Looking Ahead at the Best NCAA XC Conference Match-Ups

Looking Ahead at the Best NCAA XC Conference Match-Ups

We're getting into the nitty gritty part of the season, so check out the best NCAA cross country conference match-ups, including the Big 12 Conference LIVE on FloTrack!

Oct 20, 2016 by Meg Bellino
Looking Ahead at the Best NCAA XC Conference Match-Ups
We're getting into the nitty gritty part of the NCAA cross country season with conference championship weekend approaching. Here are the most anticipated conference championship match-ups we'll see next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Be sure to tune into the Big 12 Cross Country Championship LIVE on FloTrack Saturday, October 29th at 10:00AM CT!



Pac-12 Conference


When:
Friday, October 28
Where: Tuscon, Arizona
Why: The top three women's programs in the NCAA, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, will go head-to-head-to-head. Whoever comes out on top will likely shoot to No. 1 in the Saucony Flo50 rankings. Top-ranked Colorado is the defending champion, with No. 3 Oregon winning in 2014 and 2012. The last time No. 2 Washington came out on top? 2009 when they placed four athletes in the top eight. Look out for No. 5 Erin Clark of Colorado, No. 6 and No. 7 Amy-Eloise Neale and Charlotte Prouse of Washington, and No. 9 Elise Cranny of Stanford to contest for the individual win. Cranny tweaked her foot while warming up at Pre-Nats, so this will be her first big race of the season. She was runner-up at the meet as a freshman in 2014.

Hear from Erin Clark after her Pre-Nationals runner-up performance:


In the men's race, we could see a new champion emerge. Since its entry into the Pac-12 in 2011, Colorado has won every conference title. Can Stanford  win its first crown since back-to-back victories in 2009 and 2010? The No. 2 Cardinal will likely debut newcomers Alex Ostberg and Thomas Ratcliffe to go against No. 4 Oregon and No. 8 Colorado. With aces Sean McGorty and Grant Fisher, this team could emerge as the team to beat come November 19

Oregon pulled off the Pre-Nationals victory, and we've all stopped counting out No. 1 Edward Cheserek. He's going for his fourth consecutive NCAA title next month; what better way to lead off the postseason than with his fourth straight Pac-12 title?

Atlantic Coast Conference


When: Friday, October 28
Where: Cary, North Carolina
Why: The Syracuse men have won the past three ACC titles, while the North Carolina State women are the favorites to win their first title since 2006. 

Will a 'Cuse victory be easy? Probably. But don't be surprised if the No. 12 Virginia men pull an upset. While Syracuse fell to fourth place at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite, Virginia placed third at Penn State. The Cavaliers placed four in the top 15 and were 11 seconds apart. If those athletes can hang with the Orange's top four, it could come down to the fifth man. 

Watch Syracuse's Justyn Knight earn KICK OF THE WEEK at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite:


The N.C. State women are ranked No. 4 in the NCAA, while No. 4 Anna Rohrer of No. 17 Notre Dame should grab the Fighting Irish's second consecutive individual victory after Molly Seidel's blistering victory (by over 30 seconds!) in 2015. Virginia beat N.C. State by four points last year, but after graduating many of their top athletes, the Cavaliers women are likely out of the running. The Wolfpack's runner-up finish in Wisconsin is telling of their talent, and a win here could put them one step closer to a podium finish in November.

Big 12 Conference


When: Saturday, October 29 LIVE ON FLOTRACK
Where: Lubbock, Texas
Why: The Oklahoma State women rocked the Big 12 in 2015 by winning their first conference title in school history and finishing sixth in the NCAA. Before that, Iowa State had ruled the conference for four straight seasons as one of the perennial distance programs in the country. The Cowgirls and Cyclones are back and strong, but watch out for potential new challenger Baylor.

The Baylor women scored 228 points to earn fifth place at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite. The Bears placed their top four scores in the top 31 and in a smaller field could overtake Iowa State (eighth at Wisconsin) and Oklahoma State.

On the men's side, only former conference member Colorado and current powerhouse Oklahoma State have won conference titles. The No. 10 Cowboys are the favorite and should easily handle No. 16 Iowa State. Dave Smith's team conquered No. 11 Ole Miss at the Penn State National XC Open and have a slew of individuals who could win the title, such as Hassan Abdi, Josh Thompson and Sylvester Barus. Since winning the team title in 2008, Oklahoma State hasn't scored over 33 points to claim the top Big 12 honor.

Watch No. 10 Oklahoma State defeat No. 11 Mississippi at the Penn State National XC Open:


Big Ten Conference


When: Sunday, October 30
Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Why: The last time the Big Ten Championship was held in Minneapolis in 2005, the Michigan women and Wisconsin men earned victories. I'm feeling nostalgic. No. 6-ranked Michigan lost to No. 8 Penn State by five points in 2015. The defending champion Nittany Lions' top three of Tessa Barrett, Elizabeth Chikotas, and Jillian Hunsberger showed their dominance at their home meet, but the Wolverines' Erin Finn, ranked No. 2 in the nation, is one of the favorites for the NCAA title. Expect a close battle between these top two teams.

Hear from Erin Finn after she dominated Pre-Nationals by over 20 seconds:


No. 9-ranked Wisconsin didn't look like the ninth-best team in the NCAA at the Nuttycombe Invite, but Malachy Schrobilgen had an off day and dropped out. Insert him in the lineup, add standout teammate Morgan McDonald, and the Badgers could very well go 1-2. The No. 20 Michigan Wolverines scored 63 points to win the conference in 2015, one of the highest winning scores in meet history. If anybody is going to spoil the Badgers' party, it'll be the Wolverines or the sleeper-pick No. 21 Indiana Hoosiers, who finished 56 points behind Michigan at Pre-Nats.

Be sure to tune into the Big 12 Cross Country Championship LIVE on FloTrack this Saturday at 10:00AM CT!