Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Jan 712 min
D2 and D3 freshman class rankings are coming next week!
Click here to see our ranking criteria
Click here to see our "Just Missed" teams
Despite our research, it is possible that certain names have been erroneously omitted.
Did we miss someone? If so, send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com & let us know!
Ah, yes. Wake Forest. A men's distance program that has risen to the upper-tier of the ACC over the last few years, but still has one of the brightest futures of any team out there.
In the fall of 2022, the Demon Deacons made a statement by placing 5th as a team at the NCAA XC Championships while boasting three individual All-Americans. However, after a mass exodus of top veterans, many of whom had expired eligibility, the men of Winston-Salem had to go into a rebuild of sorts this past fall.
And yet, they still made it to the national meet.
One of the biggest reasons why Wake Forest found success was because of their group of second-year talents via names like Charlie Sprott and Joseph O'Brien. However, it was true freshman Rocky Hansen who stunned the nation, emerging as a legitimate superstar cross country talent and an elite low-stick during the regular season.
Make no mistake, Hansen was already one of the best of the best during his high school days. The North Carolina native entered Wake Forest with marks of 1:50 (800), 3:42 (1500), 3:56 (mile), 3:58 (mile), 8:05 (3k), 8:32 (3200) and 14:20 (5k XC). He was also the 11th place finisher at the 2022 Foot Locker XC National Championships.
Hansen was a monster distance star prior to joining the collegiate ranks. Even so, suggesting that this Wake Forest freshman would finished 5th at the Virginia Invitational and 6th at the Nuttycombe Invite was still a significant stretch.
And yet, that's exactly what happened.
Hansen's immediate emergence as a true superstar despite his rookie status is incredible. With his rise, he has essentially accelerated Wake Forest's rebuild as a podium contender. Yes, he did sustain an injury in the postseason and had to sit out, but as long as he remains healthy moving forward, then the sky is the limit for this young star.
One name who feels like a very underappreciated distance star is Hunter Jones. The Michigan native has also ventured to Wake Forest, bringing with him an aerobic-centric skillset that perfectly matches the cross country focus that Coach John Hayes is trying to establish.
With outstanding marks of 4:06 (mile), 8:10 (3k), 8:40 (3200) and 14:19 (5k), the latter of which he ran at Boston U. for a one-second PR this past December, Jones isn't that far off from Hansen as far as prep credentials are concerned. In fact, Jones has even run 1:51 for 800 meters! That's incredible turnover and speed for someone who was also the 10th place finisher at NXN and Foot Locker (both in 2022).
Jones did race this past fall, posting unexciting, but still respectable, performances. He finished 133rd at the Nuttycombe Invite, 34th at the ACC XC Championships and made an appearance on the national stage (placing 171st).
In our eyes, Jones is closer to whatever tier Rocky Hansen was in (during high school) than whatever the next-best tier was. He is an aggressive aerobic machine who is unafraid to chase fast times and push the pace. We view him as the second superstar rookie of this freshman class.
Wes Shipsey, an Oregon native, is the third name who we need to mention. And just like Jones, he has blistering-fast marks across the entire spectrum of racing distances. With times of 1:52 (800), 3:49 (1500), 4:06 (mile), 8:20 (3k), 8:58 (3200) and 14:50 (5k), Shipsey can pretty much do it all.
That kind of dynamism is huge, especially with many of Wake Forest's runners often dropping down to the 1500 meters or mile during the spring and winter months. Think of recent guys like Zach Facioni, Luke Tewalt or Thomas Vanoppen, the latter being more of a middle distance runner.
It's admittedly hard to gauge what kind of future Shipsey has with Wake Forest. Not because he's a poor fit (because he's not), but more because he could develop his fitness in two entirely different areas.
Shipsey was clearly more of a middle distance guy during his time in high school as shown by which he events he contested on the track. But the Demon Deacons are a program that very clearly have their eyes set on future cross country podium finishes in the next two to three years. And with times of 8:20 (3k) and 14:50 (5k), it may make more sense to develop Shipsey over the long-term to eventually be more of an endurance-centric cross country scorer.
We then come to Aidan Ross, someone who I feel is a bit underrated.
Under 5000 meters, Ross is a strong runner, although maybe not to the level of Hansen and Jones. But over that 5k distance, this Massachusetts native has been fantastic. Not only has he run 14:47 (5k) on the grass, but he has also run 14:47 (5k) on the track!
And to take it one step further, Ross ran a 14:42 (5k) PR at the Boston U. Season Opener back in December. That came after Ross put together a fall campaign where he finished 49th at the ACC XC Championships.
Yes, in comparison to a few of his peers, Ross still needs to build upon his aerobic strength with a few more years of stacking miles. But it's also clear that Coach John Hayes sees a future where Ross is a significant factor on the grass, fielding the rookie at the NCAA XC Championships back in December and having him run at Boston U. immediately after that.
Ty Garrett is a guy who has been on my radar for a while -- and no, it's not just because he has a great last name.
A long-time distance star since his early high school days, Garrett bounced between Indiana and Colorado as a prep athlete. And while his track accolades were solid, they didn't necessarily reflect how talented he truly was/is.
With multiple sub-15:00 clockings, including a 14:47 (5k) PR on the track, Garrett is someone seemingly built for the 8k and 10k racing distances. The Wake Forest first-year very clearly benefits from moving up in distance and his cross country accolades are among the best aspects of his resume.
Last fall, he finished 8th at the 2022 Garmin RunningLane XC National Championships and placed 24th at the 2022 Champs Sports XC National Championships.
It's going to take some further development and time for Garrett to be a scorer for Wake Forest (and maybe something more). However, all of the subtleties on his resume suggest that he'll be a great fit at the collegiate level, especially when he has more experience under his belt and moves up in distance.
Jack Radbill is admittedly more a developmental name, but also a sneaky-great pickup by Coach John Hayes and his staff. While his marks of 1:59 (800), 4:16 (1600) and 9:17 (3200) are a far cry from his fellow freshman counterparts, it should be noted that Radbill ran those personal bests on the exact. same. weekend. last spring!
In other words, Radbill seems to have A TON of untapped fitness that he has only now begun to discover. With tons of momentum on his side, this could end up looking like a brilliant signing over the long-term.
This past fall, one coach texted me saying, "Wake Forest will be [XC] national champions in 2025." And regardless of whether or not you think that's true, it's undeniable that the Demon Deacons are a team of the future. All of these current rookies have avenues towards being significant contributors in some way, shape or form and the rest of this Wake Forest team is still very young.
A national title is a separate conversation, but if the Wake Forest men end up on the podium in the next few years, it will likely be because of the men in this rookie class.
When Coach Joe Franklin left the University of New Mexico for Louisville, it wasn't necessarily a surprise to see the Lobo women take a step back from their podium glory days. However, what was unexpected was seeing the Lobo men emerge as a legitimate threat to many of the top teams in the country -- and that rise happened somewhat unexpectedly.
The main and obvious superstar of New Mexico's current crop of freshman is Eritrean ace, Habtom Samuel, someone who we actually knew was coming to the NCAA as far back as last February.
If you haven't heard about Samuel, then let me give you a quick reminder of his accomplishments. Before coming to the NCAA, Samuel posted times of 13:13 for 5000 meters and 27:28 for 10,00 meters. He also finished 17th at the World XC Championships before coming to the NCAA where he placed 3rd at the Nuttycombe Invite and was runner-up at the NCAA XC Championships. He would later run 13:14 for 5000 meter at Boston U.
It may be safe to say that Samuel is the best true freshman in the NCAA this year. At only 20 years of age, New Mexico's newest megastar has accomplished more than what many pros have been able to.
Of course, what makes this freshman class so impactful was the ensuing additions of Kenyan standouts, Evans Kiplagat and Lukas Kiprop. The former was rumored to have run 8:09 (3k) and 13:43 (5k) while the latter has posted times of 7:41 (3k) and 13:28 (5k).
And after the cross country season we just saw, you can understand why we have the Lobos listed at TSR #3. Kiprop was 3rd at the Griak Invite, the Mountain West XC Championships and the Mountain regional meet. Meanwhile, Kiplagat was 18th at Nuttycombe and 33rd at the NCAA XC Championships.
Despite Kiprop not having the best national meet showing in November, both of these Kenyan rookies are clear All-American talents. And when paired with Samuel, they create an overwhelmingly lethal top-three that was enough to carry New Mexico throughout an entire fall season.
Oh, and at the Boston U. Season Opener, Kiprop ran 7:47 (3k) while Kiplagat ran 13:30 (5k).
Those three men alone changed our entire understanding of what we thought New Mexico could be as a men's cross country team. With greater funding flowing back into the program and even more time to recruit future distance stars, we could be looking at a future podium team with this trio of Lobos acting as the scoring nucleus.
But what I told you that New Mexico had other notable names among their rookie class?
Kane Shields (via Australia) and Steven West (via New Mexico) are two true freshmen who give the Lobos an argument to topple Oregon for our TSR #2 spot in these rankings.
With a brilliant set of middle distance personal bests, holding times of 1:50 (800) and 3:48 (1500), Shields offers excellent event diversity to a roster that will seemingly be distance-centric over the long-term. That's a big deal, especially if the Lobos want to attack a DMR and need someone with greater leg speed, especially with 1:47 (800) man, Ethan Brouw, having already been in the NCAA for a couple of years.
West, meanwhile, is someone who had a significant breakout year as a senior in high school. While his times aren't necessarily jaw-dropping, his national title at the 2022 Garmin RunningLane XC National Championships demands respect. And while that meet wasn't quite as competitive as a few other national meets, West still had to defeat a handful of talented guys to win gold.
And if he's only the fifth guy who we're mentioning in this freshman class, then that should only tell you how insanely loaded these rookies are.
Elijah Stenberg is the last name we'll mention, although he'll be more of a developmental middle distance name. By the time he's a senior, he may be able to offer greater event diversity for a team that may be focusing a podium spot in cross country.
For the last two years, the Oregon men have headlined our freshman class rankings, sitting at our TSR #1 spot in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. But this winter, the Ducks fade to our TSR #2 position, a somewhat surprising development considering that this may end up being one of their best collections of young distance stars ever.
There are six men who headline Oregon's current group of freshmen -- and each one of them would leave me terrified to race them in the future.
We must first begin with Simeon Birnbaum, someone who you could argue was the best overall high school distance runner in the nation last year. The South Dakota native was simply unreal on the track, flexing elite range that many multi-time collegiate All-Americans couldn't replicate.
With marks of 1:47 (800), 3:37 (1500), 3:57 (mile), 8:05 (3k), 8:31 (3200), 8:34 (two-mile) and 14:39 (5k XC), Birnbaum was an absolute nightmare to race against. He could handle any elite high school field that he was in and he ran well in higher-level fields as well! The Rapids City star could take you down via a monster kick or he could simply run away from you. Birnbaum also finished 6th at NXN and 4th at the Foot Locker during the 2022 cross country season.
He was just flat-out awesome.
But what makes this class so other-worldly impressive is the fact that Connor Burns, a Missouri megastar, is also part of this freshman contingent.
An aerobic-centric ace who has been unafraid to push the pace, this ambitious distance star briefly held the boy's high school 5k national record on the track last spring (13:37) before that time was broken by Lex Young (13:34).
With a 3:58 mile PR, Burns has the skillset to be a true NCAA star in the near future assuming he stays healthy and continues to develop. For an Oregon roster that is seemingly aiming to be a team of the future in cross country while still thriving in distances like the mile, Burns is a perfect fit for this group.
Between the raw talent of Birnbaum and Burns, you could argue that it's the Ducks, not the Stanford Cardinal, who have the best duo of American distance recruits from the Class of 2023...but that's a conversation for another day.
Of course, Oregon's current group of rookies is so much more than Birnbaum and Burns. In fact, this may be the most complete group of distance recruits in the nation, even if it's not the biggest.
Sergio Del Barrio, a distance star from Spain, is a fascinating name. Not only can he effectively attack most racing distances -- holding times of 1:51 (800), 3:47 (1500), 8:05 (3k) and 14:20 (5k) -- but he is also an elite steeplechaser!
With a personal best of 8:39 over the barriers and water pits, Del Barrio is seemingly aerobically mature enough to potentially contend for a national qualifying spot as soon as this spring. And while the Ducks did have steeple success with Alex Slenning last spring, it feels like this Spanish distance star will eventually eclipse Slenning's 8:34 mark and maybe even contend for a national title one day.
And of course, if you're running 8:39 in the steeplechase before even being a college freshman, then his potential impact on Oregon's cross country squad could also be massive.
We then find ourselves moving to another overseas rookie star, Archie Noakes.
The Aussie distance ace is a true aerobic animal, having run 7:53 (3k) and 13:52 (5k) before joining the Ducks. Those are probably his most impressive marks, although his other personal bests of 4:01 (mile) and 8:57 (steeple) put him in very similar territory as Birnbaum and Burns as far as talent is concerned.
Noakes' skillset as a prep athlete suggests that he'll be at his best in the 10k, an event that Oregon has been somewhat quiet in over the last few years. And more importantly, if he can effectively translate his 3k and 5k efforts to the 8k and 10k distances on the grass, then he'll undoubtedly be a cross country All-American...right?
As we move on, Will Heslam jumps onto our radar. The in-state Oregon product slightly deviates from the traditional distance-heavy model that Coach Jerry Schumacher seemingly employed with this rookie class.
Heslam's marquee time is a brilliant 1:49 mark over 800 meters, bringing some welcomed speed and turnover to an Oregon roster that will be without Elliott Cook and Matthew Erickson by the time Heslam is an upperclassman.
In theory, that's an ideal timeline. Heslam can build and refine his fitness over the next two years while Cook and Erickson thrive in the middle distance events. And by the time those two men leave the NCAA, Heslam could take the mantle and be just as effective -- or maybe even better.
The nice thing about Heslam is that he also has great versatility, holding personal best marks of 4:08 (mile) and 8:29 (3k). Could he be the next Elliott Cook? It certainly seems that way...
We will then wrap up our analysis with Utah native, Tayson Echohawk.
When this guy is healthy, he is one of the scariest American milers you could face from the Class of 2023. With a 4:01 mile PR, Echohawk is very much someone who could join the sub-four minute as an underclassman, maybe even as soon as this year.
Despite hitting a setback with illness during his senior year of high school, the current rookie Duck still pulled off a legendary triple (800/1600/3200) at the 2023 Utah State Championships, winning gold in all three events. And when he reached the latter stages of the postseason, Echohawk was still running his best times ever, including that 4:01 mile PR while staying competitive in major fields.
Based on that, you could argue that Echohawk has one of the higher ceilings of any American first-year distance star in the NCAA.
It's hard to put into words just how lethal every single freshman in this group is. And when you remember that they originally had 1:47 (800) man Dan Watcke, there may have been an argument for this team to be listed at TSR #1!
As far as American distance recruiting classes go, this is an all-time group. It may even be the very best, although that would require much more extensive digging and research. Even so, despite what happened this past fall, no team in the NCAA has a future that is quite as bright as Oregon's.