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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 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria. We will only list a max of 10 names in both our "Just Missed" section and our "Honorable Mentions" section (each). 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. Men's Individual Rankings 25. Colin Goldschmidt, Senior, RPI (0 / 25) 24. Stan Craig, Senior, Amherst (-4 / 20) 23. Sam Su, Junior, John Carroll (+1 / 24) 22. Tyler Bolaske, Senior, Keene State (+1 / 23) 21. Harrison Dow, Senior, Amherst (+1 / 22) 20. Jefferson Wright, Junior, Pomona-Pitzer (-8 / 12) 19. Evan Lacey, Senior, RPI (+2 / 21) 18. Ben Hughes, Senior, Middlebury (Unranked) 17. Owen Clark, Junior, UW-La Crosse (+1 / 18) 16. Jerry Xu, Junior, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (-2 / 14) 15. Ayden Buchanan, Junior, Wartburg (+1 / 16) 14. Stian Asper, Senior, Redlands (+3 / 17) 13. James Johnson, Junior, Simpson (IA) (+2 / 15) 12. Jonah Reisner, Senior, Tufts (-4 / 8) 11. Caleb Tenney, Sophomore, Johns Hopkins (+2 / 13) 10. Anthony Clark, Sophomore, Johns Hopkins (-8 / 2) 9. Daniel Kasperan, Sophomore, North Central (+2 / 11) 8. Emerson Comer, Senior, SUNY Geneseo (+1 / 9) 7. Everett Mosher, Senior, WPI (+3 / 10) 6. Brady Ott, Junior, Johns Hopkins (+1 / 7) 5. Mateo Alvarado-Venegas, Junior, UW-Stevens Point (0 / 5) 4. Logan Murphy, Senior, UW-Stevens Point (+2 / 6) 3. Dylan Cote, Junior, Wesleyan (+1 / 4) 2. BJ Sorg, Senior, North Central (+1 / 3) 1. Isaiah Hammerand, Senior, Wartburg (0 / 1) ADDED Ben Hughes (Middlebury) KICKED OFF Renne Cooper (MIT) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Simon Lane (Haverford) Sam Daunt (Washington & Lee) Eli Welch (Williams) Jack Brown (Central College) Sanju Patel (U. of Chicago) Max Sudrzynski (Washington U.) Solomon Zaugg (Wartburg) Andrew Smith (Wartburg) Rory Lieberman (Lebanon Valley College) Renne Cooper (MIT) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Cedar Nichols-Barnhart (Johns Hopkins) Matt Kelly (Washington & Lee) Carter Bengtson (Amherst) James Tette (SUNY Geneseo) Malcolm Oakes (Williams) Nick Yacoub (Babson) Samuel McPeak (MSOE) York Bourgeois (Carnegie Mellon) William Wadsley (Central College) Cole Stencel (St. John's (MN)) Notes - N/A Women's Individual Rankings 25. Ester Zar, Sophomore, Batten (Unranked) 24. Breanna Schmitt, Senior, George Fox (+1 / 25) 23. Joley Berger, Junior, Ripon (+1 / 24) 22. Ashlyn Pallotta, Sophomore, NYU (-1 / 21) 21. Alexandra Lohse, Sophomore, U. of Chicago (+1 / 22) 20. Madison Hedglin, Sophomore, Misericordia (0 / 20) 19. Stella Kuttner, Junior, NYU (+4 / 23) 18. Keelee Leitzen, Junior, Loras (+1 / 19) 17. Kathryn Arbegast, Senior, RIT (0 / 17) 16. Kiera Tallas, Senior, Connecticut College (+2 / 18) 15. April Schilling, Senior, Connecticut College (0 / 15) 14. Tamar Byl, Senior, Williams (-1 / 13) 13. Katja Dunayevich, Sophomore, U. of Chicago (-5 / 8) 12. Lucinda Laughlin, Junior, Washington U. (+2 / 14) 11. Sophie Capozzi, Freshman, Williams (-7 / 4) 10. Elena Stanciu, Senior, UC Santa Cruz (+1 / 11) 9. Bayleigh Armstrong, Senior, Southern Virginia (0 / 9) 8. Kate Tuttle, Junior, Williams (+2 / 10) 7. Claire Palmer, Sophomore, Middlebury (0 / 7) 6. Annelise Jensen, Sophomore, Middlebury (+6 / 12) 5. Carter Brotherton, Junior, Johns Hopkins (+1 / 6) 4. Josephine Dziedzic, Senior, NYU (+1 / 5) 3. Charlie Flint, Senior, Colorado College (0 / 3) 2. Haley Schoenegge, Senior, Vassar (0 / 2) 1. Audrey MacLean, Senior, Middlebury (0 / 1) ADDED Ester Zar (Batten) KICKED OFF Olivia Warr (Washington & Lee) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Jordan Liss-Riordan (Williams) Claudia Lasiowski (UW-Stout) Faith Wehrman (UW-Stevens Point) Sydney Shock (Johns Hopkins) Ingrid Norquist (Macalester) Liv Girand (MIT) Morgan Eigel (Williams) Marah Benedict (UW-La Crosse) Charlotte Crum (Bates) Olivia Warr (Washington and Lee) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Jocelyn Onstot (Rose-Hulman) Hailey Carroll UW-La Crosse) Molly Novotny (UW-La Crosse) Zui Chinchalkar (Tufts) Amanda Intrieri (Johnson & Wales) Isla Duncan (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) Madison Twarling (UW-La Crosse) Sofia Moukaddem (Suffolk) Olivia Jackson (NYU) Delisha Davis (Dubuque) Notes - N/A

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 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria. We will only list a max of 10 names in both our "Just Missed" section and our "Honorable Mentions" section (each). 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. Men's Individual Rankings 50. Evan Jenkins, Rs. Senior, Oregon (Unranked) 49. Archie Noakes, Junior, Wisconsin (Unranked) 48. Jean Kipchumba, Freshman, Missouri (Unranked) 47. Aurelien Radja, Junior, Wake Forest (Unranked) 46. Jack Graffeo, Rs. Freshman, Colorado (Unranked) 45. Sam Burgess, Senior, Harvard (Unranked) 44. Kidus Misgina, Senior, Ole Miss (-7 / 37) 43. Thomas Westphal, Sophomore, Michigan State (-2 / 41) 42. Duncan Gituku, Sophomore, Alabama (-27 / 15) 41. Jake Liebert, Rs. Sophomore, Colorado (-3 / 38) 40. Daelen Ackley, Senior, Notre Dame (+2 / 42) 39. James Corrigan, Senior, BYU (-6 / 33) 38. Evans Tanui, Sophomore, Arizona (Unranked) 37. Joshua Abraham, Sophomore, New Mexico (+2 / 39) 36. Nicholas Kipchirchir, Senior, Wichita State (-1 / 35) 35. Tam Gavenas, Sophomore, Harvard (+5 / 40) 34. William Zegarski, Senior, Butler (0 / 34) 33. Pedro Marin, Junior, California Baptist (+3 / 36) 32. Bailey Habler, Junior, Villanova (+14 / 46) 31. Zouhair Redouane, Junior, Tennessee (-6 / 25) 30. Dennis Kipruto, Junior, Alabama (+19 / 49) 29. Nickson Kogei, Junior, Louisville (+3 / 32) 28. Isaiah Givens, Senior, Colorado (-2 / 26) 27. Adisu Guadia, Senior, Oklahoma State (-8 / 19) 26. Vincent Chirchir, Junior, New Mexico (+3 / 29) 25. Bernard Cheruiyot, Junior, Tulane (+3 / 28) 24. Ernest Cheruiyot, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas (-7 / 17) 23. Elkana Kipruto, Junior, Wichita State (+8 / 31) 22. Nelson Setek, Sophomore, Tennessee (+2 / 24) 21. Nick Busienei, Freshman, Arkansas (+6 / 27) 20. Taha Er Raouy, Senior, Eastern Kentucky (0 / 20) 19. Silas Kiptanui, Sophomore, Tulane (+11 / 30) 18. Titus Kimaru, Sophomore, Texas Tech (+3 / 21) 17. Simeon Birnbaum, Rs. Junior, Oregon (+1 / 18) 16. Evans Kurui, Junior, Washington State (-3 / 13) 15. George Couttie, Senior, Virginia Tech (-3 / 12) 14. Rodgers Minatum, Freshman, Alabama (0 / 14) 13. Dismus Lokira, Junior, Alabama (+3 / 16) 12. Solomon Kipchoge, Junior, Washington State (-2 / 10) 11. Collins Kiprotich, Junior, New Mexico (-2 / 9) 10. Tayvon Kitchen, Sophomore, BYU (-5 / 5) 9. Brian Musau, Senior, Oklahoma State (+2 / 11) 8. Dominic Serem, Junior, Colorado (+14 / 22) 7. Evans Kiplagat, Senior, New Mexico (+1 / 8) 6. Kelvin Cheruiyot, Sophomore, Florida (0 / 6) 5. Rocky Hansen, Senior, Wake Forest (-1 / 4) 4. Elsingi Kipruto, Sophomore, Louisville (-1 / 3) 3. Meshack Kipruto, Freshman, Colorado (-2 / 1) 2. Pasanjo Kitonga, Freshman, New Mexico (0 / 2) 1. Denis Kipngetich, Junior, Oklahoma State (+6 / 7) ADDED Archie Noakes (Wisconsin) Aurelien Radja (Wake Forest) Evan Jenkins (Oregon) Evans Tanui (Arizona) Jack Graffeo (Colorado) Jean Kipchumba (Missouri) Sam Burgess (Harvard) KICKED OFF Aiden Smith (Oregon) Benne Anderson (Syracuse) Edward Bird (Kentucky) Joash Ruto (Iowa State) Meshack Kimutai (Iowa State) Robin Kwemoi Bera (Iowa State) Rodgers Kiplimo (Iowa State) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Aiden Smith (Oregon) Birhanu Harriman (Georgetown) Brian Kiprotich (Boise State) Christopher Knight (Furman) Eliud Muchiri (Florida) Erik Le Roux (Northern Arizona) Fredrick Kipkosgei (Hofstra) Jacob Deacon (Oklahoma State) Jacob Nenow (Princeton) Joash Ruto (Iowa State) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Abraham Chelangam (Oral Roberts) Cameron Todd (Notre Dame) Charlie Ortmans (Harvard) Connor Burns (Oregon) Edward Bird (Kentucky) Ethan Coleman (Notre Dame) Jayde Rosslee (Bradley) Joe O'Brien (Georgetown) Michael Moiben (Texas A&M) Nathan Lopez (Michigan) Notes - N/A Women's Individual Rankings 50. Maureen Cheruiyot, Sophomore, Pittsburgh (Unranked) 49. Judy Kosgei, Senior, Clemson (Unranked) 48. Rose Mburu, Sophomore, SMU (Unranked) 47. Tatiana Cornejo, Senior, Cal Poly (+3 / 50) 46. Lexi Goff, Senior, BYU (Unranked) 45. Bethany Michalak, Junior, NC State (-13 / 32) 44. Ali Weimer, Senior, Minnesota (Unranked) 43. Nancy Cherop, Freshman, Clemson (-6 / 37) 42. Elizabeth Khatevi, Junior, Texas A&M-CC (+1 / 43) 41. Mildred Rono, Sophomore, Alabama (+6 / 47) 40. Brenda Tuwei, Junior, Alabama (Unranked) 39. Dalia Frias, Rs. Senior, Oregon (Unranked) 38. Ava Mitchell, Junior, Northern Arizona (+6 / 44) 37. Eleanor Voykin, Freshman, Northern Arizona (+2 / 39) 36. Elsa Sundqvist, Sophomore, Northern Arizona (+2 / 38) 35. Mercy Jebitok, Sophomore, Akron (Unranked) 34. Doricah Minsari Isoe, Sophomore, Kentucky (-3 / 31) 33. Desma Chepkoech, Junior, Florida (-10 / 23) 32. Victoria Garces, Sophomore, Duke (+10 / 42) 31. Cynthia Jemutai, Sophomore, Alabama (-2 / 29) 30. Taylor Rohatinsky, Senior, BYU (+6 / 36) 29. Monica Wanjiku, Sophomore, Missouri (+19 / 48) 28. Faith Chelangat, Freshman, Auburn (-8 / 20) 27. Mary Ogwoka, Sophomore, Tennessee (-9 / 18) 26. Salma Elbadra, Rs. Sophomore, South Carolina (Unranked) 25. Claire Stegall, Sophomore, Florida (+9 / 34) 24. Sheila Chepkirui, Freshman, West Virginia (-2 / 22) 23. Mercy Chepkemoi, Freshman, Arizona (+7 / 30) 22. Silvia Jelelgo, Junior, Clemson (+5 / 27) 21. Purity Chepkirui, Freshman, Toledo (-6 / 15) 20. Sheylah Kurgat, Freshman, Colorado (-1 / 19) 19. Katy Zang, Freshman, Indiana (+2 / 21) 18. Ann Lemirisho, Sophomore, Kentucky (+6 / 24) 17. Juliet Cherubet, Senior, Oregon (+9 / 26) 16. Diana Cherotich, Sophomore, Oregon (+9 / 25) 15. Joy Naukot, Junior, West Virginia (-6 / 9) 14. Rosemary Longisa, Junior, Iowa State (+2 / 16) 13. Brighter Jepchumba, Sophomore, Eastern Kentucky (+1 / 14) 12. Mercy Kirarei, Junior, New Mexico (+1 / 13) 11. Edna Chelulei, Sophomore, Eastern Kentucky (-1 / 10) 10. Mercy Kinyanjui, Junior, West Virginia (+7 / 17) 9. Maureen Cherotich, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (+3 / 12) 8. Pamela Kosgei, Junior, New Mexico (0 / 8) 7. Betty Kipkore, Sophomore, Iowa State (-2 / 5) 6. Judy Chepkoech, Junior, Florida (-2 / 4) 5. Isca Chelangat, Sophomore, Arkansas (+6 / 11) 4. Caren Kiplagat, Sophomore, Alabama (+2 / 6) 3. Hannah Gapes, Senior, NC State (0 / 3) 2. Billah Jepkirui, Rs. Senior, Oklahoma State (0 / 2) 1. Jane Hedengren, Sophomore, BYU (0 / 1) ADDED Maureen Cheruiyot (Pittsburgh) Judy Kosgei (Clemson) Rose Mburu (SMU) Lexi Goff (BYU) Ali Weimer (Minnesota) Brenda Tuwei (Alabama) Dalia Frias (Oregon) Mercy Jebitok (Akron) Salma Elbadra (South Carolina) KICKED OFF Taylor Lovell (BYU) Millie Bii (Washington State) Angelina Napoleon (NC State) Mercy Kibet (Iowa State) Jenna Hutchins (BYU) Sophia Kennedy (Stanford) Amy Bunnage (Stanford) Marion Jepngetich (New Mexico) Mercyline Kirwa (Iowa State) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Taylor Lovell (BYU) Evalyne Wambui (Middle Tennessee State) Angelina Napoleon (NC State) Mercy Kibet (Iowa State) Domtila Cheruto (Oklahoma) Sanae Hassnaoui (Oklahoma) Barrett Justema (Georgetown) Erin Vringer (Utah) Naomi Kemboi (West Virginia) Carmen Cernjul (Northern Arizona) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Imogen Gardiner (Boston College) Millie Bii (Washington State) Caren Kipsirat (Utah Valley) Isabelle Schmitz (Minnesota) Ruth Kimeli (Baylor) Brooke Wilson (Wake Forest) Nelly Jemeli (Washington State) Dorcas Jepkosgei (UT-Arlington) Kaiya Robertson (Boise State) Nancy Chepleting (Louisville) Notes - N/A

The Stride Report has confirmed that Oklahoma State superstar Billah Jepkirui has signed a "Name, Image & Likeness" (NIL) deal with On. The Stillwater-based distance runner, who originally hails from Kenya, is currently listed as a senior. During her time in the NCAA, the Cowgirl ace has earned six All-American honors between all three seasons of competition. That includes a 7th place finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships and a runner-up effort in the mile at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships. Billah Jepkirui (center) on the podium at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships // Photo via Andrew LeMay This past winter, Jepkirui ran 4:22.92 in the mile on an oversized track. She then ran 4:23.40 in the mile en route to a victory at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships, defeating BYU phenom Jane Hedengren in the process. That latter mark puts Jepkirui at NCAA #5 all-time in the event. Jepkirui also owns personal bests of 2:02 (800), 4:04 (1500) and 8:45 (3k). That metric mile performance puts the Cowgirl standout at NCAA #7 all-time in the event. Video via Oklahoma State Athletics Earlier this fall, Jepkirui upset BYU's Jane Hedengren to win the Cowboy Jamboree in a new course record of 19:24 (6k). Then, this past weekend, the Kenyan distance standout secured a runner-up finish at the BIG 12 XC Championships. Jepkirui currently sits at TSR #2 in our top-50 individual cross country rankings. Other notable NCAA distance athletes who currently hold NIL deals from On include Joy Naukot (West Virginia), Marion Jepngetich (New Mexico), Rocky Hansen (Wake Forest), Leo Young (Stanford) and Lex Young (Stanford).

On this week’s episode of The Stride Report Podcast, Garrett and Ben offer a deep-dive into one of the busiest and most fascinating weekends of racing so far this year! The guys first break down the BIG 12 XC Championships where they highlight Jane Hedengren's return to dominance as well as the Colorado men taking down Oklahoma State, the defending national champions. The guy later chat about Alabama's success at the SEC XC Championships and what their performances mean for the Crimson Tide's podium hopes. Ben and Garrett later chat about the NC State's glaring absences at the ACC XC Championships before discussing Oregon's dominance at the BIG 10 XC Championships. The guys wrap up the podcast with a few quick hits on the Ivy League, BIG East and PAC-12 XC Championships! Be sure to listen, subscribe and review! (2:59) BIG 12 XC Championships (Women's Analysis) (14:26) BIG 12 XC Championships (Men's Analysis) (22:30) SEC XC Championships (Women's Analysis) (28:06) SEC XC Championships (Men's Analysis) (32:35) ACC XC Championships (Women's Analysis) (40:45) ACC XC Championships (Men's Analysis) (48:48) BIG 10 XC Championships (Women's Analysis) (53:55) BIG 10 XC Championships (Men's Analysis) (58:22) Ivy League XC Championships (Harvard Men) (1:00:27) BIG East XC Championships (Georgetown Men & Bailey Habler) (1:01:39) PAC-12 XC Championships (Gonzaga Men) (1:03:09) PAC-12 XC Championships (Washington State Women) You can listen to that episode (and others) on our PODCASTS page! You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud. If you like it, be sure to leave us a rating and a review! Note: If you're having issues loading the episode on the site via mobile, try refreshing the episode page. We will look into this issue for future episodes.

Rankings constructed via Conor Daly, Kevin Fischer & 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 2026 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. Men's Team Rankings 25. Colby 24. Lebanon Valley College 23. Middlebury 22. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 21. Hope College 20. Bates 19. Pomona-Pitzer 18. Wesleyan 17. Central College 16. Tufts 15. Williams 14. Washington U. 13. U. of Chicago 12. Amherst 11. Washington & Lee 10. Carnegie Mellon 9. UW-Stevens Point 8. MIT 7. NYU 6. North Central 5. RPI 4. UW-La Crosse 3. SUNY Geneseo 2. Johns Hopkins 1. Wartburg JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Case Western Calvin UC Santa Cruz Haverford WPI HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Lynchburg MSOE Emory John Carroll UW-Whitewater Notes - N/A Women's Team Rankings 25. UW-Stevens Point 24. Carleton 23. Calvin 22. George Fox 21. Washington & Lee 20. Wesleyan 19. Bates 18. UW-Eau Claire 17. Connecticut College 16. Hope College 15. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 14. Emory 13. Vassar 12. Pomona-Pitzer 11. SUNY Geneseo 10. Carnegie Mellon 9. Washington U. 8. MIT 7. U. of Chicago 6. Tufts 5. Johns Hopkins 4. UW-La Crosse 3. Middlebury 2. NYU 1. Williams JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Bowdoin Colorado College John Carroll Wartburg Central College HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Ohio Wesleyan Case Western Amherst Swarthmore UW-Oshkosh Notes - N/A

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 2026 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. Men's Team Rankings 25. Arizona (Unranked) 24. Missouri (Unranked) 23. Minnesota (-1 / 22) 22. Michigan State (+1 / 23) 21. Northern Arizona (-2 / 19) 20. Iowa State (-11 / 9) 19. Tennessee (-5 / 14) 18. Eastern Kentucky (0 / 18) 17. Villanova (+3 / 20) 16. Stanford (-5 / 11) 15. Notre Dame (+2 / 17) 14. Syracuse (+1 / 15) 13. Virginia Tech (+8 / 21) 12. Wisconsin (0 / 12) 11. Georgetown (+5 / 16) 10. Harvard (+3 / 13) 9. Florida (+1 / 10) 8. Wake Forest (0 / 8) 7. Arkansas (0 / 7) 6. BYU (0 / 6) 5. Alabama (-2 / 3) 4. Oregon (0 / 4) 3. Oklahoma State (-1 / 2) 2. Colorado (+3 / 5) 1. New Mexico (0 / 1) ADDED Arizona Missouri KICKED OFF Washington State Washington JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Washington State Washington Cornell Princeton Utah State Gonzaga Tulane Furman North Carolina Duke HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Butler Providence California Baptist Utah Valley Wichita State Tulsa Louisville Ole Miss Michigan Toledo Notes - N/A Women's Team Rankings 25. Virginia (-6 / 19) 24. Notre Dame (-8 / 16) 23. Duke (Unranked) 22. North Carolina (Unranked) 21. Arkansas (+4 / 25) 20. Penn State (Unranked) 19. Northwestern (+2 / 21) 18. Virginia Tech (0 / 18) 17. Missouri (0 / 17) 16. Clemson (+7 / 23) 15. Washington State (-2 / 13) 14. South Carolina (+6 / 20) 13. Iowa State (-5 / 8) 12. Toledo (0 / 12) 11. Utah (+3 / 14) 10. Colorado (-1 / 9) 9. Oklahoma State (+6 / 15) 8. New Mexico (-2 / 6) 7. Oregon (+3 / 10) 6. Northern Arizona (-1 / 5) 5. Florida (-1 / 4) 4. Alabama (+3 / 7) 3. NC State (Unranked) 2. West Virginia (Unranked) 1. BYU (Unranked) ADDED Duke North Carolina Penn State KICKED OFF Washington Minnesota Stanford JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Washington Minnesota Stanford Eastern Kentucky Princeton Providence Kentucky Oklahoma Boise State Furman HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Michigan Indiana Oregon State Vanderbilt UConn Villanova Louisville Wake Forest Florida State Tennessee Notes - N/A

Today, The Stride Report is announcing a significant change to our current model, content offerings and business structure. Starting on Thursday, October 29th, The Stride Report will be cancelling all subscription plans, both Annual and Monthly, on our website. Upon doing so, all content found on our site will be completely free to access and view. All refund requests must be made by filling out our form, which you can find by clicking here, and must be submitted no later than November 11th, 2026. Further details regarding refunds can also be found on that page. To be clear, The Stride Report is NOT shutting down. Instead, The Stride Report is shifting our time, energy, resources and attention to the audio, video and social media aspects of our business. Our YouTube channel, our podcast and our growing social media followings will now be our focal mediums for content. Naturally, many of you are going to have questions regarding this decision, and understandably so. That's why I created this video (found below) to offer some insight into a shift that likely caught many of you off guard... Cheers, Garrett Zatlin The Stride Report

Production via Wyatt Barnsley On this week’s episode of The Stride Report Podcast, Ben and Garrett preview a loaded weekend of NCAA cross country conference championships, breaking down the biggest team and individual battles across the country. The guys kick things off with the ACC Championships, debating which teams and individuals will emerge victorious in highly competitive fields, before turning their attention to the Big Ten and the contenders looking to claim conference supremacy. They then dive into a stacked Big 12 women’s field, analyzing the national powerhouses and individual stars set to clash and what the results could mean for the NCAA title picture, while also previewing the men’s competition. Ben and Garrett round out the episode with their team and individual picks for the SEC, Ivy League, Big East, and Pac-12 Championships, highlighting the favorites, potential upsets, and athletes poised to make a statement as the postseason officially gets underway. Be sure to listen, subscribe and review! (3:42) Women’s ACC XC Championship Preview (14:45) Men’s ACC XC Championship Preview (22:51) Women’s BIG 10 XC Championship Preview (31:05) Men’s BIG 10 XC Championship Preview (39:09) Women’s BIG 12 XC Championship Preview (48:54) Men’s BIG 12 XC Championship Preview (58:23) Women’s SEC XC Championship Preview (1:06:13) Men’s SEC XC Championship Preview (1:13:08) Ivy League, BIG East & PAC 12 XC Championship Previews You can listen to that episode (and others) on our PODCASTS page! You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud. If you like it, be sure to leave us a rating and a review! Note: If you're having issues loading the episode on the site via mobile, try refreshing the episode page. We will look into this issue for future episodes.

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 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria. We will only list a max of 10 names in both our "Just Missed" section and our "Honorable Mentions" section (each). 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. 50. Tatiana Cornejo, Senior, Cal Poly (Unranked) Truthfully, there were multiple women who were in consideration for the final spot in our rankings. And despite bouncing back and forth between a few candidates, we ultimately landed with Tatiana Cornejo, someone who is best known for her mile skillset. Placing 3rd at the Loyola Lakefront Invite earlier this season was encouraging to see. However, a recent 4th place finish at the Arturo Barrios Invite demanded just as much respect, if not more. Sure, Cornejo didn't defeat many national-caliber stars at Texas A&M, but there is also zero shame in losing to Edna Chelulei (Eastern Kentucky), Isca Chelangat (Arkansas) and Brighter Jepchumba (Eastern Kentucky), either. After all, each of those women currently reside in our top-15. With recent wins over Dorcas Jepkosgei (UT-Arlington) and Elizabeth Khatevi (Texas A&M-CC), we felt like this Cal Poly product has done enough to get a nod in our top-50 rankings. 49. Taylor Lovell, Junior, BYU (-6 / 43) A 14th place finish at Pre-Nationals two weekends ago is certainly not a poor performance for Taylor Lovell. Even so, that kind of result doesn't make her a guaranteed All-American like we thought she could be. Make no mistake, the women's field at Pre-Nationals was almost certainly stronger than the men's field, and there is every reason to believe that Lovell can still be an All-American in November. But for now, she has to take a step back in our rankings after losing to a handful of women who are just as proven on the grass throughout their careers. 48. Monica Wanjiku, Sophomore, Missouri (0 / 48) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 47. Mildred Rono, Sophomore, Alabama (Unranked) Sure, Mildred Rono has been far from flashy this fall, but that's not necessarily her fault. After all, the most competitive races that the Alabama women have toed the line for this season include the Southern Stampede meet, the Princeton Meadows Classic and, most recently, the Crimson Classic. In those last two races, Rono has been quietly productive. She took 5th place in a New Jersey-based field that featured a handful of underrated stars. And on her home course two weekends ago, the Alabama sophomore was 3rd behind her two superstar teammates (and ahead of South Carolina's two low-sticks). No, Rono isn't super proven in massive fields, and that gave us reason for pause as we crafted these rankings. Even so, she has showcased enough upside to sneak into our top-50 list. 46. Millie Bii, Freshman, Washington State (-1 / 45) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 45. Angelina Napoleon, Senior, NC State (-23 / 22) It seems fair to say that Angelina Napoleon isn't quite at the same level as we saw from her last year when she was runner-up at the Nuttycombe Invite and won the ACC individual title. That, of course, isn't to say that she hasn't been productive. An 8th place finish at the Joe Piane Invite and a 13th place effort at Pre-Nationals don't scream "top-half All-American." However, those results still keep her in the conversation to earn a top-40 honor come November. For now, though, Napoleon did need to drop a good bit in our rankings to properly reflect her regular season as a whole, while we also reward other women who have been exceptionally great. 44. Ava Mitchell, Junior, Northern Arizona (0 / 44) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 43. Elizabeth Khatevi, Junior, Texas A&M-CC (-4 / 39) On one hand, Elizabeth Khatevi earned a brilliant runner-up finish at the Gans Creek Classic earlier this season. And when you look at how good the women she beat in that race have turned out to be, you realize that her silver medal performance was actually better than we once realized. However, a recent 6th place finish at the Arturo Barrios Invite admittedly left us wanting more from Khatevi. It's understandable that she lost to Edna Chelulei (Eastern Kentucky), Isca Chelangat (Arkansas) and Brighter Jepchumba (Eastern Kentucky). Even so, we thought she could beat women like Tatiana Cornejo (Cal Poly) and Dorcas Jepkosgei (UT-Arlington). It feels best not to overreact to her latest result, but Khatevi was probably capable of more than what she showed in College Station, Texas. 42. Victoria Garces, Sophomore, Duke (+5 / 47) Victoria Garces first caught our attention when she took a brilliant runner-up finish at the Princeton Meadows Classic, defeating Alabama ace Cynthia Jemutai in the process, as well as a number of other talented women. Even so, we wanted a bit more validation from the rising Duke star who had effectively come out of nowhere after acclimating to the NCAA as a freshman. And sure enough, we got exactly that as Garces secured an excellent 10th place finish at Pre-Nationals, taking down top names such as Nancy Cherop (Clemson), Keira Rogan (Syracuse), Angelina Napoleon (NC State), Taylor Lovell (BYU), Allie Zealand (Liberty) and Judy Kosgei (Clemson). Garces has now proven herself on two very different stages and has taken down a variety of talented names with unique skillsets. Her youth-based upside is clearly building momentum and there's a world where she cracks the top-10 at the ACC XC Championships later this week. 41. Mercy Kibet, Sophomore, Iowa State (+1 / 42) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 40. Jenna Hutchins, Rs. Senior, BYU (-10 / 30) A 23rd place finish at Pre-Nationals was truthfully not great, especially for someone of Jenna Hutchins' caliber. The BYU redshirt senior never got into a good position early in that race and ultimately settled for a result that was just one second away from her not even being a scorer. Naturally, it's fair to drop Hutchins by double digits in our rankings given her history of inconsistency on the grass. Although, at the same time, let's remember that this BYU veteran also took 5th place at the VERY top-heavy Cowboy Jamboree last month. That has to mean something as we further tweak our rankings going into the postseason. 39. Eleanor Voykin, Freshman, Northern Arizona (+2 / 41) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 38. Elsa Sundqvist, Sophomore, Northern Arizona (+2 / 40) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 37. Nancy Cherop, Freshman, Clemson (-12 / 25) When Nancy Cherop first entered the NCAA, we felt like she had the potential to not just be a star, but a legitimate superstar. After all, how many collegiate newcomers hold times of 4:06 (1500), 8:45 (3k) and 14:52 (5k roads)? However, so far this fall, Cherop hasn't looked like a lethal low-stick ace. Sure, she took a very encouraging 3rd place finish at the Joe Piane Invite, but that meet didn't hold nearly as much weight as Pre-Nationals did (where the Tiger star took 11th place). It's important to recognize that Cherop hasn't run poorly (at all) this season. Her performance in South Bend, Indiana was exceptionally strong and her latest effort in Terre Haute keeps her in the mix for All-American honors. Even so, Cherop has not yet reached her potential this fall, which is ultimately why we're pushing her back to TSR #37 in our rankings. 36. Taylor Rohatinsky, Senior, BYU (Unranked) Coming into season, we knew that Taylor Rohatinsky had applied for a waiver to be granted extra cross country eligibility. Separately, lawsuits had also been filed around the nation against the NCAA, arguing that athletes recently set to expire their eligibility at the end of the 2025-26 academic calendar year were due another year of eligibility like other returning athletes. This, in turn, gave BYU's Taylor Rohatinsky multiple avenues to potentially return to competition this fall -- and she did, specifically at Pre-Nationals. Here is how she was granted the eligibility, per Jonathan Gault of LetsRun... "Earlier this week, a Utah court granted Rohatinsky a temporary restraining order (TRO) in order to compete this season. That TRO expires in two weeks, at which point she would require a preliminary injunction in order to remain eligible. BYU coach Diljeet Taylor told LetsRun.com she expects Rohatinsky will be able to compete for the remainder of the season." Eligibility aside, Rohatinsky delivered on expectations in Terre Haute, taking a strong 9th place finish to give her team a much-needed low-stick with Jane Hedengren not racing due to illness. We can admit that this ranking may be a little generous given that she has only raced once this season and narrowly cracked the top-10 of that Pre-Nationals field. Even so, her 15:24 (5k) PR from this past spring and her extensive experience suggest that this is a proper ranking for the BYU veteran. Taylor Rohatinsky competing at Pre-Nationals // Photo via BYU Athletics 35. Sophia Kennedy, Senior, Stanford (+3 / 38) Has not yet competed this season. 34. Claire Stegall, Sophomore, Florida (+3 / 37) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 33. Amy Bunnage, Senior, Stanford (+1 / 34) Has not yet competed this season. 32. Bethany Michalak, Junior, NC State (+1 / 33) Truthfully, there isn't much to analyze when it comes to Bethany Michalak. The NC State junior took 8th place at Pre-Nationals two weekends ago, showcasing slight improvement on her 7th place effort from the Joe Piane Invite earlier this fall. Admittedly, the 2026 version of Michalak doesn't look quite as potent as she did in 2025. Although, at the same time, she remains plenty reliable as a low-stick ace and there's no reason to believe that she can't be a top-30 All-American like she was last fall. 31. Doricah Minsari Isoe, Sophomore, Kentucky (Unranked) This has been a breakout season for Doricah Minsari Isoe, someone who has been predominantly viewed as a middle distance runner during the winter and spring months. Now, she is a realistic All-American threat on the grass. A 4th place result at the Gans Creek Classic from earlier this season absolutely caught our attention. That was a promising result which allowed Isoe to defeat a number of accomplished women, many of whom were more proven than the Kentucky sophomore in cross country. Of course, we still needed to see more from the Wildcat ace who had never looked like an All-American candidate on the grass prior to 2026. And sure enough, Isoe delivered at Pre-Nationals, dropping an excellent 7th place finish to defeat a number of top names. Truthfully, I still have some hesitancy in ranking Isoe this high -- but she has made it really difficult to doubt her in two competitive races this season. And for that reason, we gave her a nod at TSR #31. 30. Mercy Chepkemoi, Freshman, Arizona (Unranked) When Mercy Chepkemoi won the individual title at the Loyola Lakefront Invite, we were impressed. That was a solid field that held respectable competition, although none of the women she beat are currently viewed as All-American favorites. Fast forward to Pre-Nationals and Chepkemoi proved that she is, in fact, one of the better distance runners in the NCAA. A 5th place result was massive. The Arizona product beat a number of top-tier women, including Indiana freshman star Katy Zang who was just one spot behind. We're still learning more about Chepkemoi who has a very limited NCAA resume. Even so, she has delivered in both of her major outings this season, and it's hard to doubt her abilities as we enter the postseason. The BIG 12 XC Championships, however, will likely present the single-biggest challenge of her career thus far. Mercy Chepkemoi (center) competing at Pre-Nationals // Photo via Kieran Intemann & Indiana State Athletics 29. Cynthia Jemutai, Sophomore, Alabama (+2 / 31) Not much to discuss here. Cynthia Jemutai took runner-up honors at her home meet, the Crimson Classic, as part of a top-four sweep with her teammates. And for as good as she was, that performance didn't tell us anything new about the Alabama ace. 28. Marion Jepngetich, Sophomore, New Mexico (+1 / 29) Has not yet competed this season. 27. Silvia Jelelgo, Junior, Clemson (+5 / 32) A 4th place finish at Pre-Nationals was much more aligned with our expectations for Silvia Jelelgo. The Clemson ace was able to take down multiple All-American favorites in Terre Haute and she was ultimately able to build upon her 4th place finish from the Joe Piane Invite. There isn't much actual analysis to be had with Jelelgo -- she is simply stacking good performances and is building momentum at the perfect time of year. If she keeps this up, then she'll be a massive threat for a top-half All-American honor in November. 26. Juliet Cherubet, Senior, Oregon (+2 / 28) 25. Diana Cherotich, Sophomore, Oregon (+2 / 27) A comfortable 1-2 finish for Diana Cherotich and Juliet Cherubet, respectively, at the Bill Dellinger Invite was the least surprising development of the last two weeks. That was a fairly easy field for those women to navigate and they were overwhelmingly favored to sweep the top-two spots. Oregon women on the starting line at the Bill Dellinger Invite // Photo via Oregon Athletics 24. Ann Lemirisho, Sophomore, Kentucky (Unranked) One of the more underrated transfers of this past summer was Ann Lemirisho venturing from Cincinnati to Kentucky. And so far, that move has turned out to be brilliant for the Kenyan ace who has clearly entered the tier of being a low-stick star. We say that because she was 3rd at the Gans Creek Classic earlier this fall and, more importantly, validated that result with another bronze medal effort at Pre-Nationals! So far this season, Lemirisho has only lost to Hannah Gapes (NC State), Faith Chelangat (Auburn), Isca Chelangat (Arkansas) and Elizabeth Khatevi (Texas A&M-CC). All four of those women are listed in our top-50 rankings and the former three names can currently be found in the top-20 portion. We saw plenty of potential in Lemirisho when she was with the Bearcats, but her leap this fall has shattered our expectations. 23. Desma Chepkoech, Junior, Florida (+1 / 24) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 22. Sheila Chepkirui, Freshman, West Virginia (+1 / 23) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 21. Katy Zang, Freshman, Indiana (-6 / 15) This feels crazy to say about a true American freshman, but Katy Zang settling for 6th place at Pre-Nationals was a slight "off" day for someone of her caliber. In fact, that is something that she even admitted (not in those exact words) in a now-expired Instagram story. Of course, if a true freshman taking 6th place in one of the most competitive regular season races of the year is an "off" day, then that is a very good problem to have. Prior to Pre-Nationals, Zang had finished runner-up at both the John McNichols Invite and the Joe Piane Invite. Together, those performances give the Indiana rookie some staying power in our rankings -- it's hard to drop her much more than this, especially with the absurd level of aerobic talent that she has displayed this fall. Katy Zang competing at Pre-Nationals // Photo via Indiana Athletics 20. Faith Chelangat, Freshman, Auburn (Unranked) It was admittedly difficult to gauge and analyze the actual talent of Faith Chelangat until she toed the line for Pre-Nationals. Sure, she took a rust-buster win at the Foothills Invitational and was runner-up to Alabama's Caren Kiplagat (TSR #6) at the Southern Stampede meet, but those meets were fairly tame. The Auburn rookie had yet to truly showcase her true talent until she ventured to Terre Haute for Pre-Nationals where she would face multiple long distance stars. And despite her relative inexperience within the NCAA, Chelangat was simply brilliant, earning a runner-up result in what felt like a statement performance. Truthfully, we still don't fully know where Chelangat belongs in the NCAA's hierarchy of distance stars. Losses to Caren Kiplagat and Hannah Gapes indicate that she's probably not a top-10 runner, but defeating a mass number of individual stars at Pre-Nationals makes it difficult to think that she's not a top-half All-American threat this fall. 19. Sheylah Kurgat, Freshman, Colorado (+1 / 20) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 18. Mary Ogwoka, Sophomore, Tennessee (+1 / 19) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 17. Mercy Kinyanjui, Junior, West Virginia (+1 / 18) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 16. Rosemary Longisa, Junior, Iowa State (+1 / 17) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 15. Purity Chepkirui, Freshman, Toledo (+1 / 16) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 14. Brighter Jepchumba, Sophomore, Eastern Kentucky (0 / 14) When the season is said and done, few individual victories will have been more impressive (and maybe more underrated) than Brighter Jepchumba's gold-medal effort at the John McNichols Invite. That was a monstrous performance which allowed her to take down a fast-rising star in Katy Zang as well as the eventual winner of the Nuttycombe Invite, Judy Chepkoech. However, at the same time, Jepchumba is new to this tier of excellence, which is why it wasn't shocking to see the Eastern Kentucky runner fall to both Edna Chelulei (Eastern Kentucky) and Isca Chelangat (Arkansas) at the Arturo Barrios Invite. The good news is that Jepchumba was just a second off of Chelangat, and she soundly defeated the rest of the field. In the grand scheme of things, we think our TSR #14 ranking that we had for her in our first update seems right on par after her latest race in College Station, Texas. 13. Mercy Kirarei, Junior, New Mexico (0 / 13) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 12. Maureen Cherotich, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (0 / 12) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 11. Isca Chelangat, Sophomore, Arkansas (-6 / 5) A recent loss to Eastern Kentucky's Edna Chelulei at the Arturo Barrios Invitational wasn't ideal for someone who was once ranked as a top-five name in the NCAA and was a 7th place finisher at last year's NCAA XC Championships. However, at the same time, Chelangat still took down the John McNichols Invite champion (Brighter Jepchumba) during that same race in College Station. Plus, this felt more like an exceptionally great race from Chelulei rather than an "off" day from the Arkansas sophomore. Yes, Chelangat does drop in our rankings, but it's still plenty possible for her to be a top-five finisher at this year's national meet. Isca Chelangat competing at the Arturo Barrios Invite // Photo via Arkansas Athletics 10. Edna Chelulei, Sophomore, Eastern Kentucky (+11 / 21) We'll admit, we were ever-so-slightly underwhelmed by Edna Chelulei when she settled for 4th place at the John McNichols Invite. In our eyes, that was a race that we thought she could have won. Even so, that performance was hardly poor, and Chelulei went on to earn one of the most underrated wins of the season at the Arturo Barrios Invite. Not only would the Eastern Kentucky talent defeat teammate Brighter Jepchumba (who won the John McNichols Invite), but she also took down an elite star in Isca Chelangat! Sure, the field at the Arturo Barrios Invite wasn't as strong as what Pre-Nationals featured. However, defeating elite low-sticks like Chelangat and Jepchumba is a massive development that fully reflects the absurd upside that we saw from Chelulei on the track this past winter and spring. 9. Joy Naukot, Junior, West Virginia (+2 / 11) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 8. Pamela Kosgei, Junior, New Mexico (+2 / 10) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 7. Mercyline Kirwa, Sophomore, Iowa State (+1 / 8) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 6. Caren Kiplagat, Sophomore, Alabama (+3 / 9) Caren Kiplagat recently toed the line for the Crimson Classic, a home meet that was dominated by the Alabama women as a whole. And typically, winning that kind of meet wouldn't be enough to move Kiplagat up in our rankings like we're choosing to do now. However, it's important to note that Kiplagat didn't just win this race -- she dominated. In fact, the Kenyan superstar eviscerated her highly accomplished teammates by over 30 seconds. Not only that, but Auburn's Faith Chelangat just took runner-up honors at Pre-Nationals two weeks ago. That, in turn, should make Kiplagat's win over here at the Southern Stampede meet look even stronger. And with that context, you can understand why we're giving Kiplagat a small bump up in our rankings during this update. Alabama women competing at the Crimson Classic // Photo via Alabama Athletics 5. Betty Kipkore, Sophomore, Iowa State (+2 / 7) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 4. Judy Chepkoech, Junior, Florida (+2 / 6) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 3. Hannah Gapes, Senior, NC State (+1 / 4) There is a very real argument to be had that Hannah Gapes deserves our TSR #1 spot in these rankings. She has, after all, won the Joe Piane Invite as well as Pre-Nationals. And not only did she win Pre-Nationals over a stacked field, but she also set a course record in Terre Haute, dropping a time of 18:57 to win by roughly 18 seconds. There is a realistic world where Gapes wins the individual national title this fall. She's not just running well; she's dominating very good fields and top-tier individuals with relative ease. If Billah Jepkirui and/or Jane Hedengren aren't in top form come the NCAA XC Championships, then it's realistic to think that Gapes could be donning gold when she returns to Terre Haute. 2. Billah Jepkirui, Rs. Senior, Oklahoma State (0 / 2) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 1. Jane Hedengren, Sophomore, BYU (0 / 1) Has not competed since our last rankings update. ADDED Tatiana Cornejo (Cal Poly) Mildred Rono (Alabama) Taylor Rohatinsky (BYU) Doricah Minsari Isoe (Kentucky) Mercy Chepkemoi (Arizona) Ann Lemirisho (Kentucky) Faith Chelangat (Auburn) KICKED OFF Rose Mburu (SMU) Katie Bohlke (Virginia Tech) Allie Zealand (Liberty) Salma Elbadra (South Carolina) Amaya Aramini (Notre Dame) Mary Bonner Dalton (Notre Dame) Grace Hartman (NC State) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Katie Bohlke (Virginia Tech) Mary Bonner Dalton (Notre Dame) Keira Rogan (Syracuse) Grace Hartman (NC State) Ali Weimer (Minnesota) Carmen Cernjul (Northern Arizona) Adrianna Buitelaar (Colorado) Nancy Chepleting (Louisville) Naomi Kemboi (West Virginia) Allie Zealand (Liberty) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Rose Mburu (SMU) Rachel Forsyth (NC State) Sadie Engelhardt (NC State) Abbey Mathison (Colorado) Domtila Cheruto (Oklahoma) Amaya Aramini (Notre Dame) Adrienne Buettner-Cable (Boston U.) Salma Elbadra (South Carolina) Erin Vringer (Utah) Julia Flynn (Stanford) Notes - N/A

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 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria. We will only list a max of 10 names in both our "Just Missed" section and our "Honorable Mentions" section (each). 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. 50. Edward Bird, Senior, Kentucky (Unranked) We'll admit, it was a bit tricky trying to figure out who should take the final spot in our individual rankings. Yes, Edward Bird did just score a brilliant 5th place finish at Pre-Nationals, but how much stock should we put into his less impressive 11th place finish from the Gans Creek Classic? Ultimately, we gave this Kentucky veteran the nod. While one performance doesn't define someone's season (for better or for worse), his top-five finish in Terre Haute was exceptional. Taking down the likes of Bailey Habler (Villanova), Bernard Cheruiyot (Tulane) and numerous others suggests that he at least has the talent to be one of the top names in the country. Of course, we'll have to see him validate that suspicion at the SEC XC Championships this Friday. 49. Dennis Kipruto, Junior, Alabama (+1 / 50) Not much to report here. Dennis Kipruto cruised to a 4th place finish with his teammates at a home meet, the Crimson Classic, two weekends ago. Sure, it was an honest effort, but that performance didn't tell us anything new about the Alabama ace. 48. Benne Anderson, Junior, Syracuse (-11 / 37) We'll admit, seeing Benne Anderson fade to 16th place at Pre-Nationals two weekends ago was fairly disappointing. The Syracuse ace had look fantastic earlier this season, posting a highly impressive 3rd place finish at the Princeton Meadows Classic. In doing so, he took down a borderline elite star in Dismus Lokira (Alabama) in the process. That's why we expected this Orange junior to battle for a top-three finish in Terre Haute the other week, and maybe even battle for the individual title. That, of course, did not happen as Anderson had a somewhat underwhelming second-half of his race. Anderson is undoubtedly a low-stick talent who can be an All-American at his best. Of course, after his latest performance, it's admittedly hard to know what version of him we'll be getting moving forward. 47. Aiden Smith, Senior, Oregon (-13 / 34) We fully recognize that Aiden Smith is one of the single-best postseason cross country runners that the NCAA has seen over the last two years. We also recognize that the Bill Dellinger Invite was a simple throw-away meet for the Oregon veteran and that he always comes alive in championship races. And yet, despite all of that, it's fair to say that Smith was not at his best on his home course two weekends ago, settling for a not-so-great 10th place finish at the Bill Dellinger Invite. That, in turn, leaves us to question what his current form is like. If we're being to fair everyone in these rankings, then we need to drop Smith a good bit for a tough performance in a field that wasn't that great. Even so, his history of success is what keeps him inside of our top-50. 46. Bailey Habler, Junior, Villanova (Unranked) After a not-so-great sophomore year, Bailey Habler looks like he is returning to top form. We first suspected that when he took 5th place at the Princeton Meadows Classic, but it was his 6th place finish at Pre-Nationals that vaulted him into our top-50 ranking. Habler now has two top-six finishes in a pair of nationally competitive fields. Not only that, but both of those races featured very different competition, very different conditions and very different race scenarios. Put simply, this Villanova ace seems not only potent, but highly reliable as a star low-stick. And frankly, if someone wanted to put him inside the top-40 portion of our rankings, then we wouldn't argue with them...too much. Bailey Habler competing at Pre-Nationals // Photo via Kieran Intemann & Indiana State Athletics 45. Meshack Kimutai, Sophomore, Iowa State (+1 / 46) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 44. Rodgers Kiplimo, Senior, Iowa State (+1 / 45) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 43. Robin Kwemoi Bera, Junior, Iowa State (+1 / 44) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 42. Daelen Ackley, Senior, Notre Dame (Unranked) The Notre Dame men have desperately needed greater firepower in their lineup given that 2025 All-American Ethan Coleman has not competed since December. Thankfully for the Fighting Irish, he is expected to return to racing at the ACC XC Championships. But in the meantime, it's been Daelen Ackley who has stepped up to the plate in a major way. He took home a win at his home meet, the Joe Piane Invite, and looked very convincing in doing so. Then, more importantly, he snagged an excellent 4th place finish in a Pre-Nationals field that featured multiple All-American threats. Ackley has always held a significant amount of talent, but it's clear that he has elevated his endurance-based strength to a new level this fall. As long as he remains consistent, then he'll move up our rankings throughout this postseason. 41. Thomas Westphal, Sophomore, Michigan State (+2 / 43) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 40. Tam Gavenas, Sophomore, Harvard (+2 / 42) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 39. Joshua Abraham, Sophomore, New Mexico (+2 / 41) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 38. Jake Liebert, Rs. Sophomore, Colorado (+2 / 40) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 37. Kidus Misgina, Senior, Ole Miss (+1 / 38) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 36. Pedro Marin, Junior, California Baptist (-16 / 20) We'll admit, we thought Pedro Marin had the potential to be far better than he actually was at Pre-Nationals two weekends ago, a race where he took 9th place overall. After all, this was the same guy who took a tremendous 6th place finish at the John McNichols Invite back in September. Sure, a top-10 finish in a nationally competitive Pre-Nationals field isn't bad, but it doesn't suggest that Marin is anywhere near being a top-half All-American. And yet, we still have to give him some credit for his brilliant performance at the John McNichols Invite back in September. For that reason, we dropping Marin a good bit in our rankings, but keeping him inside the top-40 portion of our list. Pedro Marin (center) competing at Pre-Nationals // Photo via Kieran Intemann & Indiana State Athletics 35. Nicholas Kipchirchir, Senior, Wichita State (+12 / 47) Since transferring from Virginia Tech, Nicholas Kipchirchir has simply been outstanding, fully showcasing his raw aerobic potential. After taking a quietly great 3rd place finish at the Gans Creek Classic, Kipchirchir ventured to Terre Haute, Indiana where he would face an even more competitive field at Pre-Nationals. That, however, didn't seem to faze him as the newest Shocker ace delivered an incredible bronze medal effort yet again. That performance is huge. Not only did Kipchirchir take down multiple All-American-caliber stars, but he also validated his statement from performance from earlier in the season. And given that he is someone who fares best over 10,000 meters on the track, there is reason to believe that he could be even better at the regional and national levels. 34. William Zegarski, Senior, Butler (+1 / 35) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 33. James Corrigan, Senior, BYU (0 / 33) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 32. Nickson Kogei, Junior, Louisville (-1 / 31) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 31. Elkana Kipruto, Junior, Wichita State (+8 / 39) Earlier this season, we saw Elkana Kipruto take 5th place at the Gans Creek Classic. And while that performance was far from bad, we thought that was a race that Kipruto could have won. That's why it was far more encouraging to see the Wichita State star look like a lethal low-stick ace once again at Pre-Nationals. There, in a race that required a fast finish, the Shocker standout snagged a brilliant runner-up result. That was a performance that better aligned with our expectations for Kipruto. Many of us at The Stride Report firmly believe that Kipruto has a ridiculously high ceiling and tons of aerobic potential. At his best, he can be a top-half All-American, something he'll have the chance to prove when he faces the Tulane men at the American Athletic Conference XC Championships this weekend. Elkana Kipruto competing at Pre-Nationals // Photo via Wichita State Athletics 30. Silas Kiptanui, Sophomore, Tulane (Unranked) What an absolutely phenomenal win for Silas Kiptanui! Entering the fall months, we listed this Tulane ace at TSR #48 in our preseason rankings. However, a 7th place finish at the Loyola Lakefront Invite, while not necessarily "bad," left us wanting so much more from the Green Wave steeplechaser. Thankfully for Kiptanui, his performance at Pre-Nationals not only matched our expectations for him, but shattered them! The Tulane star took advantage of a fast finish and secured a marquee victory to take down multiple upper-tier long distance stars such as Elkana Kipruto (Wichita State), Nicholas Kipchirchir (Wichita State), Daelen Ackley (Notre Dame), Edward Bird (Kentucky), Bailey Habler (Villanova) and Bernard Cheruiyot (Tulane). That is almost certainly the best win of Kiptanui's career, and it now forces us to view the Tulane standout in a completely different light. Of course, at the same time, we also need to see him validate that victory -- can Kiptanui replicate the impressiveness of that performance once (or twice) more in the postseason? 29. Vincent Chirchir, Junior, New Mexico (+1 / 30) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 28. Bernard Cheruiyot, Junior, Tulane (-14 / 14) It's not that a 7th place finish at Pre-Nationals is necessarily "bad," -- because it isn't. But for someone of Bernard Cheruiyot's caliber, we expected more out of the Tulane distance star. After all, this is someone who won the Loyola Lakefront Invite earlier this year and was an absolute monster during the 2025 regular season last fall. Now, in Cheruiyot's defense, the somewhat tactical nature and fast finish that we saw at Pre-Nationals doesn't cater to his strength-based, front-running skillset. Even so, a 7th place isn't up to par for someone who could be a top-half All-American in November. 27. Nick Busienei, Freshman, Arkansas (+2 / 29) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 26. Isaiah Givens, Senior, Colorado (+2 / 28) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 25. Zouhair Redouane, Junior, Tennessee (+2 / 27) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 24. Nelson Setek, Sophomore, Tennessee (+2 / 26) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 23. Joash Ruto, Junior, Iowa State (+1 / 24) Has not yet competed this season. 22. Dominic Serem, Junior, Colorado (+3 / 25) Has not yet competed this season. 21. Titus Kimaru, Sophomore, Texas Tech (+11 / 32) Seeing Titus Kimaru secure a win at the Arturo Barrios Invitational wasn't surprising in the slightest, and neither was him running an absurdly fast time of 22:43 for 8000 meters. The course at Texas A&M is historically quick, and Kimaru is known for being an aggressive pace pusher who thrives in all-out affairs. Even so, this is Kimaru's fifth-straight win this season. And while his competition this fall hasn't been all that exciting, it's hard to suggest that his raw talent and pure fitness isn't among the best in the country. We'll get a better idea of where Kimaru's fitness lies at the BIG 12 XC Championships as he takes on an ultra-loaded field. That will also gives us a better look into whether or not this Texas Tech product has developed a better understanding of tactics and in-race execution. 20. Taha Er Raouy, Senior, Eastern Kentucky (+3 / 23) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 19. Adisu Guadia, Senior, Oklahoma State (+3 / 22) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 18. Simeon Birnbaum, Rs. Junior, Oregon (+3 / 21) It was a very predictable and unsurprising win for Simeon Birnbaum at the Bill Dellinger Invite. There, he cruised to the win, defeating teammate Connor Burns by a margin of 27 seconds. That's a good result, but it doesn't change our opinion of Birnbaum in any significant way. 17. Ernest Cheruiyot, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas (+1 / 18) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 16. Dismus Lokira, Junior, Alabama (+1 / 17) 15. Duncan Gituku, Sophomore, Alabama (+1 / 16) 14. Rodgers Minatum, Freshman, Alabama (+1 / 15) A 1-2-3 finish by this trio at their home meet, the Crimson Classic, was hardly surprising. This was simply a team-centric race for the Alabama men who weren't challenged by anyone other than their own teammates. Alabama men competing at the Crimson Classic // Photo via Alabama Athletics 13. Evans Kurui, Junior, Washington State (0 / 13) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 12. George Couttie, Senior, Virginia Tech (0 / 12) It was a comfortable win for George Couttie at the Panorama Farms Invitational two weekends ago. He was very clearly the best individual in that field and he cruised to gold. While we would like to offer more analysis on that performance, it's hard to do so when no one else in that race was anywhere close to his tier. 11. Brian Musau, Senior, Oklahoma State (0 / 11) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 10. Solomon Kipchoge, Junior, Washington State (0 / 10) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 9. Collins Kiprotich, Junior, New Mexico (0 / 9) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 8. Evans Kiplagat, Senior, New Mexico (0 / 8) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 7. Denis Kipngetich, Junior, Oklahoma State (0 / 7) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 6. Kelvin Cheruiyot, Sophomore, Florida (0 / 6) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 5. Tayvon Kitchen, Sophomore, BYU (0 / 5) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 4. Rocky Hansen, Senior, Wake Forest (0 / 4) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 3. Elsingi Kipruto, Sophomore, Louisville (0 / 3) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 2. Pasanjo Kitonga, Freshman, New Mexico (0 / 2) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 1. Meshack Kipruto, Freshman, Colorado (0 / 1) Has not competed since our last rankings update. ADDED Edward Bird (Kentucky) Bailey Habler (Villanova) Daelen Ackley (Notre Dame) Silas Kiptanui (Tulane) KICKED OFF Ethan Coleman (Notre Dame) Valentin Soca (California Baptist) Nickson Chebii (Auburn) Dennis Kipkogei (Texas) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Ethan Coleman (Notre Dame) Valentin Soca (California Baptist) Birhanu Harriman (Georgetown) Noah Jenkins (BYU) Jacob Nenow (Princeton) Fredrick Kipkosgei (Hofstra) Joe O'Brien (Georgetown) Lukas Haug (Colorado) Joad Martinho (Toledo) Pierre Attiogbe (Cornell) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Evans Tanui (Arizona) Brian Masai (Arkansas) Johnny Livingstone (Wisconsin) James Dargan (Stanford) Sam Burgess (Harvard) Brian Kiprotich (Boise State) Christopher Knight (Furman) Freddy Collins (Boston U.) Stephen Maroro (Kansas) Michael Moiben (Texas A&M) Notes - N/A