whats teh deal with edinboro? no ranking?
whats teh deal with edinboro? no ranking?
chico looks very fit on paper, and could and probably will fight for the top 5, but the teams around there are just so tight. sd state returns their top 5 from a team that finished seventh last year. kennesaws top guy transferred, but brought in the 4th place naia guy from last year, and two more sub 32 track guys. they also bring in a 30:05 polish 10k guy. we have 5 guns, but thats it. our top guy is in incredible shape right now and should fight for a top 5 individual spot. our 2nd guy is an incoming polish guy who has run just under 30 for 10k on the track and has never been over 70 miles a week in his life, nor trained consitently in the off-season. hes been running for 4 weeks now and is getting more and more fit every week. our 3 guy is an incoming injury who had a bad ankle injury all summer and also has been training for about a month after taking 2 months off. he has a sub 30 pr as well and is starting to come around. #4 guy was our 6th place team finisher at nats last year. he has been healthy for several months and ran a 8:29 3k just off base miles about 6 weeks ago. our 5th guy was our 4th team finisher last year and knocked 10s off his mile from hs to his frosh year of college. he is tearing up workouts right now and is very consistent. we were supposed to have another 14:37 guy, but hes proved to be a major bust. we have five big guns, but are running on thin ice. should be a good year for d2 xc.
In the 4 times that Chico and Davis have met at nationals, the teams have split, with each one coming out on top twice (Chico in '95&'99, and Davis in '00&'01). Chico has been in the top ten every time they've attended as well.
Alaska Anchorage definitely has top 10 potential this year.
Humboldt and Cal Poly Pomona also have potential to be ranked this year, but probably won't show it for a few weeks.
Adams should be ranked 3rd or better.
Where is the DII poll posted? The West Regional course preview meet this Saturday at Fresno should be instructive about who looks good in the West. This first poll is almost pure guesswork and a tribute to historical results of teams rather than current rosters.
here is the link to the national rankings http://www.unf.edu/sports/track/div2coaches/rankings/XC02/natrank9-9.htm
The only one who thinks less of polls than Doug Watts is Bill Gallagher at Ashland. Guys, it's just a stinkin poll and sure there is bias and not all the pertinent info gets out there to forumlate one. But, I will tell you that Ashland has a bona fide contender for the individual title. As Coach G will also tell you, you gotta get out of the regional first......
The kid, Brannen, He is from Australia as far as what I have been told. Besides Abilene has nothing but foriegners on there team and if they had american athletes they always were way back.
brannen is from cali. he was around a 4:10 hs'er in hs and is a two-time all american in xc. doesnt seem way back to me.
No way should Davis be ranked as high as 3rd and I'll tell you why:
Davis has never finished that high in the past (at least the last 15 years) despite being ranked as high as 2nd. Why are they always ranked so frickin' high early on??
No way should Chico be ranked as low as 9th and I'll tell you why:
They have a team that will rival Davis this year. How can you have 2 teams that will be duking it out all year (barring injury) be separated in the rankings so far (3rd & 9th)? Are all teams so close in talent??
The ranking system is great for debate, but that is about it. If they would allow gambling, it would be good for that too. Which brings up an important point, if the polling staff had to put money on their picks, don't you think it would change the rankings??
The system has some inherent flaws being that the coaches, each with a different agenda, choose the rankings. Some coaches like the publicity the rankings give their school, others downplay a team to give them motivation. Some are honest and are ranked lower because of it. Anyway, you have some variability there inherent in the system. I ALWAYS HATED IT when our coach mentioned where we were ranked, because I thought it was undeserved and distracting and suited their own personal interests (Hey look Mr. A.D. and Mr. reporter where we are ranked) Blah, blah, blah...
How about this take for right now. It's early and no one knows for sure how things will pan out until it happens but I will try and give an honest poll based off of my knowledge and other posters insights, ones that are within reason that is.
1. Western State College (CO) NC
2. Abilene Christian Univ (TX) SC
3. Adams State College (CO) NC
4. Harding Univ (AR) S
5. Kennesaw State Univ. (GA) S
6. UC-Davis (CA) W
7. South Dakota State
8. Cal State-Chico (CA) W
9. U Mass-Lowell (MA) NE
10. Wayne State Univ (MI) GL
11. Millersville Univ (PA) E
12. Ashland University (OH) GL
13. Truman State
14. Missouri Southern State (MO) SC
15. Grand Valley State (MI) GL
16. Minn State-Mankato (MN) NC
17. Lewis University (IL) GL
18. Univ of South Dakota (SD) NC
19. Univ of Alaska-Anchorage (AK) W
20. Univ of North Florida (FL) S
21. Edinboro (PA) E
22. Hillsdale (MI) GL
23. Southern Indiana GL
24. So. Connecticut State (CT) NE
25. Shippensburg University (PA) E
What are you talking about Duder, I said they are a clear #1
Looking at last year's results, UC San Diego finished ahead of Millersville, Missouri So., and Alaska AK. They did not have any seniors on their team. Is someone missing something here?
millersville is looking real good as of right now. they'll be there at the end too. and no i don't have any connections with millersville, it's just an observation.
Western gets its first test this weekend at the CSU invitational. I believe Colorado State University is ranked 15th in the Division I poll, also Adams State will be there. The CSU Rams get pumped up at their home meet and came within 10 points of Western last year.
Then in three weeks they face CU at the Shootout.
UAA has the horses up front in Sean Rivers (30:20 in track and running really well right now) and Tobias Schwoerer (35th last year at NCAA's as a Soph), and this year the have the depth that they lacked last year. Strabel was all-region last year and Elvester just missed placing 16th. A 1-5 of 1:10 early in the season w/ solid frontrunners suggests this team has top 10 potential. Some results from early season race:
Men?s Top 10 (8 kilometers)
1) Sean Rivers, UAA 25:19
2) Tobias Schwoerer, UAA 25:52
3) Eric Strabel, UAA 26:02
4) Andy Elvester, UAA 26:21
5) Juraj Brugos, UAF 26:25
6) Nate Normandin, UAA 26:29
7) Todd List, UAA 26:33
8) Chris Cannon, UAA 26:42
UCSD has not done anything yet to suggest they will improve much on last year's placings. Hopefully Shapiro, Cally, Morrison, Guenther,and Nahan will continue to progress this year, and Dunbar will return to the form he showed in 2000. If this happens then UCSD has a shot.
1-5 gap was tight in early season meet (:10 seconds or so), but this meet appeared to be more of a tempo run than a race.
Humboldt and Pomona ( I reiterate ) are much improved teams this year, and will make qualifying out of the West region a battle royal.
Humboldt has returning 2x Cross All American Pete Clusener up front and a solid though not star studded supporting cast. Their 1-5 is big enough to drive a truck through, but Crazy Pete will be a low placer, so if the Jacks can suck it up 2-5 they will be pretty decent. Current 2-5 is about :29 seconds, which matches up well w/ Pomona.
Pomona has talent up front in frosh Mark Batres (9:07 in HS), and talent in the back w/ Nebraska transfer James De Bruhl. And they've even got some pretty solid guys in between. Matt Rainwater was all region last year and a 9:11 steeple guy in track. The guys in the middle I'm not as familiar with (Tawney, Theobald, and Arredondo), but they do seem to be running fairly well. This team also has a pretty big gap (1:31 sec. 1-5), but packs well from 2-7 (:45) so far.
Chico State brings talent and depth to the table, and returns 4 guys with NCAA experience. They should probably be ranked a little better even with no returning all americans, but they need to prove it (and probably will this weekend). Even without Graff (9th at NCAA 10k), this team is potentially very good. A young hungry, and talented group. Haven't raced yet this season.
UC Davis is loaded to the gills w/ track p.r.'s, (as they've been in the past)and on paper should be ranked the way they are. They only lost 1 guy from last year's fifth place team (which included 3 all americans). Their top guys (in no particular order) are this good on the track: 14:26 5k, 30:00-:02 10k, 14:22 5k, 9:01-2 steep, 9:09 steep, 9:18 steep, 14:44 5k, 14:45 5k, 14:59 5k. This doesn't include rs freshman Stu Eastman (a HS state champ in XC (DIV)), who should do well for the Ags over hill and dale. Davis needs the low placers this year if they really want to take a crack at those top 3 spots. Also haven't raced yet this season.
All of these teams are slated to run at the Fresno Invite this weekend (regional preview), so there should be some good fireworks.
how old is this dude from last years team?
http://www.goseawolves.com/sports/index.cfm?fuseAction=profile&roster_id=68
What do you mean by foreign talent? There are only 2 guys on the mens team who are not american born.
What about the Mules at Central Missouri State University?
Does anybody have a link for results of the Fresno Invite tomorrow?