Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Nov 10, 202215 min
Ah yes, National Signing Day.
It's a wildly entertaining day for dorks like myself as we get to see where some of the best high school talents from around the country will spend the next three, four, five...six? years of their lives.
With so many signings and commitments being made around the country, it is absolutely impossible to highlight every. single. name. who is considered to be nationally competitive.
So here's what we're going to do: Below is our full top-50 recruits list that we constructed back in September. Obviously, this order will need to eventually be updated, but we plan on doing so when the cross country season fully concludes after the national meets.
Below, we'll be offering just one sentence worth of analysis for each of these committed athletes who are in our rankings, plus a few other notable names who we have found. This is going to be similar to what we've done in the past for national meet previews and such.
Let's get into it, shall we?
NOTE: If you see a name that has "Unknown" listed next to their commitment and you know where that athlete has committed to, feel free to send us an email and we'll look into it!
COMMITTED: Stanford
This almost never happens, but it feels like Lex and Leo Young have potentially swung a future national title race into Stanford's favor before they even toed the line in the NCAA.
COMMITTED: Oregon
We've already explained this in-depth, but Connor Burns' skillset across the entire array of middle and long distance events, not just his mile prowess, gives Oregon everything that they've been looking in terms of roster needs.
COMMITTED: Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona hasn't landed as many superstar recruits this year as we thought they would, but pairing a recently-committed Aaron Sahlman with top recruits such as Ford Washburn and Zack Munson could result in some seriously lethal scoring potency.
COMMITTED: Iowa State
Devan Kipyego's commitment to Iowa State gives the Cyclones a true three-season threat as well as some highly valuable star power above 800 meters.
COMMITTED: Oregon
It wasn't entirely surprising to see a sub-four miler in Connor Burns commit to Oregon, but recently signing yet another sub-four high schooler in Simeon Birnbaum shows us that Jerry Schumacher's recruiting methods are wildly effective.
COMMITTED: Wake Forest
In a loaded Wake Forest recruiting class, Rocky Hansen feels like the focal-point star who can give this team an identity over the long run as veterans finish their eligibility.
COMMITTED: Washington
The Washington men are already loaded with elite milers and great track-based performers, but they clearly need greater firepower on the grass (which is what they get with Gorze).
COMMITTED: Colorado
The Colorado men boast a cross country lineup that has leaned heavily on graduate transfers, meaning that Kole Mathison may be needed for the Buffaloes next fall (instead of being redshirted) as they try to patch up their top-seven.
COMMITTED: Cal Poly
Ryan Vanhoy has had major success with elite milers who can also be nationally competitive in cross country, a skillset that perfectly mirrors Chris Caudillo's resume.
COMMITTED: Wake Forest
Jones seems to have competitive personal bests across the entire middle and long distance spectrum, something that you could also say about numerous Demon Deacons who have thrived in everything from the mile up to the 10k.
COMMITTED: North Carolina
Jacob Laney's 4:07 mile prowess could give UNC a bit more help when it comes the 1500 meters, the mile and the DMR, although his 8:58 personal best over 3200 meters should (eventually) allow him to be a contributor on the grass as well.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Jaron Hartshorn is signing.
COMMITTED: Wake Forest
It feels like Wesley Shipsey can do it all, although his middle distance prowess may persuade Wake Forest to use him in those events on the indoor and outdoor ovals.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Tinoda Matsatsa is signing.
COMMITTED: Virginia
This is a massive commitment that, over the long term, could ignite a fairly young Virginia squad that already has a strong cross country core.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Tayson Echohawk is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Kaleb Nastari is signing.
COMMITTED: Florida
Being from the state of Florida and owning a 1:49 personal best over 800 meters makes Miguel Pantojas the perfect recruit for a powerhouse middle distance program like the Gators.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Jacob Nenow is signing.
COMMITTED: Washington
It's hardly a surprise that a Washington native as talented as Will Schneider would choose the Huskies, especially when you consider that his 1600 meter PR of 4:07 should mesh well with an elite group of milers.
COMMITTED: Northern Arizona
Zack Munson is a truly elite aerobic-centric recruit who perfectly matches the distance-focused reputation of Northern Arizona's roster.
COMMITTED: Duke
Alongside fellow commit, Jackson Heidesch, this Duke coaching staff is having a sneaky-good recruiting cycle in terms of adding future weapons.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Connor Ackley is signing.
COMMITTED: Duke
As mentioned with Rendon Kuykendall, the Blue Devils have really impressive firepower in their current recruiting class, especially on the grass when you look at Heidesch's crazy-strong 2022 cross country season.
COMMITTED: Notre Dame
The Notre Dame men didn't necessarily need to land Kevin Sanchez given their jaw-dropping recruiting class from last year, but this Texas native could make the Irish a really scary group if the other youngsters develop as expected.
COMMITTED: North Carolina
Yes, Mac Conwell has shown promise on the grass, but with personal best of 1:52 over 800 meters and 4:09 over 1600 meters, it seems like the Tar Heels are trying to diversify their roster structure just a bit.
COMMITTED: Oregon
He may not be the best recruit in his class (or even in the top-two), but Daniel Watcke may have the greatest range of anyone at this point in our list, giving Oregon tremendous scoring value across all three seasons of competition.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Collin Boler is signing.
COMMITTED: Furman
I love this commitment, specifically because Brayden Seymour's resume seems to pair well with Furman's roster structure and because the Paladins have a promising young core that he can grow with.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Gabriel Rodriguez is signing.
COMMITTED: Arizona
With personal bests of 1:52 over 800 meters and 4:09 over 1600 meters, Noah Ray is a massive win for an Arizona program that has slowly and steadily been improving their recruiting efforts.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Logan Law is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Carter Cutting is signing.
COMMITTED: Wake Forest
The times on Ty Garrett's resume may not stand out like they do for other recruits, but the Indiana native is experienced and consistent, making him a perfect piece for Wake Forest to lean on in the future.
COMMITTED: Penn State
Pennsylvania has a history of top cross country recruits committing to Penn State, but it will be up to Brian DiCola to show the country that the Nittany Lions are more than just a middle distance program.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Aaron Lakeman is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Liam Heninger is signing.
COMMITTED: North Carolina
Seeing Joe Sapone, a guy with 1:52 (800) and 4:09 (mile) personal bests, sign with North Carolina further solidifies the idea that Coach Chris Miltenberg is aiming add a greater middle distance presence to a roster that is crowded with long distance talents.
COMMITTED: Ole Miss
It's not entirely clear what the future of this Ole Miss program will look like, but adding a versatile, mile-centric talent like Caden Townshend seems like a great fit given what this program has accomplished over the last few years.
COMMITTED: North Carolina
The Tar Heels have seemingly gone after a handful of recruits who thrive in the mile, but Noah Breker's 8:54 personal best for two miles theoretically makes him the best fit for North Carolina out of all of the other UNC commits.
COMMITTED: Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona missed out on Lex Young, Leo Young, Simeon Birnbaum and Chris Caudillo, but have made up for some of that by adding Aaron Sahlman and long distance juggernaut Ford Washburn to pair with Zack Munson.
COMMITTED: Tennessee
Seeing Hudson Betts emerge as a 4:09 miler and then take a big step this fall in terms of his cross country fitness closely resembles the skillset that we've seen from Sean Carlson's athletes during his time at Notre Dame.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Wyatt Athey is signing.
COMMITTED: Virginia
The Cavaliers aren't known as a middle distance program on the men's side, but adding a lethal talent in Alex Leath next to 1:48 man Connor Murphy gives UVA an exciting core of 800 meter runners.
COMMITTED: Tennessee
Nathan Atchue is a great, high-upside recruit for Tennessee, mainly because he has been somewhat unchallenged over the past year after taking down his Virginia 6A competition with relative ease.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Milo Skapinsky is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Gabe Nash is signing.
COMMITTED: Harvard
Despite landing superstar recruit Shane Brosnan from the Class of 2022, Harvard's need for greater scoring support during cross country may be partially addressed by adding Sam Burgess to their roster next fall.
COMMITTED: Wisconsin
Seeing a top 800 meter talent choose Wisconsin seems a bit odd until you realize that Andrew Casey had a very underrated cross country season this fall and that the Badgers boast one of the better half-milers in the country via Abdullahi Hassan.
COMMITTED: Tennessee
Running 1:52 for 800 meters while also winning the Florida 2A state title on the grass makes Aidan Ryan a fascinating name to monitor, especially since he'll be running alongside a quietly great group of Tennessee recruits.
COMMITTED: Harvard
If Sam Burgess doesn't step in for Harvard next fall as a support scorer, then maybe Charlie Ortmans, a guy who has run 14:40 for 5000 meters this season, could be that scorer.
COMMITTED: Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State not landing Chris Caudillo is a slight bummer, but David Mora has looked extremely good this fall, potentially offering similar value on the grass that Caudillo would have provided.
COMMITTED: Wake Forest
I have no idea how the Wake Forest men are able to bring in this many high-level recruits, but Aidan Ross only adds to the unreal talent on the Demon Deacons' future roster with times of 4:10 (mile) and 14:47 (5k XC).
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Sophia Gorriaran is signing.
COMMITTED: Stanford
With Irene Riggs now set to join a still-young Stanford roster, the potential for this Cardinal cross country squad in the next two to three years theoretically puts them on a path for the podium (or maybe even a national team title).
COMMITTED: Oregon
Landing a cross country superstar as elite as Lily Cridge should be monumental for an Oregon team that is showing promise on the grass this fall, but still needs more firepower at the front of their lineup.
COMMITTED: Colorado
After losing Addy Wiley to Huntington University (NAIA) this past summer, landing an elite distance recruit like Karrie Baloga will be a major boost for a Colorado team that will begin to see some significant roster turnover over the next year or two.
COMMITTED: Oregon
Kate Peters going to Oregon isn't necessarily surprising, but seeing her de-commit from Oklahoma State should show us just how influential someone like Shalane Flanagan can be as a coach.
COMMITTED: Virginia
After a handful of outstanding recruiting classes, the Virginia women look like a legitimate contender on the grass, something that they can build further upon with Tatum David now joining their roster.
COMMITTED: Penn State
Penn State is largely known for their middle distance prowess, making Hannah Boyle's personal bests of 2:09 (800) and 4:42 (mile) a perfect fit for the Nittany Lions roster which has some sneaky-good talents on it.
COMMITTED: Oklahoma State
In 2022, the Oklahoma State women have never been better, and with a large handful of top talents still holding multiple years of eligibility, Lauren Ping could help put the Cowgirls over the top once she joins the program.
COMMITTED: NC State
With personal bests of 2:06 (800) and 4:49 (mile), Angelina Napoleon isn't NC State's traditional long-distance recruit, although her middle distance success brings highly valuable event diversity to a fairly one-dimensional roster.
COMMITTED: Stanford
Cate Peters committing to Stanford seems to validate the idea that the Cardinal are investing heavily in the middle distance events, something that we saw last fall via the signings of Juliette Whittaker and Roisin Willis.
COMMITTED: Stanford
Much like Irene Riggs, the raw talent that Sophia Kennedy will bring to Palo Alto will be fascinating to watch given how young and how much upside this Stanford roster has.
COMMITTED: Notre Dame
Although we didn't predict her commitment, it's largely unsurprising to see a distance-oriented, midwest talent like Arianna Olson choose a Notre Dame program that seems to be preparing for a future without Maddy Denner, Katie Thronson and (eventually) Olivia Markezich.
COMMITTED: Wake Forest
Landing a talent like Brooke Wilson is a phenomenal recruiting win for the Wake Forest women who will be looking for a new low-stick identity following the eventual departure of McKenna Curtis-Collins.
COMMITTED: Stanford
With personal bests of 2:07 (800) and 4:26 (1500), Amelia Everett has a very real chance to be a nationally competitive runner for Stanford as a freshman if she continues to progress this and spring.
COMMITTED: NC State
A versatile recruit with mile prowess and cross country success, Kate Putman is a massive addition to NC State and she seems to mirror current Wolfpack star, Sam Bush, quite well in terms of her skillset.
COMMITTED: Stanford
We honestly have no idea what events Shults is going to focus on at the collegiate level as she could realistically be a legitimate contributor for Stanford in everything from the 800 meters to cross country (once she further develops).
COMMITTED: North Carolina
With the once-young North Carolina recruits now becoming experienced upperclassmen, it was crucial that Coach Chris Miltenberg was able to land a distance talent like Emily Lamontagne in order to capitalize on the current firepower that this roster has.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Isis Symone Grant is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Cha'iel Johnson is signing.
COMMITTED: Colorado
I absolutely love this choice for Abbey Nechanicky who is a pure long distance runner that will fit in perfectly with a Colorado team that is about to lose a handful of key veterans this fall.
COMMITTED: North Carolina
Just like we mentioned with Emily Lamontagne, it was important that Coach Chris Miltenberg was able to land a couple of top-tier recruits in order to support the Tar Heels' efforts to become a podium team in the near future.
COMMITTED: Notre Dame
Gretchen Farley seemingly does everything at a fairly high level, leaving me to wonder what kind of role she may have on the oval given Notre Dame's need for greater 800 meter prowess.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Emma Stutzman is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Sasha Crawford is signing.
COMMITTED: NC State
Between Jolena Quarzo being a pure long distance runner and her sister, Gionna, already racing for the team, it felt inevitable that this Pennsylvania native was going to become a member of the Wolfpack.
COMMITTED: Cal Poly
This is a massive recruiting win for the Cal Poly Mustangs who can now rally and build around a true top-tier prep talent in Sydney Sundgren over the next few years.
COMMITTED: Notre Dame
Seeing the Notre Dame women land Reagan Riley feels like a pleasant surprise, mainly because she was from the state of Alabama and theoretically a great candidate for the Crimson Tide.
COMMITTED: Oregon
While everyone will understandably talk about Lily Cridge and Kate Peters as the two main recruits for Oregon, it is important that we don't overlook Katie Clute who could end up being a pivotal scorer for the Ducks over the long-term.
COMMITTED: Notre Dame
Grace Schager is a classic midwest, aerobic-centric distance talent who could end up being the recruiting steal of the year given how wildly dominant she has been on the grass this fall.
COMMITTED: Providence
Scoring a recruit like Reese Fahys is huge for a Providence team that has a large handful of underrated distance talents who still need additional scoring support.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Katelyn Maley is signing.
COMMITTED: Auburn
Auburn isn't necessarily the same middle distance powerhouse that a few other SEC programs are, but after seeing the success that fellow Alabama native Presley Weems had with the Tigers, this signing makes more sense.
COMMITTED: BYU
Not only does Grace Hutchison's long-distance focus mesh well with BYU's roster structure, but we even mentioned that she had "shades of" former Cougar runner, Courtney Wayment!
COMMITTED: Duke
Landing a talented cross country recruit with a 4:49 personal best in the 1600 meters via Thais Rolly gives the Duke women a promising building block to pair alongside current Blue Devil star, Amina Maatoug.
COMMITTED: Virginia
Everything about Gillian Bushee's resume suggested that she was going to sign with the Cavaliers, but that doesn't make her commitment any less impactful as a future scorer for the Virginia women.
COMMITTED: UCLA
Landing a runner like Brooke Johnston not only gives new coach Sean Brosnan a star name to build around, but it also shows us that he can be a very effective recruiter of top high school talents.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Alexa Fortman is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Samantha Kavanagh is signing.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Samira Kennedy is signing.
COMMITTED: Virginia
Virginia is much better in the middle distances than some people may realize, making Cate DeSousa's decision to join the Cavaliers a quietly great recruiting win for the UVA women.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Hannah Kaercher is signing.
COMMITTED: Villanova
The 2022 cross country season has not been kind to the Villanova women and they will likely lose top scorer Lydia Olivere after this year, making Tilly O'Connor's commitment a much-needed recruiting win.
COMMITTED: Duke
Lauren Soobrian doesn't have to be a superstar right away, but if she can continue to develop alongside current Blue Devil freshman Amina Maatoug and fellow recruit Thais Rolly, then that could give the Duke women something promising to build around.
COMMITTED: Princeton
Hannah Riggins could absolutely have an impact for a sneaky-good Princeton cross country squad, but given her 4:46 personal best over 1600 meters, her scoring value will likely be at it's best on the indoor and outdoor ovals.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Alli Crytser is signing.
COMMITTED: Tennessee
Landing a recruit like Jaci Sievers at least gives the Tennessee women a solid name to build around, although Coach Sean Carlson likely knows that he needs to add other top-tier recruits in order to truly make the Volunteers nationally competitive.
COMMITTED: Gonzaga
Seeing Jade Rypkema commit to Gonzaga was a pleasant surprise, especially since current Bulldog veteran, Kristen Garcia, will soon be out of eligibility and will be leaving behind a vacant scoring spot.
COMMITTED: Unknown
The Stride Report does not yet know where Anna McNatt is signing.
COMMITTED: Indiana
This was a big commitment for the Indiana women who were able to convince a Colorado native with a 16:53 personal best over 5000 meters (XC) to eventually be the focal point of a roster that will soon be without low-stick ace Sarah Schmitt after next fall.
COMMITTED: NC State
I absolutely love this decision for Mia Hall who has clearly thrived in the longer distances as of late and has now chosen a program that is capable of capitalizing on her greatest strengths.
COMMITTED: Nebraska
Nebraska doesn't land many top-ranked distance talents, but Ali Bainbridge could be very valuable on the cross country course as she seems to still be improving.
COMMITTED: Colorado State
Colorado State may have scored a massive steal in the recruiting circuit given that Mari Konold ran her 1600 meter and 3200 meter personal bests at altitude and because she placed 34th at the Garmin RunningLane XC National Championships last fall.
COMMITTED: Tennessee
If there is anyone in Tennessee's recruiting class who can match Jaci Sievers, it might be Jillian Candelino given how fantastic she has been on the grass this fall, effectively giving the Volunteers a promising young base of women to work with.