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TSR's 2026 NCAA Preseason D1 XC Top 50 Rankings: #50-41 (Men)
50. Geoffrey Kirwa, Junior, Louisville
Isn't this insane? The fact that someone has run 8:08 in the 3000-meter steeplechase and yet, they're only viewed as the 50th-best cross country runner in the NCAA?
We will fully acknowledge that we are taking a gamble by putting Geoffrey Kirwa on the very fringes of our top-50 rankings -- and that gamble could go either way.
Running 8:08 in the 3000-meter steeplechase and winning a national title in that event demands not just respect, but a great deal of admiration.
At the same time, we at The Stride Report have repeatedly harped on the fact that steeplechasers (specifically the men) are never guaranteed to translate their fitness from the track to the grass. After all, the difference between 3000 meters and 8000 meters or 10,000 meters is significant.
Not only that, but Kirwa greatly struggled last fall. The Louisville star took 111th at the Nuttycombe Invite and was 149th at the NCAA XC Championships -- two results that are simply bad for any runner who would reside in our top-50 rankings. Yes, he did earn a 21st place finish at the ACC XC Championships, but that was somewhat clearly the best result of his season, and even that performance wasn't super exciting.
Now, in fairness to this Cardinal ace, Kirwa elevated his fitness outside of just the barriers and water pits this past spring. After all, he clocked a promising 5000-meter time of 13:21 at the Stanford Invite a few months back.
But until Kirwa can show us that his track talent can translate to the grass, we will have to place him at our TSR #50 position...for now.
49. Brian Masai, Senior, Arkansas
I will fully own up to the fact that I have been critical of Brian Masai's consistency (or lack thereof) for the last couple of years.
There is no doubt that he is exceptionally talented, something that he proved in troves this past winter and spring. However, a tactical miscue was something that ultimately cost him an All-American honor back in June.
And yet, at the same time, Masai was surprisingly consistent if you go back and review his 2025 cross country season.
Last fall, in a very top-heavy field, Masai took 6th place at Pre-Nationals, showcasing a subtly strong amount of firepower. He later took 12th place at the SEC XC Championships, further validating the idea that he was closer to low-stick form than some people realized.
After placing 5th at the South Central Regional XC Championships, Masai capped his season with a very respectable 77th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships. Sure, that wasn't an All-American-type result that his Pre-Nationals performance suggested he was capable of, but it also wasn't a poor outcome, either.
Overall, Masai was steady and reliable last fall, something that the Arkansas men desperately needed in 2025. And since then, it's safe to say that the Razorback ace has only improved his fitness, posting monster personal bests of 3:33 (1500) and 13:27 (5k) on the outdoor oval this past spring.
If Masai can replicate his reliability from last fall, while simultaneously translating his improved fitness from the track to the grass, then he is going to be incredibly challenging to take down in 2026.
48. Silas Kiptanui, Sophomore, Tulane
We'll admit, the cross country resume of this Tulane distance runner is a little tricky to gauge. Part of that is because Silas Kiptanui placed 48th at the Gans Creek Classic last fall, a result that truthfully left us unimpressed when it comes to these rankings.
But from that point on, Kiptanui slowly began to improve upon his fitness and build up momentum. A 30th place effort at the Nuttycombe Invite, for instance, was a clear step in the right direction, as were top-five efforts at the American Conference XC Championships and the South Central Regional XC Championships.
However, what really caught our attention was the fact that Kiptanui took 47th place at the NCAA XC Championships, just seven spots out from All-American honors. That was a brilliant result that dramatically changed how we viewed this Green Wave distance talent moving forward.
Of course, it also helps that Kiptanui had a breakout spring campaign where he earned silver at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 3000-meter steeplechase where he matched his 8:18 PR.
Over the last year, Kiptanui has proven that he can peak for the postseason. That's important to consider when crafting these rankings. And sure, some of his regular season results could absolutely be better. But with a proven ability to thrive on the grass and a clear uptick in his fitness just two months ago, we didn't mind having this Tulane ace crack our top-50.
47. Birhanu Harriman, Senior, Georgetown
I can't speak for our other writers, but I am personally a very big fan of Birhanu Harriman. I think he's better than certain aspects of his resume show and it wouldn't at all surprise me if he ended up being a top-30 All-American come November.
Allow me to explain.
Last fall felt like it was the first time that this Georgetown ace was fully delivering on the talent that we knew he had.
While we would have liked to see him to get the individual title at the Paul Short Run (Gold), earning runner-up honors over a sneaky-good field still deserved respect. And a bronze medal at the BIG East XC Championships? As well as an individual title at the Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships? Those were very promising results as well.
Admittedly, Harriman's 39th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite left us wanting more. And while we were plenty pleased with his 53rd place finish at the NCAA XC Championships, it didn't feel unrealistic to say that he could have been an All-American that day.
Even so, Harriman would go on to make further improvements on the oval. A 5000-meter PR of 13:29 certainly caught our attention, as did a 10,000-meter win at the Raleigh Relays.
For the most part, this Georgetown star has a fairly high floor. He rarely has cataclysmic days and his ceiling appears to be quite high. Sure, larger fields seemingly limit him, but it's not like he has run poorly in those settings, either.
With another year of experience under his belt, improved fitness being showcased on the track and generally strong consistency on his side, it's easy to see why Harriman is listed at TSR #47 in our rankings.
46. Noah Jenkins, Junior, BYU
Once a high school standout who originally started his college career at Southern Utah, Noah Jenkins has unlocked a new tier of fitness since joining the BYU men in the winter of 2024.
Last fall was somewhat of a breakout season for Jenkins who was consistently solid in every outing he had. Although, admittedly, not many of his cross country performances truly blew us away.
A 28th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic was good, but not necessarily great. Meanwhile, a 29th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite was slightly better, although it was largely the same as his prior race. And the BIG 12 XC Championships? Well, a 19th place finish wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't necessarily exciting, either.
Funny enough, Jenkins' best performance of last fall came on the stage that was most likely to overwhelm him: the NCAA XC Championships. There, the BYU talent secured a very clutch 43rd place finish, putting himself just three spots out from All-American honors.
Since then, Jenkins has continued to refine his fitness, running times of 7:49 (3k) and 13:30 (5k), both on the indoor oval.
We will fully admit that Jenkins' resume doesn't exactly ooze "firepower" or "elite All-American talent"...but it doesn't have to. The rising junior was incredibly steady throughout last fall. Sure, he didn't blow you away, but he never had a poor race in what was arguably the hardest schedule that any team had last fall. And when it came to the national meet, he peaked exceptionally well.
If Jenkins can replicate his national meet result from last fall on a more consistent basis this season, and even build upon that fitness, then he'll likely find himself in the top-40 portion of our rankings come October and November.
45. Ronald Ngetich, Sophomore, Oklahoma
Last fall was the first time that Ronald Ngetich competed in NCAA cross country. As such, you would expect an inexperienced international newcomer to have a handful of hiccups in the often-chaotic collegiate racing scene.
And yet, throughout his 2025 cross country campaign, Ngetich was the definition of consistency and reliability.
After a couple of rust-busters, the Oklahoma product ventured to the Cowboy Jamboree where he settled for a fairly solid 9th place finish. From there, the Sooner rookie began to gain momentum, taking 4th place at the quietly competitive Princeton Fall Classic where he showcased low-stick potential.
Once the postseason arrived, Ngetich continued to have success, securing 11th place at the top-heavy SEC XC Championships and later taking 49th place at the NCAA XC Championships. That, ladies and gentlemen, was a flat-out solid season without a single "off" day.
On the track, Ngetich would hold his own, running times of 13:32 (5k) and 28:30 (10k), although he would not advance to the national stage in either season.
Truthfully, we don't have a ton of critiques for this rising Oklahoma sophomore. He doesn't have any major flaws as far as cross country is concerned and he should get better now that he's more experienced.
For those reasons, a TSR #45 ranking feels appropriate.
44. Benedict Njoroge, Freshman, Washington State
In our "Just Missed" and "Honorable Mentions" article, we highlighted two international distance stars as names to watch moving forward: Meshack Koech (Colorado) and Jean Kipchumba (Missouri).
The conversions of those two Kenyans certainly caught our attention, but they weren't so overwhelmingly strong that we felt compelled to rank them in our top-50.
Benedict Njoroge, however, is a different story.
The 19-year-old from Kenya has run absurdly fast times of 13:57 (5k) and 28:45 (10k) at roughly 5889 feet of altitude. After conversions, the newest Washington State star is granted marks of 13:22 (5k) and 27:34 (10k). That latter result is especially impressive given that only two men in the NCAA ran faster than that this past spring.
Now, admittedly, it is unlikely that Njoroge immediately enters the NCAA as a sub-27:40 runner for 10,000 meters. History tells us that he either, a) won't replicate that kind of performance at sea level during his time in college, or b) if he does, it won't be until later in his NCAA career.
Even so, there is no denying that Washington State's newest rookie holds an unbelievable amount of elite aerobic talent. And with prior experience racing against more established Kenyans (he placed 9th at the Kenyan Outdoor Championships over 5000 meters), it's hard to think that he won't be a major factor in the NCAA this fall.
Of course, there is still so much that we don't know about this possible Cougar star. And until we learn more, we're opting to place him at TSR #44 in our preseason rankings.
43. Jacob Nenow, Junior, Princeton
Other than those who reside in Princeton, New Jersey, you won't find bigger fans of Jacob Nenow than those who write for The Stride Report.
Ever since his high school days, we have seen tremendous aerobic potential within Nenow. He held excellent pedigree and tons of upside that wasn't immediately apparent when he first got to Tennessee.
However, since transferring to Princeton, this Tiger junior has been flat-out awesome -- and the fall of 2025 was when we first got to see that raw talent bubble to the surface.
Nenow's 24th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic was a solid way to begin his 2025 cross country season. While that kind of result didn't necessarily make him a low-stick star, it did hint at the potential he held.
Sure enough, that upside was further showcased at his home meet, the Princeton Fall Classic. There, he settled for 3rd place, losing only to Oklahoma's Evans Biwott and teammate Myles Hogan. However, Nenow did defeat a number of other men who could each be All-Americans this fall, including Meshack Kuyo (Duke), who was already an All-American in 2025.
While a 7th place finish at the Ivy League XC Championships wasn't ideal, a 57th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships wrapped up what was clearly a successful season. Nenow clearly took a jump in the fall of 2025 and he was plenty consistent while it happened.
Not only that, but Nenow continued to showcase his improvement on the track. Earlier this year, the Princeton ace ran times of 13:30 (5k) and 28:13 (10k), eventually qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the latter event.
At The Stride Report, we see a ridiculous amount of potential and upside within Nenow. If the Portland, Oregon native further builds on the momentum that he has established over the last year, then he will be insanely difficult to stop in the coming months.
42. Thomas Westphal, Sophomore, Michigan State
The Michigan State men were one of the more pleasant surprises of the 2025 cross country. And a big reason for that? The rise of Thomas Westphal as a legitimate low-stick despite his rookie status.
As just a freshman, this Spartan distance runner was simply fantastic. Of course, you wouldn't have known that after seeing him place 73rd at the Gans Creek Classic. That was a fine result for an inexperienced first-year talent, but it certainly didn't suggest that he would be a low-stick for a team that desperately needed the firepower.
Even so, Westphal came to life over the next few months. The Michigan State product erupted at the Nuttycombe Invite to secure an excellent 23rd place finish, taking everyone (including us at The Stride Report) by surprise. And for those who needed further validation, Westphal later took bronze at the BIG 10 XC Championships.
The Spartan ace would end his season at the NCAA XC Championships with a very admirable 59th place finish. That performance wasn't quite as strong as what he had shown at the Nuttycombe Invite and the BIG 10 XC Championships, but that didn't really matter.
Instead, what truly mattered was that Michigan State had found a future star.
As we look towards the fall of 2026, we can't help but think big when it comes to Thomas Westphal. Simply having another year of experience should do wonders for someone who clearly has tons of natural talent. He also showed us that he is very dangerous when he gets on a hot streak.
Truthfully, we're trying to hold back our excitement and optimism with Westphal by placing him at TSR #42. After all, we still need to acknowledge his less-than-great performance at the Gans Creek Classic and the fact that his national meet run wasn't exactly jaw-dropping, either.
Regardless, the sky is seemingly the limit for this second-year Spartan.
41. Titus Kimaru, Sophomore, Texas Tech
There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that, in terms of pure talent and fitness, Titus Kimaru is probably better than our TSR #41 ranking suggests. The challenge, however, is that his consistency is lacking and his aggressive front-running tactics often hurt him more than help him.
His 2025 cross country season is a perfect example of that.
Last fall, Kimaru settled for a very unexciting 37th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic. And while that wasn't an outright "bad" race, it certainly didn't position this Texas Tech runner as an All-American candidate. Yes, he did earn gold at the Arturo Barrios Invitational three weeks later, but the number of 2025 cross country All-Americans who he beat in that race was zero.
The BIG 12 XC Championships was where we got a better idea of Kimaru's talent. There, he posted a strong 11th place finish. Sure, that effort didn't necessarily blow us away, but it was a much stronger reflection of his actual potential than what he had previously shown us at the Gans Creek Classic.
Sure enough, once the national meet came around, Kimaru was able to hang on for a 40th place All-American honor...but only barely. That result was more closely aligned with his potential.
If these rankings were based solely on raw natural talent and upside, then Kimaru would be flirting with a spot near the top-10 -- he is sincerely that good. If you don't believe me, just look at this past spring where he dropped a monster 3000-meter steeplechase mark of 8:18, good for NCAA #8 all-time.
So if he was already an All-American last fall and ran crazy-fast in the spring, then why is he "only" listed at TSR #41 in our preseason rankings?
Well, to be blunt, Kimaru must be a smarter racer moving forward.
The Red Raider star is willing to be an aggressive front-runner, but that tactic hurt him a lot at the Gans Creek Classic where he was initially in the lead through 1000 meters before dropping 36 spots (including 24 spots in the final kilometer). And the NCAA XC Championships? He was in 5th place at the 7000-meter split, but proceeded to drop 35 spots in the final 3000 meters.
Greater refinement could lead to far greater results this fall for Kimaru. However, until we see that, a TSR #41 ranking feels like a fair compromise.
