TSR Collaboration
Feb 297 min
Interview conducted by Donny Speas, article written via Donny Speas & Garrett Zatlin
Over a year ago, in the early days of 2023, The Stride Report released our 2022-23 Freshman Class Rankings. And to no one's surprise, programs such as Notre Dame, Oregon, Stanford, North Carolina and Northern Arizona returned to our top-10 lists after making appearances in prior renditions.
There was, however, one team that made an unexpected leap into those rankings.
With the Mizzou men coming in at our TSR #10 spot, distance running fans and TSR analysts alike were forced to more closely evaluate the overall structure of the team's distance roster. In that piece, TSR explained how the Columbia-based Tigers “[weren't] traditionally a program one would associate with distance dominance," but that the, "Tigers could be set up for just that with this standout rookie class.”
Of course, little did we know that Missouri's best recruiting efforts were still to come...
In the summer of 2023, Coach Brett Halter opted to add former Georgetown assistant coach, Kyle Levermore, to his staff. The expectation was that the former Hoya assistant would be able to work alongside head distance coach, Lindsey Anderson, to further strengthen the endurance side of the Tigers' roster.
However, shortly thereafter, Anderson returned to her alma mater, Weber State, to take over a lead role that was ultimately described as "head coach in waiting." And Levermore? Well, in what almost felt like an overnight change, he was given the reigns to a Missouri distance program in need of a spark.
And as far as recruiting is concerned, this team has been on fire.
But before we can talk about the immediate impact that Levermore and his fellow distance coaches, Paige Duca and Tanner Anderson, have had on this program, we must first go back to see how they reached this point.
Before his coaching career even began, Levermore had run for a pair of storied programs, both as an Oregon Duck and as an Arkansas Razorback. And it was those experiences that acted as the nucleus for the lofty expectations that he now holds today.
However, it wasn’t until the 2019-2020 school year that Levermore -- as he explained to The Stride Report over the phone -- started working on “the other side of the stopwatch.” More specifically, he took up an assistant distance coaching role at Georgetown.
Levermore credits his fast ascension and early opportunities to Coach Brandon Bonsey, the Hoya's head distance coach, even going as far as to say, “If there's something people should know, it’s that I'm good at what I do because I learned from someone like Brandon Bonsey”.
But what did that assistant role entail?
Well, within four weeks of arriving on campus, Bonsey’s “hands-on” approach led to Levermore taking the lead on recruiting trips -- entirely by himself. The end result led to the Georgetown men having a top-10 freshman distance class (per TSR) in 2021 and 2022 while the Hoya women signed a handful high school stars and often landed many of the top transfers in the nation.
Of course, recruiting for a Missouri program that was aiming to be more firmly entrenched at the top of the SEC was a different challenge than recruiting for a long-established, high-octane distance program like Georgetown.
And yet, that hasn't seemed to matter, at least not right now.
Almost immediately after Levermore's sudden elevation to a head distance coaching role, the Tigers began to see their roster shift and evolve. Right off the bat, Missouri signed a quintet of transfers, some adding immediate depth and others boasting long-term value.
That group featured 1:51 (800) runner Andrew Simard (via Manhattan College), a 16:26 (5k) talent in Anneken Viljoen (via California Baptist), a promising 4:20 (1500) athlete in Nicole Louw (via Oregon) and a mid-year rookie transfer in Finn Russell (via Drake) who ran 3:48 for 1500 meters as a prep athlete.
Jack Forer, the fifth transfer and a promising Aussie middle distance runner from the University of Melbourne, also projects to be a formable talent. The current Tiger freshman had run 1:52 for 800 meters prior to coming to Columbia, Missouri and has since replicated that mark while earning a 4:06 mile PR this winter.
Of course, those transfers were simply a starting point, offering a foundation while the rest of the roster was crafted in Levermore's vision. What eventually followed those transfers were a slew of commitments from domestic and international recruits that, frankly, the Tigers had not quite seen before.
This past fall, several top-tier distance prospects announced their commitments to Missouri. And the first one who did may have ultimately been the catalyst for the eventual avalanche of Tiger signings.
We are, of course, talking about Carter Spradling, our current TSR #16 recruit in the Class of 2024. And shortly after Levermore landed Spradling, a highly dynamic prep talent with an 8:50 (3200) PR, an onslaught of fellow high school standouts would also make their commitments to join Missouri.
And in many respects, their talent is largely on par with Spradling's.
Ryan Eddington, for instance, is our current TSR #31 recruit thanks to his 1:52 (800) and 4:07 (1600) personal bests. His speed would later be complemented by the aerobic prowess of aerobic-centric Kiwi recruits, Jamie Mora (14:21 for 5k) and Louie Endres (5:55 for 2k steeple).
There's also Joesph Bariola (NXR South individual champion), River Hardman (1:51 for 800 meters), Sam Golla (9:09 for 3200 meters) and, of course, a hometown hero in the form of Andrew Hauser (14:38 for 5k).
As it stands right now, calling the Tigers' current crop of boy's distance recruits a top-five signing class, nationally, doesn't seem all that far-fetched. And at the minimum, suggesting that they're a top-10 group would likely be the current NCAA consensus.
Of course, Missouri's women's signees are hardly devoid of talent. While maybe not quite as highly ranked as their male counterparts, the Tigers' recent collection of female distance running signees is unquestionably one of the better recruiting classes that the program has garnered in recent memory.
In-state distance star, Natalie Barnard, has run 16:53 for 5000 meters. She brings a highly valuable aerobic-centric skillset which could lead to her being a legitimately competitive name in the SEC with the right development, possibly before she's an upperclassman.
And when you consider the growth that the SEC has seen in the distance events in recent years, having someone like Barnard to build around over the long-term is huge.
The rest of this recruiting class has been filled out with strong reinforcements, offering immediate depth, well-rounded skillsets and promising upside. Those women include Lily Ginsberg (two top-100 finishes at NXN), Charlotte Cullen (2:11 for 800 meters and 4:53 for 1600 meters) and Hannah Stuart (a two-time Texas state champion).
But...how did they do it?
How did Coach Kyle Levermore and his respective staff immediately enter Columbia and begin to rake in commitments from prep names that were once seemingly out of reach for a school like Missouri?
"I believe that we are operating at an elite level here," Levermore explained. "We will continue to get better at finding the people who want to be a part of something that's different. You have to want to be different because we're not a finished product -- and I'm not scared to tell recruits that."
Levermore continued, "I think when you can sit down with an athlete and say, 'Here's the purpose of why we're recruiting you. Here's how you fit in this program,' you give an athlete purpose in the recruiting process. It's easy [for the recruit] to buy in because they know what they're responsible for. They know what the expectation is well before they even arrive on campus."
And in theory, it's that shared sense of purpose which acts as an impetus towards a new movement. A movement that, in many ways, resembles what we once saw take place in South Bend, Indiana a few years back.
"I want this to be a great fit for you. Whether you're from across the world in New Zealand like Jamie Mora or you're five minutes from here like Andrew Hauser. If you don't choose Missouri, I want it to be one of the hardest decisions that you make."
The experience has been garnered. The first batch of high-impact recruits have been signed. And the national recognition has begun to permeate the once-quiet undertone of this distance program. At the moment, everything is going swimmingly for the long-term outlook of the Tigers.
So what’s next for the men and women in Columbia?
“I want Missouri to be synonymous with NCAA top-20 cross country finishes." Levermore explained. "I want Missouri to be synonymous with being a contender to win the SEC title."
Of course, a shared sense of investment in the distance events from Director Brett Halter and the rest of the distance coaches certainly won't hurt those endeavors.
"We've got phenomenal throws. We've got phenomenal jumps. We've reinvested in our multi events. All that we need to 'round us out' is to be a great distance program." Levermore detailed to TSR.
"Our Director, Coach Brett Halter, recognizes that we need this. We need this investment in our program and he's an excellent person to work for. He's honest and he's direct. He gives us the freedom to coach as ourselves. He has been a backbone of support. I think he recognizes what the distance program will do for this university."
The infusion of talent, both from transfers and incoming freshmen, coupled with ambitious visions of continuous improvement and embracing change via a new coaching staff, paints a promising picture for Missouri's future.
Now, as the Tigers move forward with a new chapter in the program’s history, Missouri stands on the brink of redefining their identity and leaving their mark as a consistent top-tier power in the Southeastern Conference.
And maybe one day, the NCAA as a whole, too.