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
24. Villanova Wildcats
Flotrack’s #24: Washington State Cougars
Flotrack's Ranking of Villanova: 26th
Flotrack's Ranking of Villanova: 26th
Coach: Marcus O'Sullivan
Notable Departures: Jordy Williamsz, Robert Denault, Harry Warnick (?)
Notable Additions: Martin Barr
Projected Scoring Five: Patrick Tiernan (SR) [ET#2], Casey Comber (FR), Andrew Marston (FR), Kevin Corbusier (SR), Paul Power (FR)
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Villanova was supposed to be a top 10 team last year. That, however, did not work out. The Wildcats had a strong top three, but their final two scorers weren't always as strong as they needed them to be. Despite having the better top three (and sending that trio to nationals), Villanova lost to eventual national qualifiers Georgetown and Penn in every meet they had. The small meets didn't play to Nova's advantage as their low-sticks had less of an impact in crowded fields like BIG East's and Mid-Atlantic's.
But that is all in the past. Villanova may not have been perfect last season, but they will enter 2016 with a very underrated squad. Patrick Tiernan will be fresh off of his Olympic 5k appearance and should be ready to lead his young teammates into battle. Those young teammates, however, might be familiar names for many of the PA readers on this site.
Casey Comber, Andrew Marston, and Paul Power all got a full year of building mileage and racing experience while they redshirted their cross country and track seasons. The trio had killer cross country seasons last fall even though they were running unattached. We've seen the potential and talent they have, but now they'll be much more important than just some redshirts training and putting in mileage. The pressure will be on them to perform and they are still young. They'll be relied on to score points and help the Wildcats return to national championship form.
There are others on the Villanova squad that could step up and be crucial pieces of the puzzle for Villanova. Kevin Corbusier is an experienced senior who knows what the big meets are like. He's most likely out for revenge after missing out on nationals last fall. Harry Warnick could be another key returner, but I'm unsure if he returns. He would have senior eligibility if he chose to run this fall.
Villanova is a mix of the old and the new. We all know what Patrick Tiernan is capable of, but the uncertainty of the redshirt freshmen will make Villanova a mystery until we see more from them. They may lose a couple of guys from last year's squad, but this is not a team that is rebuilding. This is a team that is reloading.
Villanova was supposed to be a top 10 team last year. That, however, did not work out. The Wildcats had a strong top three, but their final two scorers weren't always as strong as they needed them to be. Despite having the better top three (and sending that trio to nationals), Villanova lost to eventual national qualifiers Georgetown and Penn in every meet they had. The small meets didn't play to Nova's advantage as their low-sticks had less of an impact in crowded fields like BIG East's and Mid-Atlantic's.
But that is all in the past. Villanova may not have been perfect last season, but they will enter 2016 with a very underrated squad. Patrick Tiernan will be fresh off of his Olympic 5k appearance and should be ready to lead his young teammates into battle. Those young teammates, however, might be familiar names for many of the PA readers on this site.
Casey Comber, Andrew Marston, and Paul Power all got a full year of building mileage and racing experience while they redshirted their cross country and track seasons. The trio had killer cross country seasons last fall even though they were running unattached. We've seen the potential and talent they have, but now they'll be much more important than just some redshirts training and putting in mileage. The pressure will be on them to perform and they are still young. They'll be relied on to score points and help the Wildcats return to national championship form.
There are others on the Villanova squad that could step up and be crucial pieces of the puzzle for Villanova. Kevin Corbusier is an experienced senior who knows what the big meets are like. He's most likely out for revenge after missing out on nationals last fall. Harry Warnick could be another key returner, but I'm unsure if he returns. He would have senior eligibility if he chose to run this fall.
Villanova is a mix of the old and the new. We all know what Patrick Tiernan is capable of, but the uncertainty of the redshirt freshmen will make Villanova a mystery until we see more from them. They may lose a couple of guys from last year's squad, but this is not a team that is rebuilding. This is a team that is reloading.
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