Syracuse in Good Shape to Repeat

Published by Adam Schneider/DyeStatCOLLEGE.com Editor on August 23rd, 2016

The men’s race returns a strong defending champion in a coach Chris Fox led Syracuse team that knocked off a powerhouse Colorado team led by coach Mark Wetmore. That Colorado team had been dealing with Ben Saarel’s sickness and a loss of depth. Anything can happen to a strong team and there can be a shakeup of the top group. Coach Mick Byrne’s Wisconsin (injury) and coach Eric Heins’ Northern Arizona (inexperience) teams are expected to return to prominence after different issues slowed their success last year. The strongest team of returners is coach Andy Powell’s Oregon team that is hoping to take the top step for the first time since Galen Rupp was on the team. 

The defending champion Syracuse Orangemen return a majority of their contributors from last season. Syracuse easily has the best 1-2 of any team returning with juniors Justyn Knight (4th) and Colin Bennie (8th) leading the Orangeman’s attempt to repeat as NCAA team champions. Graduate transfer (from Virginia) Adam Visokay (123rd in 2013 was his best NCAA finish) will try to help alleviate the loss of all-American Martin Hehir (9th). Junior Philo Germano (#4 in 39th) and senior Joel Hubbard (#5 in 47th) performed very well at the NCAA championships and they will be counted on if the Orange would like to win the NCAA title again. Junior Shawn Wilson (19th at the Northeast region championships) and sophomores TJ Hornberger (53rd at the ACC championships) and Mickey Burke (4th at the Harry Lang Invitational) gained good experience last year. Sophomore transfer Iliass Aouani (2nd at South Central regional for Lamar). 2015 transfer (senior) Adam Palomar ran at the NCAA meet for Tulsa (199th)

The Ducks of Oregon looked more impressive until the Olympic Trials when potential super-frosh Drew Hunter signed a big contract with Adidas. Still they have three-time defending NCAA champion Edward Cheserek. Oregon used their depth last year to secure a fourth place finish and a podium appearance. Most of their depth (#2 - #5 and #7) is back as junior Travis Neuman was 46th (he missed the track season due to injury), senior Jake Leingang was 50th, sophomore Tanner Anderson was 56th, and sophomore Matthew Maton was 85th. They all return as does #7 runner Ryan Gill, contributors in junior Blake Haney and Sam Prakel, and potential freshmen contributors Levi Thomet and Jackson Mestler.

Last year the injury bug bit Wisconsin. That is unlikely to happen again to such an extent. Last year senior Malachy Schrobilgen was off to another great start (5th at Wisconsin Adidas) and had hoped to improve on his 10th place finish at the 2014 NCAA meet but injury shut down his season. Juniors Morgan McDonald (75th), Ryan Kromer (99th), Carl Hirsch (107th), Joe Hardy (111th) and senior Joe McAsey had run well in 2014 but only McDonald (5th), Hardy (10th) and Hirsch (78th) were able to run at the Big 10 meet. Senior Russell Sandvold was the #3 runner (41st). Morgan McDonald was fifth at the NCAA championships over 5000m (13:29.79) and it looks like he will challenge Schrobilgen as the top Badger. Redshirt freshmen Olin Hacker (19th) and Zack Snider (16th) finished in the top 20 at the world junior 5000m and will help push their teammates this year. The Badger team is deep and talented and they will be formidable this year.

Futsum Zeinasellassie, Nathan Weitz and Andy Trouard redshirted last year in cross country and the Lumberjacks missed out on earning a trophy for the first time since 2011. It was a calculated move to develop the younger runners and take another run at an NCAA team title. Junior Cory Glines and sophomores Tyler Day, and Jeffrey Miller developed into solid runners and their teammates gained valuable experience. The team finished eighth in the very tough Mountain regional. Sophomore Matthew Baxter also developed during the track season as Glines, Day and Baxter were just outside of NCAA qualifying spots in the 10,000m. Coach Eric Heins announced in April that his wife had taken a job at the NASA Educational Center in Houston so coach Heins will be taking some time off after this year. He will co-coach with the new Direction of Track and Field and Cross Country, Michael Smith (formerly the women’s distance coach at Georgetown). Smith and Heins know each other from their time in Flagstaff when Smith was training at the Flagstaff high-altitude training center. 

Senior Sean McGorty had a healthy year last year and was impressive throughout the season for the Stanford Cardinal. He finished seventh at the NCAA championships and led now-sophomore Grant Fisher (17th) to the second best finish by a freshman. Junior Garrett. Sweatt battled injury last year and finished 64th. Juniors Sam Wharton (207th) and Jack Keelan (231st) had rough races (due to injury most likely) last year after finishing 39th and 100th the year before, respectively.  Without  the Rosa twins they will have to step up to return to a trophy position (third last year and second the year before). Redshirt freshman Alex Ostberg is expected to run this year after redshirting last year and he is expected to contribute (top 11 twice at Foot Locker Nationals cross country). Junior Steven Fahy has been gradually developing and could contribute.

Colorado lost four multi-time all-americans that won two consecutive NCAA cross country championships. Without them the Buffaloes still have one of the best 1-2 punches in the country in senior Ben Saarel and sophomore John Dressel.  Saarel was sick early in the year and Coach Wetmore had hoped to redshirt him but realized he needed him at the end of the year. Saarel had been 7th as a freshman and 8th as a junior but dropped to 31st last year. Dressel came into the season as one of the top high school seniors and finished 26th at the national meet. There are several freshman (Nathan Pixler among many others) and redshirt freshmen (Joe Klecker) as well as returnees (Zach Perrin, Ryan Forsyth, Paul Miller and Ryan Peterman) and transfers (Luke Sheesley) that could help the team challenge for a trophy but it will be very difficult for them to repeat as Pac-12 champions.  

Iona returns a deep and experienced team that finished fifth at the NCAA championships last year. Injuries slowed them for much of the year. The Gaels have a history of success with top  ten finishes every year since 2002 with the exception of 2012 (29th) and a run of five trophies between 2003 and 2008. Juniors Gilbert Kirui (20th) and Chartt Miller (43rd) led the Gaels at the NCAA meet, followed by senior Kieran Clements (58th). Also returning for Iona was #5 sophomore Liam Dee and juniors Brendan Allen was 152nd and Johannes Motschmann was 209th and they gained valuable experience. Junior Andy Adamovics has struggled with injury but ran well in the 10,000m on the track (3rd MAAC) last spring. Junior Andrew Tario was 12th at the MAAC championships last year and could move into a top 7 slot. Redshirt freshman Sebastian Hendel ran in the NCAA East Preliminary round on the track in the 5000m and should make an impact in cross country this year.

Georgetown, Villanova, BYU, UTEP, Tulsa and Arkansas could also jump in the mix for a trophy.