2008 MIAC XC!

lagat lover wrote:

i think the team race will come down to 3 teams:

Hamline- with gleason back and bauer running strong they will be tough to beat

Bethel- Great 1-2 punch plus a solid third runner, they just need more depth

St. Olaf- Good depth...ruon is the key to this team being good.

St. Johns will be better than St. Olif.

Ya think? Who's going to step it up for them?

Oh really wrote:

Ya think? Who's going to step it up for them?

St. johnss has a few good returners from cross country last eyar plus a couple runers who were good in the 5000m and steeplecahse this eyar that were even better than some of their top people in xc last year. St. Olif's returning runners might have had better results in MIAC XC last year, but St. Johnss runners have improved more since then.

Thank you for making the rest of us look like fools with your pathetically horrible spelling.

johnnie (johnny?) runner wrote:

Thank you for making the rest of us look like fools with your pathetically horrible spelling.

For one thing, how can you critisize my spelling when you admit in your user name that you don't even know if it is spelt Johnny or Johnnie?

For anohter ting, you say "the rest of us," but I never said I was from St. Johnss and in fact I am not.

It is going to be a fun year to watch unfold in the MIAC. I feel that Hamline, Saint Olaf, and Saint Johns will be tight at the front. A lot of people are forgetting who the Johnnies have returning- Hunter, Lowder, Noack, Franta, and Stevens. Also watch out for the Tommies. They seem to be finally rounding into cross country contention with more experience in their top runners. Good luck this year to everyone! You can never count out Carleton either they always seem to reload!

Chips Ahoy! wrote:

johnnie (johnny?) runner wrote:

Thank you for making the rest of us look like fools with your pathetically horrible spelling.

For one thing, how can you critisize my spelling when you admit in your user name that you don't even know if it is spelt Johnny or Johnnie?

For anohter ting, you say "the rest of us," but I never said I was from St. Johnss and in fact I am not.

I'm guessing incoming freshman.

Is Franta healthy yet? He was out all winter and spring.

Any Word on recruits or anything....

I think as it stands I have Hamline and Olaf in a dead heat depending on Yak with olaf and injuries for Hamline...then again nothing is guaranteed at this meet...remember 2 years ago!

I don't see why people are busting a boner for hamline. I mean they have two great runners, Gleason and Bauer. But after that they drop off. They are no better then Bethel. They will probably be in the top three but I feel they lack team depth to pull off a win.

miac guy wrote:

I don't see why people are busting a boner for hamline. I mean they have two great runners, Gleason and Bauer. But after that they drop off. They are no better then Bethel. They will probably be in the top three but I feel they lack team depth to pull off a win.

Kevin Groh finished 18th last year, and Murphy finished 15th as a sophomore. Enough to win? I doubt it, but definitely less depth issues than Bethel.

People, the fact is Olaf has the greatest depth in the MIAC this year. I think they have everything going their way. I mean the Coach, depth additional runners like Ruon and what not. We cannot make any predictions right now because this will all depends on who puts in the training during the summer and the team that is not burnt out by MIAC championships, but being that we are runners and we have nothing to do, I guess it is okay to throw some hazy remarks. Anyhow, here are mindTeamsOlafJohniesHamline BethelIndividualsIt all depends on who wants it more when comes MIAC, I dont think there is any runner who is exceptionally good like Chris was.

gamernerd wrote:

Any Word on recruits or anything....

I think as it stands I have Hamline and Olaf in a dead heat depending on Yak with olaf and injuries for Hamline...then again nothing is guaranteed at this meet...remember 2 years ago!

Both Kevin Groh and Jon Murphy have turned in solid times through out their rocky careers...basically all the favorite teams have to be "on" the day of conf

The question with both of these runners is their health, plus Im sure Hamline has a slew of younger guys ready to fill in, they always seem to.

My Rankings

1) Olaf

-) Hamline

3) Bethel

4) SJU

True statement of Groh and Murphy but I don't see them putting up. Here are the cases. Groh did have a solid performance in the 4x8 in conference. But a 15:46 in the 5k. Nothing to be all impressed by, but still he may be able to help the team some with his 18th finish last year in cross. With Murphy, does the guy even run anymore? He had a terrible Cross season and then doesn't even show up for track. Does anyone know if Murphy still exists? With Olaf they are going to have to have Ruon have and injury free summer. Without him Olaf might have a chance a third. The Johnnies are the team being counted out. They always have a large team and you'll have to expect they will reload.

Murphy had compartment surgery, his daily status updates on facebook usually go something like this "Jon is making it count on his runs so he can be the best runner in the world" maybe he will return, maybe not I guess we will see. I really think Olaf will take the title and my feeling is that Saint Thomas will take the second spot. They have more potential than anyone but they have under raced more than anyone, but maybe they have figured t out as most of those guys have been there two or three years now. Team title will be a lot closer this year than last.

Individuals- Got to be looking at Greeno, Gleason, Boumeester, Ruon? anyone think Bauer will be up there?

Turd Ferguson wrote:

Also watch out for the Tommies. They seem to be finally rounding into cross country contention with more experience in their top runners.

don't we hear this every year? i must say that in three years i've seen boumeester run only one impressive race longer than 3k. i think he'll be doing well to crack the top 15, as will the tommies to place in the top five.

at this point, i imagine it will look a lot like last year:

carleton

hamline

sju

st. olaf

bethel

gustavus

st. thomas

macalester

Carleton? Are you kidding me? Didn't they just graduate their whole team except for two mediocre runners. Hamline will be strong to quite strong. St. Olaf will do well due to depth. Bethel, as much as I would like them to do well, will not come close to Hamline but will be dueling it out with Olaf and St. Thomas. SJU will probably be following those teams and I don't have Carleton in the top 5 even, much less winning.

Hamline

St.Thomas

St.Olaf

Bethel

St.John's

Carleton

Vinny wrote:

Carleton? Are you kidding me? Didn't they just graduate their whole team except for two mediocre runners. Hamline will be strong to quite strong. St. Olaf will do well due to depth. Bethel, as much as I would like them to do well, will not come close to Hamline but will be dueling it out with Olaf and St. Thomas. SJU will probably be following those teams and I don't have Carleton in the top 5 even, much less winning.

Hamline

St.Thomas

St.Olaf

Bethel

St.John's

Carleton

Please someone should provide a returning athletes list for each school considered to be in the top 5, and then rank the athletes. it would end this endless fight. My opinion, Hamline, Tommies, Bethel all have about two great runners, and now check out Olaf, even without Ruon who is new to cross, they would be good contenders for second or third just because of the depth. Gleason is not Chris and will never be, Bethels 1,2-punch are just ordinary D-3 runners, and Olaf has a team for 5-7 solid runners.

umm tommies have boumeester...otherwise a bunch of 800 guys that are not 8k runners, they will be at best a 4th or 5th place team again.

I will bite on the comment about bauer being in the top 5...he has performed well the last two seasons in cross and should be a definite contender for top 5 if the race is right, i dont see him winning it though. Otherwise Groh and Mr. Facebook will be epitomize wild cards (ask about why Kevin Groh did not run last year's region race will bring up some laughs) otherwise Hamline also has Andy Johnson who have a decent steeple time.

Olaf will be good if they get Ruon and he can run like he did in track...Im sure he will make the transition by conf time if he stays healthy. My only concern is Phil Lundin coaching as a first time CC coach with a first time CC runner in Ruon (now that he doesnt play soccer apparently)

SJU lost most of their top 7 through graduation, and they have a bunch of roleplayers with out much star power..(stole that from the NBA draft talk)