Scotty Loughlin
Aug 28, 202211 min
Updated: Aug 29, 2022
Written by Scotty Loughlin, additional commentary and edits by Garrett Zatlin
The Notre Dame women’s 2021 cross country season operated like a roller coaster in a variety of ways. There were highs and there were lows.
There were times of anticipation and anxiety. But there were also moments of brilliance, pure adrenaline and fireworks. All in all, last year’s Fighting Irish squad thrilled distance running fans in a very unique way.
Sure, there was plenty of volatility and uncertainty for much of their season. Still, when this team tightened the screws, they flexed elite depth and firepower, and the ensuing results were outstanding when it mattered the most.
As we scan the horizons for what kind of season this 2022 roster could produce, it’s safe to say that there’s a lot more to be excited about than pessimistic when trying to picture where Notre Dame will end up in November.
The Fighting Irish women opened up their 2021 fall campaign at the Winrow Valparaiso Open which did not feature their varsity lineup. Once there, the Irish would post a perfect score of 15 points on their home course at the National Catholic Invitational. Kate Wiser took the individual win as a true freshman, providing a hushed level of optimism for this team’s ceiling.
Even so, there weren’t many takeaways from the modest fields that the Notre Dame women competed in.
The next meet, however, would truly test how much fight the Fighting Irish actually had. Notre Dame once again played hosts, but this time for a national-caliber field: the Joe Piane Invitational.
And this time, their scorecard would not be left unscathed.
Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat and Flomena Asekol charged home to a 1-2 finish while the NC State women put all five of their scorers in the top-12 for a signature victory. In addition to the Wolfpack, conference rival Florida State would handedly defeat the Fighting Irish. Regional foes Toledo and Butler would also have the edge on the day.
All in all, it was a rough outing on home soil for the Notre Dame women. Wiser would prove formidable once again as the ace of the Irish lineup, finishing 22nd overall and giving the midwest program a respectable scoring spark.
Meanwhile, Maddy Denner would notch a respectable 38th place finish.
Unfortunately, the rest of Notre Dame’s scorers would go on to finish outside of the top-70, and the Irish would falter to a very underwhelming 14th place team finish.
And what was even more unfortunate?
This would be the last time that we’d see Kate Wiser for the rest of the 2021 cross country season.
The fallout of this result would forecast the true DNA of this roster. Would they fail to get back on track without their freshman front-runner? Or would the scars of defeat on their home course galvanize them to take a step forward and salvage a reputable season?
There were no more rust-busters in October, so following suit, the Notre Dame women would venture to Madison, Wisconsin for the Nuttycombe Invitational, challenged to respond in debatably the most competitive meet that the regular season had to offer.
While Notre Dame's final result from that meet wasn't one that screamed “team of destiny”, it certainly was an encouraging step upwards as the Fighting Irish finished 11th overall in the deepest field that they had faced all season long.
Without Wiser leading the charge, one thing became clear at Nuttycombe that would last for the rest of the season: Maddy Denner needed to be great.
A 21st place performance by the Irish veteran would prove to be a much better gauge of her full potential while still not yet exhibiting her true ceiling of talent.
Denner holds a rocket-fast indoor 5k PR of 15:27, sitting second in school history only to Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel. This was always supposed to be a squad that she led, and Nuttycombe was finally her opportunity to seize the day and become the Irish’s mainstay front-runner.
Not only that, but Nuttycombe also provided encouragement in the way of Denner’s trusty sidekick, Olivia Markezich. While her 55th place finish didn't jump off the page, Markezich's performance was a clear improvement upon her modest 74th place finish at Joe Piane.
Markezich was (and still is) a dynamic talent for the Notre Dame women, carrying a track resume headlined by recent personal bests of 4:15 (1500) and 9:35 (steeple).
Denner and Markezich were solid, but their scoring potency didn't blow us away, either. And with the rest of this lineup closing out the scoring in 83-108-115, it was clear that the entirety of Notre Dame's backend needed to collectively move up in future races.
And luckily, they heeded that advice.
The second-half of this lineup began to reveal a sneaky-good level of depth at the ACC XC Championships. Denner and Markezich further solidified their roles as consistent low-sticks with 9th and 12th place finishes, respectively. However, it was the action in Notre Dame's backend that steadied the ship (slightly) for the Fighting Irish’s team scoring.
Veterans Lauren Bailey and Madeleine King finished 27th and 43rd, respectively, while freshman Erin Strzelecki picked up the "gifted-newcomer" baton that had once been held by Wiser earlier in the season. Strzelecki placed 30th overall to emerge as the team's fourth scorer.
This team wasn't perfect and adjustments still needed to be made. Their final scorer likely needed to close down on some backend gaps and there were a few extra points that Denner and Markezich could have locked-down.
Even so, the improved depth helped the Notre Dame women earn a solid 5th place finish in the loaded ACC – over 100 points ahead of 6th place and just 12 points away from bronze.
All things considered, this was a very encouraging result for the Irish.
Heading into their regional meet, you had to like Notre Dame’s chances of advancing to the NCAA XC Championships, and perhaps even finishing in the upper-half of the standings of the national meet if their stock continued to rise.
And what a rise we saw at the Great Lakes Regional XC Championships.
The Fighting Irish took a bus ride that spanned the entire state of Indiana from South Bend to Evansville and laid down a STUNNER by way of an outright regional team title.
Denner and Markezich stormed across the line for the gold and silver medals while Strzelecki and Bailey completed the four-leaf clover upfront with two more top-15 finishes. Madeleine King provided a strong 30th place finish to round out Notre Dame’s scoring, holding off BIG 10 powerhouses Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State in the process.
It happened suddenly, but this was no longer the same team that was struggling against top-tier competition at Joe Piane and was camouflaged behind the nation’s best programs at Nuttycombe.
This was a battle-tested squad, not afraid of anyone, led by two rising front-runners and supported by a backend that was clearly peaking at the right time.
But while the Irish were red hot, their job was not at all finished. It’s easier said than done to expect a direct correlation to occur between a team’s regional result and what ultimately occurs at the NCAA XC Championships.
However, despite the loose connection that the regional and national stages hold, the Notre Dame women came out and matched their postseason expectations.
In fact, they did more than just match expectations.
They shattered them.
In Tallahassee, the podium group of NC State, BYU, New Mexico and Colorado was more or less expected, but there was a big question mark as to which team could climb the ladder to earn a 5th place finish.
Well, the Notre Dame women answered that question by shocking the distance running world, utilizing the same structure from their regional lineup and delivering elite results on the nation's biggest stage.
Denner and Markezich earned jaw-dropping All-American finishes of 9th and 11th place, respectively. While both women were posting respectable performances throughout the season, we didn't see anything which guaranteed either of those women being All-Americans, much less top-15 finishers.
Of course, the rest of this lineup was, relatively speaking, just as good.
Lauren Bailey came through as the true veteran that this squad needed, finishing an excellent 62nd place overall. That result offered valuable stability to a lineup that was improving in the third, fourth and fifth scoring spots.
Although the Minnesota women took home three All-American honors compared to Notre Dame’s two, it was the Fighting Irish’s support system that enshrined their result as a top-five team in the nation.
Erin Strzelecki cemented her status as Notre Dame’s "Rookie of the Year" with an excellent 80th place finish. Meanwhile, Katie Rose Blachowicz rounded out the Irish’s dominant day by snatching the last top-100 spot that was up for grabs.
Notre Dame's ability to peak at the perfect time in the season is an ability that every team in the nation wishes they had. This 2021 Fighting Irish group encapsulated this by showing more consistent growth from September to November arguably more than any other program.
What is spine-chilling to consider (if you’re a team that has to race against the Irish) is the fact that this fall, Notre Dame brings back four of their national meet scorers from a year ago…including Maddy Denner and Olivia Markezich!
Everyone knows about how good Denner and Markezich are. These two women were beyond fantastic at the regional and national meets, posting results that absolutely blew our expectations for them out of the water.
On paper, they're one of the best 1-2 punches in the country, but only when they're firing on all cylinders. Their regular season results were fine, but can both of these women replicate some of the best postseason peaking that we've seen in recent years?
That's not necessarily guaranteed to happen again. When Denner, for instance, is at her best, it should be no surprise that she's one of the 10 best distance runners in the country. However, she has had some inconsistency scattered throughout her resume over the last few years.
If Denner and Markezich replicate their elite national meet scoring prowess on a more consistent basis this fall, then a TSR #7 ranking is closer to this team's floor than their ceiling.
But for as good as those two women were/are, they are not the runners who will make or break this team in 2022. Instead, it's a supporting cast that may actually be better this fall despite losing a top-70 scorer from last year's national meet.
Erin Strzelecki returns for her third collegiate cross country season with a new 5k PR of 16:07 that she ran on the indoor oval. Then we have veteran Katie Rose Blachowicz who enters her senior campaign with momentum from a strong outdoor track season where she qualified for the national meet in the 10,000 meters.
Together, those two women could be huge impact scorers at the backend of this Notre Dame lineup. Of course, much like Denner and Markezich, we're not sure which version of these women we'll see in 2022. Their regional and national meet showings were undeniably the best results on their respective resumes, but their regular season left a lot to be desired.
Is it fair to suggest that the versions of Strzelecki and Blachowicz we saw in November of last year will be the same for all three months of competition? We think so, but again, there's no guarantee.
We should also mention Lauren Bailey who departs South Bend due to expired eligibility. She was a 62nd place finisher at last year's national meet, but the Notre Dame women should still have no problem filling her scoring spot.
Why do we say that?
Well, for starters, remember Kate Wiser?
She may have had a pedestrian indoor track campaign following her limited freshman season on the grass, but we can’t forget that she edged Maddy Denner at both the National Catholic Invitational and at Nuttycombe.
After being absent from racing for so long and not yet getting a full season of cross country experience, it's hard to know exactly what we'll see from her in 2022...but her upside could be scary-good if her Joe Piane result is any indication.
But next up is the most sure-fire candidate to propel the Fighting Irish back up to a potential top-five national meet finish. Coach Matt Sparks tapped into the transfer portal and landed a huge veteran talent to bolster his roster.
I am, of course, talking about Katie Thronson from Tennessee.
Thronson is perhaps the most complete distance runner on this roster across all three disciplines (cross country, indoor and outdoor) who does not have an All-American honor.
She shot out of a cannon during the abbreviated fall 2020 season with an impressive win at the Blazer Classic in which she defeated Lauren Gregory, Nicole Fegans, Logan Jolly, Krissy Gear and many more high-profile athletes.
Unfortunately, due to some bad COVID luck, the Lady Volunteers would not compete at 2020 SEC XC Championships that fall.
Thronson’s 2021 fall season was highlighted by strong marks at the Griak Invitational (11th), the SEC XC Championships (19th) and the South Regional XC Championships (13th). She also carried that momentum to the oval, posting strong marks of 9:09 (3k) and 10:04 (steeple) on the track.
Katie Thronson brings a new level of excitement to the 2022 Fighting Irish that will soon be manifested by potential firepower on the grass.
She was part of a wicked 1-2 punch at Tennessee alongside Sydney Seymour and she (in theory) joins the likes of Maddy Denner and Olivia Markezich this fall who can only springboard her talents to the next level; perhaps to that coveted All-American finish that she’s been chasing for so long.
Of course, Coach Sparks didn’t stop at the transfer portal as two exciting freshmen headline the Irish newcomers along with Thronson.
Charlotte Bednar of Lawrenceville High School (New Jersey) highlights the incoming recruiting class with an elite resume on the track that includes outstanding PRs of 9:59 (3200) and 15:52 (5k).
She also has performed on the biggest cross country stage, finishing 12th at the 2018 NXN Championships and 8th at the same meet in 2019. And who knows? If NXN had held competition in the fall of 2020, then Bednar may have been a top-five finisher.
Then we have Caroline Lehman who completes the short-list of flashy newcomers by way of Cambridge Christian High School (Florida) where she earned four state titles (two in cross country, two in track). Lehman’s resume is also engraved by a 10:14 two-mile performance that set the Florida girls’ state record.
All of the additions that we just mentioned – Kate Wiser (returning if healthy), Katie Thronson (transfer), Charlotte Bednar and Caroline Lehman (recruits) – would form a powerful lineup in their own right. Fortunately for Notre Dame, they won’t need to call upon all four of these women for immediate production.
By bringing back four veterans who were the backbone of their top-five finish at the national meet, the Irish will most likely add Thronson to their scoring lineup while allowing the younger athletes more time to develop.
However, given their accolades and talent, don’t be surprised to see one of these rookies (or underclassman returners) shoot up this lineup and into a varsity position.
Does a TSR #7 ranking feel insulting?
Admittedly, yes, it does a little bit.
But it's important to note that these rankings are not entirely centered around predicting national meet finishes in November. This list is closer to that of "power rankings" where an entire season is taking into consideration, not just the national meet.
And after a very underwhelming regular season, it seems fair to have some (minor) reservations about this team going into the fall months. It's also hard to argue against some of the teams that are ranked in our top-six.
Regardless, it's a good time to be a distance running fan in South Bend.
The depth of this team provides a high floor, meaning that one or even two injuries shouldn’t completely derail this team (unless Maddy Denner or Olivia Markezich are suddenly absent).
But this is the preseason. Our hearts aren’t beating in anticipation from looking at a team’s floor. Instead, we’re eagerly envisioning the best case scenario from our crystal ball.
For the 2022 Notre Dame women, it looks like this...
Denner and Markezich recreate their massive national meet performances from one year ago on a more consistent basis and finish in the top-10 at the national meet.
Katie Thronson takes a step up from her current level of commendable fitness and finishes as an All-American as well.
Erin Strzelecki and Katie Rose Blachowicz translate their success from the track to their already-reliable cross country results and complete the Fighting Irish’s backend with two more top-70 finishes.
One of the new recruits (Charlotte Bednar or Caroline Lehman) exceed expectations and produce a similar result in their rookie campaign. Maybe Kate Wiser takes a leap, too.
With all of these factors and lineup possibilities, the ceiling for the Notre Dame women is a podium finish at the NCAA XC Championships.
And that's not at all outlandish. Frankly, it's extremely realistic.
And if the luck of the Irish is with these ladies earlier in the regular season than it was in 2021, then we could be looking back, wondering how we “underestimated” them at TSR #7.