25. Illinois Fighting Illini
24. Villanova Wildcats
23. Eastern Michigan Eagles
22. Iowa State Cyclones
21. Oklahoma State Cowboys
20. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
19. Michigan State Spartans
18. Boise State Broncos
17. Washington State Cougars
16. Indiana Hoosiers
15. Washington Huskies
14. Eastern Kentucky Colonials
13. BYU Cougars
12. Wisconsin Badgers
11. Furman Paladins
10. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Colorado State Rams
8. Norther Arizona Lumberjacks
7. Arkansas Razorbacks
6. Colorado Buffaloes
5. Iona Gaels
15. Washington Huskies
Flotrack’s #15: Washington Huskies
Flotrack's Ranking of Washington: 15th
Coach: Greg Metcalf
Flotrack's Ranking of Washington: 15th
Coach: Greg Metcalf
Notable Departures: Izaic Yorks, Tyler King
Notable Additions: Nicholas Laccinole
Projected Scoring Five: Colby Gilbert (JR) [ET#33], Andrew Gardner (JR), Fred Huxham (JR), Jonathan Stevens (JR), Mahmoud Moussa (SO)
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It seems like we finally have an agreement between the Flotrack and Etrain rankings. I think this is the perfect spot for the Huskies, because despite losing two critical names, they still have plenty of talent up-front and have consistently proved that they are a winning program.
Last season, I didn't expect much from the Huskies. They had a couple solid guys and a few that showed promise on the track, but nothing to put together a top 25 cross country team. That argument seemed reasonable when Washington finished 6th out of 11 teams at their own meet (the Washington Invite).
Washington's performance at Wisconsin was slightly better when they placed 13th overall. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was a step in the right direction. PAC-12's seemed to be another positive sign for Washington as they placed 4th behind Oregon, Stanford, and Colorado (all of which made the team podium at nationals).
It was clear that Washington was picking up momentum, but no one could've guessed what would happen at regionals when they took advantage of a tactical race and won the West region title. Was it a fluke win? Did Washington just get lucky? The results at nationals would say that it was far from a fluke. At NCAA's, the Huskies rallied by grabbing the 8th team spot overall by putting four in the top 100.
I don't know how they did it, but Washington peaked perfectly and at the right time. They clearly started progressing and made solid improvements as the post-season went on. But the loss of two scorers in Izaic Yorks and Tyler King is a punishing blow. Those two guys graduating restricts me from putting them back into the 10th spot they finished in last year's Etrain rankings. However, the emergence of Colby Gilbert and plenty of others makes Washington a top 15 team for sure.
Colby Gilbert is a returning All-American who had his breakout race at nationals when he placed 32nd overall. Although his cross country season was impressive, his track season was even better when he threw down PR's of 3:40 and 13:35. Track times don't always translate to the grass, but it seems pretty obvious that Gilbert is at another level of fitness.
Behind Gilbert will be Andrew Gardner and Fred Huxham who boast experience, and respectable PR's. Gardner's 2015 season was highlighted by his 10th place finish at regionals while Huxham finished 22nd at both conferences and regionals. They'll both need to become a tad more consistent, but they were very reliable when it mattered.
Others like Jonathan Stevens and Mahmoud Moussa aren't torching the competition, but they are reliable back-ups who will have a huge year of experience under their belt. Just like Gilbert, Gardner, and Huxham, Stevens will be entering the prime of his junior year while Moussa will have gotten over the freshman learning curve. The sky is the limit in terms of potential for these two.
It seems pretty obvious that there are some weak spots on this team that hasn't been seen in a while. However, the coaching surrounding this Washington squad is at the best point it has ever been. Left and right, Washington has pumped out some of the best talent in the distance events last winter and spring. They've made two consecutive national championship appearances in cross country and gained two All-Americans last fall.
But the best part might be this fun fact: The last time the Huskies finished among the top 10 teams was in the 1993 (they finished 8th). They might not be the most complete team, but Washington is heading in the right direction and they have the coaching to thank for it.
It seems like we finally have an agreement between the Flotrack and Etrain rankings. I think this is the perfect spot for the Huskies, because despite losing two critical names, they still have plenty of talent up-front and have consistently proved that they are a winning program.
Last season, I didn't expect much from the Huskies. They had a couple solid guys and a few that showed promise on the track, but nothing to put together a top 25 cross country team. That argument seemed reasonable when Washington finished 6th out of 11 teams at their own meet (the Washington Invite).
Washington's performance at Wisconsin was slightly better when they placed 13th overall. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was a step in the right direction. PAC-12's seemed to be another positive sign for Washington as they placed 4th behind Oregon, Stanford, and Colorado (all of which made the team podium at nationals).
It was clear that Washington was picking up momentum, but no one could've guessed what would happen at regionals when they took advantage of a tactical race and won the West region title. Was it a fluke win? Did Washington just get lucky? The results at nationals would say that it was far from a fluke. At NCAA's, the Huskies rallied by grabbing the 8th team spot overall by putting four in the top 100.
I don't know how they did it, but Washington peaked perfectly and at the right time. They clearly started progressing and made solid improvements as the post-season went on. But the loss of two scorers in Izaic Yorks and Tyler King is a punishing blow. Those two guys graduating restricts me from putting them back into the 10th spot they finished in last year's Etrain rankings. However, the emergence of Colby Gilbert and plenty of others makes Washington a top 15 team for sure.
Colby Gilbert is a returning All-American who had his breakout race at nationals when he placed 32nd overall. Although his cross country season was impressive, his track season was even better when he threw down PR's of 3:40 and 13:35. Track times don't always translate to the grass, but it seems pretty obvious that Gilbert is at another level of fitness.
Behind Gilbert will be Andrew Gardner and Fred Huxham who boast experience, and respectable PR's. Gardner's 2015 season was highlighted by his 10th place finish at regionals while Huxham finished 22nd at both conferences and regionals. They'll both need to become a tad more consistent, but they were very reliable when it mattered.
Others like Jonathan Stevens and Mahmoud Moussa aren't torching the competition, but they are reliable back-ups who will have a huge year of experience under their belt. Just like Gilbert, Gardner, and Huxham, Stevens will be entering the prime of his junior year while Moussa will have gotten over the freshman learning curve. The sky is the limit in terms of potential for these two.
It seems pretty obvious that there are some weak spots on this team that hasn't been seen in a while. However, the coaching surrounding this Washington squad is at the best point it has ever been. Left and right, Washington has pumped out some of the best talent in the distance events last winter and spring. They've made two consecutive national championship appearances in cross country and gained two All-Americans last fall.
But the best part might be this fun fact: The last time the Huskies finished among the top 10 teams was in the 1993 (they finished 8th). They might not be the most complete team, but Washington is heading in the right direction and they have the coaching to thank for it.
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