequate for the emotions we have right now," said Emerson head coach Brandon Fox, '12. "(The coaching staff and College) is so immensely proud of her. She has earned every bit of this. Not only is she a phenomenal athlete, but a great person and teammate as well. I hope she takes time to enjoy this special moment for not only her, but for the program as well."
Defne Dadikhi, the first runner in Emerson history to qualify for the NCAA Championships – doing so for a second-straight year, is a three-time USTFCCCA All-East Region and All-NEWMAC performer over the course of her career. She picked her way through the field this morning after settling in at 163rd place after completing the first kilometer in 3:27.4. Dadikhi clipped over half the field in front of her by the two-kilometer mark, sitting 81st in 7:02.5.
Defne Dadikhi was in 53rd place at the halfway mark of the championship with her time of 10:39.1 and more importantly, within just two seconds of the coveted top 40. She moved into 36th with a steady 1000-meters, clocking in at 14:14.7 after four kilometers, still within two seconds of the top 40. The Lion finished strong, moving into 35th place with one kilometer to go as she clocked in at 18:02.4 after 5K, on her way to the 33rd place finish in the field of 290 entries.
"We knew that a lot of this race today would be about staying patient," stated Fox. "As always, Yasmin executed well and moved up significantly after the 3K. It takes a certain kind of athlete to be able to excel in these types of situations."
Defne Dadikhi improved on her previous program-best 64th place finish (22:05.5) in her NCAA Championships debut in Terre Haute, Indiana, last season. Her All-America finish comes on the heels of a program-best seventh place finish in a school-record 21:43.3 at the NCAA III East Regional in New Hampshire last weekend and program-high third place (21:48.6) at the NEWMAC Championships two weeks earlier.
"Upon leaving last year's championship meet, Yasmin immediately set the goal of being an All-American this season," continued Fox. "Fast forward to today, and she has done it. Yasmin's dedication, strength, and unmatched inner fierceness propelled her to meet this outstanding goal, and I am excited to see what is around the bend as she sets her post-collegiate goals."
Middlebury College junior Audrey Maclean stormed her way to the individual title by a nearly 40-second margin with her time of 20:16.8 as the only runner to finish inside 21-minutes. New York University won the team title with 79 points and its top three runners scored inside the top ten, with Williams College second (106) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps third (133).
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