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Transfer Market (Part 92): Ernest Cheruiyot to Arkansas, Valentin Soca & Zane Bergen Enter Transfer Portal
The never-ending carousel that is the transfer portal continues to spin!
Yes, it's true, this "Transfer Market" update features only three names. However, as you'll see below, each of these on-the-move distance talents carry with them strong resumes with the potential to heavily impact their new homes.
Have a transfer update or tip that you want us to look into? Feel free to email us at contact@thestridereport.com and we'll aim to verify it! Alright, let's jump into the analysis, shall we?
Ernest Cheruiyot (Texas Tech to Arkansas)
Last week, the University of Arkansas announced that they have signed Ernest Cheruiyot as a standard transfer. Per TFRRS, the former Red Raider is expected to have two seasons of indoor track eligibility and two seasons of outdoor track eligibility remaining. It is possible that Cheruiyot will have up to three seasons of cross country eligibility remaining.
The newest Arkansas addition holds national-caliber marks of 13:27 (5k) and 27:45 (10k), seemingly thriving the longer the racing distance becomes. With two top-half All-American honors over 10,000 meters, the incoming Razorback is an incredibly lethal distance star when he's firing on all cylinders.
Over the last couple of years, Cheruiyot has evolved into one of the most naturally talented long distance runners in the NCAA. With an aggressive front-running tendency and ability to produce incredibly fast times, the now-former Texas Tech runner has thrived in an era recently dominated by international pace pushers.
However, at times, Cheruiyot has also lacked consistency. He struggled at the 2024 NCAA XC Championships, didn't compete after mid-September this past fall and has not qualified for the indoor national meet in his last two years.
Even so, the pure aerobic fitness of Cheruiyot should make him a welcomed addition for an Arkansas program that has had a glaring need for greater long distance firepower.
Despite salvaging an 18th place finish at this year's NCAA XC Championships, the Razorbacks generally struggled this past fall, lacking depth and consistent firepower behind Timothy Chesondin. It also doesn't help that veteran standout Ben Shearer is out of eligibility.
Thankfully, Cheruiyot should offer his new team a crucial low-stick presence who can not only make up for the loss of Shearer, but offer even more potent scoring as well. He also leaves Arkansas' new men's distance coach, Cale Wallace, with one less lineup gap to worry about by the time the 2025 cross country season comes around.
No, Cheruiyot won't solve all of the challenges that plagued this Arkansas squad over the last few months. However, he will raise the ceiling of this team in a fairly significant way as long as the depth improves.
Valentin Soca (Transfer Portal)
The Stride Report has confirmed that Valentin Soca has entered the transfer portal as a standard transfer. Per TFRRS, the soon-to-be-former California Baptist runner is expected to have one season of outdoor track eligibility remaining and one season of cross country eligibility remaining.
Soca has not competed as an attached collegian during the indoor track season, making it unclear how much eligibility he will have for the winter months upon transferring.
One of the biggest breakout stars of the last year, Soca has gone from being a "very solid" distance runner to being a legitimate national-caliber ace. In 2025, Soca posted monster personal bests of 7:34 (3k), 13:02 (5k) and 27:37 (10k). He has twice been an All-American -- once at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships (4th in the 5k) and once at the 2024 NCAA XC Championships (33rd).
Despite a promising 2025 fall campaign, the soon-to-be-former CBU runner faded to 108th place at the NCAA XC Championships
However, maybe more importantly, Soca qualified for the 2025 World XC Championships, representing Uruguay over 5000 meters. There, he qualified for the 5k finals where he finished in 15th place overall.
The upcoming loss of Soca is a brutal one for the Lancer men. California Baptist proved to be a competitive team this past fall despite posting a disappointing 25th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships. The Lancers were expected to return everyone from their 2025 lineup, positioning them for a potentially monstrous 2026 cross country season.
Sure, CBU will remain a top team next fall even without Soca, but their ceiling for what was once possible has lowered significantly with his intention to venture elsewhere.
As we ponder where Soca could end up next, there is one potential landing spot that seems glaring and borderline obvious: the University of Georgia.
Prior to joining the Bulldogs in the summer of 2024, Coach Adam Tribble led the California Baptist men. There, he recruited and briefly developed Soca before venturing across the country to lead UGA's distance group.
Since joining Georgia, Coach Adam Tribble has been very aggressive with the transfer portal. And while he doesn't have a large men's roster, he has been willing to sign top names from elsewhere -- and many times, they're international standouts, just like Soca.
The Bulldog men made major waves this past fall when they qualified for the NCAA XC Championships as a team despite having only six men on their entire roster. That qualification ended a 12-year drought of the Georgia men not qualifying for national meet.
TFRRS suggests that key distance talents such as Matias Reynaga, Will Aitken and OIiver Smart are out of cross country eligibility. That leaves Tribble and the Georgia men in need of greater firepower and more reinforcements. While the Bulldogs had a strong team this past fall, the lack of a focal star was evident.
Of course, if UGA were to sign Soca, then many of those issues become far more manageable.
Despite the clear and obvious fit, it's plenty possible that Soca ends up elsewhere. The top cross country teams in the nation such as Oklahoma State, New Mexico and Iowa State could be in the mix, and the same goes for Oregon. And yet, for whatever reason, it just doesn't feel like those would be proper landing spots for the Uruguayan distance runner.
Would a team like Northern Arizona be a good fit for Soca? They're a program that prioritizes long distance talents like himself, they aren't totally adverse to adding international runners to their roster (Israel native, Derebe Ayele, is in his first year with the program) and they need more top-tier firepower in 2026 with Colin Sahlman set to graduate.
How about Wake Forest? Would they make sense as a potential landing spot for Soca? The Demon Deacons need more firepower behind Rocky Hansen to contend for the podium and Coach John Hayes isn't a stranger to recruiting international talents.
It's hard to say where Soca will end up, but wherever he does go, he'll almost certainly have a major impact.
Zane Bergen (Transfer Portal)
The Stride Report has confirmed that Zane Bergen has entered the transfer portal, presumably as a graduate transfer. The current Stanford runner is listed as "Do Not Contact" on the transfer portal, an indication that Bergen may have already found his new home.
Per TFRRS, Bergen is expected to have at least one season of cross country eligibility remaining. He may also have up to two seasons of indoor track eligibility and two seasons of outdoor track eligibility remaining.
Bergen was once a high school superstar prior to graduating in 2022. The former Niwot High School runner ended his time as a prep athlete with jaw-dropping marks of 1:49 (800), 4:00 (mile), 8:44 (3200) and 14:09 (5k XC).
Admittedly, since joining the NCAA ranks, Bergen has yet to fully replicate the ridiculously impressive pedigree that he showed during his time in Colorado. While current personal bests of 2:20 (1k), 3:39 (1500) and 3:58 (mile) demand respect, they don't necessarily reflect the sky-high ceiling that Bergen showed in high school. Cross country has also become a secondary season for the current Cardinal runner.
Even so, when Bergen is at his best, he is a sneaky-good middle distance runner. He has strong turnover, solid experience and made clear improvements (as shown by his personal bests) in the winter and spring of 2025.
Despite his inconsistencies, momentum should be on his side as we inch closer to 2026.
As we ponder where Bergen could next end up, we can't help but think of somewhere closer to his homeland -- specifically, the University of Colorado.
Bergen is a native of the Centennial State and the Buffalo men are now under the new direction of Coach Sean Carlson who joined the team two summers ago. Yes, Carlson's current roster is heavily centered around long distance runners, but this is the same coach who developed a superstar miler in Yared Nuguse when he was at Notre Dame.
If Bergen wants to be closer to home, all while developing under a coach who has worked with guys who boast a similar skillset, then Boulder could be his next landing spot.
Of course, if being closer to home doesn't matter, then schools such as Oregon or Washington could be easy landing spots for Bergen to consider. Both schools are considered to be mile-based powerhouses who have been more than willing to intake sub-four veteran milers.
On paper, Bergen perfectly fits that mold.
Don't count out Cal Poly, either. If Bergen wanted to stay in the state of California, then he wouldn't have to venture too far to join the Mustangs. Coach Ryan VanHoy is one of the best developers of middle distance talent in the country and he has already coached a handful of top names over the last year such as Aidan McCarthy and Chris Caudillo.
The men of Luis Obispo would be a perfect landing spot for Bergen. They have, after all, signed former Stanford middle distance runners before (i.e. John Lester).
