.png)
TSR's 2022-23 D1 Freshman Class Rankings: #4-3-2 (Men)
Written by Ben Weisel & Garrett Zatlin
D2 and D3 freshman class rankings are coming next week!
Despite our research, it is possible that certain names have been erroneously omitted.
Did we miss someone? If so, send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com & let us know!
4. Stanford Cardinal
Our analysis about Stanford will likely be a bit shorter than some of these other freshman classes.
That, however, isn't necessarily intentional. Instead, it's because the Cardinal have only brought in three true freshmen to their distance roster for this year.
The catch?
They might be the best trio of distance recruits that any team has added in 2022.
Let's first chat about Zane Bergen, a Colorado native who feels like he deserves more attention and respect for how insanely good he was at the high school level.
The current Cardinal rookie has range that probably makes him one of the five-most complete distance recruits from the Class of 2022. That's because Bergen has run 1:49 (800), 4:00 (mile), 8:44 (3200) and 14:09 (5k XC).
In every single season that Bergen has toed the line for, he has proven to be one of the more troublesome competitors in the nation to defeat. His consistency at the highest levels of competition is almost unreal, as evidenced by a pair of 4th place finishes at the 20221 RunningLane XC National Championships and 2021 Eastbay XC National Championships.
Bergen's overwhelming raw fitness makes him a perfect for him a Stanford team that is loaded with tons of high-octane scorers. The true freshman admittedly had a modest 2022 cross country campaign (which was his collegiate debut), but that wasn't necessarily a big deal.
If he can at least become a potential contributor in the fall of 2023, then the Cardinal will be that much closer to winning an elusive NCAA team title.
The final two rookies of Stanford's 2022-23 freshman class are going to be analyzed together.
They are, after all, brothers.
I am, of course, talking about Gavin and Callum Sherry, the monstrous 1-2 punch out of Connecticut. When put next to Bergen, there aren't many rookie trios that are better than what Stanford has.
For years, Gavin Sherry has been the main star between him and his brother. With personal bests of 1:54 (800), 4:01 (1600), 8:15 (3k), 8:45 (3200) and 14:30 (5k track), few men have gone head-to-head with Gavin and been able to beat him.
He raced seven times during the 2021 cross country season and lost only once, earning bronze at the RunningLane XC National Championships.
Oh, and he was a Millrose Games champion as well as a New Balance national champion.
But for as good as Gavin has been over the years, it was his brother Callum who began to find some scary-good momentum during his senior year. And by the time the summer hit, the two brothers had somewhat similar times, with Callum posting marks of 4:07 (1600), 8:18 (3k), 8:50 (two mile) and 15:04 (5k track).
It's hard to put into words just how good these three men are. But truthfully, this is what we've come to expect from Stanford. Year-in and year-out, they will almost always land the best young talents in the nation.
And even though there are only three rookies headlining this class, their extensive resumes were still enough to put them at TSR #4.
3. Virginia Cavaliers
Before we opted to put UVA ahead of Stanford, our TSR writers went back and forth, trying to figure out whether or not the Virginia men or the North Carolina men deserved to be at our TSR #4 spot.
And after a few switches, we ultimately decided that the Cavaliers deserved the edge.
Once again, Coach Vin Lananna and his staff have landed a current group of rookies who are capable of taking UVA from being a contender to a legitimate powerhouse. And although this isn't the largest group of recruits, all of these young men boast high-quality resumes.
It would truthfully be a bit silly to start with anyone else other than Gary Martin. The Pennsylvania and national superstar was one of the best boy's high school distance runners of this new century and may even belong in some conversations with the all-time greats.
Everyone knows that Martin is an elite miler, boasting a personal best of 3:57 from his prep days. However, it seems like his times of 1:48 (800), 8:41 (3200) and 14:24 (5k XC) have flown under the radar because of his sub-four mark.
So let's be clear -- there are (almost) zero true freshmen who entered the NCAA this year with a list of performances that are better than what Martin has. He's not just a star who you can rally around, he's a star who can change the trajectory of a program.
Kinda like when the Sixers drafted Joel Embiid...
Of course, if we're going to put an emphasis on fully appreciating someone's entire resume, then we need to make sure that James Donahue gets some recognition. Because in almost any other year, he would be the undeniable top-ranked recruit on his team.
The Massachusetts native is a truly elite middle distance talent, running 1:49 in the 800 meters and 4:01 in the mile. And just like Martin, this northeast superstar also has exceptional range. Donahue has also run 8:13 for 3000 meters, 8:51 for 3200 meters and 14:40 for 5000 meters on the grass.
Man, that's impressive...
As of late, the Virginia men have been thriving in the mile, producing numerous sub-four talents who have been able to move up and down from that distance. And with both Martin and Donahue now on the team, the Cavaliers may boast a top-five group of milers in the nation by the end of the 2024 indoor track season.
But the examples of stunning versatility and range don't stop with Martin and Donahue.
Allow us to introduce you to Myles Plummer.
On paper, Plummer is also a middle distance specialist. With a time of 1:51 over 800 meters, as well as a solid 4:10 mile PR, this New Jersey native will likely build on the half-mile corps that they are trying to build in Charlottesville.
But we should also note that Plummer has run 14:59 for 5000 meters as well (on the grass). And although that time was posted at the RunningLane XC National Championships (where it felt like everyone ran a PR), Plummer's dynamic talent is still extremely rare.
Of course, the Virginia men want to be competitive in more than just the middle distances. That's why they also recruited Will Anthony, a star New Zealand distance talent.
With personal bests of 3:48 (1500), 8:04 (3k) and 14:15 (5k), it's easy to see why Anthony was so valuable on the grass this past fall. The Kiwi runner was 17th at Panorama Farms, 25th at the Southeast Regional XC Championships and 129th at the NCAA XC Championships.
Sure, those results don't necessarily blow anyone away, but for a true rookie, those are really encouraging performances. I could absolutely see him evolving into a true low-stick for this team in a few years time.
We then come to Kyle Rakitis, yet another 800/mile specialist with times of 1:53 (800) and 4:08 (1600). He has also run 3:52 for 1500 meters.
Much like we already mentioned above, Rakitis is going to a program that fits his skill set, at least in the 1500 meters and the mile. He'll probably need to develop for a year, but if he can reach that next level of fitness, then we could see this New Jersey native near the top of the results of the ACC Championships.
He did, after all, win the 1600 meter title at the 2021 New Jersey Meet of Champions.
The last name we have is Owen McArdle.
The Arlington, Virginia native has a very solid and complete resume. His times of 4:18 (1600), 8:37 (3k), 9:09 (3200) and 15:05 (5k XC) deserve respect, although they're obviously not at the same level of his fellow freshman teammates.
But that's not a big concern for us.
Throughout the 2021-22 academic calendar (which was McArdle's senior year), this Virginia-based talent secured a total of NINE personal bests in NINE different events.
Yes, some of those events include the 1600 meters and the mile or the 3200 meters and the two mile, but the point is clear: McArdle hasn't even come close to his full potential.
Overall, this freshman class is everything that you could have asked for. They have numerous superstars, multiple runners who have some of the best range in the country and numerous support pieces who could be top talents in a handful of other highly-ranked freshman classes.
The Cavalier men have been slowly trying to build a distance running powerhouse over the last few years...but is the class that finally puts them over the edge?
I guess we'll have to wait and find out.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No school, especially one as prestigious as Notre Dame, likes losing their coach to another program. And while I am sure that the Irish faithful were upset to see Sean Carlson head to Knoxville, he did leave them with one of the best going away presents we have ever seen.
That present?
A 2022 distance running recruiting class that is ranked at TSR #2 in the country.
With Dylan Jacobs leaving for Tennessee to join Carlson, along with several top seniors such as Yared Nuguse and Danny Kilrea graduating, the Irish needed reinforcements to restock their lineup. And sure enough, they got exactly that.
Not only does this freshman class give Notre Dame immediate firepower to help them today, but it also refreshes the cupboard with runners who can help lead the men of South Bend back to the NCAA podium on the grass.
It is hard to overstate the impact that the 2018 recruiting class had on Notre Dame. Dylan Jacobs, Danny Kilrea and Matthew Carmody formed the backbone of a team that eventually finished 2nd at the 2021 NCAA XC Championships.
The Irish then supplemented that class with another TSR #1 ranked recruiting class in 2020 which included Josh Methner and Carter Solomon. With those two men, Notre Dame has the foundation to reach the same heights from years past, but they need additional help -- and that is where the 2022 class comes in.
The best talent of our TSR #2 ranked freshman class is Izaiah Steury who arrived in South Bend after finishing 8th at the 2021 Eastbay XC Championships. Of course, that is just one of many reasons why, in our eyes, this Indiana native is the perfect Notre Dame recruit.
With personal bests of 1:52 in the 800 meters, 4:08 in the mile, 8:08 in the 3000 meters and 14:27 in the 5000 meters, there are very few runners who have left high school with a more complete resume. Oh, and by the way, these are the marks of a runner who did not even compete in the spring season of his senior year!
Not only is he great on the track, but his performances on the grass should make him a top scorer for the next Notre Dame team that makes it to the podium.
Steury finished 2nd at the Indiana XC State Championships and 3rd at the NXR Midwest Regional XC Championships before his aforementioned 8th place result at Eastbay. But more importantly, this Fighting Irish rookie is as consistent as they come. Steury proved that throughout his 2022 freshman cross country season, concluding his fall campaign with a 63rd place finish at the NCAA XC Championships.
Of course, Steury is just one (big) reason why this Notre Dame group is listed at TSR #2.
Right behind Steury is Ethan Coleman who entered South Bend with scarily-similar PRs in comparison to his new teammate. And while he does not have the national meet experience in cross country like Steury does, the Washington native has everything else.
Coleman's "worst" race of his senior year was an 11th place finish at the Eastbay West Regional XC Championships which, heartbreakingly, meant he missed out on the Eastbay XC National Championships.
But when you take a step back and look at resume, you'll find that Coleman's 11th place result was an aberration. The newest Notre Dame freshman won every other race he ran besides his Washington cross country state meet where he finished runner-up.
One of those wins was a seven-second victory at the NXR Northwest XC Championships.
On the track, like Steury, Coleman does everything well.
He has run 1:52 in the 800 meters and 4:06 in the mile which makes him look like a budding middle distance star. However, it is the longer distances where he shines even more.
Times of 8:49 in the 3200 meters and 14:31 in 5000 meters are impressive on their own, but the context to those times make them even prettier to look at.
What do I mean by that?
Well, those quick personal bests in the 1600 meters and 3200 meters that I just mentioned? Both of those marks were set en route to victories at his Washington state meet. Meanwhile, his 5k PR earned him gold at the New Balance Indoor National Championships.
As you can see, Coleman comes alive on the biggest stages which bodes well for him at the collegiate level where he will have plenty of opportunities to shine for Notre Dame in the high-level settings of the ACC and the NCAA.
Such is the depth of the Irish’s recruiting class that we have yet to mention the best two milers of this group -- and we just talked about a 4:06 miler! CJ Singleton and Daelan Ackley have both run 4:05 or faster in either the 1600 meters or the mile. Both men will look to fill the 1500 meter void left behind by Yared Nuguse.
Singleton’s 4:04 PR in the mile came in a stacked New Balance Indoor National Championship race where he finished 6th place overall behind sub-4:00 miler and Pennsylvania rival, Gary Martin. He would also finish 2nd to Martin at the indoor and outdoor Pennsylvania state meets despite running 4:06 in the mile and 4:07 in the 1600 meters.
Of course, with personal bests of of 8:57 in the 3200 meters and 14:42 in the 5 meters, Singleton should also provide the Irish with another excellent option on the grass. Perhaps he can provide similar performances as his new teammate Jake Renfree who came in as a middle distance star, but has also come through in big ways during the fall season.
As for Ackley, he has run 1:53 in the 800 meters, 4:05 in the 1600 meters and 8:59 in the 3200 meters. While he has not had the same opportunities as Singleton to run against top competition, he has been dominant on his way to running quick times.
Ackley might take some time to be ready to produce on the grass for the Irish. However, while he's developing, he should be able to step in right away and be a potential piece on a DMR squad. He simply offers great all-around value.
Two other freshmen who might not take very long to become scorers in cross country are Gabe Hinrichs and Sam Rich.
While Hinrichs’ personal bests on the track aren't quite as eye-popping as some of his current freshman teammates, he still had the second-best senior cross country season of anyone in this rookie class.
Hinrichs won the Nebraska state title and the NXR Heartland XC Championships before finishing 31st at the 2021 Eastbay XC Championships. There were not many high schoolers who can boast those type of wins and consistency throughout their entire season. We could absolutely see him becoming the next Matthew Carmody for Notre Dame.
But let's stay with Hinrichs and quickly chat about his personal bests on the track. The Nebraska native has run 1:52 in the 800 meters, 4:10 in the 1600 meters and 8:57 in the 3200 meters.
Those are all very solid marks, but here’s the thing...
He never lost.
Unlike most of his fellow freshmen, Hinrichs’ did not compete against some of the best runners in the country and was likely never fully pushed. Imagine what those PRs could have been if he ran at Arcadia or Festival of Miles. Luckily, we won’t have to imagine much longer as we are sure we will see some big improvements from Heartland ace in his very first track season with the Irish.
Meanwhile, Sam Rich has run 4:10 in the mile, 8:55 in the 3200 meters and 14:40 in the 5000 meters on the track. He had a dynamic senior season on the grass, winning every race before having an "off" day at the Eastbay XC South Regional Championships.
The South Carolina native is not far off from Steury and Coleman’s level, at least not over the longer distances, and could be a nice surprise for Irish fans by his sophomore season. For a team that showed some shakiness in the latter-half of their lineup this past fall, Sam Rich in his second year could offer some stability.
Lastly, let’s talk about John Schuler and Julian Kingery. While neither athlete has quite the same accolades on the grass as their rookie classmates, they do bring plenty of firepower on the track -- and after losing Sam Voelz, Tim Zepf, Bashir Mosavel-Lo and Yared Nuguse, that's a big deal.
Schuler has run 3:50 in the 1500 meters and 8:21 in the 3000 meters which should set him up to be a nice middle distance option for the Irish in a few years time. Meanwhile, Schuler’s fellow Oregon rival, Kingery, has run 1:52 in the 800 meters despite hardly running during his senior track season.
While neither of these freshmen will likely provide as much immediate scoring as a few others, they still give the Notre Dame coaching staff additional long-term options. And to be clear, both of these men could blossom into big-time competitors at a program that has developed NCAA champions and numerous All-Americans.
This 2022 recruiting class was absolutely vital for a Notre Dame program that is looking to build on the heights that Coach Sean Carlson took them to.
Steury has already provided a big impact, but do not be surprised to see many of the men in this class break out over the next 12 months. For the Irish to improve upon their 15th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall, a handful of these current freshmen will need to start delivering on their unreal potential.
With the firepower up front combined with the sheer quantity of incoming freshmen, we are betting that under Coach Sparks and Coach Neal, this program will make another run at a podium finish in two years.
