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TSR's 2023 Preseason D1 XC Top 25 Rankings (Women): #21 Oregon State Beavers
- Maura Beattie
- Aug 13, 2023
- 7 min read
Written by Maura Beattie, additional edits & commentary by Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: Earlier this summer, The Stride Report reached out to nearly every team that was considered for a possible ranking this summer. While we did receive numerous responses and great clarity, we did not get a 100% response rate. On rare occasions, we are referencing TFFRS in order to talk about returners and athletes who are out of eligibility.
The Oregon State women have proven to be a nationally competitive cross country program over the last few years, sitting on both sides of the national qualifying fringes. But after a promising 2022 cross country season, one filled with growth and development, the Beavers feel primed for a major year come 2023 -- one that puts them in a more established tier.
Oregon State has everything you could want in a team. They boast low-sticks with experience, solid depth thanks to their returners, high-impact transfers and an incoming class looking to make that next jump.
In 2023, Coach Louie Quintana has assembled a roster that is ready to make some noise, not only in the PAC-12, but also across the entire NCAA.
Sure, this team may be far from perfect, but if everything comes together like we think it will, then Oregon State may pull off a few upsets to those who aren't on high alert.
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Kaylee Mitchell and Grace Fetherstonhaugh, veterans of the Beaver’s distance program, are back for more this fall. They'll continue to act as the main focal points of this team, offering elite scoring that will help Oregon State differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Consistency was the name of the game for both Mitchell and Fetherstonhaugh at Joe Piane and Nuttycombe last fall. Mitchell was the 4th place finisher at both meets while Fetherstonhaugh followed closely in 14th place both times.
The seniors later flip-flopped their finishing order at the PAC-12 XC Championships when Fetherstonhaugh crossed the line in 9th place while Mitchell was back in 12th. However, things returned to normal for the Oregon State leaders when they led the Beavers to a 4th place finish at the West XC Regional Championships.
Simply put, Oregon State was relying on the firepower that their veteran stars brought week-in and week-out to help them earn a berth to the NCAA XC Championships. On that stage, Mitchell would go on to finish 18th, her highest finish since the March 2021 edition. Fetherstonhuagh ended up placing 31st, a major improvement from her 220th place finish in March of 2021.
Since the fall months, Mitchell and Fetherstonhaugh have only gotten better. The dynamic duo have showcased their ability to drop top marks in everything from the 1500 meters to the 5000 meters to the steeplechase.
Fetherstonhaugh has a 4:11 (1500) PR to her name and was able to flex her full aerobic potential after running a 15:30 (5k) PR this past spring. Mitchell, a 4:13 (1500) runner, has proven herself in the longer distances as well with her 15:37 (5k) PR.
The success that Mitchell and Fetherstonhaugh have had together on both the grass and the oval makes them formidable low-stick stars for the Beavers heading into the fall. Top-20 finishes at the NCAA XC Championships are on the table for both of these women come November.
Of course, relying on Mitchell and Fetherstonhaugh to carry this team by themselves will not be enough for the Beavers in the fall of 2023. Instead, it's the returners and incoming transfers who will provide the Oregon State women with the necessary scoring infrastructure to be a nationally competitive cross country squad.
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Emily Van Valkenburg, Kate Laurent and Teaghan Knox were true freshmen last fall who cracked the team's top-seven. The trio may not have been fighting for the lead at the big meets, but what they were fighting for were key points amongst the middle of the fields that they were racing in.
And more importantly, they were gaining valuable experience needed for a 2023 cross country season which will likely have a greater emphasis.
These three rising support scorers gained valuable exposure to elite competition last fall by making the travel roster for their postseason competitions. The NCAA XC Championships may not have been the best race of their season for these former freshmen, but they now have a full year of collegiate experience under their belts.
And now, in theory, they could be women who can change the course of the team competition from the middle of the pack.
Of course, the Beavers aren't entering our preseason rankings at TSR #21 based solely on their two low-sticks and three still-developing youngster. We listed Oregon State at this spot because of the reinforcements who have been added to their 2023 roster.
Four women have been announced as transfers into the Oregon State program for this fall. Those newcomers are Delaney Griffin via Boise State, Sage Brooks via Syracuse, Abigail Pradere via San Francisco and Erika Cunniam via Arizona.
Griffin and Brooks are two athletes who could immediately make an impact for the Beavers this fall while Pradere and Cunniam could add extra backend stability in the depth department.
During her time at Boise State, Griffin was a reliable scorer on the cross country course. The rising senior had her best season last fall, highlighted by a 50th place finish at Joe Piane and a 31st place finish at the West Regional XC Championships. The latter result would’ve landed Griffin as Oregon State’s fourth scorer on last year’s team. The former Bronco carried that success onto the track where she ran PRs of 9:30 (3k) and 16:20 (5k).
Griffin’s experience and current rise is just what the Beavers are looking for. This incoming graduate transfer is a true veteran who has shown signs of recent progression. She's familiar with her competition on the west coast and offers an immediate improvement from a backend scoring standpoint.
Sure, she may not be a low-stick star, but her presence in Oregon State's 2023 lineup should cut off a handful of points from the Beavers' team score.
And then there is Sage Brooks who, prior to getting hurt in September of 2022, was enjoying a strong start to her sophomore campaign.
Last fall, the incoming distance talent won the Harry Lang Invitational, which was followed up by a 2nd place finish at the PSU Spiked Shoe Invitational. Her last race of cross country came at the loaded Cowboy Jamboree where she crossed the line in an impressive 32nd place.
We haven’t seen Brooks race since then, but if given enough time to recover and adapt to Coach Quintana’s training program, we could see Brooks return to her 2022 form. If she comes out with a bang, then there’s no doubt that Brooks will make the top-five for Oregon State and even act as a high-impact third scorer.
As for Pradere and Cunniam, they are going to be given the task of adding depth to the Beavers roster.
Pradere, who specializes in the 1500 meters given her 4:21 PR, also has some solid strength that could eventually translate to the cross country course. The incoming senior placed 75th at the Joe Piane Invitational last fall, a showing that would’ve placed her fourth amongst Oregon State runners in the same race.
The former Don distance talent has steadily improved as the years have passed and her experience in the NCAA system will surely help this team, at least as far as depth is concerned.
Cunniam, hailing from Canada, makes the trek to Oregon State after some time at Arizona. However, she has been bit by the injury bug during her career. Cunniam’s personal bests of 4:33 (1500) and 9:53 (3k) are fine, but if she can capitalize on some consistent training, the Beaver’s could benefit from another reliable varsity contributor.
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But wait! There's more!
The incoming freshmen class for the Beavers is deep...very deep. Coach Louie Quintana is slated to bring in 12 women this fall and it is possible that a few of them could sneak into one of the final backend spots of this cross country lineup.
In our eyes, Ruby Broadbent and Katie Kopec seemingly have the most potential to shake things up for Oregon State.
Broadbent has been able to drop a 4:25 (1500) PR on the track, but also cover a 5k cross country course in a time of 16:20. If Broadbent channels her aerobic strength and builds upon that 5k PR, then she will be able to hold her own on the grass.
For Kopec, she has national level experience on her resume after placing 28th at the 2022 Champs Sports XC National Championships. Under the guidance of the Oregon State veterans, Kopec could latch onto the back of their varsity pack and help displace competitors.
We then come to Washington natives Kate Yahn and Reese Morkert who are two very similar athletes. Both women are runners who get stronger the longer the racing distance becomes.
Yahn finished in the top-five at her 4A state cross country meet while Morkert took the 3A state cross country title. The two young Beavers could challenge their teammates for scoring positions in the Beaver’s varsity lineup this fall if they work together and improve upon their 18:00 (Morkert) and 18:02 (Yahn) 5k personal bests.
However, more likely, they'll be developmental pieces and maybe non-scoring contributors to the backend of the Beavers' lineup if everything goes well.
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Oregon State’s elite firepower and bolstered depth are going to be what propel them forward this season. And truthfully, this team has everything they need to match this ranking.
They have the veteran leadership of Mitchell and Fetherstonhaugh. We're expecting key growth from Van Valkenburg, Laurent and Knox following their freshmen campaigns. There's a quartet of impactful transfers and a solid core group of new faces joining this team in 2023.
On paper, the Beavers are seemingly primed to make a statement this fall.
Kolas points will be where this team earns their bid to the “Big Dance” -- and that will start early-on for Oregon State. The Beavers will need to finish amongst the top-20 at Nuttycombe and beat some talented teams at the PAC-12 XC Championships to earn those points.
That may seem like a tough challenge, but the Oregon State women are a stronger team than they were last year. And by the time they toe the line at the NCAA XC Championships in Virginia, a finish amongst the top-20 teams will be on their minds.
