Transfer Market (Part 66): Toledo Adds a Potential Low-Stick From Oklahoma, Mary Ellen Eudaly Signs With Virginia & Dugion Blackman is Heading to Iowa State

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Yes, I know. You all want to see our preseason summer rankings, huh? But have no fear! Those rankings are coming very soon. In the meantime, I wanted to review another set of transfers so that we have a greater understanding of where each name is at before we dive into the team rankings in August.

And yes, just like our other "Transfer Market" articles, we will be exercising our "three sentences or less" rule when it comes to analyzing each of these names. Otherwise, we would be here all day.

Let's begin, shall we?

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Dominic Serem (Oklahoma to Toledo)

This is a sneaky-great pickup by the Toledo men. Dominic Serem showed great consistency this past spring, running 3:41 (1500) three different times despite only being a freshman. With a clear aerobic base to build off of (he holds a 13:52 PR for 5k), don't be surprised if Serem ends up getting out of the Great Lakes regional meet and into the national meet later this fall.

Mary Munga (Akron to Toledo)

As just a freshman, Mary Munga put together a resume that is much better than what her times on the track would suggest. Last fall, she placed 4th at the MAC XC Championships and was victorious in the "Gold" race at the Joe Piane Invitational. She will be an excellent addition for a Toledo team that features plenty of women with nationally competitive high school pedigree.

Mary Ellen Eudaly (Arkansas to Virginia)

One of the more underrated names to hit the transfer portal, Mary Ellen Eudaly is taking her talents to Virginia. On paper, this is an outstanding fit for both sides. Eudaly is a great miler who can contribute on the grass, an identical skillset that we've seen from current Virginia star Margot Appleton and former Cavalier, Mia Barnett.

Heidi Nielson (Arkansas to Rice)

The Rice women may have a future cross country national qualifier in Heidi Nielson. The now-former Razorback placed 20th at the South Central regional meet last fall and has run 16:02 for 5000 meters. She'll remain in the (admittedly weak) South Central region where her experience could help her return to the NCAA XC Championships.

Yordanos Zelinski (Tennessee to Missouri)

The Missouri men have been plenty active when it comes to recruiting as of late. However, many of the runners who they have added are largely developmental talents. That's still the case for Yordanos Zelinski, but after seeing him run 14:16 for 5000 meters, there's clearly potential for him to contribute to the Tigers' cross country lineup (at least in some capacity) as soon as this fall.

Joe dosReis (Wisconsin to Rhode Island)

Joe dosReis has gone from Davidson to Wisconsin and now to Rhode Island. With a 3:58 mile PR, great experience and solid turnover, he'll likely be the focal name to watch in the middle distance events upon joining the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Dugion Blackman (Hampton to Iowa State)

The rich are getting richer now that Dugion Blackman has joined Iowa State. The now-former Hampton talent ran 1:46 for 800 meters this past spring and qualified for the 2023 outdoor national meet. With tons of valuable experience, Blackman will give the Cyclones yet another national-caliber weapon to utilize over the 800-meter distance come the winter and spring.

Heidi Demeo (Oklahoma State to Syracuse)

Landing a talent like Heidi Demeo is great for a Syracuse program that needs to bolster their support scoring on the grass. The former Cowgirl has been to the national stage before and has finished as high as 12th place at the BIG 12 XC Championships (albeit, when the conference wasn't quite as loaded). With veteran experience and solid mile chops, the Orange are getting a great value pickup in Demeo.

Will Daley (Dartmouth to Virginia)

There is a lot of subtly great value scattered throughout Will Daley's resume. Times of 4:02 (mile) and 13:57 (5k) make him a solid name on the track, especially with more development. However, it's his 15th place finish at last year's Pre-Nationals meet which suggests that he can be a very impactful cross country scorer when he's firing on all cylinders.

Emily Chaston (Colorado State to Utah)

The Utah women continue to get stronger with the addition of Emily Chaston, a 10:12 steeplechaser who has also offered solid value on the grass. While some of her performances have been better than others, Chaston has still been to the cross country national meet multiple times and has cracked the top-162 on all three occasions. She is an excellent depth piece who certainly raises the floor of this already-great Utah squad.

Davis Helmerich (Missouri to Arkansas)

The Arkansas men are adding more depth to their middle distance group by picking up Davis Helmerich. The SEC veteran has run 1:49 (800) and 3:43 (1500), making him someone who can legitimately score at future SEC Championships, something that he proved this past spring.

Joshua Allison (Southern Illinois to Missouri)

As just a freshman, Joshua Allison was able to post an 8:58 (steeple) PR at the tail-end of his outdoor track season. In theory, that makes him a nice long-term developmental name who could offer conference-level scoring value in the next year or two. The bigger aspect to monitor, however, is how he'll translate that fitness to the grass.

Garrison Shindler (Abilene Christian to Southern Utah)

With marks of 1:51 (800) and 4:07 (mile), Garrison Shindler should provide plenty of conference meet points for Southern Utah at future WAC Championships. After all, that's a conference that he was already racing in.

Jack Higgins (Bucknell to Boston College)

While his marks may not be super flashy, Jack Higgins is a still-rising distance talent with two years of eligibility remaining. With respectable range and an overall talent level that is beyond what he has shown, Higgins could be a strong scorer for the Golden Eagles by the time he's a senior.

John Riley (UMass Lowell to Providence)

With personal bests of 14:02 (5k) and 29:16 (10k), John Riley should provide some really nice scoring stability on the grass for Providence this fall. Don't forget, this guy was 18th at the 2022 Northeast Regional XC Championships and was the 2022 A10 cross country individual champion. His impact as a scorer this fall will likely extend beyond what his times on the track would suggest.

Sophie Coughlin (UConn to Oklahoma)

With a 10:23 steeplechase PR, Sophie Coughlin should be a great name to pair with incoming graduate transfer and 2024 NCAA D3 steeplechase champion, Megan Johnson. Together, those two women could rack up a nice handful of points over the barriers and water pits at next year's SEC Outdoor Championships.

Kiera Snyder (East Tennessee State to Oklahoma)

While there is still work to be done at the regional level, Kiera Snyder has put together some very solid performances on the grass. The soon-to-be Sooner has been a three-time top-20 finisher at the Southern Conference XC Championships and was 20th at the Louisville XC Classic. When paired with Oklahoma's other additions, Snyder gives the Norman-based women a fairly solid core of cross country runners to build around this fall.