UPDATED XC Top 50 Rankings: Week 2 (9/11)
KEY
(Wasn’t Ranked): Was not ranked the week before.
(#/#):
First number indicates how much the individual has moved in the rankings. A plus (with green) means they have improved in the rankings. A minus (with red) means they have regressed in the rankings. Colors may not show on mobile.
The second number indicates where they were ranked the week before.
50. Cerake Geberkidane, Rs. Junior, Oklahoma State (0 / 50)
49. Jeff Thies, Rs. Senior, Portland (0 / 49)
48. Ryan Robinson, Junior, Michigan State (0 / 48)
47. Andrew Ronoh, Junior, Arkansas (0 / 47)
46. Jacob Burcham, Rs. Senior, Oklahoma (0 / 46)
45. Andy Trouard, Rs. Senior, Northern Arizona (0 / 45)
44. Euan Makepeace, Rs. Sophomore, Butler (0 / 44)
43. Evan Stifel, Senior, Ohio State (0 / 43)
42. Emmanuel Rotich, Junior, Tulane (0 / 42)
41. Gabe Arias-Sheridan, Senior, St. Mary's (Cal) (0 / 41)
40. Arsene Guillorel, Senior, Samford (0 / 40)
39. Mike Tate, Rs. Senior, Southern Utah (0 / 39)
38. Miguel Bautista, Senior, Texas Tech (0 / 38)
37. Jacob Thomson, Rs. Senior, Kentucky (0 / 37)
In his season debut, Thomson impressed with a solid win over an Eastern Kentucky squad that looked to be running a fully stacked lineup. It's a good start to a long season for the Kentucky redshirt senior.
36. Robert Brandt, Junior, UCLA (0 / 36)
35. Ben Flanagan, Rs. Senior, Michigan (0 / 35)
34. Brian Barraza, Rs. Senior, Houston (0 / 34)
33. Conor Lundy, Sophomore, Princeton (0 / 33)
32. Thomas Pollard, Rs. Sophomore, Iowa State (0 / 32)
31. Aaron Baumgarten, Rs. Senior, Michigan (0 / 31)
30. Brent Demarest, Rs. Junior, Virginia (0 / 30)
29. Michael Williams, Senior, Washington State (0 / 29)
28. Philo Germano, Rs. Senior, Syracuse (0 / 28)
27. Cory Glines, Rs. Senior, Northern Arizona (0 / 27)
26. Jonah Koech, Junior, UTEP (-4 / 22)
For anyone ranked in the Top 30, a field that holds guys from New Mexico State and El Paso CC is usually not an issue in terms of competition. However, for Jonah Koech, he didn't have his best day. The UTEP junior finished 6th overall and has only validated that his struggles from the outdoor track season are drifting into the fall. Hopefully he can turn this around at the larger invites. Yet, until then, I have to set him back on our list.
25. Chartt Miller, Rs. Senior, Iona (+1 / 26)
24. Gilbert Kirui, Senior, Iona (+1 / 25)
23. Gilbert Kigen, Junior, Alabama (+1 / 24)
22. Rory Linkletter, Junior, BYU (+1 / 23)
21. Vincent Kiprop, Junior, Alabama (0 / 21)
20. Sean Tobin, Senior, Mississippi (0 / 20)
19. Yusuke Uchikoshi, Senior, Boise State (0 / 19)
18. Alfred Chelanga, Junior, Alabama (0 / 18)
17. Matthew Maton, Junior, Oregon (0 / 17)
16. John Dressel, Junior, Colorado (0 / 16)
15. Joe Klecker, Rs. Sophomore, Colorado (0 / 15)
14. Tyler Day, Junior, Northern Arizona (0 / 14)
13. Jack Bruce, Senior, Arkansas (0 / 13)
12. Jacob Choge, Sophomore, Middle Tennessee State (0 / 12)
11. Hassan Abdi, Senior, Oklahoma State (0 / 11)
10. Lawrence Kipkoech, Rs. Junior, Campbell (0 / 10)
Kipkoech went back to work this past weekend at the CSU Duals as he and his teammates easily swept the field. Kipkoech finished 1st overall with his teammate Amon Kemboi next to him.
9. Jonathan Green, Rs. Senior, Georgetown (0 / 9)
8. Dillon Maggard, Senior, Utah State (0 / 8)
7. Colin Bennie, Senior, Syracuse (0 / 7)
6. Jerrell Mock, Rs. Senior, Colorado State (0 / 6)
5. Matthew Baxter, Rs. Senior, Northern Arizona (0 / 5)
4. Alex George, Senior, Arkansas (0 / 4)
3. Morgan McDonald, Senior, Wisconsin (0 / 3)
2. Grant Fisher, Junior, Stanford (0 / 2)
1. Justyn Knight, Senior, Syracuse (0 / 1)
JUST MISS (in no order)
Trent Powell (Colorado State)
Iliass Aouani (Syracuse)
Thomas Ratcliffe (Stanford)
Andrew Marston (Villanova)
Lachlan Cook (Virginia)
Colby Gilbert (Washington)
Grant Fischer (Colorado State)
Michael Ward (Bradley)
Chase Weaverling (Virginia)
Zach Perrin (Colorado)
Jonathan Harper (BYU)
WHO TO WATCH (in no order)
Kigen Chemadi (MTSU)
Peter Lomong (NAU)
Amon Kemboi (Campbell)
Festus Lagat (Iowa State)
Ethan Gonzales (Colorado)
Eduardo Herrera (Colorado)
Cameron Griffith (Arkansas)
Frank Lara (Furman)
Michael Vennard (Boise State)
Kasey Knevelbaard (Southern Utah)
Ben Young (Kentucky)
Colin Abert (Penn State)
Cornelius Kapel (UTEP)
SURPRISE OF THE WEEK
Cornelius Kapel (UTEP): Last week, UTEP only has three guys on their roster. This week, they find a freshman who is capable of racing with Antony Kosgei and winning the meet. UTEP is a difficult team to figure out, but the emergence of Kapel on the Miner's squad does change a lot.
RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Jacob Thomson (Kentucky): Thomson had a great race at the Kentucky Bluegrass Invite by taking the win over an impressive Eastern Kentucky team that held steeplechase studs and long-distance veterans. This victory is a great start for Thomson who failed to earn a win last year and had three consecutive runner-up finishes during the 2015 season.
NOTES
Colin Abert took down the Syracuse duo of Aidan Tooker and Kevin James at the Spiked Shoe Invite. That's a solid win for Abert who defeated two names that will be fighting for the 5th Orangeman scoring spot throughout this season.