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First Thoughts: 2023 Griak Invitational
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Sep 24, 2023
- 13 min read
Updated: Sep 25, 2023
Believe it or not, the Virginia Invitational was not the only meet that featured nationally competitive teams this past weekend! The Griak Invitational certainly wasn't as deep or as top-heavy as what we saw in Charlottesville, but the Minnesota-based contest still gave us plenty of interesting results to analyze.
While we won't be reviewing every single team from the Griak Invitational, we did want to highlight a few of the top programs in each race as well as a few other notable performances. Let's begin...
Men's Analysis (Gold race)
1. California Baptist Lancers (46 points)
This was a fantastic race for the California Baptist men. I figured that they had a shot at winning, but if they did, I expected the team scores to be much closer.
That, of course, was not the case.
Arturs Medveds (4th), Valentin Soca (6th) and Matias Reynaga (9th) were all names that we highlighted coming into this race. However, for them to all deliver on their full potential on the same day was not guaranteed to happen. Those three men were great on the track, but to run together and be just as potent on the grass was highly impressive.
However, maybe more importantly, the Lancers also had Rikus Van Niekerk place 8th, giving this squad an overwhelming amount of upfront firepower. And while the New Mexico men were clearly the better team through three runners, the Lobos couldn't come anywhere close to matching CBU at the backend of their scoring group.
Giedrius Valincius (19th) was a bit further back than expected, but he was still far from bad. I firmly believe that he can be even better moving forward which should make this California Baptist team far more dangerous than I was originally expecting.
There are still some significant questions about depth of the Lancers' top-five, but when it comes to their main scoring contingent, this looks like a top-25 team in the NCAA.
2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (80 points)
I'll admit, I didn't think that the Gonzaga men would be factors in this race on Friday.
Of course, I was very, very wrong.
Wil Smith (2nd) looks like he can be more than just a fringe All-American this fall after securing a huge runner-up finish. Taking down everyone except Habtom Samuel Keleta is outstanding. Entering the fall months, we wanted to see more overall seasonal consistency from Smith. And while he still has a long ways to go, this was an ideal start to his 2023 campaign.
This was also a big-time race for Kyle Radosevich. His 7th place result was super encouraging and it was probably the best cross country performance that we've ever seen him produce. To be clear, he's had success on the grass before as a solid top-five scorer, finishing 66th at the Cowboy Jamboree last fall and 22nd at the West Regional XC Championships.
But for a team that needed more scoring support behind Smith this fall following the departures of Mwaura and Guermali, the emergence of Radosevich is huge.
The rest of this squad saw Drew Kolodge, Bryce Cerkowniak and Cooper Laird go 16-24-31, respectively. The rise of Kolodge, the D2 All-American transfer from Michigan Tech, is clearly a recruiting move that has saved this team some valuable points.
That backend trio isn't super flashy, but they kept this team score in check. Plus, I think guys like Michael Maiorano (45th) and Evan Bates (55th) can both be better in the future.
It wasn't a perfect race for Gonzaga, but it was a really solid start.
3. New Mexico Lobos (110 points)
There was a lot of hype about the New Mexico men coming into this race...mainly from me. The Lobos' new "Big Three" of Habtom Samuel Keleta, Lukas Kiprop and Evans Kiplagat were expected to give this team an overwhelming amount of firepower that would alter how this program was viewed in the hierarchy of top NCAA cross country teams.
And sure enough, that elite scoring trio delivered.
Keleta (1st) was incredible as expected, Kiprop (3rd) was as good as advertised and Kiplagat (5th) proved that he was just as talented. Of course, for as good as that top-three was, the Lobos still struggled with their final two scorers placing 53rd and 54th overall.
Yes, I thought that Termote and Field could be a bit better on Friday. However, what we're seemingly forgetting is that Jonathan Carmin is a key name who was a DNF! According to one source, the 13:52 (5k) runner has apparently been battling illness.
If Carmin was a top scorer like we thought he could be, maybe somewhere around 20th place, then the Lobos would have finished with 80 points, good enough for 2nd place overall and a tie-breaking win over Gonzaga.
Don't panic about this team, they're still in a very good spot.
4. Portland Pilots (111 points)
This may seem like a tough result for the Portland men (and it is), but this effort does require some context.
The Pilots saw Daniel Abdalla, Jona Bodirsky and Matt Strangio go 12-13-14, respectively, to lead their team. Strangio was expected to be a lead low-stick, but he faded throughout the race. However, the Pilot star would later show a positive test on his Instagram story for (what we're assuming is) some kind of illness.
Don't look too heavily into his result, he'll be better in the future.
Do a handful of other men on this team need to be better? Yes, I would say so. But the Pilots didn't field Bradley Peloquin, Jonas Gertsen, Thomas Chaston and a few others. Simply put, this team is WAY better than what they showed on Friday. I'm not even 100% sure that Portland fielded an "A" lineup that could yield Kolas points for other teams.
5. Boise State Broncos (127 points)
The Boise State men lost a number of key runners from their 2022 cross country lineup. To see them put together a 5th place finish in this field with all five of their scorers finishing in the top-30 is a quietly impressive team performance.
The Broncos are still lacking some much-needed firepower, but the combination of Ned Potter (20th), Joe Hudson (23rd), Josh Dickinson (25th), Christian Graham (29th) and Tom Patrick (30th) kept their scoring group compact and void of any major gaps.
Watch out for how effective that lineup structure could be on an even bigger stage...
6. Santa Clara Mustangs (148 points)
Nicholas Russell had a sneaky-great day by placing 11th overall while Paul Beavan (22nd) and Ian Twyman (26th) were fairly solid as well. There was a noticeable drop-off after those three, but the Mustangs should be happy with how they started their season.
Men's Analysis (Maroon race)
1. Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats (58 points)
It wasn't a Division One, a Division Two or a Division Three team that won the men's "Maroon" race at the Griak Invitational. Instead, it was NAIA power Indiana Wesleyan that comfortably took home the win.
The depth of this team was outstanding! Braden Sweet (7th), Luke Pohl (10th), Braden Vernot (12th), Raffi Fry (13th), Landon Wakeman (16th), Ben Neideck (20th), Colten Covington (21st) and Eli Fullerton (22nd) offered so much value across the board that it was hard to see how this team was going to have a bad day.
The Wildcats are no strangers to producing top distance talents, but wow, this group was exceptionally deep and they easily took care of some very competitive D2 programs.
2. Wayne State (MI) Warriors (92 points)
I don't know how this team wasn't better in 2022.
I kept looking at the Warriors' lineup structure going into Friday's race and thinking, "Man, are they really not the top D2 team in this field?" I then ignored my instincts and thought, "It's probably their lack of depth that will hurt them in this bigger field."
And while it's true, their depth needs some improvement, Wayne State's lineup gaps weren't nearly as bad I thought they would be.
The Warriors saw Ransom Allen, Zac Truman and Tyler Buchanan go 1-9-11, respectively. That was impressive, but unsurprising. However, Jack Wilson (30th) and Seth Pianga (46th) ultimately did enough to get by.
If that backend duo can continue to make improvements while their low-sticks remain plenty potent, then this should be a fairly competitive D2 team in November.
3. Dordt Defenders (99 points)
Yet another NAIA program had another highly successful day. Peter Shippy (4th) and Craig Becker (5th) were a lethal 1-2 punch. They gave their team better firepower than whatever Indiana Wesleyan was able to field.
Thaniel Schroeder (23rd), Ethan Summerhays (32nd) and Aidan Vorster (42nd) were a bit more spread out, but they held their own to give the Dordt men a fairly competitive score.
Sure, this wasn't the most balanced team in the field, but they didn't need to be. That 1-2 punch had just enough scoring support behind them. Plus, taking down Wayne State was a realistic scenario throughout this entire race, even if it didn't happen.
4. Augustana (SD) Vikings (118 points)
I want to give the Augustana men the benefit of the doubt, but...this felt like a fairly underwhelming race from the Vikings. And the biggest problem is that I don't know where they could have been better.
Ryan Hartman (2nd) and Colten Brand (8th) were great as expected, providing great firepower for a team that has historically been known for its depth (at least as of late). However, with no one else in the top-20 and the rest of their scorers fairly spread out throughout the top-55, it was hard for the Vikings to get an edge on their opponents who had just as much firepower.
Do I think that this team will be better in the future? Yes, I do, but I'll be interested to see how the Vikings make improvements and adjustments going forward.
5. UC-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions (194 points)
This may seem like a poor result for the UC-Colorado Springs men, but in actuality, the Mountain Lions had a fairly solid day. Gavin Harden (17th) and Jagger Zlotoff (18th) weren't amazing, but they held their own. Rookie Brett Davis (39th) had a respectable day as well.
If Evan Graff had toed the line for this race, then he's likely in contention for a top-10 finish and in that scenario, the UCCS men are MUCH closer to the Augustana men.
Women's Analysis (Gold race)
1. California Baptist Lancers (63 points)
This was probably one of the least surprising results of the weekend.
Greta Karinauskiate took home the overall win as I predicted and Yasna Petrova acted as a very valuable secondary scorer with a 6th place finish...which I also predicted. Emilia Mikszuta gave the Lancers three women in the top-10 with a 10th place.
The Lancers were as good as I expected them to be through three runners, but the Utah women were essentially matching them with a strong trio of their own. However, in the end, Karin Gosek, Marina Trave, Carlota Rodes and Maja Dzialoszewska went 21-25-26-28, respectively, depth that the Utah women simply had no chance of matching through five runners (although the Utes were better through four).
This was a great race for the CBU women, but they'll need to continue improving moving forward. The gaps between their top-three and the rest of their lineup isn't totally ideal, but there is room for improvement. Both Lamiae Mamouni and Grace McLaughlin recorded DNF results. In theory, they could have bridged the gap in the Lancers' lineup.
2. Utah Utes (64 points)
I want to extend my sincerest apologies to Utah. Going into the fall of 2023, I didn't believe in them at all. Last year, all of their scoring was placed on the shoulders of their top-four runners. And going into this season, all four of those women were gone.
Yes, there were new additions to this team, but none of them were expected to be nearly as good as what Venters, Plourde, Barger and Keklak offered the Utes last fall. And with Lindsey Peters not racing (potentially due to NCAA transfer rules), I didn't see how this team was going to be competitive on Friday.
So naturally, the Utah women said, "Let us show you."
Rookie Annastasia Peters posted a fantastic 3rd place finish to give her team a true low-stick result. Mckaylie Caesar, the graduate transfer from Cal State Fullerton (who was originally set to go to UCLA), was much better than expected with a 5th place finish.
Morgan Jensen (9th) made huge improvements compared to last year and former D3 superstar Clara Mayfield ran very well in her Division One debut by placing 12th.
Through four runners, the Utah women were very clearly the best team in the field. California Baptist was just as good through three runners, but the Utes' quartet of scorers couldn't be matched.
Admittedly, Utah's final scorer faded to 35th place overall and that's ultimately what opened up the door for the Lancers to snag a one-point victory. But just like CBU, this team still has room for improvement. Kylie Hartnett, Brooke Manson, Brianna Rinn and Erin Vringer didn't race on Friday and if they did, then I like to think that Utah would've won this race.
I don't know how this team will fare in larger and more competitive fields, but I was super impressed with how Coach Kyle Kepler was able to reload this roster. I figured that rookie Annastasia Peters would be competitive this fall, but to be an instant impact ace in her collegiate debut is wildly impressive.
3. Colorado State Rams (96 points)
My feelings are a little conflicted about this result.
The Colorado State women came into the fall months ranked at TSR #19 and by logic, they should have been favored to win this race. That, of course, didn't happen and they were easily trounced by two teams by over 30 points.
On paper, that looks like a bad loss...but we also can't forget that the Rams didn't have Annabel Stafford in their lineup on Friday. If the 10k specialist had finished 10th at the Griak Invitational, then Colorado State finishes with 76 points. And while that still wouldn't have been enough to topple CBU or Utah, the Rams would have been much more competitive.
But wait, there's more!
Colorado State also didn't have Lauren Neugeboren for Friday's race. If she had run, then there's a good chance that this Mountain region team would have come away with the overall win. It still would've been a close battle, but Colorado State's preseason ranking would have looked a bit more accurate in that scenario.
Sarah Carter (4th) was unsurprisingly great as she delivered on her low-stick talent. Emily Chaston (13th) emerged as a really solid support scorer which is exactly what this team needed in 2023. Yasmin Austridge (33rd) was the team's fifth scorer, but based on what she did on the track this past spring, I think she could have been at least 10 to 15 spots better.
4. Portland Pilots (113 points)
I was a bit surprised to see All-American ace Lauren Pellicoro fade to 7th place, but she still ran fairly well and acted as a key lead scorer. The Pilots also found nice scoring value in Maebh Richardson who secured a solid 18th place finish.
However, the more surprising development was seeing Janelle Avilez, Mie Nielsen, Teresa Perez and Courtney Klatt close out the scoring (and add some insurance) with finishes of 27-30-31-32, respectively. That compact backend scoring group is what ultimately made Portland far more competitive than I expected them to be. Solid race from the Pilots.
5. Boise State Broncos (115 points)
This was a pretty nice performance from the Boise State women.
Kaiya Robertson extended a strong rookie year to this fall by placing 11th overall on Friday. She was complemented by Autumn Ost (15th) who is coming off of a sneaky-good outdoor track season. Yasmin Marghini (17th), who was an All-American last year, is capable of so much more. At her best, the Broncos are better than the Portland women.
Julia Kiesler's 20th place finish gave Boise State four women in the top-20. And if you're the Broncos, that's a very encouraging start to your season! However, with no other runners in the top-50, the need for greater depth is evident.
That, however, shouldn't take away from what was ultimately a strong early-season effort for a team that had brief moments of promise last fall.
6. New Mexico Lobos (124 points)
On paper, this looks like a bad result.
But in actuality, it was actually fairly decent.
Nicola Jansen was brilliant with her 2nd place finish, giving her team a massive scoring boost and an unexpected low-stick result. Fellow teammate Peyton Schieppe also delivered a very valuable 8th place finish, giving the Lobos with a strong 1-2 punch to lean on.
Tyler Schwartz (34th), Sarah Eckel (37th) and Semira Mebrahtu Firezghi (43rd) were fine, but we think they can be better, especially Schwartz who finished 9th at the Midwest Regional XC Championships last fall.
However, it should be noted that the Lobos were without Emma Heckel, a top-tier multi-time All-American. If she was in this race and had placed 5th, then New Mexico likely topples Colorado State -- and suddenly, we're thinking about this team differently.
Women's Analysis (Maroon race)
1. Augustana (SD) Vikings (80 points)
It's my fault for ever doubting the Augustana women. They were very clearly the best team in this field given their mass amount of scoring options who flooded the top-20 results at this meet.
Aubrey Surage (6th) gave this team a nice lead scoring effort while she was supported by Ella Bakken (14th), Anna McCabe (17th), Ashley Overgaauw (21st) and Amanda Overgaauw (22nd), a backend group which held no flaws.
Do I think the Vikings are as good as they have been in recent years? No, maybe not, but I still think this is a team that can finish in the upper-half of the field at the D2 NCAA XC Championships come November.
2. U-Mary Marauders (106 points)
The entries didn't initially show that the U-Mary women were in this field. If they had, then my predictions would have looked a bit different.
The Marauders largely matched expectations. Alyssa Becker (3rd) was unsurprisingly fantastic by offering a low-stick result while Andrijana Fundak (4th) made a clear step up with a strong effort of her own. Kristine Kalthoff (11th) gave her team a complete top-three.
U-Mary's final two scorers didn't cross the line until the 39th and 52nd place positions, leaving the Marauders with some backend gaps to address moving forward. Even so, this was still a solid race for a team that didn't enter this fall in the same conversation as Wayne State, a program that they beat.
3. Wayne State (MI) Warriors (133 points)
The Wayne State women finished in the top-10 at the D2 NCAA XC Championships and lost their top scorer from 2022, but they were still expected to be top contenders in 2023. In fact, they were nearly ranked in our preseason top-10!
Reagan Justice (9th) ran as well as we expected her to and Briana Vojinov (20th) had a decent day as well. But with no one else on this team cracking the top-30, there just wasn't enough scoring potency to compete with Augustana or U-Mary.
This team peaked perfectly last fall, and we wouldn't dismiss them after this race. Even so, there is certainly some work for this squad to do over the next few months.
4. Minnesota State Mavericks (175 points)
Slowly but surely, Emily Cunningham (10th) continues to get better and better. Meanwhile, MaKenna Thurston (12th) also acted a valuable lead scorer for her team, although I'm sure that she was looking for a result closer to the top-three.
However, with no one else in the top-40 of this race, it was hard to see how the Mavericks were going to compete with the other top teams in this field. Depth was a clear challenge for this group in 2022 and with the graduation of a few key seniors, that aspect of Minnesota State's lineup should hold an even greater emphasis over the next few months.
5. Sioux Falls Cougars (187 points)
This result is a bit misleading. This was actually an excellent race for the Sioux Falls women!
Khot Juac (5th) delivered a fantastic low-stick result, further building on her success from last year. However, what really made the Cougars a sneaky-good team was having Morgan Gehl (19th), Maddie Swanson (26th) and Annika Aho (38th) all finish inside the top-40! That was really nice scoring support that Minnesota State clearly struggled to replicate. With their final scorer fading to 113th place, it's easy to see why Sioux Falls faded to 5th place in the final results. But in a smaller field where the lineup gaps aren't as severe, the Cougars may emerge as a very challenging team to take down.
Other Notable Performances
This section is just to talk about how incredible Gianna Bomarito (Sonoma State) was. She destroyed this field. It wasn't even close. The current sophomore was fantastic as a rookie, but seems to now have a ton of confidence as we kick-off the fall of 2023. Keep an eye on her, I wouldn't at all be surprised if she ended up being a top-10 runner in D2 by November.
