By: Garrett Zatlin
PAST RANKINGS THIS SEASON
PAST RANKINGS THIS SEASON
Week 2 (10/7)
Week 3 (10/14)--no change
Week 4 (10/21)
Week 5 (10/28)--no change
Week 6 (11/4)
Week 7 (11/11)--no change
Week 3 (10/14)--no change
Week 4 (10/21)
Week 5 (10/28)--no change
Week 6 (11/4)
Week 7 (11/11)--no change
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 Colorado State Rams (-5/20)
-The last spot goes to CSU who has somehow been able to hang around in a very tough and deep Mountain region. They tied with Air Force for 5th overall, but lost on the tie-breaker to settle for 6th and were kicked out of nationals. Mock and Jefferson continued to be low-sticks for a team that is full of (mainly) freshmen. Considering that they got this far with such little experience is good enough to get a spot in my rankings. Credit is due where credit is due.
#24 Michigan State (Wasn't Ranked)
-An off year for the Great Lakes region gives the Spartans an auto-spot into nationals. Hardt stepped up big as the ace this year by placing 7th while Rhynard finished 10th. The rest finished 19th, 23rd, and 29th which rounds out for a great top-5. However, the Spartans have been pretty inconsistent all season. This is more of a gut-instinct ranking, but I feel like #24 fits the Spartans.
#23 Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (-6/17)
-Tulsa had a surprisingly poor days at regionals (Midwest) where they placed 4th overall (23 points behind 3rd). As I suspected, their top three were outstanding (1, 7, and 11) but those final two scorers hurt the team in the standings quite a bit by placing 39th and 69th. Luckily, the wins they got at Wisconsin kept them alive and qualified them for nationals. Those 4th and 5th scorers will probably put the Hurricanes outside of the top-20, but they can at least feel solace in the fact that they return their entire varsity squad next year.
#22 Virginia Tech Hokies (-6/22)
-It wasn't pretty for the Hokies at regionals where they placed 6th overall (in the Southeast). Luckily, they had a great performance at Pre-Nats (where they placed 6th) and got some much-needed wins to go on their resume. That kept them alive according to the Kolas calculations and now got them a spot to nationals. I believe this team can be competitive, but with a very scattered scoring five I'm not sure if they can handle the depth of talent at NCAA's.
#21 Minnesota Golden Gophers (Wasn't Ranked)
-Minnesota was a team that I gave up on when the season started. They struggled at Roy Griak and didn't seem to be developing the way I expected them to. Yet, somehow, they rallied and had outstanding performances in the post-season where they placed 3rd at BIG 10's and 2nd in the Midwest regional. Their 5th man was a bit low at 32nd overall, but their top four took spots 12, 14, 18, and 19. They've shown success in the postseason and for that, I give them some love in the rankings.
#20 Penn Quakers (+5/25)
-Right now, Steve Dolan has to be the Coach of the Year. What he's been able to do for a program that had such little hope is amazing. As PA Jack Hummler said (via twitter), "I joined Penn at a time when we were happy to not be last in the league, and today the boys made nationals". Awad wasn't at full strength but still got 4th while the final scorer was 23rd. They have been consistent all season and proven to everyone that they are for real. If only someone had ranked them in their preseason rankings...oh wait.
-The last spot goes to CSU who has somehow been able to hang around in a very tough and deep Mountain region. They tied with Air Force for 5th overall, but lost on the tie-breaker to settle for 6th and were kicked out of nationals. Mock and Jefferson continued to be low-sticks for a team that is full of (mainly) freshmen. Considering that they got this far with such little experience is good enough to get a spot in my rankings. Credit is due where credit is due.
#24 Michigan State (Wasn't Ranked)
-An off year for the Great Lakes region gives the Spartans an auto-spot into nationals. Hardt stepped up big as the ace this year by placing 7th while Rhynard finished 10th. The rest finished 19th, 23rd, and 29th which rounds out for a great top-5. However, the Spartans have been pretty inconsistent all season. This is more of a gut-instinct ranking, but I feel like #24 fits the Spartans.
#23 Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (-6/17)
-Tulsa had a surprisingly poor days at regionals (Midwest) where they placed 4th overall (23 points behind 3rd). As I suspected, their top three were outstanding (1, 7, and 11) but those final two scorers hurt the team in the standings quite a bit by placing 39th and 69th. Luckily, the wins they got at Wisconsin kept them alive and qualified them for nationals. Those 4th and 5th scorers will probably put the Hurricanes outside of the top-20, but they can at least feel solace in the fact that they return their entire varsity squad next year.
#22 Virginia Tech Hokies (-6/22)
-It wasn't pretty for the Hokies at regionals where they placed 6th overall (in the Southeast). Luckily, they had a great performance at Pre-Nats (where they placed 6th) and got some much-needed wins to go on their resume. That kept them alive according to the Kolas calculations and now got them a spot to nationals. I believe this team can be competitive, but with a very scattered scoring five I'm not sure if they can handle the depth of talent at NCAA's.
#21 Minnesota Golden Gophers (Wasn't Ranked)
-Minnesota was a team that I gave up on when the season started. They struggled at Roy Griak and didn't seem to be developing the way I expected them to. Yet, somehow, they rallied and had outstanding performances in the post-season where they placed 3rd at BIG 10's and 2nd in the Midwest regional. Their 5th man was a bit low at 32nd overall, but their top four took spots 12, 14, 18, and 19. They've shown success in the postseason and for that, I give them some love in the rankings.
#20 Penn Quakers (+5/25)
-Right now, Steve Dolan has to be the Coach of the Year. What he's been able to do for a program that had such little hope is amazing. As PA Jack Hummler said (via twitter), "I joined Penn at a time when we were happy to not be last in the league, and today the boys made nationals". Awad wasn't at full strength but still got 4th while the final scorer was 23rd. They have been consistent all season and proven to everyone that they are for real. If only someone had ranked them in their preseason rankings...oh wait.
#19 Eastern Kentucky Colonels (Wasn't Ranked)
-EKU nearly messed up the entire Kolas system and almost responsible for kicking out NC State, Furman, and Virginia Tech. Luckily for those three teams that was not the way it was calculated. The Colonels have been quiet the entire season by not running a fully stacked squad until now. Kosgey and Perlas were big scorers who placed 7th and 8th while the rest of the scorers were 16th, 27th...and 56th. Clearly that 5th man was a big issue, and will most likely be the biggest reason EKU doesn't match their regionals performance. Still, they've got front-runners and runners who won't drive up the score. I haven't seen much of them this season why is why I'm cautiously keep them at #19, but they've got the talent to be top-15.
#18 Air Force Falcons (+3/21)
-The men from Air Force took 5th in the Mountain region after Eller and Corona went third and fourth. They've got a great squad, but the fact remains that there is a huge gap between their second and third men. Their final three scorers were 34th, 39th, and 44th which will simply not work at NCAA's. They're a good team, but unless those final scorers close the gap, Air Force won't have much of an impact at NCAA's.
#17 Southern Utah Thunderbirds (+4/22)
-SUU has finally escaped the top-20 after a decent 4th place finish in the Mountain region. Their pack doesn't have too many weak points and they are pretty complete overall with a solid leader in Hawks who has led this team pretty far. They won't shock anyone, but they'll get a respectable finish at NCAA's.
#16 Washington Huskies (Wasn't Ranked)
-It was my fault for doubting this squad. After graduating some seniors and losing Simon to NC State, I figured this team wouldn't have had much of an impact. However, I was very wrong. After Stanford and Oregon realized they were locks for NCAA's, Washington took advantage of the slowing pace and got regional title. They haven't necessarily proven that they are better than those teams, but they've been close enough to some decent teams like Eastern Kentucky, Stanford's B-squad, Oklahoma, and FSU to grab my attention. Historically, they are great team...just not good enough to be in my top-15.
#15 Furman Paladins (-1/14)
-They were 4th in the Southeast region which is about where I expected them. They've got one of the tightest time-spreads in the nation and have proved that pack running can be successful. However, pack running has proven that it can only be successful to one point. With no true low-stick, the Paladins will fail to have much of an impact at NCAA's.
#14 NC State Wolfpack (-5/9)
- Although Simon and Parsons were 4th and 5th in the Southeast region, the Wolfpack fell way back to 5th place due to resting their third man, Sebastian Hanson. For a team with a big issue at their #5 already, to rest another would raise up their score dramatically. It was a gamble, but it paid off with them getting a big to nationals. Assuming they are running a full squad at nationals, I still like them to beat UVA. Unfortunately, that 5th man could get lost in the massive pack of talent at NCAA's and hurt the team score more than usual. In my opinion, NC State is a top-5 team in the nation...through four runners. If only Graham Crawford didn't get hurt.
#13 Louisville Cardinals (Wasn't Ranked)
-Throughout the year, it's been a common theme for the Louisville Cardinals. They could be so good if they didn't have issues with their 5th man! Going into the Southeast region, many thought the Cardinals weren't even going to make nationals. The result? They won region...by 19 points. It was a shocking victory for a team that had not met (my) expectations all year. The difference? George Yator. The Kenyan recruit had been the best kept secret in the NCAA. Yator was their fifth man who finished 35th overall. Had he not raced, Lousville would've ended up in 5th and leaving the Cardinals unsure if they would be running at nationals (which is on their home course). While they finally proved that they can contend with the top teams in the nation, I still haven't seen enough of Yator. Not knowing what he's truly capable of has me staying cautious and keeping Louisville at #13.
#12 Virginia Cavaliers (+1/13)
-Maybe it's because I go to the rival school one hour down the road, but Virginia just hasn't hit my expectations this season. That said, Herriot and Visokay finally came up big for Virginia and that's probably why the Cavaliers got the second auto-spot out of the Southeast region. They haven't done much all season, so for them to come up big at one of the biggest meets of the year is pretty clutch. Still, the inconsistencies they've had this season doesn't make me a fan of them.
#11 Georgetown Hoyas (+1/12)
-Georgetown has become one of my favorite teams in the nation. After all they went through this preseason, it's awesome to see them get the Mid-Atlantic title by a solid 16 points. They've got the ace (Green), the experience (Fahy and Carpenter), and solid depth that has yet to ever really hurt the team (Bile, Bartelsmeyer, and Lederhouse). Sleeper pick for NCAA's? I think so.
#10 UTEP Miners (+1/11)
-The Miners continue to impress spectators in the NCAA as they rely on a solid top-3 to get them through a very competitive Mountain region (where they placed 2nd behind Colorado). They are great team and have proven that they can run with some of the top teams. Unfortunately, their 4th and 5th men have been their biggest weakness. Kosgei was 28th in the region and Cheruiyot was 35th. That was just in the Mountain region. Come NCAA's, the weakness in those bottom two scorers could very well run up the score. UTEP is good, but they can't rely on Rotich and Koech forever.
#09 Oklahoma State Cowboys (+1/10)
-The Cowboys got a convincing win in the Midwest region by scoring 59 points. Geberkidane led the squad with a third place while Olestad was behind him in 10th. Unfortunately, there have been gaps in their scoring and guys like Nowak and Clarkson (where is he?) have not been where they should. They are their best to cover their gaps, but they won't have the talent this year to contend for the podium.
#08 Oregon Ducks (-3/5)
-For the entire season I have been banking on Oregon's superior coaching, outstanding recruitment class, and Cheserek to make this team a podium contender. Unfortunately, the youth of the team is still showing and the guys that were supposed to step up (like Leingang and Elkaim) have been lack-luster to say the least. They are still talented, but a third place finish in the West region just confirms that they won't be podium contenders.
#07 Arkansas Razorbacks (+1/8)
-They have to be the most underrated team in the NCAA. They have been so good and according to Flotrack, have had a different top finisher at every meet this entire season. That indicates some crazy good depth and reliability. They are stacked through 6 guys, but might not have the flair at the front to give them an edge. Right now, they have no one ranked in our top-50 so unless they can get a low-stick they'll be staying off the podium.Side note- They won the South Central title over Texas by 18 points (and according to Dom Scott, didn't run 3 guys on their varsity squad).
#06 BYU Cougars (-2/4)
-The Cougars were a distant 21 points away from UTEP in the Mountain region. I'm not sure how much effort BYU was putting in, but it's not a great sign heading into NCAA's that they lost to UTEP by that much. They didn't run Montanez, but that still would've resulted in a loss to UTEP. They are a bit on the younger side and Farnsworth may not be ready to lead this team into nationals as a freshman, but besides this meet they haven't done anything all season that would indicate they can't handle being towards the top.
#05 Iona Gaels (+2/7)
-They got second at the Northeast region to Syracuse, but they've got a great group and solid depth. Chartt Miller has become the ace that the team desperately needed while the rest of the squad has become much more consistent. Still, the fact that remains that while Iona is historically a top-10, rarely does every member of that squad show up on the same day. If that's the case then the Gaels will be top-10, but will be left off the podium.
#01 Colorado Buffalos (0/1)
-They won by 10 points over UTEP. UTEP shouldn't be an issue for Colorado at nationals, but the Buffs are looking more and more vulnerable with each meet. I don't think they were going all-out and they are definitely still the favorite, but Stanford and Syracuse are primed and if the Buffs have an off-day from someone, then things could get very interesting.
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Just Missed
Boise State Broncos
Oklahoma Sooners
Cornell Big Red
Villanova Wildcats
Cornell Big Red
Villanova Wildcats
Who To Watch
UCLA Bruins
Florida State Seminoles
Texas Longhorns
Washington State Cougars
UCLA Bruins
Florida State Seminoles
Texas Longhorns
Washington State Cougars
Kicked Off
Columbia Lions (Last Ranked 24)
Columbia Lions (Last Ranked 24)
Illinois Fighting Illini (Last Ranked 23)
Villanova Wildcats (Last Ranked 15)
Villanova Wildcats (Last Ranked 15)
New Additions
Michigan State Spartans
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Washington Huskies
Louisville Cardinals
Michigan State Spartans
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Washington Huskies
Louisville Cardinals
Biggest Surprise of the Week
Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals
Team of the Week
Penn Quakers
Penn Quakers
Notes
-Louisville gets 'Surprise of the Week' after winning when no one thought they would make nationals.
-Penn gets 'Team of the Week' after doing something they have done in ~40 years- make nationals. Props to that team for going from one of the worst teams in the Ivy league to one of the top teams in the nation.
-Villanova would've been 26th on the list.
-I apologize for any grammatical errors. It's been a long week or tests and papers (again)
-Minnesota and Penn were all in my preseason rankings and now they are going to nationals...just saying.
-Louisville gets 'Surprise of the Week' after winning when no one thought they would make nationals.
-Penn gets 'Team of the Week' after doing something they have done in ~40 years- make nationals. Props to that team for going from one of the worst teams in the Ivy league to one of the top teams in the nation.
-Villanova would've been 26th on the list.
-I apologize for any grammatical errors. It's been a long week or tests and papers (again)
-Minnesota and Penn were all in my preseason rankings and now they are going to nationals...just saying.
Can you do a recap of the states college runners performance this year?
ReplyDeleteFunny you say that. I'll actually be doing a mass PA alumni/PA colleges summary once nationals is finished.
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