Big Redshirt and Health News Shake up Northern Arizona, Iowa State in Anticipation of This Weekend

Whoa! What a week of news for some of the top teams in the country. One of the most famous meets of the cross country season, Roy Griak Invitational, will be on the 26th and will give all of us a good idea of how injuries, redshirts and newcomers will affect many of the teams with questions this year. Northern Arizona has been a trophy winner three years running and senior Futsum Zienasellasie has led the charge. The Lumberjacks will be racing at Oklahoma State's Cowboy Jamboree this weekend.

Northern Arizona’s streak of three straight podium finishes at the NCAA meet has been led by senior Futsum Zienesallassie, third at the NCAA meet last year. With a young squad, coach Eric Heins has decided to season their teammates and give Zienesallasie and fellow senior Nathan Weitz a another trophy and championship run next year (Colorado loses four seniors out of their top five runners). Redshirt sophomore Cory Glines and redshirt senior Alejandro Maldonado will try to lead their young teammates at the Cowboy Jamboree.  #3 Oklahoma State has a significant amount of promise and hope to return to a trophy this year.  With the talent and expectations of the team it is likely senior Craig Nowak will lead four other seniors to another trophy run and that should be in evidence at the meet they are hosting this weekend.

The afformentioned Roy Griak Invitational has a number of story lines in the women’s race. In last year’s race #10 Michigan State used this meet to establish itself as the national favorite.  This year junior Rachele Schulist returns to lead the team but their NCAA #2 runner, senior Lindsay Clark, is over her knee injury but she is training on an alt-G trainer, currently. The Spartans are developing depth and it will be interesting for all of the watchers to see how they perform in Minnesota.  

#5 Iowa State comes into Griak without their top returner, senior Crystal Nelson (seventh in 2014). The Cyclones are deep with junior Bethanie Brown the top returner now (53rd) and intriguing British newcomer Becky Straw (eighth in last year’s Euro cross country). This will be a test for this newly oriented team. 

#16 California comes into the race as the team with the best two NCAA finishers, sophomore Bethan Knights was 25th last year and Kelsey Santisteban was tenth in 2013, but also the most questions. Santisteban skipped the San Francisco Invitational which Bethan won. Newcomer Georgia Bell will try to guide one of the top freshmen classes to top positions and provide depth while Knights and Santisteban run up front.  

Boise State will likely be ranked after this meet. 2014 NXN champion, freshman Allie Ostrander won the Dual in Speedway Meadow and she is joined by transfer Minttu Hukka, top Bronco returner Emma Hyppa (114th in 2014), and their other top newcomer, Annie Bothma from South Africa (49th at 2015 World Cross Country Championships).

The Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown will have #5 ranked men from Syracuse and #3 ranked women from Providence battling #8 Georgetown. It will be interesting to see both highly rated teams against other top teams from the region.