Cross Country Season on Flotrack 2013Aug 20, 2013 by Isaac Wood
NCAA XC Countdown #11: Princeton Men and Michigan Women
NCAA XC Countdown #11: Princeton Men and Michigan Women
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.
View the full NCAA Top 31 Countdown HERE.
#11
Princeton Men
Head Coach: Jason Vigilante (2nd Season)
2012 National Finish - 11th
Key Returners from 2012
- Chris Bendtsen (Sr., 8:07 Open 3k, 13:57 5k, 29:32 10k)
- Alejandro Arroyo-Yamin (Sr., 8:12 Open 3k, 14:02 5k, 29:27 10k)
- Tyler Udland (Sr., 8:12 Open 3k, 14:05 5k, 29:39 10k)
- Eddie Owens (Jr., 8:53 3k Steeple)
- Jonathan Vitez (Sr., 8:10 Open 3k, 14:09 5k)
- Sam Pons (Jr., 8:12 Open 3k, 14:14 5k)
Impact Recruits/Transfers
- William Paulson (Fr., 3:46 1500m, 8:24 Open 3k, 2nd Ireland U20 XC Champs '13)
Season Preview
Year in and year out, Jason Vigilante gets his guys rolling at a high level and racing well when it matters. He has an uncanny ability to motivate and plan the right training programs that prepare his athletes to perform at nationals. Last season's 11th place finish at NCAAs is proof of this. 11th is the best Princeton has ever finished at Nats and is looking to be just as good in 2013 as they were last year in Lousiville.
The leaders of the Tigers are Chris Bendtsen and Alejandro Arroyo-Yamin. These athletes are absolute monsters in cross country and are pure cross guys (granted the had pretty good track seasons, to boot). Their 1-2 finish at HEPS in 2012 was outstanding and should be looking at a similar finish this year.
Bendtsen is returning for his senior season after the best year of his career. A near All-American finish in cross country and honorable mention honors on the track outdoors, sets him up for a potential All-American finish in 2013 in cross country. Bendtsen improved his 5k PR by 21 seconds on the track and as the leader of this team (once again) he will be counted on to push the pace up front with Arroyo-Yamin.
Arroyo-Yamin proved himself as a leader on this team last season as well, finishing 58th at NCAA in cross, 5th at the Mid-Atlantic Regional, and 10th at Notre Dame. As he rolls along with Bendtsen in 2013, they make a very good 1-2 punch and are both capable of top-40 finishes at NCAAs in cross. His less-than-stellar track season this spring is the motivation he needs to really bring it this upcoming season and to be the leader Vigilante needs him to be.
Tyler Udland is a very good no. 3 runner for the Tigers. He's just as capable as the previous athletes mentioned to lead this squad and will be looking to keep the gap as close as possible between him and Arroyo-Yamin and Bendsen. Udland had a similarly mediocre track season and will be looking to redeem himself on the XC course. Udland is a very nice athlete to have in your top five and will be pushing in up-front in the Tigers pack in 2013.
Sam Pons, Jonathan Vitez and Eddie Owens are viable options for scorers in Princeton's top five and have quality elite-level racing experience. These guys will be counted on to keep the spread from 1-5 as tight as possible. In fact, the spread for the Tigers should be very good this year and could be as close as :20 seconds in most of their races. By just looking at the track PRs of these athletes, they are all within similar ranges and could be scary good considering how close their spread will be.
The wildcard for Princeton is big-time recruit from the U.K. William Paulson. A proven track and cross country athlete, Paulson is the perfect guy for Vig's system and should produce immediately.
An 11th place ranking in the pre-season matches the way Princeton ended their season in 2012. To be honest, this seems a bit asinine by looking at how many guys return from their best season in school history last year. There are so many teams with top-notch athletes and recruits coming returning and coming for 2013. The Tigers are definitely capable of top-10, but will need to not be content to equal what they did last season. The NCAA is as deep as it has ever been this year and Princeton is among one of the most solid squads in the country, considering who they have returning from 2012.
Princeton has a legitimate shot to win the Mid-Atlantic and HEPS (again) titles in 2013 and that kind of momentum just might push them over the edge and into the top-10 in Terre Haute.
#11
Season Preview
In 2012, Coach Mike McGuire's squad was loaded with talented and experienced seniors that were ready to make the podium in Louisville. Although they barely missed the podium, the Wolverines had a great end to their season.
Editor's Note: We have a picture somewhere in the archives of the Michigan girls when it was announced that they finished fourth. Due to a scoring error, their ecstasy soon turned to disappointment.
With seniors Amanda Eccleston, Jillian Smith, Rebecca Addison and Lindsey Hilton (four of top five) graduated, this could be considered a "rebuilding year" for Michigan.
The great news for Coach McGuire is that they have the pieces to still be a strong, contending team that will have a good shot to defend its Conference and Regional titles in 2013. Here's how:
Brook Handler had a huge race at NCAAs in 2012, which will give her the confidence that she needs to step into a leadership role and mix things up towards the front of the Wolverine pack. Handler came off her xc season and ran well outdoors, qualifying for the East Regional outdoors in the 1500m.
Shannon Osika was a crucial part of the program last season. If she had not been out of action out NCAAs this past November, Michigan would have had a shot at the podium. A healthy Osika is going to be vital for the Wolverines because she's capable of All-American honors and is a contender for the no. 1 runner spot this season. She made the final at the East Regional for 1500m and knowing that she was unable to run at NCAAs for XC in 2012 will give her the motivation needed to step up in 2013.
The two Taylor's (Manett and Pogue) will bring strong competitors and solid experience running at a high level. Pogue was not in the mix at the regional and national level in cross last season and will be needed to step up and be in their top five. Pogue had a good outdoor season running a nice 10k PR of 34:48 and open 3k PR indoors of 9:37. She can be a contributor if she can translate her track abilities to the xc course.
Taylor Manett, although just coming off of her freshman campaign, is as experienced as any girl on the Michigan squad that is returning because of her big time racing abilities. Manett gets it done when it matters and proved that race in and race out in 2012. Because of this, Manett was selected to represent the USA at the Bupa XC Challenge this past December. Those kind of elite level competitions really open the eyes of athletes and will be a great benefit to her upcoming year. Manett had a good outdoor season (4:28 and 16:40) and will be motivated to keep the Wolverines a contender in cross.
A huge factor in 2013 will be the landing of one of the best high school distance runners of our time, Erin Finn. This local product has legitimate cross country and track credentials and is the epitome of the term "instant offense." Her track season in 2013 was "off the charts" good. Finn ran PRs of 16:17 for 5k and 10:08 for 3200m. There probably is not a single freshman in the country that is more motivated to perform in XC than Finn.
After back to back top 10 finishes at Foot Locker Finals, including a second place performance in 2011, Finn failed to make the national finals in 2012. Finn is ready to roll for 2013 and could be an All-American in her first year (something similar to a Laura Hollander / Allie McLaughlin-like freshman year is definitely achievable).
With all this considered, there is so much parity on the women's side for this upcoming year. Michigan's ranking is mostly contingent on factors based "on paper." If Finn, Osika, and Manett have the kind of years they are capable of having, all three of them could be All-American. Throw in Handler, Pogue, Weschler, and anyone else who could be in the picture, the Wolverines are once again one of the best programs in the country in 2013.
Year in and year out, Jason Vigilante gets his guys rolling at a high level and racing well when it matters. He has an uncanny ability to motivate and plan the right training programs that prepare his athletes to perform at nationals. Last season's 11th place finish at NCAAs is proof of this. 11th is the best Princeton has ever finished at Nats and is looking to be just as good in 2013 as they were last year in Lousiville.
The leaders of the Tigers are Chris Bendtsen and Alejandro Arroyo-Yamin. These athletes are absolute monsters in cross country and are pure cross guys (granted the had pretty good track seasons, to boot). Their 1-2 finish at HEPS in 2012 was outstanding and should be looking at a similar finish this year.
Bendtsen is returning for his senior season after the best year of his career. A near All-American finish in cross country and honorable mention honors on the track outdoors, sets him up for a potential All-American finish in 2013 in cross country. Bendtsen improved his 5k PR by 21 seconds on the track and as the leader of this team (once again) he will be counted on to push the pace up front with Arroyo-Yamin.
Arroyo-Yamin proved himself as a leader on this team last season as well, finishing 58th at NCAA in cross, 5th at the Mid-Atlantic Regional, and 10th at Notre Dame. As he rolls along with Bendtsen in 2013, they make a very good 1-2 punch and are both capable of top-40 finishes at NCAAs in cross. His less-than-stellar track season this spring is the motivation he needs to really bring it this upcoming season and to be the leader Vigilante needs him to be.
Tyler Udland is a very good no. 3 runner for the Tigers. He's just as capable as the previous athletes mentioned to lead this squad and will be looking to keep the gap as close as possible between him and Arroyo-Yamin and Bendsen. Udland had a similarly mediocre track season and will be looking to redeem himself on the XC course. Udland is a very nice athlete to have in your top five and will be pushing in up-front in the Tigers pack in 2013.
Sam Pons, Jonathan Vitez and Eddie Owens are viable options for scorers in Princeton's top five and have quality elite-level racing experience. These guys will be counted on to keep the spread from 1-5 as tight as possible. In fact, the spread for the Tigers should be very good this year and could be as close as :20 seconds in most of their races. By just looking at the track PRs of these athletes, they are all within similar ranges and could be scary good considering how close their spread will be.
The wildcard for Princeton is big-time recruit from the U.K. William Paulson. A proven track and cross country athlete, Paulson is the perfect guy for Vig's system and should produce immediately.
An 11th place ranking in the pre-season matches the way Princeton ended their season in 2012. To be honest, this seems a bit asinine by looking at how many guys return from their best season in school history last year. There are so many teams with top-notch athletes and recruits coming returning and coming for 2013. The Tigers are definitely capable of top-10, but will need to not be content to equal what they did last season. The NCAA is as deep as it has ever been this year and Princeton is among one of the most solid squads in the country, considering who they have returning from 2012.
Princeton has a legitimate shot to win the Mid-Atlantic and HEPS (again) titles in 2013 and that kind of momentum just might push them over the edge and into the top-10 in Terre Haute.
#11
Michigan Women
Head Coach: Mike McGuire (22nd Season)
2012 National Finish - 5th
Key Returners from 2012
- Brook Handler (Jr., 4:22 1500m, 9:38 Open 3k, 10:26 3k Steeple)
- Shannon Osika (So., 4:20 1500m, 9:21 Open 3k, 16:35 5k)
- Taylor Manett (So., 4:28 1500m, 16:40 5k)
- Taylor Pogue (Jr., 9:37 Open 3k, 16:22 5k, 34:48 10k)
- Megan Weschler (Jr., 9:39 Open 3k, 16:48 5k, 10:26 3k Steeple)
Impact Recruits/Transfers
- Erin Finn (Fr., 4:45 1600m, 10:08 3200m, 16:17 5k, 2nd FL '11, 7th FL '10)
Season Preview
In 2012, Coach Mike McGuire's squad was loaded with talented and experienced seniors that were ready to make the podium in Louisville. Although they barely missed the podium, the Wolverines had a great end to their season.
Editor's Note: We have a picture somewhere in the archives of the Michigan girls when it was announced that they finished fourth. Due to a scoring error, their ecstasy soon turned to disappointment.
With seniors Amanda Eccleston, Jillian Smith, Rebecca Addison and Lindsey Hilton (four of top five) graduated, this could be considered a "rebuilding year" for Michigan.
The great news for Coach McGuire is that they have the pieces to still be a strong, contending team that will have a good shot to defend its Conference and Regional titles in 2013. Here's how:
Brook Handler had a huge race at NCAAs in 2012, which will give her the confidence that she needs to step into a leadership role and mix things up towards the front of the Wolverine pack. Handler came off her xc season and ran well outdoors, qualifying for the East Regional outdoors in the 1500m.
Shannon Osika was a crucial part of the program last season. If she had not been out of action out NCAAs this past November, Michigan would have had a shot at the podium. A healthy Osika is going to be vital for the Wolverines because she's capable of All-American honors and is a contender for the no. 1 runner spot this season. She made the final at the East Regional for 1500m and knowing that she was unable to run at NCAAs for XC in 2012 will give her the motivation needed to step up in 2013.
The two Taylor's (Manett and Pogue) will bring strong competitors and solid experience running at a high level. Pogue was not in the mix at the regional and national level in cross last season and will be needed to step up and be in their top five. Pogue had a good outdoor season running a nice 10k PR of 34:48 and open 3k PR indoors of 9:37. She can be a contributor if she can translate her track abilities to the xc course.
Taylor Manett, although just coming off of her freshman campaign, is as experienced as any girl on the Michigan squad that is returning because of her big time racing abilities. Manett gets it done when it matters and proved that race in and race out in 2012. Because of this, Manett was selected to represent the USA at the Bupa XC Challenge this past December. Those kind of elite level competitions really open the eyes of athletes and will be a great benefit to her upcoming year. Manett had a good outdoor season (4:28 and 16:40) and will be motivated to keep the Wolverines a contender in cross.
A huge factor in 2013 will be the landing of one of the best high school distance runners of our time, Erin Finn. This local product has legitimate cross country and track credentials and is the epitome of the term "instant offense." Her track season in 2013 was "off the charts" good. Finn ran PRs of 16:17 for 5k and 10:08 for 3200m. There probably is not a single freshman in the country that is more motivated to perform in XC than Finn.
After back to back top 10 finishes at Foot Locker Finals, including a second place performance in 2011, Finn failed to make the national finals in 2012. Finn is ready to roll for 2013 and could be an All-American in her first year (something similar to a Laura Hollander / Allie McLaughlin-like freshman year is definitely achievable).
With all this considered, there is so much parity on the women's side for this upcoming year. Michigan's ranking is mostly contingent on factors based "on paper." If Finn, Osika, and Manett have the kind of years they are capable of having, all three of them could be All-American. Throw in Handler, Pogue, Weschler, and anyone else who could be in the picture, the Wolverines are once again one of the best programs in the country in 2013.