TSR Collaboration
Oct 21, 202014 min
Maura: I’ve got to go with a 7 out of 10 given that the Oklahoma State men didn’t even qualify for NCAA’s last fall.
This abbreviated season has been great for OK State. Isai Rodriguez has bounced back from a disappointing finish to his 2019 season to prove that him finishing 4th at the 2018 national meet will not be a once-in-a-lifetime finish.
Sophomore Alex Maier has also impressed us in his two meets this season as he has made a clear jump in fitness. Breakout runner Victor Shitsama and veteran Ryan Smeeton have done a great job of offering reliable scoring while freshman Ryan Schoppe gives the Cowboys a complete top five.
Finishing only six points behind NAU and 17 points ahead of BYU this past weekend (in the standard, non-altered results) has to give the Cowboys confidence heading into the BIG 12 Championships and the winter cross country season that may transpire in early 2021.
Eric: Let's be honest. The Cowboys had a rough 2019 and on paper, they were clearly better than that, so I'll give them a 5.
Battling injuries, the Pokes had to work with what they had last year and they ultimately fell short of expectations. The thing they needed the most in 2020 was a clean slate and luckily for them, this season gave them that opportunity without the pressure of a national meet looming in the background.
A healthy Isai Rodriguez, the addition of Ryan Schoppe and the emergence of Victor Shitshama has allowed Oklahoma State to flip the script from last season. They will try to take down the Iowa State Cyclones for the second time this season at the historic Rim Rock Farm course which will serve as the host to the BIG 12 Championships this year.
Garrett: I’ll give them a 6. I think Eric hit the nail on the head. Their 2019 season was flat-out not good. The Oklahoma State men struggled with injuries and still had to develop the backend of their lineup. When they are healthy and at their best, they are going to be competitive -- there is just too much talent on this roster for them not to be.
Even though I expected Rodriguez and Smeeton to run as well as they have been, I don’t think anyone saw Victor Shitsama emerging as a top scorer, Alex Maier making a huge freshman to sophomore jump and Ryan Schoppe contributing as a major top-five scorer as a true freshman.
It would be less surprising if just one of those things happened this season, but for all of that to happen in the span of a single year is extremely impressive. It’s not that I didn’t think Oklahoma State would be better this year, but I’m not sure I expected them to be this much better.
Brian: Although they were racing at home, I have to give the Oklahoma State men an 8 out of 10 for how shocked I was after seeing the results. It's clear that the talent was always there, but after a lackluster 2019 campaign that finished with not a single qualifier to the NCAA Championships, I was surprised to see the Cowboys hanging with the NAUs and BYUs of the world.
I think we can agree that NAU and BYU have separated themselves from the rest of the competition over the past few years, so to see an Oklahoma State team challenge them (no matter the circumstances) is surprising. Like many, I was someone who saw the results and was shocked.
Obviously, the Cowboys have their low-stick in Rodriguez, but I’m excited to see how their young talent progresses as they will determine the Cowboys' success in future races.
Ben: I agree with Brian and will go with an 8 out of 10.
This is a team, with the exception of Ryan Schoppe, that has not changed from last year’s disappointing season. Sure, they dealt with injuries and had Smeeton coming back late after running at the World Championships, but we did not see Shitsama or Maier taking these huge steps forward.
I expected Maier to be a big contributor this year, but I did not see him running as well as he has so far in only his second season in Stillwater. For the Cowboys to get as much out of Ryan Schoppe during his freshman year is also something that I did not expect.
Like Garrett said, the talent was clearly there, but I did not expect this team to take this big of a step forward in 2020.
Michael: I will give the Cowboys a 6 out of 10. Their 2019 season was pretty weak, and that surely lit a fire underneath them to make 2020 a comeback year.
With essentially the same lineup as last year, Oklahoma State has turned things around. I was surprised to see them finish so well against NAU and BYU this past weekend based on last year's results, but what keeps me from giving them a "surprise score" higher than a 6 on this question is that I knew they should be capable of competing at this level.
Whatever you want to call their 2019 season -- a fluke, a disappointment or a downright disaster -- shouldn't really matter. This is a strong team. Isai Rodriguez has finished 4th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships (2018) and Ryan Smeeton is one of the best steeplechasers in the NCAA.
To see the Cowboys come back and have such a strong showing is somewhat surprising based on last year's performances, but on paper, they should be one of the better teams we see in 2020 and beyond.
Maura: For the men, I wish that Sam Worley of Texas would’ve raced at the Arturo Barrios Invitational. Worley took a nasty fall at the Husky Classic earlier in the year during the indoor track season, ultimately fracturing his tibia, so he is almost surely still rebounding from that injury.
This past weekend, Texas easily won the Arturo Barrios Invitational with a string of seven underclassmen. Despite the relatively easy win, it would’ve been fun to see how an established All-American like Worley would’ve done alongside teammates such as Haftu Knight, Crayton Carrozza and a slew of freshmen.
For the women, Oklahoma State’s Molly Born not competing is disappointing. Born had a breakout season in 2019, ultimately finishing 16th at the NCAA Championships. Unfortunately, she has been absent from competition this fall.
All-American teammate Taylor Somers hasn’t put up stellar performance the last two meets, but Taylor Roe and Gabby Hentemann are solidifying themselves as #1 and #2 for the Cowgirls (at least for this season). If Born is healthy, she has the potential to finish not only right with her teammates, but also amongst the top-10 individuals in the entire NCAA.
Eric: The PAC-12 hasn't approved XC competition for their schools/athletes this fall, but the Colorado men and women participated unattached at Oklahoma State this past Saturday, so I'm taking them into consideration for this question.
On the men’s side, I am going to take Kashon Harrison. After having a breakout freshman year, I would have liked to see him compete in a smaller, top-heavy field this past weekend where the first few places are much more valuable in the team scoring, especially against the likes of perennial title contenders such as BYU and NAU.
This would have been a nice start to this year after finishing his freshman year at NCAA's in a disappointing 90th place overall. With Harrison and Mississippi State graduate transfer Stephen Jones in the lineup, the Buffs would have been much more competitive when scoring them as a team.
On the women's side, I am going to go with the entire NAU team. Coming off of a 14th place finish last season at NCAA's, it looks like they are starting to gain some traction as a top-ranked program. It was a shame that they didn't compete at Oklahoma State as that would have given them some valuable experience.
They would have been able to run on the eventual NCAA championship course as well as toe the line against a couple of respectable teams (mainly BYU, an underrated Southern Utah team and a limited Oklahoma State squad).
Brian: On the men’s side, I am going to go with Aidan Tooker who was a DNS at the Battle of Beantown. Coming off an injury-stricken junior year, Tooker is a top talent who was supposed to bring Syracuse back to "national contender" status with the addition of JP Trojan and the return of most of their 2019 team. That said, there is still potential that he races at the ACC Championships later this month.
On the women’s side, I am going to go with Katelyn Tuohy. Yes, I know she is a freshman who is probably taking things slow to start, but I’m disappointed to not see arguably the greatest female athlete in high school history not compete yet.
I’m sure we are all wondering how she will fair against a higher level of competition. Tuohy should be a force within the NCAA based on her high school resume, so I’m disappointed that NC State hasn’t unleashed their new star yet.
Ben: For the men, I have to agree again with Brian and say Aidan Tooker. The potential that this Syracuse runner has is so tantalizing and that is what makes his absence more difficult to deal with.
I also wish we had the opportunity to see Ezekiel Kibichii (Rop) run with his new Iowa State teammates. He does not have eligibility to run for the Cyclones this year due to transfer rules, but I would have liked to see where his fitness is at and how the Iowa State lineup looks with him next to Banguria (Kiptoo).
Another runner I am disappointed that we have not seen yet is Joyce Kimeli. The Auburn ace was really starting to find her form by the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. She was ranked at TSR #5 in our preseason rankings and could have made a case to jump into our top-three with some good performances this fall.
Michael: While I am not surprised that we haven’t seen him, I’ve been itching to see Nico Young line up with his NAU teammates.
Coach Mike Smith almost assuredly wants to play the long game with Young, as is the smart move with an athlete who has the potential to be one of the best distance runners we’ve seen since Edward Cheserek.
However, with this season not counting for eligibility purposes, and the BIG Sky not hosting a conference meet this fall, it would have been exciting to see Nico Young race at Oklahoma State this past weekend just to test out his fitness. We’ll have to wait a little longer to see him in action, but it won’t be any less exciting once we do.
On the women’s side, I’ll take a similar approach and go with the NC State duo of Katelyn Tuohy and Marlee Starliper.
Just like Nico Young, I am not surprised that these two have yet to race and the delay will likely benefit their long-term development. Even so, as two of the top incoming freshmen in the NCAA, this NC State lineup will not be complete until these two race.
The Wolfpack have the potential to be a podium team and compete for a national title. This freshman duo would likely contribute to that success, so I am very interested to see how they will fit into that lineup.
Garrett: I’ll echo Ben's and Brian’s thoughts on Aidan Tooker. There is still a slim chance that he makes an appearance at the ACC Championships later this month, but him not racing this season has been a bit of a bummer. In theory, he gives this team a strong 1-2-3 punch alongside JP Trojan and Joe Dragon.
As for the women, I could easily say Tuohy and Starliper, but I wasn’t always convinced that they were going to run this season (much like Nico Young). Instead, I’ll agree with Ben and say Joyce Kimeli of Auburn. She is so incredibly talented and super underappreciated when it comes to the best women’s distance runners in the NCAA.
We had her ranked at TSR #5 for a reason coming into this season, so not seeing her compete this year is definitely a bummer as we thought she could have won the SEC title (although it is still very possible that she could make an appearance at the SEC Championships later this month).
Maura: The Virginia men have proven themselves in a big way during this altered season. After graduating plenty of top runners, it was difficult to gauge where the Cavaliers were going to be amongst the top teams in the NCAA this fall. However, they have put together three solid performances so far this season against respectable competition.
Rohann Asfaw emerging as a true front-runner has been big for this team and underclassmen like Wes Porter and Bryson Crites have helped this team a ton.
The biggest success of Virginia’s season thus far has to be taking down the NC State men at the Wolfpack Invitational by a mere three points. The ACC Championships will be a real test for Virginia when they get to face off against NC State, Syracuse and Notre Dame (amongst others).
As for the women, we have already talked about Georgia Tech in Part One, but I will once again make my point that they have likely gained so much confidence during this abbreviated season. The ACC Championships will be Georgia Tech’s fourth time competing against FSU this season, but it will also be their first chance to race against UNC, Syracuse, Notre Dame and NC State.
With the way they have been racing, the Yellow Jackets could come away with a 2nd place finish later this month if they play their cards right.
Eric: The Arkansas men have taken all of their transfers that they accumulated during the offseason and have since formed a wildly impressive team. In both meets this year, they have shown a strong mix of firepower and depth which was most evident at the UAB Blazer Classic where they put their entire top seven in the top-12 places, taking down Ole Miss in the process.
The SEC allowing their teams to compete this fall has given us a lot more clarity on a squad that we had some questions about coming into this season.
As for the women, Tennessee as a team hasn't made a ton of headlines this season. However, if they stood on the sidelines this fall, then we would have had to wait to see juniors Katie Thronson and Sydney Seymour compete. They have both blossomed into top low-sticks in the SEC this year.
The Volunteers are a much improved squad from last season thanks to Olivia Janke, Abigail Smith and true freshman Kayla Gholar making the necessary adjustments this offseason. However, it's that 1-2 punch that has really given a the Volunteers an encouraging boost of firepower.
The SEC Championships will be the litmus test for this up-and-coming squad.
Garrett: I like to think that the Kentucky men have gained the most from this altered cross country season. They haven’t been overshadowed by the grand success of powerhouse teams from other conferences and I like feel like that has probably given them some confidence moving forward.
A handful of freshmen have been responsible for a lot of the Wildcats’ scoring this season and although they haven’t faced elite competition yet, they have still found a nice medium where they can take down teams in competitive fields without being overwhelmed by superstar talents.
When it comes to building momentum and the future success of this Kentucky program, I think this altered cross country is exactly what this group needed.
As for the women, I’ll actually go with the UNC Tar Heels. This has been a HUGE season for them in terms of experience. We’ve talked a ton about the exciting potential of NC State’s recruiting class, but the freshmen for UNC have been far more impressive.
Freshman Sasha Neglia not only looks like a true front-runner, but also one of the best low-sticks in the entire ACC. In her three meets so far this year, she has won twice and lost only to the NC State duo of Steelman and Clairmonte at the Wolfpack Invitational. Not only that, but the experience that freshmen like Kelsey Harrington, Taryn Parks and Sarah Trainor are getting in these smaller fields has to be massively beneficial.
The younger runners still get to learn from (and race with) a top talent like Paige Hofstad, but they aren’t being overwhelmed by the elite competition that most teams would be facing during a normal season. It’s a happy medium.
From a developmental perspective, I think this season actually worked out perfectly for the North Carolina women.
Brian: I think this question reaffirms to me that the Oklahoma State men proved that they belong in the top-tier of the NCAA. The Cowboys showed how quickly a team can turn around a disappointing season and what better way to showcase their ability than against the top teams in the country.
I think this Oklahoma State squad had a chip on their shoulder from last year and wanted to prove that they are a force to be dealt with. Sure enough, I think they proved that against the Colorados, NAUs and BYUs of the world last weekend.
For the women, I think that the NC State women have already proven that they are silly good, and the funny part about it is that they haven’t even brought out their two new studs in Touhy and Starliper yet.
The NC State women have proven (to some extent) that they don’t necessarily need these two elite youngsters to compete at a high level and I think that is a scary reality for the rest of the NCAA.
Ben: I’m upset that I’m getting to this question late because everyone has picked some great teams. The two teams on the men’s side that have improved their stock the most have to be Virginia and Oklahoma State.
Virginia went from a team that I thought could have missed NCAA’s during a normal year to a team that will be in the middle of our next Top 25 when every program returns to competition. Rohann Asfaw has been a revelation and the team’s depth has been far better than expected.
We've already talked a lot about Oklahoma State, but I think one of the hardest jumps in the NCAA is to go from a top-20 team to a podium contender. The Cowboys have made that improvement effortlessly, and they deserve plenty of praise for that.
Also, I want to give a honorable mention to the Wake Forest men who have impressed without Zach Facioni and a few other backend scorers this fall.
As for the women, Iowa State’s squad put down an excellent performance at the Cowboy Jamboree a few weeks ago and have positioned themselves to win the BIG 12 title later this season. Although Oklahoma State has not looked quite as strong as we expected, the Cyclones easily beat the Cowgirls on their home course and they look like a team that isn't completely carried by front-runner Cailie Logue.
I also want to echo Garrett's point on the UNC women. These freshmen have done incredibly well and I think part of the reason why is because these smaller fields are far less intimidating than if the Tar Heels had run at meets like Pre-Nats or Nuttycombe. Sasha Neglia looks like the real deal and I see her being a major factor at the ACC Championships later this month.
Michael: The Duke men have shown that they are quickly becoming a contender at the ACC and Southeast regional levels. They finished 2nd behind Virginia at the Panorama Farms Invitational this past weekend by only a few points.
The ACC is always one of the deepest conferences in the NCAA, but Duke is not typically in the picture. However, I would say that the Blue Devils have greatly benefitted from the ACC holding a season this year as it has given this squad a chance to put themselves in a good position going into the rest of the year, including the proposed winter cross country season.
Duke has a pretty tight pack of guys who don’t exactly jump off the page when you compare them to other top teams. However, when they line up together, they all seem to bring their best. This will be a team to watch at the ACC Championships later this month as they attempt to break up the traditionally dominant programs.
As for the women, the Arkansas Razorbacks have had some great opportunities to race as a much different team than what we saw last year when they won the national title.
The Arkansas women lost four All-Americans from last fall: Katie Izzo, Taylor Werner, Devin Clark and Carina Viljoen. Losses to that extent would often seem insurmountable for most teams.
Of course, Arkansas isn't like most teams.
While I'm not sure we have the Razorbacks winning another national title during the winter cross country season (if it happens), they have still run very well this fall and have shown that they can be one of the best teams in the nation with a drastically different lineup.