PREDICTIONS & PREVIEWS: 2023 Virginia Invitational

Written by Maura Beattie, Finn Birnie & Gavin Struve

Questions, predictions, edits and additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin

Here we go! The first major weekend of collegiate cross country competition is underway. With the Griak Invitational kicking things off with plenty of entertaining races, the Virginia Invitational should prove to be even more exciting given the mass amount of elite talent that will be flooding Charlottesville on Saturday.

Below, we asked a handful of our TSR contributors to give their thoughts on some of the top teams and individuals in this field. Here's what they had to say...

Gavin: Given that Northern Arizona and BYU aren’t racing at full strength, the team favorite has to be Stanford...right?

The Cardinal will face their fair share of challengers this weekend as three of the other top-five teams from the 2022 NCAA XC Championships and four of the other top-10 teams in our preseason rankings will also be racing in Charlottesville.

But I have to give the nod to what looked like the most talented team throughout the fall of 2022, even if they fell short of expectations in the postseason last year.

Ranked at TSR #4 in our preseason top-25 team rankings, Stanford is racing virtually the entirety of their projected scoring lineup, save for Thomas Boyden, a key name who we have listed at TSR #45 in our preseason rankings. Ky Robinson and Cole Sprout have a chance to control this front of this race, and so long as the Young twins can hold their own in their NCAA debuts, then the Cardinal feel like a safe pick to win.

I’d say that this meet is about a “5” in terms of importance to the national title and podium picture. It’s hard to put too much emphasis on an early-season race, but so many of the top teams will be present and will likely be eager to see how they stack up against each other.

Maura: If Northern Arizona and BYU were bringing their "A" teams, then things would play out a whole lot differently. And truthfully, the pre-race headlines would be a lot more fun.

We could have seen the Young brothers pitted against one another (Lex & Leo vs Nico). We also could've seen Casey Clinger bumping elbows at the front. Plus, the team battle between the Lumberjacks, Cougars and Cardinal would have likely come down to their fifth scorers.

But since none of those scenarios are going to come to fruition, I will say that the Stanford men, with their firepower and depth, coming into this race as the favorites.

Coach Ricardo Santos prepares his men well for bigger meets and there’s no doubt that the Cardinal aren’t ready. Even with losing Charles Hicks to a professional contract, Stanford reloaded and will be relying on a group of veterans to lead the newcomers, namely Lex and Leo Young.

I’m going to take Gavin’s “5” value and raise that up to “7” in regards to how important this meet is when it comes to the national title and podium conversations.

Teams like Colorado, Iowa State, North Carolina and Washington need to prove themselves on the grass this weekend (albeit, in different ways). Getting a feel for Virginia's cross country course, the same course that will play host to the NCAA XC Championships later this fall, will give teams like those mentioned a chance to see where they can play on their strengths to better the competition.

Finn: I couldn't agree more with Gavin’s analysis. It’s clear that NAU and BYU aren't showing all of their cards just yet, and while they are both still fielding strong teams, the absence of Nico Young and Casey Clinger does open the door for Stanford.

The Cardinal looked superb in the 2022 regular season, but eventually, injury troubles slowed their process in the postseason. If everyone is firing on all cylinders this weekend, then I wouldn't be surprised to see them topple the Lumberjacks.

In terms of importance to the national title and podium pictures, I’m going to agree with Gavin’s valuation and say “5”.

So much can change over the course of the season, so it’s hard to place a strong emphasis on a race this early. That being said, this is a fantastic opportunity for some of the favorites to view the course ahead of November’s NCAA XC Championships. And for that reason, I wouldn’t be surprised if most teams show their cards and race their strongest contingents.

Gavin: I don’t think it’s out of the question to expect a resurgence for Iowa State. The Cyclones have long been one of the dominant programs in the midwest, but they hit a bit of a blip last year, missing the cross country national meet entirely after several podium appearances.

But when examining this year’s team on paper, it’s easy for me to picture this squad comfortably being a top-25 team.

The Cyclones have some prospective low-sticks like Ezekiel Rop and Sanele Masondo as well as relatively known quantities in Gable Sieperda, Tim Sindt, Kelvin Bungei, Silas Winders and newcomer Said Mechaal.

The ISU men could build momentum in Virginia this weekend with relatively low expectations being placed upon their shoulders entering this fall -- even though they are probably better than what last year would suggest.

Maura: I’ve got to go with the Virginia men.

The Cavaliers flexed their strength during the track season in events ranging from the 800 meters to the 3000 meter steeplechase. Yasin Sado, Will Anthony, Nathan Mountain and Gary Martin are a strong top-four that most aren’t expecting to make a splash amongst the stronger 5k/10k athletes in the field. We've also seen Justin Wachtel shows signs of being a lead scorer in the past.

After a valuable year of development and experience, the men of Virginia could sneak into the top-five of the team results on Saturday. They know this home course and have great depth for larger fields such as this.

Finn: I’m going to go with the men from Villanova.

Now, of course, the losses of Jack Jennings, Josh Phillips and Charlie O’Donovan are huge blows for the Wildcats. That trio played a crucial part in the team's success last season and their departures leave the squad with roughly half of its scoring potency.

That being said, the Wildcats have been very active in terms of recruiting, both from the transfer portal and the prep ranks. They've added a handful of key talents to add to a group with a combination of experience and rising youth.

Liam Murphy, Marco Langon and Haftu Strintzos are most certainly going to be the main players for the Wildcats. Each of these men should be much stronger than they were last fall with each of them providing some much-needed low-stick potential.

Ryan Kredell, Xian Shiverly and Jack Fredian are the individuals who will be looking to fill the shoes of Jennings, O’Donovan and Phillips. If these latter three runners can hit the ground running, then we could see the men from outside of Philly upset a few of the nation's best.

Gavin: I wouldn’t go so far as to say that their performance at this meet will significantly alter the trajectory of their season, but I think this race will hold elevated importance for Stanford, regardless of whether they’re favored or not.

The Cardinal are coming off of an underwhelming finish to their 2022 fall campaign in which they looked like the national title favorites for much of the season.

This trip across the country to the campus of one of their future ACC foes will be Stanford’s first major test of this fall.

Will Cole Sprout return to form after battling injuries over the last academic year? Does Ky Robinson look like the contender for the individual national title that we suggested he could be? Will Lex and Leo Young make an immediate impact in their NCAA debuts? Can Robert DiDonato take the next step up to an All-American level? Will one of the sophomores emerge with scoring value?

Those are all questions the Stanford men will face, and potentially answer, this weekend. How they field those queries won’t necessarily tell us how they’ll fare in November, but it will give us a good idea of what this reconfigured Stanford team’s identity will be.

Maura: The answer to this question is hands down the Wake Forest men. After graduating a slew of men and losing some to the transfer portal (who ventured elsewhere for graduate school), the Demon Deacons are in need of something big this weekend.

Last fall, the Wake Forest men ended their season with a 5th place showing at the cross country national meet, missing out on the podium by a mere nine points. From that lineup, Coach John Hayes only returns Luke Tewalt and Rynard Swanepoel.

We'll admit, that's not something promising at first glance.

Hunter Jones and Rocky Hansen, two outstanding national-caliber athletes, will both suit up in the black and gold this weekend. They'll also be joined by 3:39 (1500) man Paul Specht as well as a handful of other highly promising international underclassmen.

This team is insanely talented and has great pedigree, but will their youth and inexperience catch up to them? It will be fascinating to see what they can do on Saturday.

Finn: I’m with Maura on this one. It has to be Wake Forest.

After so many key departures, the Demon Deacons were essentially forced into a complete rebuild. Fortunately for them, they have been quietly assembling one of the best young groups in the nation over the last couple of years.

Rocky Hansen and Hunter Jones were nothing short of superb on the high school circuit while international returners such as Joseph O'Brien and Paul Specht had themselves cracking outdoor track seasons.

If Wake Forest wants to get themselves back into the limelight, these younger guys will have to step up big time. Luckily for them, they are being led by one of the most dynamic runners in the country, Luke Tewalt.

Gavin: Probably the men from Seattle, Washington.

The Huskies feel like one of the teams with the widest range of outcomes relative to the continuity that they boast. Luke Houser is a stable piece toward the front of the lineup, but so many of their other high-upside names come with quite a bit of variability, especially given the general middle distance focus of this roster.

Tyrone Gorze is an aerobic-centric name that bucks that trend, but the uncertainty with him comes from his freshman status.

Sam Affolder, Leo Daschbach and Nathan Green are all mainstays who came in as more track-focused athletes, although the latter ran major marks over the spring and won a national title. That could make him borderline elite this fall if he can translate that fitness to the grass.

Of course, that’s a big “if.”

Not to mention, this team didn’t start their 2022 fall campaign super hot.

Maura: I like Gavin’s pick of Washington, but I’m a bit more unsure of the Michigan men.

The Wolverines were the runner-up finishers at the BIG 10 XC Championships and qualified for the NCAA XC Championships. Finishing amongst the top-half of the field at the national meet would’ve been a solid day for Michigan, but things didn’t pan out that way as the blue and maize fell to 29th place.

Tom Brady, Nick Foster, Luke Venhuizen and Jack Spamer all return for another season and gained valuable experience competing at the national cross country meet last fall. Big Blue also added a key middle lineup piece in Duke transfer Owen MacKenzie, but he's not listed in the entries. The same could be said for Oli Raimond and Zach Stewart who are also absent from the list of entered individuals.

This team still has a handful of great talents racing on Saturday, but we don't have a great idea of what this lineup is going to look like after the first few names.

Finn: The team I’m the most uncertain about is the team that I just said needs a big weekend!

With a number of departures, Wake Forest is going to have a totally new look. The squad is going to be heavily reliant on underclassmen, many of whom have yet to put on a gold and black singlet.

While the group’s talent is undeniable, their experience is nearly nonexistent. For me, the major uncertainty lies in how quickly these youngsters will adapt to the NCAA. It's clear that the likes of Hunter Jones and Rocky Hansen will be key contributors to the squad in the future, but it's unclear whether they will have to step up and begin their contribution this weekend.

The only certainty for the Demon Deacons is Luke Tewalt. The multiple-time All-American (across seasons) is going to have to lead by example and hope that this group of extremely talented youngsters can follow suit.

Gavin: The Utah State Aggies, who we have listed in the “Honorable Mentions” section of our preseason top-25 team rankings, could really use a strong showing against this deep field.

The men of Logan, Utah compete in the stacked Mountain region, a setting in which they placed 8th last year. Needless to say, it would go a long way for the Aggies to perform well in their first major meet of the season across the country.

If they can take advantage of a field where certain teams aren't entering full lineups, but still have "A"-team worthy groups, then Utah State could earn valuable Kolas points.

Maura: So my brother doesn’t disown me, I'll say that Utah State will need a good team performance this weekend to help them get out of the tough Mountain region come the postseason. And yes, it's largely for all of the same reasons that Gavin outlined above.

Finn: Without wishing to sound like a broken record, it has to be Utah State.

This certainly isn't the first time we have seen them voyage across the country in the hope of collecting Kolas points. The Aggies did a terrific job last year at the Paul Short Invitational, so lets hope they can conjure up a similar performance and earn some much needed points.

It was probably smart for them to come out to this meet. Saturday could yield a lot of Kolas points if they can take advantage of certain teams who don't have all of their top men.

Gavin: Provided that a few teams aren’t racing their full varsity lineups, it feels like up to four different men could realistically win this race.

That starts with NAU stud Drew Bosley and Stanford ace Ky Robinson, two men who were excellent throughout the 2022-23 academic year. I also think that Parker Wolfe has to be included in that conversation, especially given that he has prior experience on this course. Cole Sprout at least deserves a mention as well.

I think Drew Bosley is the athlete who I feel the most confident about winning a national title (and winning this weekend) despite his seemingly injury-based absence this past spring. The NCAA record holder over 3000 meters probably has a higher floor than Robinson and teammate Nico Young as well as greater upside than names like Casey Clinger and Wolfe.

Maura: It’s always so difficult to choose a winner of a race this early in the season. Gavin didn’t make this any easier as he already chose four of the five men who I had in mind.

But for that fifth spot in my potential winner list is Charlotte’s Nickolas Scudder. The senior has experience on his side in not only knowing how to win, but also in that he has won a race on this Panorama Farms cross country course before.

Scudder, a 28:28 (10k) runner used to fly under the radar, but he's been outstanding during the regular season throughout his career. Keep that in mind for Saturday's race.

In response to the second question, I have to agree with Gavin. NAU’s Drew Bosley has all the aerobic tools to win this meet.

Finn: I will be completely honest. I don't think there is much more to add to the conversation. The four individuals stated above (Bosley, Robinson, Wolfe and Sprout) feel like the surefire contenders when it comes to the individual race and it is certainly difficult to see anyone disrupt their pack.

But if anyone can crash the party, then I believe that it's Villanova veteran, Haftu Strintzos.

The Wildcat ace is well-established on the grass, notably finishing 9th place at the 2021 NCAA XC Championships. While we haven’t seen the best from him since then, his track season this past spring suggests that he is finding his footing once more.

The Aussie standout is an aerobic powerhouse when healthy, so I don't think it's out of the question to suggest he can mix it with these guys. Strintzos may not quite have the accolades of the individuals listed above, but he will be looking to prove that he is back to his best. A good result this weekend will show the nation just that.

In terms of the individual favorite, I think Gavin made the perfect argument for Bosley.

Gavin: I don’t know if it would qualify as a true breakout, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Aidan Troutner emerged among the lead pack in this race.

The former NXN champion has made measurable strides over his last couple collegiate seasons, including finishing in the top-50 at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships. He was arguably capable of more in his 2022 season finale and his TSR #29 placement in our preseason top-50 individual rankings reflects that.

As an NCAA veteran, I could see Troutner taking another leap, this time in September.

Maura: He had a breakout season on the track and since transferring from Cornell to Syracuse, Perry Mackinnon could carry that over to the grass.

Yes, Mackinnon has qualified for the cross country national meet twice, but he didn’t have the greatest showings, finishing 173rd (2021) and 124th (2022). Since then, the newly-minted Orange runner has only gotten better. Mackinnon has PRs of 13:33 (5k) and 28:33 (10k). If he taps into those performances, then a top-10 finish at the Virginia Invite is possible.

Finn: I think 2023 is going to be the year of Marco Langon.

The Villanova star showed glimpses of greatness throughout his freshman year in cross. And while he wasn't perfect, a 4th place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships showcased just how high his ceiling could be. This was then bettered by a terrific 19th place at the U20 World XC Championships.

The rising sophomore has continued to build on his rookie cross country season, clocking times of 3:58 in the mile (outdoors) and 13:47 (5k) while racing unattached. With momentum in his favor, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the New Jersey native turn some heads this weekend.

Gavin: All things equal, I was going to say Colorado is the favorite on the women’s side, particularly over the 5k distance. However, there are too many absences from this team in the entries. And while the Northern Arizona women aren't devoid of absences from their projected postseason lineup, the Lumberjacks figure to have more stability and a higher baseline for success.

Most notably, the ‘Jacks will have three key low-sticks -- Elise Stearns, Gracelyn Larkin and Annika Reiss -- competing on Saturday. I would say that they're expected to win by about 10 points for a good round number (or perhaps just a smidge under).

This will be a great opportunity for the women of NAU to back up their TSR #2 preseason team ranking, signifying that they’re getting closer to the level of the men’s program in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Maura: Colorado might not have Natalie Cook, Bailey Hertenstein or Marlee Starliper for this weekend, but between Emily Covert, Ella Baran and Samree Dishon, the Buffaloes are a top-notch program compared to the rest of the entries.

I really wanted to root for the NAU women this weekend, but as Coach Mike Smith usually does, he doesn’t always field his top athletes every meet. Ruby Smee and Maisie Grice, for example, aren’t making the trek to Virginia.

However, with Elise Stearns, Gracelyn Larkin and Annika Reiss at the front of this lineup, the Lumberjacks could certainly secure a win on Saturday. That firepower is seemingly just as good as the Colorado trio that I mentioned above.

I think I still like Colorado's projected scoring five a touch more than I do for NAU's top-five. And for that reason, I think I'll give the Buffs the nod to win by about 10-ish points.

Finn: I think it's going to be remarkably close, especially with both NAU and Colorado not fielding full lineups. That being said, I’m going to give the edge to the Buffs.

While I think Gavin makes a fantastic point about the Lumberjacks being more stable, but I think the mix of experience and upside that Colorado has could favor them. Emily Covert will be a perfect guide for newcomers, Karrie Baloga and Samree Dishon and the 5k distance is certainly going to favor the fresh faces.

As I mentioned, I think the team scores are going to come down to be extremely tight, so I'm going to say that Colorado wins by five points.

Gavin: The Tar Heel women seem poised to thrive in this setting. They will be among the teams with the shortest distance to travel for this meet and they will also have some of the most familiarity with this course.

With Kelsey Harrington and Brynn Brown, North Carolina has a strong and relatively proven, if not dominant, top-two. That group should provide them with a solid baseline, although Sasha Neglia is not racing this weekend and neither is rookie ace Ciara O'Shea.

The ‘Heels seem like a top-three team on Saturday, even without Neglia, and I wouldn't be totally shocked if they finished ahead of Colorado.

Maura: As surprising as this may be, the Stanford women have the potential to outperform their TSR #9 rank. Between the promising underclassmen, proven veterans like Lucy Jenks and Zofia Dudek, and the highly anticipated debut of Amy Bunnage, the women of Stanford could catch the competition by surprise this weekend.

And yes, I think that they could exceed their TSR #9 ranking despite Irene Riggs not being listed in the entries.

Riley Stewart is a much better support scorer than some people may realize and true freshman Sophia Kennedy looked great in an early-season rust-buster. Yes, there are plenty of questions surrounding this team, but their talent is borderline overwhelming.

Finn: I’m with Maura on this one.

Looking at their lineup, it's clear that Stanford has come to play. Amy Bunnage is making her long-awaited collegiate debut and she will have proven Cardinal star Zofia Dudek to accompany her alongside fellow veteran Lucy Jenks.

Sophia Kennedy and Riley Stewart will also be back after making such promising starts to their seasons. Plus, with a handful of other women returning to the grass this fall, it's hard to see Stanford having a truly poor race.

Based on the lineup alone, I feel like Stanford is ready to send a strong message to the entire nation that they can be podium threats (even without Irene Riggs).

Gavin: The Michigan State Spartans hold a relatively lofty preseason post (TSR #13) given that they barely snuck into the top-20 at last year’s NCAA XC Championships. But the reigning BIG 10 team champions have someone who potentially profiles as a singular low-stick talent, Katie Osika, and they return the entirety of their top-five scorers from the conference stage.

Does that make the Spartans worthy of the lofty preseason posting we assigned them? A strong performance would seemingly validate it. That kind of continuity should help them fare well in certain regular season settings and larger fields like this one.

The biggest x-factor on this squad is former prep star and Arkansas transfer Taylor Ewert. She could significantly raise the ceiling in East Lansing, Michigan if she can get near her potential.

Maura: Ohio State was a team that was on my radar heading into the fall, although their 2022 campaign looked like it was split into two different seasons. From a consistency standpoint, it would be great if the Buckeyes could validate why they deserve our TSR #14 ranking.

Addie Engel is clearly a contender for the individual title this weekend. And while Ohio State's early-season rust-buster was oddly poor (largely due to illness), we don't foresee that being an issue on Saturday.

Daniella Santos and Andrea Kuhn are a dynamic duo and they should give the Buckeyes some wiggle room at the latter-half of their lineup. That area in particular is the group that truly needs to prove themselves the most.

If things play out as they should for the women of Ohio State, then their TSR ranking will be justified. If not, then Garrett, Finn and I will go back to the drawing board.

Finn: Providence's 16th place finish at last year's NCAA XC Championships was relatively on par with how we thought they would do. This year, however, they have transcended that result, earning a preseason ranking at TSR #12.

This jump is largely due to their athlete's success on the track and their mass number of returners. But as we know, track marks don't always translate to the grass, so in my eyes, the Friars have to prove that they can excel on both surfaces.

Milers Shannon Flockhart and Kimberly May are going to be crucial in determining the success of this team. If the can close the gap between them and Jane Buckley, then their scoring potency will skyrocket.

The Friars won't have Annabelle Eastman for this weekend, but if Laura Mooney can get back to her 2021 form, then this is a team with a good balance of firepower and depth.

Gavin: This will be an important race for the distance contingent from Palo Alto, California as I also designated the Stanford men as my answer for this question.

Despite being one of the more talented teams on the west coast and beyond in 2022, the Cardinal women finished a disappointing (by their standards) 4th place at the PAC-12 XC Championships and 13th at the national meet last fall.

Luckily, they return their top low-stick, Zofia Dudek, and are incorporating some elite recruits (Amy Bunnage and Irene Riggs). A strong start to this season would do wonders for this team’s confidence as they aim to accumulate momentum and experience.

But admittedly, I don’t feel confident about what this team will look like or how good they can be until we see them race on Saturday, and perhaps not even then. As further testament to that point, Riggs was not listed among the entries.

Maura: The women of Georgetown are in a slight rebuilding year after the departures of Grace Jensen, Sami Corman and Katy-Ann McDonald, three women who competed at the 2022 cross country national meet. Yes, there is a long line of history for the Hoyas, but will the returners and newcomers be in over their heads in Virginia?

Veteran Maggie Donahue is back and should offer great scoring when teaming up with Chloe Scrimgeour. With a seemingly strong supporting cast of Kelsey Swenson, Melissa Riggins and Chloe Gonzalez, we could see a surprisingly good finish here...or we could see the Georgetown women fade in the team standings.

Honestly, I just don't know which is why they are my answer to this question.

Finn: As Maura outlined, the women of Georgetown are in a challenging spot. In the space of a year, the Hoya's scoring potential completely shifts after losing three big-time contributors. While they have the returners and rising talent to be nationally competitive again, I’m just not sure how they will shape up, particularly in the early phases of the season.

Now, I don't suspect this uncertainty will be a feeling I have for the entirety of the season, but until they find their grove, I can't help but have some questions.

Gavin: I think the home-course advantage is a fairly significant advantage, perhaps worthy of an answer of “7”, given that many of the top teams in this meet are coming from the western side of the country.

The UVA women have undoubtedly studied this course closely, both consciously and subconsciously, having trained and raced on it before and they are preparing to host the national meet here in two months.

The Cavaliers figure to be toward the top of the team race at this meet with both their men and women, though I’m more bullish on the latter. They should gladly take any boost or added comfort that they can get as they look to set a tone on the NCAA Championships course.

Maura: I’m going to go with a 6 out of 10 for the women of Virginia having an advantage by competing on their home course.

Knowing the nooks and crannies of the course should prove to be beneficial as the Cavaliers race against some of the nation’s best in Northern Arizona, Colorado and Stanford. And for a team that is fielding two freshmen on Saturday (neither of which are Tatum David), giving them some familiarity in a field this big should be huge.

Finn: I agree with Gavin. A home course advantage is a fantastic edge to have. I’m actually going to go as far as giving it an “8” in regard to importance.

It's great to be familiar with how the course flows. That is, after all, why teams across the nation are traveling to Charlottesville this weekend. But I think another key advantage to consider, particularly for the early stages of the season, is the fact that Virginia doesn’t have to travel to face top competition.

Travel can really take it out of athletes, plus the west coast teams will have to adjust to a multi-hour time change. With there being little to separate between many of the nation's top teams, a small advantage like this most certainly works in the Cavalier’s favor.

Gavin: I’d say up to three or four. I’m less confident in pinning down which individuals are true contenders in this race compared to the men’s field. I think the top women here are Elise Stearns, Zofia Dudek and Addie Engel. I probably feel best about the former and latter.

And if you forced me to choose, I would say Stearns.

Whoever wins this race will walk away with an abundance of confidence and perhaps vault themselves into dark horse national title contention. However, it seems highly unlikely that the NCAA champion will emerge from this field.

That’s largely because the top-five names in our TSR preseason rankings, most notably Katelyn Tuohy and Parker Valby, are absent from this race.

Maura: Elise Stearns (NAU), Ella Baran (Colorado), Addie Engel (Ohio State), Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona) Kelsey Harrington (North Carolina), Emily Covert (Colorado), Amina Maatoug (Duke) and Margot Appleton (Virginia) are the names running through my mind right now as I analyze potential contenders for the individual win this weekend.

But if I were to choose someone from my list above to make a run for the title, pun intended, then I’m picking Stearns. She's the most proven and was highly consistent at an elite level last fall. She was incredible on larger stages.

Finn: I think Gavin and Maura have hit the nail on the head in terms of the individual contenders. However, I more specifically want to highlight Duke’s Amina Maatoug.

The Dutch distance star was a pleasant surprise last fall, bursting onto the scene with a comfortable win over Margot Appleton at this very meet. Since then, she has only gotten better, putting in consistent performance after consistent performance. The Blue Devil ace will be looking to utilize her track speed in an attempt to upset some of the main protagonists.

And after gaining massive momentum, as well as valuable experience, throughout last year, I'll say that Maatoug pulls off the (minor) upset and secures the win on Saturday.

Gavin: I like Chloe Scrimgeour’s trajectory entering this race. We last saw her snag a backend All-American spot over 5000 meters at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She was a stable, borderline low-stick on the grass a year ago and could be ready for a star turn this fall starting with a top-10 result this weekend.

Maura: Jane Buckley of Providence is one to keep an eye on. The rising sophomore was on fire last fall in the postseason as she won the BIG East XC Championships and finished 3rd at the Northeast XC Regional Championships. Buckley wasn’t able to capitalize on her conference and regional success at the cross country national meet as she was just out of All-American honors with her 49th place finish.

Even so, the Friar talent brings with her a 15:41 (5k) PR to the cross country course this fall and she now has valuable experience competing on the national stage. For Buckley, this weekend could be the race that gives her confidence for the remainder of the season.

Finn: I promise I'm not just copying Maura! But Jane Buckley has been on my watch list for a while and I believe her time is now.

Her 2022 fall campaign was superb and since then, you could argue that she's only gotten better. The Friar underclassman excelled on the track this past year, earning a 13th place finish over 5000 meters at her first NCAA Outdoor Championships.

With plenty of experience gained over the course of the year, I believe that Buckley will take that next step towards All-American status. A strong showing here would most certainly send her on her way to achieving that honor.

via Garrett Zatlin

NOTE: Not all teams are fielding fully-stacked lineups. Click here to see entries.

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