I have a hard time comprehending how fast this year went. Yes, I know how unbelievably cliche that sounds, but this year in particular just seemed to be a blur. I vividly remember sitting down and typing up a similar article this time last year, talking about everything that TSR had accomplished. I spoke about our growth, our challenges, our goals, and our changing perspectives. In the moment, it seemed like we had come so far. Little did we know what was waiting around the corner for us in 2019. * * * I'll admit, I was pretty discouraged during the first few months of this year. Our site traffic had taken a pretty significant dip compared to what we had seen during the fall of 2018. Despite plenty of action happening during the winter months and us producing a plethora of content, it just seemed like our growth was nonexistent. We were stagnating and we didn't know what else we could do. We had taken a pretty big leap during 2018, so much so that I was left thinking, "well...maybe this is the best it gets". I remember calling my dad on my way home from work, wondering how we were going to increase traffic and get it to a respectable level. I remember him throwing out a number and me saying "oh, it'll take us three years before we hit those kind of metrics". As we worked our way through March and April, our traffic slowly ticked upwards. It was somewhat encouraging, but not exactly anything to get excited about. After all, we expected our traffic to be higher during the spring months given that almost every school competes during outdoor track. Plus, the postseason gives us more to talk about. Nothing about this was a surprise. Then we got to the month of May. The Stride Report went about covering the postseason track meets just like we always had. We had a much larger staff now, but we continued to put out content that we thought was relevant and high-quality. This wasn't anything new for us. But during the week of regionals, we got a bump...a big one. Readers on LetsRun were discussing collegiate track and field coverage on a forum when someone mentioned our coverage. This led to LetsRun founder Robert Johnson (aka rojo) asking, "What the hell is the stride report?" And while some may people may take offense to that, we were quite frankly flattered. It was the first time that someone at a large media outlet in the running community had publicly recognized us. That doesn't happen often. This led to a significant boom in traffic. We hit a new record for visitors that month by a relatively noticeable margin. It was encouraging and something to be excited about, but that one instance of exposure wasn't going to make us relevant. Fast forward to June. The Outdoor National Championships took place in the first week of the month, but after that, there wasn't a whole lot going on. Our coverage for collegiate track and field had ended and we were now preparing to shift our focus to the offseason. The summer of 2018 was when TSR saw our first true surge in growth, but what if that was just an outlier? Would we actually be able to replicate that in 2019? The answer was a resounding "YES". In addition to analysis and stories, we began to dive into reporting and breaking news. We were the first media outlet to report that Noah Affolder was transferring. We were the first media outlet to report that Rachel McArthur was transferring. We were the first to report on a plethora of coaching changes, athletes signing professional contracts, and a countless number of transfers. In the process, we began to make connections with other members of the media, a handful of powerhouse coaches, numerous top collegiate runners, and even a few professional athletes. Looking back, our ability to report news wouldn't have been possible without the support and assistance of those individuals. I remember receiving one text message that said "Are you guys the new W oj of college track?" and as a basketball fan, that was fun to see. When comparing our site metrics in June to the month of May, we saw our number of visitors jump up 60% and our page views going up 21%. I'll be honest, I was pretty pumped. That, however, was only the beginning. Towards the end of June and into July, we began releasing our summer rankings. Despite a few hiccups and learning moments, our traffic exploded. Publishing those rankings - along with our our most-read article of the year ( Welcome to the Herd ) - helped our traffic take off to a level that I thought would take us years to reach. From June to July, our number of monthly visitors went up 130% while our page views skyrocketed upwards of 188%. In that moment, we no longer felt like a cute little side-project. We felt legitimate. However, despite all of the incredible success, we quickly realized that although hitting these numbers were great, we needed to maintain them...and we did just that. Throughout the fall, we continued to produce detailed rankings, in-depth analysis, Kolas projections, interviews, previews, recaps, and so much more. We even began to produce podcasts ! It would have been easy for our team to get lost in all of the attention that we received from the summer, but instead, they kept their head down, worked hard, and consistently produced quality content that has helped us maintain the metrics that I once told my dad would take us three years to achieve. Even in December, a month that has historically been the worst month in TSR's annual cycle, we are still hitting those same numbers. With the year now at a close, it is safe to say that 2019 was the year where we actually gained some legitimacy in the running community. From 2018 to 2019, our number of visitors increased by 370%, our number of sessions increased by 265%, our number of page views increased by 343%, and our bounce rate dropped by a whopping 44% (that's a good thing). When comparing 2018 to 2019, we were better on a per month basis in every major metric. * * * I say all of this not to boast or brag, but to give you all (our readers) an insight into the product and brand that you are investing your time in. Ever since launching in March of 2017, it's been our readers who have made this journey as rewarding as it is. We could write an infinite amount of articles, but it doesn't mean much if my mom is the only one reads them (and even then that's a stretch). All of the incredible messages of support, the compliments, the encouragement...all of that makes working on TSR so incredibly worth it. But of course, things aren't always perfect. In last year's article, I explained that "with growth, comes growing pains" and that was surely the case this year. There were plenty of times where we received some not-so-nice messages from passionate readers who didn't like what we said or what we thought. And while there were plenty of comments that were simply insulting, it's the ones who messaged us and said "I can't wait to prove you guys wrong" that made us excited. If we end up motivating someone to be better, that becomes an added bonus. That kind of passion and emotion is what makes our sport great. And yes, I'll admit, we're not perfect. Sometimes we make mistakes. When we do, it bothers me a lot, and I know I'm not the only one at TSR who shares those feelings. But that's part of the growing process and because of it, we are now far more accurate and far more precise than ever before. In retrospect, it's those mistakes (no matter how small they seem to be) that have forced us to be better and more thorough. * * * We feel confident that we know what kind of potential TSR has. We have big ambitions and all of us at TSR truly believe that we can be one of the big names in the running community one day. It make take some time, but we are too hungry to not get there. Thank you to everyone who has supported TSR in 2019. We can't wait to show you what's next. Cheers, Garrett Zatlin The Stride Report

These lists excludes breaking news stories, Kolas updates, podcasts, & site announcements. TSR's Most Viewed Articles of 2019 10. 2019 Men's Recruit Rankings: #3 California Baptist Lancers 9. 2019 D1 XC Top 50 Preview (Men) 8. 2019 XC Top 50 Men: Update #4 7. 2019 Men's Recruit Rankings: #1 Washington Huskies 6. Setting the D3 Scene (Part One) 5. The Group Chat: Regional Reactions 4. The Group Chat: Stanford Candidates 3. The Group Chat: D1 Nationals Reactions 2. 2019 Preseason XC Top 25 Team Rankings: Honorable Mentions (Men) 1. Welcome to the Herd TSR's Favorite Articles of 2019 (as voted on by TSR contributors) 10 . Lone Survivor T8. TSR's First Annual Preseason Draft (Men + Women) T8. Elevation Evaluation: Revisiting 2014 7. Mile High T5. The Adidas Alternative T5. Wonder Women 4. Gauging Impact (Parts One + Two + Three) 3. The Fisher Phenomenon 2. It's a Long Way to the Top 1. The Rivalry Ben Weisel's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Chasing Legends 9. Wonder Women 8. Mile High 7. The Run Down: Rory Linkletter 6. The Adidas Alternative 5. The Fisher Phenomenon 4. In It For The Long Haul 3. It's a Long Way to the Top 2. The Rivalry 1. Lessons From Across The Bay Sean Collins' Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Damage Control 9. Digits: Draft Stats for Nats (Parts One + Two) 8. Scratch Reactions 7. The Fisher Phenomenon 6. The Group Chat: Fact or Fiction (Parts One + Two) 5. Finding Balance (Parts One + Two) 4. Gauging Impact (Parts One + Two + Three) 3. Same Story, Different Coast 2. TSR's First Annual Preseason Draft (Men + Women) 1. The Rivalry Hannah Thorn's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. The Fisher Phenomenon 9. Chasing Legends 8. Lone Survivor 7. The Group Chat: D3 Nationals Recap 6. The Group Chat: D1 Nationals Reactions 5. Wonder Women 4. The Adidas Alternative 3. D3 Individuals Preview (Men + Women) 2. The Rivalry 1. Giving Thanks Maura Beattie's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Learn About LaVern 9. Mighty Duck 8. The Group Chat: Fact or Fiction (Parts One + Two) 7. The Rivalry 6. Reinventing Wisconsin 5. Elevation Evaluation: Revisiting 2014 4. Golden Opportunity 3. The Fisher Phenomenon 2. It's a Long Way to the Top 1. Mile High Brian Dengler's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Damage Control 9. Crunching Numbers (Parts One + Two) 8. The Texas Effect 7. The Fisher Phenomenon 6. Lone Survivor 5. The Rivlary 4. Battle in Beantown Preview 3. The Group Chat: Postseason Draft (Men + Women) 2. Welcome to the Herd 1. NXN Previews + Footlocker Preview Quenten Lasseter's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Learn About LaVern 9. Cross Talk: D2 Q's 8. Wonder Women 7. For & Against (Parts One + Two + Three + Four) 6. Head to Head 5. Mighty Duck 4. 2020 D3 Indoor Preview 3. The Fisher Phenomenon 2. The Texas Effect 1. The Rivalry John Cusick's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Digits: Sub-3:40 9. TSR's First Annual Preseason Draft (Men + Women) 8. Setting the Bowerman Bar 7. The Texas Effect 6. Head to Head 5. Lone Survivor 4. Mile High 3. Wonder Women 2. The Group Chat: NCAA at USA's 1. The Rivalry Brett Haffner's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Mile High 9. Setting the D3 Scene (Part One + Two) 8. The Group Chat: D1 Preseason Preview (Parts One + Two) 7. The Run Down: Rory Linkletter 6. The Group Chat: D1 Nationals Reactions 5. Tale of the 10k 4. It's a Long Way to the Top 3. Revisiting: 42 Q's 2. Lone Survivor 1. The Rivalry Sam Ivanecky's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. For & Against (Parts One + Two + Three + Four) 9. Elevation Evaluation: Revisiting 2014 8. The Run Down: Rory Linkletter 7. Reinventing Wisconsin 6. TSR's First Annual Preseason Draft (Men + Women) 5. Wonder Women 4. Mighty Duck 3. The Fisher Phenomenon 2. Run The Numbers: Conference Weekend 1. The Rivalry Grace McLaughlin's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Mile High 9. Allie O & The Boise Bunch 8. The Group Chat: D1 Nationals Reactions 7. The Group Chat: D2 Nationals Preview 6. Welcome to the Herd 5. The Run Down: Rory Linkletter 4. Wonder Women 3. Run The Numbers: Conference Weekend 2. Setting the D3 Scene (Parts One + Two) 1. Gauging Impact (Parts One + Two + Three) Michael Weidenbruch's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. Lone Survivor 9. Relay Relevance 8. Lessons from Across the Bay 7. The Fisher Phenomenon 6. Wonder Women 5. The Commit: Taylor Ewert 4. The Group Chat: Offseason Operations (Parts One + Two) 3. Elevation Evaluation: Revisiting 2014 2. The Rivalry 1. It's a Long Way to the Top Garrett Zatlin's Favorite Articles of 2019 10. The Group Chat: Offseason Operations (Parts One + Two) 9. Damage Control 8. Same Story, Different Coast 7. Portal Parity 6. Gauging Impact (Parts One + Two + Three) 5. Reinventing Wisconsin 4. The Adidas Alternative 3. Setting the Bowerman Bar 2. It's a Long Way to the Top 1. The Rivalry

There isn’t a lot of coverage on D3 cross country and track out there, and I’m super excited that we are starting to cover the scene. There are a lot of great runners, teams, meets, and stories to tell, and I am really looking forward to covering this upcoming season of D3 running. With that being said, let’s jump into it... Before we can talk about the upcoming cross country season and what we can expect to see, I think it's a good to give everyone some quick background as to how the 2018 season ended... Last fall, North Central dominated the field at NCAA's, scoring a mere 43 points. They were led by Dhruvil Patel and senior Al Baldonado, who went 1-2, respectively. With Chris Buechner in 8th, Matt Osmulski in 11th, and Zach Hird in 33rd, the Cardinals locked up the title by a considerable margin (67 points), with five All-Americans to their name. It was a close battle for 2nd, with Washington University (in St. Louis) taking runner-up honors with 110 points. They had three All-Americans in Brad Hodkinson, Nick Matteucci, and Peter Johnsrud, each finishing 7th, 10th, and 31st, respectively. David O’Gara in 44th and Joe Stover in 56th rounded out the scoring for the Bears, putting together a really solid performance for their best finish in school history. 17 points behind them was UW-La Crosse taking 3rd with 127 points. The Eagles went 4-14-30 with Josh Schraeder, Thomas Schultz, and Tyler Nault taking home All-American honors. Sam Hinz and Chris Pahnke rounded out the scoring, taking 44th and 83rd, respectively. Their 3rd place finish continues their perennial success on the D3 scene, consistently placing in the top 10 for the last seven years. Haverford and Wartburg would round out the top five, taking 4th and 5th, respectively. With their 19th cross country title in the books, North Central secured a three-peat, only losing to UW-Eau Claire in 2015. With six out of the seven runners on the championship squad being graduated seniors, 2019 is expected to be a difficult rebound year for the Cardinals. However, knowing their program and degree of success, they’ll certainly pull together a solid group for in 2019. Nonetheless, this does leave things wide open for the fall. Here are some key questions to consider as we enter the fall of 2019... Who will step up for North Central? As previously mentioned, North Central is losing nearly their entire top seven from last fall. The lone man left is senior Matt Osmulski, who is one of the top returners in D3 after taking 11th overall last year. He put together a decent track season, earning him trips to both indoor and outdoor Nationals in the 5k and 10k, respectively. He’ll have to bring his A-game in leading the Cardinals this fall. Some other guys that could potentially step up are Thomas Rohr, Gabriel Pommier, Bjorn Shroda, and Alex Makrounis. These guys were around (or under) 15 minutes for 5k in the spring, and with a solid summer of training, they could become the next group of guys to bring home a podium finish for North Central. With the likes of Dhruvil Patel and the graduating senior class having moved on to post-collegiate endeavors, it will be tough to replicate a national title. Being under the helm of legendary coach Al Carius, you can never count out North Central when it comes to the national meet. Which will hold more weight? Their incredible history of success? Or their overwhelming loss of veteran scorers? At the moment, it feels like a toss up... Building Momentum: How far will Wash U. go? Coming off of their highest cross country finish ever as 2nd place finishers, the Bears of Wash U. have a solid squad returning to help them towards another great postseason. They will be led by senior Nick Matteucci, who is coming off of a great track season after finishing 10th overall at the national meet in cross country last fall. Matteucci was a five-time All-American just last year, placing in the indoor mile and DMR, the outdoor 1500 and 5k, as well as cross country. Being able to stretch from the 800 to 8k will serve him well in his final year, and makes him a prime contender for a single-digit finish in the fall. The other returners for the Bears include Joe Stover and Marco Quaroni, who both have put up solid times across the board and have a year of cross country championship experience under their belts. In addition to those guys, some other names to look out for are Jacob Ridderhoff, Jack Sebok, and Tucker Cera. Quaroni and Sebok both qualified for outdoors in the steeple, while Ridderhoff and Cera both advanced in the 1500 outdoors. These guys put up some quick times on the track, and it should transfer over to the grass pretty well. Coming off an all-around great year, Wash U. has a lot to look forward to this fall and beyond. With a ton of exposure to championship racing, whether in cross country or track, the Bears should have a squad that will be ready to compete for a national title. UW-La Crosse: Building on Consistency UW-La Crosse has a storied history of performing incredibly well when it comes to D3 cross country, and they added to their history with a 3rd place finish at the national meet last year. Josh Schraeder is the top returner in the field, taking 4th overall last fall. He’s put up some great performances over his career, and should be looking for more this year. He is quietly consistent, rarely ever posting a poor performance...at least during cross country. This past track season saw him qualify for both indoor and outdoor Nationals, but walked away without an All-American finish in either. Schraeder will be hungry to validate himself as a clear title contender this fall. Also returning for the Eagles is Tyler Nault, who finished 30th last year. A long-ranger mainly focusing on the 5k/10k in track, he will be ready to be the second man to a deadly 1-2 punch for La Crosse this fall. Chris Pahnke and Matt Bourland will also be back, both making steady progress in their track seasons from the year before. If they can chase those All-American finishes, putting four guys in the top 40 could make La Crosse a team to beat. Wartburg on the Rise Last year, Wartburg tied their best D3 XC finish ever, placing 5th overall. This year, they are coming back with six out of their seven runners, and they have a great shot at bettering last year’s performance. The Knights return a strong trio in Sam Pinkowski (26th in XC), Joe Frieburger (41st), and Caleb Appleton (55th). All of these guys chipped away at their times during track this season, and all clocked sub 14:40 at the NCC Gregory Final Qualifier, going 1-3 in a great team effort. These guys all have the potential to be low-sticks, and having these three options does Wartburg a great service. Their performance at last year's national meet was great, but it also leaves plenty of room for them to grow and improve, making Wartburg a dangerous team to keep in mind. After a solid freshman cross country season, Dalton Martin took 5th in the 800 meet at Indoor Nationals. He focused on the mid-distance events during track, but proved last fall that he can bring the heat on the grass. Juniors Matt Heinzman and Liam Conroy both put up solid track seasons, each nearly dipping under 15 minutes in the 5k. These three guys could be the difference makers to propel Wartburg to their first-ever podium finish. Wartburg brings a really exciting group of guys into the mix to challenge the perennial contenders for a D3 title this fall. The crazy thing, though, is that there’s only one senior in this group of six! They will certainly be a team to watch for seasons beyond just this year. The Fiery 1-2 Punch of Carleton It might be a bit of a darkhorse pick, but Carleton is a team that is up-and-coming after this past year. After placing 14th in cross country at the 2018 national meet, this choice might seem a little odd, but with six out of their top seven returning, they’ve got the potential to blow last year’s performance out of the water. I gave the title for this section appropriately, as Lucas Mueller and Matthew Wilkinson (both juniors) were on fire during track. Mueller went toe-to-toe with D3’s best all through the season, and backed it up with taking a 6th place finish in the indoor 3k, 5th in the outdoor 5k, and came within .19 seconds of dethroning Dhruvil Patel in the 10k, finishing runner-up. Mueller is ready to throw down with the rest of the D3 elites after running some blazing times, but we already knew that if you looked at his 2018 cross country season as a whole. He was the 2018 MIAC champion who eventually finished runner-up at this regional meet. His 17th place finish from last year's cross country national meet was impressive, but his regular season tells us that he could be even better. Wilkinson also had himself a stellar year, chopping some serious time off of his PR’s and racking up multiple All-American finishes. He took 6th in the indoor 5k and 3rd in the steeplechase during outdoors, asserting himself as a future national title contender in the obstacle-based event over the next two years. The Knights also return a slew of guys who could add to the team’s potential to land on the podium. Cameron Meikle, Stephen Lavey, Adam Nakasaka, and Ben Santos are all guys to look out for in the fall. With some more development, especially with the latter three being sophomores, these guys could be the difference makers for a great team finish. Similar to Wartburg, Carleton returns six guys from last year. These guys have great potential to really shake up the landscape of D3 with some solid growth from their team, and even have a shot for individual glory in Mueller or Wilkinson. Be sure to be on the lookout for Carleton this fall. * * * With a month and a half until cross country meets start, I’m looking forward to bringing more preview-like content on the D3 scene. Be sure to be on the lookout for another preview just like this for the women, and other D3 content coming soon!