2016 DI NCAA XC ChampionshipsNov 16, 2016 by Taylor Dutch
NCAA XC Championship Preview: Men's Teams Nos. 20-11
NCAA XC Championship Preview: Men's Teams Nos. 20-11
Check out the previews for the men's teams Nos. 20-11 for the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
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Check out the final breakdowns for each men's team heading into the NCAA Cross Country Championships this Saturday in Terre Haute, Indiana. Here are the previews for teams 20-11 in the men's race.
No. 20 Georgetown
Region: Mid-Atlantic, 1st
Conference: Big East
The Georgetown Hoyas are returning from defending the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Championship by winning the meet with four top 20 finishers in State College, Pennsylvania. The Hoyas tallied a score of 66 points, eight points ahead of runner-up Navy, to claim the 12th Northeast region title in program history. Georgetown accomplished the feat despite ongoing injuries throughout the season.
"The men ran fantastic today," GU interim director of track and field Julie Culley told GuHoyas.com after the regional. "The men have had injuries throughout the season that have changed the top five a couple times. To have a different top five today and still be the No. 1 team in the region is such an impressive accomplishment."
No. 19 Washington State
Region: West, 5th
Conference: Pac-12
For the second straight year, the Cougars earned an at-large berth to the NCAA championships. Washington State accomplished the feat by finishing fifth in the West region and scoring 21 points behind No. 11 Oregon. Team leaders Michael Williams and John Whelan finished together in 17th and 18th, respectively, and were followed by Chandler Teigen (27th), Sam Levora (36th), and Nathan Wadhwani (47th). It was an ideal performance to secure an at-large bid after the Cougars garnered points with a ninth-place finish at Wisconsin Invitational and a fifth-place finish at the Pac-12 championships.
No. 18 Michigan State
Region: Great Lakes, 2nd
Conference: Big Ten
The Spartans secured an automatic bid to the championship after finishing second in the Great Lakes region on Friday. Sherod Hardt flew through the line in third overall and led three more teammates in the top 25 of the race--Ryan Robinson (14th), Clark Ruiz (15th), and Nick Soter (22nd). It was the second straight meet that the Spartans finished second behind Wisconsin. The MSU squad finished just three points shy of the Badgers at Big Tens and continued the rivalry at Great Lakes with another runner-up finish to Wisconsin.
No. 17 Tulsa
Region: Midwest, 2nd
Conference: The American
The Tulsa men's team is returning from a second-place finish to Oklahoma State at the Midwest region championship. The performance was highlighted by a kick to the finish from team leader Luke Traynor, who out-ran Oklahoma State's Joshua Thompson for the individual title.
The Golden Hurricanes' regional performance was fresh off of its dominant team win at the American Cross Country Championships, where the squad beat Tulane with a 22-point spread. Before the conference meet, Tulsa earned a 13th-place finish at the Wisconsin Invitational after Trainer finished 11th in a deep field.
No. 16 UTEP
Region: Mountain, 5th
Conference: CUSA
UTEP threw down a fifth-place finish in the Mountain region in large part due to three all-region finishes from Jonah Koech (second), Antony Kosgei (13th), and Cosmas Boit (19th). Prior to the Mountain region championship, UTEP notched a sixth-place finish at the Pre-National Invitational and have since earned a narrow victory over No. 25 Middle Tennessee State. The Miners beat MTSU by just 12 points with the help of tight pack running which brought all five scorers into the top eight finishers. After a runner-up finish at regionals and conference, Koech earned the No. 15 ranking among the Saucony Flo50 individuals.
No. 15 Virginia
Region: Southeast, 2nd
Conference: ACC
The Cavaliers qualified for their fifth straight NCAA championship after finishing second to North Carolina State by 15 points at the southeast region championship. Led by a ninth-place finish from senior Zach Herriot, Virginia rolled into the finish line in a tight pack with freshman Lachlan Cook (12th), Chase Weaverling (14th), Matthew Novak (32nd), and Brent Demarest (38th) rounding out the top five scorers. Demarest was the key to success for the Cavaliers on Friday as he held off N.C. State's Elijah Moskowitz by less than a second and gave Virginia a one-point advantage over third-place Furman.
The Cavaliers also have an ace to play at the NCAA championships with NCAA indoor champion Henry Wynne. According to team sources, Wynne is scheduled to compete for Virginia at the championship after sitting out during the entire regular season. If Wynne competes, he could potentially bring an All-American finish to the team score.
No. 14 Colorado State
Region: Mountain, 4th
Conference: Mountain West
With all top five scorers within the first 34 finishers of the Mountain region, Colorado State accomplished an at-large bid to compete at the NCAA championships this weekend. Key scorer Jefferson Abbey greatly influenced the team performance at the regional with an 18th-place finish, just nine places behind team leader Jerrell Mock. An All-American, Abbey is rounding into form at the perfect time after tough races at Roy Griak and the Wisconsin Invitational. He will be integral to Colorado State's top 15 hopes in Terre Haute. Grant Fischer also had a standout performance at regionals to contribute to the team score.
"This year, it always seemed like we had a new guy in our top seven step up and run big for us," CSU head coach Art Siemers said after the regional meet. "Today it was Jefferson Abbey. He really stepped up big. Grant Fischer's shoe was dangling off. He stopped and tried to put it back on, couldn't get it all the way on and knew he had to run with just a little discomfort. The course today was a lot of gravel, so running without a shoe would've caused major problems. He kept his composure like he has all year and had a a great finish to be all-region for us."
No. 13 Wisconsin
Region: Great Lakes, 1st
Conference: Big Ten
After a tough 11th-place Wisconsin Invitational team performance, the Badgers came into form during championship season with a victory at the Big Ten championships and a win at the Great Lakes regional. After a narrow three-point win over Michigan State at Big Tens, Wisconsin returned to take care of business at Great Lakes. The Badgers dominated the region with 51 points, 30 points fewer than runner-up Michigan State. Wisconsin's victory was highlighted by a 1-2 punch from Malachy Schrobilgen and Morgan McDonald, who finished together in first and second overall. The remaining top five scorers finished within the first 21 individuals.
The team victories mark a much anticipated return to the NCAA meet for the Badgers, who suffered from injuries during the 2015 fall season. After missing the NCAA championship in 2015--the first time since 1972--Wisconsin head coach Mick Byrne was eager to return.
"A lot of people are calling it the season of redemption, and every single one of us takes that personally," Byrne told UWBadgers.com. "They came out here with a little bit of that vengeance. I don't know if we want to call it the season of redemption, but it feels really good right now."
No. 12 Oklahoma State
Region: Midwest, 1st
Conference: Big 12
The Cowboys have been throwing down team victories all season long with Big 12 championship and Midwest region titles being the most recent performances. The Midwest region crown marked Oklahoma State's sixth straight region win. The Cowboys and Cowgirls squad (which finished second to receive an automatic berth) have also shown depth in the top five lineup as the runners prove to be interchangeable on any given day. Oklahoma State head coach Dave Smith expressed confidence in his team, especially with All-American Joshua Thompson rounding into form with a runner-up region finish.
"If both teams run as well as they've run at times this year, we could be top 10," Smith told OKState.com. "It's something that hasn't happened since 2005, but with Kaela back and Josh back and everything working out, they're encouraging signs for where these teams could finish."
No. 11 Oregon
Region: West, 4th
Conference: Pac-12
History could be made this weekend by Oregon front-runner Edward Cheserek, who is gunning for his fourth straight NCAA cross country title. No man in NCAA history has accomplished the feat of winning four cross country titles, and the undefeated Cheserek is poised to do it. The senior has already captured 15 NCAA titles in his three and a half years as a Duck and leads a squad that could potentially crack the top 10 in the team race.
Although Oregon struggled with the heat in Arizona at the Pac-12 championships, the Ducks returned to secure an at-large bid after finishing fourth at the West regional. Cheserek won the individual crown once again and was followed by rising sophomore Matthew Maton, who finished second. Maton also finished as the Ducks' second scorer at the Pre-National Invitational with a sixth-place individual result. Although the front-runners finished high at regionals, Oregon will need its Nos. 3-5 scorers to close the gap in order to crack the top 10 in the team race.
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Check out the final breakdowns for each men's team heading into the NCAA Cross Country Championships this Saturday in Terre Haute, Indiana. Here are the previews for teams 20-11 in the men's race.
No. 20 Georgetown
Region: Mid-Atlantic, 1st
Conference: Big East
The Georgetown Hoyas are returning from defending the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Championship by winning the meet with four top 20 finishers in State College, Pennsylvania. The Hoyas tallied a score of 66 points, eight points ahead of runner-up Navy, to claim the 12th Northeast region title in program history. Georgetown accomplished the feat despite ongoing injuries throughout the season.
"The men ran fantastic today," GU interim director of track and field Julie Culley told GuHoyas.com after the regional. "The men have had injuries throughout the season that have changed the top five a couple times. To have a different top five today and still be the No. 1 team in the region is such an impressive accomplishment."
No. 19 Washington State
Region: West, 5th
Conference: Pac-12
For the second straight year, the Cougars earned an at-large berth to the NCAA championships. Washington State accomplished the feat by finishing fifth in the West region and scoring 21 points behind No. 11 Oregon. Team leaders Michael Williams and John Whelan finished together in 17th and 18th, respectively, and were followed by Chandler Teigen (27th), Sam Levora (36th), and Nathan Wadhwani (47th). It was an ideal performance to secure an at-large bid after the Cougars garnered points with a ninth-place finish at Wisconsin Invitational and a fifth-place finish at the Pac-12 championships.
No. 18 Michigan State
Region: Great Lakes, 2nd
Conference: Big Ten
The Spartans secured an automatic bid to the championship after finishing second in the Great Lakes region on Friday. Sherod Hardt flew through the line in third overall and led three more teammates in the top 25 of the race--Ryan Robinson (14th), Clark Ruiz (15th), and Nick Soter (22nd). It was the second straight meet that the Spartans finished second behind Wisconsin. The MSU squad finished just three points shy of the Badgers at Big Tens and continued the rivalry at Great Lakes with another runner-up finish to Wisconsin.
Mens Cross Country Earn Automatic Bid, Seven Spartans Named All-Regionalhttps://t.co/SaLZfrMRLc pic.twitter.com/MJOilSHfve
— MSU Track/Field & XC (@MSUTrackFieldXC) November 11, 2016
No. 17 Tulsa
Region: Midwest, 2nd
Conference: The American
The Tulsa men's team is returning from a second-place finish to Oklahoma State at the Midwest region championship. The performance was highlighted by a kick to the finish from team leader Luke Traynor, who out-ran Oklahoma State's Joshua Thompson for the individual title.
The Golden Hurricanes' regional performance was fresh off of its dominant team win at the American Cross Country Championships, where the squad beat Tulane with a 22-point spread. Before the conference meet, Tulsa earned a 13th-place finish at the Wisconsin Invitational after Trainer finished 11th in a deep field.
No. 16 UTEP
Region: Mountain, 5th
Conference: CUSA
UTEP threw down a fifth-place finish in the Mountain region in large part due to three all-region finishes from Jonah Koech (second), Antony Kosgei (13th), and Cosmas Boit (19th). Prior to the Mountain region championship, UTEP notched a sixth-place finish at the Pre-National Invitational and have since earned a narrow victory over No. 25 Middle Tennessee State. The Miners beat MTSU by just 12 points with the help of tight pack running which brought all five scorers into the top eight finishers. After a runner-up finish at regionals and conference, Koech earned the No. 15 ranking among the Saucony Flo50 individuals.
No. 15 Virginia
Region: Southeast, 2nd
Conference: ACC
The Cavaliers qualified for their fifth straight NCAA championship after finishing second to North Carolina State by 15 points at the southeast region championship. Led by a ninth-place finish from senior Zach Herriot, Virginia rolled into the finish line in a tight pack with freshman Lachlan Cook (12th), Chase Weaverling (14th), Matthew Novak (32nd), and Brent Demarest (38th) rounding out the top five scorers. Demarest was the key to success for the Cavaliers on Friday as he held off N.C. State's Elijah Moskowitz by less than a second and gave Virginia a one-point advantage over third-place Furman.
#UVATFCC men finish 2nd at #ncaaXC Southeast Regional to qualify for NCAAs for 5th year in a row! 3 Hoos all-region!https://t.co/hJwEeDS16s pic.twitter.com/RgKK8vEaoD
— Virginia T&F/CC (@UVA_Track) November 11, 2016
The Cavaliers also have an ace to play at the NCAA championships with NCAA indoor champion Henry Wynne. According to team sources, Wynne is scheduled to compete for Virginia at the championship after sitting out during the entire regular season. If Wynne competes, he could potentially bring an All-American finish to the team score.
No. 14 Colorado State
Region: Mountain, 4th
Conference: Mountain West
With all top five scorers within the first 34 finishers of the Mountain region, Colorado State accomplished an at-large bid to compete at the NCAA championships this weekend. Key scorer Jefferson Abbey greatly influenced the team performance at the regional with an 18th-place finish, just nine places behind team leader Jerrell Mock. An All-American, Abbey is rounding into form at the perfect time after tough races at Roy Griak and the Wisconsin Invitational. He will be integral to Colorado State's top 15 hopes in Terre Haute. Grant Fischer also had a standout performance at regionals to contribute to the team score.
"This year, it always seemed like we had a new guy in our top seven step up and run big for us," CSU head coach Art Siemers said after the regional meet. "Today it was Jefferson Abbey. He really stepped up big. Grant Fischer's shoe was dangling off. He stopped and tried to put it back on, couldn't get it all the way on and knew he had to run with just a little discomfort. The course today was a lot of gravel, so running without a shoe would've caused major problems. He kept his composure like he has all year and had a a great finish to be all-region for us."
No. 13 Wisconsin
Region: Great Lakes, 1st
Conference: Big Ten
After a tough 11th-place Wisconsin Invitational team performance, the Badgers came into form during championship season with a victory at the Big Ten championships and a win at the Great Lakes regional. After a narrow three-point win over Michigan State at Big Tens, Wisconsin returned to take care of business at Great Lakes. The Badgers dominated the region with 51 points, 30 points fewer than runner-up Michigan State. Wisconsin's victory was highlighted by a 1-2 punch from Malachy Schrobilgen and Morgan McDonald, who finished together in first and second overall. The remaining top five scorers finished within the first 21 individuals.
The team victories mark a much anticipated return to the NCAA meet for the Badgers, who suffered from injuries during the 2015 fall season. After missing the NCAA championship in 2015--the first time since 1972--Wisconsin head coach Mick Byrne was eager to return.
"A lot of people are calling it the season of redemption, and every single one of us takes that personally," Byrne told UWBadgers.com. "They came out here with a little bit of that vengeance. I don't know if we want to call it the season of redemption, but it feels really good right now."
No. 12 Oklahoma State
Region: Midwest, 1st
Conference: Big 12
The Cowboys have been throwing down team victories all season long with Big 12 championship and Midwest region titles being the most recent performances. The Midwest region crown marked Oklahoma State's sixth straight region win. The Cowboys and Cowgirls squad (which finished second to receive an automatic berth) have also shown depth in the top five lineup as the runners prove to be interchangeable on any given day. Oklahoma State head coach Dave Smith expressed confidence in his team, especially with All-American Joshua Thompson rounding into form with a runner-up region finish.
"If both teams run as well as they've run at times this year, we could be top 10," Smith told OKState.com. "It's something that hasn't happened since 2005, but with Kaela back and Josh back and everything working out, they're encouraging signs for where these teams could finish."
No. 11 Oregon
Region: West, 4th
Conference: Pac-12
History could be made this weekend by Oregon front-runner Edward Cheserek, who is gunning for his fourth straight NCAA cross country title. No man in NCAA history has accomplished the feat of winning four cross country titles, and the undefeated Cheserek is poised to do it. The senior has already captured 15 NCAA titles in his three and a half years as a Duck and leads a squad that could potentially crack the top 10 in the team race.
.@OregonTF's Edward Cheserek eyes history at NCAA meet Saturday. #GoDuckshttps://t.co/q6D9gUKecu pic.twitter.com/RSpogxbpkM
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) November 16, 2016
Although Oregon struggled with the heat in Arizona at the Pac-12 championships, the Ducks returned to secure an at-large bid after finishing fourth at the West regional. Cheserek won the individual crown once again and was followed by rising sophomore Matthew Maton, who finished second. Maton also finished as the Ducks' second scorer at the Pre-National Invitational with a sixth-place individual result. Although the front-runners finished high at regionals, Oregon will need its Nos. 3-5 scorers to close the gap in order to crack the top 10 in the team race.
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