Carter Cutting has done it.
The Junior out of Wilsonville, Oregon, is the indoor NCAA mile national champion. He is the first Cougar male to win an indoor national title since Miles Batty in 2011.
This year Cutting broke Batty’s school record in the mile, which was also set by Batty the year he won the national title. That should have been a sign.
Cutting came into the meet ranked No. 10 in the country.
“I kinda was the underdog. I wasn’t coming in the favorite,” Cutting said. “I don’t think many people would pick me to win it.”
Regardless of what people thought, the underdog got off the porch and got it done, crossing the finish line victorious at 3:58.94.
Earlier this season Cutting said to his coach, Ryan Waite, after their first meet in Boston, “I wanna start winning. It’s fun to run fast, but I wanna start winning.”
Now he has won the highest collegiate title.
CARTER WINS HIS FIRST NATIONAL TITLE AND THE FIRST INDOOR INDIVIDUAL WIN FOR THE MEN SINCE 2011 🤯 pic.twitter.com/w5EFVgUzCX
— BYU Track & Field/Cross Country (@BYUTFXC) March 14, 2026
As for the support and motivation for Cutting to race his best, he said, “I just had people in my corner believing I could do it and instilled that belief in me. I came out here to run for God and run for the people around me and the people who have supported me. So, it felt really good.”
Before he left his hotel for the meet, Cutting was sitting on the couch with his mom, looked at her and said, “I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it today.”
Cutting is completing his indoor track season as the national champion, Big 12 champion, and all-time School record holder in the mile.