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PREDICTIONS: 2024 WAC XC Conference Championships

  • Writer: Donald Speas
    Donald Speas
  • Oct 31, 2024
  • 5 min read

Predictions & analysis by Donny Speas, edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin

Year after year, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is home to some of the more underrated distance talents in the NCAA. While the men's team race features fairly large favorites, the women's team battle looks to be incredibly close in 2024.


In addition to the exciting team races, both the men's and women's individual battles should be incredibly interesting with a select handful of runners capable of contending for All-American honors later this fall.


It is worth noting that this meet will take place at Lakeside Park in Orem, Utah (my least favorite cross country course...ever). Orem sits at an elevation of roughly 4500 feet above sea level, potentially giving an advantage to some of the WAC's altitude-based programs.

Women Individual Race (6k)

  1. Ava Dyck (California Baptist)

  2. Matro Jepkemboi (UT-Arlington)

  3. Yasna Petrova (California Baptist)

  4. Madison DeBos (Southern Utah)

  5. Anna Martin (Utah Valley)

  6. Calia Odekirk (Utah Valley)

  7. Julie Sumsion (Utah Valley)

  8. Azalea GroLeau (Seattle)

  9. Winnie Kipsang (UT-Arlington)

  10. Jordyn Bartolomucci (Southern Utah)

  11. Ceyda Pinar (California Baptist)

  12. Ari Trimble (Utah Valley)

  13. Isabella Evans (Southern Utah)

  14. Karolina Biliujute (California Baptist)

  15. Lexi Larsen (Utah Tech)

  16. Eleonara Visnevskyte (California Baptist)

  17. Lilianne Hargreaves (Seattle)

  18. Elizabeth Zwaheln (Utah Valley)

  19. Allie Warner (Utah Valley)

  20. Sage Lancaster (Tarleton State)


Analysis: Depending on who you ask, California Baptist freshman Ava Dyck may be favored to take home the individual title on Friday morning.


Dyck has earned respectable finishes this fall at the Joe Piane Invite (66th) and the UC Riverside Invite (5th). However, more importantly, the Lancer freshman has been able to take down a handful of conference title contenders at the UC Riverside Invitational back in September. More recently at Pre-Nationals, Dyck put 42 seconds on teammate and 15:45 (5k) runner, Yasna Petrova.


Dyck's main challenger for the individual title is likely Matro Jepkemboi. The UT-Arlington ace is seemingly primed to contend for gold after securing a 4th-place finish at last year's WAC XC Championships. Even more impressively, she snagged an 85th-place finish at last year's NCAA XC Championships!


One athlete who is in a similar position as Jepkemboi is California Baptist's Yasna Petrova. Truthfully, the Lancer veteran has not had her best season which has been highlighted by a 47th place finish at the Joe Piane Invite and a 53rd place effort in the "B" race at Pre-Nationals.


It's definitely worth bringing up a handful of elevation-based athletes who will certainly have an advantage over the rest of the previously-mentioned contenders.


Yasna Petrova competing at the NCAA XC Championships // Photo via Andrew LeMay

One athlete who stands out is Southern Utah's Madison DeBos. The Ohio native has put together a quietly great season, resetting her cross country personal bests (for whatever that's worth) and has grabbed some solid finishes at top invites such as an 11th-place finish at UC Riverside.


Combine that with DeBos's wealth of championship experience at the conference level and you can begin to see why I am so high on this Southern Utah veteran.


Last but not least, Utah Valley's duo of Julie Sumsion and Anna Martin both finished inside the top-100 at Pre-Nationals and shouldn't be counted out under any circumstances. Not only that, but Ari Trimble and Caila Odekirk are almost certainly better than what they showed at latest outing. Keep an eye on them as well.


Men's Individual Race (8k)

  1. Valentin Soca (California Baptist)

  2. Zouhair Redouane (California Baptist)

  3. Mohamed Guled (Utah Valley)

  4. Pedro Marin (California Baptist)

  5. Andruw Villa (Abilene Christian)

  6. Daniel Abdala (California Baptist)

  7. Angel Contreras (Tarleton State)

  8. Adam Trefecanty (California Baptist)

  9. Angel Gomez (Tarleton State)

  10. Kyle Neuenschwander (Utah Tech)

  11. Massimiliano Berti (California Baptist)

  12. Patrick Estes (UT-Arlington)

  13. Santiago Gaitan (Southern Utah)

  14. Jake Peterson (Southern Utah)

  15. Jace Poole (Tarleton State)

  16. Gabriel Guzman (California Baptist)

  17. Hayden Harward (Southern Utah)

  18. Ernesto Ruiz (California Baptist)

  19. Toby Eaton (Tarleton State)

  20. Austin Hone (Utah Valley)


Analysis: In the introduction of this article, I mentioned that there would be a couple of athletes who could be contending for All-American honors this fall. Well, the athletes to whom I was referring to were the California Baptist duo of Valentin Soca and Zouhair Redouane. Those two finished 5th and 6th, respectively, at the Joe Piane Invitational earlier this season.


While the Lancer duo looks like the strongest athletes in the conference, it would be foolish to ignore veteran Mohamed Guled. The Utah Valley standout has pulled off victories at both the Roy Griak Invite and the "B" race at Pre-Nationals this fall. He also has the added advantage of racing on his home course at elevation.


Mohamed Guled crossing the line to win the "B" race at Pre-Nationals // Photo via Utah Valley Athletics

Freshman Andruw Villa as had a really nice freshman season, quickly developing into Abilene Christian's top runner. He hasn't made any national headlines, but placing 32nd at the Gans Creek Classic and 19th at the Arturo Barrios Invitational are sneaky-good efforts that should not to go unnoticed.


Women's Team Race

  1. Utah Valley Wolverines

  2. California Baptist Lancers

  3. Southern Utah Thunderbirds

  4. Seattle Redhawks

  5. UT-Arlington Mavericks


Analysis: Before doing my research for this article, I assumed that this race would be a blowout by the Utah Valley Wolverines.


But then I saw how competitive California Baptist has been this fall, posting some impressive marks at the Joe Piane Invitational and then the UCR XC Invitational. In fact, if you look solely at times, California Baptist should win this meet fairly easily.

Ari Trimble competing at the Stanford Invite // Photo via Suvir Grover

However, we all know that during cross country season, places and top finishes are far more valuable than times. And to be blunt, Utah Valley has just been flat-out better at some of the nation's largest meets. They did, after all, earn a runner-up finish at the Roy Griak Invite.


The Wolverines are also racing on their home course and won't have to worry about adjusting to the altitude. Naturally, I'm giving them the nod for gold in our predictions.


Men's Team Race

  1. California Baptist Lancers

  2. Southern Utah Thunderbirds

  3. Tarleton State Texans

  4. Utah Valley Wolverines

  5. UT Arlington Mavericks


Analysis: For anyone who skipped the individual predictions, I'm very confident that the California Baptist men will take home the team title on Friday morning. I simply don't see a world where any other program can match the Lancers's top-end firepower. It also wouldn't shock me to see six Lancers inside of the top-10 at this meet.


Behind California Baptist, we're expecting an incredibly tight battle for the runner-up spot. In my mind, it comes down to Tarleton State and Southern Utah.


Daniel Abdala competing at Pre-Nationals // Photo via Andrew LeMay

The Texans will probably be ahead through three runners, but Southern Utah's fourth, fifth and sixth runners (Lanse Larsen, Coleman Cragun and Logan Peele) have been very close to each other in recent meets. That backend stability could be enough to neutralize Tarleton State's stronger low-sticks.


Oh, and (say it with me now), Southern Utah has the advantage of racing at altitude, which I believe will be enough to squeeze the Thunderbirds past the Texans for 2nd place.

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