By: Garrett Zatlin
PAST RANKINGS THIS SEASON
PAST RANKINGS THIS SEASON
KEY
· Bold: Had performances that influenced a strong change in the rankings
· (#/#): First number indicates how much the team has moved in the rankings. A plus means they have improved in the rankings. A minus means they have regressed in the rankings. The second number indicates where they were ranked the week before
· (Wasn’t Ranked): Was not ranked the week before.
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#25 Penn Quakers (Wasn't Ranked)
#24 Columbia Lions (Wasn't Ranked)
-What a race. I predicted Heps would come down to these two teams. However, I had Penn winning which the wrong decision. The Lions took down the Quakers 65 to 69 and earned the Heps title. The win was in heavy part due to Aubrey Myjer who placed third overall to get the Lions a true low-stick. Jack Boyle and Tait Rutherford also played huge roles in the scoring by placing 7th and 9th overall. That is a very underrated top three. Violone and Ritz ended the scoring by placing 18th and 28th overall. Penn, on the other hand, was led by Thomas Awad who defended his individual title despite not being at his best fitness. However, he would be the sole Quaker in the top-10. Shearn was 12th overall while Tuck placed 13th, Wilson placed 21st, and Brendan Smith placed 22nd. I had my concerns about Tuck not meeting expectations on the big-stage, and it seems like those concerns were valid. He had been Penn's top runner the entire season and needed to show that talent during Heps. Unfortunately, he wasn't at this best and it cost the Quakers the title. Still, there is a lot of hope and potential for both of these teams. If things go right, we could see two Ivy League teams at nationals.
#23 Illinois Fighting Illini (Wasn't Ranked)
-I never realized how awkward of a team name 'Fighting Illini' was until I put it next to 'Illinois'. Poor team names aside, U of I has finally become a true contender in the BIG 10. With Michigan State and Wisconsin struggling, the blue and orange took advantage of their opportunity and were led by their breakout-star, Dylan Lafond. Lafond has given this team life and now they are all the sudden a team to watch. Yet, there is more to this team than just Lafond. Freshman Jesse Reiser grabbed a huge 11th place while his freshman teammate Dan Lanthrop, was 20th. Throw in seniors Ian Barnett at 18th and Liam Markham at 29th and all the sudden this team is the BIG 10 runner-up. They still have some things to work on (like closing that gap between their 4th and 5th man), but they have come a long way. They have my attention.
#22 Southern Utah Thunderbirds (0/22)
-Nothing exciting here. SUU gets an easy conference title and heads into regionals relatively rested. They're primed for a good regional performance.
#21 Air Force Falcons (Wasn't Ranked)
#20 Colorado State Rams (+1/21)
-So how is Air Force, the Mountain West champions, behind the team they just beat? Well let's look at the results. We can see that Air Force defeated CSU by 4 points. Jerrell Mock was the winner...but where was his teammate Abbey Jefferson? The guy who has beat Mock the entire season? Jefferson actually finished all the way back in 8th place. Simply put, it was the worst race of the season for him. He simply didn't have a great day and it showed in the scoring. If that he was consistent with how his season has been going, then Jefferson takes the win and CSU wins the team title. If ignore Jefferson, CSU was the more impressive team. Not to take anything away from the Falcons, but they got lucky with Jefferson not being at this best.
#19 UCLA Bruins (-1/18)
-What a race. I predicted Heps would come down to these two teams. However, I had Penn winning which the wrong decision. The Lions took down the Quakers 65 to 69 and earned the Heps title. The win was in heavy part due to Aubrey Myjer who placed third overall to get the Lions a true low-stick. Jack Boyle and Tait Rutherford also played huge roles in the scoring by placing 7th and 9th overall. That is a very underrated top three. Violone and Ritz ended the scoring by placing 18th and 28th overall. Penn, on the other hand, was led by Thomas Awad who defended his individual title despite not being at his best fitness. However, he would be the sole Quaker in the top-10. Shearn was 12th overall while Tuck placed 13th, Wilson placed 21st, and Brendan Smith placed 22nd. I had my concerns about Tuck not meeting expectations on the big-stage, and it seems like those concerns were valid. He had been Penn's top runner the entire season and needed to show that talent during Heps. Unfortunately, he wasn't at this best and it cost the Quakers the title. Still, there is a lot of hope and potential for both of these teams. If things go right, we could see two Ivy League teams at nationals.
#23 Illinois Fighting Illini (Wasn't Ranked)
-I never realized how awkward of a team name 'Fighting Illini' was until I put it next to 'Illinois'. Poor team names aside, U of I has finally become a true contender in the BIG 10. With Michigan State and Wisconsin struggling, the blue and orange took advantage of their opportunity and were led by their breakout-star, Dylan Lafond. Lafond has given this team life and now they are all the sudden a team to watch. Yet, there is more to this team than just Lafond. Freshman Jesse Reiser grabbed a huge 11th place while his freshman teammate Dan Lanthrop, was 20th. Throw in seniors Ian Barnett at 18th and Liam Markham at 29th and all the sudden this team is the BIG 10 runner-up. They still have some things to work on (like closing that gap between their 4th and 5th man), but they have come a long way. They have my attention.
#22 Southern Utah Thunderbirds (0/22)
-Nothing exciting here. SUU gets an easy conference title and heads into regionals relatively rested. They're primed for a good regional performance.
#21 Air Force Falcons (Wasn't Ranked)
#20 Colorado State Rams (+1/21)
-So how is Air Force, the Mountain West champions, behind the team they just beat? Well let's look at the results. We can see that Air Force defeated CSU by 4 points. Jerrell Mock was the winner...but where was his teammate Abbey Jefferson? The guy who has beat Mock the entire season? Jefferson actually finished all the way back in 8th place. Simply put, it was the worst race of the season for him. He simply didn't have a great day and it showed in the scoring. If that he was consistent with how his season has been going, then Jefferson takes the win and CSU wins the team title. If ignore Jefferson, CSU was the more impressive team. Not to take anything away from the Falcons, but they got lucky with Jefferson not being at this best.
#19 UCLA Bruins (-1/18)
#18 Washington Huskies (Wasn't Ranked)
-The Huskies surprised me a bit by placing ahead of UCLA at PAC-12's. Izaic Yorks has been the unexpected savior for the Huskies by becoming the ace the team desperately needed. Corey Gilbert has done what he can to contribute to the squad while the pack behind him has stayed pretty tight. They don't produce much of a spark, but they get the job done. As for UCLA, they placed 5th overall at PAC-12's, but I don't believe that is their best performance. I'm still holding onto the idea that Myles Smith will break out while Sushchickh improve on last season's performances. Is that realistic at this point? Probably not, but I like to imagine that there is some untapped potential there.
#17 Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (-1/16)
-Tulsa cruises through AAC's pretty easily by taking 1, 2, 3, 5, and 11. The Canes seem to be rounding into shape at the right time and I'm very excited to see how they perform at regionals. There are still some questions about their bottom two scorers, but that top three is very underrated.
#16 Virginia Tech Hokies (+3/19)
-The Hokies continue to make themselves more and more relevant on the national stage. A 4th place finish at ACC's was expected, but the fact that they were within five points of UVA makes this a lot more interesting. Thomas Curtin has been a huge low-stick while Stuart Robertson has done his best to maintain the fitness he had last year. Yet, what has been the biggest change seems to be the depth behind those two. Neil Gourley and PA alum Dan Jaskowak placed 30th and 31st respectively while freshman Peter Seufer was a nice surprise in 34th. There was no weak points for the Hokies during that race. If they can keep this up, then this team will be taking a trip to Louisville, Kentucky in two weeks.
#15 Villanova Wildcats (+2/17)
-What a heartbreaker for Nova. They have been struggling as team this season and a conference win would've done wonders for their confidence heading into the post-season. They lost to G-town 33 to 34 at BIG East's which shows that they can still compete with them, but that 4th and 5th man issue is not going away. It's not even that those last two scorers did poorly. They placed 11th and 13th at BIG East's which is solid, but doesn't get the job done when Georgetown has five in the top-10. Now, Villanova will enter a regional meet that is much deeper and harder for the bottom two scorers to thrive. Hopefully they are up to the challenge.
#14 Furman Paladins (0/14)
-Easy win for Furman at South Conference's. They took spots 2 through 8 to get the title. Going into the postseason, I'll be interested to see how well that depth holds up. They have an awesome pack, but who's going to step up and be the ace? Fun fact- Furman returns their entire top 9 next year. Is Furman a team of the future?
#13 Virginia Cavaliers (+1/9)
-A bit of a disappointing display from the Cavaliers. UVA placed third at ACC's only 5 points ahead of 4th place, Virginia Tech. Chase Weaverling and Henry Wynne placed 8th and 10th respectively, but were not backed up by the rest of their squad. UVA finished the scoring going 25th, 33rd, and 40th. I kept preaching about the depth of this team this season, but they simply didn't show up. What happened to Connor Rog and Zach Herriot? Weren't they supposed to lead this team as experienced seniors? This is still a talented team, but they need to fix whatever issues they're having.
-A bit of a disappointing display from the Cavaliers. UVA placed third at ACC's only 5 points ahead of 4th place, Virginia Tech. Chase Weaverling and Henry Wynne placed 8th and 10th respectively, but were not backed up by the rest of their squad. UVA finished the scoring going 25th, 33rd, and 40th. I kept preaching about the depth of this team this season, but they simply didn't show up. What happened to Connor Rog and Zach Herriot? Weren't they supposed to lead this team as experienced seniors? This is still a talented team, but they need to fix whatever issues they're having.
#12 Georgetown Hoyas (+5/17)
-The score at BIG East's? 33 to 34. Hoyas. It's a great win for a team that had so many off-season issues. Jonathan Green has become a great leader as just a sophomore and is supported by some very experienced guys like Fahy, Carpenter, Bartelsmeyer, and Bile. They have the depth, a front-runner, and the experience. What's not to like about these guys?
#11 UTEP Miners (0/11)
-UTEP cruises through Conference USA's for the title. Nothing exciting, but the front-running from this squad is scary good. Those last 2 scorers are a little iffy, but this is a squad that has proven they can run with the best. Now they just need to prove that in a very deep Mountain region.
#10 Oklahoma State Cowboys (0/10)
-BIG 12 champions once again (I believe for the 8th year straight). Nothing exciting here. The Cowboys had guys scattered throughout the top-10 and it got them an easy win. It's tough to say if this was their first true effort. It's still tough to say what this team is capable. I guess we'll find out at regionals.
-BIG 12 champions once again (I believe for the 8th year straight). Nothing exciting here. The Cowboys had guys scattered throughout the top-10 and it got them an easy win. It's tough to say if this was their first true effort. It's still tough to say what this team is capable. I guess we'll find out at regionals.
#09 NC State Wolfpack (+6/15)
-NC State just continues to do their thing. They have been so quiet but so consistent this season. They placed 2nd at ACC's with 95 points which was 20 points better than UVA. Parsons and Simon continue to be excellent leaders and make this team relevant. They have a solid supporting cast behind them and a coach who doesn't get enough for credit for what he's been able to accomplish. Unfortunately, that 5th man continues to be an issue. The last scorer in for the Wolfpack was 47th. A team can only have so much success before an issue like that can slow prosperity (of course, NCST is now in the top-10 so what do I know?). Either way NC State now gets ahead of UVA which shows that front-running does have the ability to overtake depth.
#08 Arkansas Razorbacks (+1/9)
-It was an easy win for the Razorbacks at SEC's where they dominated the scoring with 25 points. Somehow, this team has gone from being completely dismissed at the beginning of the season to now a top-10 team. Coach Bucknam is doing an outstanding job. He won't get 'Coach of the Year', but he deserves some respect after what he's been able to accomplish.
#07 Iona Gaels (0/7)
-Nothing exciting here. Iona sweeps their conference taking spots 1 through 7. As the other writers pointed out, historically, Iona doesn't have their individuals come up big on the same day. If they can all run well at NCAA's, then this is a team that gets on the podium.
#06 Michigan Wolverines (0/6)
-Michigan finally gets that coveted BIG 10 that Wisconsin has held for so long. This is a huge turning point for a Wolverines program that has able to hoist the trophy since 1998. They have a great leader in Ferlic (who placed 2nd) and guys emerging from their depth (like Ben Flanagan). They have a complete team. However, I'm not going to move them in the rankings. In all honesty, this win was expected. Wisconsin was (and still is) dealing with multiple issues while Michigan State is struggling to reestablish their leader, Caleb Rhynard. Nice win Michigan, but what else can you show me?
#05 Oregon Ducks (-1/4)
-Oregon gets a predictable third place finish at PAC-12's behind Colorado and Stanford. They've got the king on their side, but can't get another true low-stick out of their depth. They have experienced, proven veterans as well as young guys full of potential. Still, they aren't going to make a splash if they continue to rely on Cheserek. If they are going to get another low-stick, it'll most likely come from Travis Neuman or Matthew Maton who were 13th and 17th at PAC-12's respectively.
-Oregon gets a predictable third place finish at PAC-12's behind Colorado and Stanford. They've got the king on their side, but can't get another true low-stick out of their depth. They have experienced, proven veterans as well as young guys full of potential. Still, they aren't going to make a splash if they continue to rely on Cheserek. If they are going to get another low-stick, it'll most likely come from Travis Neuman or Matthew Maton who were 13th and 17th at PAC-12's respectively.
#01 Colorado Buffalos (0/1)
-PAC-12's was something else. Saarel did not run for Colorado which left the Buffs vulnerable to a fully stacked Stanford squad. Luckily for Colorado, freshman John Dressel stepped up to the plate with a huge 6th place finish while Stanford's Grant Fisher finished slightly lower than expected by placing 11th. Overall, Colorado still took down Stanford by 11 points, but it has to make you think what could happen at NCAA's if Saarel doesn't run and Stanford is able to make up some gaps. An upset is not out of the question.
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Just Missed
Louisville Cardinals
Boise State Broncos
Michigan State Spartans
Who To Watch
Texas Longhorns
UC Santa Barbra Gauchos
Wisconsin Badgers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Indiana Hoosiers
Texas Longhorns
UC Santa Barbra Gauchos
Wisconsin Badgers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Indiana Hoosiers
Kicked Off
California Golden Bears (Last Ranked 25)
Louisville Cardinals (Last Ranked 24)
Indiana Hoosiers (Last Ranked 23)
Michigan State Spartans (Last Ranked 20)
Wisconsin Badgers (Last Ranked 13)
Louisville Cardinals (Last Ranked 24)
Indiana Hoosiers (Last Ranked 23)
Michigan State Spartans (Last Ranked 20)
Wisconsin Badgers (Last Ranked 13)
New Additions
Penn Quakers
Columbia Lions
Illinois Fighting Illini
Air Force Falcons
Washington Huskies
Penn Quakers
Columbia Lions
Illinois Fighting Illini
Air Force Falcons
Washington Huskies
Biggest Surprise of the Week
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
Team of the Week
Stanford Cardinals
Stanford Cardinals
Notes
-Stanford gets Team of the Week for making things close between Colorado. They showed that there is a very realistic scenario where under the right circumstances, Colorado can be beaten.
-Very disappointed by the Wisconsin Badgers. They have so much potential but can't seem to make it click. There is still hope for them, but it's dwindling.
-It's a down year in the BIG 10. Michigan should be proud of their title, but they should also realize that Indiana, Michigan State, and Wisconsin aren't at the level they should be.
-Stanford gets Team of the Week for making things close between Colorado. They showed that there is a very realistic scenario where under the right circumstances, Colorado can be beaten.
-Very disappointed by the Wisconsin Badgers. They have so much potential but can't seem to make it click. There is still hope for them, but it's dwindling.
-It's a down year in the BIG 10. Michigan should be proud of their title, but they should also realize that Indiana, Michigan State, and Wisconsin aren't at the level they should be.
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