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Transfer Market (Part 29)
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Jul 12, 2022
- 7 min read
Have a transfer tip? Send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com and we'll look into it.
Zach Kreft (Notre Dame to Walsh)
Walsh has announced that Notre Dame's Zach Kreft will be finishing his eligibility with the Cavaliers as a graduate transfer. He is expected to have at least one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition (with the potential for more) according to TFRRS.
Kreft was a key member of Notre Dame's iconic 2018 distance recruiting class which ultimately revamped the future of the Fighting Irish. With high school personal bests of 4:10 (1600), 8:58 (3200) and 14:29 (5k XC), Kreft was one of the more valuable distance recruits in the country that year.
The Ohio native didn't necessarily turn into an NCAA superstar, but he continued to produce very respectable results. The future Walsh runner will join the Cavaliers with personal bests of 8:06 (3k), 14:04 (5k) and 8:53 (3k steeple), marks that will make Kreft a nationally competitive name at the D2 level.
Kreft has had a few okay-ish performances on the grass, but it's clear that the longer-ish distances on the track, specifically in the steeplechase, is where his forte lies.
That, of course, shouldn't takeaway from the fact that Walsh could be legitimate problem for their competitors with Kreft now set to join the team.
The Cavaliers do lose top runner Hunter Moore, but Kreft's introduction to this team should theoretically replace the lost scoring potency of Moore on the grass. And with so many promising youngsters returning in 2022, the Walsh men could end up being a sneaky-good team come October and November.
Lindsey Stallworth (East Tennessee State to BYU)
The Stride Report has confirmed that East Tennessee State's Lindsey Stallworth will be finishing her eligibility with BYU later this year. Stallworth is expected to join the Cougars as a graduate transfer, although her official transfer status is not yet confirmed.
Stallworth is expected to have one full year of eligibility remaining across all three seasons of competition according to TFRRS.
If Lindsey Stallworth's name sounds familiar, it's because you may remember her as a cross country All-American. The former East Tennessee State standout finished 38th at the NCAA Winter XC Championships. And while Stallworth didn't replicate that same All-American honor last fall, she did finish 72nd at the 2021 NCAA Fall XC Championships.
Yes, Stallworth is a solid talent on the track, owning times of 9:28 (3k) and 16:21 (5k), but it seems fair to say that she is better on the grass compared to the oval.
Coach Taylor couldn't have picked a better time to add someone like Stallworth to her team. The BYU women just lost Whittni Orton, Anna Camp and Sara Musselman from last year's lineup. That is a TON of veteran scoring potency that is now gone.
The good news, however, is that multi-time All-American Aubrey Frentheway returns to this team, as does McKenna Lee who has finished in the top-50 of the cross country national meet twice, but has never been an All-American.
With Lexy Halladay showing tremendous promise during the spring, Anna Martin emerging as a sneaky-good varsity piece last year and Jenna Hutchins hopefully making her collegiate debut this fall, the BYU women may have more talent than some people realize.
Stallworth now gives BYU multiple cross country All-Americans to work with. She also gives a young squad extra time to establish a more definitive team identity without sacrificing national competitiveness.
The BYU women may not be contenders for the national title this fall, but this is still going to be one of the more competitive teams in the country thanks to Stallworth's transfer. She doesn't need to be a star to be impactful, but her All-American upside doesn't hurt, either.
Christian Ricketts (Transfer Portal)
The Stride Report has confirmed that Southern Utah's Christian Ricketts is currently in the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. Ricketts is expected to have one season of indoor track eligibility and one season of outdoor track eligibility remaining. He is not expected to have any cross country eligibility remaining.
Ricketts may have been one of the more underrated distance talents in the Mountain region over the last few years. The former Southern Utah runner holds strong marks of 13:54 (5k) and 28:40 (10k). However, the greatest aspect of his resume were his cross country performances, earning All-American honors at the NCAA Winter XC Championships and occasionally earning top-tier finishes at meets like Nuttycombe and Joe Piane.
Unfortunately, Ricketts doesn't have any cross country eligibility remaining, but his track times still hold excellent value for the right team in the right scenario.
A team in the BIG 12, for instance, would be smart to go after Ricketts. The Iowa State men just lost a very large handful of long distance veterans who were crowding the 5k and 10k distances on the oval. In theory, that leaves a few key points open for the taking.
While Oklahoma State will certainly have a few men in those longer distance races, they have also been known to spread out their scoring a bit more evenly than other distance teams.
Could a school like Texas choose to go after Ricketts? That wouldn't be a bad idea if they want him to score points in both the 5k and the 10k at the BIG 12 Indoor and Outdoor Championships, especially in a supposedly weaker year given Iowa State's departures.
Yukino Parle (Boise State to George Washington)
George Washington has announced that Boise State's Yukino Parle will be finishing her eligibility with the Colonials as a graduate transfer. She is expected to have one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition according to TFRRS.
Yukino Parle doesn't necessarily have a resume that jumps off the page, but she is a great veteran with plenty of experience and underrated results.
The former Boise State runner owns times of 9:27 (3k) and 16:28 (5k) on the track. However, her best performances have come on the grass. During the 2019 cross country season, Parle finished 7th at both the PAC-12 XC Championships and the West Regional XC Championships before placing 83rd at the NCAA XC Championships.
Fast forward past the pandemic and Parle finished 94th at the NCAA Winter XC Championships. She didn't advance past her regional meet last fall.
Parle is now joining a George Washington program that is under the new leadership of Samantha Nadel, a former high school superstar and multi-time NCAA All-American. Parle's willingness to travel all the way from the west coast to Washington, DC and join a smaller school is encouraging when thinking about Nadel's goals to bolster her current team.
And after winning the A-10 team title in cross country last fall, it looks like Nadel is aiming to start (and maintain) a winning streak at the conference level.
Lexi Seifert (Eastern Michigan to George Washington)
George Washington has announced that Eastern Michigan's Lexi Seifert will be finishing her eligibility with the Colonials as a graduate transfer. She is expected to have one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition according to TFRRS.
Seifert joins Yukino Parle as respectable graduate transfers who will be venturing to Washington, DC later this year. Seifert, unlike Parle, is arguably at her best on the track rather than the grass.
The former Eastern Michigan runner owns a 1500 meter PR of 4:29 and has scored numerous points for the Eagles at past MAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Seifert is a solid piece for a mid-major team like George Washington. However, she won't necessarily be the front-runner or high-octane conference scorer that Parle could be on the grass.
Instead, Seifert will likely provide depth and scoring support across all three seasons of competition as the Colonials look to expand their distance presence within the A-10.
Camille Jackson (Colorado to New Mexico)
The Stride Report has confirmed that Colorado's Camille Jackson is transferring to New Mexico. Jackson is expected to have full eligibility remaining across all three seasons of competition as the 2021 winter cross country season didn't count towards eligibility.
The Class of 2020 graduate was a star-caliber distance talent in high school, although she didn't make much of a splash on the track.
Instead, Jackson was a dominant force on the grass. During the 2019 cross country season, she was undefeated until she reached the Foot Locker Midwest Regional XC Championships where she placed 11th overall.
Jackson quickly acclimated to the collegiate scene in a year headlined by the pandemic. After very solid showings in the "B" or "Open" races at the FSU Winter XC Classic and the Battle Born XC Challenge, Jackson was elevated to the varsity lineup.
At the PAC-12 XC Championships, Jackson held her own for a very solid 24th place finish before going to the national meet and earning a very respectable 100th place finish.
Jackson would redshirt the following spring and remain largely absent with the exception of one opening season race on Colorado's indoor track.
New Mexico is now landing one of the more underappreciated youngsters in the NCAA. Her first cross country season with the Buffaloes was very encouraging and a 100th place finish for a true freshman at the national meet is a result that almost any team would want.
For a New Mexico team that is still fairly young, Jackson's introduction to Albuquerque seems to align with the Lobos' roster lifecycle. Coach Franklin's current group is in position to (potentially) win a national team title as soon as this year, but they are also positioned for some of the best long-term success in the NCAA right now.
While it's unclear what role (if any) Jackson will play this fall, the Iowa native still adds valuable depth to a team that is loaded with top-heavy All-American-caliber runners.
And if Jackson was already able to finish in the top-100 (barely) at the cross country national meet as a true freshman, then what can she do over time?
Kenton Bachmann (Wake Forest to Virginia)
The University of Virginia has announced that they have added Wake Forest's Kenton Bachmann to their roster. Bachmann is expected to be a graduate transfer (although that is unconfirmed) and according to TFRRS, he will have one year of eligibility remaining in both indoor track and outdoor track.
Bachmann is an excellent middle distance runner, emerging as one of the more consistent 800 meter talents in the ACC this past year. The former Wake Forest runner has run 1:48 for the half-mile distance and has broken the 1:50 barrier six different times.
Bachmann's highest conference meet finish came at the 2021 ACC Indoor Championships where he placed 4th overall. The future Cavalier has also advanced to the finals of the men's 800 meters at the 2021 East Regional Championships.
The soon-to-be UVA athlete will join a program that is largely distance-oriented and could use a greater influence of speed on their roster. While youngsters like Conor Murphy and Ethan Zeh have shown great potential, Bachmann will add a veteran presence to a younger middle distance corp.
And with the ACC becoming increasingly more deep in the men's 800 meters, the Virginia men were smart to further invest in that area in hopes of salvaging as many conference points as possible.
