Cross Country Season on Flotrack 2013Nov 11, 2013 by Isaac Wood
Flotrack XC Rankings Women's NCAA Top Teams 10 - 1 (Week 5)
Flotrack XC Rankings Women's NCAA Top Teams 10 - 1 (Week 5)
Rankings guru Isaac Wood returns with his Flotrack NCAA XC Rankings. Though there were some major shifts in the poll, the picture for the NCAA XC Championship is starting to become a bit more clear. Below, Wood has listed the teams who will be making the NCAA meet, where they will finish in Terre Haute, and how many points they'll score. For the sake of brevity, we've broken up the countdown into three parts. Below are the women's teams from 10 to 1.
Click here to view 31 - 21.
Click here to view 20 - 11.
10 - Colorado 349
One of the more surprising results from the conference championships was how good Colorado looked at Pac-12s. Granted it was at home and in familiar conditions (see: altitude), but the fact that they were only six points behind the winner Arizona is outstanding, atltitude or not.
With a very young team behind senior-leader Shalaya Kipp, the Buffs are coming around at the right time. Kipp and sophomore Carrie Verdon both had top-10 finishes placing 8th and 10th, respectively.
Freshman Erin Clark and Melanie Nun have been awesome in their first years in Boulder. With 13th and 14th place finishes in a very deep and talented conference, the sky is the limit for two. Another freshman was the no. 5 for Colorado at Pac-12s, Catrina McAlister.
For Colorado to continue to make a run a top-10 or better finish at NCAAs, they will need their young guns 3-5 (Nun, Clark and McAlister) to really step up and stay consistent, which can be difficult at times for freshman. Coach Mark Wetmore is a genius and will find away to get them ready when it matters in Terre Haute. Be also sure to note that they will cruise through the Mountain Regional (like normal) to prepare themselves for the best possible outcome at the Big Dance.
9 - Iowa State 346
The Big 12 meet was absolutely crushed by Iowa State. Scoring only 35 points, the Cyclones put nearly 70 points on the 2nd place West Virginia team. Although Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough did arrive at ISU with some talented athletes already onboard, but she also brought in some very good runners as well. The combination have formed a team that might have the most momentum in the NCAA and they are feeling it as of late.
At Big-12s, ISU placed all seven of their scorers in the top-16, including Samantha Bluske's first race of the year back. The squad has been led by sophomore Crystal Nelson for the majority of the season and was only :11 seconds back of Marielle Hall of Texas, who is having an outstanding season.
The Midwest Regional will be a breeze for the Cyclones and as they continue to get better, the rest of the country will have to continue to be wary of how much they are improving. If Bluske can race herself into shape, Iowa State will come on very strong at NCAAs.
8 - Virginia 342
At ACCs, Virginia put together a very solid race and almost kept Florida State from their 6th straight title. With four athletes finishing in the top-15 and two in the top-10, Virginia is a very quality team considering the depth of this conference. Especially when you think of how well their freshman are producing in their first year in Charlottesville.
Maria Hauger, Sara Fakler, and Sara Sargent have been a huge part of the success Virginia has had this year. Barbara Strehler, who was 4th at ACCs, has been an excellent leader. The Cavs saw Cleo Boyd step up big time at ACCs coming from being their no. 7-8 earlier in the year to finishing as their no. 5 at the conference meet.
Virginia has some quality depth, which will pay dividends at NCAAs. They're also loaded with Kolas points and will cruise on to NCAAs via the Southeast Regional.
7 - Michigan State 280
Oh Michigan State. They keep impressing me more and more after each race they've run.
Leah O'Connor is rounding into one of the better runners in the NCAA and is a shoo-in All-American at this point. Placing 2nd at Big 10s is no joke and is translating her excellent spring on the track to an even better cross country season (she could be wicked good on the track in the steeple this year).
After O'Connor, Michigan State has mixed around who finishes 2-5 all season. This time around it was Katie Landwehr who had the best day of her season, placing 5th individually. Lindsay Clark, Rachele Schulist, and Megan Rodgers rounded out the scorers for the Spartans.
If Michigan State keeps running as well as they have, who knows what they could do at NCAAs. With a huge win at Big 10s and a chill week at Great Lakes, they should be ready for big things in Terre Haute.
6 - Butler 276
In one of the more underrated conferences in the country (I think we forgot the Big East existed), Butler had a good run against two of the best teams in the NCAA finishing 3rd behind Providence and Georgetown. Butler was only 19 points back of Georgetown and considering that their stud Katie Clark had a mediocre day (9th individually, no. 2 on team), it could have been much closer.
Katie Good, who has been solid all year, finished 32nd. Mara Olson had one of her better races and was the no. 1 on the team and finished just in front of Clark in 8th.
Butler has the pieces to put together a team that can finish 6th at NCAAs. With Clark due for a big race and with everyone else is running consistently well (Olson, Kirsty Legg, Lauren Wood, etc.), Butler is a dangerous team that will be a force at the Big Dance in a couple of weeks.
5 - Arkansas 258
The deepest team in the country is no doubt Arkansas. It seems that everytime they race, their 1-7 changes. Dominique Scott took her turn leading the Hogs at SECs and took home the individual title. The team title was locked up as Scott was followed by Shannon Klenke and Grace Heymsfield in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Middle-distance star Stephanie Brown finished 12th and was no. 4 on the team. True freshman Sandie Raines is improving every race and was the final scorer Arkansas, finishing in 14th.
The Razorbacks are very good and their depth will keep them in the hunt at Nationals. They will roll through the South Central Region this week.
4 - Georgetown 206
Another very deep team is Georgetown, who finished 2nd at the Big East meet behind Providence. The Hoyas have been an interesting team this year, as I thought for certain that Katrina Coogan and Madeline Chambers would be their 1-2 and that the key would be to find some girls to back them up. Although this has been the case for part of this year, Georgetown has seen some runners really improve.
At Big East, the Hoyas were led by Rachel Schneider and Samantha Nadel, who went 6-7 individually. Coogan was their 3rd runner in 10th and freshman Rachel Paul rolled right in with Coogan in 11th. Former Tatnall HS stud Haley Pierce rounded out the scorers in 15th.
Georgetown has many pieces that on the right day can be very good (a la Pre-Nats). The Mid-Atlantic Region will be a breeze for the Hoyas and they can set their sights and sharpening up for a run at the NCAA title in Terre Haute.
3 - Florida State 173
Although it was not pretty, Florida State got the job done at ACCs by rolling the last 1k of the race to beat an upstart Virginia team. Colleen Quigley was solid as usual, finishing 2nd overall and the lowest stick for the 'Noles. Hannah Walker and Linden Hall both had top-10 finishes placing 5th and 8th, respectively.
The meet was won by awesome races from Pippa Woolven (who was 18th) and walk-on Carly Thomas, who finished right behind Woolven in 19th.
Florida State has yet to have a great day as a team, but that day could come soon. The South Region will be smooth sailing for the 'Noles and they will look to hit a home run at the Big Dance in Terre Haute.
2 - Arizona 158
Arizona took home the Pac-12 title and placed 3 in the top-6 to beat Colorado at altitude and on their home course. Although the score was probably way too close for Coach James Li's liking (69 to 75), Arizona is fine and still is arguably the best, if not one of the best teams in the country.
We know that Arizona's 1-4 are very good and their no. 5 is getting better, but their no. 4 at Pac-12s (Maria Larsson) struggled a bit and that was a huge reason behind the close team scores. Larsson will come back to the main group and should be ready to roll for the West Regional
This may be the toughest region in the country for women, but Arizona could place 5th as a team and still qualify for NCAAs.
1 - Providence 153
So Providence is now scary good. All season long, Providence has been incredible, but always lacking a fifth runner. Well, Australian native Grace Thek is now the new and improved no. 5 for the Friars and they look to be the team to beat in the country right now.
With the best 1-2-3 in the NCAA, maybe the best trio the NCAA has had in a long time (the last two races will tell), and a stud freshman running great in the no. 4 spot, Providence is so talented up front.
Even in a tough conference, the Friars looked incredible as they dominated two very good teams in Georgetown and Butler. As long as Catarina Rocha can continually run well as a true freshman behind the triumvirate of Emily Sisson, Sarah Collins, and Laura Nagel and Thek, everyone else on this list will have a hard time beating Providence at NCAAs in a couple of weeks.
Editor's Note: Did we mention that we filmed a Workout Wednesday will be with the #1 Friars?
Click here to view 31 - 21.
Click here to view 20 - 11.
10 - Colorado 349
One of the more surprising results from the conference championships was how good Colorado looked at Pac-12s. Granted it was at home and in familiar conditions (see: altitude), but the fact that they were only six points behind the winner Arizona is outstanding, atltitude or not.
With a very young team behind senior-leader Shalaya Kipp, the Buffs are coming around at the right time. Kipp and sophomore Carrie Verdon both had top-10 finishes placing 8th and 10th, respectively.
Freshman Erin Clark and Melanie Nun have been awesome in their first years in Boulder. With 13th and 14th place finishes in a very deep and talented conference, the sky is the limit for two. Another freshman was the no. 5 for Colorado at Pac-12s, Catrina McAlister.
For Colorado to continue to make a run a top-10 or better finish at NCAAs, they will need their young guns 3-5 (Nun, Clark and McAlister) to really step up and stay consistent, which can be difficult at times for freshman. Coach Mark Wetmore is a genius and will find away to get them ready when it matters in Terre Haute. Be also sure to note that they will cruise through the Mountain Regional (like normal) to prepare themselves for the best possible outcome at the Big Dance.
9 - Iowa State 346
The Big 12 meet was absolutely crushed by Iowa State. Scoring only 35 points, the Cyclones put nearly 70 points on the 2nd place West Virginia team. Although Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough did arrive at ISU with some talented athletes already onboard, but she also brought in some very good runners as well. The combination have formed a team that might have the most momentum in the NCAA and they are feeling it as of late.
At Big-12s, ISU placed all seven of their scorers in the top-16, including Samantha Bluske's first race of the year back. The squad has been led by sophomore Crystal Nelson for the majority of the season and was only :11 seconds back of Marielle Hall of Texas, who is having an outstanding season.
The Midwest Regional will be a breeze for the Cyclones and as they continue to get better, the rest of the country will have to continue to be wary of how much they are improving. If Bluske can race herself into shape, Iowa State will come on very strong at NCAAs.
8 - Virginia 342
At ACCs, Virginia put together a very solid race and almost kept Florida State from their 6th straight title. With four athletes finishing in the top-15 and two in the top-10, Virginia is a very quality team considering the depth of this conference. Especially when you think of how well their freshman are producing in their first year in Charlottesville.
Maria Hauger, Sara Fakler, and Sara Sargent have been a huge part of the success Virginia has had this year. Barbara Strehler, who was 4th at ACCs, has been an excellent leader. The Cavs saw Cleo Boyd step up big time at ACCs coming from being their no. 7-8 earlier in the year to finishing as their no. 5 at the conference meet.
Virginia has some quality depth, which will pay dividends at NCAAs. They're also loaded with Kolas points and will cruise on to NCAAs via the Southeast Regional.
7 - Michigan State 280
Oh Michigan State. They keep impressing me more and more after each race they've run.
Leah O'Connor is rounding into one of the better runners in the NCAA and is a shoo-in All-American at this point. Placing 2nd at Big 10s is no joke and is translating her excellent spring on the track to an even better cross country season (she could be wicked good on the track in the steeple this year).
After O'Connor, Michigan State has mixed around who finishes 2-5 all season. This time around it was Katie Landwehr who had the best day of her season, placing 5th individually. Lindsay Clark, Rachele Schulist, and Megan Rodgers rounded out the scorers for the Spartans.
If Michigan State keeps running as well as they have, who knows what they could do at NCAAs. With a huge win at Big 10s and a chill week at Great Lakes, they should be ready for big things in Terre Haute.
6 - Butler 276
In one of the more underrated conferences in the country (I think we forgot the Big East existed), Butler had a good run against two of the best teams in the NCAA finishing 3rd behind Providence and Georgetown. Butler was only 19 points back of Georgetown and considering that their stud Katie Clark had a mediocre day (9th individually, no. 2 on team), it could have been much closer.
Katie Good, who has been solid all year, finished 32nd. Mara Olson had one of her better races and was the no. 1 on the team and finished just in front of Clark in 8th.
Butler has the pieces to put together a team that can finish 6th at NCAAs. With Clark due for a big race and with everyone else is running consistently well (Olson, Kirsty Legg, Lauren Wood, etc.), Butler is a dangerous team that will be a force at the Big Dance in a couple of weeks.
5 - Arkansas 258
The deepest team in the country is no doubt Arkansas. It seems that everytime they race, their 1-7 changes. Dominique Scott took her turn leading the Hogs at SECs and took home the individual title. The team title was locked up as Scott was followed by Shannon Klenke and Grace Heymsfield in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Middle-distance star Stephanie Brown finished 12th and was no. 4 on the team. True freshman Sandie Raines is improving every race and was the final scorer Arkansas, finishing in 14th.
The Razorbacks are very good and their depth will keep them in the hunt at Nationals. They will roll through the South Central Region this week.
4 - Georgetown 206
Another very deep team is Georgetown, who finished 2nd at the Big East meet behind Providence. The Hoyas have been an interesting team this year, as I thought for certain that Katrina Coogan and Madeline Chambers would be their 1-2 and that the key would be to find some girls to back them up. Although this has been the case for part of this year, Georgetown has seen some runners really improve.
At Big East, the Hoyas were led by Rachel Schneider and Samantha Nadel, who went 6-7 individually. Coogan was their 3rd runner in 10th and freshman Rachel Paul rolled right in with Coogan in 11th. Former Tatnall HS stud Haley Pierce rounded out the scorers in 15th.
Georgetown has many pieces that on the right day can be very good (a la Pre-Nats). The Mid-Atlantic Region will be a breeze for the Hoyas and they can set their sights and sharpening up for a run at the NCAA title in Terre Haute.
3 - Florida State 173
Although it was not pretty, Florida State got the job done at ACCs by rolling the last 1k of the race to beat an upstart Virginia team. Colleen Quigley was solid as usual, finishing 2nd overall and the lowest stick for the 'Noles. Hannah Walker and Linden Hall both had top-10 finishes placing 5th and 8th, respectively.
The meet was won by awesome races from Pippa Woolven (who was 18th) and walk-on Carly Thomas, who finished right behind Woolven in 19th.
Florida State has yet to have a great day as a team, but that day could come soon. The South Region will be smooth sailing for the 'Noles and they will look to hit a home run at the Big Dance in Terre Haute.
2 - Arizona 158
Arizona took home the Pac-12 title and placed 3 in the top-6 to beat Colorado at altitude and on their home course. Although the score was probably way too close for Coach James Li's liking (69 to 75), Arizona is fine and still is arguably the best, if not one of the best teams in the country.
We know that Arizona's 1-4 are very good and their no. 5 is getting better, but their no. 4 at Pac-12s (Maria Larsson) struggled a bit and that was a huge reason behind the close team scores. Larsson will come back to the main group and should be ready to roll for the West Regional
This may be the toughest region in the country for women, but Arizona could place 5th as a team and still qualify for NCAAs.
1 - Providence 153
So Providence is now scary good. All season long, Providence has been incredible, but always lacking a fifth runner. Well, Australian native Grace Thek is now the new and improved no. 5 for the Friars and they look to be the team to beat in the country right now.
With the best 1-2-3 in the NCAA, maybe the best trio the NCAA has had in a long time (the last two races will tell), and a stud freshman running great in the no. 4 spot, Providence is so talented up front.
Even in a tough conference, the Friars looked incredible as they dominated two very good teams in Georgetown and Butler. As long as Catarina Rocha can continually run well as a true freshman behind the triumvirate of Emily Sisson, Sarah Collins, and Laura Nagel and Thek, everyone else on this list will have a hard time beating Providence at NCAAs in a couple of weeks.
Editor's Note: Did we mention that we filmed a Workout Wednesday will be with the #1 Friars?
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