Transfer Market (Part 20)

Have a transfer tip? Send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com and we'll look into it.

Jay Slagle, the Editor-in-Chief of Nebraska-based running website PrepRunningNerd.com, recently reported in a newsletter that Wisconsin veteran Seth Hirsch will be finishing his eligibility as a graduate transfer at Colorado starting next year. Hirsch is expected to have one season of eligibility remaining across all three seasons of competition (each).

Hirsch is one of the most recognizable distance names from the high school Class of 2017. The Nebraska native was a superstar prep running, posting marks 8:54 for 3200 meters and 14:25 for 5000 meters on the track. He finished in the top-10 twice at the Foot Locker XC National Championships and top-10 twice at Nike Cross Nationals.

Hirsch, admittedly, had a slow start to his career at Wisconsin, but over the last few years, he has rallied in the longer distances and has run nationally competitive times. The Wisconsin veteran has run 7:59 for 3000 meters, 13:44 for 5000 meters and 28:49 for 10,000 meters, the first two marks coming in the last few months.

On the grass, Hirsch has also found notable success. He finished 13th at the BIG 10 XC Championships this past fall, and in his three appearances at the NCAA XC Championships, he has finished 167th (2019), 58th (winter 2021) and 84th (fall 2021).

Landing Hirsch is absolutely huge for Colorado. The Buffaloes will soon be losing top scorers such as Eduardo Herrera, Stephen Jones, Andrew Kent and Alec Hornecker (according to TFRRS). This, in turn, leaves Colorado in a position where they'll need established and proven reinforcements later this fall, especially with Kashon Harrison's racing status still unknown.

However, maybe the most important part in all of this is that Hirsch's strengths as a runner fit beautifully into this Boulder-based program. Colorado is known for their emphasis on the endurance events with many of their best talents coming in the 3k, 5k, 10k, steeplechase and cross country -- the exact events that Hirsch thrives in.

On paper, Hirsch and Colorado are a perfect pair. Hirsch is going to a program that fits the same long distance strengths that Wisconsin had while the Buffaloes get to stop some of their bleeding by adding one of the more reliable veterans in the NCAA.

And when you consider how much better Hirsch has become the older he has gotten, there might be potential for this Nebraska native to become an All-American low-stick -- something that Colorado will happily welcome.

The Stride Report has confirmed that John Carroll's Jamie Dailey will be finishing his eligibility as a graduate transfer at Cincinnati starting next year. Dailey is expected to have one season of eligibility remaining in both indoor track and outdoor track. He does not have any cross country eligibility remaining.

Dailey is currently in the midst of a breakout season. While teammate Alex Phillip headlines the Division Three ranks, it's Dailey who is quietly emerging as one of the better distance talents that the division has to offer.

The soon-to-be Bearcat has run strong times of 3:53 (1500), 8:18 (3k), 14:08 (5k) and 29:28 (10k). At the Division Three level, almost all of those marks make Dailey a legitimate national-caliber contender and All-American threat.

Oh, and all of those personal bests have come this year.

Dailey has also finished as high as 16th place at the NCAA XC Championships, but as mentioned above, he does not have any cross country eligibility remaining.

The Cincinnati men are gaining an outstanding name in Dailey who is only beginning to realize his true potential in the longer distances. It's also important to note that the Bearcats have had plenty of recent success with endurance-centric NCAA stars such as Aaron Bienenfeld and Alec Sandusky.

The former is now at Oregon and the latter is now running professionally.

 Admittedly, Dailey will have his work cut-out for him in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) given how competitive and deep the Tulsa men are in the longer distances.

Still, Dailey's rapid progression is very encouraging and if he maintains this level of success and brings it with him to Cincinnati next year, then he can be a legitimate contender who mixes it up with the Tulsa men at conference meets.

He may only be scratching the surface of his potential and upside.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Oklahoma State freshman Josh English will be transferring to Texas A&M starting next year. The middle distance runner has not competed (attached) for the Cowboys this year, leaving us to believe that he has full eligibility across all three seasons of competition.

The soon-to-be Aggie was a superstar in high school, entering the collegiate realm with a blistering fast personal best of 1:49 for 800 meters and running under 1:51 on multiple occasions. The runner-up at the Brooks PR Invitational in the 800 meters has also run 47 seconds for 400 meters.

English's collegiate results have been non-existent in his first year with the Cowboys. Still, he'll be entering a Texas A&M program that is known for consistently producing nationally elite superstars on both the men's and women's sides.

Names like Donovan Brazier, Jazmine Fray, Devin Dixon, Sammy Watson, Brandon Miller and numerous others have recently headlined the NCAA's half-mile event with all-time marks and numerous national titles against top-tier competition.

In fact, on Thursday night, Aggie rookie Sam Whitmarsh won the men's 800 meter prelims in a blistering fast time of 1:46, giving the men from College Station yet another half-mile star who can be a factor on the national stage.

Given English's middle distance prowess in the exact events that Texas A&M specializes in, this athlete/program pairing is perfect -- on paper.

English isn't guaranteed to be an NCAA superstar in the 800 meters, but there is enough enough synergy (on paper) between both parties for this to be one of the best transfer pairings so far this year.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Kansas State runner Cooper Schroeder is currently in the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. The Wildcat veteran has two seasons of eligibility remaining in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track (each).

Schroeder has quietly become of the more underrated distance talents in the BIG 12. While his resume may be buried under the pile of accolades seen from Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Texas, Schroeder still offers sneaky-good all-around value.

The current Kansas State ace has run 8:07 (3k), 13:55 (5k) and 29:08 (10k). On the grass, Schroeder has placed as high as 15th at the very top-heavy BIG 12 XC Championships. However, he hasn't raced on the grass since 2020.

Schroeder is someone who is clearly getting better, running his 3k and 5k personal bests this past winter. His ongoing progress and his ability to emerge as a legitimate scorer on most competitive teams should make him a key asset for a handful of programs.

So what teams should/could make an effort to sign Schroeder?
 

What schools would be good fits?

A team like Colorado, on paper, seem like a decent spot for Schroeder. The Buffaloes have not been afraid to go after transfers or graduate transfers before (see above). Plus, they are currently home to Schroeder's former teammate and long distance specialist, Ethan Powell.

With highly talented names like Eduardo Herrera, Alec Hornecker, Andrew Kent and Stephen Jones on their way out the door, and Kashon Harrison's highly limited racing, Coach Wetmore and his staff would be smart to go after a long distance specialist who can at least add depth to a team that needs to replenish some key scoring.

They already added Hirsch and while Schroeder won't fix all of the Buffaloes' projected scoring challenges, he can at least makes the transition to a new group of varsity runners a bit easier comer next fall.

The Stride Report has confirmed that UW-Eau Claire runner Connor Dolan will be joining the Colorado State men next year as a graduate transfer. It is unclear to The Stride Report what seasons of eligibility he has remaining.

Dolan is a promising Division Three talent, running 14:36 for 5000 meters and, more importantly, 9:06 for the 3000 meter steeplechase. However, he is arguably just as good on the grass, earning four top-10 finishes in cross country this past fall before placing 9th at North Regional XC Championships and then 46th at the NCAA XC Championships.

The Rams will be happy to have extra reinforcements on a distance squad that is rebuilding from the loss of numerous standout stars from a few years ago.

Colorado State is a program that is, for the most part, known for its depth. On paper, Dolan has the potential to be a contributor to that depth in some capacity, although what the Rams need in cross country is low-stick scoring and additional firepower.

Dolan may be best suited for the steeplechase. The UW-Eau Claire standout is likely at his best when racing over the water pits and the barriers and right now, the Rams have quite the steeple crew.

Dawson Besst (8:47), Thomas Chaston (8:48) and Lars Mitchel (8:59) have all shown tremendous promise this spring in the steeplechase. According to TFRRS, they are all expected to be back next year.

When adding Dolan to that mix, someone who could very easily be a sub-9:00 talent by the end of this current season, the Colorado State men may end up with one of the better steeplechase contingents in the NCAA come 2023.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Monmouth runner Luke Miller will be transferring to the University of Pittsburgh starting next year. According to TFRRS, Miller is expected to have three seasons of eligibility remaining for indoor track and for cross country. He has not yet competed on the outdoor oval.

Miller will be venturing to Pittsburgh next year to join his brother Jack, the Panthers top distance talent who has run 4:05 (mile), 7:57 (3k), 14:03 (5k) and 8:51 (steeple).

Luke, however, is younger, although he has still shown plenty of promise at Monmouth. In his first year with the Hawks, the youngest Miller brother ran 8:21 (3k) and 14:37 (5k) on the indoor oval. He was also the 72nd place finisher at the Mid-Atlantic XC Regional Championships this past fall.

Miller will admittedly need to make some improvements if he's going to be a legitimate contributor for the University of Pittsburgh. Still, there is clearly tons of promise there for someone who is still so young and has promising pedigree.

It would hardly be a surprise to see Miller eventually contest the steeplechase this spring. Coach Brad Herbster has developed a promising steeplechase niche for the Panthers and given the success that we've seen from Jack Miller, it would make sense if Luke followed suit.

After sitting on the transfer portal for a few weeks, Texas underclassman Graydon Morris has announced via Instagram that he will be transferring to Texas Christian University (TCU) starting next year.

According to TFRRS, Morris has at least three seasons of eligibility remaining in cross country and indoor track. Morris is expected to have all four seasons of eligibility for outdoor track, although that is less clear.

This is a monumental pick up for the TCU men, although the move hardly comes as a surprise. Graydon's sister Gracie Morris, who also attended Texas, has since left the Longhorns and has joined the Horned Frogs instead.

So far, Gracie is having incredible success at Texas Christian, running 4:14 for 1500 meters, one of the faster times in the country this spring.

Graydon was a high school star who showed plenty of explosiveness and promise in his first few seasons with the Longhorns. As a freshman, he ran 4:02 in the mile and 8:01 in the 3000 meters. He also dropped a monster time of 13:48 for 5000 meters on the indoor oval.

All of that happened in the winter of 2021, fresh off of an altered cross country season where he placed 17th at the BIG 12 XC Championships.

Morris hasn't competed since last spring, but even that season was cut short for him.

Morris will stay within the BIG 12, joining TCU and eventually battling his former Texas teammates for points at conference meets.

Admittedly, Morris' move to Texas Christian won't necessarily change the landscape of the BIG 12 or even the dynamic of the Horned Frogs' roster. The TCU men have finished last at the BIG 12 XC Championships every year since 2012...when they first joined the conference.

But Morris might be a name capable of bringing TCU out of that bottom spot. And if the recent success that we've seen from his sister is any indication, then the future is very bright for this soon-to-be Horned Frog ace.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Eastern Illinois' Francesco Romano will be transitioning to Texas A&M as a graduate transfer starting next year. According to TFRRS, Romano is expected to have one season of cross country eligibility and at least one season of indoor track and outdoor track eligibility (each) with the potential for more.

Romano is a solid talent who will provide with the Aggies with some sneaky-decent value. On the track, the current Eastern Illinis runner has posted times of 14:29 (5k) and 9:00 (steeple), promising marks that came during the 2021 spring track season.

However, Romano is at his best on the grass, finishing as high as 6th place at the 2021 OVC Winter XC Championships before placing 11th at the same meet this past fall and 13th at the same meet in 2019.

He also finished 34th at the Midwest Regional XC Championships this past fall.

Romano can certainly bring value to the Aggies on the track if he makes improvements, but his cross country prowess is what truly catches your attention. He's not necessarily a low-stick star or a national qualifying runner, but he provides really solid scoring and championship consistency for a Texas A&M roster that doesn't necessarily prioritize the longer distances.

The Aggies reside in the South Central region, the weakest region in terms of cross country contenders. However, Texas A&M did place 6th as a team in their region this past fall and according to TFRRS, they bring back everyone, including a few high-upside youngsters.

It's highly unlikely that Arkansas and/or Texas relinquish their top-two automatic qualifying spots come October, but...could Texas A&M finish as high as 3rd place in their region with Romano in their lineup?

And if they do, would they have enough Kolas points to realistically to be "in the hunt" for an at-large bid? That scenario admittedly feels like a stretch, but it's not impossible, either.

And that's why Romano is such a key pickup for the Aggies.

UMass Lowell has announced that Georgetown's Rachel Sessa will be joining the team as a graduate transfer next year. While she does not have any remaining cross country eligibility remaining, Sessa does have one season of eligibility remaining between indoor track and outdoor track (each).

Sessa has been a very strong middle distance name for Georgetown, although her accomplishments often get lost in the impressive flood of results from her Hoya teammates. The soon-to-be River Hawk has run 2:09 for 800 meters, 2:50 for 1000 meters and 4:23 for 1500 meters.

Sessa is better than some of her times indicate. Her 1k and 1500 meter marks suggest that she can run a couple seconds faster in the half-mile event. Either way, the value that Sessa brings to UMass Lowell is fairly important.

This past winter, the River Hawks had two of the faster 800 meter times in the America East Conference with Binghamton's Emily Mackay taking the top spot. In the 1500 meters, it was a similar story.

But now Mackay is set to be out of eligibility after this year and the UMass Lowell women will still return key names like Isabella Giesing and Avery Leydon.

Yes, the River Hawks are expected to lose middle distance standout Kaley Richards, but even with their marquee star departing, Sessa will still be able to add to a UMass Lowell roster that is looking to drown their American East foes in middle distance depth.

And given Sessa's recent progression and upside, she may be able to contend for a conference title this time next year.

Tulane has announced that Danna Diaz will be transferring into the program from McNeese State starting next year. According to TFRRS, Diaz is expected to have two seasons of eligibility remaining in outdoor track as well as three seasons of eligibility remaining in both indoor track and in cross country.

Tulane has yet again signed another transfer, their second from McNeese State and their ninth transfer in total this year.

What we've said about Tulane's other transfers can also be said about Diaz. The soon-to-be Green Wave talent doesn't necessarily boast a resume that jumps off the page, but she is a solid talent who the Tulane women can build around.

Diaz has run 17:36 for 5000 meters, but she was also a top-five finisher in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters this spring at the Southland Conference Championships.

Diaz, much like some of these other transfers, will give Tulsa's new head coach Adriaan Myers a starting point for his women's distance group. Diaz's numerous years of remaining eligibility makes her a respectable piece who can help jumpstart the new era of this roster.