Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Jan 11, 20233 min
The Stride Report has confirmed that Alabama ace Amaris Tyynismaa will be transferring to NC State. She is expected to make the move to Raleigh, North Carolina this semester. According to TFRRS, Tyynismaa currently holds one season of cross country eligibility, potentially two seasons of indoor track eligibility and two seasons of outdoor track eligibility.
Tyynismaa was listed at TSR #20 in our preseason indoor track rankings.
It should be noted that The Stride Report is unsure about the current status of Tyynismaa's racing eligibility over the next year. Various discussions have made it unclear how current transfer portal window rules and certain timeframes will affect the newest Wolfpack star over the next year.
Last week, The Stride Report broke news that Alabama distance coach, Will Palmer, was leaving the Crimson Tide to take a distance coaching role at the University of Florida. Sources indicated to TSR that Tyynismaa had entered the transfer portal shortly thereafter.
Former Alabama runner and current freshman Sam McDonnell also opted to transfer out of the program earlier this month to join her former high school coach, Sean Brosnan, at UCLA. However, it should be noted that McDonell's move was expected to happen prior to Coach Palmer's departure from Tuscaloosa.
Tyynismaa has been one of the most impressive distance stars in the NCAA over the last few years. The newest member of the Wolfpack has run 4:09 for 1500 meters, 4:33 in the mile, 8:55 over 3000 meters and 15:33 for 5000 meters. On the track, she earned an All-American honor in the 1500 meters during the spring of 2021, placing 7th overall.
However, the now-former Alabama runner has arguably found more success on the grass.
At the 2021 NCAA Winter XC Championships, Tyynismaa stunned the country by securing a massive 3rd place finish. And after using the 2021-22 academic year to rebound from an injury, Tyynismaa would prove once again that she was one of best cross country runners in the nation this past fall.
At the 2022 NCAA XC Championships, the Crimson Tide star locked down a 9th place finish, further establishing herself as one of the most valuable three-season athletes in the nation.
Tyynismaa will now venture to NC State where she will join a distance program that is evolving into a modern-day dynasty. The women of Raleigh, North Carolina have won the past two NCAA cross country team titles and are currently led by megastar, Katelyn Tuohy.
According to TFRRS, the NC State women will only lose All-American Nevada Mareno and Tennessee graduate transfer, Sydney Seymour, for next fall. It is unclear what kind of eligibility veteran Savannah Shaw will have for the 2023 cross country season.
With multiple All-American stars set to return next year, the introduction of Amaris Tyynismaa allows the Wolfpack women to firmly remain as the national title favorites (yet again) next fall. And if they do secure gold, then NC State will have pulled off a legendary three-peat.
Not only that, but Tyynismaa also brings highly valuable mile speed to a program that is largely focused on racing distances that are 3000 meters and higher during the winter and spring months. While certain women like Sam Bush have found success in the middle distances, the NC State women have largely emphasized endurance-centric events on championship stages.
But with Tyynismaa, the NC State women seemingly have endless lineup possibilities for the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Not only could the former Alabama runner challenge for All-American honors and conference titles in the mile and 1500 meters (among other events), but she could also lead a nationally competitive DMR.
For Alabama, the loss of Tyynismaa will hurt, especially with long-time veteran Mercy Chelangat now out of cross country eligibility. That leaves the Crimson Tide women with only two of their four top-20 All-Americans from this past fall.
Even so, Alabama still boasts a pair distance stars in Hilda Olemomoi and Flomena Asekol, giving the Crimson Tide an elite 1-2 punch to work with. And with a handful of promising youngsters scattered throughout their roster, it's still realistic to think that the Alabama women could remain nationally competitive in 2023, albeit, not at the podium level.