Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Apr 172 min
Earlier today, Northern Arizona announced that Rutgers' Alexandra Carlson has committed to joining the Lumberjacks, presumably starting next fall, as a transfer. According to TFRRS, the Scarlet Knight star is expected to hold one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition (at the conclusion of her current spring campaign).
The soon-to-be former Rutgers distance talent has produced excellent personal bests of 2:42 (1k), 4:31 (mile), 8:56 (3k) and, more recently, 15:53 (5k) during her time in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It should also be noted that Carlson finished 10th at the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships.
Landing someone of Carlson's caliber is significant for an NAU program that will soon be without a small handful of key names from last year's cross country squad. According to TFRRS, top All-American standouts such as Gracelyn Larkin and Annika Reiss are expected to be out of cross country eligibility this coming fall.
While the Lumberjacks did add excellent names such as Alyson Churchill and Karrie Baloga from the transfer portal this past winter, high-octane reinforcements were still going to be welcomed in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Admittedly, the bulk of Carlson's best performances have come on the track. She qualified for the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships in both the mile and the 3000 meters and took down a very good field to win the 2024 BIG 10 mile title this past winter.
Even so, it's the caliber of her 4:31 (mile) and 8:56 (3k) personal bests which suggest that this incoming transfer has far greater potential on the grass than what she has shown us so far. That theory may have gained even more steam recently after Carlson ran 15:53 in her first collegiate 5k race on the track since the spring of 2022.
Carlson isn't expected to be the make-or-break piece that the Northern Arizona women will rely on come the fall of 2024. She could, however, end up being a key backend runner who offers valuable depth or, on a good day, quickly closes out the top-five scoring for the Lumberjacks.
But more importantly, Carlson's prowess on the track seemingly mimics the skillsets seen by current NAU standouts such as Maggi Congdon and Annika Reiss. Those women are mile-centric runners who are plenty effective over 3000 meters (or some other longer distance races, including cross country) as well.
After a challenging stretch of races throughout last spring, Carlson appears to be rounding back into form. She's not yet in peak shape, but she's certainly approaching that stage. And it's that remaining upside that could make her such a valuable transfer prospect, especially for an NAU program that has done wonders with developing their athletes.