Transfer Market (Part 38)

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The Stride Report has confirmed that Ahmed Ibrahim has entered the transfer portal. It is not yet clear whether he is entered as a graduate transfer or a regular transfer. According to TFRRS, the current Boise State runner is expected to have two full years of eligibility in cross country and for indoor track. He will have multiple seasons of eligibility for outdoor track.

Ibrahim has been the top name for the Boise State men over the last few seasons. The Class of 2020 graduate out of Oregon joined the Broncos as a high-value prospect, and over time, he has largely delivered on expectations.

Earlier this season, Ibrahim ran 7:56 for 3000 meters and 13:48 for 5000 meters. He was two-time scorer at the Mountain West Indoor Championships this past winter.

On the grass, Ibrahim may even be better. His top results from the 2022 cross country season include a 15th place finish at the West Regional XC Championships and a 17th place finish at the Joe Piane Invitational.

All around, Ibrahim is an excellent candidate to enter the portal for any team that is a) looking to fill just one key spot in their lineup, or b) wants to bolster an already-young roster with someone who will (likely) be around for two more years.

The Boise State ace isn't perfect in every setting, but he's still developing, has proven to be competitive on multiple occasions and simply offers all-around great value given his eligibility.

And because of that, everything about Ibrahim screams Oregon Duck or Portland Pilot.

The Ducks are a very young team. They have a superstar coach, one of the best recruiting classes in the country and are in need of greater cross country scoring. They did, after all, just lose All-American veteran, Aaron Bienenfeld.

Portland, meanwhile, is Ibrahim's home town. They are an endurance-centric roster that focuses on cross country and the longer distances (which is Ibrahim's specialty). Coach Rob Conner has also proven to be one of the most active coaches in the NCAA when it comes to utilizing the transfer portal.

Both of those teams are, of course, just suggestions and nothing more. Wherever Ibrahim ends up, he'll be a massive help.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Abdirizak Ibrahim has entered the transfer portal. It is not yet clear whether he is entered as a graduate transfer or a regular transfer. According to TFRRS, the current New Mexico runner is expected to have one full year of eligibility across all three seasons if he does not race (attached) this spring.

Ibrahim, a former JUCO standout, has evolved into one of the better collegiate distance talents in the western-half of the country. The dynamic, altitude-based runner has posted times of 3:41 (1500), 3:57 (mile), 7:48 (3k) and 13:32 (5k). He has also run a 3:56 mile conversion as recently as this winter.

Of course, Ibrahim is arguably just as dangerous (if not more so) on the grass than he is on the indoor and outdoor ovals.

The Lobo star is a two-time cross country All-American, earning a pair of top-40 finishes during the winter and fall of 2021. Last year, in 2022, he finished 84th at the NCAA XC Championships.

Few transfer candidates have as much overall value as this New Mexico ace holds. He can effectively run at a high-level in a handful of events while thriving on competitive stages on the grass. Yes, he has had some moments of inconsistency, but in terms of raw talent, Ibrahim is among the best.

Trying to figure out the next home for this Mountain West Conference star is a bit of a challenge. Would he want to stay in this portion of the country? If so, does that mean Northern Arizona would go after him? That's certainly possible, but The Stride Report is also aware that the Lumberjacks are currently eyeing another top veteran as of right now.

What about Iowa State? The Cyclones have been known to be very active in the transfer portal, although they are arguably more active in the JUCO market. But with the need for a greater aerobic presence on the grass and Ibrahim's background as a JUCO athlete, this current New Mexico talent wopuld be the perfect fit in Ames, Iowa.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Thomas Chaston will finish his eligibility with the Portland men next fall as a graduate transfer. He is expected to have one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition.

Chaston was one of the bigger breakout names in the NCAA this past fall. He was also a massive reason why the Colorado State men were able to find national-level success as a team.

At times, the Colorado State ace felt like a true low-stick for the Rams during their 2022 cross country campaign. Chaston finished 16th at the Griak Invitational, 61st at Nuttycombe, 4th at the Mountain West XC Championships and 11th at the Mountain Regional XC Championships.

He did, however, falter on the national stage.

Chaston would later attack the indoor oval, largely focusing on the mile where he ended up running a converted 4:02 mark for the distance.

The Portland men are coming off of a disappointing end to their 2022 cross country season. A top-20 team in the eyes of The Stride Report, the Pilots simply had an "off" day at the West Regional XC Championships and a tough Kolas scenario ultimately kept them out of the national meet.

The good news is that a sizable portion of last year's lineup is expected to return, including a handful of top scorers. And by injecting Thomas Chaston into their top-seven, the Pilots could get a bit more top-end firepower as a result.

The Bruins continue to remain active in the transfer portal.

Back in early February, McKaylie Caesar of Cal State Fullerton announced on Instagram that she will be venturing to UCLA next fall as a graduate transfer. According to TFRRS, she is expected to hold one season of eligibility in cross country and one season of eligibility for outdoor track.

Caesar is an interesting distance talent who is only now making significant improvements upon her times and finishes. Although, admittedly, personal bests of 4:49 (mile), 9:44 (3k), 16:31 (5k) and 34:32 (10k), while respectable, don't necessarily stand out in any dramatic way.
 

But what makes this soon-to-be UCLA runner so interesting is that she is only now beginning to pick up some momentum. Those mile, 3k and 5k personal bests that I just mentioned? Yeah, those all came in her last three races over two meets.

And on the grass, Caesar has legitimate lineup value. Last fall, she placed 3rd at the Dellinger Invite, 2nd at the Highland Invitational, 8th at the BIG West XC Championships and 48th at the West Regional XC Championships.

Again, those performances don't necessarily suggest that Caesar will be a low-stick for the UCLA women, but it does feel like she can be an extremely valuable lineup piece who can offer stability to a squad that will be very young.

Based on what we've seen so far, and what we could see come April and May, we would go as far to say that Caesar will almost definitely be better this fall than she was in 2022. The only question is...how much better?

One of the more underrated mid-major distance talents in the NCAA over the last few years has been George Mason veteran, Annabelle Eastman. But now, the Virginia-based runner is returning to the northeast region where she will compete for Providence as a graduate transfer.

According to TFRRS, she is expected to have one full year of eligibility across all three seasons assuming she races (attached) this spring.

Eastman has been a national-caliber distance talent who has thrived in the longer distances. Her marks of 9:23 (3k) and 9:45 (steeple) make her an incredibly valuable name to have, scoring-wise, for the spring months.

This is also someone who has competed on the national stage multiple times. She qualified for the 2021 outdoor national meet in the steeplechase and also toed the line for the NCAA Winter XC Championships (83rd) and the NCAA Fall XC Championships (92nd) in 2021.

Adding someone like Eastman to Providence's roster feels monumental for their team aspirations in October and November.

Last fall, the Providence delivered on expectations, finishing 16th overall at the NCAA XC Championships -- a very solid season compared to their last few years of results. But more importantly, last year's team was very young.

Nearly all of those Friar women who ran on the national stage in 2022 will return later this year -- and now they'll have a veteran teammate who can probably score in the upper-half of their lineup. And for a team that had a few holes within their top-five last year, Eastman feels like the glue who will ultimately bridge those gaps.

Last week, Arizona State standout Vinny Mauri announced that he will be finishing his eligibility at Notre Dame as a graduate transfer. According to TFRRS, he is expected to hold one season of cross country eligibility and (potentially) two seasons of both indoor track eligibility and outdoor track eligibility.

Arguably one of the 10 to 20 most dynamic distance runners in the NCAA, this current Arizona State Sun Devil will venture to South Bend, Indiana next fall with personal best marks of 1:49 (800), 3:41 (1500), 7:55 (3k) and 13:39 (5k).

Last spring, Mauri was a surprise qualifier for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships over 5000 meters, perfectly building on his incredible momentum from throughout the spring months.

And on the grass, Mauri is arguably just as impactful.

This past fall, he finished 9th at the PAC-12 XC Championships, 11th at the West Regional XC Championships and then 87th at the NCAA XC Championships.

Mauri is a name who, on paper, fits what Notre Dame needs. The Fighting Irish were a deep and promising team throughout last fall. And according to TFRRS, they are expected to bring back most of their lineup.

But the eventual departure of graduate student Kevin Berry does leave an opening for Mauri to step into. And with a guy who can legitimately emerge as a second, third or fourth scorer for the Irish, the Notre Dame men should find greater stability and consistency in 2023.

And on the track? Well, Mauri is a big addition there as well.

With 1:49 (800) and 3:41 (1500) speed, this former Arizona State talent will bring a much-needed middle distance presence to a roster that feels endurance-centric.

Speaking of Notre Dame, one of their long-time veterans will now be venturing elsewhere for his graduate work. Early last month, Carter Cheeseman announced that he'll be heading to Belmont University for the next two years as a graduate transfer.

He is expected to hold two full years of eligibility across all three seasons.

Cheeseman was once a high school superstar, leaving behind his prep days with two top-10 finishes at the Foot Locker XC National Championships. He ran as fast as 4:07 in the mile, 8:53 in the two mile and 14:36 for 5000 meters on the track.

Admittedly, Cheeseman's career at Notre Dame has been relatively uneventful, something that the Texas native has already recognized in his above Instagram post. However, the past year has been quietly encouraging for Cheeseman.

In the fall, the Notre Dame runner finished 26th at the Joe Piane Invitational. Then, on the indoor oval, he matched his high school mile PR of 4:07 before posting a huge 7:59 (3k) personal best.

Cheeseman hasn't raced since late January, but it's clear that he is beginning to pick up some momentum. And for Belmont, the timing couldn't have been better.

The Bruins have proven to be a very solid and competitive distance group in the South region (specifically during cross country). Some seasons have been better than others, but the program does feel like the perfect spot for someone of Cheeseman's still-rising caliber.

Belmont is also responsible for producing the likes Jacob McLeod, Ben Weisel*, Ben Naeger and Aidan Thompson (to name a few). Those are all recent names who proved to be regionally or nationally competitive during their time with the Bruins.

And with multiple seasons of eligibility remaining, could Cheeseman end up joining that list?

*Disclosure: Ben Weisel is a contributor to The Stride Report / Blue Oval Podcast.

Another year, another JUCO superstar heading to Iowa State.

In January, Iowa State announced that they have signed Sanele Masondo who is expected to join the Cyclones next fall. While not perfectly clear, The Stride Report is expecting Masondo to hold two years of eligibility across all three seasons once he reaches Ames, Iowa.

Dominance doesn't even begun to describe Masondo's relationship with the NJCAA. The JUCO superstar was undefeated on the grass this past fall, earning a win over D1 All-American Patrick Kiprop at the Chile Pepper XC Festival and later winning the NJCAA cross country national title.

The Colby CC ace would then cruise through the indoor track season, winning the 5k and the 3k titles at the NJCAA Indoor Championships, running personal bests of 8:11 and 14:49, respectively.

The 2022 cross country season is a perfect indicator of just how good this South Africa native can be at the Division One level. Masondo is undeniably a low-stick-caliber talent and it would be surprising if he wasn't in the All-American conversation eight months from now.

After losing a handful of top names from their 2021 lineup (which finished runner-up at the cross country national meet), the Iowa State men struggled to find top-end firepower this past fall. That, however, could be partially remedied by introducing Masondo into the fold.