TSR Collaboration
Nov 27, 202017 min
The 2020 cross country season is officially over now that the Mid-American Conference and Southern Conference have finished their championship races. With no more collegiate cross country races on tap, TSR decided to review the major highlights of this altered season and hand out our "End of Season Awards" just like we did at the end of the 2020 indoor track season.
Keep in mind that these awards and nominations are based on performances that took place this season. Past results from other seasons are not taken into consideration.
So with that, let's get started...
NOTE: Final voting results can be found at the bottom portion of this article
*Redshirt freshmen are not included in this award
Nominees: Matt Duvall (Kentucky), Wes Porter (Virginia), Josh Methner (Notre Dame), Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State)
Matt Duvall (Kentucky): Few youngsters are able to have as much of an impact on their respective teams as Duvall did this past fall. He was the lead scorer for the Wildcats at every meet their varsity lineup toed the line for. The Kentucky freshman won the Commodore Classic, finished 5th in a top-heavy field at the Louisville Classic and placed 15th at the SEC Championships. He was a major reason why the Wildcats ran so well this year.
Wes Porter (Virginia): The Cavalier rookie was an absolute stud this fall, offering unexpected scoring potency which made the Virginia men far better than we expected them to be. He was incredibly consistent against top ACC competition such as NC State and Wake Forest. His 23rd place finish at the ACC Championships wasn't ideal, but if that's the "worst" race of his season, then the future is very bright for this Virginia youngster.
Josh Methner (Notre Dame): The Notre Dame men raced only twice this season, although the ACC Championships were the only time where they faced top competition. Methner finished 11th at the ACC Championships and clearly established himself as one of the top rookies in the NCAA. However, a lack of competitive races this season may make it difficult for him to earn votes.
Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State): The Oklahoma State standout was a major reason why the Cowboys had such an incredible turnaround this season. Sure, the rest of Schoppe's teammates made big improvements, but this team is really only deep through five runners. Without Schoppe, there likely would have been a significant scoring gap within Oklahoma State's top five this fall.
*Redshirt freshmen are not included in this award
Nominees: Sasha Neglia (North Carolina), Taylor Ewert (Arkansas), Brenna Cohoon (Iowa State), Vasileia Spyrou (Florida), Corie Smith (Arkansas), Lexy Halladay (BYU)
Sasha Neglia (UNC): From day one, Neglia showed the country that she has the potential to be a true star in the NCAA, maybe sooner rather than later. Two regular season wins and a 3rd place result (where she finished behind only Clairmonte and Steelman) validated Neglia as a true front-runner, along with her 6th place at the ACC Championships. The Tar Heel freshman consistently produced and gave her team a massive amount of scoring potency that none of us were expecting to see from her.
Taylor Ewert (Arkansas): The Arkansas youngster was about as good as we expected her to be. She secured a convincing win at the LSU Preview at the beginning of the season before stringing together a handful of strong performances, finishing 10th at both the Blazer Classic and SEC Championships. Despite her inexperience, Ewert gave one of the nation's top-ranked teams a consistent scoring presence in the middle of their lineup.
Brenna Cohoon (Iowa State): The Cyclone rookie was quiet at the start of the season, but finished a respectable 17th place at the Cowboy Jamboree. She would go on to finish a surprising 5th at the BIG 12 Championships. Cohoon only got better as the season went on and gave her team her best performance when it was needed the most.
Vasileia Spyrou (Florida): An underrated name who may have been overlooked at certain times this season, the Florida freshman was a pleasant surprise for the Gators. Her 8th place finish at the Blazer Classic actually put her two spots ahead of Arkansas' Taylor Ewert. Spyrou would go on to earn a very solid 17th place finish at the SEC Championships.
Corie Smith (Arkansas): Yet another Arkansas youngster, Smith was a consistent name who often found herself in a varsity spot for the Razorbacks. She was 5th at the LSU Preview before finishing 17th at the Blazer Classic and 16th at the SEC Championships. Smith wasn't a superstar, but she was an underrated talent who always delivered for a top-ranked team.
Lexy Halladay (BYU): She only raced once this season, but a 6th place finish in a deep field at the Oklahoma State Invitational shouldn't be overlooked. Halladay was a stud in high school and seems to be making a seamless transition to the collegiate stage.
*Focuses on athletes who were in the national picture, does not include freshmen
Nominees: Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss), Rohann Asfaw (Virginia), Victor Shitsama (Oklahoma State), Carter Coughlin (Wake Forest), Paul Arredondo (Charlotte)
Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss): One of the most difficult leaps to make in the NCAA is from good to great. Mississippi's Mario Garcia Romo went from being a solid member of the Rebel's top five to a legitimate All-American candidate and SEC Champion this fall. Last year, he finished 111th at the national meet. However, he didn't finish outside of the top three in any race that he toed the line for this season.
Garcia Romo lost to only three men (Waleed Suliman, Paul Arredondo and Amon Kemboi) all season long and took down big-time names in the process. With Romo’s improvement, Ole Miss enters the potential winter cross country season with a much higher ceiling.
Rohann Asfaw (Virginia): The UVA ace made a similar improvement to Garcia Romo as he emerged as a top-tier low-stick for Virginia. The Cavalier star won three regular season races this fall before finishing 4th at the ACC Championships, validating his breakout season. After an up-and-down 2019 season, Asfaw was a dynamic front-runner who helped make Virginia one of the best surprises of this altered season.
Victor Shitsama (Oklahoma State): Another big success story was Victor Shitsama of Oklahoma State who emerged as a key contributor for the Cowboys who are now podium contenders. He was 3rd at the Cowboy Jamboree, 10th at the Oklahoma State Invitational and earned a crucial 5th place finish at the BIG 12 Championships to help the Cowboys narrowly edge Iowa State. He isn’t the front-runner that some of these other candidates are, but his emergence as a key member of Oklahoma State's top five makes the Cowboys a real podium threat.
Carter Coughlin (Wake Forest): The Demon Deacons were a team that had dramatic all-around improvements from each of their varsity members, but Carter was their top option in the larger picture of this cross country season. He consistently earned top finishes alongside teammate Jack Tiernan and was Wake Forest's top scorer at the ACC Championships where he finished 5th. After a pair of unexciting (but respectable) cross country finishes and times during the 2019-2020 academic calendar, Coughlin stepped up in a big way and proved to be a true low-stick for his team this season.
Paul Arredondo (Charlotte): We knew that the Charlotte veteran was talented, but we didn't expect him to be as good as he was this fall. A huge win at the Louisville Classic over the Ole Miss trio felt like a statement performance. Teammate Nickolas Scudder also made surprising improvements for the 49ers this fall, but neither of his performances were as surprising as what Arredondo accomplished at Louisville.
*Focuses on athletes who were in the national picture, does not include freshmen
Nominees: Jenna Gearing (Kentucky), Dominique Clairemonte (NC State), Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State), Katie Thronson (Tennessee), Jami Reed (Alabama), Sarah Chapman (Missouri)
Jenna Gearing (Kentucky): The transfer from Clemson, Jenna Gearing seems to have found a perfect home in Kentucky where she exceeded all expectations this fall. She joined the Wildcats with modest personal bests on the track and didn't have a ton of great cross country finishes to speak of. For perspective, Gearing finished 95th at the ACC Championships and 73rd at the Southeast Regional Championships last year.
Since moving to Lexington, Gearing has seen a massive amount of improvement and never finished outside of the top five in any race that she was in this year. Her breakout season culminated with a 2nd place finish at the SEC Championships.
Dominique Clairmonte (NC State): Just like Mario Garcia Romo on the men's side, Clairmonte went from being a key member of the Wolfpack’s top five to their top scorer. She had an odd 2019 season which saw her finish 53rd at the ACC Championships, but then 54th at NCAA’s. After her win at the ACC meet this year, she looks like someone who is probably a top-20 runner in the country.
Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State): The Cowgirl ace lost twice this fall, but those losses came to two of the best runners in the country in Whittni Orton and Cailie Logue. For Roe to be competing with top-10 runners shows how much she has improved. If Molly Born and Taylor Somers can return to their previous form, then Roe gives the Cowgirls another top low-stick and a scary amount of scoring potency.
Katie Thronson (Tennessee): Another rising star in the SEC is Katie Thronson of Tennessee. She was 4th at the Louisville Classic this fall and earned a huge statement win at the Blazer Classic. Going into the SEC Championships, Thronson was considered one of the individual favorites, but unfortunately was not able to race (nor were her teammates). Still, she has established herself as one of the best runners in the SEC and will be a favorite to qualify individually for the NCAA Championships in 2021.
Jami Reed (Alabama): Coming into this season, we knew that Alabama had a star duo in Esther Gitahi and Mercy Chelangat. However, what we did not expect was Jami Reed being just as talented. Looking at Reed’s TFRRS page is amazing, mainly because nearly every race she ran in this season earned her a PR.
After not competing at SEC’s last year, she finished 6th this fall. Add in a win at the Commodore Classic and a 2nd place run at the Florida State Invitational, and Reed has established herself as a top name in the SEC and has given the Crimson Tide a three-headed monster when it comes to front-runners.
Sarah Chapman (Missouri): Chapman was a respectable distance talent who had recorded a few decent finishes during the 2019 cross country season. However, she made a clear and significant leap in fitness this year. The Missouri stud finished 2nd at the Commodore Classic (losing only to Jami Reed) before beating the entire Arkansas squad at the Gans Creek Classic.
Earning the bronze medal at the SEC Championships validated what was clearly a breakout season for yet another top SEC talent.
*Must have run attached
Nominees: Nuguse wins ACC title, Grijalva out-kicks Mantz, Kiptoo wins BIG 12 title, Ole Miss sweeps top three spots at SEC's
Yared Nuguse Wins ACC XC Title: In a year with fewer opportunities for racing, we have still been able to see some incredible individual performances. Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse has continued to prove himself as a man who can do it all. At the beginning of his career at Notre Dame, Nuguse was seen as more of a miler. However, at the ACC XC Championships, he turned in one of his most impressive performances yet.
Nuguse won the race by five seconds, taking down some top names, fending off challenges from Velasco and Shanklin and showing that he is truly one of the best all-around distance runners in the country.
Luis Grijalva Out-kicks Conner Mantz at Oklahoma State Invitational: We only got to see the Northern Arizona University men officially race once this fall, but it was in one of (if not the) most competitive races of the season. Luis Grijalva led the way for the Lumberjacks at the Oklahoma State Invitational, edging out BYU rival Conner Mantz in a final kick to the finish.
Despite only racing once, Grijalva made the most of his opportunity and showed why he may be the best cross country runner in the NCAA. This was without a doubt one of the top performances that we saw this season and it left us even more excited about what Grijalva can do in a NCAA Championship race.
Wesley Kiptoo Wins BIG 12 XC Title: Kiptoo kicked off his career at Iowa State with multiple great performances, but none were as impressive as his win at the BIG 12 Championships. The JUCO transfer from Colby Community College quickly cemented himself as a national title contender by winning the BIG 12 title by 14 seconds over a talented group of athletes, specifically Isai Rodriguez. Being able to pull away from someone like Rodriguez is not easy, but Kiptoo was up to the challenge and in turn gave us one of the best performances of the season.
Ole Miss Men Sweep Top Three Spots at SEC XC Championships: The final nomination for the "Best Performance Award" does not go to an individual, but rather a whole team. The Ole Miss trio of Mario Garcia Romo, Cole Bullock and Waleed Suliman swept the SEC Championships, a feat rarely seen in a Power Five conference. The Ole Miss men have been strong over the last few years, but sweeping the top three spots at their conference meet over an Arkansas team that features Amon Kemboi was not something that we saw coming.
Ole Miss had a handful of racing opportunities in this limited season, but they brought their "A game" when they needed it the most and turned in one of the most memorable team performances that we’ve seen in a while.
*Must have run attached
Nominees: Orton wins OSU Invite, Clairmonte wins ACC title, Chelangat wins SEC title, Logue wins BIG 12 title
Whittni Orton Out-runs Competition at Oklahoma State Invitational: Orton came into this season as our TSR #2 runner and has been one of the top athletes in the NCAA across all distance events in recent years. We had high expectations for her this fall, and sure enough, in the one race she lined up for, she was utterly dominant.
Orton won the Oklahoma State Invitational by 11 seconds over Oklahoma State's Taylor Roe, and was over 30 seconds ahead of 3rd place. Orton’s dominance was expected, but seeing her make light work of a competitive field is always impressive.
Dominique Clairmonte Wins ACC XC Title: The ACC was the most competitive conference to have any sort of actual season (more than just one race, culminating in a conference championship) and NC State’s Dominique Clairmonte took home the individual crown for that very conference.
She built an 11 second lead on Syracuse’s Amanda Vestri and dropped fellow teammate Hannah Steelman in the process to take home the title on her home course. To win the ACC title is impressive, but to win it in such a convincing fashion is a whole different story.
Cailie Logue Wins BIG 12 XC Title: Iowa State’s Cailie Logue capped off her undefeated (albeit, abbreviated) season with a BIG 12 title. The BIG 12 was not as deep this year as it has been in the past, but considering that Logue convincingly took down a top name like Taylor Roe, you have to recognize the impressiveness of her win.
Mercy Chelangat Wins SEC XC Title: Mercy Chelangat came away with the SEC individual title for Alabama by a margin of 12 seconds, making winning a cross country conference title look MUCH easier than it is. Chelangat had to take down a slew of veteran scorers and superstar newcomers alike. The SEC may not be the deepest conference in the NCAA, but it was loaded with top individuals this season. By earning such a dominant win, Chelangat showed the NCAA why she should be considered one of the nation’s top cross country athletes.
Nominees: Mike Smith (Northern Arizona), Dave Smith (Oklahoma State), Chris Bucknam (Arkansas), Sean Carlson (Notre Dame)
Mike Smith (Northern Arizona): One race was all it took for coach Mike Smith of Northern Arizona to prove that his team will continue to dominate the NCAA. Heading into this fall, the BIG Sky had stated that teams wouldn’t be able to compete. However, when the conference allowed for some level of competition, the Lumberjacks quickly jumped on the opportunity and traveled to the Oklahoma State Invitational to take on the likes of Oklahoma State, BYU, Southern Utah and an unattached Colorado team.
Coach Smith’s athletes scored a mere 36 points in that race, highlighted by Luis Grijalva’s individual victory while their other four scorers placed within the top-15. The Lumberjacks sat out a few of their top men, as well as stud freshman Nico Young, but that didn’t seem to hinder their team performance at all.
Sean Carlson (Notre Dame): The Fighting Irish only raced twice during this abbreviated fall season, but they made the most of their opportunities. Notre Dame started the season with a win at the Irish Classic, scoring a perfect 15 points. That, however, was a simple rust-buster.
Over a month later at the ACC Championships, Nuguse did his thing and so did the Fighting Irish, both picking up wins. The Notre Dame men had all five scorers within the top-18 of that ACC race, earning a time spread of only 34 seconds.
Considering their lack of racing, this team showed no rust and still pulled off a convincing conference victory with two freshmen making up the backend of their ACC title-winning lineup. All things considered, that is some great coaching and preparation by Carlson.
Dave Smith (Oklahoma State): After not qualifying for the 2019 NCAA XC Championships, coach Dave Smith completely turned around the Oklahoma State Cowboys this season and suddenly made them podium threats.
Isai Rodriguez and Ryan Smeeton were healthy this fall and led a strong group of underclassmen in each race. Coach Smith planned his schedule well, hosting two meets on OSU’s home course, the eventual site of the NCAA Championships. The Cowboys won the Cowboy Jamboree and placed a solid 2nd to a strong NAU team at the Oklahoma State Invitational. The men then got a tie-breaking win at the BIG 12 Championships over Iowa State.
Coach Smith rejuvenated the Cowboys this fall and proved that when they are at full strength, this group of veterans and underclassmen are a force to be reckoned with. They certainly have the potential to contend for a podium finish in 2021.
Chris Bucknam (Arkansas): Throughout 2020, Bucknam recruited well and brought in key transfers who aided his roster this fall. As a result, we saw three dominating wins during the season over SEC and ACC competitors.
Arkansas' depth was on full display at the SEC Championships where the Razorbacks secured places 5-6-7-8-9 to easily combat the top three sweep by Ole Miss. The 16 second time spread between their top five was very promising for a team full of newcomers who hadn't run with each other prior to this season.
With so many new pieces and a handful of different talents, Bucknam somehow put together a cohesive lineup which displayed firepower and depth. Getting enough talented athletes on your roster is one thing, but having them all run well one the same day is a separate challenge that Bucknam conquered.
Nominees: Lance Harter (Arkansas), Laurie Henes (NC State), Diljeet Taylor (BYU), Alan Drosky (Georgia Tech)
Lance Harter (Arkansas): Winning is a tradition for the Arkansas women and that only continued for the Razorbacks in 2020. After not knowing what the Razorbacks' lineup would look like following the departure of their top four scorers from their national title lineup, coach Lance Harter’s recruiting class and transfers turned heads right away.
In the four times that the women competed, a win was earned in each race and done so by considerable margins. Lauren Gregory showed that she was healthy, Taylor Ewert had no problems meeting expectations, Logan Morris was very consistent, Krissy Gear picked up where she left off after the 2020 indoor track season and Abby Gray made clear improvements.
Just like the men's team, Harter was able to put effectively together a cohesive lineup with numerous women who had mostly never run with each other before this season. After losing so many top talents from last year's team, Arkansas was able to reload instead of rebuild.
Laurie Henes (NC State): The women of NC State came out guns blazing this fall and there was no slowing them down. Coach Laurie Henes showed the NCAA that the Wolfpack were going all-in after recruiting some of the top high school runners in the country and landing top transfer Hannah Steelman from Wofford.
Although we never got to see Katelyn Tuohy or Marlee Starliper compete, other runners stepped up and helped the Wolfpack win each contested event. Dominique Clairmonte really found some new confidence this fall while Steelman gave this team a wicked 1-2 punch. The rest of their supporting scorers were consistent, rarely faltered and made underappreciated improvements.
To have such a dominating lineup, even without your two superstar freshmen, is awfully impressive. It just goes to show how well coach Henes have been able to develop the rest of her roster.
Diljeet Taylor (BYU): Coach Taylor prepared the women of BYU for a strong race at the Oklahoma State Invitational, the only meet on their schedule. The Cougars outscored 2nd place Southern Utah by 40 points after Whittni Orton threw down a dominating win. Their other four scorers placed within the top-10, displaying a nice mix of veterans and underclassmen.
After the departure of top runners, Aubrey Frentheway is turning into a strong secondary scorer, true freshman Lexy Halladay showed off her raw talent and both Anna Camp-Bennett and Sara Musselman proved to reliable backend scorers (at least for that one race).
Despite losing two women who finished inside the top-10 at last year's NCAA Championships, the Cougars aren't falling too far (at all) in the hierarchy of top collegiate cross country programs.
Alan Drosky (Georgia Tech): Was Georgia Tech the best team in the country this season? No, they weren't, but they did shatter expectations and make some noise in big races.
The Yellow Jackets rallied around a handful of experienced veterans that coach Drosky has developed over the past few years. They consistently got better as the season went on and the middle portion of their lineup made significant progress on closing the gaps between them and front-runner Nicole Fegans, as shown by the ACC Championship results.
Georgia Tech had a great season this year and coach Drosky at least deserves to be in this conversation given what they were able to accomplish.
*Must have run attached this season
Nominees: Wesley Kiptoo (Iowa State), Luis Grijalva (NAU), Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame)
Wesley Kiptoo (Iowa State): In his first season at Iowa State, Wesley Kiptoo made an immediate splash. He translated his success at the junior college level to the D1 level and capped off his season with an absolutely dominant victory over Isai Rodriguez at the BIG 12 Championships. The Cyclones have not skipped a beat after losing individual national champion Edwin Kurgat thanks to the scoring services of Kiptoo.
Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame): Nuguse put together a wire-to-wire victory at ACC’s in his only competitive race of the season. It has been popular to call the Notre Dame star the most complete runner in the country, but he might just be one of the best runners in the country, no extra conditions necessary. He held off several top runners during the ACC Championships and proved that he can win from the front without relying on his kick.
Luis Grijalva (Northern Arizona): He only officially competed in one collegiate race this year, but Luis Grijalva made the most of his opportunity as he took down Conner Mantz and Casey Clinger at the Oklahoma State Invitational. The NAU star looks like he has taken a step up in fitness this past indoor season and he has clearly not slowed down since then. He should be the Lumberjacks' best front-runner since Tyler Day and Matthew Baxter.
*Must have run attached this season
Nominees: Dominique Clairmonte (NC State), Whittni Orton (BYU), Cailie Logue (Iowa State)
Dominique Clairmonte (NC State): Clairmonte is a candidate for almost all of these awards, but as the ACC Champion, she certainly deserves this award as well. Racing against the deepest conference that was actually competing this fall, her closest competitor was teammate Hannah Steelman. She won her last two races by a combined 18 seconds and looks like the Wolfpack’s next superstar front-runner.
Whittni Orton (BYU): Despite only racing once, Orton looks like one of the best runners in the country just as our preseason rankings suggested. She dominated Taylor Roe by a convincing 11 seconds at the Oklahoma State Invitational. After her 2019-20 season, the BYU star was our TSR #2 runner and she has done nothing to dissuade us of that ranking.
Cailie Logue (Iowa State): The Cyclone standout overwhelmed her competition this year as she won both races that she toed the line for this fall, capping off a great season with a BIG 12 title. Logue convincingly took down Taylor Roe and didn't seem phased by this altered cross country season as her results were just as good as we expected them to be.
Men
Garrett: Matt Duvall (Kentucky)
Maura: Josh Methner (Notre Dame)
Eric: Wes Porter (Virginia)
Ben: Matt Duvall (Kentucky)
Michael: Wes Porter (Virginia)
Women
Garrett: Sasha Neglia (UNC)
Maura: Sasha Neglia (UNC)
Eric: Sasha Neglia (UNC)
Ben: Sasha Neglia (UNC)
Michael: Sasha Neglia (UNC)
Men
Garrett: Rohann Asfaw (Virginia)
Maura: Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss)
Eric: Rohann Asfaw (Virginia)
Ben: Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss)
Michael: Rohann Asfaw (Virginia)
Women
Garrett: Jenna Gearing (Kentucky)
Maura: Jenna Gearing (Kentucky)
Eric: Jenna Gearing (Kentucky)
Ben: Dominique Clairmonte (NC State)
Michael: Jenna Gearing (Kentucky)
Men
Garrett: Ole Miss Sweeps Top Three Places at SEC Championships
Maura: Ole Miss Sweeps Top Three Places at SEC Championships
Eric: Ole Miss Sweeps Top Three Places at SEC Championships
Ben: Luis Grijalva Out-kicks Conner Mantz at Oklahoma State Invitational
Michael: Ole Miss Sweeps Top Three Places at SEC Championships
Women
Garrett: Dominique Clairmonte’s Win at ACC’s
Maura: Mercy Chelangat’s Win at SEC’s
Eric: Cailie Logue's Win at BIG 12's
Ben: Whittni Orton's win at the Oklahoma State Invitational
Michael: Dominique Clairmonte’s Win at ACC’s
Men
Garrett: Dave Smith (Oklahoma State)
Maura: Dave Smith (Oklahoma State)
Eric: Sean Carlson (Notre Dame)
Ben: Dave Smith (Oklahoma State)
Michael: Dave Smith (Oklahoma State)
Women
Garrett: Laurie Henes (NC State)
Maura: Laurie Henes (NC State)
Eric: Lance Harter (Arkansas)
Ben: Laurie Henes (NC State)
Michael: Laurie Henes (NC State)
Men
Garrett: Wesley Kiptoo (Iowa State)
Maura: Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame)
Eric: Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame)
Ben: Wesley Kiptoo (Iowa State)
Michael: Luis Grijalva (NAU)
Women
Garrett: Dominique Clairmonte (NC State)
Maura: Cailie Logue (Iowa State)
Eric: Dominique Clairmonte (NC State)
Ben: Whittni Orton (BYU)
Michael: Dominique Clairmonte (NC State)