By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 85th NCAA Division 1 men’s cross country championship meet and 43rd NCAA Division 1 women’s cross country final are scheduled for Nov. 18 at the Panorama Farms Course in Earlysville, Va.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the championship meet, hosted by Virginia for the first time since 1987:

Lumberjacks looking for double take

Northern Arizona has won six of the past men’s team titles, including three in a row.

The Lumberjacks are still seeking their first women’s team championship, having only achieved one podium finish in program history, taking third in 1991.

But Northern Arizona has the potential to become only the fourth university in Division 1 cross country history to sweep both championships in the same year, joining Wisconsin in 1985, Stanford in 1996 and Colorado in 2004.

Northern Arizona is expected to be challenged in the men’s 10-kilometer race by Oklahoma State following an 83-83 outcome last year at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater, with the Lumberjacks prevailing on a head-to-head tiebreaker against the host school.

Oklahoma State has won four men’s titles, the most recent in 2012.

Arkansas is the last men’s program to win four in a row from 1990-93.

Northern Arizona would become only the fourth Division 1 men’s program to win at least seven championships, joining UTEP, Michigan State and Arkansas.

The Lumberjacks will have to knock off two-time champion North Carolina State in the women’s 6-kilometer competition, with the Wolfpack pursuing the first three-peat since Stanford from 2005-07.

Northern Arizona was sixth last year in Stillwater, its first top-10 performance since securing a seventh-place finish in 2007.

Tuohy tries to tame tough field once again

Katelyn Tuohy became the first female athlete to secure individual and team titles in the same year at the Division 1 final since Dani Jones achieved the feat for Colorado in 2018 in Wisconsin.

Carole Zajac (1992-93) and Sonia O’Sullivan (1990-91) were the last women’s competitors to capture individual and team championships in back-to-back years, contributing to Villanova’s exceptional run of six straight individual and team crowns from 1989-94.

Tuohy would be the first North Carolina State female athlete to repeat as champion, with Betty Jo Springs capturing individual championships in 1981 and 1983.

Florida’s Parker Valby, last year’s runner-up, is looking to become the Gators’ first national cross country champion, regardless of gender.

Valby prevailed against Tuohy on Oct. 13 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison in their only regular-season meeting.

Northern Arizona’s Elise Stearns, who finished fourth last year, is also capable of winning both individual and team titles.

The Lumberjacks have produced a pair of women’s individual winners, with Angela Chalmers securing the title in 1986 and Johanna Nilsson emerging victorious in 2005.

Blanks has sights on Ivy League history

Harvard’s Graham Blanks is unbeaten in four races this season, including an impressive victory Oct. 13 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison.

A fifth win Saturday would not only secure Blanks’ first national crown after he placed sixth in Stillwater last season, but the only title by an Ivy League male athlete in NCAA Division 1 championship history.

Blanks was one of three All-Americans for Harvard in 2021 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla., joining Acer Iverson and Matthew Pereira.

In addition to his championship aspirations, Blanks is looking to repeat the achievement Saturday with Ben Rosa and Iverson.

Although Northern Arizona is pursuing a seventh men’s team title, the Lumberjacks are still looking to crown their first individual champion, with Nico Young and Drew Bosley both top contenders.

Ky Robinson could help Stanford become the first men’s program to have different individuals win back-to-back titles, following a victory by Charles Hicks last season in Stillwater. Robinson would also be the first Australian men’s competitor to triumph since Wisconsin’s Morgan McDonald in 2018.

Colorado’s Jorge Torres and Dathan Ritzenhein were the last male athletes to capture national titles from the same school in consecutive years in 2002-03.

New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel could become the first competitor from Eritrea to secure a title since former Lobos’ all-time great Weini Kelati triumphed in the 2019 women’s final at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind.

Celebrating Chmiel’s consistency

North Carolina State 13-time All-American Kelsey Chmiel is unable to compete Saturday for the Wolfpack after suffering a lower leg injury following the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, making the team’s pursuit for a third consecutive women’s title even more challenging after she took third last year in Stillwater.

The absence of Chmiel marks the end of a streak of nine consecutive Division 1 championship meets where she earned All-America honors. Chmiel missed the 2022 outdoor championship meet, but her streak extends to the 2019 cross country final at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute as it relates to the NCAA finals where she competed.

Chmiel was third at both the ACC Championships and the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, in addition to finishing second Sept. 29 at the Joe Piane Invitational at Notre Dame.

Amaris Tyynismaa, who finished third and ninth at the Division 1 cross country final competing for Alabama before transferring to North Carolina State, will be counted on to step up again for the Wolfpack in support of Katelyn Tuohy order for the team to keep its hopes of a three-peat alive.

Good things come in package deals

Although the New Mexico women’s team is missing the NCAA Division 1 Championships for the first time since 2007, bringing an end to a streak of 13 consecutive top-10 finishes that is the longest in either gender, the Lobos qualified for the men’s final for the first time since 2014.

Evans Kiplagat and Lukas Kiprop from Kenya, along with Habtom Samuel of Eritrea, have had a huge impact on the success of New Mexico this season, helping the Lobos take third Nov. 10 at the Mountain Regional in Lubbock, Texas.

New Mexico has only finished in the men’s top 10 twice in program history, earning eighth in 2009 and finishing ninth in 2004.

Oklahoma State’s quest to capture the program’s fifth overall men’s team championship, including the first since 2012, has been bolstered by the arrival of Kenyan athletes Denis Kipngetich and Brian Musau.

Kipngetich, Musau and Moroccan athlete Fouad Messaoudi took the top three spots Nov. 10 for the Cowboys at the Midwest Regional at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater.

Adisu Guadia, an Israeli athlete, was fifth at the Midwest Regional for Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State lineup is Born again

Molly Born is one of four female athletes who competed at the Division 1 final in 2018 in Wisconsin who is scheduled to race Saturday, joining Oregon State’s Grace Fetherstonhaugh and Brigham Young teammates Aubrey Frentheway and Sadie Sargent.

Born, a sixth-year graduate student-athlete who qualified for her fifth career cross country final, missed the 2022 championship meet in Stillwater sidelined with an injury. Following a second-place finish Sept. 23 at the Cowboy Jamboree at the Greiner Family Course, Born was sidelined again for more than a month with a leg injury, before returning to the Oklahoma State lineup Oct. 28 at the Big 12 Conference Championships.

Born has responded with fifth-place finishes at both the conference final and the Midwest Regional and her experience and support of Billah Jepkirui and Taylor Roe gives Oklahoma State an opportunity to achieve another podium finish after a fourth-place performance last season.

Frentheway and Sargent also provide BYU with a veteran presence, as the Cougars are seeking a sixth straight top-10 finish, along with a potential return to the podium following three straight championship meets placing first or second in 2019 and again at both finals in 2021.

Jacob McLeod, who competed for Belmont in the 2018 men’s final in Wisconsin, is expected to race Saturday for Arkansas.

Longevity extended and interrupted

The four most frequent qualifiers for both the Division 1 men’s and women’s championship races added to their respective legacies, but there are some notable absences among the respective 31-team fields in Virginia.

Wisconsin added to the all-time record by making its 61st appearance in the men’s championship race, including the sixth in a row.

Notre Dame increased its total to 55 NCAA men’s berths, also the sixth straight for the Irish.

Arkansas and Colorado both improved their overall men’s appearances to 53.

The Buffaloes, despite securing sixth place Nov. 10 at the Mountain Regional, extended the longest active men’s appearance streak to 32 consecutive years.

The Razorbacks earned a 12th straight trip to compete at the Division 1 final, placing second behind Texas at the South Central Regional.

Michigan State, with 47 all-time men’s appearances, did not qualify, nor did Oregon, Providence, Penn State and Indiana, all of which have made at least 40 trips to the Division 1 final.

North Carolina State added to its women’s record with a 37th all-time championship berth, including the 10th in a row for the Wolfpack.

Arkansas, Brigham Young and Stanford all attempted to keep pace with North Carolina State, each university qualifying for the 36th time.

Stanford advanced for the 31st year in a row, with Arkansas earning a 13th straight trip and BYU qualifying for the ninth consecutive season.

Michigan and Villanova, both in the top 10 all-time with 34 and 32 trips to the NCAA final, respectively, did not qualify. It is the first time since 2001 the Wolverines did not secure a Division 1 championship berth.

Back in the spotlight

Georgetown last made the women’s podium with a fourth-place finish in 2014 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind.

The Hoyas, making their fourth straight appearance in the Division 1 final, are looking to ascend behind leaders Chloe Scrimgeour and Melissa Riggins following a 10th-place performance last season and continue the momentum after a third-place effort Oct. 13 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational followed by a Mid-Atlantic Regional title Nov. 10 in Pennsylvania.

Notre Dame has placed fifth and seventh the past two seasons, but the Irish are pursuing a podium finish for the first time since 2004 in Terre Haute, led by sisters Olivia Markezich and Andrea Markezich.

Florida, which achieved its best women’s finish by taking seventh in 2009, has an opportunity to make the podium for the first time in program history behind potential individual winner Parker Valby and Alabama transfer Flomena Asekol.

North Carolina is attempting to rely on Parker Wolfe and Alex Phillip, a transfer from Division 3 program John Carroll, in order to secure a spot on the men’s championship podium for the first time in program history, with its best result a fifth-place performance in 1985.

Texas, led by Devin Hart, is looking to earn a men’s podium finish for the first time since producing a fourth-place effort in 1990.

Wisconsin hasn’t reached the podium since 2012, when the Badgers completed a three-year run that included a title in 2011 and top-three performances each season. But Bob Liking and Jackson Sharp give Wisconsin the potential to end that drought in Virginia.

Right where they belong

Following a 29th-place finish by Cal Baptist in its debut in the women’s 6-kilometer race last year at the Greiner Family Course at Oklahoma State, the Lancers had both teams qualify out of the West Regional final Nov. 10 at the Haggin Oaks Golf Course in Sacramento.

The last time both Cal Baptist lineups competed at an NCAA final was 2017, with the Lancers producing top-five performances in both genders at the Division 2 championship meet in Evansville, Ind.

Cal Baptist is making its debut in the Division 1 men’s 10-kilometer final, the only group in the 31-team field competing for the first time at this level.

Lipscomb is making its first appearance in the Division 1 women’s 6-kilometer championship race, earning an at-large berth following a fifth-place finish Nov. 10 at the South Regional at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.

Texas A&M had qualified only once before for the women’s final, placing 18th in 2000, but the Aggies are back again after securing second Nov. 10 behind Arkansas at the South Central Regional.

Utah Valley joins Cal Baptist in earning back-to-back berths in the women’s championship race after placing 26th in the program’s debut last season in Stillwater.

Learning curve ready to be accelerated

Several athletes who placed outside the top 200 at last year’s Division 1 championship meet at the Greiner Family Course have the potential to produce significant improvements Saturday.

In the women’s race, Brigham Young’s Carmen Alder was 203rd last year, but has rebounded this season to win the NCAA Pre-Nationals event Oct. 14 at the Panorama Farms Course and has the opportunity to earn All-America honors for the Cougars.

Cal Baptist’s Greta Karinauskaite was 214th last season, but the Lithuanian standout placed second Nov. 10 at the West Regional and also has strong All-America aspirations.

Arkansas’ Mary Ellen Eudaly, Colorado State’s Quinn McConnell and Texas’ Beth Ramos could all achieve remarkable improvements after placing outside the top 200 last year.

Columbia’s Phoebe Anderson could join Alder as the biggest mover from last season after the British competitor was 191st in Stillwater.

Harvard’s Ben Rosa is a strong candidate to deliver the biggest improvement in the men’s competition after finishing 251st last season.

Alabama’s Hillary Cheruiyot also possesses the ability to produce a remarkable turnaround after achieving 209th place last year. Cheruiyot won the South Regional title Nov. 10 in Florida.

Montana State’s Ben Perrin has his sights set on earning All-America honors after finishing 200th last season.

Gonzaga’s Bryce Cerkowniak was 220th last year, but has the potential to elevate significantly for the Bulldogs.

Santa Clara’s Nicholas Russell could be one of the most inspiring athletes at Panorama Farms, looking to rebound after not finishing the 10-kilometer race last season at Oklahoma State.