.png)
TSR's 2025 D1 XC Top 25 Team Rankings (Men): Update #1
Updated: Oct 7, 2025
Written by Rachel Hickey, Mike McKean, Finlay McIsaac, Finn Birnie & Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: These rankings are based on how a team fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2025 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023).
KEY
(Unranked):
Was not ranked in our last update.
(#/#):
First number indicates how much the team has moved in the rankings.
The second number indicates where the team was ranked in our last update.
25. Missouri Tigers (Unranked)
We thought the Missouri men had a shot at being nationally competitive this fall. Sure enough, that's exactly what we saw at their home meet, the Gans Creek Classic, where they placed 12th overall.
Elijah Limo (36th) and Drew Rogers (43rd) proved to be effective low-stick standouts, but it was the Tigers' supporting cast of Tyler Freiner (86th), Ryder James (106th) and Austin Popplewell (140th) that was good enough for this team to get by.
There are numerous team that you could argue deserve to be ahead of Missouri. However, the fact that Raymond Kipkoech struggled in his NCAA debut is, in a weird way, a good thing. A guy who has run altitude conversions of 13:22 (5k) and 28:23 (10k) should be far more impactful than his 180th place finish suggests.
If that's the case, then Missouri isn't just a "good" team, they're a "great" team with a ridiculous amount of upside. In fact, in a world where Kipkoech is a low-stick star, the Tigers are probably a top-20 team in the country.
24. North Carolina Tar Heels (-8 / 16)
We'll be blunt: UNC's performance at the Loyola Lakefront Invite was downright bad.
Colton Sands (2nd) and Tomer Tarragano (3rd) were outstanding in Chicago, offering an elite injection of firepower. Those two results were as good as one could realistically hope for. However, the rest of the Tar Heels' lineup crumbled with their final three scorers going 36-45-63. As a result, North Carolina took 6th place in the final standings, losing to Cal Poly on a tie-breaker.
Now, in UNC's defense, Will Coogan recorded a DNF, Patrick Anderson didn't race, Joe Barrett can be far stronger than his 80th place finish suggests and the same could be said about Chasen Hunt who placed 63rd.
Even so, there's no way to dance around this result if you're the men from Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels simply weren't good on Friday. And while we will give them a chance to redeem themselves, they are certainly not trending in a positive direction right now.
23. Harvard Crimson (Unranked)
At first glance, you may look at Harvard's recent 4th place finish at the Paul Short Run and be concerned.
Yes, the Crimson had an outstanding top-three headlined by Sam Burgess (1st), Tam Gavenas (3rd) and Charlie Ortmans (9th), but their depth was fairly poor behind that trio. Their final two scorers placed 35th and 103rd.
Thankfully, Harvard has talented reinforcements still waiting in the shadows of their roster. Veteran Shane Brosnan is quietly one of the better lead scorers in the Northeast region and Ferenc Kovacs is coming off of a spring campaign where he placed 3rd over 1500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. They also didn't have 8:51 steeplechaser, Will Brunner, on Friday.
In a weird way, the Harvard men may have actually helped their stock. Their firepower looks far more potent than we expected it to be and they may have a complete top-seven this fall whenever they do field a full lineup. In turn, they earned themselves a spot inside of our top-25 team rankings.
22. Eastern Kentucky Colonels (-4 / 18)
Gosh, what a challenging team to analyze.
At the Gans Creek Classic, the Eastern Kentucky men faded to 17th place. Taha Er Raouy (31st) and Brian Kimutai (33rd) were quietly great while Mario Priego (95th) held his own. However, with low-stick star Justine Kipkoech recording a DNF, the Colonels' team score spiked and their depth simply wasn't strong enough.
But then, EKU took an interesting approach at the Louisville XC Classic this past weekend. There, they fielded what appeared to be an "A" lineup, although a few key names were missing. On that stage, Kipkoech took 3rd place while teammate Cosmas Kiprop placed 11th, an effort that somewhat made up for his poor outing in Missouri.
However, that wasn't enough to fend off a Middle Tennessee State team that won by two points.
On one hand, Eastern Kentucky hasn't fared well in either of their two races that they've contested this season. We have yet to see 10k specialist Miguel Baidal, a few key names have been a bit inconsistent and Kipkoech has now recorded a DNF result in two of his last three cross country races (the 2024 NCAA XC Championships and the Gans Creek Classic).
But on the other hand, if Kipkoech is in top form, everyone on this team runs well on the same day and Baidal enters this lineup, then Eastern Kentucky is quite easily a top-20 team in the country...right?
Our conflicted thoughts on this team leave them at TSR #22 in our rankings.
21. Princeton Tigers (+1 / 22)
The Princeton men turned in an interesting result at the Gans Creek Classic. Depth is often the headline for the Tigers, but in this instance, they relied on their firepower to lead them to a 13th place finish.
Myles Hogan (18th) and Jacob Nenow (24th) were projected to be the team's top-two runners this fall, but the combined scoring potency that those men delivered was more than expected. Brian Boler (88th) had the best cross country race of his collegiate career thus far, but the backend of the lineup underwhelmed. While these men can be better, especially 3:56 miler Connor McCormick, the positive outlook for this team comes from the notable absences.
Firstly, true freshman Hayden Boaz ran well enough in the “B” race to suggest that he could have been the fourth scorer for the Tigers on the day -- a promising sign for a collegiate debut. Jackson Shorten and Weston Brown are crucial names on paper, and they were decent in the Paul Short “B” race, along with Franco Parra. While the start of their season has been far from perfect, they would raise this team’s ceiling if they return to form.
Jack Gregorski and Collin Boler are also potentially solid lineup options who haven’t opened up their seasons yet.
Yes, we agree that Princeton's depth didn’t look great at their first major meet of the season. Of course, a deeper analysis will show you that this group wasn't at full strength. With improved firepower compared to last year, this team will be better than we thought if they figure out the backend of their lineup -- and we believe that they will.
20. Tulane Green Wave (+3 / 23)
The first team showing of the season for the Tulane men didn’t jump off page in a major way, but their 11th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic was roughly on par with expectations.
Bernard Cheriuyot took a significant step forward with his monster 3rd place finish, giving this Tulane squad an extremely potent low-stick at the front of the lineup. Steeplechase star Silas Kiptanui (48th) was a respectable secondary scorer.
However, both Rogerio Amaral (94th) and Ilia Kunin (96th) faded a bit, leaving us wanting more for two guys who were showed great promise on the track. Teammate Gilbert Rono (133rd) closing out the scoring, wrapping up a decent-ish race for a team that may have more room for growth moving forward.
This Tulane squad was one of the only teams at the Gans Creek Classic running at full strength in Missouri. With no additional scorers to plug into their lineup, the upside of this squad is theoretically lower than some of the teams around them.
That said, Amaral and Kunin could both shave off a handful of points for Tulane in the future if they are able to fully translate their track success to the grass.
19. Loyola (IL) Ramblers (Unranked)
We were absolutely blown away by the Loyola (IL) men this past Friday. The Ramblers, who were racing on their home course at the Loyola Lakefront Invite, posted a massive runner-up finish behind Wisconsin, defeating 3rd place Minnesota by three points.
William Sinclair (4th) suddenly looks like a true low-stick out of nowhere while Jake Phillips (13th) was an excellent secondary scorer. The rest of Loyola (IL)'s supporting cast kept the team incredibly stable.
Admittedly, the teams who Loyola (IL) beat on Friday weren't necessarily amazing. While both UNC and Washington are both viewed as strong squads, they either didn't run well or didn't run at full strength. In turn, some may view a TSR #19 ranking a bit high for a squad that has barely proven themselves beyond one race.
However, it's important to note that the Ramblers didn't field 13:26 (5k) runner, Jason Clayton, this past weekend. If they had, then Loyola likely would have been much, much closer to Wisconsin.
If Clayton does race this fall and is able to translate his track success to the grass, then this is a scary-good team that could (and maybe should) shatter expectations this fall...well, more than they already have.
18. California Baptist Lancers (+2 / 20)
The field at this year’s installment of the Roy Griak Invitational wasn’t particularly deep. The California Baptist men were expected to take home the win, but the manner in which they did was impressive.
With star ace Valentin Soca sitting out, as well as high-impact teammates Brett Rushman and Ahmed Faris, the Lancers relied on their depth to earn a convincing win over Wyoming and Minnesota a few weeks ago. There, sophomore Gabriel Guzman (4th) was surprisingly excellent and looked like he could be a key scorer for this squad. Pedro Marin (7th) was slightly off his game, but not to a concerning level, and the final three scorers were all in the top-12.
Truthfully, we didn’t learn too much about this squad at the Roy Griak Invite. Guzman’s apparent jump in fitness is a great development, and it was good to see Jude DeVries and Ernesto Ruiz proving to be dependable pieces. However, we’re still waiting to see this lineup to fully take shape.
17. Michigan State Spartans (Unranked)
The Michigan State men have entered this season with hungry for vengeance. After being the first team out of the national meet last fall due to a frustrating Kolas scenario, the Spartans clearly have a chip on their shoulder this season.
At the Gans Creek Classic, Michigan State vastly outperformed expectations, besting numerous teams that initially looked better on paper. This was largely thanks to Riley Hough (8th) emerging as an extremely potent low-stick. That massive lead scoring result was complemented by a tightly-packed scoring contingent of Lezawe Osterink (68th), Jack Pennewell (71st) and Thomas Westphal (73rd), each of whom proved to be very effective. It also didn't hurt that their fifth man, Michael Hegarty (117th), didn’t let a significant gap open up in front of him.
If Hough can replicate this level of stardom throughout the season, the scoring structure of this team will continue to be dangerous. Yes, the names behind him aren’t the flashiest, but if they continue to have a tight scoring spread, then they don’t need to produce fireworks.
In our eyes, this lineup structure is built to pick-off more volatile teams in big fields -- something that bodes well for the national meet in November.
16. Washington State Cougars (-4 / 12)
At the Gans Creek Classic, both the pros and the cons of the Washington State men’s scoring structure were on full display.
Leading the way, of course, was Solomon Kipchoge, taking home the individual win in his Cougar debut. Teammate Josphat Meli (47th) wasn’t quite as potent as you would hope, but he still provided valuable secondary scoring. Vincent Koech (90th) bridged the gap nicely between the front and back of the lineup, while Kutoven Stevens (134th) turned in a a performance that would have been serviceable for a fifth man.
Unfortunately for Washington State, Stevens was not the Cougars’ fifth man.
That is because WSU's other low-stick star, Evans Kurui, did not finish the race. Despite being in the very front of this field for five kilometers, he had to drop out not too long after. If he had held his position in the top-10, then this Washington State team would have placed 9th as a team rather than 15th.
This is still a very dangerous team, but their low margin for error being tested so early in the season warrants a drop in our rankings. That's especially true with Rodgers Chelal not venturing to Pullman, Washington until the spring.
15. Stanford Cardinal (-5 / 10)
As one of the most polarizing groups to rank at The Stride Report, we find ourselves once again perplexed with the men of Stanford.
After a wildly disappointing 14th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic, we leave ourselves no choice but to drop the Cardinal in our rankings. Now, the Palo Alto-based men were without leading man Lex Young, which is a noteworthy absence in and of itself. That said, not even Lex Young could have salvaged a top-10 team result for Stanford unless he cracked the top-eight.
Despite a tough day, there are still positives to take away from their performance in Columbia, Missouri. Most notably, Leo Young (27th) picked up right where he left off last cross country season, as he continues to post sneaky-good results in highly competitive fields. Behind Young was Paul Bergeron (66th) who got his sophomore campaign off to a decent start.
However, with Stanford's remaining scorers failing to crack the top-110 of the field, we were left a bit confused about where this group falls in the hierarchy of NCAA cross country teams.
Now, in fairness to the Cardinal, the world isn’t on fire and the season is only just getting started. We’re quick to remind ourselves that it’s only October 6th and everything is still in front of this team. Goals are still able to be reached and they have the ability to turn the season around -- the return of Lex Young can be a launching point for this group.
Although, suffice to say, our faith in this group is dwindling and we’ll need to see much more in the coming weeks.
14. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0 / 14)
Life without former Coach Mike Smith is now underway for the men of Northern Arizona. And yet, we're still being given reasons for optimism when it comes to this squad in the fall of 2025.
An 8th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic is respectable enough when considering the amount of talented teams in the field. However, when you consider that NAU was without Colin Sahlman and Cael Grotenuis, their overall performance becomes far more impressive.
Erik Le Roux (21st) was flat-out awesome as a focal low-stick for this group. His clear jump in fitness serves as a welcomed sight for a squad that lost a great deal of upfront firepower. Behind Le Roux was a magnificent display of scoring stability through pack-running. Justin Keyes (42nd), Manny Perez (51st), Ford Washburn (60th) and Aidan Puffer (65th) created just a 14-second time-spread to close out the team scoring.
With exceptional depth and a newfound ace in Le Roux, the Lumberjacks find themselves sitting pretty as the return of Sahlman and Grotenuis seemingly looms.
13. Butler Bulldogs (+2 / 15)
Coming into the season, we were incredibly high on the potential of the Butler men. At their very best, they boast a quartet of men that, at their absolute best, are each capable of producing individual an All-American result.
While we didn’t get the Indianapolis-based group at their best at the Gans Creek Classic, we did get the framework for a team that is sure to present as a top-10 threat moving forward. A 7th place finish in Missouri was produced behind a formidable 1-2 punch of Will Zegarski (14th) and Matthew Forrester (23rd). A 46th place result from Austin Gabay provided stability in the middle portion of the lineup while Jesse Hamlin (63rd) returned to the grass for the first time in almost two years!
The gap produced to fifth man David Slapak (92nd) ballooned the Bulldogs' score a bit, and that’s a real cause for concern moving forward. Even so, Butler has to find solace in the potential that Jesse Hamlin provides. If the cagey veteran can get through this fall healthy while inching towards his 2023 form, then this group becomes downright terrifying.
Admittedly, that’s a big if, and we’re patiently waiting to see what Coach Matt Roe’s group can do when they’re firing on all cylinders on the same day. Until that day, we’ll slot them in at TSR #13.
12. Syracuse Orange (+1 / 13)
As one of the more consistent and steady teams over the years, it came as no surprise to see the Syracuse men put forth a respectable result at the Gans Creek Classic (6th).
We knew that Sam Lawler (22nd) would provide firepower upfront, but Assaf Harari’s (17th) monstrous effort was arguably the best cross country result of his lengthy career. Behind the dynamic duo, the Seminole-turned-Orange runner, Matthew Neill (39th), presented as one of the most underrated middle-lineup scorers in the field. Meanwhile, Peter Walsdorf (72nd) and Ben Gabelman (80th) cleaned up the scoring with fairly solid backend efforts.
The large drop-off from Neill to Walsdorf and Gabelman may seem noteworthy, but Syracuse was without Connor Ackley and Benne Anderson had a clear "off" day by placing 111th.
Sure, we need to see Ackley and Anderson prove that they can replicate, if not better, their contributions from last season to get a true feeling for what this team is capable of. And yet, Coach Brien Bell seemingly always has this group prepared when it matters most -- something that a TSR #12 ranking pays homage to.
11. Colorado Buffaloes (+6 / 17)
My oh my, Coach Sean Carlson’s second season with the Colorado Buffaloes has started with a bang!
A 3rd place team finish at the Gans Creek Classic was exceptional for the Boulder-based men. Besting the likes of BYU, Northern Arizona, Alabama, Syracuse, Butler AND Wake Forest speaks for itself.
Not only does this group as a whole look legit, but Dominic Serum (5th) is showcasing his full potential before our eyes, posting a borderline superstar result in the most competitive meet of the year (so far). Meanwhile, Isaiah Givens (15th) continues to state his case as one of the most underrated athletes on the grass -- proving time and time again that he’s a three-season threat.
Behind that lethal 1-2 punch was an even more impactful injection of scoring stability through James Overberg (30th), Dean Casey (35th), Lukas Haug (41st), Jake Liebert (44th) and Wilson Georges (54th).
The ‘Buffs pose a serious threat to the rest of the NCAA. This is a team littered with depth and a lethal low-stick duo that holds potential to become a trio (Dean Casey) when the racing distance increases.
Truthfully, we may be robbing Colorado of a few spots after their latest performance. They did, after all, comfortably beat an Alabama team that is still ranked two spots ahead of them. Of course, as is the case with many teams, we just want to see the Buffalo men replicate their brilliant result before we move them up any further.
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-1 / 9)
So far this season, the Fighting Irish men have taken care of business and defended their home turf.
At the Joe Piane Invite, Notre Dame toppled a decent field, besting Boise State and Wyoming with an extremely impressive quartet of scorers. Ethan Coleman made his season debut with a stellar runner-up performance to affirm his low-stick capabilities. Meanwhile, Izaiah Steury, Dylan Throop and Daelen Ackley tucked in close behind to provide great potency. Camren Todd closed out the scoring in 18th place.
The key for this team will be their backend scoring, as the consistency of their fifth and sixth runners has fluctuated slightly in the past in deeper, more hotly-contested fields. That will be the deciding factor as Notre Dame battles to stay in the top-10 of our rankings moving closer to the postseason.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide (+2 / 11)
The Gans Creek Classic was this year’s early-season marquee test for most nationally-ranked teams, and the Crimson Tide delivered! That said, there’s a lingering sense that they might’ve left a bit of scoring on the table.
Racking up 193 points, Alabama placed an impressive 4th in the men’s “Gold” race in Missouri. Dismus Lokira (4th) and Dennis Kipruto (10th) were the low-stick weapons we expected them to be, delivering elite front-end firepower that few teams in the country can match. But after that duo, the team's scoring got a bit softer.
Nelson Pariken (40th), Ezekiel Pitireng (57th) and Carson Burian (83rd) were solid, but not particularly eye-catching given the standard that Alabama has set in recent years. In a meet this deep, finishing 4th place without a truly standout performance from the back-half of the lineup says a lot about how potent their top-two are.
What makes this performance even more intriguing is the fact that Timothy Kibet didn’t even factor into the scoring. That raises their ceiling even further -- if Alabama can get him back in the mix and tighten up their 3-4-5 scoring range, then this squad becomes even more dangerous.
Historically, the Tide have leaned on a top-heavy structure, but this race suggested they're still figuring out exactly how deep their lineup can go. Even so, finishing 4th in a field like this, with only two true low-sticks emerging, is a strong sign. Alabama has every right to be sitting within our top-10 right now.
8. Wisconsin Badgers (0 / 8)
The Wisconsin men remain firmly entrenched at TSR #8, bolstered by a strong performance at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational. There, the Badgers secured the team title with 71 points, comfortably defeating Loyola (IL) and Minnesota.
Christian de Vaal led the team with a 6th place finish while Micah Wilson (9th), Matan Ivri (15th), Archie Noakes (18th) and Johnny Livingstone (23rd) rounded out the scoring five. This victory marks Wisconsin's second team title of the season and their second-consecutive win at this event.
The Badgers' depth was evident as their top-five finishers were all within 34 seconds of each other in a race that was hot from the gun. That tight pack-running is a hallmark of their strategy, allowing them to compete effectively against a field of quality teams.
Wisconsin's balanced lineup and strong team cohesion position them well for the remainder of the season. If they can maintain this level of performance and continue to develop their depth, then they will be a formidable contender in upcoming meets.
7. Oregon Ducks (0 / 7)
The Ducks remain steady at TSR #7 given that most of their men have yet to debut this season.
The Ducks leaned on a younger core at the Cowboy Jamboree and were led by sophomore Tayson Echohawk who took 16th place. However, Echohawk was likely the only member of Oregon's projected top-seven who has competed this season.
Looking ahead for the Ducks, the Bill Dellinger Invitational offers a prime opportunity to see this full roster in action where Oregon can further solidify (or potentially improve) their standing.
6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-1 / 5)
Wake Forest takes a slight dip to our TSR #6 spot after a solid, but admittedly imperfect, performance at the Gans Creek Classic. There, the Demon Deacons placed just 9th overall, which didn’t necessarily match their preseason expectations.
Sophomore JoJo Jourdon led the team with a 26th place finish and was followed by Charlie Sprott in 45th place. Redshirt freshman Grant Morgenfeld made a strong debut with his 62nd place finish while veterans Paul Specht (75th) and Hunter Jones (105th) helped round out the team's top-five.
Yes, it's true, having Rocky Hansen and Joe O'Brien would have greatly helped Wake Forest in the team standings -- but not enough to take down any major podium threats.
While Jourdon’s low-stick expectations were more or less matched, Sprott, on the other hand, has potential to be much better, and will need to be in order for this team to reach the podium.
We’re certainly not hitting the panic button for the Wake Forest men yet, but we feel like a TSR #6 ranking might be more appropriate for the Demon Deacons until we get greater clarity about their lineup structure.
5. Virginia Cavaliers (+1 / 6)
Year after year, Virginia has looked great on paper only to leave us underwhelmed when it matters most. But after their runner-up finish at the Gans Creek Classic, it finally feels like the Cavaliers might be ready to cash in on their potential.
Gary Martin did exactly what we expected in 9th place, but the real breakthrough came from Justin Wachtel in 12th place. Wachtel’s effort was huge and something that we knew he was more than capable of. Behind them, Will Anthony (25th), Nathan Mountain (29th) and Brett Gardner (32nd) formed a cohesive scoring trio. While Anthony certainly can have more of an impact, the latter two men both finished on the better end of our expectations for them.
If this is just Virginia’s baseline, then the ceiling is far higher than we anticipated. And for the first time in years, the Cavaliers don’t just look good on paper -- they look like a legitimate podium threat.
4. BYU Cougars (0 / 4)
A 5th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic is a far cry from the best that BYU has to offer. After all, they are very much a podium threat this year.
While the result leans towards the underwhelming side, it shouldn’t sound any alarms. That's because the Cougars did not field James Corrigan or Thomas Boyden, two individuals who will be instrumental to the team’s postseason success.
Davin Thompson (20th) was the squad’s only runner inside the top-20. Behind him, transfer Noah Jenkins (28th) had a great run, with former high school superstar Tayvon Kitchen close behind in 34th place. Kitchen’s result was especially promising as he has seamlessly made the transition from the prep level. The duo of Garrett Stanford and Max Davis rounded out the scoring in 56th and 61st places, respectively.
When BYU's best top-five is fully assembled, then they will undoubtedly be a dangerous force. Coach Ed Eyestone has always excelled at getting his athletes to peak in the postseason, so we fully expect everyone who competed in Missouri to take another leap this fall.
In short, there isn’t too much to worry about when it comes to the Cougars, which is why they remain firm at TSR #4.
3. New Mexico Lobos (-1 / 2)
New Mexico trade places with Oklahoma State in our rankings after suffering a head-to-head defeat to the Cowboys at the Cowboy Jamboree. While it’s important to mention that NCAA individual title favorite Habtom Samuel did not race, the hosts were also without Brian Musau and Fouad Messaoudi.
Even though the Lobos came up short, it was actually a fairly productive outing for most of the group. Collins Kiprotich (3rd), Vincent Chirchir (4th) and Evans Kiplagat (5th) were all excellent, and the same can be said for Iker Sanchez Lopez, who placed 11th. Unfortunately, Matthew Kosegi didn’t look as sharp as we expected, closing out the scoring in 18th place.
Consistency is vital for any title-contending team, but for a squad like New Mexico -- one that lives on razor-thin margins -- it’s absolutely non-negotiable. Even if Kosegi bounces back in the postseason, the rest of the lineup can’t afford a slip-up.
Adding someone as inevitable as Samuel will help tremendously. However, everyone else has to be at their absolute best for this team to reach the ceiling that we believe they have.
2. Oklahoma State Cowboys (+1 / 3)
Oklahoma State has always been a team that doesn’t show its hand until absolutely necessary, and that tradition continued at the Cowboy Jamboree.
Despite fielding a skeleton crew, which notably saw superstars Brian Musau and Fouad Messaoudi sidelined, the Cowboys still bested a Habtom Samuel-less New Mexico squad.
Denis Kipngetich was as dependable as ever, taking home the individual victory, while Ryan Schoppe, Adisu Guadia and Laban Kipkemboi formed an incredibly close-knit scoring trio, finishing 6th, 7th and 8th, respectively. Jacob Deacon closed out the scoring with a 14th place finish, giving Oklahoma State the team win.
While cross country comes with very few definitives, we can be pretty confident about what to expect from Musau, Kipngetich and Messouadi. Questions about the team have often centered on the cohesion of the supporting cast, but this race suggested that Schoppe, Guadia and Kipkemboi have the capability to keep the Cowboys in the fight for NCAA gold at the cross country national meet.
1. Iowa State Cyclones (0 / 1)
Iowa State was not messing around at the Gans Creek Classic. Yes, they were the favorites, especially with a few key BYU athletes absent, but few could have predicted just how overwhelmingly dominant they would be.
The Cyclones didn’t just take home the victory on this year’s NCAA XC Championship course -- they completely demolished the field, putting their entire scoring unit in the top-20. Simply put, their firepower was untouchable.
Joash Ruto (2nd), Sanele Masondo (6th), Robin Kwemoi Bera (7th), Rogers Kiplimo (13th) and Meshack Kimutai (19th) were all excellent as expected. While sixth man Devan Kipyego (52nd) could have finished higher, his placing was still strong enough that the Cyclones would have won even without Ruto.
Unsurprisingly, the Cyclones hold onto our TSR #1 spot and, if anything, they’ve pulled further ahead of the nation’s best teams.
ADDED
Missouri Tigers
Harvard Crimson
Loyola (IL) Ramblers
Michigan State Spartans
KICKED OFF
Virginia Tech Hokies
Oklahoma Sooners
Arkansas Razorbacks
Washington Huskies
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgia Bulldogs
Virginia Tech Hokies
Oklahoma Sooners
Arkansas Razorbacks
Washington Huskies
Air Force Falcons
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Michigan Wolverines
Minnesota Golden Gophers
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Wyoming Cowboys
Lipscomb Bison
Ole Miss Rebels
Furman Paladins
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
Utah State Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies
Boise State Broncos
Louisville Cardinals
Cal Poly Mustangs
Notes
- N/A
