USTFCCCA News & Notes
The Warm-Up Lap: Big Team/Individual Showdowns at Vandy, Iona & More
Courtesy: Kyle Terwillegar & Tyler Mayforth, USTFCCCA September 17, 2015   

The Warm-Up Lap: Big Team/Individual Showdowns at Vandy, Iona & More

Where’s the top action in collegiate cross country going down this weekend?

We’ve broken down the top storylines from around the country in all three NCAA Divisions below.

Quick Links: Full Weekend Schedule | Podcast w/ Chelsea Blaase, Tennessee

 

Vanderbilt Commodore Classic

No. 12 Michigan women head down to Nashville to take on host No. 22 Vanderbilt

Saturday, September 19 | Meet Home | Meet Entries

Of all the women’s races across the country this weekend, none have as much intrigue surrounding it as Vanderbilt’s Commodore Classic. A pair of top-25 women’s teams will square off against national-caliber competition for the first time this season in No. 12 Michigan and host No. 22 Vanderbilt, with top-30 hopefuls Mississippi State and Lipscomb also in the mix.

No. 15 Ole Miss will be in the men’s race, but is not running its projected “A” squad. That race will feature Louisville (receiving votes nationally) and its potent duo of Edwin Kibichiy and Ernest Kibet.

The Wolverine women were impressive in a controlled effort at Eastern Michigan, led by the unattached win by Erin Finn. Now a junior, Finn missed last year’s XC championships season with injury, as did Shannon Osika. Both ran unattached in Ypsilanti, and both are slated to suit up in the Maize and Gold for the first time this season in Nashville. They’ll be joined by the full U of M squad including top returners Anna Pasternak and Taylor Manett, and newcomer Erika Fluehr.

Reigning South Region champ Vandy didn’t run its full squad at the Belmont Opener on opening weekend, but ran a decent amount of it in a controlled effort and took a loss to Lipscomb. They were, however, impressed by the collegiate debut of frosh Caroline Peitrzyk in second overall. She’s back for a follow-up effort alongside returners Sara Barron, Katherine Delaney and Vanessa Valentine. Top returner Carmen Carlos is not scheduled to run.

Strong performances from Mississippi State and Lipscomb could boost those teams to their first-ever National Coaches’ Poll top-30 appearances next Tuesday.

Individually, watch out for the three-way battle between a trio of All-Americans in Chelsea Blaase of Tennessee, Price of Mississippi State, and Finn of Michigan.

Blaase (who joined us on the QA2 Max Podcast today) finished 10th at NCAAs a year ago and is one of just two returning women who finished top-10 at NCAA Cross in 2014 and followed that up with first-team All-America honors both indoors (4th 5000) and outdoors (6th 10,000).

Price and Blaase have met before; Blaase was second in the South Region and third in the SEC last year, just one spot ahead of Price in both races. Price went on to finish 24th at NCAAs and ultimately win the outdoor 1500 meters national title in dramatic fashion.

Finn went down injured during the 2014 cross season and wound up missing NCAAs after finishing 30th as the top frosh in 2013. She came back on the track with an impressive fifth-place national finish at 5000 meters outdoors. Of the three, she’s the only one who’s raced this fall with a big unattached win at Eastern Michigan.

Also look out for Hannah Wittman of Belmont, who won at her home opener against Vandy two weekends ago.

 

Indiana Intercollegiate

Friday, September 18

There should be some strong competition for the men’s individual title at the Indiana Intercollegiate on Friday. Indiana State’s John Mascari (who joined us on the QA2 Max Podcast last week) will be joined at the front of the pack by several runners from No. 10 Indiana (namely senior Matt Schwartzer and junior Jason Crist) as well as DII No. 6 Southern Indiana’s senior Johnnie Guy. If history shows anything, Mascari will be tough to beat as he won last year’s race by 13 seconds.

For the women’s race, be on the lookout for DII No. 12 Southern Indiana to make some noise against several Division I programs. This meet will mark the first 6K race of the season for many of these teams.

 

Br. John “Paddy” Doyle Meet of Champions

Saturday, September 19

Those hoping to find out who will step up for the Iona women’s team following 2014 NCAA DI XC champ Kate Avery’s departure will need to wait until October. As of right now, the Gaels aren’t planning on running their ‘A’ squad until the Greater Louisville Classic in Louisville, Kentucky. Unlike Iona, however, No. 10 Wisconsin is bringing a team to Van Cortlandt Park that should mostly resemble its best seven with the exception of star runner Sarah Disanza, who won’t run.

There should be a strong race for the men’s team title as both No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 17 Arkansas entered a talented bunch. Like the women’s team, Iona’s men (ranked No. 8 in the National Coaches’ Poll) will wait until October to rev things up.

 

National Catholic Championships (at Notre Dame)

Friday, September 18

Since 1996, only one woman from a school not named “Notre Dame” has won the National Catholic Championships individual title. Last year, it was Molly Seidel before she went on to finish 18th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and eventually win the NCAA Outdoor 10,000 meters title.

While Seidel won’t be in the field to defend the title in her senior season, Friday will be the collegiate debut of another woman who could very well continue the streak and eventually win an NCAA title or two of her own: 2014 Foot Locker champ Anna Rohrer.

The No. 20 Fighting Irish women – who will also debut fellow frosh Annie Heffernan, but not Seidel or Danielle Aragon – will not square off with any other top-30 NCAA DI programs, but will have some strong challengers from the DII and DIII levels. DII No. 14 Bellarmine will face its first tough task after leaping from unraked to top-15 this week, and will square off with Midwest Region foe DII No. 15 Lewis.

 

Wolfpack Invitational/adidas XC Challenge

Friday, September 18

State bragging rights will be on the line in Cary, North Carolina on Friday when both the men’s and women’s teams from North Carolina and NC State toe the starting line at the Wolfpack Invitational/adidas XC Challenge. The Tar Heels didn’t run in last year’s meet, which was won on both counts by the Wolfpack. This year is different as North Carolina sends its No. 19 men and No. 21 women to face the unranked men and No. 16 women of NC State.

 

Missouri Southern Stampede

Saturday, September 19

Arkansas’ perennial All-American Dominique Scott hasn’t raced yet this season. Will the Missouri Southern Stampede serve as Scott’s launching pad for the 2015 season? Last year Scott ran away with the individual title and set a meet record (one of three during the cross country season) with a time of 16:32.8.

 

Michigan State Spartan Invitational

Friday, September 18 | Meet Info

We’ll likely get our first look at the “A” squad of the defending women’s NCAA Division I champion Michigan State Spartans, including returning fourth-place Rachele Schulist and 11th-place Lindsay Clark.

But the biggest head-to-head storyline comes from the NCAA Division II level, where five top-25 women’s teams – including the three-time defending women’s champion and reigning men’s runner-up Grand Valley State – are set to square off.

The GVSU women will battle GLIAC rival No. 2 Hillsdale, who finished runner-up at NCAAs a year ago, along with No. 8 Northern Michigan, No. 16 Edinboro, No. 17 Malone and Wayne State (Mich.), which is receiving votes nationally. All but Edinboro hail from the Midwest Region, which will send six teams to NCAAs. GVSU, Hillsdale and Northern Michigan are sitting pretty at 1-2-3, but Malone and Wayne State have some work to do at No. 7 and unranked, respectively.

The men’s race will feature No. 2 GVSU against a trio of teams looking to break into or return to the top 25 in Edinboro, Ferris State and Malone.

Elsewhere in DII:

  • The Atlantic and East Regions clash at the Kutztown DII/DIII challenge as the men of No. 13 Lock Haven, No. 18 Shippensburg, No. 21 Stonehill and American International (RV).
  • The Colorado College Invitational features a top-10 men’s match-up between No. 1 Adams State and No. 4 Colorado Mines, which could also include reigning National Athlete of the Week Derrick Williams of CSU-Pueblo. The No. 3 Adams State women will also be running.

 

St. Olaf Invitational

Saturday, September 19

Revenge will be on DIII No. 2 St. Olaf College’s mind Saturday when it hosts DIII No. 4 UW-Eau Claire and DIII No. 16 Carleton, among other teams. Last year at this very race,
UW-Eau Claire upended then top-ranked St. Olaf on its home course and leapfrogged the Oles in the National Coaches’ Poll. While UW-Eau Claire won’t be at full strength (2014 All-American Josh Thorson is being held out), the meet should provide pundits and fans a good look at the Division III heavyweights.

Not to be outdone, the women’s race on Saturday should provide some fireworks. There are three nationally ranked teams scheduled to take part (DIII No. 13 Carleton, DIII No. 19 UW-Eau Claire, DIII No. 27 St. Thomas (Minn.)) as well as another team (St. Olaf) that sits right outside of the poll.

 

Wheaton (Ill.) Gil Dodds Invitational

Saturday, September 19

Fans should get a good look at DIII No. 1 North Central (Ill.) on Saturday as it will go up against DIII No. 7 Washington (Mo.) as well as DIII No. 34 Chicago. This will be the Cardinals’ fourth meet in as many weeks – the first at 8K – and will give them a good tune-up with the Notre Dame Invitational looming on October 2.

Two top-10 women’s teams (DIII No. 5 Washington (Mo.) and DIII No. 10 Chicago) as well as DIII No. 24 North Central (Ill.) will battle on St. James Farm. Washington (Mo.), North Central (Ill.) and Chicago finished second through fourth last year, respectively.