2016 Updated Etrain Top 50 Rankings: Week 6 (10/17)

By: Garrett Zatlin

PAST RANKINGS THIS SEASON
Preseason (7/29)
Week 1 (9/12)
Week 2 (9/19)
Week 3 (9/28)
Week 4 (10/3)
Week 5 (10/10)--No changes
Week 6 (10/17)
Week 7 (10/24)--No changes
Week 8 (10/31)
Week 9 (11/7)--No changes
Week 10 (11/14)
Week 11 (11/21)

KEY

·      Bold: Had a performance or important piece of news that influenced a change in the rankings

·      (#/#): First number indicates how much the individual has moved in the rankings. A plus (with green) means they have improved in the rankings. A minus (with red) 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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50. Malachy Schrobilgen, Senior, Wisconsin (-40/10)
-It was Deja Vu for Schrobilgen as he had to pull out of the race and list himself as a DNF. Was he injured? Was it part of a major plan? What happened? Knowing his past with injuries, I'm not feeling so great about the status of Schrobilgen and I'm not sure he'll be staying in the rankings for much longer.

49. Jonathan Green, Junior, Georgetown (-41/8)
-Despite Green being scheduled to run at Wisconsin, he didn't toe the starting line. Is it just a move for him to get more training in rather than racing? Or did he get injured again? Whatever the answer may be, it's a little concerning.

Unlike others, we know Green is active this season after running at Paul Short and I can't necessarily penalize Green for not racing. Still, the uncertainty surrounding his situation is enough reason for his ranking to fall.

48. Josh Thompson, Senior, Oklahoma State (Wasn't Ranked)
-Thompson is the only Oklahoma State Cowboy in the rankings despite him not even being the best on his team. Even so, he's put together two top three finishes at Cowboy Jamboree and Penn State Open.

With Geberkidane out, and transfers taking turns as the top Cowboy finisher, the team will be looking to Thompson for stable leadership. Whether he likes it or not, the pressure will be on Thompson to step up and lead the Cowboys as they head into the post-season.

47. Jack Bruce, Senior, Arkansas (Wasn't Ranked)
-Bruce is one of the more inconsistent runners in the top 50 and it's hard to really gage where he should go. He finished 12th at Pre-Nats and is also an All-American. Then again, he was 8th at the Chile Pepper Festival. While I do like consistency, I can't discredit the talent it takes to place 12th at Pre-Nats so Bruce will reclaim a spot in the rankings.

46. Antibahs Kosgei, Senior, Alabama (0/46)

45. Brian Barraza, Senior, Houston (0/45)

45. Alex George, Junior, Arkansas (Wasn't Ranked)
-We've expected to see Andrew Ronoh make his debut for Arkansas and add another low-stick to the Razorback equation. Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to see Ronoh race and we are still playing the waiting game of "when will he run"?

Until then, George has stepped up and filled the role of being a low-stick after placing 14th at Pre-Nats. George had an excellent track season this past spring and it looks like that fitness has rolled over to cross country.

44. Jonathan Harper, Junior, BYU (Wasn't Ranked)
-Like Montanez, Harper has been one of the unexpected hero's for BYU. Harper was 10th at Panorama Farms, but really gained momentum this past weekend at Wisconsin where he placed 18th overall.

I don't know how, but BYU continues to mold national contenders every single year and Harper is just another product of that molding process.

42. Philo Germano, Senior, Syracuse (-15/27)
-When you look at his numbers, Germano is actually doing quite well compared to last year. Still, he's already had his breakout races and he needs to get to the next level for Syracuse to stay in the team title conversation. 28th at Wisconsin is not bad at all, but it's not top 30 worthy.

41. Michael Williams, Junior, Washington State (Wasn't Ranked)
-Williams has gone on and off the list, but he's done enough to get back on after his 15th place finish at Wisconsin. He doesn't have the flashy times or finishes, but he's reliable and can contend at any meet he runs in.

40. Dillon Maggard, Junior, Utah State (Wasn't Ranked)
-Dillon Maggard is one of the more underrated runners in the nation. He's mainly known for his mile performances, but Maggard has held his own on the dirt and grass. Before he placed 11th at Pre-Nats this past weekend, he was 5th at Paul Short. Compared to his numbers last year, he's certainly improving.

39. Connor Lundy, Freshman, Princeton (Wasn't Ranked)
-Connor Lundy was a force in high school and one of the top prep runners in the nation. Even for the best high schoolers, it's hard to adjust to the collegiate scene...

Except for Lundy.

Lundy placed an incredible 19th place at a loaded Wisconsin field. A freshman took down some of the best names in the nation who have spent 4 years of their life getting to the point they're at now. Maybe I'm just overhyping his race, but Lundy is now on my radar.

38. Tyler Day, Sophomore, NAU (Wasn't Ranked)
-For Tyler Day, Wisconsin was his season opener (an interesting coaching move). It's not easy to make your debut on the biggest stage in the nation, but Day held his own and placed 15th overall.

When the Lumberjacks decided to redshirt most of their veterans in 2015, Day was the guy to step and take the leadership role throughout the season. He earned a lot of experience during that time and that was clearly a brilliant move by Coach Heins.

37. Connor Mora, Senior, Michigan (Wasn't Ranked)
-At Roy Griak, Mora fell way back to 44th and wasn't really in the mix of the top runners. Now, he leaves Terre Haute with a 13th place finish at Pre-Nats and a new found confidence. I'm high on all of Michigan's guys and Mora running behind Baumgarten gives the Wolverines an excellent 1-2 punch.

36. Jacob Choge, Freshman, Mid. Tenn. State (Wasn't Ranked)
-Brother of Olympic Marathon champion Eliud Choge, Jacob actually didn't race this weekend. The freshman has now faced Edwin Kibichiy twice and has been on his heels during the finish of every race. Knowing his genes, Choge is certainly someone to keep an eye on. 

35. Colby Gilbert, Junior, Washington (-6/29)
-It was a rough day at Wisconsin for Colby Gilbert who made some tactical errors. He was gutsy and led the pack for a good portion of the race, but it looked like he may have gone out too hard as he fell back and finished 63rd overall.

I don't think this race is representative of what Gilbert is truly capable of, but he can't be making these kind of mistakes in the post-season.

34. Cosmas Boit, Senior, UTEP (Wasn't Ranked)
-Cosmas Boit was a runner consistently on my radar during the 2015 season. I hadn't noticed him much until Pre-Nats where he finished 9th overall. It was certainly a statement race for the UTEP senior after his Notre Dame performance lacked excitement (placed 18th). He's talented enough to be on this list, but as most of our readers know, consistency will play a big role in him improving in the rankings.

33. Matthew Baxter, Rs. Junior, NAU (Wasn't Ranked)
-Why was NAU so successful at Wisconsin? The answer can be found in the 8th spot of the Wisconsin results. Baxter had a breakout race in his first big meet back after redshirting his 2015 season. The New Zealand native has now become one of the biggest factors in the crazy team title hunt.

He may have been a big reason for NAU winning, but lets see if he can repeat a performance like that again.

32. Harry Mulenga, Senior, Florida State (Wasn't Ranked)
-Mulenga was long overdue for a spot in the rankings. He's been incredibly consistent with all of this performances and although it wasn't mind-blowing, his 15th place finish at Wisconsin was still really solid.

He's been consistent, but can he take it to the next level and at least fight for a win? That will be the real determinant of where he ranks among the top 50.

31. Antony Kosgei, Sophomore, UTEP (Wasn't Ranked)
-I wasn't sure what to think of Kosgei when he placed 7th at Notre Dame. He didn't do too much last year and there wasn't a lot of information on him. Regardless, Kosgei stepped up his game and came back with another excellent race by placing 10th at Pre-Nats. It looks he'll be the second low-stick on a UTEP team that is front-heavy.

30. Jacob Thomson, Rs. Junior, Kentucky (0/30)

29. Calvin Chemoiywo, Senior, Louisville (Wasn't Ranked)
-Pre-Nats was full of surprises. However, the biggest eyebrow-raiser was seeing Calvin Chemoiywo have the race of his life and finish 5th overall and ahead of his teammate Kibichiy. So why is he only ranked 29th?

Chemoiywo hasn't always impressed me and this was his first big-time performance. If he can show me that he's more than just a one-race wonder then he will quickly improve in the rankings.

28. Sean Tobin, Junior, Mississippi (-3/25)

-Tobin came back down to earth after his incredible Notre Dame win two weeks ago. Tobin finished 10th against an unexciting field at the Penn State Open. Everyone is allowed to have an off day, but being the Notre Dame champion to being 10th at Penn State isn't exactly the momentum boost you want if you're Tobin.

27. Alex Short, Rs. Senior, San Francisco (Wasn't Ranked)
-Alex Short came to play and he showed that the San Fran Dons deserve your respect. The British graduate student finished 7th at Pre-Nats with a lot of notable names crossing the line after him. I mentioned him as a 'Just Miss' candidate in my preseason rankings and now he's looking like a potential top five finisher in the West region this year. Quite the jump.

26. Luke Traynor, Senior, Tulsa (+22/48)
-It was a truly gutsy performance from the Tulsa senior at Wisconsin as he briefly took pacing duties in the middle of the race. It's good to see that kind of confidence from Traynor after his season opener was a bit underwhelming (4th at Cowboy Jamboree).

Does this mean he's the favorite to win the Midwest title? There is only one other Midwest regional runner ranked in the top 50 this week.

25. Ferdinand Edman, Senior, UCLA (Wasn't Ranked) 
-Ferdinand Edman has been having a killer, but quiet 2016 season. He was 8th at Roy Griak and then 10th at Wisconsin. He's gone up against two loaded fields and come away with top 10 finishes. UCLA has been looking for an ace ever since Lane Werley left and it looks like Edman is picking up right where Werley left off.

24. MJ Erb, Senior, Mississippi (+7/31)
-I needed a second strong race from Erb to feel safe about ranking him this high. He did just that at the Penn State Open this past weekend after he got himself a win over strong runners from Oklahoma State. Whatever the issue was last year, it looks like he has addressed it.

23. Matthew Maton, Sophomore, Oregon (Wasn't Ranked)
-I really wanted to throw Maton onto the list two weeks ago, but there just wasn't enough room. Now, I have no trouble finding a spot for him among the top 25 after he placed 4th at Pre-Nats and was the top American in the field (only one of two American's in the top 10).

Others are ranked ahead of Maton due to their consistency and performances against more talented fields. Maton, however, will have plenty of room to move up in the future.

22. Aaron Baumgarten, Junior, Michigan (+19/41)
-Another awesome race from the Michigan junior who continues to be the leader of this team with Ferlic now gone and Flanagan no where to be found (injured? redshirting?). Baumgarten finished the Pre-Nats race 8th overall which compliments his 3rd place Roy Griak performance very nicely. He's consistent and a true-low stick. Could he threaten Morgan McDonald for the conference and regional titles? We'll have to wait and see...

21. Scott Carpenter, Senior, Georgetown (+12/33)
-If I'm being honest, I had to question just how good Carpenter was after he won Paul Short. It was an impressive performance, but I wasn't sure if was really that good or just a one race wonder.

Well his Wisconsin performance showed otherwise. With Green and Clevenger severely underwhelming, Georgetown needed someone to lean on and Carpenter did that with his 13th place finish.

Imagine how good Georgetown would be if Green and Clevenger were running at the level Carpenter was running at right now...

20. Gilbert Kirui, Junior, Iona (+3/23)
-It was another really solid race for Kirui who is giving Iona some comfort at the low-stick spots. The Iona junior finished 12th at Wisconsin which was enough to boost his stock into the top 20.

There will be plenty of questions and comments about Iona in the team rankings, but their top runners seem to be on the same page and running well.

19. Nicholas Montanez, Senior, BYU (+24/43)
-Montanez is the REAL DEAL. Who would've thought that a guy with 14:38 5k PR who no one knows would put together back to back elite performances and put himself in the mix of being a top 20 runner?

Don't forget about Nicholas Montanez. He is scary good and only gaining confidence as he heads into the post-season.

18. Amon Terer, Senior, Campbell (+3/21)
-While Kipkoech had an off-race, Terer stepped up to be the top Campbell finisher and placed 3rd at Pre-Nats. This may be the best race of his career and should be a huge confidence booster moving forward.

17. Frankline Tonui, Senior, Arkansas (+21/38)
-We knew Tonui was good and he's shown sparks of potential, but my goodness what a race from him! He placed 2nd overall at Pre-Nats, after his past few races were a bit underwhelming. He is certainly talented, but there was no indication that he could put together a performance like that. Hopefully he can consistently run like this throughout the rest of the season.

16. Lawrence Kipkoech, Rs. Sophomore, Campbell (+1/17)
-It was an off day for Kipkoech who has been otherwise very impressive so far this season. The Campbell ace finished 17th at Pre-Nats in a race where he probably could've taken the runner-up spot.

Everyone has an off day, so I won't think too much about his Pre-Nats race right now. Plus, so many others are falling out of the rankings that his spot is actually slightly improving.

15. Colin Bennie, Junior, Syracuse (-2/13)
-I'm not going to lie, I was really hoping we would get to see something a bit more exciting from Colin Bennie this year. He's still been one of the top guys in the nation, but he has had better performances last year than he has so far this season.

Bennie finished 14th overall at Wisconsin after being dropped by the pack late in the race. It'll be interesting to see where his fitness is come post-season.

14. Ben Saarel, Senior, Colorado (+1/15)
13. John Dressel, Sophomore, Colorado (-4/9)
-Dressel and Saarel finished 27th and 28th (respectively) at Pre-Nats. I think it was pretty clear that they weren't giving their best effort and could've mixed it up a bit more with that top pack. In fact, just seeing that they competed helps their stock as the idea of them red-shirting fades.

12. Jonah Koech, Sophomore, UTEP (-1/11)
-He didn't run with his teammates at Pre-Nats. A little odd, but I'm not going too put much thought into it.

11. Jerrell Mock, Junior, Colorado State (-4/7)
-Just not the best day for Mock as he ended up in 28th overall at Wisconsin. This is his first off performance of the season and has been really solid so far. He won't be penalized too much.

10. George Parsons, Senior, NC State (+10/20)
-I love gutsy runners who would rather rely on grinding out a hard pace and relying on fitness than just waiting until a final kick and hoping that they have better leg speed than the guy next to them.

Parson's made a big move with about 2k to go in an effort to separate himself from the rest of the Wisconsin field. He ended up getting 5th after a few guys caught him on the final straightaway, but it was a race of true grit and I really like that in a runner.

9. Kieran Clements, Rs. Senior, Iona (+13/22)
-When Iona didn't run Chartt Miller, I was concerned that they had lost their ace (is he injured? Red shirting?). However, Wisconsin was the second race in a row where Clements really came out and blew away the competition. After placing 2nd at Paul Short, a 7th place run at Wisconsin was enough for me to put him in the top 10.

8. Edwin Kibichiy, Rs. Senior, Louisville (+4/12)
-Despite moving up in the rankings, Kibichiy had one of this less than ideal races at Pre-Nats where he placed 6th. It was still a great result and with so many other guys falling off the list, he's done enough in the past to take a top 10 spot.

7. Morgan McDonald, Junior, Wisconsin (+9/16)
-McDonald came to play in his own backyard as he finished 3rd overall at the Wisconsin Invite. While it may be easy to place him ahead of McGorty and Fisher, I have to acknowledge that most of the results for the top 10 guys came down to who had a better kick rather than running away from the rest of the field.

I think it's safe to say that McDonald is a track guy with excellent mile chops which gives him an advantage in terms of speed. In a race that is a little faster and more spread out, I'm not sure McDonald is fending off Fisher and McGorty.

6. Grant Fisher, Sophomore, Stanford (0/6)
5. Sean McGorty, Senior, Stanford (0/5)
-At Wisconsin, Fisher was 4th overall while McGorty was 6th. Does this mean Fisher should be ranked ahead of McGorty? I suppose it does, but I'm not ready to make that move quite just yet. I feel like McGorty will have a bigger role come nationals and will finish better than 6th.

4. Futsum Zienasellassie, Rs. Senior, NAU (-1/4)
-It may not have been a win, but it was a smart race by Futsum and he should be happy with his second place finish at Wisconsin. He's not someone that is going to win a kickers race against the elites so he'll need to take advantage of a faster pace next time.

3. Justyn Knight, Junior, Syracuse (+1/4)
-Wow. Just wow. Knight once again continues to impress after upsetting Futsum and winning the Wisconsin title. He may have the most dangerous kick in the NCAA right now after watching him handle the last straightaway like a pro. He didn't seem worried at all. It was such a poised performance, that I'm inclined to put him at number two...but that will come in time.

2. Patrick Tiernan, Rs. Senior, Villanova (0/2)
-Villanova's twitter account mentioned that Tiernan would debut at the Big East championships. He may not have raced yet, but at least we know what the plan with him is unlike so many other names that had to be kicked off.

1. Edward Cheserek, Senior, Oregon (0/1)
-Cheserek won Pre-Nats. What else is new? He claims he tempo'd it and I would honestly believe him considering how he pulled away from the field and didn't really try to kick. He seemed calm and collected throughout most of the race while easily shutting down some of the best runners in the nation.
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Just Missed 
-Hassan Abdi, Junior, Oklahoma State
-Ryan Robinson, Sophomore, Michigan State
-Brent Demarest, Sophomore, Virginia
-Ryan Forsyth, Sophomore, Colorado
-Rory Linkletter, Sophomore, BYU
-Joel Reichow, Senior, South Dakota State
-Robert Brandt, Sophomore, Colorado
-Tanner Anderson, Sophomore, Oregon
-Michael Ward, Junior, Bradley
-Sam Prakel, Senior, Oregon

Who To Watch
-CJ Albertson, Senior, Arizona State
-Cerake Geberkidane, Junior, Oklahoma State
-Sylvester Barus, Junior, Oklahoma State
-Nick Tuck, Senior, Penn
-Joe Klecker, Rs. Freshman, Colorado
-Joel Hubbard, Senior, Syracuse
-Matthew Schwartzer, Rs. Senior, Indiana
-John Whelan, Senior, Washington State

Kicked Off
-Jacob Burcham, Senior, Oklahoma (Last Ranked 14th)
-Jefferson Abbey, Senior, Colorado State (Last Ranked 18th)
-Henry Wynne, Senior, Virginia (Last Ranked 19th)
-Chartt Miller, Junior, Iona (Last Ranked 24th)
-Kyle Eller, Senior, Air Force (Last Ranked 26th)
-Micheal Clevenger, Rs. Senior, Georgetown (Last Ranked 28th)
-Ben Flanagan, Senior, Michigan (Last Ranked 32nd)
-Darren Fahy, Senior, Georgetown (Last Ranked 34th)
-Dallin Farnsworth, Sophomore, BYU (Last Ranked 36th)
-Michael Vennard, Junior, Boise State (Last Ranked 37th)
-Dylan Lafond, Senior, Illinois (Last Ranked 39th)
-Matt Welch, Junior Minnesota (Last Ranked 40th)
-Matthew Schwartzer, Rs. Senior, Indiana (Last Ranked 42nd)
-Andrew Rafla, Rs. Sophomore, Boise State (Last Ranked 44th)
-Iliass Aouani, Sophomore, Syracuse (Last Ranked 47th)
-Sam Prakel, Senior, Oregon (Last Ranked 49th)
-Robert Brandt, Sophomore, California (Last Ranked 50th)

New Additions
-Matthew Maton, Sophomore, Oregon
-Ferdinand Edman, Senior, UCLA
-Alex Short, Rs. Senior, San Francisco
-Antony Kosgei, Sophomore, UTEP
-Calvin Chemoiywo, Senior, Louisville
-Dillon Maggard, Junior, Utah State
-Connor Lundy, Freshman, Princeton
-Connor Mora, Senior, Michigan 
-Jacob Choge, Freshman, Mid. Tenn. State
-Tyler Day, Sophomore, NAU
-Cosmas Boit, Senior, UTEP
-Matthew Baxter, Rs. Junior, NAU
-Harry Mulenga, Senior, Florida State
-Michael Williams, Junior, Washington State
-Alex George, Junior, Arkansas
-Jonathan Harper, Junior, BYU
-Jack Bruce, Senior, Arkansas
-Josh Thompson, Senior, Oklahoma State

Biggest Surprise of the Week
Connor Lundy, Freshman, Princeton

MVP of the Week
Justyn Knight, Junior, Syracuse

Notes
-Lundy wins "Biggest Surprise of the Week" after placing in the top 20 at Wisconsin as a freshman.
-Knight wins "MVP of the week" after throwing down an incredible kick to upset Futusm.
-Many of the names that were kicked off of the list was because they have not yet raced this season (leaving me to wonder if they are injured and/or redshirting). 
-What is happening with all of the big names being kicked out of the rankings? This year has been incredibly difficult to gage when it comes to rankings.