Oregon men will Battle Syracuse and Women's Race is Up for Grabs

Published by Adam Schneider/RunnerSpace.com on December 9th, 2015

NCAA D1 Results Change the grade to FR, SO, and JU to see returnee rankings

The NCAA D1 cross country championships were exciting and historic this year. There were very few true surprises and the top teams and athletes were well-prepared to run their best at the championships.

Colorado came into the season as the favorite but injuries and illness slowed enough of the men’s team to keep three Buffs from earning their third consecutive NCAA title. Chris Fox led an improving program at Syracuse to take a tight victory over Colorado. New Mexico used newcomers and transfers for a dominating victory. Edward Cheserek won his third consecutive title even though Patrick Tiernan changed the recent regular race strategy of sit and kick and Molly Seidel of Notre Dame beat the impressive freshman from Boise State, Allie Ostrander. 

The Colorado men lose four valuable seniors, three that won two titles (Moussa, Murphy and Winter), and leaves the opportunity for a young Syracuse team to try and win three consecutive titles. The Orangemen will have two of the top six returners, sophomores Justin Knight (fourth this year) and Colin Bennie (eighth). They return junior Joel Hubbard (47th) and two other sophomores, Philo Germano (39th) and Shawn Wilson (19th at the Northeast region), plus a long-distance oriented roster.

If no seniors had run at the NCAA championships, Oregon would have won the title with a good margin (72 to 135 for Iona). Led by three-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek (after nine NCAA titles and counting he may not return) Oregon returns a pack-running group that returns three outside of Cheserek that are among the top 32 returning next year (sophomore Travis Neumann is 26th, junior Jake Leingang is 28th and freshman Tanner Anderson is 32nd). Freshman Matthew Maton ran well all season but struggled with the 10,000m distance (46th among returners though). Sophomore Sam Prakel was among Oregon’s top four in 2014 but he is still recovering from injuries during that season and sophomore Blake Haney struggled this year after excelling in 2014. Prakel (10th in 2014) and Haney (3rd in 2015) are NCAA 1500m finalists and Maton is expected to join them this year. Recent signee Andrew Hunter (the favorite to win Foot Locker this weekend) is a record-setting runner expected to join Oregon’s top-five next year.

Colorado loses a great group of seniors but are succeeded by one of the leaders in their two title runs, junior Ben Saarel (8th in 2013, 7th in 2014 and 31st in 2015). He had a late start of the season due to illness and will not be the Buffalo’s top returner. Freshman John Dressel (26th) ran very well at the NCAA meet and he is the #14 returner for next year. Junior Zach Perrin (125th among returners) provides experience as a returner and he is joined by freshman Ryan Forsyth (51st at Pre-Nationals) redshirting freshman Joe Klecker and likely newcomers (freshmen and transfers) that coach Mark Wetmore will develop that are on the roster or coming to Boulder.

Stanford has one of the best 1-2 punches in the country going into next year. Junior Sean McGorty was seventh and freshman Grant Fisher was the #2 freshman this year in 17th. Injuries held back one of the most talented teams in NCAA. Strong contributors from last year had mixed success, junior Garrett Sweatt (64th) ran well this year but it was an up and down year for sophomores Sam Wharton (207th) and  Jack Keelan (231st) who missed most of the year. Junior Cameron Miller had looked like he would make a significant contribution this year but missed the end of the season. 

Northern Arizona redshirted two senior all-Americans, Futsum Zienasellassie and Nathan Weitz after graduating three of their top four from the 2014 fourth place NCAA team. Futsum was the #2 returner after 2014 but redshirted. Coach Eric Heins used this year to develop his young talent. Led by sophomore Cory Glines (fourth at Big Sky) for much of the season, freshman Tyler Day was the top Lumberjack at the Mountain Regional in 14th (and third at Big Sky) followed by sophomore Harvey Nelson in 27th. 

The women’s race is very tangled but a historic New Mexico team is one of many favorites. They have two of the top ten returners (sophomore Alice Wright was fifth and junior Rhona Auckland was 13th) but they will lose all three senior transfers and three seniors from this year’s cross country roster. Transfer Ruth Haynes redshirted and freshman Natasha Bernal was 32nd at the Mountain Regional as most of the rest of the roster had limited racing. 

From this year’s race Colorado is a solid favorite (89 to 154 for North Carolina State) based on returnees. Junior Erin Clark (11th) and sophomore Kaitlyn Benner (16th) switched the #1/#2 positions for much of the season and they are among three teams with two returnees in the top 10. Freshman Dani Jones (49th), sophomore Melanie Nun (65th) and freshman Val Constien (136th) help fill out an experienced top five.

Last year Michigan State was a deep, young team and won the NCAA title (85 to 147 over Iowa State). Injuries slowed the Spartan’s opportunity to defend their title as they lost their top two returners, junior Rachele Schulist (fourth in 2014) and senior Lindsay Clark (11th in 2014). Clark may or may not return after redshirting all of 2011-12. Junior Alexis Wiersma developed (69th in 2014) into a top runner (21st this year). Also returning is junior Shelby Jackson (79th this year), freshman Lynsie Graham (126th), and sophomores Kelsie Schwartz (185th) and Aubrey Wilberding (196th). This injury weakened team still finished 13th as a team this year and developed experience (lose only one of their top 7) that combined with the strong return of Schulist and Clark, could be the favorite next year. 

North Carolina State finished fifth at the NCAA meet with two developing freshmen. Freshman Ryan Frazier was a two-time USTFCCCA.org athlete of the week early in the year but fell back after winning the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational (beating NCAA champion Molly Seidel and the New Mexico squad) and struggled the rest of the year. The Wolfpack ran as a pack and returnees include junior Erika Kemp (57th), freshman Rachel Koon (59th), junior Megan Moye (94th), and Frazier was 108th. Wesley Frazier (15:45.31 for 5000m at the Raleigh Relays, #10 among returnees) will be eligible next year to join the team after transferring from Duke and she will make an immediate impact. 

Coach Cory Ihmels did a fantastic job with Boise State and developed two freshmen into the top nine at the NCAA meet. Allie Ostrander goes into next season as a solid favorite for the NCAA title. Brenna Peloquin was a known talent but not many would have put her ninth at the NCAA meet before the start of the season. Sophomore Minttu Hukka (51st) was better at the West Regional meet. Junior Anna Holdiman (164th), freshman Alexis Fuller (197th) and sophomore Gracie Torstenson (204th) and Charlotte Corless (207th) gained valuable experience. If freshman Annie Botsma and sophomore Emma Huppa can return to health they will contribute to a team that can challenge for a trophy.