2017 FloXC Countdown

2017 FloXC Countdown: #7 Colorado Men

2017 FloXC Countdown: #7 Colorado Men

2017 FloXC Countdown: #7 Colorado Men

Sep 8, 2017 by Gordon Mack
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Follow our 2017 FloXC Countdown, where FloTrack ranks the top 25 cross country teams and individuals in the NCAA this season which will be LIVE on FloTrack. And, be sure to watch our LIVE FloXC Podium Reveal Show Tuesday September 12th at 10AM CT. The No. 7 men's spot goes to Colorado, and here's why:

Probable Top Six:

JR John Dressel (7:51 3K; 13:42 5K; 8th at '17 NCAA 5K; 33rd at '16 NCAA XC)
SO Joe Klecker (4:01 Mile; 7:51 3K; 13:42 5K; 7th at '17 NCAA 5K; 28th at '16 NCAA XC)
SR Zach Perrin (3:59 Mile; 7:55 3K; 13:46 5K; 11th at '17 NCAA 5K; 125th at '16 NCAA XC)
JR Ryan Forsyth (8:08 3K; 13:57 5K; 29:32 10K; 74th at '16 NCAA XC)
JR Ethan Gonzales (14:05 5K; 29:33 10K; 49th at '16 NCAA Mountain XC)
FR Eduardo Herrera (4:04 Mile; 8:04 3K)

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Mark Tedder via Cornell (4:03 Mile; 8:02 3K; 13:57 5K)

Analysis:

Last year's sixth-place finish was an outlier for the Colorado men. From 2011 to 2015 the Buffaloes, made the podium (top four) every year. This year, we rank the Buffs seventh based on last year's sixth-place finish and the loss of All-American Ben Saarel.

This year's squad is led by two consistent All-Americans in John Dressel and Joe Klecker. Both of these men are sure to crack the top 25, and on a good day maybe the top 10. Behind these two runners is a trio of redshirt juniors/seniors in Zach Perrin, Ryan Forsyth, and Ethan Gonzales. All three of these men have strong track PBs and the ability to be top-50 runners, which will be the difference between being a top-10 team and a top-4 team.

Colorado also debuts a strong 2016 recruiting class after they redshirted their first year. One of Phillip Rocha, Eduard Herrera, or Connor Dunne should make an impact in the top seven this year.

Seventh place is a conservative preseason ranking for the uber-talented Colorado men. If the Buffs run like they did at the 2016 Pac-12 championships, we could be seeing yet another podium finish by the Mark Wetmore led team.

FULL MEN'S RANKINGS HERE