TSR Collaboration
Dec 10, 202222 min
Updated: Dec 11, 2022
Written by Hannah Thorn, Kevin Fischer & Brett Haffner
Additional edits and commentary by John Cusick & Garrett Zatlin
*Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria. Athletes who began their NCAA eligibility last winter and are competing in their first season of cross country are considered true freshmen.
Nominees: Emmanuel Leblond (Johns Hopkins), Nikhil DeNatale (Williams), Grant Matthai (UW-La Crosse), Mohammed Bati (Augsburg), Owen Johnson (Middlebury)
Emmanuel Leblond (Johns Hopkins)
Leblond recorded the highest national meet finish of any male freshman this year. That’s not shocking given his high school 3200 meter personal best of 9:08, but what was really impressive was his steady improvement throughout the season and his poise in a championship setting.
Leblond was the third runner for the Blue Jays for much of the season, but ended up as their top finisher at the national meet in 26th place. Anytime somebody this early in their career already has an All-American honor to their name, they have the potential to develop into a superstar.
Nikhil DeNatale (Williams)
Going into this season, we thought that the Williams men could potentially have some depth problems after their elite 1-2 punch. However, DeNatale was a big reason why that was not necessarily the case. It’s hard to come into a program this successful as a freshman and immediately make a scoring impact, but he has done just that. DeNatale recorded some solid regular season performances, but his 50th place national meet finish was probably his best race of the season.
Grant Matthai (UW-La Crosse)
Grant Matthai was not a scorer for much of the regular season, running in the "Open" race at D3 Pre-Nationals and finishing as the Eagles’ sixth runner at the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational and the WIAC XC Championships. However, he had a true breakthrough at the NCAA XC Championships, finishing 70th overall and was the third La Crosse scorer to cross the line. He had a very solid freshman campaign where he improved throughout the season and peaked at the perfect time.
Mohammed Bati (Augsburg)
Mohammed Bati spent some time on the fringes of our top-20 rankings this fall after making a big splash in his first collegiate season. He recorded five wins this fall, including the MIAC XC Championships, and later finished 7th at the North Regional XC Championships before ultimately having a tough day at the national meet and falling to 168th.
Bati's overall body of work this season was arguably the best in this freshman class and he will no doubt get chances to redeem his season finale performance at future national meets.
Owen Johnson (Middlebury)
Johnson was one of the biggest and best recruits from this class out of high school, running 4:11 for 1600 meters and 9:05 for 3200 meters. His first collegiate season was solid, but left a little more to be desired compared to expectations.
Still, it's hard to be critical of him as it's always an accomplishment for a true freshman to make the top-seven of a national-caliber team. The transition from high school to college racing is often difficult and he navigated it fairly well. He has the potential to get to a really high level in the next few years on both the grass and the oval.
*Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria. Athletes who began their NCAA eligibility last winter and are competing in their first season of cross country are considered true freshmen.
Nominees: Hannah Preisser (Carleton), Kayla Aalpoel (George Fox), Katie Rector (Washington U.), Kate Sanderson (MIT), Vivian Kane (NYU)
Hannah Preisser (Carleton)
Hannah Preisser entered the D3 scene and immediately went toe-to-toe with some of the best runners in the country. She made a complex transition look easy and her youth was never on show as she stayed consistent throughout the season.
Her 15th place finish at the national meet was no surprise given what she had already accomplished, but it is still a notable indication that she is already this solid in big settings at this point in her career.
Kayla Aalpoel (George Fox)
Aalpoel went a little bit under the radar for much of the season despite recording a very solid 15th place finish at D3 Pre-Nationals. She was 15th at the West Regional XC Championships as well, which is a very strong showing for a freshman, but it didn’t give us any indication that she would be an All-American. She ultimately had a clutch showing, finishing 32nd a couple weeks back to lead George Fox to a team finish in the top-half of the national meet field.
Katie Rector (Washington U.)
Rector was consistently this season as a key member of a great Washington U. team. She never really faltered and she steadily improved this season, finishing 26th at Augustana, 7th at the UAA XC Championships, 8th at the Midwest Regional XC Championships and 46th at the national meet.
This Bear superstar is knocking on the door of becoming an All-American, and it will be exciting to watch her develop, potentially into the next superstar of a Washington U. program with a rich history.
Kate Sanderson (MIT)
Kate Sanderson wasn’t somebody who we anticipated to be at this level in the postseason based on her regular season performances. At D3 Pre-Nationals, she was 83rd and at the Connecticut College Invite, she was 56th.
However, Sanderson established herself as a key contributor for MIT at the NEWMAC XC Championships, finishing 4th, and then continued to improve with a 6th place finish at East Regional XC Championships and a 48th place national meet performance. The form she discovered in her first collegiate season progressed was incredible and it was night and day compared to where she was in October.
Vivian Kane (NYU)
The season's latter stages weren’t quite what Vivian Kane had in mind. She finished a slightly underwhelming 10th at the UAA XC Championships and did not race at the regional or nationals meets.
But make no mistake, Kane's overall season was one of the best among any freshman in the country. She had fantastic performances at both Paul Short and the Connecticut College Invite which blew away our expectations. Ultimately, Kane can be one of the biggest stars in D3 soon despite this past postseason not going her way.
*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this fall. Prior seasons are used as a very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season (not necessarily of cross country) of NCAA competition.
Nominees: Joe Backus (John Carroll), Logan Bocovich (St. Olaf), Isaac Wegner (UW-La Crosse), Andrew Guimond (North Central), Caleb Silver (Central College)
Joe Backus (John Carroll)
It is incredibly difficult to fathom the monstrous leap that Joe Backus took this season in just one paragraph. He had only run under 27:00 for the 8k distance ONCE, which occurred back in 2019.
Finishing as John Carroll’s eighth runner at the OAC XC Championships, Backus then finished 7th OVERALL at the Great Lakes XC Regional. He later proceeded to place 33rd at the national meet and earn All-American honors. It’s really hard to explain the extreme significance and impact that those final two meets have been for Backus’ future as a distance runner.
Logan Bocovich (St. Olaf)
Bocovich ran himself to a heroic 8th place finish in what was a truly shocking effort. For being so unheralded prior to the national meet, Bocovich ran like a true veteran, showcasing some guts by racing on the front lines for a good portion of the race's early stages. For his first All-American performance to be as potent as it was, expect Bocovich to extend his success onto the track.
Isaac Wegner (UW-La Crosse)
Before this season, it felt like Isaac Wegner was always a “solid” runner, but not quite ready to dip into the highest levels of the national scene. This season, Wegner completely changed that expectation as he was extremely reliable and consistent by emerging as the Eagles’ second option behind Ethan Gregg. His 12th place finish at the national meet was an excellent culmination of his general improvements after finishing 67th at the 2021 national meet.
Andrew Guimond (North Central)
In his first national meet appearance, Guimond was an unexpected top scorer for North Central, finishing 29th overall and earning his first All-American honor. He had been the second scorer at the CCIW XC Championships for the Cardinals, but had normally been sitting around the backend of their scoring lineup for most of the season. Guimond stepped up when he needed to and it paid off in his favor.
Caleb Silver (Central College)
Admittedly, there was very little on Silver’s resume to suggest that he’d earn All-American honors at the national meet. Finishing 52nd at the Augustana Interregional, 22nd at the ARC XC Championships and 13th at the Midwest Regional XC Championships are all fairly average performances for the top men in the country.
However, he ran with guts in East Lansing, starting off in the top-20 for over half the race and holding on for a heroic 25th place. Not a bad way to “go for it” and earn your first All-American honor.
*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this fall. Prior seasons are used as a very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season (not necessarily of cross country) of NCAA competition.
Nominees: Morgan Lee (RPI), Lexi Brown (Wartburg), Abigail Loiselle (Pomona-Pitzer), Caroline McMartin (Central College), Chloe Bullock (Redlands), Molly FitzGibbons (Williams), Mary Kate McGranahan (Amherst)
Morgan Lee (RPI)
Since last fall, Morgan Lee has gone from being the 22nd place finisher at the Mideast Regional XC Championships with no national meet appearances to being the Liberty League and Mideast regional champion. She also finished 7th at the national meet.
The RPI star did have some pretty fast track times to her name going into the season, running 9:51 for 3000 meters and 17:02 for 5000 meters, but even if you assumed that those times would translate to the grass, then she still shattered exceeded expectations in a big way.
Lexi Brown (Wartburg)
Lexi Brown has been solid in the past and was 61st at the national meet last fall. Going into the season, we thought she had the potential to come away with All-American honors -- and she did just that! Just in a much more impactful way than we had originally anticipated. Brown has taken a huge step into a new realm of fitness as the 16th place finisher at the national meet and the 3rd place finisher at the Midwest Regional XC Championships.
Abigail Loiselle (Pomona-Pitzer)
Loiselle’s best performance of last fall came at the national meet where she finished 62nd. On the track this past spring, it didn’t seem like she was replicating that level of performance, so there wasn’t much indication that she would make the jump that she did this fall.
The Sagehen ace not only made a huge improvement compared to last year, but also compared to earlier this season. She went from running in "Open" races in September, to finishing 38th at Augustana in October, to finishing 21st at the national meet, showing a consistent upward trend throughout the fall.
Caroline McMartin (Central College)
McMartin was a national qualifier in the steeplechase this past spring, but couldn’t compete at the same level in flat events. There was always the potential for her to make a big jump from her 118th place cross country national finish last fall, but the level at which she made that improvement was beyond what we had expected. Seeing her finish comfortably within the All-American spots at 24th place was a very pleasant surprise.
Chloe Bullock (Redlands)
Chloe Bullock was 28th at the West Regional XC Championships last year, did not race at the national meet and has never raced longer than a mile on the track, collegiately. That isn’t exactly the blueprint for an All-American cross country finish, but she exceeded all of our expectations with a 38th place finish in East Lansing.
Despite all of the discussion that we had about the western and southern athletes underperforming at the national meet, Bullock’s result was probably her best of the season and she deserves massive props for that.
Molly FitzGibbons (Williams)
It’s always tricky to gauge where someone will be (fitness-wise) during cross country when they have incredible track credentials in events that don’t necessarily translate to the grass, much like the steeplechase and indoor mile.
In the case of Fitzgibbons, an All-American in both of those events, we knew that she would be much better than she was last fall, but we weren’t sure by how much. However, her season ended up being everything that we were hoping for from her as she recorded solid finishes at big meets throughout the season and concluded her fall campaign with an 18th place national meet finish.
Mary Kate McGranahan (Amherst)
McGranahan took D3 by storm this fall and was among the elite runners in the country for much of the season. Her highest national meet finish going into this season was 77th and she had never broken 18 minutes on a track over 5000 meters.
However, the Amherst ace established herself with wins at four meets this fall, including the NESCAC XC Championships and a runner-up finish at the Mideast Regional XC Championships. Her 25th place national meet finish left a little more to be desired, but it’s still a huge improvement compared to anything that she had done in the past.
*Must have run attached, must have been run at or before the NCAA Championships. Multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone "performance". However, cross country performances that are amplified by the results of other meets with appropriate context are included.
Nominees: Alex Phillip Wins Second NCAA XC Title, Ethan Gregg Wins D3 National Preview, Christopher Collet Wins Augustana Interregional Battle, Matthew Lecky Holds Off Nick Andrews at Rowan Interregional, Spencer Moon Knocks Off Strong Field at Platte River Rumble
Alex Phillip Wins Second NCAA XC Title
Alex Phillip was dominant all season long, easily cruising through the D3-centric fields while also placing 7th at Paul Short. The John Carroll ace went to the national meet and delivered on high expectations, taking home gold in convincing fashion with a three-second win over Christian Patzka.
Ethan Gregg Wins D3 National Preview
There were a handful of races this fall where Ethan Gregg was down-right dominant. He flexed incredible raw aerobic fitness and showed that on numerous occasions. However, this UW-La Crosse was arguably at his best at the D3 National Preview, taking down a loaded field of men who would later be at their best at the national meet. Taking a nine-second victory over Christian Patzka gives Gregg a chance to win this award.
Christopher Collet Wins Augustana Interregional Battle
This Wartburg star snagged five wins this season, but none was more impressive than what we saw at the Augustana Interregional Battle. Collet pulled away from a tight-knit field which featured some of the most accomplished and experienced distance talents that Division Three has to offer. In a race where nothing could go wrong in order to win, Collet delivered to perfection.
Matthew Lecky Holds Off Nick Andrews at Rowan Interregional
SUNY Geneseo's Nick Andrews proved to be a much more dangerous talent this fall than some may have realized. With numerous wins and a 6th place finish at the national meet, taking down someone like Andrews was going to be a major challenge. But Matthew Lecky executed his race plan perfectly and was able to snag a key win over a top name who never truly fell from the most elite tier this season.
Spencer Moon Knocks Off Strong Field at Platte River Rumble
The Simpson (IA) star may have put together one of the most impressive cross country efforts of the season. Spencer Moon threw down a huge mark of 23:34 over 8000 meters to win the Platte River Rumble. Not only that, but he took down highly competitive names from the D2 level by over 11 seconds! Few men were convincing in their victories this fall than Moon.
*Must have run attached, must have been run at or before the NCAA Championships. Multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone "performance". However, cross country performances that are amplified by the results of other meets with appropriate context are included.
Nominees: Kassie Parker Wins NCAA XC Title With Ease, Fiona Smith Easily Wins North Region Title, Clara Mayfield Holds Off Field at Rowan Interregional, Annika Urban Dominates UAA XC Championships, Vivian Kane Upsets Field at Connecticut College
Kassie Parker Wins NCAA XC Title With Ease
Kassie Parker was beyond dominant at the NCAA XC Championships. There's no other way to say it. The Loras ace won the national title by 43 seconds on a snow-covered course. That's a level of dominance that is hard to fathom but at the same time, it wasn't exactly surprising, either.
Fiona Smith Easily Wins North Region Title
Fiona Smith was the second-most dominant distance runner in D3 this fall. But few performances of hers were stronger than when she won the North regional title over Clara Mayfield with a mark of 20:51 over 6000 meters. And given how strong Mayfield proved to be at the national meet, that regional victory looks far more impressive in retrospect.
Clara Mayfield Holds Off Field at Rowan Interregional
It's one thing to defeat Morgan Lee. It's another thing to defeat Morgan Lee and Kathleen McCarey. It's another thing to beat all of those women and run 20:48 to earn the win by 34 seconds! That's a massive result that puts Mayfield in another tier when it comes to flexing her dominance.
Annika Urban Dominates UAA XC Championships
Few would doubt the idea that the UAA was one of -- if not the -- strongest conferences in all of Division Three this fall. That's why Annika Urban's title victory by over 20 seconds in a super deep field deserves massive respect. And while some may argue that her Paul Short victory was more impressive, we would counter by saying that Urban's win at the UAA XC Championships came over deeper competition.
Vivian Kane Upsets Field at Connecticut College
We were not at all expecting NYU's Vivian Kane to take home the win at the Connecticut College Invite. That was a loaded meet with some highly accomplished veterans. However, seeing her take home the win by 15 seconds as just a freshman is what really stunned us. She overcame her lack of experience and put together a career-defining result.
*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2022 cross country season. Success relative to seasonal expectations or success relative to historical accolades of the program are factored into account when listing nominees.
Nominees: Riley Macon (MIT), Ryan Chapman (Wartburg), Matt Sinnott (North Central), Kyle Flores (Pomona-Pitzer), Kyle Basista (John Carroll), John Lynch (RPI)
Riley Macon (MIT)
The Engineers have become very talented postseason runners over the last few years, and MIT’s national championship-winning performance was an evident result of the coaching efforts fro Macon.
Sitting as “second fiddle” to Pomona-Pitzer all year, the Engineer men turned heads with their surprisingly potent low-sticks in Sam Acquaviva (3rd overall) and Ryan Wilson (5th overall), while also bringing home three more All-Americans in Matthew Kearney (14th overall), Henry Hardart (35th overall) and Andrew Mah (36th overall). They utilized a brilliant combination of low-stick potency and sneaky depth to earn their first team national title.
Ryan Chapman (Wartburg)
It’s about time! Since we’ve covered Division Three here at TSR, Wartburg has always been so solid every season, but failed to deliver on expectations come the national meet. As the year started, their roster, on paper, looked less likely to come away with a podium finish at the national meet than in previous years.
However, they executed fantastically at the national meet, earning runner-up honors and snagging the program’s first podium finish. Earning three All-Americans, with their fourth scorer placing 41st, was a great extension of their program’s reputable talent.
Matt Sinnott (North Central)
We have to give it up for Matt Sinnott and the men of North Central. They completely turned around their program in the span of just a few months as they did not look great at all during last year’s cross country AND track campaigns.
The Cardinals ultimately resurrected their storied program from the ashes and constructed a team that could compete for a national title, developing names like Connor Riss, Andrew Guimond, Braden Nicholson and Max Svienty. While their 7th place performance at the national meet was disappointing, it pales in comparison to their 15th place performance from last year’s national meet and clearly shows that this program is in a completely different place than before.
Kyle Flores (Pomona-Pitzer)
It’s hard not to beat a dead horse here, but it was very tough to see the far-and-away TSR #1 ranked team get crushed at the national meet and finish 5th.
Pomona-Pitzer did (and does) have the best roster in Division Three, demonstrating both low-stick talents and some of the best depth in Division Three as well.
However, they could not put themselves in the race at the national meet and had to spend the race chasing which left them at too much of a deficit. They got within seven points of 4th place team John Carroll, but it just wasn’t enough to get on the podium. We’ll very likely see their depth unleash during the outdoor track season, similar to this past spring.
Kyle Basista (John Carroll)
Coach Kyle Basista is just doing something great, truly great. The hype for the John Carroll men after last year’s heroic 4th place team finish was a little questionable throughout this year's regular season, but they managed to have another amazing national meet effort for the second year in a row, placing 4th yet again.
We thought John Carroll could finish in the top-10 on a great day heading into the national meet, but they completely blew away our expectations. See Joe Backus and Alex Phillip’s individual writeups for more on them, but Ryan Champa, Barrett Scheatzle and Adam Shah really came through as the Blue Streaks’ backend scorers when it mattered the most.
JCU needed everything to go right (which happened) and they saved their best effort for the nation's biggest stage. Kudos to them!
John Lynch (RPI)
RPI started off the season in our “Honorable Mentions” section of our rankings, but clearly made it apparent early on that they’d be a strong contender in our rankings, rising up to TSR #5 in the middle of the season.
The continued growth of Matthew Lecky and the development of Cory Kennedy as a dual-ace combo contributed to their success their year, as they served as one of the best 1-2 punches in Division Three this fall.
We wouldn’t call their 9th place performance at the national meet disappointing, especially considering that our expectations for them at the beginning of the season were, relatively speaking, fairly low.
*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2022 cross country season. Success relative to seasonal expectations or success relative to historical accolades of the program are factored into account when listing nominees.
Nominees: Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins), Ryan Chapman (Wartburg), Chris Hall (U. of Chicago), Donna Ricks (Carleton), Erica Maker (St. Olaf)
Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins)
The Johns Hopkins women did it again. Coach Bobby Van Allen knows how to peak these ladies at just the right time. Their record-setting eighth Division Three national title in the last 10 years was a true marking and continuation of this legendary dynasty for the Blue Jays. Sure, we didn’t quite see this one coming, but in hindsight, it’s hard to look past Johns Hopkins at the national meet regardless of the year.
Ryan Chapman (Wartburg)
In the hotly-contested battle for our TSR #1 spot in our rankings this year, Wartburg took that position a few times, but ultimately finished 3rd at the national meet. Considering their last few years, some of which were team finishes outside of the top-20, getting back on the podium was a really solid performance for the Knights.
Wartburg had the most All-Americans out of the women’s teams with Aubrie Fisher (14th), Lexi Brown (16th), Ellie Meyer (22nd) and Shaelyn Hostager (33rd) constructing a truly elite top-four. If they had a fifth scorer a little closer to that group, then that might have helped, but massive props should be given to Wartburg for a very solid team day.
Chris Hall (U. of Chicago)
This was a fantastic year for the Maroons who sat atop of our TSR rankings for multiple weeks of the season. They commonly displayed some of the most potent depth in Division Three and their 2nd place finish at the national meet was a solid representation of their abilities.
They made a great run at the national meet to bring home the team title, but faded in the late stages, barely losing to Johns Hopkins in the end. All in all, their performance was far from disappointing as their overall seasonal performances were very strong with generally consistent results.
Donna Ricks (Carleton)
As one TSR writer noted before the national meet, the Carleton women were rolling on some good momentum for the national meet and had a lot of pieces to potentially construct a dangerous squad, if everything went right.
Carleton completely delivered on their potential in East Lansing, finishing a shocking 4th place and earning a podium finish. The most impressive part about the Knights’ performance was their shocking depth as they employed the best sixth and seventh runners at the national meet, ultimately winning the battle of depth compared to the field.
Maximizing their opportunity to do great things when it mattered most, the strong end to the Knights’ season was one of the more positive, yet surprising, outcomes in Division Three this season.
Erica Maker (St. Olaf)
The Oles’ experienced some movement in our rankings throughout the fall, falling between TSR #9 and TSR #10 spots as well one of our "Honorable Mentions" spots. Ultimately, they were able to perform at just the right time, earning an outstanding 8th place finish at the national meet.
Their interchangeable and hard-to-predict lineup made us guess who might comprise of their scoring group week-to-week. However, Saint Olaf has shown throughout the season that they have strong depth that will bode well in the future considering that NONE of their national meet runners are listed as seniors on TFRRS, eligibility-wise.
*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.
Nominees: Alex Phillip (John Carroll), Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater), Elias Lindgren (Williams), Sam Acquaviva (MIT), Ethan Gregg (UW-La Crosse)
Alex Phillip (John Carroll)
Being the defending cross country champion, Alex Phillip had high expectations coming into this season and he delivered. Phillip was undefeated against Division Three competition. The only time he didn’t win was when he finished 2nd at the MSU Spartan Invitational and 7th in the Paul Short "Gold" race.
Other than that, he was on a winning streak from the OAC XC Championships to the Great Lakes Regional XC Championships and even to the national meet. In his season finale, Phillip ran patiently, not taking the lead until late in the race. He pulled away from Patzka and Acquaviva in the last kilometer, winning in 24:37, three seconds ahead of Patzka. His win led his team to a pleasantly shocking 4th place finish.
Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)
This was Christian Patzka’s breakout season. He was 23rd at last year's national meet, so it’s not like he came out of nowhere, but he was on another level this year. He won a handful of smaller invitationals before finishing 2nd at the D3 National Preview and the WIAC XC Championships. Both of his losses came to Ethan Gregg from UW-La Crosse.
Patzka got his revenge at the North Regional XC Championships where he took home the individual title, besting Gregg by nine seconds. He took that momentum into the national meet where his 2nd place finish was a shock. He was certainly a top-10 talent, but finishing runner-up and only three seconds behind the defending national champion meant a great day for him.
Elias Lindgren (Williams)
Although Elias Lindgren had an "off" day at the national meet, finishing in 23rd, that doesn’t mean that we should discount his whole season. In fact, he was undefeated heading into the national meet.
Throughout the season, Lindgren collected wins at the Siena XC Invitational, the Little Three XC Championships, the Purple Valley XC Classic, Connecticut College Invitational, the NESCAC XC Championships and the Mideast Regional XC Championships. Even though he was a favorite to challenge Alex Phillip, the conditions really got to Lindgren and he suffered. But one bad race aside, Lindgren was one of the best male runners in D3 this year.
Ethan Gregg (UW-La Crosse)
Ethan Gregg was not afraid of anyone at the national meet and actually tried to make a move to break away from the rest of the field. Although he was eventually caught, that bravery should count for something.
During the regular season, he won the Griak Invitational, the D3 National Preview and the WIAC XC Championsips. At the North Regional XC Championships, he placed 2nd behind Christian Patzka. At the national meet, his 4th place finish was an improvement from his 11th place finish in 2021 and he led his team to a top-10 finish. He should be considered a favorite to win the individual title next year if he sticks around in D3.
Sam Acquaviva (MIT)
After not racing for nine months, Sam Acquaviva had some rust to shake off at the beginning of this cross country season. That was evident as he was only 11th at the D3 National Preview and 3rd at the Connecticut College Open. He saved his best racing for championship season, winning the NEWMAC XC Championships and finishing 3rd at the East Regional XC Championships.
That being said, we don’t think anyone expected him to place 3rd at the national meet. Whether it was peaking at the right time or being able to weather the conditions the best, something worked out for Acquaviva that day. His 3rd place finish also helped deliver the team trophy to MIT.
*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.
Nominees: Kassie Parker (Loras), Fiona Smith (St. Benedict), Clara Mayfield (Carleton), Ana Tucker (Hope), Alex Ross (Johns Hopkins), Annika Urban (Emory)
Kassie Parker (Loras)
As the reigning national champion, Kassie Parker had a lot to prove this season. She came in and did not only that, but more. She cemented herself as one of the best cross country runners ever in Division Three.
Parker won the National Catholic Invite, the D3 National Preview, the Augustana Interregional Invitational, the American Rivers XC Conference Championship, the Midwest Regional XC Championships and, of course, the national meet.
No win of hers was ever that close as her average margin of victory was 39 seconds. She even won the national meet by more than that, besting the field by 43 seconds. It was a truly impressive display on a day when no one would have blamed her for holding back due to the conditions. Kassie Parker is one of the best we have ever seen and probably will ever see.
Fiona Smith (St. Benedict)
Arguably the second-best runner in the country all season, Fiona Smith had a great year. Her only loss came to Parker at the D3 National Preview and the national meet. Besides that, she went undefeated against D3 competition, including a 2nd place finish at the Griak Invitational.
She won the MIAC XC Championships and the North Regional XC Championships in a PR of 20:51. She is only the fourth athlete ever in MIAC history to win back-to-back North regional titles. At the national meet, Smith decided not to run with Parker and compete within the chase pack. She was rewarded with a 2nd place finish, an improvement from her 5th place finish from last year.
Clara Mayfield (Carleton)
Clara Mayfield never shied away from tough competition this year, but that didn’t stop her from winning.
She won the St. Olaf Invite, the Blugold Invitational and the Rowan Interregional Border Battle. She often competed against Fiona Smith and finished 2nd to her three times. At the national meet, she improved upon her 10th place finish last year to come in 3rd. This was a massive performance for the senior and it helped deliver her team the 4th place trophy.
Ana Tucker (Hope)
Ana Tucker might have started the season slowly, placing 6th at the Jeff Drenth Memorial meet and 39th at the Louisville Classic. However, things started to pick up after her 3rd place finish at the Rowan Interregional Battle. And then things REALLY picked up during the championship season where she won the MIAA XC Championships and the Great Lakes Regional XC Championships.
Tucker won the latter meet by 20 seconds and ran a new PR of 20:46 which really cemented her as a top-five talent. She delivered upon that momentum at the national meet, finishing 4th in 22:02. In the snow, wind and cold, that is not at all a bad time. It was also an improvement on her 11th place national meet finish from last year.
Alex Ross (Johns Hopkins)
Alex Ross led her Johns Hopkins team to an upset win all while delivering her best finish at the national meet. The fifth-year senior took her time to appear on the scene, but she really made a splash in 2022.
The Blue Jay ace had impressive performances racing D1 talent at the MSU Spartan Invitational, Paul Short and Panorama Farms. That was before she focused on her D3 competition in the championship season.
Ross seemed to run into no trouble there, winning the Centennial Conference XC Championships and the Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships. At the national meet, she had her best performance on the grass, coming in 5th place, only 10 seconds out of 3rd.
Annika Urban (Emory)
Few women were more dominant than Annika Urban this fall. She won six-straight races leading up to the national meet, cruising past loaded fields by massive margins. The Emory ace thrived in a variety of fields this fall and if a 6th place finish at the national meet is her "worst" result of the season, then that's a good problem to have.
Men
Brett: Mohammed Bati (Augsburg)
Hannah: Mohammed Bati (Augsburg)
Kevin: Mohammed Bati (Augsburg)
Women
Brett: Hannah Preisser (Carleton)
Hannah: Hannah Preisser (Carleton)
Kevin: Hannah Preisser (Carleton)
Men
Brett: Joe Backus (John Carroll)
Hannah: Logan Bocovich (St. Olaf)
Kevin: Joe Backus (John Carroll)
Women
Brett: Chloe Bullock (Redlands)
Hannah: Morgan Lee (RPI)
Kevin: Chloe Bullock (Redlands)
Men
Hannah: Alex Phillip Wins Second NCAA XC Title
Brett: Alex Phillip Wins Second NCAA XC Title
Kevin: Alex Phillip Wins Second NCAA XC Title
Women
Hannah: Annika Urban Dominates UAA XC Championships
Brett: Vivian Kane Upsets Field at Connecticut College
Kevin: Annika Urban Dominates UAA XC Championships
Men
Brett: Riley Macon (MIT)
Hannah: Riley Macon (MIT)
Kevin: Riley Macon (MIT)
Women
Brett: Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins)
Hannah: Ryan Chapman (Wartburg)
Kevin: Donna Ricks (Carleton)
*Tie broken by TSR contributor John Cusick
Men
Brett: Alex Phillip (John Carroll)
Hannah: Alex Phillip (John Carroll)
Kevin: Alex Phillip (John Carroll)
Women
Brett: Kassie Parker (Loras)
Hannah: Kassie Parker (Loras)
Kevin: Kassie Parker (Loras)