TSR Collaboration
Aug 2, 20206 min
Maura: Isaac Harding transitioning from Michigan to Grand Valley State as a graduate transfer was a surprise, maybe because you don’t often see athletes of his caliber move from the D1 level to the D2 level. This is a great pick up for GVSU as Harding will bring in valuable experience to an already solid program that will be out for an NCAA D2 title later this year (if there is a season).
Garrett: For me, I feel like Kieran Tuntivate is the easy answer. He was a star long distance runner at Harvard who was having a breakout year before the pandemic hit. I didn’t expect him to go all the way from Massachusetts to Texas and join a team that has thrived in an event like the mile, but has had limited success in the longer distances. Texas was the last place I would have guessed for Tuntivate, but it's certainly not a bad option.
Eric: I’m very surprised with Titus Lagat’s decision to make the switch from Middle Tennessee State to Lee University (D2). Lagat has a history of success at 800 meters and was part of a Middle Tennessee State program that has developed plenty of talented individuals as of late. I would have thought he would transfer to a more middle distance-oriented program, but Lee should still be happy to have another top runner to pair with star low-stick Christian Noble. This will allow the Flames to have one of the better 1-2 punches in the NCAA this year (at least for D2).
Sean: I don't necessarily have a singular name in mind, but it has been shocking to see seven Ivy athletes venture to South Bend to join the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It's not too crazy when you look at each runner individually, but the entire group heading there is a little unbelievable. For half of the Ivy league transfers to all go to one school at once really took me by surprise. It seems like a great choice by the Irish coaching staff, although I do wonder how they will utilize these elder athletes in the future.
Maura: Abby Nichols is a great fit for the Colorado women. Nichols has range from the 800 meters all the way up to the 6k in cross country. She seems to perform well on the grass, especially when you consider her 5th place finish at the loaded BIG 10 Championships last fall. Nichols was just one place shy of an All-American finish at the National Championships in 2019, but with some new training partners and a different environment, she could find herself in the top 40.
Colorado will need a solid group of women to lead them back into contention for a podium finish and Nichols might be who they are looking for.
Garrett: I’m going with Wesley Banguria. The future Iowa State Cyclone was a superstar at the JUCO level, dropping incredible times of 4:04 (mile), 7:51 (3k) and 13:43 (5k) this past winter. His resume already makes him one of the better distance runners in the NCAA and Iowa State has had an incredible amount of success with transfers, specifically from smaller and less prominent schools. That should bode well for someone like Banguria who may end up being the next Edwin Kurgat if he can regain his momentum from this past winter.
Eric: Stephen Jones moving from Starkville to Boulder is a change that most people would not be privy to when you consider that they are two very different places. Even so, Colorado has an underrated history of producing top steeplechasers (specifically on the women’s side) and Jones could be one of the better male steeplechasers to come through their program in the past decade (and beyond). Not only that, but he’s a perfect middle-lineup runner who can offer scoring stability for the Buffaloes this fall as they aim to return to the podium. On paper, this is a great fit for both Jones and Colorado.
Sean: I’m with Garrett because the addition of Wesley Banguria for Iowa State is huge for me. His times at 3k and 5k this past indoor season would have been just outside the national qualifying cutoff at the Division One level. The Cyclones integrate transfers into their program arguably better than any other team, so I’m excited to see what Banguria can do in such a strong group.
Maura: Yes, mainly because Roberts leaving Northwestern for Stanford makes the Cardinal the preseason title favorites (at least for me). Roberts is joining a handful of All-American candidates that know what it takes to compete at the highest level. At Northwestern, she didn’t have teammates that were posting the same times (or finishes) in the same races that she was in. However, running alongside Ella Donaghu and Jessica Lawson should benefit Roberts this cross country season.
Although Steelman transferring to NC State is big for a team that returns numerous athletes and brings in one of the best recruiting classes in the country, Stanford has the slight edge since they are expected to have more upfront firepower.
Garrett: If these two transfers had happened at the same time, I think this would have been a harder question to answer. But yes, ultimately, I think Roberts’ decision to join the Stanford women is a bigger deal. Donaghu and Lawson were already expected to be the best duo in the NCAA this year, so adding another woman who has finished inside the top-20 at the NCAA XC Championships is awfully exciting. That’s just an excessive amount of scoring potency which I feel gives the Cardinal women the edge in the national title conversation. That said, I’d be willing to hear an argument in favor of Steelman…
Sean: I actually think the Steelman move is the bigger deal when you consider that she keeps the national title race far more interesting and pulls Stanford away from being the overwhelming favorite. Steelman was the first huge name to move to a title contender this offseason and it elevated the Wolfpack into the "preseason favorites" category.
If Steelman doesn’t make this move, we wouldn’t care about the Roberts transfer to the degree that we do. Steelman creates a more powerful narrative when it comes to the national title race and I don’t think that should be discounted.
Maura: Stan Niesten -- hailing from the Netherlands and heading to Portland -- should help the Pilots after graduating some of their top runners. Niesten will only enter the NCAA scene with one full year of eligibility, but the impact he could make will not go unnoticed. His personal bests of 13:40 (5k) and 29:03 (10k) will be a major asset for Coach Rob Conner on the track. As for the cross country season, Niesten placed 30th at the 2019 European Cross Country Championships in December, indicating that he could be an All-American candidate later this fall.
Eric: West Texas A&M needs all the help they can get as they are in the very competitive South Central region (D2). Harry Louradour could provide some much needed scoring potency as he has run 14:48 over 5000 meters as well as having a solid showing at a few European U-18 Championships for France. He should be a key scorer for the Buffaloes this season as they look to solidify their place amongst the top D2 programs in the NCAA.
Garrett: I’ll go with the recent Eastern Kentucky addition of Ahmed Jaziri. On paper, Stan Niesten is the better runner and will certainly give Portland a massive scoring boost as a true low-stick. However, I don’t know if he’s enough to make Portland a top-10 team and I feel like they still would have qualified for Nationals without him.
That’s why I’m going with the addition of an 8:35 steeplechaser. Jaziri should be a huge help in getting the Colonels to the national meet later this year (if there is one). He still needs to prove his cross country prowess, but his resume suggests that he should be a top scorer which will be needed in order to keep EKU in the national qualifying conversation. Relatively speaking, I think he will have a bigger impact on the overall success of his team this year.
Sean: While I’m almost positive that he isn’t the biggest international name, I’m interested in how Cathal Doyle acclimates to life and training at Portland. He enters with personal bests of 3:42 (1500) and 4:02 (mile) and could really bolster Portland’s influence in the middle distance events.
The team also added 4:02 miler Chris Morzenti (as a graduate transfer) from UCLA who could be paired with Doyle in the mile/1500 distances. When you add veteran returner and 3:59 miler George Duggan to the mix, you get one of the better groups of collegiate milers in the NCAA...and maybe a great DMR.