Colorado Again Favored And Stanford Has the Best Chance to Challenge Them

Published by Adam Schneider on September 4, 2015

Big surprise, we start the season with Colorado as the favorite. If they win it will be their third straight title. The past two have not been easy as Stanford took advantage of a slow pace to challenge Colorado last year and pre-meet favorite Northern Arizona almost beat Colorado in 2013. This year Stanford may again challenge the Buffs.

1. Colorado has won the last two titles with a solid top six that has had interchangeable positions. Junior Ben Saarel was eighth in 2013 and seventh in 2014. Senior Ammar Moussa found health after 2013 (95th) and was the top Buffalo last year in fifth. Senior Morgan Pearson had battled injury and was the eighth man last year after finishing 17th in 2013 and he will likely be among the Buffs’ top five this year.  Fellow senior Connor Winter was Colorado’s fourth man last year in 24th and junior Pierce Murphy had another top 40 finish (39th in 2013 and 35th in 2014). The Buffs add super-frosh John Dressel and unheralded Joe Klecker.

2. Stanford came into last season with a potential top three all in the top 10 (graduated Maxim Korolev and the Rosa twins) and a sophomore that could finish in the top 15 (Sean McGorty). Unfortunately for the Cardinal graduate senior Jim Rosa missed all of cross country and junior McGorty (20th) had a bad back that delayed the start of the season. This group could all finish in the top 10. Redshirt sophomore Sam Wharton was a surprise 39th last year and junior Garrett Sweatt was 68th. Two-time FootLocker champion Grant Fischer, 9th place finisher Alex Ostberg and transfer graduate student Colin Liebold from Georgetown (13th at NCAA 5000m) join the team.

3.  Oklahoma State lost three seniors from last year’s ninth place team but five seniors led by Craig Nowak (16th) lead the Cowboys this year and sophomore Cerake Geberkidane has gained valuable experience over the last year. Coach Dave Smith has cited valuable improvement by NCAA 1500m champion Chad Noelle and Matthew Fayers.

4.  Iona was bit hard by the injury bug last year but finished eighth (270). They graduate leader Jack Byrne but return juniors Kieran Clements (57th in 2013 and 177th in 2014) and Mike O’Dowd (62nd) and sophomores Gilbert Kirui (61st) and Chartt Miller (76th). Depth knocked sophomore Brandon Allen (26th at Northeast regional) off the NCAA meet squad. Injury or depth knocked Andy Adamovics (15th MAAC conference)and senior Otis Ubriaco (2nd at MAAC) out of the regionals and NCAAs. Redshirt freshmen Sebastian Hendel and Liam Dee (3:46 1500m pr) are expected to contribute this year

5. Syracuse returns a lot of experience from their fifth place team. Senior Martin Hehir (38th) was the Cuse’ #1 runner for most of the season and won the ACC championships. Fellow senior Dan Lennon (45th) joined Hehir in the NCAA outdoor 10,000m final (Hehir 13th and Lennon 15th) as both ran well on the track and sophomore Justyn Knight (143rd) scored on the track in the 5000m (sixth). Sophomore Collin Bennie was the Cuse’ #5 runner (95th). Juniors Joel Hubbard (165th) and Tulsa transfer Adam Palamar (199th) also gained NCAA cross country experience. The transfer of junior MJ Erb (37th) weakens their chance at a title run.

6.  Oregon is led by two-time defending cross country champion and nine-time overall champion junior Edward Cheserek. Last year he led a 1-2 finish with Eric Jenkins and he is likely to pull teammates to improvement this year. At different times several athletes shined in cross country but youth or injury hampered sophomores Sam Prakel (10th 2014 NCAA 1500m), Blake Haney (3rd at NCAA 1500m) and Travis Neumann (175th in 2014), junior Jake Leingang (149th in 2013), and senior Jeramy Elkaim (13:39 5000m pr). Such a confluence of events is unlikely again. All of them have NCAA outdoor track final experience. National leading freshmen Tanner Anderson and Matthew Maton could also contribute.

7.  Michigan seems to be the forgotten team under second year coach Kevin Sullivan. Senior Mason Ferlic (13th) has steadily improved as the Wolverines return six of their seven runners. Junior Ben Flanagan (64th), senior Tony Smorgiewicz (114th), senior Nicholas Posada (190th), and sophomore Aaron Baumgarten (206th) return from last year. 2013 Great Lake region runners juniors Conner Mora (31st) and Nick Renberg (39th) return from injury.

8.  Wisconsin lost another top veteran (Michael VanVoorhis) but returns junior Malachy Schrobilgen (10th) and a strong group of sophomores led by Morgan McDonald (75th), Ryan Kromer (99th), Carl Hirsch (107th), and Joe Hardy (111th). As usual coach Mick Byrne has brought in a strong group of freshmen (Olin Hacker and Zack Snider) and redshirt freshmen (Tyson Miehe, Kyle Thompson and Kai Wilmot).

9.  Villanova impressed for much of last season and there were thoughts that junior Patrick Tiernan (18th last year and ninth in 2013) could challenge Cheserek for the title. Seniors Robert Denault (56th) and Jordy Williamsz (58th) will help push a senior heavy group including Harry Warnick (124th), Kevin Corbuier (156th) and Robert Hurlbut (Big East 10,000m champion). Transfer junior Elliot Slade has strong track credentials and will help the cross country team.

10. Mississippi struggled in their first experience at the NCAA meet after winning their first ever South region title. They return their first six and add Syracuse’s (fifth in the team race) #1 runner at the NCAA meet, junior MJ Erb (37th).  Sophomore Sean Tobin had been the #2 runner all year but did not finish the NCAA meet and the team finished 29th. They return senior Wes Gallagher (80th), Tobin, juniors Robert Domanik (112th) and Trevor Gilley (211th) and sophomores Taylor Caldwell (207th) and Mark Robertson (223rd) in addition to transfer junior Craig Engels (third in SEC 1500m and NCAA 800m semifinalist).

11. Northern Arizona was fourth last year and led by third place finisher senior Futsum Zienasellassie and fellow seniors Alejandro Maldonado (108th) and Nathan Weitz (118th in 2014 and 76th in 2013).

12. Virginia returns five of their top six including senior Kyle King (88th in 2014 and 18th in 2013)

13. Indiana returns five of their top seven including senior Matthew Schwartzer (43rd) and junior Jason Christ (57th) plus returns Carl Smith (52nd in 2013)

14. UCLA returns all seven from last year led by seniors Sergey Sushchikh (54th), Lane Werley (92nd) and Nick Hartle (113th). 

15. Georgetown returns a deep team led by junior Darren Fahy (96th), sophomore Scott Carpenter (105th) and junior Ryan Gil (140the) and add a quality freshman in Adam Bernard, junior Ahmed Bile (he wore down at the end of the season) and redshirts.

16.  BYU coach Ed Eyestone has a very young team that he feels has developed with freshman Dallin Farnsworth and sophomore Connor McMillan (129th) ahead of NCAA returner junior Aaron Fletcher (102nd)

17. Portland surprised themselves with a third place finish and they return the biggest surprise in senior Timo Goehler (44th) with juniors Danny Martinez (59th) and Alex Dillard (199th in 2013) hoping to provide leadership to a young team including top californian high schooler Caleb Webb.

18. Washington seniors Tyler King (40th), Meron Simon (154th) and Izaic Yorks (159th) are the top returners but it is likely that sophomore Colby Gilbert (195th) will run with King after learning the ropes last year.

19. UTEP returns everyone including three-time NCAA 3000m steeplechase champion Anthony Rotich (11th). He led an inexperienced group last year into the NCAA meet and they young team returns everyone including junior Cosmas Boit (72nd).

20.  Furman returns their top five last year and gained valuable experience under fourth year coach Robert Gary.

Of Interest

Louisville had two individuals at the NCAA championships, junior Edwin Kibichiy (23rd) and senior Ernest Kibet (32nd) and with the addition of two runners with good credentials (juniors Calvin Chemoiywo and George Yator), they may have enough to qualify as long if one of the five does not get hurt.

Arkansas has a great deal of pride and was aided in its cause by the January addition of junior Frankline Tonui. Last year’s 28th place finish was well below expectations.

Georgia qualified for the NCAA meet two years ago and two of the runners from that team return along with their top runner from last year, senior Steven Spevacek and Oklahoma’s Eric Graf, 19th in the Midwest Region.

Campbell did not run well last year at the Southeast region (24th) but they were third at Big South and now have the eighth place finisher in the 10,000m at the NCAA meet, Lawrence Kipkoech, freshman Meshack Kipruto and injured junior Amon Terer (14th at Big South)

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