Is Syracuse For Real?!
Is Syracuse For Real?!
So how did the Syracuse Orange jump from #10 to #5 in our Saucony Flo50 Rankings?
#5 Syracuse men stunned just about everyone following the 2014 adidas Wisconsin Invite on Friday morning. Not that we didn’t think they could finish top 4, but they were going up against previously ranked #2 Stanford and #3 NAU. Yes we saw them finish runner-up at Boston a few weeks ago, but that race was essentially an Oregon (24), Syracuse (52), and Providence (79) show on the men’s side.
Cuse put all five runners in the top 24, placing 7-14-17-23-24. Talk about pack running. #20 Martin Hehir was their leader, beating All Americans #8 Joe Rosa and #16 Mason Ferlic in the process.
But let’s compare 2013 Wisconsin to 2014 Wisconsin.
2013 was fast. Arkansas’ Kemoy Campbell won in 23:12, followed by Maksim Korlev (23:14), and Andrew Colley (23:16). Fourth place Aaron Nelson was 10 seconds behind.
In terms of team finishes, NAU clinched with 121 points, placing five in the top 50. BYU had 174 with five in the top 65. Both teams went on to podium finishes at NCAAs (2nd and 4th, respectively).
In 2013, Syracuse finished 8th at Wisco with 306 points. Hehir was their #1, finishing 26th in 23:49, 7 seconds faster than his 2014 time (and 19 places behind). The Orange went on to finish 10th in Terre Haute.
So why is this year’s Wisco so different? 16 ranked men’s teams toed the line in Madison in hopes of gathering up as many Kolas points or bragging rights they could. Instead we saw a 4:56 opening mile. But really, we saw Jack Goodwin, a Junior from Florida State. About 7 minutes into the race, Goodwin took off. Perhaps he thought people would join him. Perhaps he just felt really good. Whatever the case, he led the STACKED field for about 9 minutes before becoming swallowed up by the top men.
So Wisco was a kicker’s race. Which, with the exception of their top two runners, didn’t fare well for top teams #6 Stanford (5th, 220) and #8 NAU (6th, 225). As the Orange explained in their post race interview, they packed up early and stayed at the front of the massive team pack. They were able to flow as the tempo picked up.
But how will this team perform in a different setting? Favored frontrunners #17 Stanley Kebenei (Arkansas) and #21 Abbabiya Simbassa (Oklahoma) showed promise early in the season and failed to crack the top five in Wisco. Kebenei was 6th at NCAAs in 2013 and will want that top 5 spot. He’s going to perform better when the paces goes out faster than 5:00. And it will go out much faster.
So Can the Orange really claim that podium spot in Terre Haute? We’ll be watching for them at the ACC Championships on October 31st. Certainly their top opponent, the #11 Virginia Cavaliers, will know of their Wisco victory and how the race was won. They were 4th in the fast Washington Invitational this season and have a strong pack that will challenge the impressive Syracuse top 5.
Different race approaches favor different teams. We can’t wait for a fast race and a good upset. Syracuse, we’re listening.
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