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15. Washington State Cougars Coach: Wayne Phipps Notable Departures: John Whelan Notable Additions: Luke Schilter, Ado Amir, Matthew Watkins Projected Scoring Five: Michael Williams (SR) [TSR#29] , Sam Levora (SR), Chandler Teigen (JR), Nathan Wadhwani (JR), Nathan Tadesse (JR) Analysis: There may not be a team in the NCAA that is more underappreciated than the Washington State Cougars. Coach Wayne Phipps has created a program of never-ending depth while also developing national caliber athletes to lead his team. 2016 was a great season for the Cougars and we should only expect more success in 2017. Washington State’s 2016 season began at the SunDodger Invite, a race that essentially came down to Washington State and the University of Washington. Although the Huskies were able to get Colby Gilbert the win, the Cougars simply had too much depth as their pack running overwhelmed Washington with finishes of 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (in the team scoring). What was even crazier was that low-stick John Whelan ran unattached and wasn’t even calculated in the team score despite finishing 4th overall. It was a great start to WSU’s season. The next challenge took place at Notre Dame where Washington State’s pack became a bit more spread out. Whelan and Williams did an outstanding job up front by placing 8th and 16th overall while Sam Levora followed in a respectable 36th place finish. Their 4th scorer, Nathan Wadhwani, finished strong as well in 48th place overall. Unfortunately, their final scorer would fall behind with a finish of 81st overall. WSU finished 7th in the team standings with 189 points. 4th place Providence was only seven points away. Although the Cougars had some 5th man troubles, it became clear that this team was a legitimate threat to their NCAA counterparts. If they could manage to tighten their pack and improve their 5th scoring spot, then they could easily upset some of the biggest names in the country. The Wisconsin Invite was the next test to see if WSU could keep their scoring five together and contend with some of the best. Fortunately, the result was much stronger than at Notre Dame as Williams and Whelan once again did their job by placing 15th and 23rd overall. Approximately 30 seconds behind Williams and Whelan were Chandler Teigen and Sam Levora who placed a respectable 67th and 68th overall. However, that 5th man continued to be a weak spot with a finish of 110th overall. Still, the Cougars thrived and finished with a strong 9th place overall ahead of Colorado State, Wisconsin, and other top-tier programs. The Cougars were beginning to find their groove as they entered the postseason, which was a good thing when you consider that they were in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation: the PAC 12. Obviously, the PAC 12 field was significantly smaller than the Wisconsin Invite with only nine teams competing. The smaller field ended up hurt the effectiveness of Washington State’s pack as they faltered to 5th overall behind Colorado, Stanford, UCLA, and Oregon. Their result at PAC 12’s would be very similar to their West Region Championship finish as Washington State once again placed 5th overall. However, this time they had closed the gap between Oregon as they finished only 21 points behind compared to the 36 point differential at PAC 12’s. The larger sized fields were clearly benefitting the Cougars which was a good sign as they arrived at Nationals. Sure enough, the Cougars had their best race of the season. Michael Williams threw down a huge All-American performance and led the way for his teammates with finishes of 24, 49, 90, 91, and 116 (in the team scoring). Washington State would place 14th overall, only seven points off of 12th place Oklahoma State. It was hard to imagine that a team that placed 7th at Notre Dame and barely got into Nationals placed 14th at NCAA’s and were only two points behind Portland. There were plenty of breakout teams in 2016, but one of the more notable squads had to be Washington State. Williams and Whelan turned into true low-sticks while Sam Levora and Chandler Teigen proved to be reliable scorers at the 3 and 4 spots. Yes, the 5th man spot did show some weakness at times, but it never held the Cougars back from staying competitive. Washington State may have been a bit of a surprise in 2016, but no one will overlook them in 2017 as they return six of their top seven from last year. The only loss from that top seven comes from low-stick John Whelan who gave the Cougars a nice 1-2 punch when paired with Michael Williams. Although the loss of Whelan will hurt, the Cougars are now another year older and have experience on their side. Their scoring five will most likely not have any underclassmen, and if they do, it will probably be Justin Janke, a rising sophomore who ran under 9 minutes for the two mile while in high school. Michael Williams, although a tad inconsistent, has proven that he can compete with the best in the nation and will continue to provide his WSU teammates with a comfortable low score to rally around. Meanwhile, Levora and Teigen are two guys who work together very well. They rarely gave the Cougars a bad performance in 2016. Nathan Wadhwani, the projected 4th scorer, was in and out of WSU’s top five throughout 2016. Like Williams, he’ll need to improve his consistency as well as close the gap between him, Levora, and Teigen. Luckily, that seems like a very realistic goal that he can achieve. The 5th man is where things become a little tricky as there was always constant movement at the back end of Washington State’s pack throughout last year. At the moment, Nathan Tadesse and Paul Ryan seem to be the likely candidates to take the 5th spot as well as Justin Janke. Whoever takes over the 5th spot doesn’t need to be a superstar, but they do need to show some improvement and stay consistent. If they can accomplish that, then Washington State could pull off some major upsets throughout the season. I am a big fan of teams that are deeper than just their five scorers. Washington State is one of those teams as it seems like anyone could step up to take on a new role. I am hoping that they can find another low-stick to compliment Williams at the front, but that won’t be the deciding factor as to whether or not this team can prosper in 2017. Simply put, if the Cougars can build on what they did last year, then their conference and regional rivals shouldn’t be feeling too comfortable. #rankings #Top25 #ncaa #analysis #gzatlin

16. UCLA Bruins Coach: Forest Braden Notable Departures: Ferdinand Edman, Jonah Diaz, Austin O'Neil Notable Additions: Robert Brandt (?) Projected Scoring Five: Robert Brandt (JR) [TSR#36] , Colin Burke (Rs. SO), Garrett Reynolds (SO), Daniel De La Torre (SR), John Carter Blunt (SO) Analysis: UCLA is one of those teams that continues to find a way to stay competitive. Despite losing ace Lane Werley to graduation, the Bruins only got better in 2016 with exceptional pack running, their new-found low-stick Ferdinand Edmand, and strong depth. There are certainly a lot of changes happening again in 2017, but if any team can overcome that, it's the Bruins. UCLA's 2016 season began at the Roy Griak Invite where the Bruins put together a very strong performance. Ferdinand Edman led the way for the team with an 8th place finish while the rest of squad placed 26th, 29th, 39th, and 69th. Clearly, the drop off at their 5th scorer didn't help the Bruins. However, they were still able to walk away with a 6th place team finish only 6 points away from Michigan State and 11 points away from Michigan. The Wisconsin Invite was the next stop on the schedule and this time, the end result would be much more impressive. Edman came up big for the team once again with a 10th place finish while Jonah Diaz finished 27th overall. The final three scorers would place 57, 68, and 83. Their scorers may have been relatively spread out, but UCLA would still finish 6th in the team standings with 246 points, only 6 points away from 5th place Iona. Things were trending in the right direction for the Bruins. They still needed to tighten the gap among their top five, but it was tough to be disappointed with their racing so far. Two weeks later would mark the start of the postseason with the PAC 12 Championships. One of the best conferences in the nation would host elite programs like Stanford, Colorado, and Oregon. For some, UCLA was an afterthought. Colorado would eventually go on to pull off the upset over Stanford and win the PAC 12 title. However, the real surprise to many was seeing Oregon struggle while UCLA pulled ahead for third. The Bruins pack running was finally coming together. Edman placed 5th overall while the next three scorers stayed together for finishes of 10, 11, and 12. The 5th man? A very respectable 20th place overall. UCLA would finish with 58 points, only 11 off of Stanford and 17 off of Colorado. Even after PAC 12's the Bruins continued to thrive. At the West Regional Championships, UCLA would place 3rd overall ahead of Oregon and easily earn a spot to NCAA's. The pack running, although not as tight as PAC 12's, still paid off with scorers placing 5th, 14th, 26th, 31st, and 37th. In a region filled with high-level programs, a spread like that is pretty strong. The final test would come at NCAA's and, although their finish wasn't quite as strong as their other races, they still put together a very respectable performance. Ferdinand Edman capped off his senior season with an All-American 14th place finish while Jonah Diaz continued to be a supportive #2 man by placing 52nd overall. UCLA's top five would finish 11, 39, 100, 113, and 115 (in the team scoring) to place 15th in the team standings. 2016 treated the Bruins well and it showed that they were capable of rebounding from the loss of key scorers. That's a good sign for 2017 when you consider that Ferdinand Edman, Jonah Diaz, and Austin O'Neil no longer have cross country eligibility. The loss of three scorers is not an easy thing to overcome for any team, especially when two of them were your #1 and #2. So how can UCLA be ranked 16th after losing a large portion of their 2016 squad? The answer lies in their underclassmen. One of the top returners on this team is Colin Burke, a rising redshirt sophomore who often found himself at the #3 spot last year. He placed 11th at PAC 12's and 57th at Wisconsin. His consistency makes him very valuable and his youth indicates that there is still a lot more growth we could see from him. Behind Burke will be Garrett Reynolds and Daniel De La Torre, two long distance studs who found success on the track this past spring season. De La Torre earned a PR of 13:46 while Reynolds ran 13:57 as a true freshman. Although their cross country performances may be modest, their improvement on the track is too significant to ignore. Like Burke, Reynolds is a rising sophomore who should continue to prosper with the Bruins as he gains more experience. The fifth projected scorer is up in the air between Myles Smith and John Carter Blunt. On one hand, Smith brings experience to the top five and has been on the big stage multiple times before. On the other hand, Blunt was one of the top recruits coming into 2016 with personal bests of 8:57 and 14:41 in high school. We didn't get to see him run cross country last year, but he could be a dangerous weapon and bring a bit more firepower to the Bruins this fall. All of the names I just mentioned will help this team stay competitive and return to the NCAA Championships. However, the potential addition of a new ace could be the game changer for this team. *Rumors on LetsRun.com have suggested that former California runner, Robert Brandt, will be transferring to rival UCLA. Brandt is ranked 36th in our TSR Top 50. These rumors are unconfirmed as UCLA's 2017 roster does not have Brandt listed while California's roster is still from 2016 and has not been updated. A lot of this is speculation which is why the Bruins are only ranked at 16. However, if Brandt is in fact going to UCLA, then this completely changes the conversation. The addition of Brandt would be the perfect replacement for Ferdinand Edman as the Bruins look to find a low-stick replacement for him. Of course, transfers are never a sure-fire thing. Having to adjust to new training partners, coaches, and atmosphere takes some time to get used to. Still, having his name potentially on their roster is a huge development. Although the Bruins lose a lot of key seniors, they still make up for it with budding young talent who will be in the programs for quite a while. Like last year, UCLA won't be rebuilding this year: they'll reload. *Flotrack Has Confirmed That Robert Brandt Has Transferred To UCLA #rankings #top25 #ncaa #analysis #gzatlin

17. Iowa State Cyclones Coach: Martin Smith Notable Departures: Kevin Hoyos, Christian DeLago Notable Additions: Tanner Norman, Milo Greder, Patrick Bose Projected Scoring Five: Thomas Pollard (Rs. SO) [TSR#32] , Andrew Jordan (SO), Josef Andrews (JR), Toby Hardwick (SR), Dan Curts (JR) Analysis: One of the teams on my radar for 2016 were the Iowa State Cyclones. They had made some crucial additions to their squad with Syracuse transfer Kevin Hoyos, Thomas Pollard coming off of a redshirt season, and a top 10 recruit in Andrew Jordan. I believed they would be a top 25 team in the nation, but the success they ended up having was above and beyond my expectations. The Cyclones began their 2016 season at the Roy Griak Invite where they would face some of the deepest teams in the nation such as Portland, Boise State, Michigan, Michigan State, and many more. That, however, didn't intimidate the young team. The end results would show Iowa State in second overall with an incredibly tight pack that placed 17, 18, 19, 20, and 23. Only Portland would finish ahead of ISU's 97 points with a score of 69. Iowa State later took their talents to the Wisconsin Invite where they would once again face Portland as well as other elite teams from around the nation. Although their pack wouldn't stay as tight, the result was just as impressive as Hoyos and Pollard led the way with finishes of 21st and 25th. The final three scorers placed 52nd (Andrews), 65th (Jordan), and 97th (Hardwick). ISU would finish a respectable 8th place overall in the team standings with Portland only three points ahead of them this time. It wasn't perfect a perfect performance, but the Cyclones were able to show that they were more than just a one race wonder. Fast forward to BIG 12's where Iowa State looked to play spoiler to favorite Oklahoma State. As the race unfolded, it became clear that the Cowboys were vulnerable to an upset due to a slower pace. ISU gave a strong effort, but came up short when the scores were tallied as Oklahoma State retained their conference title, 36 to 49. Even though the Cyclones failed to grab the conference win, they were still favorites to grab an auto-lock spot to NCAA's at the Mid-West Regional Championships. Of course, things don't always work out like they're supposed to. The ISU pack failed to stay together while their 5th man fell back to 46th overall. The team would finish 4th in the team standings. Luckily, the Cyclones had accumulated enough Kolas points throughout the season to get them a spot at the Big Dance. They would live to race another day. The pressure would be on at Nationals to see if the Cyclones could really hold their own against some of the top teams in the nation. Sure enough, that was the case. Despite having a young squad that had never run at NCAA's before, the Cyclones still put together a solid performance as Pollard and Hoyos led the team with finishes of 35 and 44 (in the team scoring). The final three scorers would place 79, 108, and 118 to help Iowa State finish 16th overall. For a team that was so young and inexperienced, you had to commend them on their impressive 2016 season. As we enter the fall of 2017, Iowa State stands out as a program that could continue their success from a year ago. Thomas Pollard is someone who this team can lean on as he rarely had a poor performance in 2016. I also like the promise that Andrew Jordan shows. He should be able to improve quite a bit as he matures and further acclimates himself to collegiate training and racing. I expect this duo to be the strong 1-2 punch that Hoyos and Pollard were last season. Josef Andrews is a key piece to the ISU program. He was incredibly consistent and gave the Cyclones some solid performances as just a sophomore. 20th at Roy Griak, 52nd at Wisconsin, and 8th at BIG 12's is a great resume for a team's 3rd scorer. The same goes for Dan Curts who is beginning to translate his success on the track to the dirt and grass. He made the occasional appearance in ISU's top five last year and I expect him to do the same in 2017. He'll need to improve his consistency, but that comes with time and maturity. As for Toby Hardwick, his status is a little unclear. Iowa Track Beat (@IowaTrackBeat) tweeted a few weeks ago that there were a few notable misses in their fall camp, one of them being Hardwick. We won't know for sure until the 2017 roster is published, but assuming he does return, he'll provide some consistency and support for ISU's top five. He's been a great leader for this team over the past three years and brings some experience to a squad that doesn't hold a lot of seniors. Although Iowa State returns a heavy portion of their 2016 squad, the loss of low-stick Kevin Hoyos is still a tough blow. Making up for his absence will certainly not be easy. The Cyclones will also lose Christian DeLago, an ISU veteran who brought a lot of leadership and guidance to the younger guys on this squad. Luckily, this team is still very deep with guys like Sam Clausnitzer and John Nownes who made appearances on ISU's top seven throughout the 2016 season. We could even see recruits like Tanner Norman, an NXN All-American and Colorado state champion, have an impact in just their first year of competition. Andrew Jordan was able to do it, why not them? We are in that point of the rankings where it's hard to really identify any major flaws in these programs. Iowa State is a great all-around team with a lot of untapped potential and I believe they will thrive after visiting the NCAA Championships last year. If they continue to embrace their pack running and see growth in their younger guys, this squad could be a top 10 team by season's end. #rankings #Top25 #gzatlin #analysis #ncaa

18. UTEP Miners Coach: Paul Ereng Notable Departures: Evans Kiprono, Cosmas Boit, Emmanuel Korir Notable Additions: TBD Projected Scoring Five: Jonah Koech (JR) [TSR#22] , Antony Kosgei (JR), Michael Saruni (SO), Daniel Cheruiyot (SR), TBD Analysis: This will likely be the most debated team ranking of our entire top 25. Why? Because at the moment, UTEP's roster only lists five men. The catch? One of those men, Emmanuel Korir, just went pro, leaving the Miners with just four eligible athletes. So how on earth can this team be ranked 18th in the nation for 2017? It's important to remember that before the start of the 2016 cross country season, UTEP's roster only listed five individuals. Coach Ereng knew that five men wouldn't be enough to sustain a competitive program and was able to get two late additions to his squad (Korir and Saruni). Because a lot of his recruits are foreigners, the athletes typically must go through a rigorous process to establish temporary residence in the US. That's why the roster may not be updated until later on in the season. The roster numbers are obviously a concern, but the same could be said about the 2016 season where the Miners established themselves as one of the top teams in the nation. After sweeping the Texas Tech Open and Lori Fitzgerald Invite, the first challenge of 2016 would take place at the Notre Dame Invite. Despite a strong and deep field, the Miners walked away with a runner-up team finish. Jonah Koech and Antony Kosgei gave UTEP a killer 1-2 punch by placing 5th and 7th overall. The next three would place 18, 28, and 41 for a team score of 99 points. Only Ole Miss had a better score with a total of 83 points. The next stop would be Pre-Nationals and the result wouldn't be as strong. The Miners lack of depth was exposed in a larger field and they saw the results in the team score. Despite their top three placing 9th, 10th, and 32nd, their next two would place 72nd and 141st. UTEP would leave Terre Haute with a 6th place team finish and no Kolas points... Luckily, the transition to the postseason would favor UTEP. The 7-man squad entered the Conference USA Championships which held a hungry Middle Tennessee State team looking to pull off the upset. That, of course, did not happen as UTEP put together a surprising display of pack running and took the team title, 24 to 36. The Miners continued their postseason run at the Mountain Region Championships where they placed 5th overall. Luckily, Southern Utah would finish 6th and push the Miners (as well as BYU and CSU) into Nationals. NCAA's would be the real test as to whether or not UTEP's depth could back up the performances of their top guys. Unfortunately, that wouldn't matter as not a single UTEP athlete had a good day with their top five placing 98, 109, 110, 191, and 199 (all in team scoring). UTEP would finish 29th in the team standings. Yes, the concern with UTEP is obvious. They lack depth and that can definitely hurt this team when someone has an off day. Pre-Nats was only proof of that theory. However, a heavy portion of this team will be another year older and they only lose one of their top five scorers from 2016. While we may not know exactly who that 5th scorer is, we can also bet on the idea that Coach Ereng will find talented Kenyans to fill those roster spots. Don't forget that this is a team that placed 2nd at Notre Dame ahead of accomplished programs like Washington State, NC State, Southern Utah, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois, and many more. Talent like that doesn't just disappear... There are plenty of arguments to make against this ranking, but UTEP is still on the younger side and has plenty more to prove. Koech and Kosgei are an underrated top two, Saruni is a reliable 3rd scorer, and Cheruiyot brings consistency with his senior status. At least through four men, this squad is very good. Admittedly, the success of this team will depend on which freshmen they recruit, but with the connections that Paul Ereng has, I'm willing to bet UTEP will be just fine in 2017. #Top25 #gzatlin #ncaa #rankings #analysis

19. Mid. Tenn. St. Blue Raiders Coach: Dean Hayes Notable Departures: Hillary Rono Notable Additions: N/A Projected Scoring Five: Jacob Choge (SO) [TSR#12] , Kigen Chemadi (JR), Sampson Laari (SR), Amos Cheruiyot (SR), Geoffrey Cheruiyot (SR) Analysis: One of the more exciting teams for the past few years has been the MTSU Blue Raiders. Excellent recruiting from Coach Hayes has transformed this program from just another average team, to one of the best squads in the NCAA. With a new season on the rise, this program has a chance to capitalize on their success from 2016 and accomplish even more in 2017. Although this team has been successful in the past, 2016 proved to be one of the best years in program history. Middle Tennessee began their season at the Memphis Twilight meet where they easily handled squads like Alabama and Mississippi's "B" team. The result would be similar at the UTC Powerade Invite as the Blue Raiders swept the field and defeated Alabama once again. The first real challenge wouldn't come until the Commodore XC Invite which held an underrated Georgia team and a slew of talented individuals. Of course, that didn't phase MTSU. The men in blue put five in the top 30 by placing 2, 8, 10, 17, and 26. That runner-up finish was by Jacob Choge, a freshman who pushed Edwin Kibichiy to the line. Could he be the elite low-stick that MTSU was looking for? That question wouldn't be answered for another two weeks, but Middle Tennessee did walk away with a convincing win over Georgia. The Blue Raiders continued to crank up their competition as they traveled to the Greater Louisville Classic (GLC). Despite a great race by MTSU, Virginia Tech would narrowly take the win, 59 to 62. Still, it's hard to be too upset about that loss. The team ran very well and Jacob Choge established himself as the team ace after pushing Kibichiy to the line once again. GLC would be the last major invite before the post-season where things certainly wouldn't get any easier. At the Conference USA Championships, Middle Tennessee State battled with UTEP in what was one of the more underrated matchups of conference week. When the scores were tallied, UTEP emerged as the victor by 12 points with the both teams having individuals scattered throughout the top 15. However, Jacob Choge did take the win over established distance star, Jonah Koech. Luckily, the Raiders would be able to bounce back at the South Region Championships. Choge and Chemadi took the top two spots and led their team to an automatic qualifier, 15 points behind the Ole Miss Rebels for the title. As the team toed the line at the NCAA Championships, my expectations for MTSU were high (especially for Jacob Choge). Unfortunately, their inexperience got the best of them. Choge finished 31st overall (in the team scoring) while the rest of his team placed 119, 161, 189, and 197. Middle Tennessee would finish with a score of 697 and place 28th overall. Why do I like the Blue Raiders in 2017? They return a heavy portion of their squad, have younger guys who are on the rise, and now have experience on the big stage. Jacob Choge has shown that he can be a reliable ace and Kigen Chemadi looks like an excellent #2 man. Don't sleep on the point scoring potential of this duo. At the same time, the final three scorers are all set to be seniors. Their veteran status and experience brings a great sense of security and reliability. They rarely struggled in 2016 with relatively consistent performances across the board. Overall, this is a very solid team and there isn't much else to say besides that. They have a complete scoring five and all of the pieces that make up a future regional champion. However, if they want to be a top 10 team, I am looking for this group to tighten their time spread and improve their overall placement. If they can accomplish that, then don't be surprised when MTSU pulls off a string of upsets. #Top25 #ncaa #rankings #analysis #gzatlin

20. Georgetown Hoyas Coach: Brandon Bonsey Notable Departures: Scott Carpenter, Michael Lederhouse, Michael Clevenger, Christian Alvarado (?) Notable Additions: Seth Eliason, Ty Brownlow Projected Scoring Five: Jonathan Green (Rs. SR) [TSR#9] , Amos Bartelsmeyer (Rs. SR), Jack Van Scoter (SO), Matthew Bouthillette (SO), Eion Nohilly (Rs. FR) Analysis: The grass is green, the sky is blue, and Georgetown will qualify for Nationals in 2017. One of the NCAA's premier powerhouse teams have been the Georgetown Hoyas and although they lose a huge chunk of key runners, this team will find a way to rebound for this upcoming cross country season. Expectations were high for the Hoyas in 2016. Green had proven that he was one of the best in the nation in 2015, Notre Dame low-stick Michael Clevenger entered the program as a graduate student, and a strong group of recruits were catching attention from fans around the nation. What could possibly go wrong? The first meet of their season was at Paul Short which they were favored to win. Unfortunately, Green had a poor race and Clevenger struggled in his season debut. Apparently, Green was coming off a summer in which he sustained an injury. It would be the first and only race of Green's 2016 season. Iona would go to win with a monster score of 34 points. Georgetown was runner-up with a score of 115. With Clevenger struggling to adjust and Green out for the rest of the season, the pressure was now on Georgetown to use the guys they had to be successful. Luckily, Scott Carpenter had reached a completely new level of fitness which was evident by his Paul Short win. At the same time, Christian Alvarado was a sophomore showing promise while Bartelsmeyer and Lederhouse provided excellent experience for the squad. The next stop on the schedule was the Wisconsin Invite and the result would be a bit more positive than Paul Short. Scott Carpenter would once again put together a huge performance by placing 13th overall. The rest of the squad was spread out rather evenly by placing 51, 84, 106, and 145. The Hoyas would place 14th overall and beat future regional auto-lock teams like NC State and Michigan State (which earned them Kolas points). BIG East's was where we saw a bit more consistency from the Hoyas with finishes of 2, 5, 6, 9, and 11. Georgetown would easily take the conference title and shift their focus to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships with the goal of qualifying for Nationals. Sure enough, the Hoyas took care of business with a strong score of 66 points to defeat a deep Navy team and take the regional title. Although their success in the post-season had been strong, NCAA's would prove to be a different beast. Despite a great 8th place finish by Carpenter (in the team scoring), the rest of the team struggled with finishes of 46, 134, 171, 175. The Hoyas would go to finish 21st overall. Admittedly, 2016 was a rough year for the men in DC. It doesn't help that they lost one of the best runners in the NCAA in their very first meet and it also doesn't help that their star transfer (Clevenger) had difficulty adjusting to a new environment. There were also expectations that Darren Fahy would be racing that season, which wasn't the case. Still, when you consider everything that happened, Georgetown actually held their own quite well. A program can only handle so many low-stick absences and this team responded very well to the challenges. In 2017, things will not get much easier for the Hoyas thanks to a lack of eligibility removing three scorers from their roster. Carpenter, Clevenger, and Lederhouse were guys that kept this team competitive. To no longer see them in the Hoya lineup will be a huge blow. We also can't overlook the fact that Christian Alvarado is missing from Georgetown's 2017 roster. Is that simply a mistake? Did Alvarado quit? Leave the team? The uncertainty of his status is concerning and until we know more, we have to assume he is no longer with the team. That said, the names that do return are capable of filling the void left by these big names. Jonathan Green is set to return for his final cross country season and although he had difficulties with injuries last fall, his performances during outdoor track indicate that Green is back to full health and fitness. Do not undervalue what he could bring to the team. Amos Bartelsmeyer is another race-savy veteran who has consistently given the Hoyas a reliable scorer to lean on. As long as he can produce similar results to 2016 (or better) than Georgetown should be very solid up front. The next two scorers will most likely consist of sophomores Jack Van Scoter and Matthew Bouthilette, two high school stars that did very well in their first year of collegiate competition. The great thing about this duo is that we've seen guys of similar talent levels make significant improvements during their sophomore years with Georgetown. I strongly believe that this duo will follow suit and continue to build on their experience from last year. It's difficult to say who the next scorer is going to be, but if I had to guess, I would say Eion Nohilly is a good option. Why? I am a firm believer that the best track event to showcase cross country fitness is the steeplechase (due to it's variability and irregular racing layout). If we look at Nohilly, he had some very solid success in the steeple this past spring and posted a personal best of 9:05 as a true freshman. Even if Nohilly doesn't make his way into the scoring five, there are still plenty of names that could step up and play a role. Michael Crozier was someone who found a spot in Georgetown's starting lineup last year. He could end up bettering his performances in 2017. Additionally, the Hoyas bring in an excellent recruiting class which includes sub-15 minute 5k runner, Seth Eliason and NXN All-American, Ty Brownlow. Either of these incoming freshmen could have a role on this 2017 team. Yet, at the end of the day, the biggest reason why Georgetown will be successful is not because of their elite low-sticks, top-tier recruiting, or solid depth. This program will be successful simply because they are the Georgetown Hoyas. In the past 19 years, G-town has only missed out on Nationals once. That stat alone should make you think twice before betting against the Hoyas. #Top25 #analysis #gzatlin #ncaa #rankings

21. Tulsa Hurricanes Coach: Steve Gulley Notable Departures: Luke Traynor, Dallas Elmore Notable Additions: Henry Williams, Isaac Akers, Scott Beattie Projected Scoring Five: Benjamin Preisner (SR), Henry Pearce (Rs. SR), Adam Roderique (Rs. SR), Isaac Dobos (Rs. JR), Issac Akers (FR) Analysis: What impresses me about the Tulsa Hurricanes is that no matter who they graduate, they always find a way to stay competitive and make it to the National Championships. A lot of that success can be credited to Steve Gulley who has taken respectable recruits and turned them into absolute studs. There aren't many coaches who can maximize the production they get out of their athletes like Gulley does. When we look at Tulsa's 2016 season, you could argue that the Hurricanes were in the same situation they were in now. Their reliable ace, Marc Scott, had just run out of cross country eligibility. The rest of the team was deep and they had a great pack, but they needed to find another low-stick. The first meet of the season came at the Cowboy Jamboree where the Hurricanes would have to face their Mid-West regional rivals, Oklahoma State. The task would prove to be a difficult one as OSU out-ran Tulsa and defeated them by 20 points. It may have been a tough loss for the 'Canes, but they could at least argue that their pack running was strong and showed potential. Next on the schedule was the Wisconsin Invite where we got to see what this Hurricane squad was really made of. Luke Traynor was the highlight of the team after placing 11th overall. Luckily, his low-stick finish helped make up for the gaps throughout the rest of the scorers who placed 61, 71, 95, and 129. The Hurricanes would finish 13th in the team scoring. The team transitioned to the post-season where they easily cruised through their conference meet (AAC) to secure the team title. The real test wouldn't be until the Mid-West Regional Championships where Tulsa would once again battle Oklahoma State and other quality opponents like Illinois, Iowa State, and Minnesota. Of course, that didn't matter as Luke Traynor took the individual title while his teammates placed 10th, 11th, and 12th through four men. In fact, the Hurricanes had the best top four in the entire region. Unfortunately, Tulsa's 5th man would place 55th overall, dashing any hopes of an Oklahoma State upset. Still, the Hurricanes would place 2nd overall and secure the 2nd auto-lock spot for Nationals. It was clear that Tulsa was beginning to reach their peak at the right time and there was no race more evident of that than at NCAA's, their best race of the season. Once again, Luke Traynor was the low-stick who gave Tulsa the edge they needed with a 13th place finish. Preisner, Roderique, and Pearce continued to stay reliable by finishing 72, 76, and 106. Yet, that 5th man continued to be an issue with the final Tulsa scorer coming in at 159th. When the final team scores were tallied, Tulsa walked away with an 11th place team finish. They had blown away expectations in the post-season and established themselves as a threat in 2017. We are now only a month out from the official start of the cross country season and the narrative for Tulsa is still the same. Much like 2016, they lost a huge piece in Luke Traynor who was responsible for the team scoring never getting out of hand. With Traynor now out of the picture, the Hurricanes will be looking for a new low-stick to lead their team. Will they be able to find a legitimate replacement? They've done it before, but it's certainly not going to be easy. Yet, even with the loss of Traynor, this team is deep and returns the rest of their squad from 2016. Preisner, Pearce, and Rodrique are a formidable top three who kept a tight pack throughout the 2016 season. One of these three could emerge as the front-runner that Tulsa needs, but even if they don't, their experience and consistency will prove to be very valuable at the bigger invitationals. However, the final two Tulsa scorers is where things become a little obscure. Dobos and Ort traded turns being the 5th scorer last year and although they had their off days, I expect them to improve with age. Even if Dobos and Ort don't make noticeable improvements, some people forget just how talented some of these younger guys are. Two incoming freshmen from England are Isaac Akers and Scott Beattie who have run personal bests of 8:18 and 8:28 for 3000 meters. Imagine what they could do with a collegiate program... If you count the freshmen who were redshirted last year, Tulsa has 12 names that have never raced collegiate cross country before. I would be very surprised if the Hurricanes couldn't find a pair of reliable scorers to complete their top five scorers. It's easy to undervalue Tulsa. We did it last year and they ended up as the 11th best team in the nation. While I do think that the loss of Traynor will hurt, I still see this squad staying very competitive and possibly defending their auto-lock spot that they earned at last year's regional championship. With a vast supply of depth and exciting new recruits, the potential upside of this team is at an all-time high. #rankings #Top25 #analysis #gzatlin #ncaa

22. Southern Utah Thunderbirds Coach: Eric Houle Notable Departures: N/A Notable Additions: Travis Feeny, Clayton Adams Projected Scoring Five: Mike Tate (Rs. SR) [TSR#39] , Kasey Knevelbaard (JR), Josh Collins (JR), Matthew Wright (Rs. SR), Aidan Reed (SO) Analysis: There aren't many programs that can stay as relevant as Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds are always at the top of the NCAA and have been for the past few years. Their mix of depth, production of low-sticks, and consistently solid coaching has (historically) kept this group competitive and that will certainly be the case this fall. In order to understand why SUU will be so good in 2017, we need to understand where they were last year. We can start with their Roy Griak performance which held a very large field of teams. For many underclassmen, that can be a difficult meet to navigate. Luckily for the Thunderbirds, their underclassmen thrived under pressure as Kasey Knevelbaard and Aidan Reed placed 9th and 10th overall to lead the way. Matthew Wright was the team's third scorer in 27th place. Unfortunately, the 4th and 5th men struggled as they placed 89th and 90th in the team scoring. To put that gap in perspective, if the scoring was done for just the first three men, Southern Utah would have placed 3rd overall. But after their 5th man crossed the line, they had to settle for 8th overall in the team standings. Although the weakness of their bottom scorers was a cause for concern, there was still plenty of time to develop and improve. The next stop would be Notre Dame as the Thunderbirds sought to build on their Roy Griak performance. Sure enough, impressive pack running and a tighter time-spread proved to be the difference maker as they placed 5th overall ahead of accomplished programs like Washington State, California, Air Force, Bradley, and NC State. Kasey Knevelbaard once again led the way with a 12th place finish and was followed by his teammates who finished 37, 45, 46, and 47. It would have been easy for Roy Griak and Notre Dame to be the only big meets Southern Utah ran at before the start of championship season, but the Wisconsin Invite proved to be too good to pass up. Individually, there wasn't a lot that stood out about the Thunderbirds at this meet. However, they did have another solid day as a team with a 12th place finish overall. Their top four finishers ranged anywhere from 45th to 76th, but their 5th man proved to be the only blemish with a 114th place finish. Still, the meet was a productive one. Little did Southern Utah know, they would leave Wisconsin with four crucial Kolas points. The next phase of their fall campaign would be the post-season which started at BIG Sky's where they settled for a runner-up finish to NAU. The more unpredictable meet would be the Mountain Region Championships. Surprisingly, the Thunderbirds struggled as they placed 6th overall. Ironically, their low-stick throughout the entire season (Kasey Knevelbaard) was the 5th man that hurt the team time-spread. Yet, even with the lack-luster performance, Southern Utah still had enough Kolas points to push in the three other "At-Large" teams ahead of them to Nationals. You would expect the Thunderbirds to rebound at Nationals, right? Unfortunately, not. Josh Collins emerged as the team's top scorer by placing 61st overall. The rest of the team had a difficult showing as the next four scorers placed 156, 168, 180, and 203. Southern Utah would place 27th overall and end their season knowing that they had plenty more to give. There's a lot to take away from the 2016 season, but the biggest thing that stands out to me is that Kasey Knevelbaard has proven that he can be a legitimate low-stick. His performances on the track this past spring were impressive and caught the attention of people around the nation, but his races during cross country are arguably just as strong. It's also very possible that he continues to build on that fitness and matures as a runner. And let's not forget, this is a team that returns their entire top seven from the 2016 season. Guys like Josh Collins and Aidan Reed can now say that they have experience competing at NCAA's which should benefit them at the larger invites. Sure, they'll need to improve their consistency, but that's expected by simply being another year older. The same could be said about Matthew Wright who needs to improve his consistency, but is still incredibly valuable to this Southern Utah program. Of course, we can't just leave out the fact that Mike Tate returns to the squad in 2017. After redshirting the 2016 cross country season, Mike Tate had a breakout spring track season where he ran a 5k personal best of 13:34. He had some very respectable and consistent performances during the 2015 cross country season, but his results on the track were what really peaked my interest. Track performances don't always relate to cross country, but there is certainly a lot to like about Tate in 2017. How can you dislike this Southern Utah team? They have two front runners in Tate and Knevelbaard, return everyone from the 2016 season, and have shown that they can still stay competitive if someone has an off day. Of course, like all teams in the NCAA, Southern Utah isn't perfect. Struggles in their championship meets and inconsistency throughout the 2016 season has left me cautious as to where this team should be ranked. At the same time, it's not a guarantee that Mike Tate will be the super-star that he was on the track (although to be fair, it's more probable than not). Because of the speculation and uncertainties, the Thunderbirds will have to settle as the 22nd team in our rankings. With that in mind, don't let the imperfections of this squad make you think that they won't be competitive. SUU can only go up from here with a never ending pool of talent to pick and choose from. I feel bad for any team in the Mountain region that was hoping to make it to Nationals in 2017. The T-birds are not making that task any easier this year. #gzatlin #Top25 #analysis #rankings #ncaa

23. Princeton Tigers Coach:  Jason Vigilente Notable Departures:  Will Bertrand, Gavin Gaynor Notable Additions: Drake Anzano Projected Scoring Five: Conor Lundy (SO)  [TSR#33] , William Paulson (Rs. SR), Steven Sum (Rs. SO), Viraj Deokar (SO), Noah Kauppila (SR) Analysis: When you look at the overall competition of the NCAA, there are plenty of rising conferences that have consistently improved over the past few years. Of those conferences, the Ivy League stands out as a legitimate contender in comparison to their Power Five opponents as programs like Columbia and Penn have begun to see a higher level of competition. But there is one team that has consistently stood out as a top threat year-in and year-out. That team is the Princeton Tigers. The fall of 2016 would be a season filled with surprises and learning curves. Even with Steven Sum out for the season, the Tigers were still incredibly young and would rely on the experience of older guys like William Paulson, Noah Kauppila, and Will Bertrand to guide them through the season. Princeton would begin their cross country competition at the Harvard, Yale, Princeton tri-meet (HYP). Yale's James Randon may have won on the individual side, but Princeton easily took the win with a score of 23 points.  After sending a few of the younger guys to Paul Short, the Tigers toed the line at the Wisconsin Invite for their first big challenge of the season. Unfortunately, the challenge would prove to be a bit too much for the Ivy League studs as they had to settle for 28th (out of 30) with only one individual cracking the top 100. Of course, it would be ignorant not to mention who that one individual was.  The big story of the Wisconsin Invite was seeing Princeton's true freshman Conor Lundy cruise past an elite and experienced field of competitors to place 19th in the first major collegiate invite of his career. Princeton had found themselves a true ace. Wisconsin may have been a struggle, but the Tiger shifted their focus to Heps as they looked to pull off an upset over Penn and show off their new and exciting low-stick (Lundy). When the score was tallied, Penn did end up with the conference title. However, Princeton put together a strong performance with a runner-up finish (13 points back). In fact, Princeton actually outscored Penn through 4 men (25 to 26), but faltered at the 5th man spot as Noah Kauppila fell to 26th overall. The final meet of the season would be the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships as the Tigers looked to improve upon their impressive Heps performance...and they did just that! The Tigers would get their revenge over Penn by placing 3rd overall behind Georgetown and Navy. Of Princeton's top five, three of them were freshmen which would end up being the difference maker in the results as the Tigers went 3, 9, 18, 22, and 45th with the last scorer being the outlier in the scoring equation. Of course, the biggest factor to consider was that William Paulson didn't run at regionals. Was it due to an injury or a coach's decision? The answer is still unclear. Their season may have ended early, but there was a lot to be proud of. Princeton thrived with a majority of their scorers being freshmen, Paulson not running at regionals, and Sum being out for the entire season. The odds were stacked against the Tigers, but they surpassed expectations. So where does this leave Princeton in 2017? We can first look at the rising sophomores who will make up a majority of this squad. Conor Lundy is a legitimate low-stick who has had an impact far beyond his Wisconsin Invite race. He will be followed by a returner in Steven Sum who may not have run in 2016, but had notable performances two years ago when he placed 24th at the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. His third year with the Tigers should allow him to have a strong base to compete at the top level. Viraj Deokar is another rising name who showed very solid progress throughout 2016 as he eventually worked his way into the scoring five.  The more experienced guys like Noah Kauppila and William Paulson will be nice support pieces for a team that still has a lot to learn and improve upon. It's important that we keep a close eye on Paulson who is coming off of a breakout spring track season where he defeated Drew Hunter and ran a personal best of 3:42 in the 1500. If that fitness translates over to the cross country course, then Princeton could have another dangerous low-stick in their lineup.  Princeton's projected scoring five is an impressive group, but the depth behind them is equally as talented. Guys such as Garrett O'Toole, Jeremy Spieizo, and Gannon Willcutts have all shown signs of promise and could continue to develop their fitness in an effort to join the scoring five. Even if they don't, they'll still be solid individuals to have in their pool of depth.  It will be an exciting year for the Tigers as they are set to build on what was a very solid 2016. The younger guys have plenty of upside and will only improve thanks to their familiarity with the program. The addition of Steven Sum back to the lineup is also a huge boost.  The Ivy League is wide open in 2017 and is Princeton's to lose. The same goes for the Mid-Atlantic region with Georgetown appearing as the only threat to a team title. In regards to their team structure, the Tigers have all of the necessary pieces they need to be successful. Now, they need to capitalize on their maturing underclassmen and the seniors that they do have. If they can build enough momentum throughout the season, then watch out for this team at NCAA's. #rankings #Top25 #analysis #ncaa #gzatlin

24. Michigan State Spartans Coach: Walt Drenth Notable Departures: Sherod Hardt, Nick Soter Notable Additions: Projected Scoring Five: Ryan Robinson (JR) [TSR#49] , Jesse Hersha (SO), Clark Ruiz (Rs. SR), Morgan Beadlescomb (SO), Matthew Thomas (Rs. SO) Analysis: One of the most consistent teams in the NCAA are the MSU Spartans. Every year, this team is able to produce some very solid depth and put together a slew of strong performances. In 2017, they will be much more experienced and just as strong through seven runners (or more) despite losing two key individuals in Hardt and Soter. 2016 was a great season for the Spartans and many of their performances did not get the recognition they deserved. Let's begin at the Roy Griak Invite, where the Spartans fielded 10 men, five of whom were underclassmen. It would have been easy for the youth of this team to collapse under the pressure of such a big invitational, but MSU did quite well with their younger guys. Sophomore Ryan Robinson had a breakout performance by placing 4th overall and was followed by Sherod Hardt who finished in 15th. The rest of the squad held their own by placing 38th, 50th, and 58th for a 5th place team finish. It may not have been a perfect season opener, but it was still good enough to beat out programs like UCLA, Colorado State, and Southern Utah. Michigan State later toed the line at the Wisconsin Invite without Ryan Robinson. The result was...ugly. Sherod Hardt placed a respectable 39th overall, but the final four scorers ranged anywhere from 82nd to 111th, too far back to keep their team score competitive with an 18th place team finish. The next stop was BIG 10's where the Spartans would have to face very strong programs like Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. But like any great team, MSU built off of their struggles at the Wisconsin Invite and surpassed expectations. Aggressive front-running tactics from freshman Jesse Hersha helped the Spartans hold the top five spots at the mile marker. It also helped that Ryan Robinson was back in the lineup. Although those top five spots wouldn't hold, Michigan State still held on for a score of 66 points...three points away from upsetting the Badgers. The Spartans also cruised past rivals like Michigan and Indiana. The Green & White repeated their performance at the Great Lakes Regional Championships with another runner-up finish to Wisconsin. However, this result meant so much more. Despite having all five of their scorers in the top 30, the real hero was redshirt freshman Matthew Thomas, their 6th man who broke the tie breaker against Indiana to take the 2nd automatic qualifying spot to NCAA's. Had Thomas not run as well as he did, MSU may not have gone to Nationals. At the finals stage of the 2016 season (Nationals), the Spartans looked to extend of their post-season magic. Unfortunately, that didn't happen as their performance was strikingly similar to their race at the Wisconsin Invite. Sherod Hardt had a great day and became an All-American by placing 21st, but the inexperience of the squad finally caught up with them as they finished in spots 96, 105, 135, and 147. The Spartans ended their season by placing 20th overall. I really like Michigan State and the guys they return this year. Ryan Robinson will be a solid low-stick and will most likely be complimented by a very gutsy runner in Jesse Hersha who simply needs to mature as a runner before he becomes another ace for this team. Morgan Beadlescomb is another rising sophomore who gave the Spartans some points last year. He will thrive in 2017 with a year of experience now under his belt. Potential scorers like Clark Ruiz and Max Benoit will bring experience and consistency to a team that is still relatively young. It's also exciting to think that Ruiz just ran 28:52 for a 10k on the track this past spring. He may be at a different tier of fitness compared to 2016... Other support pieces like Justine Kiprotich, Matthew Thomas, and Daniel Sims have proven that they can contribute to this MSU squad during the cross country season. While they do provide insurance and consistency, they also add a bit more of a veteran presence as all three of those names have been with the team for three years now. Of course, like any other university, this team isn't without their flaws. The loss of Sherod Hardt means that there is no more guarantee of a consistent low-stick (although I do have a lot of faith in Ryan Robinson and Jesse Hersha). Additionally, Nick Soter was another consistent scorer who will not be easy to replace from an experience perspective. The Spartans may be another year older, but they are still a young group overall. The men from East Lansing will be strong opponents in 2017. They may have lost their ace Sherord Hardt, but their BIG 10 rivals have also lost crucial pieces to their teams as well. Wisconsin will most likely be the favorites to win the conference and regional titles again, but the Spartans are still very much in the title conversation and could easily be the favorites by late October / early November. #Top25 #analysis #rankings #gzatlin #ncaa