The Group Chat: Transfer Tracker (Part Two)

Click here to read Part One of our Group Chat: Transfer Tracker article.

To see our full list of (reported) transfers, click here.

Maura: Texas A&M is a school well-known for their 800 meter success and Brendan Hebert could aid in the Aggie's history. Hebert, who has an 800 meter PR of 1:49 (but has 1:47 on his Instagram), still has room to grow in a new training environment.

He may have been a little off during the recent outdoor track season, but having the opportunity to train alongside some of the nation’s best half-milers at Texas A&M could surely benefit Hebert who clearly has so much upside and potential that he hasn't seemingly tapped into yet.

Gavin: Florida State. This may feel like a shot in the dark, but the Seminoles have already shown a willingness to take on nationally competitive transfers who aren’t yet true stars, kinda like when they signed more a more long distance-oriented BIG 12 harrier in Cooper Schroeder. Herbert could become the Noles’ top middle distance runner/miler since Kasey Knevelbaard who spent a year in Tallahassee...as a graduate transfer.

Garrett: I can't get past the idea of Virginia Tech being an ideal option. Yes, I know, I'm biased. I love the Hokies. Heck, I was tour guide for the school! But everything, on paper, matches perfectly for Hebert and Virginia Tech. Hebert is a 1:49/3:59 guy and the Hokies are a dominant middle distance program that has flexed incredible mile depth and strong 800 meter prowess. With Virginia Tech recently losing standout names Nibbelink, Fleming and Mosvael-Lo, they would be smart to recruit someone who gives them exactly what they need in terms of his skillset.

Maura: Florida State will be looking for a new standout star this year following the departure of some top runners (Ryan, Skyring, etc.) and Thronson could certainly fill that role in terms of lost firepower.

Thronson boasts respectable personal bests of 9:09 (3k), 15:54 (5k) and 10:04 (steeplechase). With marks like those, and a promising cross country resume, Thronson could easily become one the leading ladies for the Seminoles.

Gavin: It would make sense for Thronson to join former teammate Sydney Seymour at NC State with several top runners leaving the Pack (i.e. Clairmonte, Steelman, Hays).

Thronson’s resume, which holds strong PRs from the 1500 to the 5k to the steeplechase, would also fit-in beautifully with the defending cross country team champions who also sent a plethora of women to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on the track. And while the 10k is certainly a distance where NC State thrives, it's Thronson's resume that seems to synchronize with the Wolfpack's greatest strenghs.

Garrett: I agree with Gavin, I do like NC State a lot for Thronson. The Wolfpack have been known to bring in high-level transfers before and having Seymour there probably helps.

But if I'm being forced to choose a different team, I would probably say Oregon. People forget that Thronson is from Spokane, Washington, so her going back to the west coast isn't out of the question.

The Ducks, meanwhile, need to bring in reinforcements. They rebounded fairly well last year, but the departure of Konieczek leaves coach Helen Lehman-Winters with the need to add a strong distance running veterans while the rest of her squad develops.

And on paper, Thronson seems like she could fit into that role fairly well.

Maura: Ari Marks dominated the D3 scene during the 2021-2022 academic year after finishing runner-up at the cross country national meet, 2nd place in both the 3k and the 5k at the indoor national meet and later earning double gold in the 5k and 10k at the outdoor national meet.

She’s clearly got the national experience and some respectable personal bests of 16:08 (5k) and 34:16 (10k).

As Marks looks to transfer, times like those would bode well with the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan has a strong pack of women and could use another scorer to bring them to another level at the BIG 10 Championships and the NCAA Championships. The long distance focus of the Wolverines would just make the most sense for someone like Marks.

Gavin: Notre Dame would make sense as a destination if Marks intends to go from one strong academic school to another. The program would also suit the aerobic-based runner as she steps up in competition by racing alongside distane standouts Maddy Denner and Olivia Markezich.

While South Bend, Indiana is certainly a ways from Massachusetts, the midwest climate would at least be comparable to her past locale.

Garrett: There's two ways to think about this.

Marks, who is an Oregon native, can make a big jump to the highest levels of Division One and join a program like Washington or Oregon.

Or, she could stay on the east coast and join a northeast powerhouse near Wellesley.

I think it'll be the latter. On paper, Marks is an outstanding long distance threat who would be a great fit for Providence. The Friars have an outstanding history of developing aerobic-centric athletes and they have recently been on the rise, qualifying for the cross country national meet this past fall.

With a large handful of promising young talents returning to this team in the fall, adding Marks would allow Providence to capitalize on the collective talent of their roster while they continue to develop.

Maura: Akron seems like an ideal fit for Ian Johnson given the consistency that the team has on the middle distance side.

Johnson’s PR of 1:49 in the 800 meters would place him amongst the best middle and long distance talents in the Mid-American Conference. Joining Akron would also give him a chance to improve at the D1 level without overwhelming him with SEC or BIG 12 competition.

Gavin: If Johnson wants to stay in-state, the he has plenty of options as Maura already suggested with her entry. Miami-Ohio has had considerable success in the middle distances recently with Finley McLear and Anthony Camerieri (amongst others). A 1:49 runner for 800 meters and a 4:05 miler, Johnson could add to that recent success and compete at the top of the MAC.

Garrett: I really struggled with this one. I think Maura and Gavin had great options, but I'm struggling to come up with an ideal school of my own.

Maybe Ohio State? The Buckeyes have a quietly great history of producing strong 800 meter runners, but it feels like some of their men just don't stick around for too long, either due to graduate transfer situations or other scenarios.

I'd also throw Indiana into the mix. It's a strong midwest program that isn't dramatically too far from Ashland. They have a history of producing outstanding middle distance stars and they likely have some scholarships available after seeing a handful of veterans leave the program.

Maura: As I stated on the Blue Oval Podcast the other day, I’ve got to say that if Jacobs were to not go to Tennessee, he would be an ideal fit for North Carolina. Coach Miltenberg has been an aggressive recruiter at every level and he needs to bring in veterans to balance out the youth of his program.

Miltenberg has done that before with Lundy, Aho, Ostberg, Ratcliffe, etc. It also helps that Jacobs wouldn't have to compete with former coach Sean Carlson in the same conference or the same region.

But he's probably going to Tennessee...right?

Gavin: I'm going with Wisconsin. I grappled with this question given that Tennessee seems to be the veritable favorite to land Jacobs, who is arguably one of the best distance transfer in recent years.

But in my mind, the Badgers are good alternative.

It’s easy to see him being enticed by any other elite NCAA distance programs who are on a similar plane to Notre Dame. But it may also make sense to stay in the midwest and train under the coach who has helped two different runners to 5000 meter national titles in the last four years.

And with Olin Hacker on his way out, the Badgers appear to be one of the historically successful programs most in need of a new bellwether. Jacobs could team up with Benjamin Nibbelink and expected returnees like Adam Spencer, Charlie Wheeler, Evan Bishop and others to lead the Badgers back to the podium in cross country.

Garrett: When we posed this question on the Blue Oval Podcast, I struggled to think of a few answers. However, then I thought, "What about Stanford?"

The Cardinal don't really bring in that many transfers, but Stanford is an outstanding academic school (much like Notre Dame) and they also thrive in the exact same events that Jacobs does.

Stanford is also in the conversation to win the team cross country title this fall. If they were somehow able to lure Jacobs away from Tennessee, then the Cardinal would have to be considered as the national title favorites thanks to having, on paper, one of the best top-fours in the NCAA over the past decade.

But I'm with Maura, I'll be stunned if he goes anywhere else but Tennessee.

Maura: Titus Winders going from Southern Indiana to Iowa State could have the most success. The Cyclones recruit transfers often and those transfers usually see success fairly quickly. Winders has some solid range, but I see him being a focal point for Iowa State on the distance side of things given his 7:57 (3k), 13:38 (5k) and 29:21 (10k) marks.

Could he see improvements in these times right off the bat?

That shouldn’t be out of the question.

Gavin: The aforementioned CarLee Stimpfel (from Part One) looks set to continue Michigan State’s rise. His PRs and national meet finishes imply that he can immediately be nationally competitive at the Division One level from the 3000 meters up to the 10,000 meters. He won’t be the next Morgan Beadlescomb, but CarLee Stimpfel could be a top scorer for what’s quietly become one of the BIG 10's better programs.

Garrett: I just don't know how I could choose anyone else but Aidan Ryan. He's a 3:56 miler who is going to the best mile-centric distance program in the NCAA (Washington). His 3k prowess also meshes well with the long distance focus that this team typically moves up to (instead of moving down to the 800 meters like a true middle distance runner would).