MIAC 2025 XC

Or tell us why it makes sense to run an all-out 3200 the week before regionals?

Lots of top teams do this the weekend before regionals

Name 3

Well, I certainly think Deaver and Gael are two of the best developed athletes over their careers. I would argue Sean Hartney was as well. Stencel certainly seems to me as though he has had a great progression. That Evan Poulliot kid from Gustavus has caught my attention a few times for consistently moving up at conference meets. And then there is also Eli Doran. I'm trying to name dudes that I feel like have really came up that aren't Oles, so that I am being unbiased, but it's hard for me to think of people that have moved up from like placing 50-60th or lower at conference to being as high as like top 10. And there is likely plenty of 800 guys who have had a come up, even though I don't really pay attention to the 800 all that much. Lawrence Nemecek is one of my favorite mid D come ups. Graber and Grove also are names that come to mind when I think of dudes who consistently got better throughout the years. I'll be interested to see who comes out hot in track, although I am less than enthusiastic about indoor tbh, and really only pay really close attention to the 5k and 10k, so I will only speak to that. I also think that C-Gundy and Hitchcock will both be 10k contenders for a podium finish. But let's talk track when the season comes. But those are my thoughts, give me some examples though! I want to know who you guys think can be up there with the best of them!

And as far as the 3200 before regionals, Power has told me before what the physiological benefit to it is, but I don't really remember the specifics. As far as the mental benefits were (at least for me as someone who had 3 all region performances in my time), it basically just made everything feel super slow. For example, after running 4:30 pace for 2 miles, 5 minute pace felt like a crawl, and at that point we were so aerobically fit that we could just hold whatever the pace was. It also helped me not to panic in after the shock of a 2:39 first K at nationals. But as it was told to me before by my good buddy William Kelly, you just got to get out and trust that you have the ability to weather the storm, and that the pace will settle. So for me it was mostly mental, but I think a lot of the sport can be like that. Again, XC is more about who can break the other person rather than what the time is, which I think is the fun part...

I am intruiged though, is it just St. Olaf and North Central that do the pre regionals 3200? And does everyone else just do a workout?

It would make sense that the Oles would copy NCC, arguably the most successful program ever. I bet the Oles that were on the 2014 team that narrowly lost to NCC hate that. But Al was the GOAT of coaching.
Loras, a NCC disciple, does a 5 mile two man relay. I think the Oles do something similar in track, which makes me wonder if Power is taking more training from Al Carius than we think. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And if you don’t know, just copy!

Congrats to Amanda Mosberg on winning the Indianapolis Monumental marathon in 2:32! She would have beat many of the MIAC men that raced Chicago!

Also a shoutout to Leo Smith, Cobber extraordinaire, on the 2:26 PR!

A great article about Mo. Our coach used to remind us that he balances so many more responsibilities and challenges than any of us ever do. This is so important in today's climate.

startribune.com

Scoggins: Augsburg’s Mohammed Bati doesn’t rest. He runs and he wins... and now has his goals set even higher

Chip Scoggins

Mohammed Bati became the first men’s athlete to win four MIAC cross-country titles, using a schedule that includes lots of miles and little sleep.

Open link

GOAT, GOAT, GOAT.

While the article makes it appear he doesn't sleep, I'm sure even Mo does that at some point. And kudos to Larson to allow him to find his way. A smart and calculated move on his part! Mo is lucky to have people like Larson, Coach Moenning, and the MDE group in his corner.

One point of contention from the article, if we remove the converted 5 mile mark that is second all time, Mo has the four fastest times in MIAC history. I vote we remove that mark, because they raced 5 miles it seems suspicious that time is so more than a minute faster than any other time on a course that hosted four times. Wouldn't you think Cragg would run faster on the same course when older? Or at least within a minute. Give Mo his due as the GOAT of MIAC XC.

Good morning MIAC runners! It is Regionals week and we are going to get to see who get's an invitation to the big dance. Obviously, this means that I have to do a regionals preview and prediction for who will be in attendence on November 23. So get your popcorn ready, and grab some hot chocolate, because it's going to be a sunny and chilly day in six days in Colfax, Wisconsin at the Whitetail Golf Course. First lets, start with the teams:

1. La Crosse(Q): The class of the field, really don't know if there is another team in the country with the seniority and depth of these guys. They should be able to coast as they did last year: (Shout out Jayden for chattin with me at Carleton last year about ball knowlege, hopefully they bring the same vibes).

2. P-vegas(q): Gotta really hand it to these dudes - if you would have told me last year that Platteville would have been knocking on a top 10 nationals finish, I would have called you crazy. I do expect it to be close between teams 2-5, but from what we have seen all season, these dudes have been running legit.

3. St. Olaf(q): I think the Oles will likely be a close 3, and I think that this is typically the time of year that they tend to run very well. It is November after all, and they definitely still have the talent to make a top 10 national finish. It remains to be seen how their 2-7 guys run, as that is going to make the biggest difference for them in these next two weeks. They certainly have the seniority to do it.

4. Stevens Point(q): These guys just keep getting better every year, and it is really fun to watch. They are still on the younger side though, but like the Pioneers and the Oles, I think they also have a potential for a top 10 nationals finish. I do think they will be pretty controlled out there and I could see them kind of coasting to a fourth place finish, which would still easily put them in the national meet. These teams 2-4 are all kind of in the same boat, each with a very good Low stick that has All American potential, and a solid back end, but it is very difficult to predict where all of their 2-7 guys will finish.

5. Whitewater (q): I don't think they are quite as good as the four teams listed ahead of them, but I still think they make it. Mills is a great coach, and I find it hard to believe they won't be ready come Saturday.

6. Eau Claire (First team out): Another instance of a coach who has their guys ready in November, I just don't know that they won enough during the regular season to get to the big dance, so for that reason, I think they miss unless some team from another region runs very poorly. If they do make nats I would be they are a top 25 team, but who knows.

Now lets look at the Individuals:

1. Mo Bati: Need I say more? I think he wins by 30 seconds just because I expect all of the other top guys to just coast.

2. Jacob Curulewski: This dude has really come into his own through the years. Gotta hand it to him for sticking his nose in every race he runs. I love the abilitiy to do that.

3. Jack Hesse: I have him in here because I don't think Eau Claire makes it. He has been one of the surprises this year, and with a good regional meet, I think he is rewarded with a trip to South Carolina.

4. Gabe Nichols: Gabe should have to closing speed to turn it on in the last mile, which is what will likely happen. He should make it, and I do see some potential for an All American finish in two weeks, but he does have to make it there.

5. Cole Stencel: Another guy that has really come into his own this year, and I think that he gets his first trip to a national meet this weekend. He just has to keep doing what he's been doing all year.

6. Cammeron Cullen: Oshkosh number 1. I think that he likely makes it as he has been runnig pretty well this season. With Oshkosh being a team looking in, I don't think they make it, but I hope think they will have some individual guys.

7. John Ihrke: He really impressed me at MIACs, and again, I think he has quite a bit of dawg in him. I don't think I have ever seen him afraid in a race, and I think this ability allows him to sneak into Nats with a good performace. Plus there is always someone who sneaks in that is unexpected, and I'll bet on Ihrke to be the one.

Would love to hear some different takes on what people think is going to happen, and I look forward to following the results. I want to see as many MIAC guys as possible make the meet. Have fun, enjoy it, and remember to run with joy out there!

Happy Birthday Sex

Thank you - Sex

Happy Birthday Sex. What are you doing for your birthday

It has been interesting to hear chatter about improvement in cross country. In almost every case I've seen where someone makes a big leap in improvement, it cannot be fully attributed to a workout regime within a season. Everyone does tempos and speed work when they are at school. In almost every case, a big improvement in running times comes from increasing summer (and thus fall) mileage, or inclusion of some other crucial training method. This is not something that coaches can make athletes do within practice time.

It is true that good coaches put together training plans that tune up their athletes and make them ready for championship season, but that only goes so far. Great coaches have the capability to inspire their athletes to go the extra mile (pun intended), and level up their training regimes.

This is where Donna Ricks and Huber excel.

Skemp. Im curious wether or not you feel the improvements you (and other oles) have made has come from Power, or if it is intrinsic motivation of the athlete within a student culture that somehow encourages that behaviour.

Hard to see Power as “motivational” with his latest ploy. Evidently he’s telling high school recruits to go Juco for two years and then Olaf so they’ll have four years of eligibility starting at age 20/21. He’s been emailing all the coaches from the Last Chance U shows and trying to get a referral fee to pay his trip to Connecticut. Gotta give the guy credit for his ingenuity and willingness to push the limits of rules.

I’d guess it’s mainly intrinsic motivation of talented athletes and maybe the influences of the other coaches on the staff. It’s no secret the team had its best year in 2024 when he brought in a new assistant with years of experience. And if you look at the 800 successes, those athletes are all coached by a different assistant. So I’d guess those two are extraordinary motivators and great tacticians. I have heard both would run the program much differently if they were in charge.

Y’all will literally say anything to discredit the Oles/Power. Someone is a Vanderbilt football fan with your juco story!

I’d think hiring a seasoned staff would be a plus for such a big team. It’s interesting that they are still competitive in track and score in areas that are not just distance despite what the haters say. Huber and Maxwell have another highly successful head coach in track to lead the squad, but maybe that’s why their track squads are so much better.

It’s not like wre talking about the Bethel or Johnny track successes. The Oles are middle of lack at best in track and they and Carleton need to look at a model like Bethel or St. John’s if they want to be competitive in all three seasons.

St. Johns, maybe. Bethel is not competitive in all three seasons.

I honestly never think about St. Olaf in track. That's absurd given the massive indoor facility and their strength in cross country. I would think a dedicated Track coach could change that.