Transfer Market (Part 35)

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The Stride Report has confirmed that both Obsaa Feda (Miami (OH)) and Brandon Olden (Siena) will be venturing to Tennessee next fall as graduate transfers.

According to TFRRS, both Olson and Feda currently hold one year of cross country eligibility. They also hold two seasons of indoor track and outdoor track eligibility, although that will likely change when/if they compete later this year.

Feda is yet another quietly talented distance runner from Miami (OH) who will be finishing his eligibility elsewhere. He'll leave the program one year after his former teammate Anthony Camerieri ventured to Ole Miss, becoming the Rebels' top low-stick.

On the track, Feda has proven to be a respectable name, although he doesn't necessarily standout in any singular event. The soon-to-be Volunteer has run 14:18 (5k), 29:39 (10k) and 8:58 (steeple).

However, Feda may eventually improve those marks before he goes to Tennessee.

The RedHawk ace had a very solid cross country season this past fall, improving with each passing meet. He finished 12th at the Coaching Tree Invitational, 8th at the Louisville XC Classic and 6th at the Bradley Pink Classic before winning the MAC individual title. Feda would end his season with a 21st place finish at the Great Lakes Regional XC Championships.

Feda will undoubtedly provide solid value for the Volunteers in the fall of 2023. He has clearly progressed to the point where he can be a top-five scorer for the men for this group. He'll also be in a region that isn't as deep as the Great Lakes region.

Then we arrive at Brandon Olden, a standout for the Siena men over the last few seasons. Olden has given the Saints a true identity in a Northeast region dominated by the likes of Syracuse, Providence and the Ivy League.

However, one could argue that Olden is actually better on the track than he is on the grass.

The future Vol boasts a fairly strong resume, owning personal bests of 3:46 (1500), 8:00 (3k) and 13:45 (5k) on the oval. That 5k mark, on paper, suggests that Olden could be a top-five scorer for the Tennessee men come the fall of 2023, maybe closer to the third scoring spot.

That said, Olden will need to improve his consistency. His cross country resume is highlighted by a 28th place finish at the Northeast Regional XC Championships this past fall. However, his recent 5k effort at Boston University and his Paul Short performance this past fall left us wanting more.

Even so, when both Feda and Olden are at their best, they can be plenty valuable to a team like Tennessee that is trying to fill in some lineup gaps for next fall. Whether or not that potential will be met is still unclear, but at the very least, both men offer very solid depth.

Oregon State has announced that they have added Abby Pradere to their program as a graduate transfer. She is expected to join the Beavers in the fall of 2023. Pradere will have one fully year of eligibility across all three seasons.

Pradere may not have the craziest resume of our winter transfers, but she brings tremendous value to an Oregon State team that is trying to replicate their success from this past fall.

During the 2022 cross country season, Pradere began to show subtle signs of promise in her championship races. The San Francisco runner was 18th at the West Coast Conference XC Championships and then 62nd at the West Regional XC Championships.

The Oregon State women were surprise qualifiers for the NCAA XC Championships back in November, putting together a phenomenal performance at their regional meet. And in 2023, TFRRS suggests that six of those seven women from their regional meet lineup will return for next year.

Oh, and the Beavers are expected to bring back Meagen Lowe and Mari Friedman next fall.

The only woman who is expected to be out of eligibility is Christina Giesler, the third scorer for the Oregon State women who finished 20th overall at that regional meet.

Pradere isn't expected to jump over 40 places at the 2023 West Regional XC Championships and immediately fill the hole left behind by Giesler. But if she can inch closer to the top-40 -- and the rest of her very young teammates at the backend of this lineup can make marginal improvements as well -- then the Beavers could be back in the national qualifying conversation.

However, Pradere holds value on more than just the grass.

The future Beaver has also run 2:53 over 1000 meters, 4:23 for 1500 meters and 4:46 in the mile. Those are respectable times that, if improved upon, could be fairly competitive in the always-stacked PAC-12.

Oakley Olson has announced that she will be transferring to Utah Valley. It is unclear when she will be joining the Wolverines, although she is no longer listed on Boise State's 2023 track and field roster. According to TFRRS, she is expected to (currently) hold two seasons of cross country eligibility and three seasons of indoor track and outdoor track eligibility.

Olson was a strong high school talent during her prep days in Utah. The former Boise State runner entered the NCAA with times of 4:57 (1600), 10:48 (3200) and 18:09 (outdoor 5k). She also held multiple state titles.

The Utah native has been slowly acclimating to the NCAA distance running scene, posting a time of 10:33 in the steeplechase this past spring and recently placing 37th at the Mountain West XC Championships.

With numerous years of eligibility still remaining, Olson could be a very solid long-term piece for Utah Valley to develop over the next few years. A 37th place finish at the Mountain West XC Championships will likely translate to a top-20 finish at the WAC XC Championships.

That would be a welcomed result for a Utah Valley squad that, according to TFRRS, is losing a handful of top scorers in 2023.

Arizona State has announced that they have signed Noah Clark as a JUCO transfer. According to TFRRS, the former Mesa CC runner is expected to have three years of eligibility across all three seasons.

Clark has shown promise in the middle distances, running 48.89 (800) and 1:51 (800). Admittedly, his performances on NJCAA Championship stages have been modest. However, a 1:51 personal best over the half-mile distance shows promise.

And if Clark can keep improving, then he'll be able to grow alongside All-American Dayton Carlson, a 1:46 runner who is only a sophomore.

Disclosure: Grace McLaughlin is a Division Two writer for The Stride Report

Grace McLaughlin will be venturing from Utah Tech to Gonzaga this semester as a graduate transfer. She holds two seasons of indoor track and outdoor track eligibility as well as one season of cross country eligibility.

McLaughlin was a top talent in the state of Illinois during her prep days. The Rockford High School graduate won multiple 2A state titles, was an All-American at the New Balance Outdoor National Championships and also held personal bests of 10:31 (3200) and 17:09 (indoor 5k).

After a stint at the University of Utah, McLaughlin ventured to Utah Tech.

During her latest cross country season, McLaughlin began to flex the same potential that she had shown during her prep days. She was 5th at George Kyte XC Classic and later 6th at the quietly competitive UCR XC Invitational.

With a clear uptick in fitness, McLaughlin carried her momentum over to the indoor oval, running a massive personal best of 9:21 (unattached) over 3000 meters back in December.

McLaughlin clearly holds a ton of momentum and a 9:21 (3k) mark deserves respect. Plus, with the Gonzaga women losing a top talent in Kristen Garcia to expired eligibility after this year, McLaughlin will be able to join the Bulldogs and at least soften some of that lost scoring.

DyeStat.com has recently published an updated story on the Huntington University lawsuit where the former coaches of the Foresters' cross country and track teams are being accused of forced EPO use and abuse.

In that piece, DyeStat notes that Shelby Christman, Huntington's second cross country scorer from the fall of 2022 and an NAIA All-American, is transferring to Ball State.

Christman's 21st place finish at NAIA XC Championships and her 17:57 personal best over 5000 meters (indoor flat-track) seemingly make her a good fit for the Mid-American Conference.

The Ball State women will happily welcome Christman's potential scoring as the team looks to crack the upper-half of their conference meet standings in 2023.