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Transfer Market (Part 48): Kredell to Villanova, Jo-Lauren Keane to Ole Miss & Ewert to Michigan St.
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Jul 15, 2023
- 9 min read
Have a transfer tip? Send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com and we'll look into it.
Here we go, ladies and gentlemen!
Another massive list of confirmed distance running transfers, each with some analysis, is now on tap. Below, we offered some insight for a handful of names who are on the move as transfers or graduate transfers.
KEY NOTE: The Stride Report is aware that there are other athletes who have announced their transfers who are not mentioned in this article. Those athletes will be highlighted in a separate Transfer Market article tomorrow.
ANOTHER NOTE: Out of respect for athlete privacy, TSR will not report on certain transfer portal entries until commitments are made public or approvals of publishing are granted.
Ryan Kredell (Haverford to Villanova)
This is a sneaky-good pickup for the Villanova men. The Wildcats are going to lose a few key names from their 2022 cross country lineup, but Kredell's long distance prowess should help fill some scoring gaps. With personal bests of 14:02 (5k) and 29:32 (10k), Kredell was one of the better distance talents in Division Three this past year.
The 17th place finisher at the 2022 D3 NCAA XC Championships may also be joined at Villanova by another top D3 distance talent in the coming weeks. That, however, is still in development.
Taylor Ewert (Arkansas to Michigan State)
Arguably the biggest headline name in this article, former high school superstar Taylor Ewert is heading from Arkansas to Michigan State.
The Ohio native had a strong first year with the Razorbacks, finishing 10th at both the Blazer Classic and the SEC XC Championships during the pandemic-altered cross country season in 2020. But after a few seasons where she was absent from competition and her progress had slowed, Ewert has opted to transfer to Michigan State.
Despite the Spartans' youth and inexperience last year, the Michigan State women still secured the 2022 BIG 10 cross country team title and qualified for the national meet. And now, Ewert can effectively hit refresh on her collegiate career as she joins a team that will continue to grow and improve as a collective unit.
Sebastian Hernandez (Daytona State to North Florida)
The North Florida men are adding another promising JUCO transfer to their 2023 roster, this time via Sebastian Hernandez. The former Daytona State runner has finished as high as 7th place at the NJCAA D2 XC Championships back in 2021. He was also the top NJCAA D2 finisher at the 2022 NJCAA Half-Marathon Championships (placing 11th overall).
The North Florida men will return a handful of key names in 2023, but they'll also lose a small handful of veterans as well, per TFRRS. Luckily, by introducing JUCO talents like Hernandez and fellow Daytona State runner Christian Ruocco, the Osprey men can build upon their 4th place finish at the ASUN XC Championships from last fall.
Jo-Lauren Keane (West Virginia to Ole Miss)
The fastest women's 800 meter runner in West Virginia history (between indoor and outdoor track) is now heading to Ole Miss. The 2:04 (800) runner will bring valuable middle distance speed to Mississippi as the Rebels attempt to find a scorer who can compete for points in the always-loaded half-mile fields at the SEC Championships.
Sam Whittaker (Bucknell to Central Connecticut State)
Possibly one of the more underrated transfers of the summer, Sam Whittaker could be a very big name in Division Two next year. With personal best times of 3:45 (1500), 4:05 (mile), 8:02 (3k) and 14:13 (5k), this former Bucknell distance talent has not only entered the D2 national qualifying conversation, but maybe even the All-American conversation as well. The only question, however, is how high will his ceiling go?
Ashley Jones (High Point to Tennessee)
One of the better distance runners in the BIG South Conference will be heading to Tennessee. Ashley Jones, who has openly spoken about losing her right arm in 2016, has posted respectable marks of 4:29 (1500), 4:46 (mile), 9:34 (3k), 16:26 (5k) and 34:42 (10k) during her time with High Point.
Jones also finished 4th at the BIG South XC Championships last fall, a result which suggests that she could be a legitimate varsity scorer for a still-rising Tennessee women's team during the 2023 cross country season.
Spencer Gudgel (Iowa to Alabama)
Another strong middle distance talent is heading to Alabama. This time, it's Spencer Gudgel from Iowa, a 1:49 (800) man who has also run 1:17 (600). The former Hawkeye runner will soon be joining a Crimson Tide program that just added Oussama El Bouchayby, a 1:45 half-mile star from the Division Two ranks. And after adding a high-upside middle distance runner in John O'Donnell earlier this year, Gudgel adds great value to a very solid middle distance core heading into 2024.
Oliwia Wawrzyniak (Southern Mississippi to Tennessee)
The Tennessee women have also added Oliwia Wawrzyniak to their 2023 roster. Admittedly, the former Southern Mississippi runner has a somewhat unexciting resume on the track. Her best mark on the oval is arguably a 9:35 (3k) mark from the winter of 2022.
However, after finishing 3rd at the Sun Belt XC Championships last fall and then 17th at the South Regional XC Championships, Wawrzyniak could be a quietly-excellent scoring piece for the Volunteers in 2023.
Brett Brady (Navy to Tennessee)
With an 8:52 steeplechase PR, as well as a very solid cross country resume which features two top-five finishes at the Patriot League XC Championships, Brett Brady holds great value as a transfer for Tennessee.
After making key improvements over the past year, Coach Sean Carlson will look to capitalize on Brady's momentum and potentially develop him into a top-seven varsity runner this fall. With a mass number of new names set to join the program, Brady could be one of many men who will aim to collectively make up for the lost scoring of Dylan Jacobs.
Hana Catsimanes (Wake Forest to Cal Poly)
The former Wake Forest runner is now venturing to the other side of the country where she'll join an up-and-coming distance squad at Cal Poly.
With times of 9:37 (3k) and 16:21 (5k), Catsimanes can add to a Cal Poly cross country squad that won the BIG West team title last fall. In fact, they only lose one runner from that group, per TFRRS. And while the incoming graduate transfer may not be a low-stick star this fall, she could still close any remaining gaps on this team at the conference level.
Dalton Lesher (Western Kentucky to Eastern Kentucky)
Mohammed Jouhari (Boise State to Eastern Kentucky)
The Eastern Kentucky men are continuing to build out their roster. Over the long-term, Dalton Lesher will be more of a developmental piece, coming from Western Kentucky after spending his rookie year there.
Mohammed Jouhari, however, is a very underrated name. With times of 13:55 (5k) and 28:51 (10k), this former Boise State runner will help the Colonels maintain their distance dominance over the ASUN Conference. He'll also keep the EKU men in the hunt to qualify for the cross country national meet later this fall.
Andi VanMeter (Louisville to Indiana)
After a fairly quiet first year at Louisville, former high school cross country standout Andi VanMeter will be returning to her home state. The incoming transfer will need to return to her peak form from past seasons, but the potential for her to be an impactful scorer for the Hoosiers over the long-term is absolutely there.
Paul Beaven (Portland State to Santa Clara)
The Santa Clara men may have just picked up an excellent long-term piece who could be a key lead scorer for their team in the future.
After just one year at Portland State, the now-rising sophomore posted times of 8:32 (3k) and 14:49 (5k). And while Beaven still has work to do, the improvements he made during his first year of college should be an encouraging sign for the Broncos.
Meghan Ford (Furman to South Dakota State)
Since joining the Furman women in the fall of 2021, Meghan Ford has shown encouraging moments of promise. In the fall of 2021, she finished 10th at the Southern Conference XC Championships. Last year, she finished 11th at the Louisville XC Classic.
While the transfer loss isn't ideal for Furman, the South Dakota State women have to view Meghan Ford as a major recruiting win.
This fall, the Jackrabbits will look to close the gap on their Summit League rivals, North Dakota State, a team that won their conference cross country title by 30 points last year. And while NDSU returns all of their top women this fall, so does SDSU, a team that should only get stronger by adding someone like Ford who might end up being a conference-level low-stick.
Luca Poppe (Saint Leo to Wingate)
With the elimination of Saint Leo's track and field program, Luca Poppe will now be venturing elsewhere. The 3:50 (1500) runner will head to Wingate, a rising distance program that is beginning to make major noise in the Division Two ranks. With plenty of eligibility remaining, Poppe could eventually develop into a name who is nationally competitive with other top D2 talents.
Adèle Magaud (South Alabama to Northwestern)
The Northwestern women made history last fall by qualifying for the NCAA XC Championships after a 20-year drought. But in 2023, they'll lose a handful of highly impactful cross country scorers from that group.
Luckily, the Wildcats will add Adèle Magaud to their 2023 roster -- she finished 35th at the 2022 South Regional XC Championships. Not only that, but there are two separate incoming transfers on the way (that TSR is still confirming) who could plug any additional holes.
If that projected trio continues to progress this fall, then the Wildcats may not be far off from where they were in 2022.
Adam King (Westmont to Azusa Pacific)
With personal bests of 1:52 (800) and 3:51 (1500), Adam King is a name that you may want to monitor as he enters the Division Two realm. The now-former NAIA runner will now venture to a strong Division Two program that has a very strong recent history of developing top middle distance talents. And when paired with Ben Sumner, as well as fellow transfers Juan Diego Castro and Brian Martinez, the Cougars look like they'll be a problem on the oval come 2024.
Brian Martinez (Grand Canyon to Azusa Pacific)
Another talented middle distance runner who is heading to Azusa Pacific is Brian Martinez. While he may not have a 1500 meter time as fast as soon-to-be teammate Adam King, he does own a 1:50 (800) PR and has still run 3:53 (1500). With some improvements, Martinez could find himself on the D2 national stage next year and add to what is becoming a scary-good middle distance group at Azusa Pacific.
Nolan Satterfield (Louisville to Indiana)
After spending a year at Louisville, a program undergoing a major coaching change, Nolan Satterfield will now join the Indiana men. It should also be noted that the Hoosiers hired Coach Eric Heins as their next distance coach earlier this year.
With a 1:52 (800) PR from high school, Satterfield doesn't necessarily fit the long distance identity that Heins developed at Northern Arizona. He does, however, hold plenty of eligibility, has a ton of room for growth and fits the historical middle distance ethos of Indiana's program.
Tracy Towns (Illinois to USC)
With personal bests of 2:06 (800) and 2:49 (1k), Tracy Towns gives the USC women a very solid middle distance talent who can be competitive in the events that are a little over 400 meters. Towns will likely be a nice replacement for 2:06 (800) runner Janiah Brown and should complement 2:05 (800) runner, Gigi Maccagnini.
Grant Brawley (Marquette to Tulsa)
After a quiet first year at Marquette, Grant Brawley will be heading to a midwest distance running powerhouse, the University of Tulsa. The Missouri native finished 11th at the 2021 Missouri XC State Championships in high school and will likely be a developmental piece as Tulsa prepares for a future where many of their top men now out of eligibility.
McKenzie Hogue (Samford to Alabama)
Seeing McKenzie Hogue transfer from Samford to Alabama is a bigger deal than some people may realize. She did, after all, finish 7th at the Southern Conference XC Championships and 27th at the South Regional XC Championships last fall.
The Alabama women may have lost a handful of top women for 2023, but they still retained firepower by keeping Hilda OIemomoi and bringing in Doris Cherop. And with McKenzie Hogue now providing quietly-great depth for the Crimson Tide, this is a team that may have a higher floor than expected.
Owen MacKenzie (Duke to Michigan)
Despite losing Arjun Jha, who is out of cross country eligibility, the Michigan men will return everyone else from their 2022 cross country lineup. And while Owen MacKenzie isn't necessarily a low-stick like Jha is/was, he does hold great scoring value and offers excellent stability.
Last fall, MacKenzie finished 77th at Nuttycombe and 19th at the Southeast Regional XC Championships. On paper, he should offer a level of reliability as The Stride Report tries to figure out what the Wolverines' cross country lineup will look like in 2023.
Germain Lemaitre (Stephen F. Austin to Grand Canyon)
After adding a sub-four miler in Brendan Hebert earlier this year, the Grand Canyon men have also brought in Germain Lemaitre to their future roster. The 1:49 (800) man was already competing in the Western Athletic Conference prior to his transfer and he holds plenty of eligibility. With the proper development, this incoming transfer could end up dominating the WAC middle distance events for the next few years.
Joshua English (Transfer Portal)
The former Oklahoma State runner who transferred to Texas A&M last year has entered the transfer portal once more. The middle distance specialist has run 1:49 over 800 meters at the high school level, but does not have any known collegiate results listed on his TFRRS page. With clear raw talent and tons of eligibility remaining, English may be a promising long-term investment if he finds the right program.
