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TSR's 2024 Preseason D1 XC Top 25 Team Rankings (Men): #4 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Aug 30, 2024
- 9 min read
Written by Finn Birnie, edits & additional commentary via 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 certain occasions, we are referencing TFFRS in order to talk about returners and athletes who are out of eligibility.
Northern Arizona has changed the distance running landscape indefinitely.
With six NCAA cross country team titles in eight years, they have developed an almost untouchable dynasty.
However, for the first time in nearly a decade, the Lumberjacks might find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to capturing another national title. The reason? Two of the team's most valuable pieces are not returning.
We are, of course, talking about the departure of Nico Young and the expired eligibility of Drew Bosley.
This dynamic duo has been an integral part of the team’s success over the last four years, establishing themselves as two of the most formidable runners that the NCAA has ever seen (albeit, more so on the track than the grass).
The absences of Young and Bosley will undoubtedly reshape Northern Arizona's scoring identity this fall. But with a wealth of young talent and some high-impact transfers, this team isn’t ready to surrender their podium ambitions just yet.
Not only that, but with the news that this will be Coach Mike Smith's final year at the helm, the question looms: Can this new-look squad rise to the occasion and deliver one last glorious hurrah for their iconic coach?
* * *
The Lumberjacks entered the 2023 cross country season facing arguably their toughest title defense yet. Oklahoma State had significantly bolstered their roster while BYU returned the majority of the scoring contingent that had helped them secure 3rd place the year prior.
The first major test in NAU’s quest for the elusive four-peat came at the Virginia Invitational. There, they would have to square-off against fellow podium favorites BYU, as well as a wealth of talented teams.
However, this challenge turned out to be a walk in the park for the Lumberjacks as they took down their fellow Mountain region rivals, BYU, by a massive 30-point margin.
To (mostly) nobody’s surprise, Drew Bosley came away with the individual victory. However, it was Kiwi native Theo Quax who truly stole the show with his outstanding 6th-place finish. The senior had flexed his talents on both the indoor and outdoor ovals, but we hadn’t seen that level of fitness from him translated to the grass.
Delivering that kind of result is such a stacked field suggested that NAU may well have found themselves a new low-stick for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, veteran Santiago Prosser (17th) met expectations, effectively bridging the gap between the squad's low-sticks and their backend scorers.
But in truth, the backend scorers were nothing short of exceptional, finishing just a few spots behind Prosser. Kang Nyoak (22nd), Corey Gorgas (25th) and Colin Sahlman (33rd) provided remarkable depth, each delivering what could be considered their best-ever cross country performances.
The Lumberjack's blend of firepower and depth combined for what was a surprisingly dominant performance. All of that was done without three highly valuable scoring assets -- Nico Young, Aaron Las Heras and Brodey Hasty.
Fortunately for the men from Flagstaff, Arizona, they didn’t have to wait long to see the return of that talented trio as they were all in action at the Nuttycombe Invitational.
There, much like at the Virginia Invitational, the team dominated the field, toppling BYU (albeit, without Casey Clinger and Davin Thompson) by a staggering 86 points.
Yet again, there were no real surprises when it came to the team's scoring structure as everyone ran up to par with our expectations. Young (2nd), Bosley (8th) and Las Heras (12th) were lethal low-sticks while Quax (25th) and Prosser (29th) were comfortably the best fourth and fifth scorers in the field.
As stellar as that quintet was, it was the supporting cast that truly stole the spotlight. Corey Gorgas and Brody Hasty, finishing 33rd and 43rd respectively, provided phenomenal scoring insurance. Not only was that kind of depth impressive, but it was going to be essential as they geared up for their highly anticipated rematch against the Oklahoma State Cowboys
With championship season beckoning, NAU had all of the momentum that they needed to retain their team crown. However, before making their return to Panorama Farms, the team would first need to take care of some formalities.
The first of these formalities was the BIG Sky XC Championships where NAU placed eight athletes in the top-11, combining for a total of 20 points. The second of these formalities was, of course, the Mountain regional meet where they comfortably punched their ticket to the "Big Dance."
That, in turn, set for another epic duel between the Lumberjacks and the Cowboys.
In their season finale, Young (5th) and Bosley (6th) were as reliable as ever, leading the scoring for the defending national champions. Their efforts were closely matched by Oklahoma State’s wild cards, freshmen Denis Kipngetich (4th) and Brian Muasu (8th).
Unfortunately for NAU, it then became the OSU show as the experienced trio of Fouad Messaoudi, Victor Shitsama and Alex Maier all secured spots in the top-15. And despite the defending champions placing the rest of their scoring contingent in the top-25, it wasn’t enough to counter the Pokes’ immense firepower.
The Lumberjacks ultimately finished a distant 2nd place, marking another year where the elusive four-peat remained out of reach.
* * *
Let’s begin by addressing the elephant in the room.
Northern Arizona will enter the 2024 season without Nico Young and Drew Bosley.
And to put it simply, those departures are devastating.
Not only has this formidable duo redefined what was previously thought possible in the NCAA, but they have also been the beating heart of the Lumberjacks' distance squad for the past four years.
Filling the Young-Bosley void is going to be virtually impossible.
And to add insult to injury, NAU will also not be returning veteran scorers Aaron Las Heras, Theo Quax and Brody Hasty this fall. The latter had cemented himself as the most clutch fifth man in the nation and his ability to deliver when it matters the most is a skill that will be very difficult to replicate.
Fortunately for Coach Mike Smith, it’s not all doom and gloom.
His roster is brimming with young talent eagerly awaiting their chance to step into the spotlight alongside a few veterans who are more than capable of guiding them there. On top of this, they have a brand-new high-impact transfer who will undoubtedly help cushion the blow of losing some of their star players.
* * *
Let's kick things off by talking about the squad's fresh face before we delve deeper into their wealth of young talent and established vets. The fresh face we are talking about is none other than former Florida State ace, David Mullarkey.
Last fall, Mullarkey delivered a superb 14th-place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite, an impressive 3rd-place finish at the hotly-contested ACC XC Championships and rounded out his season with a solid 40th-place finish at the NCAA XC Championships (a rare “off” day).
Since then, he has only gotten better, dropping a blistering 7:42 (3k) PR and lowering his 5k personal best to 13:28.
In his short time on the NCAA circuit, the former Seminole has proven that consistency is his biggest trump card. He has qualified for four national meets across all three disciplines and has improved upon his track marks nearly every time of asking.
This level of consistency and reliability on the grass will be indispensable for the Lumberjacks. While he may not quite reach the same heights as Young and Bosley, Mullarkey’s ability to serve as a pivotal low-stick could be what keeps NAU’s podium dreams alive come November.
Speaking of reliability, Northern Arizona returns one of its most experienced and underrated talents in Santiago Prosser.
The senior offers an uncanny ability to show up when it matters most as evidenced by his past two performances at the NCAA XC Championships resulting in 19th and 21st place finishes.
His dependability as the squad's third or fourth scorer has been invaluable. But with the team's recent departures, Prosser has now been left to fill some massive shoes. Fortunately for him, he will most likely have Mullarkey for company, and together, they have all the credentials to be team's focal low-sticks.
We now move to Corey Gorgas and Kang Nyoak. Both of these men truly came into their own last fall, offering great scoring stability.
Gorgas proved last fall that he has an incredibly high floor, meaning that he very rarely has poor outings. This was evidenced by his 25th place finish at the Virginia Invitational, 33rd place result at the Nuttycombe Invite and 62nd place effort at the NCAA XC Championships.
As for Nyoak, he was a major player in getting the Lumberjacks to the national meet last fall, posting an equally respectable 22nd-place finish at the Virginia Invitational, 73rd place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite and a 5th place finish at the Mountain regional meet.
While he didn’t toe the line in Charlottesville, Virginia, Nyoak still proved that he has just as much scoring potential as Gorgas. Between the two of them, they are more than capable of bridging the gap between the team’s backend to Prosser and Mullarkey.
And if everything breaks their way, then Nyoak and Gorgas could even be potential candidates for an All-American finish this fall.
* * *
With an experienced core established, we turn to some of the more intriguing names on this Northern Arizona roster.
The first, and arguably most intriguing, of the bunch is track standout, Colin Sahlman. The rising junior is one of the most revered middle distance runners in the nation, boasting personal bests of 1:46 (800) and 3:33 (1500). However, when it comes to cross country, he has yet to produce a result that truly captures our attention.
A 33rd-place finish at the Virginia Invite last fall was certainly strong, but if he hopes to feature in the team’s scoring contingent, then he will need to elevate his performances on the grass. That kind of improvement, however, is well within reach, especially for someone who can run 13:38 (5k) and was a cross country national champion in high school.
If Sahlman can translate some of the elite-level fitness that he displayed this past spring, then he could very well become the guy who NAU depends on to close out their scoring. And in a best-case scenario, he can be an All-American.
Another track talent more than capable of providing potent scoring value is Cael Grotenhuis. Emerging as one of the top breakout names during the 2024 outdoor track season, the Wisconsin native was one of just three men to qualify for the national meet in both the 10k and the 5k this past spring.
He went on to finish 14th and 9th, respectively, at the national meet.
On paper, Grotenhuis has the fitness and talent to keep pace with virtually everyone who we’ve mentioned above. However, the only catch is that we know little about his ability on the grass as he has only one cross country race to his name.
And yet, despite his limited experience, Grotenhuis will be entering this fall with an unprecedented amount of momentum. If he can capitalize on that, then he could end up being one of the less surprising All-Americans in November.
We finally come to the treasure trove of underclassmen we mentioned earlier. While their impact on the team’s scoring remains to be seen, their immense talent is abundantly clear.
Take Zack Munson, for instance. The redshirt freshman posted a 13:55 mark over 5000 meters this outdoor track season and placed 4th at the BIG Sky Outdoor Championships over 10,000 meters. There's also Ford Washburn, a promising runner with a 14:14 personal best for 5000 meters.
And how could we forget Aaron Sahlman, the former NXN champion? While he has recently followed his brother's inclination towards the middle distances, his aerobic capabilities are still undeniable.
NAU also has incoming freshman Clay Shively, a 4:00-flat miler and the reigning high school indoor mile champion. He has run 8:44 for two miles and has run 14:39 for 5000 meters on the grass.
Or could we see a return to form from Aidan Puffer? The former high school ace hasn’t had the most consistent collegiate journey so far, but a recent 13:51 (5k) performance from this past winter suggests that he may be ready to play a more prominent role in the Lumberjacks' supporting cast this fall.
* * *
Essentially everything we came to know about this NAU team has changed.
But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Not only does this team boost a serious amount of experience, but they also possess a generous amount of youth-based upside that is more than ready to step into the limelight.
However, for as impressively deep as this roster is, we cannot forget about arguably the most important aspect. That, of course, is the Mike Smith Factor.
For years, Coach Mike Smith has successfully nurtured and cultivated top talent. Not only that, but he has also instilled a deep-rooted team culture that many would say is unmatched across the nation.
With the 2024 cross country season being his final at the helm of this program, it feels like the next few months will be Smith's "Last Dance" of sorts. And with an exciting roster at his fingertips, we have little doubt that he will get NAU onto the podium one last time before he departs.
