TSR's 2024 D1 XC Top 50 Individual Rankings (Men): Update #3

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Written by Mike McKean & Garrett Zatlin

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NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria. We will only list a max of 20 names in both our "Just Missed" section and our "Honorable Mentions" section (each).

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KEY

(Unranked):

Was not ranked in our last update.

(#/#):

First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings.

The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update.

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50. Collins Kiprotich, Freshman, New Mexico (Unranked)

The New Mexico men put together a shockingly good top-five sweep at the Mountain West XC Championships this past weekend. Leading the charge were Habtom Samuel and Vincent Chirchir. However, beyond those men in 3rd place was teammate Collins Kiprotich.

That result alone isn't necessarily enough for the New Mexico rookie to crack our rankings. Of course, when you look back and see his 26th place finish at Pre-Nationals, you can begin to see that this Lobo low-stick has a decent argument to be a top-50 name.

Truthfully, the only race on Kiprotich's resume that held major emphasis was Pre-Nationals. But in his other efforts, he largely held his own. And with no legitimate flaws on his resume, the New Mexico freshman seemed deserving of a spot on the fringes of our rankings.

49. Dylan Throop, Senior, Penn (Unranked)

Welcome to our top-50 rankings, Dylan Throop! After a 2023 campaign that ended early due to an injury, the Penn veteran is back to the fringe All-American form that he showed us last year.

The Quaker ace has been consistent and reliable during the course of his career on the grass, and this year has been no different. A 4th place finish at Paul Short was great, but a 5th place finish at the Princeton Fall Classic was even better. Now, with yet another silver medal at the Ivy League XC Championships added to his resume, Throop is building momentum heading into November.

The fearlessness that the veteran displays by putting himself in the mix with the nation’s best has resulted in us becoming massive fans. With continued health throughout the rest of the season, Throop feels like a sleeper All-American pick.

48. Nathan Green, Senior, Washington (Unranked)

The only result that Nathan Green had on his resume prior to this past weekend was a 45th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite. And while that's a fine result, it doesn't come all that close to making him a top-50 name in our rankings.

But then Green secured a clutch bronze medal at the BIG 10 XC Championships. That was a very strong result for the Washington veteran, even if he wasn't racing against the most top-heavy field of all the Power Four conference meets.

Of course, when you pair this effort with Green's prior 4th place finish from the 2023 PAC-12 XC Championships (which admittedly feels like cheating), we at least know that the Husky star can be an All-American candidate later this month.

47. George Couttie, Sophomore, Virginia Tech (Unranked)

Former D2 standout George Couttie found himself on our radar after his 3rd place finish at the Panorama Farms XC Invitational. There, the sophomore star was only bested by his two ACC counterparts, Gary Martin and Luke Tewalt.

A 3rd place finish at Charlottesville in his season opener was great, but a 6th place finish at the ACC XC Championships left zero doubt in our mind that Couttie belongs on this list. And with first-team All-ACC honors now on his resume, the Hokie low-stick seems to be gaining serious momentum as we dive deeper into the postseason.

46. Isaac Alonzo, Senior, Texas (Unranked)

Isaac Alonzo is a guy who has been on the fringes of our rankings for the last few years, dipping in and out of our top-50 lists every other week.

Sure enough, Alonzo has reappeared in our rankings after earning a quietly great 7th place finish at the SEC XC Championships. He didn't beat the focal low-stick stars from Arkansas or Alabama, but he was the first non-Crimson Tide / non-Razorback runner to cross the line.

When you pair that effort with a respectable 32nd place finish at Pre-Nationals and a 7th place performance at the Cowboy Jamboree, Alonzo's 2024 resume seemingly holds sneaky-good value. He hasn't truly stood out in a major field, but he's been steady and consistently competitive in a variety of different fields.

In our eyes, that was enough for him to be ranked.

45. Valentin Soca, Sophomore, California Baptist (-2 / 43)

We didn't necessarily love that Valentin Soca faded a bit at the WAC XC Championships, settling for a 4th place finish. And yet, at the same time, the CBU men went 3-4-5-6 in the overall results before their fifth man closed out the scoring for the win.

The Lancers were likely focused on getting the team win rather than ambitiously battling with Mohamed Guled and Santiago Gaitan. Even so, we hoped that Soca and fellow teammate Zouhair Redouane would have had a more formidable presence at the front of this field.

44. Camren Todd, Senior, Utah State (0 / 44)

Has not competed since our last rankings update.

43. Will Zegarski, Rs. Sophomore, Butler (-3 / 40)

There is certainly no shame in Will Zegarski losing to the Villanova duo of Liam Murphy and Marco Langon at the BIG East XC Championships...even if Langon was originally ranked behind him in our last update.

We do have to move Zegarski back in our rankings the slightest bit, but our opinion of Butler's newest low-stick ace hasn't really changed much after seeing him take a very predictable bronze medal this past Friday.

42. Carson Williams, Senior, Furman (-3 / 39)

The Southern Conference XC Championships has been dominated by Furman for as long as The Stride Report has been around. Naturally, the best competition that Williams was going to have this past weekend was going to come from his teammates.

Sure enough, Dylan Schubert ran away from Williams to secure the win, comfortably earning the win by a substantial 27-second margin. Even so, Williams did his job. And frankly, it's hard to really pull any insights from a race that was swept by his own team.

41. Dylan Schubert, Senior, Furman (Unranked)

Folks, Dylan Schubert is back.

After a 40th place finish at Pre-Nationals in his season debut, we felt that the Furman ace was capable of much more, especially considering that he was 24th at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships.

Now, after a dominant 27-second win at the Southern Conference XC Championships, we see Schubert inching back to his 2023 form.

To put this past weekend’s win in perspective for the Paladin veteran, teammate Carson Williams (TSR #43) finished an impressive 13th place at the most competitive regular season race of the year (Pre-Nationals) just a couple of weeks ago.

A 27-second win over an athlete that was 13th at Pre-Nationals feels massive. With Schubert continuing to trend in the right direction, don’t be surprised to see him climb these rankings in our next update.

40. Patrick Kiprop, Freshman, Cincinnati (-21 / 19)

Bearcat freshman Patrick Kiprop takes a nose dive in our rankings after a truthfully disappointing 34th place finish at the BIG 12 XC Championships. Admittedly, we felt that the Cincinnati low-stick was capable of an All-Conference performance.

That said, we're not ready to overreact to the underwhelming nature of this performance, especially considering that he earned bronze at the Joe Piane Invite earlier this year. We feel justified in keeping the Ohio-based Kiprop at TSR #40 as his result in South Bend feels much more indicative of his talent.

39. David Mullarkey, Senior, Northern Arizona (-1 / 38)

Just as expected, David Mullarkey is your 2024 BIG Sky individual cross country champion. That result doesn't tell us anything new about the Lumberjack ace, but it's nice to see him take care of business after a very minor “off” day at Pre-Nationals.

Despite this being an expected result, we feel that this bodes well for the British distance runner as we inch closer to the NCAA XC Championships. Mullarkey’s continued reliability in his leadership role gives us confidence in what he’ll provide at the end of the season.

The savvy veteran displays elite consistency time and time again. With one of the highest floors in the NCAA, it almost feels like a lock that Mullarkey earns another All-American honor despite his ranking putting him on the fringes to do so.

38. Zouhair Redouane, Freshman, California Baptist (-8 / 30)

A 3rd place run at the WAC XC Championships was a bit of an underwhelming result for Zouhair Redouane. With Valentin Soca one second behind, there's reason to believe that the CBU men intentionally running together while letting Mohamed Guled and Santiago Gaitan break away.

We won't overreact to the results of one small conference meet after seeing how much success CBU's top duo has had at more competitive races this season. Even so, it felt like Redouane and Soca were more than capable of taking two of the top-three spots in this race...and they didn't.

37. Mohamed Guled, Senior, Utah Valley (Unranked)

Throughout most of this season, Mohamed Guled has given us reason after reason for why he should be ranked in our top-50 list. And unfortunately for him, we found reason after reason to leave him out.

He won the Roy Griak Invite, but that field was lacking nationally competitive individuals. He won the "B" race at Pre-Nationals, defeating Evans Kurui in the process, but that field as a whole didn't have much competition at all.

However, after securing a win at the WAC XC Championships and extending his winning streak to three races, we couldn't ignore Guled any longer. After defeating Zouhair Redouane and Valentin Soca in his latest race, Guled has established a resume with essentially zero flaws other than facing limited competition -- something that isn't his fault.

He'll still need to deliver on the national stage, but the Utah Valley veteran looks incredibly strong right now.

36. Marco Langon, Junior, Villanova (+14 / 50)

A 2nd place finish at the BIG East XC Championships felt on par for Marco Langon. And yet, even though this was a predictable finish for the Wildcat junior, we still feel like he has gotten even better. He has continually displayed a level of consistency on the grass that we hadn't previously seen before.

Not to mention, a comfortable margin of victory over Butler’s William Zegarski (TSR #44) is a talented scalp that provides built momentum. The firepower that Langon provides as a secondary ace behind teammate Liam Murphy feels indicative of an All-American-type talent.

35. Dominic Serem, Freshman, Toledo (+14 / 49)

A convincing victory at the Mid-American XC Championships was hardly surprising for Dominic Serum, but that doesn't mean that it wasn’t impressive. The Toledo freshman took down valiant challengers in Akron’s Nicholas Kipchirchir and Moses Lekokei en route to a conference title that he was heavily favored to win.

For a mid-major talent, the Rocket ace has been quietly great this season. Serum has consistently put himself in the mix with nationally competitive runners. We’re curious to see how he handles the transition to 10k in the coming weeks as he actually drops down in distance on the oval.

That said, if this season is any indication, then Serum appears well-suited to handle that transition and deliver on his All-American upside.

34. Vincent Chirchir, Freshman, New Mexico (+2 / 36)

A runner-up effort at the Mountain West XC Championships was a fairly predictable result for Vincent Chirchir. Behind teammate Habtom Samuel (who won the Mountain West title), the New Mexico freshman has been the next-most reliable runner on his team.

We're still riding the high of Chirchir's 11th place effort from Pre-Nationals where he validated his ability to thrive against high-level competition. Finding success this past weekend in a field dominated by his team didn't really alter our perception of the Lobo rookie.

33. Luke Tewalt, Senior, Wake Forest (-2 / 31)

Luke Tewalt may be dropping two spots in our rankings, but that's mostly due to the performances of others rather than anything that he's done. He did, after all, earn an excellent 7th place finish at the ACC XC Championships, extending his strong comeback campaign after underwhelming throughout last year.

The Wake Forest star has been steady and consistent, consistently giving the Demon Deacons another low-stick that they weren't expected to have this fall. And truthfully, for as much as we respect his recent 7th place effort from Friday, it's his 10th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite that made him a true national-caliber star.

32. Michael Mireles, Junior, UCLA (Unranked)

When Michael Mireles secured a 6th place finish at the Bill Dellinger Invite, we were impressed. That field not only featured the BYU men, but it also featured the likes of Oregon, Gonzaga and Montana State.

Even so, five BYU men packed in front of Mireles on that stage, leaving the UCLA standout without a win over any runner in our top-50 rankings. That didn't necessarily make him unworthy of a spot on our list, but it also didn't give him enough of an argument to crack our rankings.

Of course, after seeing Mireles earn a huge runner-up finish at the BIG 10 XC Championships this past Friday, it's clear that the UCLA runner is an upper-echelon star.

We'll admit, the BIG 10 isn't necessarily the most top-heavy conference amongst men's individuals this year. However, after seeing how good the BYU men were at the BIG 12 XC Championships, Mireles' run at the Bill Dellinger Invite looks even better in retrospect.

31. Said Mechaal, Senior, Iowa State (+15 / 46)

At first glance, a 10th place finish at the BIG 12 XC Championships may not seem like an exciting result worthy of a 15-spot boost in our rankings. However, when you look at the nine men who finished ahead of Said Mechaal on Friday, all of them can currently be found in the top-26 of our individual rankings.

Not only that, but just look at some of the names who Mechaal took down this past weekend -- Creed Thompson, Lucas Bons, Joash Ruto, Sanele Masondo, Davin Thompson, Dean Casey, Ryan Schoppe, Laban Kipkemboi and Fouad Messaoudi all finished behind Mechaal at the BIG 12 XC Championships!

Knowing what he was able to do throughout last year and seeing his consistency extend to this fall gives Mechaal's resume great value in our rankings. His floor appears to be incredibly high (just like in 2023) and he has seemingly kept pace with the fast-rising competition throughout the NCAA.

30. Matt Strangio, Senior, Portland (+5 / 35)

A runner-up finish at the West Coast Conference XC Championships behind All-American hopeful Evans Kurui, paired with a very strong 11th place finish from the Nuttycombe Invite, is enough to move this Pilot veteran up in our rankings.

We felt confident that Strangio was an All-American talent this fall, especially after his season debut in Madison, Wisconsin. However, adding another strong result from him to this resume this season gives us even more confidence that he’ll put an end to his All-American drought.

29. Will Anthony, Junior, Virginia (Unranked)

Will Anthony skyrockets into our rankings after, undoubtedly, the best cross country performance of his career.

A 5th place finish at the ACC XC Championships proved our preseason inkling that this could be a breakout season for the Cavalier junior. After stacking that result on top of a 15th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite and a 4th place result at the Panorama Farms XC Invite, it’s clear that Anthony has established himself as an All-American favorite.

What we really liked about Anthony is his reliability as a low-stick ace. But after this past weekend, we've realized that he has now stability and a potent top-end, making him the ideal candidate for a big jump up in our top-50.

28. Abraham Chelangam, Sophomore, Oral Roberts (+6 / 34)

The signs of Abraham Chelangam’s ability to be nationally competitive are becoming all the more apparent as the season progresses.

An 8th place finish at the Cowboy Jamboree was a great start, but after going toe-to-toe with Oklahoma State’s Laban Kipkemboi and Denis Kipngetich (TSR #15) at the Weis-Crockett Invitational, he announced his arrival in statement fashion.

After an expected win at the Summit XC Championships, the sophomore standout is quietly stacking quality results to add to his resume. We still feel that there are some unknowns to Chelangam as we’ve yet to see him compete against a truly deep nationally competitive field.

Even so, the Oral Roberts ace has done enough to show us that he’s got the talent to earn an All-American honor at the end of the month.

27. Creed Thompson, Senior, BYU (-5 / 22)

We know that the best version of Creed Thompson is the one that we saw finish 8th at the Nuttycombe Invite. We didn’t get that version this past weekend, however, which is why we see Thompson take a slight dip in our rankings.

An 11th place finish at the BIG 12 XC Championships leaves us wanting a bit more from the Cougar veteran. That said, earning All-Conference honors in this version of the BIG 12 is nothing to scoff at. Not to mention, when you take a look at Thompson’s cross country resume over the years, it’s clear to see that you get the best out of the senior star in the most nationally competitive fields.

With larger fields playing to Thompson’s strong suit, it becomes more sensible to place him at TSR #27. We still feel that the reliable upperclassmen will be a top-half All-American threat in Madison, Wisconsin later this month.

26. Victor Shitsama, Senior, Oklahoma State (+2 / 28)

We'll admit, Victor Shitsama's racing schedule this season has been fairly limited, making it difficult to gauge where his fitness is currently at. Even so, a 9th place run at the BIG 12 XC Championships was mostly on par with our expectations for him.

Of course, in the grand scheme of things, any result that Shitsama produces prior to the national meet is largely negligible. Remember, he struggled greatly at the BIG 12 XC Championships last year only to secure his fourth All-American honor at the national meet.

Few men in the NCAA are more reliable at the "Big Dance" than Shitsama. And given that he's already looking strong in the postseason, we're willing to give him a soft bump up in our rankings.

25. Evans Kurui, Freshman, Washington State (+2 / 27)

Admittedly, Kurui has had us perplexed during the majority of this season. He made waves in September after taking down Edward Cheserek’s course record at the Cougar Classic. We try to not put too much emphasis on early season rust-busters, but when you take down a King Ches record, it opens eyes.

After the Cougar newcomer took silver at the Joe Piane Invite, the hype felt real. However, following a 2nd place finish in the “B” race of Pre-Nationals, we found it hard to gauge where Kurui ranks on the national stage.

Now, it’s becoming clearer that we have our answer after the Washington State freshman’s dominant win at the West Coast Conference XC Championships. Besting an All-American-caliber name in Matt Strangio (TSR #31) by 20 seconds gives us enough evidence to justify a TSR #25 ranking.

24. Cole Sprout, Senior, Stanford (+9 / 33)

If a 9th place finish at Pre-Nationals wasn't enough evidence that Sprout is back in top form, then we’ll raise you a 4th place finish at the ACC XC Championships.

The experienced Cardinal standout is on pace for his best cross country season yet after stacking impressive back-to-back results. The cross country All-American honor that has eluded Sprout since his freshman year feels more in grasp than ever. Not only that, but it’s becoming clear that Sprout feels more like a top-half All-American rather than a backend one as we place him at TSR #24.

23. Dennis Kipruto, Freshman, Alabama (-5 / 18)

Was a 6th place finish at the SEC XC Championships the most ideal result that we were hoping to see out of Dennis Kipruto? No, it wasn't, but it also wasn't terrible by any means. He did, after all, lose to five other men who are each listed in the top-20 portion of our rankings.

Kipruto is still very clearly in the same tier (or at least, a similar tier) as guys like Victor Kiprop, Disumus Lokira, Yaseen Abdalla and Kirami Yego. While he is still young and inexperienced, he still held his own against an ultra top-heavy field and seemingly holds enough fitness to be an All-American candidate in 2024.

22. Joey Nokes, Senior, BYU (-1 / 21)

The best version of Joey Nokes finds himself on the fringes of our top-15. But unfortunately, we haven’t seen that version of him since his 6th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite. We couldn't help but want that version of Nokes, one that bested athletes like Ethan Strand and Gary Martin, at this year’s BIG 12 XC Championships.

Of course, when you look at the men who beat him -- Brian Musau, Solomon Kipchoge, Casey Clinger, Robin Kwemoi Bera, Ernest Cheruiyot, Denis Kipngetich and James Corrigan -- it's hard to nitpick an 8th place performance in the country’s deepest and most talented conference.

It’s also worth noting that the BYU veteran has proven he’s at his most lethal in larger, nationally competitive fields. With years of data to back that up, a TSR #22 ranking feels complementary to that fact.

21. James Corrigan, Junior, BYU (+3 / 24)

A big reason why the BYU men not only beat Oklahoma State at the BIG 12 XC Championships, but beat them by over 10 points, was because James Corrigan had one of the better cross country races of his career.

A 7th place run on Friday to emerge as the Cougars' second scorer was huge. At one point this season, Corrigan was just hanging on to be a scorer for BYU. Now he's a high-impact low-stick who has a very good shot of being a top-half All-American.

We figured that we would see a few flashes of Corrigan's incredible steeplechase prowess translate to the grass this season. But the BYU ace has done just that on a consistent basis in 2024 -- and that's not something that we were confident was going to happen during the summer months.

20. Yaseen Abdalla, Senior, Arkansas (0 / 20)

Yaseen Abdalla has only competed twice this season, but each time he has toed the line, he has looked incredible. In his Arkansas debut, Abdalla finished 8th at Pre-Nationals before taking 5th place at the SEC XC Championships this past Friday.

Pulling ahead of guys like Dennis Kipruto and Isaac Alonzo this past weekend was encouraging. And for the most part, you could argue that this is the best that Abdalla has ever looked going into the 10k racing portion of the season.

However, in order for the newest Razorback star to further move up in our rankings, he'll need to take down more proven names such as the four runners -- Dismus Lokira, Victor Kiprop, Kirami Yego and Patrick Kiprop -- who he fell behind at his conference meet.

19. Dismus Lokira, Freshman, Alabama (+4 / 23)

We felt that the Alabama rookie backed up the hype behind his altitude converted 27:22 (10k) personal best after taking home gold at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational. Now, after a 4th place finish at the top-heavy SEC XC Championships, we’re assured that Dismus Lokira is a top-half All-American talent.

The Crimson Tide newcomer’s result in College Station, Texas this past weekend was arguably his most impressive of the season. There, he competed valiantly against multiple top-20 national threats, breaking up the lethal Arkansas trio of Patrick Kiprop, Kirami Yego and Yaseen Abdalla.

Could we see this strength-based star take another leap as the racing distance increases? While we wait to see, a TSR #19 ranking seems fitting.

18. Kirami Yego, Senior, Arkansas (-3 / 15)

A 3rd place run from Kirami Yego at the SEC XC Championships was fairly predictable. Of course, it's important not to confuse "predictable" with "unimpressive."

We figured that we could see any combination of Yego, Victor Kiprop, Dismus Lokira, Yaseen Abdalla and Dennis Kipruto behind SEC title-winner Patrick Kiprop on Friday. And while it would have been nice to see Yego defeat Alabama's Victor Kiprop, being able to pull away from other top-half All-American threats on Friday was good validation of the raw aerobic talent that we know Yego boasts.

17. Victor Kiprop, Senior, Alabama (0 / 17)

On one hand, seeing Victor Kiprop take down all but one of the SEC's superstar low-sticks on Friday was encouraging to see.

At the same time, it seems fair to say that Arkansas' Patrick Kiprop is in a different tier as the Alabama veteran. It is unlikely that the Victor Kiprop will legitimately contend for the national title (like we've thought he could in the past) whereas Patrick Kiprop could contend for NCAA gold later this month.

Regardless, we've come to trust Victor Kiprop in the postseason more and more over the last year. He appears to have a far stronger understanding of how to race in championship fields, specifically the national meet, and that's largely why he doesn't see any change in our rankings this week.

16. Gary Martin, Junior, Virginia (+16 / 32)

Take a bow, Gary Martin!

The Cavalier star makes the biggest jump in our rankings (among those already listed) after an incredible win in upset fashion at the ACC XC Championships. Taking down top-10 national threats like Parker Wolfe and Ethan Strand is no small feat in itself, but to do so as comfortably and dominantly as he did was downright impressive.

We felt that the speed-based junior was capable of earning All-American honors after his 18th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite. However, after back-to-back wins at the Panorama Farms XC Invite and ACC XC Championships, it’s clear that Martin has developed incredible aerobic strength.

With his sudden ascension into the upper-tier echelon of cross country, we have to ask ourselves what his ceiling is. And while we figure out that answer, it feels appropriate to place Martin at TSR #16.

15. Denis Kipngetich, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (-9 / 6)

A 6th place finish at the BIG 12 XC Championships is a respectable result in a conference absolutely riddled with elite upper-echelon stars. However, Denis Kipngetich needed to be a bit better in order to remain in the top-10 portion of our rankings.

Despite a slightly underwhelming result, it’s important to remember the names that the sophomore standout has been bested by, including individual national title threats.

Defeated at the hands of Habtom Samuel, Brian Musau, Casey Clinger, Solomon Kipchoge, Robin Kwemoi Bera and Ernest Cheruiyot puts him in fantastic company. Additionally, the sophomore standout is undoubtedly better over 10,000 meters, and that gives us even more of a reason to keep him inside of our top-15.

14. Ernest Cheruiyot, Sophomore, Texas Tech (-3 / 11)

All things considered, a 5th place finish for Ernest Cheruiyot at the BIG 12 XC Championships was a really solid result. In a field where Cheruiyot could have easily been upset by a few still-strong names, the Texas Tech star held his own.

Of the four men who beat Cheruiyot, two of them are national title favorites while a third runner is a top-10 talent in our rankings. And if you look at his resume throughout this season, there isn't any reason why he should fall outside of our top-15 -- there isn't a single flaw on his resume.

We believe that Cheruiyot has some of the best raw talent in the NCAA and it wouldn't surprise us if he was a top-10 runner on the national stage. However, outside of his teammate Solomon Kipchoge, the BIG 12 XC Championships was the only race where he has faced men who are currently listed in the top-20 portion of our rankings.

13. Robin Kwemoi Bera, Freshman, Iowa State (0 / 13)

We were very impressed with Robin Kwemoi Bera who placed 4th at the BIG 12 XC Championships. Not just for where he finished, but for the racing maturity that he has shown this fall.

The Iowa State rookie showed some of his youth and inexperience at the Nuttycombe Invite earlier this season, but still salvaged a good result. Since then, he has seemingly established a greater understanding of how to compete against elite competition. That was plenty evident this past Friday against a field which featured multiple superstars.

There is still some hesitancy as to how Kwemoi Bera will fare on the national stage given how new he is to the NCAA. But in terms of talent and intangibles, the Cyclone freshman may have a somewhat decent argument to be ranked in -- or at least closer to -- the top-10 portion of our rankings.

12. Bob Liking, Sophomore, Wisconsin (+2 / 14)

The fourth and final BIG 10 individual cross country title of Bob Liking’s career was expected, but nonetheless still impressive. Pairing this win the Badger ace’s 6th place result at Pre-Nationals earns him a bump to TSR #12.

It’s apparent that the experienced veteran is in top form this season. With the final race of his impressive collegiate cross country career taking place on home soil, Liking feels primed to compete for a top-10 finish if he can finally shake off his national meet woes.

11. Justine Kipkoech, Freshman, Eastern Kentucky (+1 / 12)

Has not competed since our last rankings update.

10. Casey Clinger, Senior, BYU (+6 / 16)

In a BIG 12 XC Championship field which proved to be one of the deepest and most competitive conference races ever, you have to commend Casey Clinger’s bronze performance. The Cougar elder statesman has built an incredible cross country resume over the years, but this performance has to go down as one of his best.

A 4th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite paired with a win at the Bill Dellinger Invite deserve their flowers. But after just narrowly being bested by two national title contenders in Brian Musau and Solomon Kipchoge this past weekend, Clinger has validated his TSR #10 ranking.

As one of the most experienced distance stars in the NCAA, Clinger’s final cross country season could be a storied one. Not just for himself, but for the entire BYU squad as they chase a national team title.

9. Rocky Hansen, Sophomore, Wake Forest (-1 / 8)

Rocky Hansen's 32nd place finish at the ACC XC Championships as a clear fluke. In fact, that underwhelming effort was rumored to stem from illness and overheating rather than an injury. And given that this was his first true "off" day that he has ever had on the grass, we don't feel the need to drop him much in our rankings.

Hansen had a phenomenal race at the Nuttycombe Invite earlier this season, finishing runner-up to Parker Wolfe. However, we didn't see the Wake Forest star race with his team at the Panorama Farms XC Invite before he struggled greatly at the ACC XC Championships.

Even so, we're not willing to overreact to just one result. After a race like that, it's plenty possible that the Demon Deacons will rest him for the Southeast regional meet in an effort to get him healthy for the NCAA XC Championships.

8. Parker Wolfe, Senior, North Carolina (-5 / 3)

Parker Wolfe takes a dip in our rankings after a somewhat surprising 3rd place finish at the ACC XC Championships. Earning bronze at an incredibly competitive conference race would be an incredible result for most athletes on this list.

Of course, most athletes aren’t Parker Wolfe.

The Tar Heel veteran entered this weekend as a heavy favorite to take home gold, especially after a definitive win at the Nuttycombe Invite earlier this year. Fortunately, we received some insight into this puzzling result.

We recently learned that Wolfe sustained a foot injury after the Nuttycombe Invite which cost him three weeks of training. As the North Carolina ace works to get back to his form from earlier in the year, we’re left wondering if he has enough time left to get back to national title contention.

That being said, if there’s anyone that can do it, it’s Wolfe.

7. Liam Murphy, Senior, Villanova (+2 / 9)

No surprises here. Liam Murphy comfortably won the BIG East title over teammate Marco Langon and Butler's Will Zegarski. This was probably the least surprising performance of the weekend.

6. Ethan Strand, Senior, North Carolina (+4 / 10)

Earning silver at the ACC XC Championships was a result that we predicted for Ethan Strand, even if the exact podium finish was different than we expected.

After soundly defeating Liam Murphy (TSR #7) at the Princeton Fall Classic, we felt that the Villanova runner was the most talented scalp he had taken in his cross country career. But after besting teammate Parker Wolfe (TSR #8) -- who was admittedly not at 100% -- this past weekend, Strand all but adds to his impressive collection.

The continued reliability as a low-stick for the Tar Heels validates the veteran’s jump to TSR #6. Quite frankly, Strand’s display of elite consistency this season makes us feel that a top-10 finish at the national meet is imminent.

5. Patrick Kiprop, Senior, Arkansas (+2 / 7)

Patrick Kiprop finds his way into our top-five after a dominant win at the SEC XC Championships. What impressed us the most is the way that the Razorback veteran controlled the field with his patented ultra-aggressive front-running strategy.

We felt that Kiprop was a legit top-10 threat after his 4th place result at Pre-Nationals. But after handily defeating the Alabama trio of Victor Kiprop, Dismus Lokira and Dennis Kipruto, it’s time to realize that he has reached superstar status.

With the jump to the 10-kilometer racing distance pending, can the strength-based senior improve upon last year’s 7th place finish at the national meet?

4. Solomon Kipchoge, Freshman, Texas Tech (+1 / 5)

He may not have won the BIG 12 title, but Solomon Kipchoge showed us that he is very much part of the individual national title conversation with a narrow runner-up finish on Friday.

When it was first announced that Kipchoge would be joining Texas Tech, we were floored. The Kenyan star had run 59:37 for the half-marathon, a time which suggested that he could compete for the individual national title this fall.

And yet, at the same time, we wanted to see how Kipchoge's relative collegiate inexperience would hold him back (if at all) when he reached the 'States. But after seeing him finish just one second behind Brian Musau this past weekend, it doesn't seem like the newest Texas Tech megastar has been fazed by the NCAA circuit.

3. Graham Blanks, Senior, Harvard (+1 / 4)

Here’s something that you’ve heard before: Graham Blanks is your Ivy League champion. The Olympian and Harvard low-stick delivered on expectations after coming home with the win this past weekend.

In our previous rankings update, we felt that there was a possibility that Blanks’ 2nd place performance at Pre-Nationals could be the "worst" result of the season.

Rest assured, winning this past weekend doesn’t have us clamoring that the Crimson veteran is going to repeat as national champion. However, it’s worth recognizing that Blanks is finding his rhythm as he stacks weeks of training. With another few weeks under his belt, the gap to Brian Musau and Habtom Samuel could close very quickly.

2. Brian Musau, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (0 / 2)

There is a very real argument that Brian Musau deserves to be the top-ranked runner in our top-50 list. He did, after all, secure the win at the nation's most competitive cross country conference meet.

Winning the BIG 12 title is impressive, but taking down Solomon Kipchoge en route to gold is what makes the debate for TSR #1 much more interesting. That's especially true given that Musau straight-up beat Samuel at the Cowboy Jamboree earlier this fall.

1. Habtom Samuel, Sophomore, New Mexico (0 / 1)

A Mountain West title for Habtom Samuel is one of the least surprising results of the weekend. And truthfully, we didn’t learn anything new about the strength-based star.

His dominant win at Pre-Nationals holds a great deal of weight in our rankings, which is ultimately why he gets the nod over Brian Musau. Now that the racing distance increases to Samuel’s specialty (10k), this top ranking may just belong to the same owner for the rest of the season.

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ADDED

Dylan Throop (Penn)

Nathan Green (Washington)

George Couttie (Virginia Tech)

Isaac Alonzo (Texas)

Dylan Schubert (Furman)

Collins Kiprotich (New Mexico)

Mohamed Guled (Utah Valley)

Will Anthony (Virginia)

Michael Mireles (UCLA)

KICKED OFF

Thomas Boyden (Stanford)

Lex Young (Stanford)

Ben Shearer (Arkansas)

Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State)

Davis Bove (Cal Poly)

Carter Solomon (Notre Dame)

Aidan Troutner (BYU)

Laban Kipkemboi (Oklahoma State)

Fouad Messaoudi (Oklahoma State)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Lucas Bons (BYU)

Simeon Birnbaum (Oregon)

Thomas Boyden (Stanford)

Davis Bove (Cal Poly)

Aidan Troutner (BYU)

Laban Kipkemboi (Oklahoma State)

Fouad Messaoudi (Oklahoma State)

Bernard Cheruiyot (Tulane)

JoJo Jourdon (Wake Forest)

Ben Shearer (Arkansas)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Santiago Prosser (Norther Arizona)

Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona)

Joash Ruto (Iowa State)

Sanele Masondo (Iowa State)

Lex Young (Stanford)

Colton Sands (North Carolina)

Sam Lawler (Syracuse)

Dean Casey (Colorado)

Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State)

Carter Solomon (Notre Dame)

Notes

- The Oklahoma State duo of Laban Kipkemboi and Fouad Messaoudi have both fallen out of our rankings following their performances at the BIG 12 XC Championships. Given their limited racing schedule this fall, we felt that we could not justify keeping them in our rankings despite both men being talented enough to be top-50 runners, nationally. Having them drop out of our rankings does not necessarily mean that we expect them to finish outside of the top-50 at the national meet.