TSR Collaboration
Jun 20, 20205 min
Written by Grace McLaughlin and Garrett Zatlin
With no Indoor National Championship and a non-existent outdoor season, the nation has been left with many questions as we go into upcoming cross country season. It's still a little too early for preseason rankings, but we thought it would be a good idea to chat about some of the nation's top teams that we could see later this year...
Last cross country season was historic as the Adams State women won the national title with the lowest score in meet history (just a mere 23 points) while Stephanie Cotter dominated the individual race with a national record of 19:15 for 6000 meters.
Things, however, will be very different for the Grizzlies as we near the fall of 2020.
The most apparent fact is the loss of the top individuals from last year due to graduation and expired eligibility. Cotter will return for her junior season with hopes of adding another NCAA title to her collection. However, a heavy portion of Adams State’s legendary lineup is not expected to be back according to TFRRS.
Long-time Adams State icons Eilish and Roisin Flanagan placed 2nd and 3rd at the 2019 Cross Country National Championships to give the Grizzlies a lethal 1-2-3 punch which essentially secured the title before any other runners crossed the line. Unfortunately for Adams State, those two will not return to the grass in 2020.
Not only that, but Haleigh Hunter-Galvin (6th at NCAA's), Tiffany Christensen (13th at NCAA's), and Kaylee Bogina (25th at NCAA's) have also finished their cross country eligibility. The good news for the Adams State women is that Piper Meuwiseen (31st at NCAA's) will be returning for her junior season with plenty of championship experience.
Ultimately, this has left us with one major question: What should we expect from the Adams State women in the fall of 2020? After seeing only a handful of names consistently appear for the Grizzlies throughout the years, a new era of ASU women will step into the spotlight.
If anything, Adams State's scenario is symbolic of what the rest of the NCAA is experiencing, as veterans and star runners throughout the country have finished up their eligibility.
Last year's team runner-up, Grand Valley State, won’t have Allie Ludge or Jessica Gockley -- two women who were consistent All-Americans -- later this season. It should also be noted that Hanna Groeber -- who finished 14th at the National Championships last fall -- was listed as a senior on TFRRS. However, she has only competed in three seasons of cross country.
It's unclear whether or not she still has eligibility, but if she does, she could keep GVSU in the national title conversation.
The women of GVSU are a team that have historically had great depth, so while they will certainly be hurting from the loss of key low-sticks, they should still have the necessary reinforcements to be one of the better teams in the country.
All-Americans Klaudia O’Malley and Natalie Graber are both set to return this fall, as is Madison Goen who is much better than what her performance at Nationals indicated last fall. Plus, we can't forget about Olivia Bran who finished just five spots out from All-American honors at the national meet last fall.
Colorado Mines, last year's 3rd place team, won’t have their reliable front-runner in Chloe Cook this year, but retaining the duo of Zoe Baker and Morgan Molesworth is huge for the Orediggers.
The firepower and scoring potency will still be there for the women from Golden, Colorado come October and November. But what about the backend of their lineup? The loss of numerous seniors will force Mines to rely on a handful of youngsters to support them in the scoring.
If this team can find some reliable depth and see improvements from their rising sophomores, they could be a major contenders once again.
Let's talk about U-Mary for a little bit. Yes, they lose Ida Narbuvoll, but last year's lineup (which finished 5th at NCAA's) was incredibly young and the rest of their top seven is expected to return.
The Marauders had only two All-Americans last year, but their depth was very strong and their time spread at the backend of their lineup was awfully impressive. Admittedly, they will need to find a new low-stick to pair next to Kayla Ogle if they want to compete with some of the nation's best.
Still, it's hard to dislike a team that was very consistent throughout last fall. Plus, they have a ton of upside and plenty of untapped potential. This is a team that will only get better as the season goes on.
Is there a team more underrated than the women of Augustana this year? They finished 6th at last year's national meet, but were only a single point behind U-Mary. In 2020, they return their entire top seven which displayed phenomenal pack-running and an incredible time spread at the national meet last fall.
The one knock on the Vikings is that they had no one finish as an All-American last year. That, however, was only a minor concern given that they had seven women finish between 43rd and 78th place.
If that pack can collectively move up and make improvements this year, then this is a team that could potentially do more than just compete for a spot on the podium...
It was hard to not be impressed with what the women from Western Colorado did last year. Their 2019 team was young and they were attempting to rebound after losing numerous top scorers from their 2018 lineup.
After a respectable, but somewhat quiet regular season, the ladies from Gunnison, Colorado rallied to finish 4th at the National Championships. Much like Augustana, they had an outstanding time spread, but had limited firepower with only one All-American finisher (Alexia Thiros in 39th place). This fall, they will return their entire top seven, six of whom finished between 39th and 66th place at the National Championships in 2019.
Historical excellence is a major factor when it comes to best teams in D2. There's a reason why Western Colorado is among the powerhouse programs and why they were able to turn a supposed rebuilding year into a 4th place finish at the National Championships.
With the 2019 season behind, things will only get better for the Mountaineers.
One of the most shocking announcements of the summer and the COVID-19 pandemic was the decision by the California State school system to resume online learning in the fall. This means schools who participate in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) likely won’t have a cross country season.
This is extremely unfortunate since the conference is home to many of the best distance programs that the nation has to offer.
The women of Chico State and Cal State East Bay finished 7th and 9th (respectively) at NCAA’s last year. Stanislaus State was another team making some serious noise during indoor track with two runners qualifying for the National Championships in the 5k.
Not having CCAA teams compete this fall would be / will be a major blow to D2 cross country fans, but this could create an opportunity for other teams out west to secure a national qualifying spot that they likely weren't going to earn before this news was announced.
Like the title suggests, this is just a “way too early” preview of the upcoming cross country season. If we didn't mention your team, don't worry, this isn't totally indicative of what our summer rankings will look like. There are a ton of teams with a lot of potential that could put together some extremely talented lineups.
And we'll be ready to cover it all.