It wasn’t easy, but the UW women’s cross country team did what no other Washington cross country team has ever done — win the NCAA National Championship.

The women took the title, and the men pushed hard to finish 18th by outrunning teams ranked higher than they were at the start of the race.

For the women, this race was extremely important. The team’s seniors had watched their program grow strong over the years and knew that this would be their final — and best — opportunity to win the National Championship.

They succeeded, even if it meant adding a little drama for coach Greg Metcalf.

“About 1,500 meters in I thought we were a little back,” Metcalf said. “It actually didn’t go according to plan, but they did what they’ve done all year long.”

About a quarter of the way through the 6,000-meter run, Washington’s women were in second place overall, not the best position to be in after coming into the race as the No. 1 team. But as they’ve done all year, the group finished incredibly strong, easily taking first with a score of 79 points.

“To come here as the favorite and get the win, it says a lot about where we’ve come in the last four years, and the direction from here,” Metcalf said.

Christine Babcock, Kendra Schaaf, Mel Lawrence, Katie Follett and Amanda Miller each earned All-American honors with their top-40 finishes. Sophomore Lauren Saylor came in 41st, narrowly missing the margin by just one-tenth of a second.

Babcock finished seventh overall to lead the Dawgs, but even the last Husky to cross the finish line fared well. Anita Campbell — an All-American in 2007 — rounded out the Husky women in 51st place overall.

The men — ranked 21st in the nation — once again placed higher than expected.

They were running without one of their anchors as senior Jeremy Mineau was unable to compete due to foot pain. Mineau’s team-leading finish at regionals helped the men qualify for nationals.

Despite the fifth-year senior’s lack of presence in the field, the team ran well enough to place among some of the best teams in the country. The men’s top-five was led by a solid run from Jake Schmitt, followed by Kelly Spady, Jordan Swarthout, Jon Harding and Colton Tully-Doyle.

When the day was over, both teams proved to be as consistent as they had been all season long.

“It’s great for the city of Seattle, it’s great for the University of Washington,” Metcalf said. “It’s outstanding.”

Reach reporter Ben Foutz at sports@dailyuw.com.