NEWS: Dillon Powell Entered In Transfer Portal As Future Graduate Student

Sourcing by Brett Haffner & John Cusick, written by Garrett Zatlin

The Stride Report has confirmed that Colorado Mines star Dillon Powell is currently entered in the transfer portal. He is listed as a future graduate student and is expected to change schools by the fall of 2023.

According to TFRRS, Powell has two seasons of cross country eligibility, three seasons of indoor track eligibility and two seasons of outdoor track eligibility remaining. However, it is likely that his eligibility on the oval will be lesser after the 2023 indoor and outdoor track seasons.

Powell has risen to the very top of the Division Two ranks over the last couple of years, leading a juggernaught Colorado Mines squad that has looked flat-out unstoppable as of late.

The future graduate transfer won the 10,000 meter national title last spring at the D2 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He later finished 3rd in the 5000 meters at the same meet. That result paired nicely with his runner-up finish in the 5k at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier that year.

However, Powell seemingly reached an entirely different level on the grass this past fall. The Oredigger veteran torched his competition in every race that he toed the line for. He went on to win individual gold at the NCAA XC Championships, defeating Grand Valley State star Tanner Chada by 19 seconds.

But Powell's resume extends beyond his postseason success.

The Colorado Mines ace ran 13:33 for 5000 meters on the indoor oval last winter at Boston University, setting a new D2 record. He would go on to run 28:22 for 10,000 meters on the outdoor oval, a time that currently sits at NCAA #9 all-time in Division Two for the event.

Few transfers will hold more value than Powell will in 2023. Whoever lands the D2 superstar will be getting an aggressive front-runner with times that will be competitive with many of the best men at the Division One level.

But more importantly, Powell's next program will also be getting an experienced veteran who still has numerous season of eligibility remaining -- and that's a rarity.

Next year's Colorado Mines cross country lineup will also look a bit more interesting with Powell expected to venture elsewhere.

With their top low-stick gone -- and TFRRS also suggesting that Luke Julian, Chris Cathcart and Steven Goldy will be out of cross country eligibility -- it may be hard for the Orediggers to replicate their incredible dominance from this past fall in 2023.

Even so, the men from Golden, Colorado should still be viewed as contenders, and probably favorites, for the 2023 cross country team national title. Colorado Mines does, after all, return two top-10 national meet finishers and a third top-30 All-American, per TFRRS.