The Group Chat: Transfer Tracker (Part One)

The NCAA Outdoor Championships have only just concluded, but the offseason is arguably the busiest time of the year for The Stride Report. Part of that is due to our construction of team and individual preseason cross country rankings, but the other part of that is due to all of the exciting transfer movements throughout the NCAA.

Below, a few of our TSR contributors were tasked with answering a few of the transfers that we've had so far this year. To see our full list of (reported) transfers, click here.

Maura: On the men’s side, I’ve got to go with CarLee Stimpfel from Saginaw Valley State to Michigan State as a graduate transfer.

Stimpfel was a dominant, and sometimes underappreciated, D2 runner who brings with him numerous All-American honors across across all three seasons. The Michigan State men might not be the powerhouse of the B1G 10 (although they're still nationally competitive), but with the loss of low-stick Morgan Beadlescomb, the addition of Stimpfel allows this team to limit the loss of points on the grass.

The newest Spartan has excellent consistency and is a gutsy runner who is capable of eventually being a low-stick, two things that should make the biggest relative transfer impact in the NCAA this year.

For the women, how do you not pick Sydney Seymour going from Tennessee to NC State? Seymour will be joining one of the deepest women’s distance programs in the NCAA as a realistic low-stick and after the recent success that she has had on both the cross country course and the track, she could find her way into the team's top-five (which theoretically makes her an All-American on this team).

Her 15:34 (5k) mark on the track this past outdoor season speaks for itself when you add her to the Wolfpack roster.

Garrett: When it comes to the women's transfers, I think I would agree with Maura and say Seymour. If she's not the best reported transfer distance talent this year, then she's certainly close to it. And when you think about how she solidifies the Wolfpack as legitimate favorites to repeat as cross country team champions, it's hard to dismiss her future impact.

I do think there is a very realistic argument here for Katy-Ann McDonald given her wildly impressive versatility, elite middle distance marks and ability to act as a reliable scorer for a Georgetown cross country team that needed more scoring potency on the grass.

On the men's side, I think I'll go with Titus Winders. The former Southern Indiana star is going to Iowa State, and the Cyclones desperately needed to add someone of his caliber.

Despite placing 2nd at the NCAA XC Championships last fall, Iowa State still loses Wesley Kiptoo, Festus Lagat, Thomas Pollard and Ryan Ford -- four men who finished in the top-50 of the national meet back in November.

 Winders' doesn't need to be a superstar. He just needs to offer strong, consistent and steady scoring that keeps a cohesive lineup. And on paper, Winders can do exactly that for an Iowa State team that is trying to stay nationally competitive.

Gavin: While I think the most talented men's transfers ended up at Washington, it’s unlikely that any of those names will have the greatest impact at their new school given the Huskies’ already immense depth and success in distance events on the track. Plus, the limited cross country eligibility doesn't help.

I’ll go with Benjamin Nibbelink to Wisconsin. Arguably the less heralded of the two Virginia Tech departees, Nibbelink has the opportunity to step-in as a major x-factor for this Wisconsin distance program with Olin Hacker departing.

Nibbelink has solid range with a 3:58 mile PR and a 7:56 PR for 3000 meters, but he can also become the first nationally competitive steeplechaser that Wisconsin has had in years. That notion seems crazy given the Badgers’ longstanding status as one of the NCAA’s top distance programs, but the potential upside that he can bring across all three seasons is promising.

On the women's side, I’ll go with the biggest (and arguably best) distance talent even though she won’t spend much time at her new program. Despite Washington’s hoard of elite men’s transfers, their most elite pickup is probably steeplechaser Kayley DeLay.

She’ll be the national title favorite (albeit, not overwhelmingly) to win the steeple next year and potentially break Courtney Wayment’s new NCAA record. She could also very much be an All-American threat in the 1500 meters or the 5000 meters meters if she chose to contend those distances to maximize scoring potential.

However, if we just focus on her steeple prowess alone, she brings monster firepower.

Maura: Caroline Timm on the women’s side is a name that isn’t getting as much attention as she deserves. Timm will be making the move from Princeton to Kennesaw State and could ultimately have a noticeable impact.

This past spring season, we saw the true rise of Timm as she ran to new PRs in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters, running outstanding times of 2:04 and 4:13, respectively. Her 4:14 performance was enough to send her to the NCAA Outdoor Championships where she was able to pick up some valuable national meet experience.

At Kennesaw State, Timm will have the opportunity to train alongside middle distance veteran Sarah Hendrick and she could continue to see drops in time, leading to the Owls having one of the best duos in the NCAA next year.

Karl Winter transferring from Pepperdine to Syracuse is quietly a big move. Winter ramped up his racing a bit this season and was rewarded with personal bests across the board, all the from the 800 meters up to the 5k. His 3:39 (1500) and 13:46 (5k) personal bests standout on his resume, making him a somewhat uniquely versatile fit.

Joining a relatively historical program at Syracuse, he will benefit from having all year to train for the outdoor track season after exhausting his cross country and indoor track eligibility. That time, in theory, will allow him to acclimate to a new training environment.

Garrett: I'm a big fan of both of Maura's picks, but if I'm going to be different, I'll say Cas Kopmels. The Mount Olive runner is going to Wingate and on paper, he could change/amplify Wingate within the D2 scene during cross country.

As an underclassman, Kopmels has run personal bests of 8:18 (3k), 14:15 (5k) and 29:32 (10k). He was also one of the top cross country runners in his conference and now joins a Wingate program that brings back a ton of really strong younger talents. This Wingate team placed 6th as a team at the NCAA XC Championships last fall and now have someone who, with enough progression and promise, could be a legitimate low-stick talent.

When it comes to the women, I think it's gotta be Andrae Claeson. The Boston University standout is going to Georgetown next year as a graduate transfer. She fits in perfectly to the Hoyas roster structure: upper-tier middle distance runners and valuable scoring options in cross country.

Claeson meets both of those pieces of criteria. However, by coming from a less-known Patriot League conference and sitting in the shadows of fellow incoming transfers McDonald and Jensen, Claeson feels undervalued and therefore a good answer for this question.

Gavin: Estanis Ruiz emerged from relative obscurity to have a massive breakout season and eventually make the steeplechase final at the NCAA Outdoor Championships while representing Loyola Marymount.

As a result, Ruiz haas earned an upgrade to run for a Portland team that is losing a few key veterans and is in need of new, long-term oriented talents. It would hardly be a surprise if coach Rob Conner turned him into not only one of the nation’s top steeplechasers, but a nationally competitive name in anything from the 1500 meters to the 8k/10k on the grass.

On the women's side, Andrea Claeson’s move to Georgetown seems to have been overshadowed by Grace Jensen and Katy-Ann McDonald joining the Hoyas, but the Boston University graduate transfer wasn’t far off being a national qualifier in the 5000 meters or the 1500 meters this spring. She did, however, only contest the former event at her regional meet.

What will training with an elite middle distance program do for her next year? Based on her resume, she should thrive with this DC-based program that, on paper, perfectly fits her greatest strengths and bolsters areas of the Hoyas' roster that needed to improve.

Maura: On the women’s side, seeing Katy-Ann McDonald leave LSU for Georgetown took me by surprise.

McDonald has had a lot of success at LSU, especially in his most recent year when she ran 2:00 and 4:12 in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters, respectively. She also saw success on the cross country course, qualifying for the NCAA XC Championships.

And while it's not necessarily a surprise that she wants to explore new options (as most graduate transfers do), I'm not sure the Hoyas would have been my first pick.

Georgetown is clearly a top school running-wise and McDonald could easily fit into the program, but how will she handle a new coaching philosophy after being at LSU, which is a very different overall program, since 2018?

On the men’s side, it was surprising to see Seth Hirsch venture to Colorado. Hirsch has been a solid contributor for the Badgers throughout his career, helping them win three B1G 10 team titles and reach the national meet multiple times.

And while yes, Colorado and Wisconsin are very similar in terms of their roster structure, I just thought a midwest program would've made sense for the Nebraska native. That, of course, isn't to suggest that Colorado is a poor selection (as we all know, it wasn't).

Garrett: Maura and I are usually on the same thing about most things...but I couldn't disagree more. If anything, I think McDonald and Hirsch are probably two of the least surprising transfers of the year (although Georgetown was probably not my first pick for McDonald).

I gotta go with Ben Nibbelink going from Virginia Tech to Wisconsin. Don't get me wrong, he's a strong mile/3k runner and a top-tier steeplechaser. What program wouldn't want to have him? However, Wisconsin has been flat-out not good in the steeplechase since 2014 and Nibbelink doesn't really have much cross country history which is what the Badgers emphasize.

When it comes to the women, I think I'll say that Cassie Kearney going from Middlebury to Michigan. Going from Vermont to Michigan admittedly feels a bit unconventional...but that could probably be said when you go to anywhere from Vermont.

But the women of Big Blue are a historical cross country-centric and long distance program. Sure, they had Aurora Rynda recently (who was an outstanding 800 meter runner), but Kearney's skillset seemed better suited for a few other programs.

Gavin: Ray Sellaro heading to Rutgers via Penn as a graduate transfer. Given his credentials as the Ivy League 1500 meter champion and a 3:57 miler, it can be assumed that he had more illustrious suitors than the Scarlet Knights who are among the bottom-half of distance programs in the Power Five conferences.

He actually left a more successful, yet smaller, program. Still, by virtue of staying in the northeast, he becomes one of the BIG 10's top milers and a name who Rutgers can rally around to build up their program.

Maura: Grace Jensen of Vanderbilt heading to Georgetown this fall seems like an ideal move. Jensen, who is a freshly-minted 4:13 runners for 1500 meters, will benefit from having women with a wide range of abilities at Georgetown, going anywhere from the 800 meters to the 5k.

The Hoyas are in need of a consistent middle distance runner alongside Sami Corman and, much like fellow Hoya transfers McDonald and Claeson, the addition of Jensen could be that missing piece. Her value in cross country, potentially as a real scorer, shouldn't be overlooked, either.

I really want to say Kevin Barry transferring to Notre Dame from Princeton is the best fit given his success across the 5k and 10k. However, it’s hard to gauge things with Sean Carlson taking over at Tennessee.

But if Barry opts to stay at Notre Dame, he could see continued improvements alongside some of the nation’s best. He brings PRs of 13:37 (5k) and 28:55 (10k) to the table, strong results which theoretically prove that he can hang with his newest teammates.

Garrett: I completely agree with Maura that, on paper, Jensen is one of the best transfer fits of the year so far. However, I'm going to say Bailey Hertenstein going from Indiana to Colorado as a graduate transfer is the best fit of the year so far...maybe outside of Seymour to NC State.

At first glance, I wasn't completely sold on this as a "perfect fit". However, the Buffaloes have built their entire reputation in cross country, the longer distances (like the 5k) and the steeplechase. Their recent surge in mile success has also been very promising.

Not only will Hertenstein replace some of the much-needed low-stick firepower that Colorado needs during cross country, but she may be pushed to run the 5k more often during the track season which, in my opinion, is her best event.

Even so, she can still drop down to the mile and be effective. And when you consider every aspect of this transfer, it's hard to see anyone filling one of the crucial gaps that Colorado absolutely needed to fill.

For the men, this is a no-brainer. Give me Jakob Kintzele. The Princeton ace ran 28:55 (10k) earlier this year and recent ran a personal best of 28:47 at the Portland Track Festival. He's going to Portland next year, a team that specifically thrives in the longest distance events.

The Pilots also need an established true long distance veteran who can replace the scoring value that certain seniors will now leave behind. On paper, this coming graduate transfer can perfectly meet all of the scoring needs of this program. As long as his recent surge of success follows him to the grass, then Kintzele could be the most underrated pickup of the year.

Gavin: Olivia Johnson should fit in well at her new program as she stays in the northwest area joining Oregon State by way of Boise State. The veteran has strong range from the 5000 meters down to the 1500 meters, the latter of which she won the Mountain West crown for this year. She also has encouraging national meet experience on the grass to boot.

It’s easy to envision Johnson becoming a pivotal scoring piece for a very underrated Beavers' team next year. She could take the next step upwards in her fitness and her experience will be highly valuable as Oregon State attempts to assemble one of the more complete lineups in the NCAA.

On the men’s side, I'm going with another PAC 12 newcomer, Seth Hirsch. The blue chip recruit was a key cog in Wisconsin’s distance machine, especially on the grass, and should fit in well at an even more historic cross country and distance running program. He’ll be a key scorer for the Buffs’ cross country team where he’ll have an opportunity to record his first All-American finish.

If he assimilates to Boulder and the Buffaloes' team culture as easily as Andrew Kent and Charlie Sweeney did, then an NCAA Championship berth in the 5000 meters and/or the 10,000 meters is certainly in the cards for him as well.