No. 1 Colorado Crashes Notre Dame XC Invitational Party Tomorrow

No. 1 Colorado Crashes Notre Dame XC Invitational Party Tomorrow

Preview of the 2017 Joe Piane Notre Dame XC Invitational.

Sep 29, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
No. 1 Colorado Crashes Notre Dame XC Invitational Party Tomorrow
One of the top collegiate cross country invitationals of the weekend is the 62nd annual Joe Piane Notre Dame XC Invitational in Indiana, where seven FloXC-ranked women's teams and four ranked men's teams will race.

View the Notre Dame entries here and play the FloXC Pick'Em Game here, where you can compete to predict the top finishing individuals and teams at the Bill Dellinger XC Invitational, Joe Piane Notre Dame XC Invitational, and the Louisville XC Classic this weekend.

Women's Blue Race (5K)

When: 1:00 PM ET
FloXC Ranked Teams: No. 1 Colorado, No. 3 New Mexico, No. 7 Arkansas, No. 9 Eastern Michigan, No. 10 NC State, No. 14 Notre Dame, No. 15 Utah
FloXC Ranked Individuals: No. 3 Ednah Kurgat (New Mexico), No. 5 Brie Oakley (Cal), No. 6 Alice Wright (New Mexico), No. 12 Alsu Bogdanova (Eastern Michigan), No. 13 Weini Kelati (New Mexico), No. 15 Lauren Gregory (Arkansas), No. 18 Kaitlyn Benner (Colorado), No. 20 Taylor Werner (Arkansas), No. 22 Dani Jones (Colorado)
Analysis: The No. 1-ranked Colorado Buffs were a late add to the already-stacked Joe Piane Notre Dame XC Invitational, giving Friday's 6K race a full roster of seven FloXC-ranked teams and nine individuals.

The Buffs host the Rocky Mountain Shootout this weekend, so that's why we're surprised by the late move, but it does make the race more tantalizing. Colorado returns their top six runners from the team that placed third at NCAA XC in 2016; they also add NCAA 3K steeplechase runner-up Madie Boreman, who redshirted last fall.

But -- hold that thought, because the 2017 New Mexico Lady Lobos could be capable of continuing the legacy of their '15 counterparts as NCAA champions. The No. 3-ranked team's "Big Three" of No. 3-ranked Ednah Kurgat, No. 6 Alice Wright, and No. 13 Weini Kelati make for the strongest top three of any team in the country.

Of the trio, only Kelati was raced so far this season, winning the Lobo XC Invitational in a new course record time of 16:59. Wright is one of the most consistent runners in the NCAA, having claimed three consecutive All-American honors at the NCAA XC championships and runner-up honors in the NCAA 10K for two years in a row. There are likewise high expectations for Kurgat, whose last cross country race was a 15th-place finish at NCAA XC for Liberty University; she clocked a 5K PB of 15:26 this spring while sitting out competition due to transfer rules.

Charlotte Prouse, a transfer from the University of Washington, will also make her debut in a Lobos uniform on Friday.

Behind the Buffs and the Lobos, there are a number of ranked teams looking to make their mark and earn valuable Kolas points, including No. 7-ranked Arkansas, No. 9 Eastern Michigan, No. 10 NC State, and No. 15 Utah. Host school Notre Dame ranks No. 14, but announced today that top runner Anna Rohrer will redshirt the fall cross country season, which will bring their ranking down significantly as she was ranked No. 4 individually.

The No. 7-ranked Razorbacks have a solid mix of youth and experience. Mid-distance specialist Nikki Hiltz led the women to the team title at the season-opening UC Riverside Invitational two weeks ago, as she, Taylor Werner, Devin Clark, and Lauren Gregory all finished between 20:15 and 20:17 for 6K. If the next group of Carina Viljoen, Therese Haiss, and Ashton Endsley can narrow the gap to that front pack, this is a squad that could surprise some people. True freshman Gregory, a Colorado native, looks poised to be another Katie Rainsberger-type runner who steadily gets the hang of the college ranks all season then shocks with a big finish at the big dance.

Speaking of top freshmen: Cal's Brie Oakley enters her first collegiate race ranked No. 5 on the FloXC thanks to a near-perfect senior year of high school that saw her win Nike Cross Nationals and set national high school records for the indoor 5K (15:55.75) and outdoor 2 mile (9:51.35). If she can beat this field, she should be considered a major threat for the NCAA title.

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Men's Blue Race (5 Miles)

When: 1:45 PM ET
FloXC Ranked Teams: No. 7 Colorado, No. 11 Alabama, No. 19 Washington State, No. 20 Southern Utah
FloXC Ranked Individuals: No. 4 Vincent Kiprop (Alabama), No. 7 Gilbert Kigen (Alabama), No. 8 John Dressel (Colorado), No. 22 Sam Worley (Texas), No. 23 Joe Klecker (Colorado)
Analysis: It might not be a familiar sight, but don't be shocked to see three University of Alabama jerseys intermingled with Colorado singlets at tomorrow's Notre Dame XC Invitational. The Crimson Tide's rise to national notoriety is thanks to transfers Alfred Chelanga, FloXC No. 4 ranked Vincent Kiprop, and FloXC No. 7 ranked Gilbert Kigen.

Chelanga actually transferred from Shorter last winter, so he donned the red and white 'Bama uniform for indoor and outdoor track, where he earned All-American honors in the indoor 5K, but this will be his first NCAA DI cross country season. He was the 2016 NCAA DII XC runner-up to Kiprop, a five-time NCAA DII champion; they're joined by Gilbert Kigen, an 11-time NJCAA champion. Despite the trio traveling to the UC Riverside Invitational two weeks ago, the Notre Dame meet will be their first competitive DI cross country meet as they entered the open race, not the invitational race, in California for unknown reasons, where they swept the top three spots.

Of course, Colorado has two studs in returning All-Americans John Dressel and Joe Klecker, both of whom are ranked in the FloXC and should contend for the win here. While the traditional strength of the Buffs' pack should be more than enough to keep the Crimson Tide at bay, it should be fun to see who Alabama's No. 4 and No. 5 are and how much of a gap they will have to surpass to make a real impact at the SEC and NCAA levels.