Breaking Down the Class of 2019

Alex Fox, Dylan Jaklitsch, Garrett Zatlin

After an incredible running season, one would expect some very strong recruiting classes coming to campuses across the country this fall; if you are one of those people, you are right! The class of 2019 includes not one, but two sub 4 milers, two sub 1:48 runners, and has loads of talents 400-5k. With so much talent coming out of high school, which schools managed to come out with the best of the best? A lot of schools have very strong recruiting classes, but here’s how we at Etrain have broken down the top five.

2015 High School Signing List (compiled by Alex Fox and Dylan Jaklitsch)

*Note: Analysis by Dylan is in italics. Analysis by Fox is in regular text. Analysis by Garrett is in bold.

Criteria:

To analyze so many strong classes, I opted for a holistic approach to the some 230 athletes we have on our college recruitment list. I tried to maintain a long term view, as I think the long term impact an athlete or group of athletes has on a program is more important than immediate holes that are filled. Moreover, I wanted to rank each recruitment class based on how strong the fit was; this means that depth was not as important for schools who don’t have strong cross country or relays team, but instead have very fast individuals. 

There’s a lot to consider when you’re talking about the most talented recruiting classes. Most people would crunch some numbers, get an average, and send in the rankings. As for myself, I like to take a different approach. The first thing I look for is talent. Obviously, you need some fast guys to be considered the best recruiting class in the nation. Talent is talent and I won’t argue that. A group of five guys that can run 9:20’s is nice, but they’re not as impactful if they can’t beat two sub-9 runners. Next, I look for depth. This isn’t the biggest factor, but it’s an extremely nice luxury to have if you’re a coach. When you’re running at the top level, there will be people who simply can’t cut it. Some will party too hard, get injured, struggle to maintain grades, or simply just burn out. However, having backup and the ability to switch your line up is an extremely useful option. It also doesn’t hurt to have a slew of guys, all looking to make a name for themselves, constantly push each other at practice. The last factor is the coaching and the program. You could be a top recruit in the nation, but without good coaching and a strong program, it could be tough to improve and make an impact on the national scene.

Honorable Mentions:

Before I get right into the top five, there are several classes with very special athletes, who deserve an honorable mention. Oregon went above and beyond this recruiting season, signing a sub 4 miler and a cross country national champion. 3:42 runner Matthew Maton and Tanner Anderson are both sure to make an impact this season, and I have very high expectations for them both. Texas A&M signed 1:47 man Donovan Brazier, who holds a 4:07 1600m PR; national 600m leader Richard Rose (1:18), who also boasts 46 second quarter speed and a 1:50 800m indoor split; and Eli Canal, who holds 4:20 and 9:15 PRs. Virginia Tech signed several Virginia products, who I am sure Garrett is extremely excited to watch. Diego Zarate (1:52/4:09/9:18), Chris Short (1:52/2:27 1k), Jacob McCoy (1:52/2:30 1k), Alex Maguire (1:53/4:14), Peter Seufer (4:10/9:10/15:10), and Collin Hahn (4:17/9:26) give Virginia Tech loads of freshmen depth in the middle distances, and I am sure they will flourish under veteran tutelage. Villanova was sure to sign some strong runners, as Logan Wetzel comes in with a 4:04 mile PR and several 1:49 800m splits. While he was overshadowed at times by Brazier and Grant Fisher in the state of Michigan, this kid is one to watch out for. He is complemented by several PA products who I am sure many of you are familiar with. These runners are Casey Comber (4:14/9:00/14:48), Paul Power (4:13/8:59), and Andrew Marston (4:16/9:01/15:02). These runners provide strong range and great depth to an already thriving Villanova program, who finished 5th in the NCAAXC rankings last season. Oklahoma State added several very strong runners this season, and they are very difficult to keep off my top five. Their class is headlined by Sukhi Khosla (4:05/8:59), who is a beast from the state of Florida. NY miler Benito Muniz, who has been referred to as “Mary Cain’s boyfriend”, has really made a name for himself, battling back from a meniscus tear to return to his 1:53/4:08 form. Bryce Balenseifen (1:52/4:09/9:16), Miles Yapp (1:56/4:15/9:01) and Christian Liddell (4:20/9:10) join several top tier sprinters to make this class one to be reckoned with, top to bottom. Columbia was a school I battled with while researching, having them as high as 4th and as low as 8th, before settling with a 6th place ranking. They have superstars, they have depth, and they have range. Sam Ritz (1:50/2:27/3:47) and Alek Sauer (1:49/4:21) should certainly make them a popular pick for the PA fans, and I don’t blame any of you. They have four recruits under 1:53.00 (Ritz, Sauer, Dante Hay, Josiah Langstaff), four guys who are under 4:14.00 (Ritz, Lucky Schreiner, Brian Zabilski, Johain Ounadjela), and five guys under 9:15, headlined by 8:49 man Brian Zabilski. While I saw a lot of depth in here, and many fast times, the five classes I chose ahead of these were even better in my opinion.

Anytime you can add a sub 4 miler AND a national champion, you know you have a strong recruiting class, and that’s just what Oregon did in signing Matt Maton and Tanner Anderson; Colorado State is a program on the rise with Jerrelle Mock leading the way. By adding four runners who look like contributors to the already strong XC team, this was a win for Colorado St. Headlined by Sam Ritz, Columbia added a lot of runners with a lot of quality. Not to be outdone, Harvard added Myles Marshall after he spurned Penn St, in addition a number of strong runners. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, NC State, Villanova, Cal, UCLA, Washington St, and Wisconsin also had strong classes. 

My Virgnia Tech Hokies had a great season of recruiting as they were able to gather some excellent milers. Georgetown, Washington State, and Minnesota also got a nice group of milers. Colorado, NC State, and Villanova also did very well by collecting some strong two milers at, under, or around 9min. My official honorable mentions (in no particular order): Colorado, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Georgetown, NC State, Villanova, Washington State, Princeton, Iowa State, Columbia, California.

Rankings:

5. Virginia (notable additions: Matt Novak, Robby Keough, Will Gray, Alex Corbett): Year in and year out, it seems that Virginia reloads with strong recruits, and this year was no exception. NBON Mile Champion Matthew Novak comes in with a 1:51 split time and 4:06 1600m speed, and will surely look to score points for UVA. Fellow Virginians Alex Corbett (4:10/8:58), Johnny Pace (4:15/9:23), Devin Barnes (1:51 split), and Jake Dixon (48 400m) add to this class. But what truly bumped Virginia into the top five are Georgia athlete Robby Keough (1:52/4:15) and question mark Will Gray. Gray hails from London, and I could find only two results from him, both over a year old. But with an 8:22 3k PR (8:59 3200m conversion), and an 8:47 steeplechase PR, Gray could really make an impact in joining Virginia’s team, in both cross country and track. Only time will tell us what Virginia’s incoming class is capable of.

5. Colorado (notable additions: John Dressel, Joe Klecker): To be honest, I was initially not sold on Colorado’s incoming class. That all changed the last few weeks of outdoor; Klecker managed to throw down a huge 4:04 at the Dream Mile, proving he can mix it up with the big boys, while Jon Dressel capped an impressive distance career with an 8:50 at the Brooks PR Invite. While both of these big signings show immediate potential, I like this class because of the long term possibilities. Colorado already has a loaded squad, which means that Klecker and Dressel are likely candidates to redshirt. I think that with the time these guys are given to develop, both will grow into runners who can impact the national scene; Dressel looks like the next stud for Colorado’s XC program and I predict he will be running Steeple Chase one the track, where he could potentially win a national title; Klecker will also be a contributor for cross country, and his he looks like a solid 1500m runner come outdoor. Under the tutelage of Mark Wetmore, the sky is limit for Colorado’s class of 2019. 

5. Oklahoma St. (notable additions: Benito Muniz, Sukhi Khosla, Tanner Green, Austin Swann, Miles Yapp, Bryce Balenseifen, Christian Liddell): This squad is deep and each individual has his own role on the team. What I like about these this group is that they aren’t entirely focused on one event. There is a good balance of runners that spread out the recruiting class quite well. Benito Muniz (also known as the guy dating Mary Cain) has a 4:09 (full mile) on his resume and can boast multiple national championship appearances. Yet, arguably the best recruit is Sukhi Khosla who has run 4:06 and 8:59. He’ll be pushed by another 4:09 miler in Bryce Balenseifen. Add in Christian Liddell (4:20/9:10) as well as Miles Yapp (4:15/9:01), and this squad could be very dangerous. Tanner Green and Austin Swann will take care of the 400 duties.  

4. Wisconsin (notable additions: Olin Hacker, Zack Snider, Ryan Clevenger, Eric Brown II): A deep class joins an equally deep team with rich running traditions. Wisco 1600m & 3200m State Champ Olin Hacker (4:07/8:59) and Indiana 1600m Champ Zack Snider (1:52/4:10/8:55) headline a deep class. Wisconsin 800m Champ and 1600m runner-up Eric Brown II gives Wisconsin a rare mid-distance presence, with a 1:50.86 800m PR to go with his 4:11 1600. Kyler Lueck (1:53/4:20), Ryan Clevenger (1:56/4:11/9:07), D2 1600m/3200m Champ Ben Eidenschink (4:13/9:02) and D1 3200m runner-up Ryan Nameth (4:21/9:07) add to this already lethal team, and should make Wisconsin a force to be reckoned with in the near future

4. Virginia (notable additions: Matt Novak, Will Gray, Robby Keough, David Barnes, Alex Corbett): This is probably the big surprise of my list, but there’s a lot of potential in this class. We don’t know a lot about William Gray, but 8:47 in steeple and his cross country résumé allude to a major talent. Robby Keough and David Barnes can both be major contributors to any mid-distance , and Alex Corbett has shown ability in cross country and on the track. Finally, we have Matthew Novak, who in addition to guys like Robert Brandt and Logan Wetzel, is one of the most underrated talents in his grade; Novak won the mile at NBON, leading from the gun, and in my opinion, could’ve run a monster time had he been at the Dream Mile. There is a lot to like about this group of athletes for Virginia. 

4. Oregon (notable additions: Matthew Maton, Tanner Anderson): How you could you NOT include Oregon on this list? Yes, they do have only two recruits, but the talent that these two have is amazing. Matthew Maton made storylines when he became the 6th high schooler ever to break 4 minutes in the mile. After some injuries he would eventually go on to win the PanAm Jr. 5000m in what seemed to be cruising for him (14:20). The guy is an absolute animal and may have been forgotten after his injuries got to him and Grant Fisher took over the spotlight. However, if anyone is ever forgotten, it has to be the 2014 NXN champion, Tanner Anderson. It seemed like every time he raced, he was under 15 minutes. But what about his PR’s? 4:09 (full mile), 8:56, and 14:31. Talented is an understatement.

3. Washington State (notable additions: Cole Christman, Paul Ryan, Chandler Teigen): The Washington State Cougars are a program stuck in the best conference in the nation, and arguably the most competitive conference in history. Colorado and Oregon won NCAA titles during 2014-15, and Stanford is a consistent top five scorer at NCAA meets. University of Washington, California, and UCLA are also high quality programs with strong histories, respectively. This is why it is all the more surprising that WSU could string together such a strong class. Paul Ryan won the 800, 1600, AND 3200m state championships in Idaho, and ran a 1:51 800 and 9:02 3200 to go with his monster 4:04 1600m speed. He threw down at Brooks PR, and has shown he is ready to compete with the big boys. Cole Christman brings mid-distance prowess in the form of a Washington State 800m Championship, with 1:52 and 4:09 PRs. Idaho runner Jake Finney (1:55/4:24) joins them, along with under-the-radar steal Chandler Teigen (1:52/4:16/9:23). The remaining members of the class are from BC, most notably holding a 1:55 PR in the 800m and 3:58 PR in the 1500m (Reid Muller). The other two have 4:14 1600m speed (Nathan Wadhwani) and 8:37 3000m PR (Nathan Tadesse). This extremely strong recruiting class for Washington State should produce quite the shake-up in the PAC-12 and West Region.

3. Georgetown (notable additions: James Burke, Adam Barnard, Connor Ross, Spencer Brown): Georgetown has essentially added the makings of a dominant DMR team. Spencer Brown on the 1200 (1:50/4:15), Ross on the 400 (47.29), Burke runs the 800 (1:53/4:08), and Adam Barnard on the anchor (4:07.2). Georgetown currently has a plethora of 800/1500 runners, and I think all of these guys fit Georgetown’s mold of success. If James Burke had continued his momentum form indoor, this class might even be 1st on my list. I think that all four of these athletes are great fits at Georgetown, and are in a position to really succeed for the next four years.

3. Wisconsin (notable additions: Olin Hacker, Ben Eidenschink, Ryan Nameth, Eric Brown II, Zack Snider, Ryan Clevenger, Kyler Lueck,Jack Heinrich): Wisconsin should be feeling pretty good after they compiled an eight-man recruiting class. They covered big gaps in their mid-distance program and continued to pile on a group of true long distance guys. The standout of the group is Olin Hacker who has run 4:09 (full mile), 8:59, and 14:55. The other recruits like Ben Eidenschink, Ryan Nameth, and Ryan Clevenger all have PR’s under 9:10 and won’t be giving Olin much room to take it easy. Overall, Hacker he is the best recruit. However, Zach Snider comes in with the fastest 3200 time with an 8:55. His 1:52 and 4:10 also show that he has some speed to him. Eric Brown (II) will lead the 800-focused guys with his 1:50.9 and 4:11 PR’s. Kyler Lueck and Jake Heinrich will join him at the middle distances as well. Wisconsin recruited hard and in the end, came out addressing every area they needed. They have clear standouts as well as guys who could surprise. It’ll be fun to watch these new Badgers this upcoming year.

2. Georgetown (notable additions: Spencer Brown, James Burke, Adam Barnard, Connor Ross): While controversy has surrounded Georgetown in the summer months, whomever steps in to replace the Georgetown coach becomes the beneficiary of a five-star recruiting class. This class has just four runners, but has the potential to shake up the Big East, and would also make a killer Distance Medley Relay team. Connecticut runner Spencer Brown comes to the D.C. school with a 1:50.88 time in the 800m, 2:27 1k PR and is a 4:09 1600m runner. Not only does he have impressive PRs in several events (also has 49.21 400m PR), but he would make an ideal 1200m leg in this freshman DMR. Connor Ross comes to Georgetown from Reno, Nevada as a stud in mid-distance events. Ross lays claim to a 47.29 PR in the 400m, and a blistering 1:50.75 in the 800m. Strength is not an issue for the guy either, as he has run 4:21 in the mile. Ross is the second of four in our relay here. Next, is the 800m; this New York runner did not have the outdoor season he likely hoped for, but his indoor season was about one step short of magical (looking at you, NBIN meet officials). James Burke will step into Georgetown as an indoor 1600m state champion, with a 1:53.41 800m PR, and a 2:26.75 1000m PR. While he has blistering mid-distance speed, he also has a 4:08 mile PR, which he achieved in a second place finish at New Balance Indoor Nats, and a 9:18 3200m time which he ran as a sophomore. Burke should rebound from his lackluster (for him) outdoor season, and grab the attention of other Big East runners. Our final runner would make a strong anchor and miler at Georgetown University, and has a nose for the big moment. Adam Barnard won the Tennessee State Championship in the 1600m run and the 3200m run. Then, in June, he threw down a big race in the Brooks PR meet, finishing fourth. Barnard has an 800m time of 1:53.74, and a mile time of 4:07.18, which is converted to a blistering 4:05.74 1600m time. He also has a 9:01.11 PR in the 3200, which he ran as a junior. Barnard is a poised runner with loads of potential, and he spearheads an extremely impressive class that their new coach should have a blast grooming into stars.

2. Texas A&M (Notable Additions: Donovan Brazier, Richard Rose) Honestly, Texas A&M only needed to add Donovan Brazier to make this list for me. Brazier is one of the best mid-distance runners to come through in a long time; he looked so smooth running 1:47 at Brooks PR, and who knows what he could’ve done had he not been DQ’d at USA Junior Championships. You put him in a program at A&M, which has produced some of the best individuals in the past couple of years (namely Deon Lendore) and I think the potential is scary. Throw in a guy like Richard Rose, who showed massive amounts of talents whens he’s on and healthy, and you have a class that can tear it up on the national scene for years to come. 

2. Virginia (notable additions: Matthew Novak, Will Gray, Robby Keough, Devin Barnes, Johnny Pace, Alex Corbett): Matthew Novak was one of the most sought after recruits this past year. His consistency at every event across the board was outstanding…it also didn’t hurt to have a 4:06 PR. He is one of the hidden gems in this years recruiting class and could compliment a group of experienced UVA seniors. Besides Novak, UVA was also able to snag Great Britain standout, Will Gray who has run 8:22 for the 3k (converts to 8:59 3200) and 8:47.5 for the steeplechase! UVA senior Kyle King should be happy to have another steeplechaser train by his side. Alex Corbett is one of the other hidden gems with times like 4:10 and 8:58. He’ll be complimented by 4:15 miler Johnny Pace. The 800 was also been a place UVA needed to address and they did just that with a pair of 1:52 guys (Robby Keough and Devin Barnes). All of these guys will go into an experienced UVA team hungry to show that they aren’t just another recruit. The new guys will learn quickly and push established runners on this Virginia squad to be their very best.

1. Stanford (notable additions: Grant Fisher, Brian Smith, Alex Ostberg, Will Lauer, Dan Book): Come on, who else but Grant Fisher?! As difficult as it is for me to compliment Stanford in any way (HUGE fan of the UO Ducks), it is impossible for me to ignore what John Oliver and Chris Miltenberg are doing at Stanford. Grant Fisher is an absolute stud. He comes into Stanford as a 3:42 1500 guy who has already broken 4, and his 3k conversion time is down around the 8:03 mark. Fisher has won state titles, national titles, and competed with the best of them at Brooks PR. He competed against pros in the Festival of Miles, and the Payton Jordan Invite, and is clearly ready to take the collegiate field by storm in the fall. Alex Ostberg looks to do the same, as he holds PRs of 4:06, 8:43, and 14:16. He won a national championship in the 5000m in 2014, and has competed at NXN and several national meets. Ostberg is an exceptional talent who would be a number one recruit at any other school. Will Lauer is a sub 9 minute two-miler (8:58) who won a national championship in the 5000m this outdoor season. Brian Smith is relatively unknown, but is a 1:51 800m runner from the Netherlands who could be a strong addition. Zac Espinosa (47.81 400m), Isaac Westlund (47.75 400m) and Dan Book (48/1:53/4:21) back up the long sprints for Stanford, and cap off a historic recruiting class.

1.Stanford (notable additions: Grant Fisher, Alex Ostberg, Will Lauer, Brian Smith):Grant Fisher, and friends! Yes, Grant Fisher was the crown jewel of this group of seniors, and Stanford was able to sign him, but Fisher alone doesn’t make this the #1 Class of 2019. Fishere can contribute to Stanford’s track and XC team, and will probably be their #1 in the course of the next couple of years. Right behind him on the cross country depth chart will be Alex Ostberg, who was also highly touted coming out of high school; if he can get healthy, his impact should be felt right away and should last his entire college career. Will Lauer shown ability in a number of events, and he should be able to be a major contributor to what is already a stacked team. Brian Smith is another mysterious international recruit, but his 1:51 in the Netherlands lead me to believe that he is a major steal. I especially like this class for Stanford’s cross country program, as you add Lauer, Fisher, and Ostberg to the likes of Sam Wharton and Sean McGorty, this a team that should contend for a national championship for years to come.

1. Stanford (notable additions: Grant Fisher, Alex Ostberg, Will Lauer, Dan Book, Brian Smith, Issac Westlund): How could you not agree with this? Whether you are crunching numbers or speculating, Stanford is the best recruiting class hands down. Lets start with the biggest star of this class, Grant Fisher. Fisher has a sub-4 mile so I guess that’s pretty cool. He also has an 8:43 and 14:43 under his name. Anything else I miss? Oh right! He is also one of five two-time National XC champions. Other guys on that list include Dathan Ritzenhein and Edward Cheserek. So, what I’m basically trying to say is that Fisher has no talent whatsoever (you’d be surprised about how many people would take that seriously). Had Fisher not been on this Stanford team, Alex Ostberg would be taking the spotlight with his 4:14/8:43/14:16 PR’s. While I would usually feel bad for guys like that, I feel even worse about Will Lauer, the 8:58/14:35 man from South Dakota who will get no love while Fisher and Ostberg will get all the hype. Regardless of who gets noticed and who doesn’t, this is an all-star team of talent. What is even more important to note, is that Stanford also grabbed mid-distance guys like Dan Book and Brian Smith (Netherlands). Book has 48.XX and 1:53 speed while his friend Brian Smith has run 1:51.9 overseas. Throw in Isaac Westlund who went 47.75, and the middle distance crew seems perfectly fine. Most people that follow the sport would agree that freshman don’t often have too big of an impact in their first year of collegiate racing (especially on a powerhouse team like Stanford). Still, this new Stanford class could be quite different and maybe change some of those opinions...

So, it appears that we’re all in agreement about Stanford. Think we’re wrong? Check out our extensive recruitment list and tell us which team you think brought in the best of the best for their incoming freshman class!