Less than one month ago, Doris Lemngole became the first woman in conference history to claim three consecutive steeplechase titles. She is also the first woman in 14 years to claim back-to-back NCAA cross country crowns. On Saturday in Eugene, Lemngole picked up what would have been her sixth national championship, or so she thought, before the title was gone less than an hour later.

FloTrack reported the 24-year-old’s disqualification after she originally won the NCAA 5000m title. The NCAA’s official website then removed the Alabama runner from the final listing of times and instead listed her as DQ’d. Alabama also reported the change in her status via a statement on their official social media page.

“Doris Lemngole was ultimately DQ’ed for taking too many steps over the inside line, under rule R: 15.5-3g,” read the short statement.

As per the NCAA’s rules and regulations, Lemngole violated Rule R: 15.5-3g, which concerns a lane violation, in which a runner takes too many steps over the inside line. That would essentially allow them to run a shorter distance than their competitors. Thus, runners are only allowed a maximum of two steps over the inside line before they violate the rule.

According to the NCAA’s official website, Doris Lemngole took 2+ steps on the inside track, resulting in a violation. As a result, the official race results are now updated to show New Mexico’s Marion Jepngetich as the new 5000m winner with a new personal best time. This means that Mercyline Kirwa has moved up to second from third, while Judy Chepkoech has moved up to third.

Alabama protested the result and challenged the ruling, but officials upheld the disqualification. For Lemngole, though, it marks a sad end to arguably one of the most dominant distance runners in collegiate history. There is no title that the Alabama star hasn’t won during her time with the Crimson Tide, having won five national titles.

That includes two consecutive NCAA cross country titles, two consecutive NCAA 3000m outdoor titles, and one 5000m NCAA Indoor title. Furthermore, she’s also a seven-time All-American, a 2024 Honda Sport Award Winner for Cross Country, and was named the SEC Women’s Outdoor Runner of the Year for 2026. The last title made Lemngole the first Alabama athlete since 2021 to win the honor.

In fact, few Alabama athletes can even match Lemngole’s accolades in recent history. It’s no wonder the 24-year-old asserted that despite the DQ result, she remains proud of her career and her achievements.

“I mean I have nothing to say right now,” Lemngole said after the race. “It is what it is and I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of my school and my career.”

While Lemngole chose to focus on the bigger picture, the decision understandably left Alabama frustrated. That included head coach Dan Waters, who reflected on the outcome after Day 4.

Alabama head coach Dan Waters reflects on Doris Lemngole’s DQ

Going into the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Alabama were well off the team title. Given the catalogue of world-class talent at Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and even Oregon, few gave the Crimson Tide a chance. That’s even if Doris Lemngole could pick up yet another NCAA title for herself.

However, they didn’t pin all their hopes solely on the 24-year-old. Alabama also had Joyce Oguama and Cynthia Jemutai competing in the discus and steeplechase finals. In the end, Oguama finished second while Jemutai finished third, with the former making history. Her second-place finish marked the first top-two finish for the school since 2006, while Lemngole won her 5000m final.

That was before her disqualification for a rules infraction, something that hit the athlete hard. Her post-race press conference showcased that, but coach Dan Waters believes it’ll push her to do great things.

“Doris ran a great race in the 5,000 meters, and though the outcome was not what she wanted, those are the rules,” Waters said as per Rolltide.com. “Everything happens for a reason, and we’ll be better in the future because of what we experienced here this weekend.

“Ultimately, our goal is to establish ourselves as a national power, and that takes athletes fully buying into the values, standards, and vision of our program.”

For Lemngole, the result will always sting given how close she came to adding a sixth national title. However, one lane violation is unlikely to change how one of the most decorated distance runners in NCAA history will ultimately be remembered.