NCAA XC Countdown #4: Oregon Men and Washington Women

Aug 30, 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.

#4 Oregon Men

Head Coach: Andy Powell (9th Season)

2012 National Finish- 20th
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key Returners from 2012

Parker Stinson (Sr., 7:55 Open 3k, 13:31 5k, 28:34 10k)
Jeremy Elkaim (Jr., 3:59 Mile, 13:39 5k)
Matthew Melancon (So., 14:09 5k, 29:31 10k)
Ryan Pickering (Jr., 14:19 5k, 29:48 10k)
Mac Fleet (Sr., 3:38 1500m, 49th West Regional '09)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

Ed Cheserek (Fr., 4:02 Mile, 8:39 2 Mile, 13:57 5k, 2 x FL Champion)
Jake Leingang (Fr., 4:05 1600m, 8:51 3200m, 14:11 5k, 3rd FL '12, 4th FL '11)
Brett Johnson (Sr., from Virginia- 3:58 Mile, FL Finalist - Transfered before 2013 indoor season)

Season Preview

Of all of the predictions and previews I have done thus far, there has been no team that I have mulled over where to put them more, than Oregon's men. Putting them at no. 4 came through a process of several factors. A lot of it has to do with their recent success on the track the past indoor and outdoor seasons. Another factor that played in was the better than typical recruiting class for the Ducks. Also, I do believe that Andy Powell is a good coach and is due for another run at the podium spot, and this is a team that is capable of it.

Much of the success of Oregon this year will be centered around how high Parker Stinson can finish at the NCAA meet. Stinson is the leader of the Ducks and needs to be a huge low-stick for them to make the podium. There may be no other athlete in the country as motivated as Stinson to race well at NCAAs because of his unfortunate performance in Louisville in 2012.

Parker is coming off of a very good track season where he ran big PRs in both the 5k and 10k, 8 seconds and 26 seconds, respectively. Stinson should be able to carry his track momentum into an outstanding final cross country season and is a shoo-in for All-American and could be top-15.

Another important piece of the puzzle for the Ducks will be the improvement of Jeremy Elkaim on the cross country course. Elkaim proved his ability indoors where he ran 13:39 for 5k and had a pretty good follow up season outdoors. If he can become a cross country runner and step up into the no. 2-3 runner slot, Elkaim is very talented and is good enough to be All-American, but will have to actually prove it in a race.

Mac Fleet has battled injuries his entire career, but when he has been healthy he has done quite well in xc. Placing 49th his freshman year at the West Regional proves he is capable of performing at a high level in cross country, it is just a matter of staying healthy. After the best outdoor track season of his career, he could be dangerous in 2013.

Matt Melancon is another guy who came around on the track this past year and is a good glue guy. His 29:31 10k PR is solid and could be a good anchor no. 5 runner and is seemingly one of the more consistent runners on the squad.

Oregon is full of a bunch of talented runners who just haven't really proved themselves on the cross country course. Guys like Ben DeJarnette, Daniel Winn, Colby Alexander, Chris Brewer, Ryan Pickering and Cole Watson are all capable runners. If Oregon can find just one or two of these athletes having good seasons, the Ducks will be in good shape come Terre Haute.

The biggest reason behind the high ranking of Oregon lies in its awesome recruiting class. Getting Ed Cheserek and Jake Leingang was huge for the future success of Oregon and both of these athletes are immediate impact guys.

Ed Ches is one of the best high school runners in U.S. history and has PRs that are better than a large chunk of NCAA runners. 13:57 for 5k in high school is amazing and 8:39 for 2 Miles is also top-notch. Cheserek has won Foot Locker back-to-back years and has been dominant in cross country as a prep. He should be looking at an All-American finish as long as he as a pretty good day at NCAAs.

Jake Leingang was a very talented prep runner. His 14:11 5k performance at NBON was a good sign of what he is going to be able to do immediately at the NCAA level. If Leingang can hold on to Ches as long as he can, he will be a very good no. 4-5 runner for the Ducks.

Things are looking good for the Men of Oregon in 2013. There are so many pieces to the NCAA podium puzzle in place for the Ducks. If they can get just get one or two of their super-talented, who have not proven themselves yet, runners to step-up, Oregon is going to give some of the best schools in the country a run and find themselves relevant on the national level in cross country once again.

#4 Washington Women

Head Coach: Greg Metcalf (12th Season)

2012 National Finish- 9th

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key Returners from 2012

Megan Goethals (Sr., 9:08 Open 3k, 15:33 5k, 32:52 10k, 48th NCAA XC '12)
Justine Johnson (Sr., 4:22 1500m, 9:31 Open 3k)
Liberty Miller (Sr., 9:34 Open 3k, 16:33 5k, 35:07 10k, 10:08 3k Steeple)
Katie Flood (Sr., 4:11 1500m, 8:55 Open 3k)
Eleanor Fulton (Jr., 2:08 800m, 4:20 1500m)
Baylee Mires (So., 2:05 800m, 4:23 1500m)
Chelsea Orr (Jr, 4:19 1500m, 9:23 Open 3k, 16:37 5k)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

Kaylee Flanagan (Fr., 4:57 1600m, 10:25 3200m, 2 X FL Finalist, 18th NXN '11)
Katie Knight (Fr., 4:45 1600m, 10:11 3200m, 16:25 5k, 3rd NXN '11, 3rd NXN '12)
Kelly Lawson (Fr., 4:48 1600m, 10:40 3200m, 2 X NXN Qualifier)
Amy Eloise-Neale (Fr., 4:43 1600m, 10:21 3200m, 3 X NXN Qualifer)

Season Preview

Coach Greg Metcalf might just have the best recruiting class he's ever had in his time in Seattle-- and that's saying something. With the talented recruits that Metcalf has brought in alone, Washington would have a chance to make the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute. What is so scary about UW this season is the quality of girls that are returning as well. Legitimately, the Huskies are once again one of the best programs in the NCAA.

When it comes to Washington, it all starts with Megan Goethals and Katie Flood. After a brutal Olympic Trials experience for Flood last summer, Goethals took over as the no. 1 runner and leader of the squad. Although her NCAAs finish in Louisville last season was less than desirable, Goethals is still one of the best distance runners in the NCAA and she proved so this most recent outdoor track season. Goethals finished 4th in the 10k and 5th in the 5k in Eugene this past spring, solidifying her place in the NCAA top-tier. As long as she has just better than average day in Terre Haute, she will be All-American if not top-5 or 10.

Katie Flood struggled a bit last year as she was coming off of the Olympic Trials and a very long season on the track. Now that she has had some time to recover and find the fire again, so-to-speak, she should be back to lead the Huskies up front with Goethals. Flood is among one of the most talented 1500m runners in the NCAA. In 2011. Flood was 7th individually and the no. 1 runner for the Huskies. If she is back to that form, Washington has quite possibly the best 1-2 punch in the NCAA.

Eleanor Fulton is coming off of a redshirt year, but was a quality top seven runner for Washington in 2011. As a freshman (2011), Fulton placed 130th at NCAAs. With her back in the mix, she really adds to the Husky pack and depth.

Justine Johnson and Liberty Miller have been amazingly consistent performers for Washington the past three years and will be fighting to be in the top seven with the world-beating recruiting class. Nevertheless, these two are proven xc runners over the past three seasons and have experience that will help guide the young, but talented athletes on this squad.

The two biggest recruits for Washington are local talent Katie Knight and Amy Eloise-Neale. Both of these girls have been some of the best runners in the country as preps and will immediately make impacts as freshman in the Huskies' top seven. Eloise-Neale had a very productive summer, running the 3k Steeplechase in the European Junior Championships and has some quality experience that most of the girls on the Washington team do not have. She also has the best overall PRs for 1600m and 3200m in the class and could be the no. 3 runner on the team from the very onset.

Katie Knight is just as quality in almost every way as Eloise-Neale is. Knight has been 3rd at Nike Cross Nationals back-to-back years. That kind of consistency is a good sign of what she should be able to do at the next level and that she still has some upside.

Kaylee Flanagan and Kelly Lawson are also no slouches on the cross country course. Flanagan is a two-time Foot Locker finalist and placed 18th at NXN in 2011. Kelly Lawson is a two-time NXN qualifier and has a very good 1600m PR of 4:48.

If Flood is back to her old form and Goethals continues her consistency in big races (exception of NCAAs 2012) and Washington can find success in their veterans and freshman class, the Huskies will be back on the podium in 2013. If they can stay healthy throughout the brutal Pac-12 and West Regional races and keep their athletes fresh, Washington could see another repeat of 2011 if not a National Championship.