Transfer Market (Part Seven)

A plethora of distance runners have continued to make moves within the NCAA and we are still keeping track of those student-athletes who are opting to take their talents elsewhere. While we certainly can't cover every transfer, we did want to highlight a handful of key names who came up on our radar over the last weeks...

You can find our full list of (known) distance transfers by clicking the link here...

The Butler men have been plenty active as of late when it comes to adding transfers to their roster and that is still evident by the recent additions of undergraduate transfer Jack McMahon (formerly of Davidson) and graduate transfer Remi Schyns (formerly of Eastern Kentucky). Both men will be joining the Bulldogs for the start of the upcoming semester.

According to TFRRS, McMahon has three years of eligibility remaining in both cross country and indoor track as well as four years of eligibility remaining for outdoor track. As for Schyns, he is expected to have full eligibility remaining in all three seasons of competition.

McMahon is a younger talent, but has already secured promising personal bests of 8:36 (3k) and 14:40 (5k) during his freshman year. However, Butler's press release states that McMahon actually ran time of 14:27 for 5000 meters on October 23rd.

During his time in high school, McMahon was the 2018 Rhode Island Gatorade Cross Country Athlete of the Year who also finished 45th at the NXN Championships that same season. McMahon could end up being a valuable piece for the Butler men in the long-term.

Conversely, Schyns is an experienced veteran who will be bring additional depth and potential scoring to a team that is likely looking to make the most out of their competitive opportunities this winter. The former EKU runner owns personal bests of 8:20 (3k) and 8:59 (steeplechase).

Earlier this year, Butler added a handful of other names to their roster via the transfer portal such as Pierre-Louis Detroube, Connor Naughton and Jonathan Besselink.

The Utah women will be adding an underrated talent to their roster starting next year. Keelah Barger of Arizona will be joining the Utes in the fall of 2021 as a graduate transfer.

The incoming distance veteran has two years of eligibility remaining in both cross country and indoor track as well as multiple seasons of eligibility for outdoor track.

Barger had a fair amount of success last winter, running personal bests of 9:40 (3k) and 16:54 (5k). During the 2019 cross country season, Barger finished 78th at Joe Piane, 36th at the PAC-12 Championships and 46th at the West Regional Championships.

If Barger can carry her momentum from last winter into the Utah program, then the Utes could have another key scorer entering their varsity lineup during the 2021 cross country season.

Largely viewed as the most elite JUCO middle distance runner in the country last year, the 2020 NJCAA Indoor Champion in the 600 meters and 800 meters is now on the move. Mpoke will join the Texas A&M Aggies starting this winter. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining in indoor track and three seasons of eligibility remaining for outdoor track, according to TFRRS.

The former South Plains CC runner owns personal bests of 1:16 (600), 1:50 (800) and 2:26 (1k). Mpoke also set a world record in the 600 yards with a time of 1:06.93 last winter. The incoming JUCO talent will join a Texas A&M program which has become a powerhouse for middle distance runners.

Mpoke, who also specializes in the 400 meters (46.32) and 400 meter hurdles (50.87), could surely help extend the middle distance excellence that we have seen from the men of College Station for years now.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Leya Salis (Cornell) will be finishing her eligibility with the Virginia Cavaliers as a graduate transfer starting next fall. She is expected to have multiple seasons of eligibility remaining in all three seasons of competition.

Salis is an accomplished middle distance runner on the track. The Ivy League runner, who hasn't officially competed since 2018, owns a strong array of personal bests which includes times of 2:08 (800), 2:46 (1k) and 4:23 (1500).

Salis will team up with Delaware graduate transfer Michaela Meyer (who has run 2:03 for 800 meters) in an effort to bolster what is becoming a quietly strong middle distance contingent at the University of Virginia.

The women of California Baptist have added a key name to their roster in Daan Haven. The graduate transfer will join the program for the upcoming semester with eligibility remaining in all three seasons of competition, according to TFRRS.

The former Arizona State runner owns respectable personal bests of 9:44 (3k), 17:03 (5k) and 35:30 (10k). She also finished 36th at the West Regional Championships during the 2019 cross country season.

Haven's introduction to the Lancers' roster could prove to be useful as CBU attempts to reconstruct their nationally competitive lineup from last year. After losing a few key pieces, California Baptist will surely be happy to bring in someone like Haven could emerge as a potential scorer in the Lancers' lineup.

Yet another Minnesota runner is on the move. The Stride Report has learned that Hunter Lucas is set to join the Boise State men starting next fall. According to TFRRS, Lucas currently has two years of eligibility remaining in both cross and indoor track as well as three seasons of eligibility remaining for outdoor track.

Lucas owns personal bests of 3:49 (1500) and 4:10 (mile). The soon-to-be Bronco will join a program which swept the top three spots in the men's mile last winter at the Mountain West Indoor Championships.

Lucas is now the third (known) Minnesota men's distance runner to transfer after the university ultimately decided to cut it's men's indoor track team earlier this year. He now joins Dawson LaRance and Jordan MacIntosh as Minnesota athletes who have (or will) transferred out of the program.

The Kansas Jayhawks are adding Kansas City runner Sommer Herner to their program. The incoming transfer will be joining the women in Lawrence, Kansas later this winter. According to TFRRS, Herner currently has two years of eligibility remaining in both cross country and indoor track as well as three years of eligibility for outdoor track.

Herner will join the Jayhawks roster with a handful of strong performances from her time as an underclassmen. At the 2020 WAC Indoor Championships, Herner took home conference titles in both the 800 meters and the mile. She also finished runner-up in the 3000 meters.

The former UMKC runner boasts respectable personal bests of 2:13 (800), 2:54 (1k) and 4:37 (1500). Herner finished 50th at the Midwest Regional Championships during the 2019 cross country season.

Herner's departure from the Kansas City program comes less than two months after the University of Missouri-Kansas City announced that they were temporarily suspending their men's and women's track and cross country teams for eight months due to financial concerns stemming from the recent pandemic.

One of the more underrated JUCO pickups as of late, the West Texas A&M women are continuing to bring in top talents from Iowa Central CC. Eleonora Curtabbi is set to join the Buffaloes starting this winter.

This past fall, Curtabbi earned a runner-up finish in five straight cross country races and later went on to win the 2020 NJCAA Half-Marathon Championships. The soon-to-be West Texas A&M Buffalo boasts respectable range with personal bests of 2:17 (800), 2:59 (1k), 4:55 (mile), 9:42 (3k) and 17:11 (5k).

Curtabbi will soon join a West Texas A&M women's program which was headlined by Florance Uwajeneza, a former Iowa Central CC runner. By adding Curtabbi to their roster, the Buffaloes are hoping to have a wicked 1-2 punch that will shrink the gap between themselves and 2020 Lone Star Champions Dallas Baptist.