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Transfer Market (Part 64): Aman Thornton Joins Iowa State, Utah Adds Czech Steeple Standout & Texas A&M Signs an NAIA Superstar
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Jul 2, 2024
- 8 min read
Another day, another mass set of transfer updates!
As we mentioned yesterday, in order to efficiently track and cover each and every name, we're opting to do a much larger "Transfer Market" article where the list of transfers is far longer. That, however, means that we will need to implement our "three sentences or less" rule when it comes to offering analysis on each of these men and women.
And yes, it is possible that we may have yet another update coming tomorrow as well.
But for the sake of time and content, we're opting to publish 27 names today. Don't see a certain name? Make sure to check out TRANSFERS page to ensure that we didn't already report on that name. If we didn't, then don't hesitate to shoot us an email at contact@thestridereport.com.
Aman Thornton (Clemson to Iowa State)
The Iowa State men have established themselves as an 800-meter powerhouse, a reputation that continued this past year with both Finley McLear and Darius Kipyego running 1:45 for the half-mile distance. Now, the Cyclones will be adding graduate transfer Aman Thornton from Clemson, a 1:46 runner who has plenty of experience of battling in the always-loaded ACC. Come 2025, could the men of Ames, Iowa rival (or even overtake) the 800-meter crew found in College Station, Texas?
Katie Castelli (Santa Clara to Ohio State)
The Ohio State women have shown in recent seasons that they badly need depth on the grass. And while Katie Castelli's 10:27 PR in the steeplechase isn't necessarily jaw-dropping, she does seem to be someone who is on a positive upwards trajectory as far as being a top-seven depth piece for the Buckeyes later this fall.
Trevor Coggin (Tennessee to Furman)
The 37th place finisher at the 2022 NXN Championships is taking his talents to Furman, a strong mid-major program that is clearly preparing for the future. While it will take time for Coggin to develop into an impact scorer for the Paladins, the Greenville-based men seemingly return a good number of top-seven names from last year's team. That, in turn, should give Coggin a key year of development before a new batch of scorers are introduced at Furman.
Charlotte Augenstein (Georgia to Wake Forest)
After seemingly having a breakout year on the track over the 800-meter (2:05), the mile (4:42) and the 1500-meter (4:17) distances, Charlotte Augenstein will now join a potentially budding Wake Forest team. With the Demon Deacons looking fairly stable in the longer distances, Augenstein is a great complement to this roster. She is someone who can be in contention to score points at future ACC Championships.
Rylan Engels (TCU to Wake Forest)
A respectable middle distance talent with solid turnover, Rylan Engels has run 2:07 (800) and 2:47 (1k) during her time at TCU. She'll be a great complementary piece to fellow transfers Maddie Kelly, Molly Dreher and Charlotte Augenstein, especially in a conference like the ACC where middle distance talent is more or less required to have. Of course, taking that core of middle distance runners and developing at least one of them into an impact scorer at the conference level will be the greater point of emphasis moving forward.
Maddie Kelly (U. of Chicago to Wake Forest)
With seven All-American honors at the Division Three level in anything from the 1500 meters to the 6k on the cross country course, Maddie Kelly is a fantastic transfer win for Wake Forest. Marks of 4:22 (1500) and 9:30 (3k) suggest that she can be a respectable name within the ACC after further development. However, her 7th place finish at the 2023 NCAA D3 XC Championships also indicates that she can be an impact scorer on the grass for a Wake Forest team that needs exactly that.
Molly Dreher (St. Mary's (CA) to Wake Forest)
With a 4:21 (1500) PR, Molly Dreher has the potential to be a solid name for the Wake Forest women next winter and spring if she can continue to improve. Her 13th place finish at the 2023 West Coast Conference XC Championships also suggests that she'll provide solid value for the Demon Deacons on the grass. Of course, that also requires Dreher to have her best performances on a more consistent basis.
Elka Machan (Alabama to Indiana)
A two-time top-30 finisher at the SEC XC Championships with tons of experience, Elka Machan is a solid name who could end up cracking the top-20 at the BIG 10 XC Championships later this fall. She isn't necessarily expected to be a true low-stick for the Hoosiers, but there is no denying that Machan would hold good scoring value for most NCAA cross country teams.
Taylor Fox (Southeast Missouri State to Indiana)
The Indiana women are trying to reestablish their identity with Coach Eric Heins now at the helm of their distance program. Thankfully, Taylor Fox gives the Hoosiers solid turnover via her 2:48 (1k) PR as well as a respectable cross country scorer via her 7th place finish at the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Championships. And when paired next to incoming transfer Ekla Machan, the Indiana women should have a decent pair of distance runners to help begin their rebuild as a competitive presence within the BIG 10.
Madison Trippett (Richmond to West Virginia)
With times of 2:08 (800), 4:17 (1500), 4:43 (mile), 9:29 (3k) and 16:30 (5k), Madison Trippett gives West Virginia a solid depth piece for later this fall. That's an important development, especially for a team that loses a few key veterans, but is also expected to return standout star Ceili McCabe. Simply having that backend support should keep the Mountaineers in contention to make it out of the Mid-Atlantic region later this year.
Kgadi Monyebodi (Colby CC to Portland)
With a 14:04 (5k) PR and two top-10 finishes at the NJCCA XC Championships, Kgadi Monyebodi is exactly the kind of name that Portland typically goes after. The now-former Colby CC runner should provide respectable cross country depth immediately and eventually develop into a respectable scorer.
Sona Kourilova (Czech Republic to Utah)
With a head-turning 9:56 (steeple) PR, Sona Kourilova looks like someone who could potentially be an All-American on the outdoor oval for Utah in 2025. But maybe just as importantly is her potential to be an impact name on the grass. With many of the Utes' top women from last fall expected to return, Kourilova could evolve into a crucial name who provides great scoring value and catapults this team into the top-15 portion of TSR's fall rankings.
Molly Latincsics (Sacramento State to Oregon State)
A mid-year pick-up for the Oregon State women, Molly Latincsics is someone who could emerge as a scorer for the Beavers this fall. After placing 57th at the West Regional XC Championships last November, the former Sacramento State runner should offer valuable depth and mid-lineup help. Of course, replacing (some of) the lost firepower of Kaylee Mitchell and Grace Fetherstonhaugh will be the greater point of emphasis for this team.
Elizabeth Phillips (Southern Idaho to Utah State)
Adding someone like Elizabeth Phillips, a two-time top-10 finisher at the NJCAA XC Championships, to Utah State's roster should help the Aggies this fall. With the USU women losing scorers such as Abby Jensen and Bailey Brinkerhoff, Phillips will at least limit some of the lost scoring value while the rest of the Aggies' lineup further develops.
Fabianna Szorenyi (Penn to Johns Hopkins)
With a 17:06 (5k) PR from this past spring, Fabianna Szorenyi looks like someone who could be a sneaky-great scorer at the Division Three level. With recent momentum on her side, this now-former Penn runner could be a great addition for a Johns Hopkins team that lost nearly everyone from last year's cross country squad.
Emma Puetz (Missouri S&T to Johns Hopkins)
Yet another key addition for the Johns Hopkins women this fall, Emma Puetz was the silver medalist at the 2024 GLVC XC Championships and the 13th place finisher at the 2023 Midwest D2 Regional XC Championships. With another year of experience and by dropping down in divisions, Puetz could be a similarly valuable scorer as Szorenyi later this fall.
Holly Smith (Iona to Northwestern)
With times of 9:28 (3k) and 16:11 (5k), Holly Smith is one of the sneaky-good transfers who Northwestern usually picks up each year. After placing 23rd at the Northeast Regional XC Championships last fall, Smith could be a key piece for the Wildcats this fall as they attempt to get past the fringes of national qualifying and put themselves in Madison, Wisconsin come November.
Chloe Wellings (Radford to Northwestern)
With marks of 16:22 (5k) and 34:10 (10k), times that were both run this past spring, Chloe Wellings is someone who could be a scorer for Northwestern later this fall. She'll need to further improve her cross country efforts, but her recent progress on the track indicates that she'll naturally make that jump in the coming months.
Lucas Rackers (Missouri S&T to Johns Hopkins)
With personal bests of 3:48 (1500) and 14:37 (5k), as well as a decent-enough cross country resume at the Division Two level, Lucas Rackers is a very nice depth piece for Johns Hopkins. The Bluejay men looked primed to have a very strong cross country team in 2024. And even if Rackers doesn't contribute to that group in a few months, he'll have a chance to be a key name on the oval (in Division Three) come 2025.
Claire Yearby (California to Washington)
With times of 4:16 (1500) and 4:42 (mile), Claire Yearby is a very solid developmental miler whose full potential could be maximized under the guidance of Coach Maurica Powell. If she can continue to improve her times next winter and spring, then Yearby could be a very underrated member for the Huskies as they look to score points at the now-loaded BIG 10 Championships.
Stephanie Driscoll (United Kingdom to Washington)
With a personal best of 2:03 for 800 meters, Stephanie Driscoll's introduction to the University of Washington couldn't have come at a better time. The middle distance runner from across the pond now ventures to Seattle after top-tier half-milers Carley Thomas and Wilma Nielsen have departed the program. And while it's unclear if Driscoll can reach the national-caliber level that those two women were once at, having an impact 800-meter runner as talented as herself should be a massive help for Washington next winter and spring.
Ellie Deligianni (Stanford to Washington)
Everything that we said about Stephanie Driscoll can largely be applied to Ellie Deligianni, another 2:03 (800) runner. With national meet experience (as an individual) as well as a 4:39 mile PR, Deligianni is a perfect fit for a Washington program that has often been able to fully utilize the talents of their middle distance-centric graduate transfers in recent years.
Yonas Haile (Adams State to Tennessee)
A former Adams State runner who has finished 42nd and 43rd at two NCAA D2 XC Championships, Yonas Haile could be a vital depth piece for Tennessee this fall. And after seeing the now-former Grizzly earn a 9th place finish over 3000 meters at the NCAA D2 Indoor Championships this past winter, the Volunteers are likely getting someone who is only now beginning to realize his full talent.
Fiona McLoughlin (Stony Brook to Wisconsin)
After a breakout year on the track where she ran times of 16:16 (5k) and 33:40 (10k), Fiona McLoughlin looks like a sneaky-good depth piece for a Wisconsin team that is quietly becoming very strong. With the Badgers' bolstering their low-stick firepower by adding Lindsey Cunningham from the Division Two level, having a stable veteran like McLoughlin could raise the floor of the Wisconsin women come October and November.
EJ Rush (Texas Tech to Texas)
There was a one-month stretch from late March to late April of this year where EJ Rush ran four personal bests in four different events in four-straight meets: 1:50 (800), 3:42 (1500), 4:01 (mile) and 13:52 (5k). With some great versatility and newfound upside, the Texas men likely scored a great transfer asset value-wise from their in-state counterparts.
Aidan Palmer (Boise State to Drake)
In the winter of 2023, we saw Aidan Palmer produce marks of 8:05 (3k) and 14:02 (5k), although we haven't seen him race since last fall. Now, he'll venture to a Drake team that had a moment of promise at last year's Loyola Lakefront Invitational last fall and returns five of their top-six from that squad.
Luca Santorum (Cumberlands (KY) to Texas A&M)
One of the best middle distance runners to ever come through the NAIA ranks, Luca Santorum was beyond brilliant as just a freshman at Cumberlands. After running all-time NAIA marks of 1:49 (800), 2:22 (1k), 3:41 (1500) and 4:01 (mile), Santorum fits the upper-echelon half-mile mold of the Aggies' roster while also giving them some firepower in a 1500/mile distance that isn't as strong, comparitively.
