Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Mar 252 min
The Stride Report has learned from two separate sources that Rutgers star Alexandra Carlson has entered the transfer portal. She is listed in the portal as a standard transfer. According to TFRRS, the Scarlet Knight ace is expected to hold one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition (assuming that she competes this spring).
Carlson left the New Jersey high school ranks as a strong, nationally competitive name, boasting times of 2:12 (800) and 4:51 (1600). However, the leap in fitness that this Rutgers distance standout would take during her time under Coach Matthew Jelley was substantial.
As a collegiate, Carlson threw down fantastic marks. She currently holds personal bests of 2:05 (800), 2:42 (1k), 4:31 (mile) and 8:56 (3k). Those latter two efforts allowed the Rutgers athlete to qualify for the 2023 indoor national meet in both of those events, although she would finish last in the mile prelims and later produce a DNF result in the 3k.
After a challenging 2023 outdoor track season, Carlson began to rally during the fall months, placing 11th at Paul Short, 20th at the BIG 10 XC Championships and 10th at the Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships. Carlson would also secure the 2024 BIG 10 mile title over individual national qualifier, Kileigh Kane (Penn State), last month.
At her best, Carlson is one of the more dynamic and dangerous distance talents that the NCAA has to offer. Her range on the track should bring tremendous value to whichever program signs her and it's also fair to suggest that her cross country performances could be even better in the future.
Trying to figure out which team(s) could sign Carlson is more challenging than one may think. While by no means a foolproof method, looking at the proximity to one's hometown can often be a key indicator of where someone will choose to attend school.
Given that Carlson is from New Jersey, nationally competitive distance programs that are (somewhat) close to her would include Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown and Penn State. However, of those programs, it's the Hoyas that would best fit the skillset that Carlson brings to the table given her mile/3k prowess and ability to be a scorer on the grass.
Another program such as Louisville would be a good fit for Carlson given the Cardinals' recent coaching change and somewhat active role in recruiting top transfer talents over the last year. It's a somewhat similar story for the Virginia women. While their coaching staff has now been in Charlottesville for a handful of years, the makeup of their roster and past history of recruiting transfers would make Carlson an ideal inductee for the Cavaliers.