Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Dec 14, 20234 min
Earlier today, The Stride Report confirmed with multiple sources that both John Lester (currently of Stanford) and Carmen Riano (currently of Miami (OH)) have entered the transfer portal. Lester is entered as an undergraduate transfer while Riano is entered as a graduate transfer.
According to TFRRS, Lester is expected to have two seasons of indoor track eligibility remaining and potentially only one season of cross country eligibity remaining (which may be subject to change). He may have up to three seasons of outdoor track eligibility remaining.
Riano, meanwhile, has one season of both indoor track and outdoor track eligibility remaining, accoring to TFRRS. She'll also have at least one season of cross country eligibility remaining, although there may be potential for another.
When it comes to Lester, this former high school star has been a stud in the middle distance events for the Stanford men. After running 1:48 (800) and 4:06 (mile) during his prep days, the California native ventured to Palo Alto where he continued to bring down his times.
After replicating his 1:48 (800) marks during his rookie year, Lester took the sophomore leap, running fantastic times of 1:46.93 (800) and 3:58 (mile) last winter. That former mark gave Lester the overall win at the Ken Shannon Invitational and it also allowed him to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships where he placed 10th overall. Lester would not race during the spring months.
Lester's entry into the transfer portal is massive. The 1:46 half-miler and sub-four miler is a rare talent with strong dynamism between two middle distance events. His still-extensive eligibility makes him a viable long-term option to build around, especially since his best performances have come only recently.
On paper, Lester is an experienced national meet qualifier who offers value outside of one event and has the potential to be even better in the future. And in a transfer market that is compartively limited on top-tier middle distance talents right now, this soon-to-be-former Stanford runner will likely be in high demand.
Of course, trying to find realistic transfer options for this former high school star isn't as easy as one may think. With many of the top middle distance powerhouses residing in the midwest, south and east coast regions, Lester's west coast landing spots may not be quite as plentiful.
If location is a point of emphasis for Lester, then Oregon and Washington are two obvious choices for where he could end up.
The Ducks have been fairly aggressive in the transfer portal as of late and will be looking to fill the serivces of the now-departed Dan Watcke on the middle distance end of things. Plus, pairing Lester with Elliott Cook could result in a lethal DMR group.
Washington, meanwhile, no longer has the services of top half-mile ace Sam Ellis and veteran Cass Elliott. And with top-tier milers like Joe Waskom, Nathan Green and Luke Houser all likely preferring the mile/1500 meters over the 800 meters, the need for someone to contest that event at a nationally competitive level is certainly there for the Huskies.
Not only that, but Coach Andy Powell has proven that he will be aggressive in the transfer portal when it comes to sub-four minute milers, a requirement that Lester obviously fills.
But what if I told you that neither of those west coast options may be the most ideal landing spots for Lester? That's because Cal Poly, a program now under the guidance of Coach Ryan Vanhoy, makes a lot of sense for someone like him.
The Mustangs are growing into a legitimate middle distance power given the outstanding 800 meter and mile prowess of guys like Aidan McCarthy, Carson Smith and current graduate transfer, Davis Bove. Adding someone like Lester to that group would be the perfect fit for Cal Poly, a school that is also known for its academic prowess much like Stanford is.
If Lester were to ultimately sign with Cal Poly and begin competing for the team this winter, then the flexibility that this group could have when crafting a DMR lineup is very scary to think about, at least for those who will have to race against them.
We then come to Carmen Riano, one of the more underrated mid-major distance talents in the country. The RedHawk veteran has been a quietly excellent name over the last few years, providing strong three-season value while excelling in the steeplechase.
On the track, Riano has run times of 15:50 (5k) and 9:46 (steeple), qualifying for the outdoor national meet twice in the latter event. The six-time Mid-American Conference champion across all three seasons has also thrived on the grass, at one point cracking our top-50 individual rankings during the fall months.
In the fall of 2022, Riano placed 3rd at the Louisville XC Classic and was victorious at both the Bradley Pink Classic as well as the MAC XC Championships. And after placing 15th at the Great Lakes regional meet, the Spanish distance standout qualified for the NCAA XC Championships as an individual.
She did not race this past fall.
Riano is a true long distance talent who could provide tremendous scoring value for a team that thrives during cross country, but also puts an emphasis on the steeplechase. On paper, that means that the Notre Dame women are an ideal fit.
The Fighting Irish just finished on the podium to conclude their 2023 fall campaign. Plus, earlier this year, Notre Dame had three women go under 9:50 in the steeplechase. And given that they, just like Miami (OH), reside in the midwest, there wouldn't be much of a geographical difference in terms of where Riano would conclude her collegiate career.
Let's also not forget that Notre Dame is losing a few key veterans next year such as All-Americans Olivia Markezich and Andrea Markezich. And while Riano may not be an All-American next fall, she could at least plug a potential scoring gap for the ladies of South Bend.
A school like Tennessee could also be in play given how young the Volunteers were this past fall. An added veteran presence from Riano (as well as the possible addition of another top transfer name who is still pending) could do wonders for a team that was already 6th at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships.
Arkansas is a team that feels like they are one runner away from a potential podium run during cross country. The Razorbacks have also had plenty of success with steeplechasers of their own and will soon need a replacement for steeple veteran, Laura Taborda.