Tight Battle Expected in Women's Team Race

Published by Adam Schneider/RunnerSpace.com/college on August 12, 2015

Michigan State dominated the 2014 cross country season and capped their season with a big win at the NCAA championships. Three of the Spartan’s top five were seniors last year. This will likely be a much tougher year with New Mexico, Iowa State, Stanford, Oregon, Michigan and Colorado in position to challenge Michigan State. New Mexico added European U-23 star Rhona Auckland and 13th place finisher from last year Courtney Frerichs.

Every year the top teams lose significant contributors and this season is no different. Michigan State (85) joins the next three teams in last year’s NCAA standings, Iowa State (147), New Mexico (188), and Georgetown (189) in losing at least one runner from their teams that finished in the top 21 and Michigan State lost two.

Michigan State returns junior Rachele Schulist (fourth in 2014), senior Lindsay Clark (eleventh), junior Alexis Wiersma (69th), and senior Katie Landwehr (119th in 2014 and 51st in 2013) with two 2014 NCAA runners not competing (junior Shelby Jackson was 168th and senior Angela Swain was 154th) and successful runners (senior Sara Stassen and redshirt freshmen Raquel Serna and Kennedy Beazley, and redshirt senior Melanie Brender) left at home from the NCAA championships. Unfortunately during the summer Katie Landwehr was training on campus and a raccoon dropped on her and she broker her ankle. Graduated senior Leah O’Connor dominated the NCAA indoor mile and led Michigan State distance runners to 62 points of the Big 10 team winning 127 points.

New Mexico surprised even themselves last year with a third place finish at the NCAA meet. They lost their #2 and #4 runners but add five transfers. New Mexico's #1 runner was sophomore Alice Wright (20th) and #3 runner senior Calli Thackery (43rd).  Both earned all-american awards outdoors on the track, Wright was eighth in the 10,000m (33:41.86) and Thackery was sixth in the 5000m (15:47.15). The Lobos added potential championship contenders junior Rhona Auckland (European cross country champion and 19th at 2015 world championships) and 3000m steeplechase third place finisher senior Courtney Frerich (13th at 2014 NCAA championships). They have also added senior transfers from Harvard Molly Renfer (18th at Northeast region) and Whitney Thornberg (42nd at Northeast region) and NAIA indoor runner runner-up in the 3000m and 5000m, Lindsay (Martin) Anderson from Columbia College (Mo.).  

Iowa State lost Katy Moen (eighth) from last year's team but return three of their top four runners including senior Crystal Nelson (seventh). Freshman European Becky Straw (eighth 2014 European cross country championships) will help replace Moen and sophomore Erin Hooker (180th at 2014 NCAA championships for sixth on the team) showed signs of development over the season after finishing eighth at the Big-12 championships over 5000m and 10,000m and pr'd at 16:11.94 over 5000m during the year. 

Stanford brings back freshman who ran at the NCAA meet (Elise Cranny was 12th, Emma Fisher 75th, Claire Howlett 184th and Abbie McNulty 199th) and juniors Vanessa Fraser (149th but improved as a runner on the track) and Sophie Chase (136th). Cranny was second in the 3000m at the NCAA indoor meet and part of the runner-up distance medley relay but comparatively struggled outdoors although she was an NCAA finalist in the 1500m.  Stanford had finalists in four of the six distance races at the NCAA outdoor meet (they lose one to graduation, Jessica Tonn) and that experience will payoff in cross country.

Oregon will battle among themselves for the seven spots since they have six seniors among the nine runners that have competed at the NCAA meet, with eight that have finished in the top 142 and six in the top 82. Former US junior 3000m track champion Waverly Neer (62nd in 2014) came to Oregon injured and seemed to finally find her stride after finishing fifth at the NCAA championships in the 10,000m (only ran six weeks on the track before the race). Fellow senior Molly Grabill was fourth in the 10,000m and seems ready to advance in cross country (77th in 2014). Neer led the Oregon women to 49 unexpected distance points to help the Duck women edge USC for the Pac-12 title. Four-time California state cross country and three-time 3,200 meter and two-time NXN champion Sarah Baxter also overcame injury and put in mileage in the 2014-2015 season.

Michigan came into the 2014 season as the favorite but injuries kept them from expectations. This year they return three runners that finished in the top 57 (four overall) from the team that finished fourth in 2013. Three-time all-american sophomore Erin Finn (30th in 2013) leads the Wolverines. Five runners return from last year’s team. On paper this team is not as strong as the team going into last year but they should still challenge, health permitting. 

Colorado has been seventh the last two years and they return six from last years team and two runners from the 2013 team that did not run at the NCAA meet last year due to injury.  Junior Erin Clark earned 18 big Pac-12 points in distance races this spring. They add Arizona freshman Danielle Jones (1st 1600, 3200 and cross country and third at NXN).