NCAA XC Countdown #9: Portland Men and UConn Women

Aug 22, 2013 by Isaac Wood

For the next few weeks, The Wood Report will be counting down projected team finishes in this year's NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, IN. Make sure to stay up-to-date with The Wood Report throughout the season. Feel free to follow him on Twitter, too.

View the full NCAA Top 31 Countdown HERE.

Portland Men

Head Coach: Rob Conner (24th Season)

2012 National Finish - 12th

Key Returners from 2012

Scott Fauble (Jr., 3:45 1500m, 14:00 5k, 29:11 10k)
David Perry (Jr., 3:45 1500m, 13:58 5k, 29:09 10k)
William Kincaid (Jr., 3:45 1500m, 13:58 5k, 29:49 10k)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

William Krebs (Jr., From Germany- 8:02 Open 3k, 14:13 5k, 29:21 10k)
Josh Gorecki (Sr., 14:10 5k)
Danny Martinez (Redshirt Frosh, 8:57 3200m (HS), 9th USA Jr XC Champs '13)

Season Preview

There is not a team in the country, besides BYU, that I know more about than Portland. After studying their athletes and their performances very closely over the last three years, Portland is as consistent a team in the country of producing when it matters and Rob Conner is a master recruiter. Even if there seemingly should be a down year in Portland, like last season (Dunbar, Osoro and Kipchumba gone) Conner still somehow won the West Coast Championship, was 2nd in the West Regional and finished 12th in Louisville.

With a very solid core group of returning studs and some very good incoming guys, the Pilots are looking like a much improved team from 2012. Everything starts with the three guys from Colorado. Scott Fauble, David Perry and William (Woody) Kincaid lead this sqaud and are the heart and soul of the program.

Fauble has been the no. 1 runner for the Pilots for the majority of the last year. He's a tough competitor and has solid NCAA experience. His 11th place finish at NCAA at 10k in 2012 and 26th (All-American) finish at NCAAs last season is proof of that. He has very good range from 1500m to 10000 and needs to stay healthy and consistent for this triumvirate to do any damage.

Perry is a very talented athlete that lacks the consistency that Fauble has. He definitely has the ability to roll with Fauble in every move they make on the course or track, it is just a matter of him doing it when it matters most. In fact, Perry has the best PRs on the team on the track and is capable of being All-American in 2013, if he can stick to Fauble and stay consistently healthy and fit throughout the season.

Kincaid is a wildcard on this team. His huge run at the West Coast Cross Country meet in 2012 was a big reason why they upset BYU on their home course. Kincaid is a very untapped, talented athlete that if he can get the miles in this summer he could end up being the no. 1 runner on the team in 2013. Like Perry, Kincaid is a sub-14 5k guys and is capable of stepping up to 10k no problem. This three-headed monster is one of the best group of three in the NCAA and are all capable of All-American.

Beyond these three are a lot of question marks and new guys. Jacob Smith, Izaic Yorks and Aiden Irish, all significant contributors in 2012, are now running for different schools, but the Pilots have filled their space with fresh new faces already.

Danny Martinez is someone who can make an immediate impact for the Pilots. He is a proven cross country runner, having run well at the USA Junior meet this past year and was very good in high school. He can step right in to the top five and score for Portland.

Robert Krebs and Josh Gorecki are even more of a question mark than Martinez. Krebs might be the most talented of the two for 10k, but they are seemingly even at 5k and under. Gorecki is an experienced veteran runner that has one year to produce for the Pilots. Krebs is also an older athlete (24) and with his track ability he should be looking at the no. 4 spot for Rob Conner for the majority of the season.

The West Coast Conference Championships will once again be a battle between BYU and Portland. Portland is coming down to Provo to race BYU early at the beginning of September at the BYU Autumn Classic and that race will be a good indication where everyone's fitness is at and how things will shape out at the end of the season. Portland has some studs, but are not nearly as deep as they have been in years past. If the transfers can step up and support the Colorado triumvirate, Portland is back in the top 10 at NCAAs in 2013.

Editor's Note: After Lindsay Crevoiserat announced just a few days ago that she'll be transferring to Oregon, UConn should be ranked much lower.

#9

Connecticut Women

Head Coach: Amy Yoder-Begley (1st Season)

2012 National Finish- 8th

Key Returners from 2012

Allison Lasinicki (Sr., 15:59 5k, 33:36 10k)
Lauren Sara (Sr., 9:32 Open 3k, 16:21 5k, 33:48 10k)
Brigitte Mania (Sr., 2:04 800m, 4:22 1500m, 9:48 Open 3k)
Abby Mace (So.)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

~~Bethanie Brown (Fr., 4:50 1600m, 10:13 3200m, 16:41 NBON '13~~

Season Preview

Andrea Grove-McDonough, the coach that helped bring UCONN to relevance, is now in Ames, Iowa and another women with a hyphenated last name has come in to replace her. Amy Yoder-Begley, a 2008 Olympian in the 10000m, is now at the helm in Storrs. Begley is in good hands with having been given a great group of athletes that have made a ton of progress in bringing this program into one of the nation's best.

Things are always a bit different when a new coach comes in with a new philosophy and new style. It will be interesting to see how the UConn girls respond to the new training programs and a different coach. Begley is a proven athlete and it always helps to know that your coach knows exactly what you're going through, if not more, and will be able to relate with her athletes on almost every level.

Allison Lasinicki was the most consistent no. 1 runner for the Huskies (not counting NCAAs) in 2012 and is the most proven cross country runner on the squad. Lasinicki has all the motivation in the world as she had a very disappointing NCAA race in Louisville last season and is definitely All-American talented. 4th in the Big East and 3rd at the Northeast Regional, is certainly indicative of someone who is good enough to make the top-40 and Lasinicki should find herself in that range by the end of the season in Terre Haute. Her 9th place NCAAs finish outdoors in the 10k is also a good sign of her progression.

Lauren Sara and Brigitte Mania combine to make a good second group for the Huskies behind Lasinicki. The faster they can close the gap between themselves and the top two, will significantly increase their team's chances at NCAAs. Sara and Mania are polar opposites on the track, but can meet in the middle quite well for 6k. Sara is a beast on the track for 10k and Mania is a middle-distance power and they play crucial roles in the top five for Uconn.

Losing the likes of Lindsay Crevoiserat (transfer to Oregon), Shauna McNiff and Julia Zrinyi (got a release) will hurt this squad, but the signing of big time prep runner Bethanie Brown will help lessen the blow. Brown is a very good track girl who is very under experienced in cross country. Her track PRs prove her ability to run long events on the track, it's just a matter now of translating that to the cross country course. She should at least be their no. 5 runner the moment she steps on campus.

Edit: Brown has decided to follow the former UConn coach and attend Iowa State University.

This team is quite an intriguing team. A new coach, some girls who have stepped up recently and a very good newcomer in Storrs, the Huskies will give Georgetown all they want and more at conference and are capable of big things at the Big Dance in Terre Haute.