Head Coach:

Joe Franklin (8th Year)

 

Last Year:

1st Mountain West

3rd Mountain Region

11th NCAA 

 

Probable Top Five:

SR Peter Callahan (1:48 800m; 3:39 1500m)

SR Ross Matheson (3:43 1500m; 131st NCAA XC '13)

SR Todd Wakefield (3:41 1500m; 8:02 3k; 14:02 5k; 111st NCAA XC '12)

JR Elmar Engholm (3:45 1500m; 8:49 3k Steeple; 186th NCAA XC '13)

SR Jake Shelley (3:43 1500m; 8:09 3k)

 

Impact Freshman/Recruits:

Daniel Studley - Bristol and West, UK (3:43 1500m; 8:21 3k; 14:28 5k)

Todd Wakefield - Transfer from Washington State
Matt Bergin - Brunell University, UK (3:44 1500m; 8:18 3k; 14:05 5k)

 

Analysis:
Whatever Joe Franklin’s sales pitch is, the City of Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce should ask if they can borrow it. Franklin has managed to talk Oxford's Jake Shelley, Sammy Silva on the women’s team from Harvard, and 5th year graduate student, Peter Callahan from Princeton. Those are some heavy duty transfers to the University of New Mexico from three of the top 20 universities in the world. And they can run too.

New Mexico lost their number one runner, Brit Luke Caldwell, and that does hurt because he was a true 10k talent. He recently ran in the Commonwealth Games for England in the 25 lapper. Peter Callahan is a real unknown in cross country. His 3:39 for 1500m is outstanding, but he seems to lean more toward middle distance than cross country. Perhaps Coach Franklin’s can adapt his sales pitch to transferring from the track to cross country.

 

In fact, all of the top Lobos seem to be talented 1500 meter men, some of whom can run longer when they have to. That is where transfers Jake Shelley and Washington State’s Todd Wakefield step in. Wakefield was 111th in 2012 and Shelley has some good experience in cross in the UK. Wakefield is almost as fast as Callahan, and if the course is dry this year, it will certainly help Franklin’s boys.

 

Swede Elmar Engholm and Scot Ross Matheson have each had some bright cross country moments. Matheson has slightly better times, but Engholm has an 8:49 3k steeple behind him. Another interesting transfer is Englishman Daniel Studley, who like his fellow Lobos, is a better 1500 meter runner than anything else.

The Mountain Region for men is brutal. New Mexico will need to have their speed boys with miles under their belts if they expect to qualify there. But the good news is, and this applies to all Mountain Region teams, if you can get to Terre Haute from there, you will place well.

New Mexico has never had cross country success like Joe Franklin has brought them. He knows what he is doing and will have his milers ready to go. Oh, and did we mention, the Mountain Regionals are at home for Coach Franklin. Bet on the Lobos to be in Indiana in November. 

#16 Wisconsin Women
#17 North Carolina Men