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Transfer Market (Part 50): Jennings to Tulane, UCLA Runners to Transfer Portal & NAU Lands Upshaw
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Aug 5, 2023
- 10 min read
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Can you believe it? 50 different "Transfer Market" articles!
Who would've thought that we'd get to this point?
We've got another long list of names on tap today, so much so that not everyone is going to get a lengthy string of analysis. That said, we'll make sure to offer key insights on each of these moves. Let's begin, shall we?
KEY NOTE: The Stride Report is aware that there are almost certainly 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.
Aliandrea Upshaw (New Mexico to Northern Arizona)
Yet another top New Mexico talent is heading to Northern Arizona. Ali Upshaw will now join her former Lobo teammate, Maisie Grice, in Flagstaff this fall, bringing with her personal best times of 15:54 (5k) and 33:18 (10k). She also placed 33rd at the Joe Piane Invitational last fall.
The Northern Arizona women were already looking like one of the more dangerous cross country teams in the nation going into the fall months. And by returning top stars and adding transfers such as Ruby Smee, Maisie Grice and now Upshaw, the Lumberjacks look like they could be podium favorites come November.
Upshaw will still need to make further improvements and find greater success on the grass. Even so, the potential is very clearly there for this former Lobo runner to be an impact scorer for the women in gold and blue.
Rylee Penn (Cincinnati to Louisville)*
*Originally committed to Florida State
Earlier this year, it was announced that Cincinnati's breakout middle distance star, Rylee Penn, was going to be joining the Florida State women as a graduate transfer. However, with the Seminoles' women's distance coach, Baylee Mires, taking a job at Louisville, Penn has decided to follow suit.
Ronan McMahon-Staggs (Transfer Portal)
Following the departure of distance coach Sean Brosnan, Ronan McMahon-Staggs has since entered the transfer portal. After a breakout year on the track, the soon-to-be former UCLA runner holds outstanding personal bests of 1:48 (800), 3:54 (mile) and 3:39 (1500).
With a year of nationally competitive experience under his belt and an incredible amount of raw talent, McMahon-Staggs has the potential to be a massive asset for the right program. Teams such as Oregon and Washington could be ideal landing spots for the current Bruin standout, assuming he wants to stay on the west coast, given his mile-centric skillset and rising status as a collegiate star.
Sam McDonnell (Transfer Portal)
With former UCLA distance coach Sean Brosnan no longer with the program, Sam McDonnell has returned to the transfer portal. After briefly spending time with Alabama, the rising sophomore ventured to Los Angeles where she would eventually run a 4:19 (1500) PR.
The former high school star still holds a tremendous amount of raw talent and upside. And if properly developed, McDonnell can be a true ace for the right team by the time that she's a veteran. Of course, trying to determine her next move isn't as clear-cut as it (theoretically) may be for McMahon-Staggs given McDonnell's previous willingness to venture east.
Lindsey Peters (New Mexico to Utah)
Lindsey Peters will now be venturing to her third school in one year after Coach Joe Franklin left New Mexico to join Louisville as the team's newest Director. This, in turn, left the former Air Force runner looking for a new home once more -- and it's the Utah women who are the lucky recipients of her talent.
Last fall, Peters competed for Air Force and had fantastic success early-on. The former Falcon runner was 30th at the Cowboy Jamboree and then earned a highly impressive 20th place finish at Nuttycombe. After a challenging postseason, Peters would discover in December that she had two stress fractures in her foot after a 5k race (unattached) at Boston U.
Peters hasn't raced since then, but it's clear that this former Mountain West runner is talented enough to be a low-stick for a Utah team that desperately needs her scoring services. With the Utes recently losing Emily Venters, Simone Plourde, Keelah Barger and Ariel Keklak, Peters gives her new team a key scorer to rally and build around.
Lindsay Ott (Washington U. to Lipscomb)
Former Division Three standout Lindsay Ott is venturing to Lipscomb. There, she'll join a quietly strong cross country team that found solid success last fall. They also return numerous women from that lineup in 2023.
During the 2022 cross country season, Ott was a top-10 finisher at every meet leading up to the D3 NCAA XC Championships. There, she earned 23rd place All-American honors.
In theory, that kind of talent should allow Ott to be a highly valuable (and consistent) middle lineup scorer for a Lipscomb squad that likely has high aspirations in 2023. And with only one veteran falling out of the Bison's varsity group from last year, this former Washington U. runner could effectively plug that gap and allow Lipscomb to continue building on last year's success.
Eric Gibson (Dartmouth to Washington)
Former Dartmouth standout Eric Gibson will soon be joining the Washington men, bringing with him middle distance personal bests of 2:21 (1k), 3:43 (1500) and 4:02 (mile).
The former Ivy League runner and multi-time conference meet scorer will venture to Seattle where Gibson will aim to become a sub-four minute miler. His credentials suggest that he can eventually reach that point and given the development that we've seen from Coach Andy Powell's athletes in recent years, that goal seems plenty reachable.
Lauren Bettencourt (New Mexico to Louisville)
The first Lobo to follow Coach Joe Franklin to Louisville is Lauren Bettencourt, a 4:49 miler who was only a sophomore last year.
With incoming graduate transfer Rylee Penn expected to have an instant impact for the Cardinals in 2023, Bettencourt will be able to grow and develop over the next year before she is (potentially) tabbed to eventually be the marquee distance name on Louisville's roster.
Paul Stafford (Florida State to Colorado)
One of the more underrated transfer pickups of the offseason is Paul Stafford who is venturing from Florida State to Colorado. The cross country specialist has had varying levels of consistency during his time with the Seminoles, but it's also clear that he holds plenty of natural talent.
After a promising year on the grass during the pandemic-altered season(s), Stafford will bring exciting potential to a Colorado team that is trying to replenish numerous lineup losses from last fall.
Joaquin Martinez De Pinillos (Wake Forest to Cal Poly)
Yet another underrated transfer move this offseason was the recent announcement of Joaquin Martinez De Pinillos to Cal Poly.
The former Wake Forest runner holds excellent personal bests of 7:53 (3k) and 13:39 (5k). Not only that, but last fall, he placed 29th at the Cowboy Jamboree, 11th at the Panorama Farms Invitational and 100th at the NCAA XC Championships.
While there are moments where De Pinillos could have been a bit more consistent, his raw talent is undeniable. If he continues to grow this fall, then this incoming Cal Poly talent could be a true ace for a quietly-deep cross country roster.
And if that happens, then the Mustangs may have a shot at qualifying for the NCAA XC Championships.
Scott Sikorski (Rochester to Virginia)
Scott Sikorski, a former Division Three standout, is heading to the University of Virginia later this year. There, he'll aim to join an excellent (and deep) group of top-tier milers and potentially dip under the four minute barrier in the event.
With personal bests of 1:50 (800) and 3:45 (1500), the former Rochester runner has a skillset that matches what we've seen from top Cavalier talents such as Gary Martin and Conor Murphy. With a strong understanding of tactics and an All-American finish on the grass at the D3 level, Sikorski looks like a sneaky-great transfer win for the University of Virginia.
Meredith Bloss (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps to Purdue)
Yet another top D3 name is on the move to the D1 level. Despite a tough end to her 2022 fall campaign, Meredith Bloss was a tremendous asset for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women over the last few years.
The former CMS runner finished 13th overall at the 2021 D3 NCAA XC Championships and scored multiple top finishes in highly competitive meets throughout last fall. With personal best times of 16:51 (5k) and 34:35 (10k), Bloss will be a respectable name for Purdue as the Boilermakers aim to regroup following the departure of head distance coach, John Oliver.
Nathaniel Getachew (Pomona-Pitzer to Purdue)
Yet another west coast D3 distance talent is heading to Purdue. Nathaniel Getachew was an excellent steeplechaser during his time with the Sagehens and was often overlooked given the greatness of his former teammate, Colin Kirkpatrick.
But with times of 3:48 (1500) and 8:57 (steeple), Getachew will be joining a distance program that is roughly on par with his talent level. He'll give the Purdue men a nice name to rally around as the Boilermakers attempt to become more competitive as a distance running unit in the BIG 10.
Elise Leveel (Charleston (WV) to West Texas A&M)
A top-ranked name in our D2 preseason individual cross country rankings, Elise Leveel is an incredibly important recruiting win for the West Texas A&M women.
Not only was she a top-tier east coast talent on the grass last fall (placing 18th at the national meet), but the incoming Buffalo runner will also give West Texas A&M a low-stick replacement after losing Florance Uwajeneza.
While Leveel isn't necessarily a star in the same way that Uwajeneza was, her scoring potential isn't expected to be that much less by comparison.
Pippa Nuttall (Georgetown to Northwestern)
Ella Behrens (Washington U. to Northwestern)
Rachel Sessa (UMass Lowell to Northwestern)
The losses of Rachel McCardell and Ari Marks are going to be highly challenging for the Northwestern women to overcome this fall. However, with the addition of Adèle Magaud (previously reported), as well as these three incoming transfers, the Wildcats may be able to limit some of their scoring losses in 2023.
Pippa Nuttall has run 16:35 for 5000 meters and was 28th at the Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships last fall. Ella Behrens has run 16:46 for 5000 meters and was a 4th place All-American at the D3 level in that event this past winter. Rachel Sessa, meanwhile, is more of a middle distance runner who has run 4:23 for 1500 meters.
The Northwestern women still need to develop a handful of names to have a shot at returning to the cross country national meet this fall. Even so, their depth could be fairly strong which could yield some pleasantly surprising results in 2023.
Aoife Dunne (Washington U. to Boston College)
While Emma Kelley took all of the headlines at Washington U. with her 800 meter prowess, it was Aoife Dunne whose talent didn't seem to be fully appreciated at times.
With personal bests of 2:08 (800) and 4:23 (1500), Dunne will join a Boston College distance program now led by Pete Watson. The former Texas distance coach is a proven developer of top-tier middle distance runners and had immediate success taking Katherine Mitchell to a nationally competitive level this past year.
Dunne, on paper, fits the historical middle distance ethos of Watson's training regime. That, in turn, could lead this former Washington U. runner to capitalize on her outstanding upside as she heads into 2024.
Jack Jennings (Villanova to Tulane)
One of the more surprising transfer moves of the summer was seeing Jack Jennings venture from Villanova to Tulane.
The Wildcats will greatly miss Jennings after also losing a handful of key scorers from last year's cross country lineup. The former Villanova runner finished 99th at the NCAA XC Championships last fall and went on to run times of 7:56 (3k), 13:52 (5k) and 28:41 (10k).
Tulane, meanwhile, just secured a massively valuable transfer. Jennings is still young and is still improving -- and yet, he already owns nationally competitive marks. When paired next to current low-stick Bradley Makuvire, the Green Wave men may have a nucleus of potent scoring to rally around going into this fall.
Nicole Louw (Oregon to Missouri)
Nicole Louw is heading to Missouri to join the Tigers' distance program. With her, she will bring promising personal bests of 2:07 (800), 2:45 (1k) and 4:42 (mile). However, none of those marks were run this past year and in certain cases, they were run prior to 2019.
Louw still has plenty of eligibility remaining and could grow into a fantastic middle distance piece for the Missouri women over the long-term. Despite a still-evolving coaching staff, the Tigers were smart to go after someone who could be a high potential asset for the future.
Xian Shively (Cal Poly to Villanova)
Jamie Moreland (Haverford to Villanova)
The departure of Jack Jennings isn't ideal, but adding Ryan Kredell (previously reported), as well as Xian Shively and Jamie Moreland, feels like a great fit for the Villanova men.
Moreland isn't necessarily a star on the grass, but his middle distance times of 1:49 (800), 3:45 (1500) and 4:03 (mile) fit nicely into the Wildcats' middle distance-centric identity on the track.
As for Shively, he too matches the middle distance reputation of Villanova's program with a 3:59 PR in the mile. However, his ability to also run 13:58 for 5000 meters and emerge as a respectable cross country scorer (placing 25th at Joe Piane last fall) gives the Wildcats everything that they could need for the upcoming academic calendar year.
Tiana LoStracco (Bradley to Arkansas)
With the departure of Bradley coach Darren Gauson to New Mexico, metric mile star Tiana LoStracco has opted to run elsewhere. In this case, it's with the Arkansas women.
LoStracco has had a few respectable cross country performances, but she is at her best on the oval in the middle distances. This past year, the former Bradley runner posted outstanding marks of 2:03 (800), 4:39 (mile) and 4:10 (1500). She also advanced to the outdoor national meet in the latter event this past spring.
As the rest of the Razorbacks' roster continues to grow and mature, LoStracco will give the Arkansas women a top national-caliber name to lean on. Her introduction to the program seemingly comes at a good time as Isabel Van Camp returns to full strength from an injury and Sydney Thorvaldson attempts to breakthrough to the next level.
Claire Sievern (Xavier to Notre Dame)
With personal bests of 2:05 (800) and 4:49 (mile), Claire Sievern is a nice name to replace Kaitlin Ryan who came to Notre Dame with similar PRs before running 2:03 (800) this past spring. Expect to see Sievern on a highly competitive Fighting Irish DMR team in the winter.
Emma Tate (Purdue to Montana State)
A former individual cross country national qualifier out of the Great Lakes region will be heading to Montana State this fall. With personal bests of 4:48 (mile), 9:37 (3k) and 16:36 (5k), Emma Tate is a solid candidate to be a middle lineup scorer for the Bobcats this fall.
With numerous women set to return from last fall, the Bobcats could be contenders to snag the runner-up spot at the BIG Sky Conference XC Championships this year -- and Emma Tate should certainly help them as they aim for that spot.
Anass Mghari (Oklahoma to Boise State)
A highly underrated middle distance talent is heading to Boise State. Anass Mghari holds a 1:48 (800) personal best and found early success at Oklahoma, even emerging as a scorer at the 2023 BIG 12 Indoor Championships.
Now, as a Bronco, Mghari will likely be a contender for gold over 800 meters at future Mountain West Conference Championships. In turn, his scoring value should be even higher for Boise State than it was for Oklahoma.
