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TSR's 2022 Preseason D1 XC Top 50 Rankings: #20-11 (Men)
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Jul 22, 2022
- 12 min read
20. James Mwaura, Senior, Gonzaga
Ever since high school, James Mwaura has been a long distance beast who has brought new life to the Gonzaga men. Now, in 2022, the task at hand will be elevating himself into the most elite of individuals that the NCAA has to offer.
During the winter cross country season, Mwaura placed 2nd at the West Coast Conference XC Championships. Then, in the fall, the Gonzaga star placed 4th in a top-heavy field at the Dellinger Invite before earning an excellent 14th place finish at Nuttycombe. Mwaura would later earn another silver medal at the West Coast Conference XC Championships.
On paper, those results are excellent. However, Mwaura's national meet performances have, sometimes, left us wanting more.
At the 2019 NCAA XC Championships, Mwaura placed 138th and at the 2021 NCAA Winter XC Championships, Mwaura placed 225th. Luckily, the Bulldog veteran rallied last fall and earned a 36th place All-American finish.
On the track, Mwaura has also proven to be a high-octane talent, earning times of 7:54 (3k), 13:30 (5k) and 27:50 (10k) across multiple seasons. That blistering fast 10k time came at the 2021 outdoor national meet where Mwaura placed 9th in a historically quick race.
On paper, there are far more positives than negatives when looking at Mwaura's resume. He's run insanely fast times on the track (mainly his 10k), he's proven to be consistently competitive against Portland and BYU at his conference meet, his regular season marks are solid and he finally got his first All-American finish.
All of those things, when put together, is what ultimately gives Mwaura a TSR #20 ranking.
Still, we can understanding if someone has a difference of opinion. Mwaura doesn't have a great history of national meet success and even his recent All-American honor could've been better.
But if that's the biggest thing that we can nit-pick about Mwaura, then we feel good about ranking him at this spot.
19. Acer Iverson, Junior, Harvard
At first glance, Acer Iverson's cross country resume wouldn't suggest that he's a top-20 runner in the NCAA. But hang tight, allow us to explain ourselves.
The Harvard standout had a solid, but unexciting, 2021 fall cross country season. A 10th place finish at Beantown followed by a 33rd place finish at Nuttycombe were respectable results. Still, those finishes didn't hold the scoring spark that one would hope for in a top-20 runner.
But then Iverson placed a slightly more encouraging 4th place at the Ivy League XC Championships and later earned a 5th place finish at the Northeast Regional XC Championships.
At the NCAA XC Championships, Iverson snagged the last All-American honor, placing 40th overall and ending his season on a high note.
However, it was the winter and spring track seasons that truly took Iverson from good to great. The Harvard ace ran 7:53 (3k) and 13:32 (5k) on the indoor oval and even earned two Ivy League indoor titles in those events.
Then, during outdoors, Iverson threw down a huge 13:28 mark for 5000 meters. He also won Ivy League titles in the 5k and the 10k, qualified for the national meet in both events and secured a 28:23 (10k) personal best at the national meet.
There is no question that Iverson will be a better runner in the fall of 2022 than he was in the fall of 2021. However, trying to pinpoint exactly how his newfound track fitness will translate to the grass is admittedly a challenge.
If we had to guess, we would put Iverson at TSR #19, although the arguments for a higher or lower ranking could be discussed all day long.
18. Victor Kiprop, Sophomore, Alabama
Last year, another overseas superstar toed the line for Alabama and offered immediate, elite-level scoring for the Crimson Tide. Victor Kiprop was excellent in the fall of 2021, but we have reason to believe that he can be even better in 2022.
An 8th place finish at Joe Piane was impressive. It validated Kiprop as a true low-stick and it gave us an idea of what tier, relative to his competition, that this Alabama youngster was in.
But then the Crimson Tide ace earned a jaw-dropping 3rd place finish at Pre-Nationals which put Kiprop ahead of men like Abdi Nur, Dylan Jacobs, Casey Clinger, Eduardo Herrera and many of other elite superstars.
A 4th place finish at the SEC XC Championships was also very strong, although the impressiveness of that result probably sat somewhere between Kiprop's Pre-Nationals performance his Joe Piane performance.
After a 3rd place finish in his region, Kiprop would venture to the national meet and record a DNF result.
On the track, Kiprop was fantastic. He didn't race in the winter, but he did record incredible marks of 3:40 (1500), 13:24 (5k) and 28:15 (10k) on the outdoor oval.
Alright, let's get this out of the way: Yes, Kiprop recorded a DNF at the national meet.
No, it shouldn't completely alter his ranking.
After all, this is someone who was 3rd at Pre-Nationals.
3rd place!!
The level of talent that it takes to earn bronze in that field is absolutely incredible. And when you look at Kiprop's recent personal bests on the track, it's hard to say that this man isn't one of the 20 best cross country runners in the nation.
Now, admittedly, we do need to factor his DNF into our rankings. While that result certainly isn't indicative of his talent (or anything, really), we do have to be fair and bring Kiprop back a few spots as a result.
Is this a fair spot for him? Maybe, maybe not. Could we see him be ranked higher or lower? Possibly, although it would depend on your argument.
Still, based on the accomplishments of the men who are ranked ahead of Kiprop, we thought TSR #18 was a somewhat fair ranking...for now.
17. Zach Facioni, Senior, Wake Forest
Prior to the winter of 2021, Facioni had always been an excellent distance runner on the track and one of the best cross country scorers in the ACC. However, he had never really jumped into that next tier of competitiveness.
That, of course, all changed two winters ago. During the winter cross country season, Facioni impressed us with a huge 4th place finish at the FSU Winter XC Classic. In that race, Facioni took down a handful of top names and solidified himself as a potential All-American threat.
Well, sure enough, the Wake Forest star ventured to the NCAA Winter XC Championships where he earned a legacy-altering 27th place All-American finish. Facioni would later go on to run 3:39 (1500) and 13:30 (5k) during the spring months, validating his cross country fitness in the process.
In the fall, Facioni would continue his rise. His 22nd place finish at Pre-Nationals was fine, but his 6th place finish at the ACC XC Championships was arguably more encouraging. Then, he blew us away with a huge 19th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships.
Facioni has gone from being someone who couldn't get out of his region to now earning two cross country All-American honors in the same year. He's proven to be explosive on the track and he hasn't really had any poor performances lately.
Someone could maybe argue for Facioni to be higher, but I'm not sure we would have classified his fall cross country season as elite.
Still, all things considered, this is a very good ranking for the Wake Forest veteran.
16. Christian Allen, Senior, BYU
If you're reading this, congrats! You're now getting insider knowledge that Christian Allen has left Weber State and will be finishing his eligibility with BYU as a graduate transfer.
And by "insider knowledge" we mean "saw it on his Instagram".
Nonetheless, Allen's addition to the Cougars' distance program is monumental. The BYU men were already on the fringe of contending for the podium, but Allen's introduction to the team gives them a legitimate chance to be amongst the top-four squads in November.
During the 2019 cross country season, Allen wasn't exactly a star. His regular season results were unexciting and there weren't any indications that he would be amongst the top-60 men at the NCAA XC Championships that year.
And then he placed 14th at the national meet.
But was that result a fluke?
After an underwhelming winter cross country season, it certainly seemed like it.
Of course, trying to be a husband, a father, a student and a Division One All-American isn't exactly the easiest thing to maintain...but Allen was able to do it anyway.
During the fall of 2021, Allen was phenomenal. He secured a head-turning 6th place finish at Joe Piane before settling for a modest 32nd place finish at Pre-Nationals. After a pair of top-five finishes at his conference and regional meets, Allen went to the NCAA XC Championships in hopes of validating his 2019 All-American result.
And he did exactly that.
The former Weber State runner produced a monumental 16th place finish, essentially matching his 2019 All-American honor and validating the flashes of brilliance that he had shown in the past.
Not only that, but Allen would maintain his hot streak in the winter and spring months. Despite being considered mostly a "cross country" guy, Allen still ran 13:36 (5k) and 28:26 (10k), building on the greatness that he started in the fall.
Allen now has two cross country All-American finishes that both sit in the top-20. The level of proven firepower that this incoming BYU graduate transfer has shown is phenomenal. In fact, there may be an argument for him to be closer to the top-13 potion of these rankings.
Still, we have to consider that Allen isn't always the most consistent cross country runner. While it's clear that he's amongst the most clutch distance runners in the nation, he hasn't been unbelievably good during the regular season.
But again, that's not to say that he's been bad in those meets, either.
Regardless, the national meet upside that Allen brings to the table is good enough to put him at TSR #16.
15. Brian Fay, Senior, Washington
This Irish distance standout is probably one of the more well-known names in the NCAA. However, that's more because of his track accolades, not his cross country results.
Last fall, in his first season in the NCAA, Fay held his own. He produced solid results, such as a 9th place finish at the PAC-12 XC Championships and then a 38th place All-American finish on the national stage.
On paper, those are strong performances, although it would have been hard to imagine Fay as someone who was a top-20 runner in the nation this fall.
But then Fay took to the track and became the dynamic distance runner in the NCAA. The Washington star split 3:52 on a DMR anchor leg, ran 3:55 in the mile, ran 13:16 for 5000 meters, ran 28:22 for 10,000 meters, ran 8:32 in the steeplechase and earned two All-American finishes in the 5k.
Trying to rank Fay while not considering his track times would be criminal. Despite his All-American finish on the grass, it's clear that Fay was a much better runner on the track. In fact, we find it hard to believe that his fitness wouldn't translate to the upcoming cross country season.
Of course, trying to figure out how much of that track talent will actually translate to the grass is the tricky part. Are we being too conservative with his ranking? Or are we not being cautious enough?
There's not a good answer to this tricky predicament, but don't be surprised if Fay ends up in our top-10 later this season.
14. Bob Liking, Rs. Sophomore, Wisconsin
I am a huge Bob Liking fan. I just think he has the "it" factor.
Luckily, I'm not the only one who thinks that.
The rising Wisconsin star just had a huge breakout year. He thrived on the grass and validated his recent successes with a strong performances on the track.
After a 3rd place finish at the Louisville Classic, Liking made a statement with a jaw-dropping 5th place finish at Nuttycombe. The little-known Wisconsin runner (at the time) completely altered our expectations for the Badgers that season.
And if you were wondering about whether or not that result was a fluke, it wasn't.
Liking would go on to win the BIG 10 cross country title in a field which consisted of Olin Hacker, Morgan Beadlescomb, Jonathan Davis, Alec Basten and numerous others.
However, at the national meet, Liking had his first "off" day of the season. The Wisconsin star finished 66th overall, leaving distance running fans wanting more. Still, outside of that national meet, Liking had a fairly complete season.
On the track, Liking continued to assert himself as a nationally competitive distance talent. He ran 13:37 (5k) and 28:47 (10k). He also qualified for the national meet in the 10k that spring.
On paper, you could probably argue that Liking is a top-10 talent. And even if you don't agree with that statement, then he's at least pretty darn close. We do have to bring his ranking back a bit after his national meet performance, but there's not a ton of people questioning how good Liking is.
For that reason, he slots in at TSR #14.
13. Alex Maier, Junior, Oklahoma State
To be clear, we are very big Alex Maier fans. We think he's a true star and we imagine that everyone reading this will probably agree with that statement.
But at the same time, TSR readers will see Maier's ranking and think, "Wait, didn't he just finish 2nd in the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships? Should he be ranked higher?"
There is certainly a good argument for that, but here are where our heads are at.
During the 2021 winter cross country season, Maier was, for the most part, really darn good. Did we think that he could be an All-American or maybe a top-50 finisher at the national meet?
Yes, we did.
Did we think he was going to finish 17th overall?
No, we didn't.
It was a somewhat similar story when looking at Maier's 2021 fall cross country season. Leading up to the national meet, the Oklahoma State star earned four top-six finishes, including a few strong finishes in a top-heavy fields.
But this time, Maier didn't finish 17th overall at the national meet.
He finished 147th.
Now, obviously, that finish was not indicative of Maier's actual talent. We had seen what he could do when he was at his best. To think that his national meet performance was an accurate reflection of his true talent would be not incorrect.
Sure enough, during the winter months, Maier proved to be one of the most dynamic runners on the track. He ran 3:56 in the mile, 7:46 for 3000 meters and 13:25 for 5000 meters. Unfortunately, he would finish 16th at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5k.
But on the outdoor oval, Maier not only continued to throw down super fast times, he also stunned the nation with a runner-up finish in the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships en route to a 28:12 personal best.
With so many different pieces of information, our TSR writers battled to figure out where we should rank this Cowboy superstar. We then asked ourselves a question, "If Maier doesn't finish runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where would you rank him?"
And when we thought about it, this was the spot we came up with.
And personally, I think it makes sense. The ranking obviously acknowledges his elite distance running prowess and his national meet success, but it also takes his regular season performances and his latest national meet result into consideration (although that isn't to suggest that his regular season results are bad).
Who knows? Maybe we're wrong, but this seemed like a fair ranking for Maier.
12. Isai Rodriguez, Senior, Oklahoma State
Trying to analyze Isai Rodriguez is admittedly exhausting. That, however, is just because he's been so darn good for so long...I'm talking 2018!
In 2018, Rodriguez stunned the country with a 4th place All-American finish. However, in 2019, an injury caused him to have a not-so-great showing at the Midwest Regional XC Championships. In the winter of 2021, Rodriguez bounced back like nothing happened and placed 8th at the national meet.
Then, this past fall, Rodriguez secured a very solid 22nd place finish at the national meet.
Admittedly, we might be robbing Rodriguez three or four spots in our rankings. His win at the Cowboy Jamboree last fall was incredible and he continues to challenge some of the most elite names in the country.
However, Rodriguez was in a fairly serious car accident back in the winter. While he has miraculously recovered fast enough to still run 13:43 (5k), his edge on the indoor oval wasn't quite there. His outdoor track season was also non-existent until the BIG 12 Outdoor Championships where he just wasn't at his best.
Do we still believe that that Rodriguez is going to rebound and be a problem for his competitors once again? Yes, we do.
But until then, we just want to see that first before we opt to put him back in the top-10 of our rankings.
11. Aaron Bienenfeld, Senior, Oregon*
Here's the thing: There's a very real chance that Bienenfeld doesn't race this fall. The Oregon star is currently working to comeback for a final cross country season, although nothing is set in stone.
Either way, Aaron Bienenfeld is a reliable long distance veteran who has some of the best raw endurance in the NCAA.
Prior to joining Oregon, Bienenfeld was at Cincinnati. While he didn't race against top-tier competition all that often, he did end up securing a huge 16th place finish at the NCAA Winter XC Championships -- a result which validated the aerobic strength that we suspected he had.
Bienenfeld also ran a 10k PR of 28:10 in the spring of 2021 before venturing over to Eugene.
This past fall, which was his first season in an Oregon singlet, Bienenfeld was incredible. He earned a 2nd place finish at the Dellinger Invite, secured a resume-changing 4th place finish at Nuttycombe and later delivered a top-tier 5th place finish at the PAC-12 XC Championships.
Bienenfeld would then end his season with an 18th place finish, validating his winter cross country success and proving to be one of the NCAA's most consistent low-sticks on the grass.
The Oregon veteran would later thrive on the track, running top-tier times of 7:46 (3k) and 13:21 (5k). That latter mark would qualify Bienenfeld for the indoor national meet. Then, in the spring, Bienenfeld would qualify for the outdoor national meet in the 10k and the 5k, the latter of which produced an All-American result.
There's not a whole lot to say here. Bienenfeld is just flat-out great.
Admittedly, his national meet finishes don't really separate him too much from some of the other guys on this list. However, his consistency in nationally competitive fields and his regular season results give him a bump to TSR #11.
