Name and Place: First American Man at NCAAs

Andrew Colley

6th

Jared Ward BYU 4th

Kirubel Erassa - Oklahoma State

Wow McClintock

Such Fast

8th

Cheserek 6th

That 9th year Jr from BYU

3rd

CL or Craig Lutz. 5th

Cheserek 3rd

Strike Cheserek - he's applied for citizenship but isn't an American yet.

Korolev

4th

I'm going to pick Sean McGorty.

Long shot.

But if I'm right (a 0.00001% chance) I reserve the right to call myself a genius.

No way Rosa cracks top 10.

Saarel for 9th

Jim Rosa 9

First thought that popped in my head(and it was before I read your post OP)

Cheserek 4th

his formed is a lot better than I better from the HS days....has looked really good all year, yet never looking like he has extended himself fully yet.

Colley- 5th

He's actually a fourth year senior who enrolled in school after his 2 year mission. He never took a redshirt year

McClintock for 6th!

iainhunter wrote:

He's actually a fourth year senior who enrolled in school after his 2 year mission. He never took a redshirt year

As long as we're counting, it was three years between high school and enrollment in BYU. Two years for the mission and then another interim year because he was too late for an enrollment deadline. It was during that third year out of school that he ran the Footlocker coaches' race that caused the eligibility issue.

I'm sure there are a few other 25 year-olds in the field.

over the rainbow wrote:

iainhunter wrote:

He's actually a fourth year senior who enrolled in school after his 2 year mission. He never took a redshirt year

As long as we're counting, it was three years between high school and enrollment in BYU. Two years for the mission and then another interim year because he was too late for an enrollment deadline. It was during that third year out of school that he ran the Footlocker coaches' race that caused the eligibility issue.

I'm sure there are a few other 25 year-olds in the field.

Facts:

His Birthday is in September, so he turned 19 and served his 2-year mission 3 months after graduating high school- an honorable thing to do. If he ran at all, it was certainly less than 100 miles in that two year span... an average of 1 mile per week.

He returned after his full two years and missed the deadline for Fall 2009 classes by a couple weeks. He registered and got in school as soon as he could- in January 2010. He has competed in every cross season since then, never red-shirting. If you are that skeptical, you could call that time in the fall of 2009 as a redshirt season... even though he was not permitted to run with the team or get any team gear.

2 year absences (and a pause on the 5 year eligibility clock) are permitted to the very few things the NCAA deems respectable, worthwhile, and permissible: serving our country and serving God. Serving in the army would definitely keep a runner in much better shape than serving a mission BTW.

He has completed his eligibility in the quickest manner possible, given his religious beliefs. Why bash him for it?