<<<DII XC predictions>>>

I would agree with Alaska being a top 5 team. 23:45 and 24:10 on Sundodger= two guys who should be top-10 at NCAA's. Add a few 24:30's guys and a sub 25 and that's a pretty damn good team. Their coach is downplaying them big by saying they'll have it tough getting to NCAA's. They are MUCH better than WWU/WOU, Pomona, UCSD and perhaps even Chico! It must be nice having two true frosh running 24:10 or better already!

Everyone really does hate Western don't they. Not in the top 10? Joke?

What has Western done so far this year to deserve a top 10 ranking? Will they be in the top 10...most likely yes, they will probably be a top 5 team "based on past performance" and the guys they have on their roster---but they have not raced...That was my point. I am not a Western hater, or an Adams fan, an Umass groupie or a Harding shill---I am just a fan in general. If you are objective about results then Western should not be in the top 10...

Harding did not have a 2:30 gap to number 5...It was more like 1:30 and the number one guy ran 24-flat...I'll take that gap and anumber 5 running 25:30 anyday. Their 6th man in that race has run sub 25 on that course in years past.

where's that 2:30 gap???

SOUTHERN STAMPEDE CROSS COUNTRY - COLLEGE MEN

1 159 DANIEL KIRWA HARDING UNIVERSITY FR 24:00.8

2 156 PHILIP BIWOTT HARDING UNIVERSITY FR 24:20.7 3 87 JONATHAN CHERONO COWLEY COLLEGE SO 24:29.0

4 169 JULIUS KOSGEI HARDING UNIVERSITY SR 24:41.9

5 168 ARTUR KERN HARDING UNIVERSITY SR 24:58.6

6 107 JAIME VILLA ZAPATERO DRURY SO 25:10.5

7 165 WOJCIECH KOPEC HARDING UNIVERSITY SO 25:18.0

Where can I find these results? A 2:00 + gap will be a doozy.

I think he must have missed one of the runners and made an honest mistake.

If you look at the trophy teams from last year's nationals (top 4) the biggest 1 -5 gap was Grand Valley (4th) at 1:53...ACU had a 1:39 gap---but they had the winner and there is a lot to be said for scoring that "1" point...Western had an incredible 27 second gap...but Adams put three in front of their #1 guy and tied them even with a gap of over 1:30.

Among the rest of the top 10 teams Highlands (10th) had the worst 1-5 gap (3:46) and Slippery Rock (9th)was second worst at 3:14---both teams benefited from having a strong top-10 type front runner...Mines "team" mentality kept them alive last year---two of their op guys ran poorly, but the rest of the team packed in under a minute and Mines still finshed 6th.

Which brings me back to Harding and what I said earlier---If you have the fastest guy in the race by a long shot (Kirwa at the Stampede, Nicodemus at 07 nationals) you can still do well with a big gap to #5...Teams with widely varying "pack times" made the top 10 last year.

New regional rankings...

Not too many big changes...

Benedict College jumps way up in the South after running second to Queens at the Winthrop meet--It looks like they have two new Kenyan athletes running 1-2.

In the Central Western finally gets dropped behind Mines (until the Shoot-Out next week perhaps?)and Highlands gets booted out of the top 10 completely despite having the returning regional champ plus transfer Kazingo (from Abilene)and Ronoh (36th at "07 nationals). Like me the poll rep must be looking for a 5th man?

Anchorage moved ahead of Western Washington and deservedly so in the West---I see them breathing right down Chico's neck. Let's see if Chico runs everyone at Stanford and puts to rest the talk about A-A being a championship threat in the West regional.

Western is still #2 in the rankings. Not sure what you are talking about.Not everyone is as dumb as you guys. Western is not ever going to loose to anyone but Adams in the region. People vote on how they believe a team will fair, not unnecessarily on how they look at this very point in time-and that's the way it should be. BTW- I am anything but a Western fan.

My mistake...I thought I saw that Western had dropped.

Your point about expectations is well taken. I think some rankers use expectations while a few base it on results as they stand. Cross seems to be the only sport where rankings are based on "expectations" rather than current performance. I am not saying it should be otherwise--but it should be consistent.

I too (as i have said before) expect Western to run well when it counts.

I do resent being called dumb--but I'll get over it!

I think Western will lose to some team in the RMAC besides Adams. Only two teams really have a shot at doing this: Mines, and Mankato.

Mankato is not in the RMAC. Do you mean Metro or are you just clueless?

I actually wasn't calling you dumb but I am sure that it seemed that way. Your question is logical. I just believe that in our sport the way we tend to rankings makes sense. When you think about it, we are the only sport that purposely sits out guys on a routine basis.

The fact that you realizes you made a mistake and admitted it is extremely refreshing. Most people wouldn't admit to ANYTHING on here.

There is only one thing that is for certain, and that this year at nationals, the race is going to be absolutely nuts.

Yea i meant Region, i mix those two up.

western looks to be in trouble right now with injuries and lack of a 4-7th, mankato and mines do have the potential to beat them this year at regionals and theres no way western can challenge adams this year

This happens very year, and every yar people are proven wrong. However I think this year more people are going to b proven right than wrong this year. In the RMAC WSC will only lose to Adams. For as good of a coach as Siemrs is, I just don't see his team having the firepower to beat WSC. In the region Mankato will see as they do every year what a real XC team looks like.

However, I think that come Slippery Rock WSC will be exposed for its lack of toughnes, as well as its lack of depth. In the past 1 or 2 runners missing half the season was no problem because there would have been at least 7 or 8 other guys that could have stepped in and kept pressure on the other schools in D II. This WSC team sadly doesn't have it. The names have changed but so have the results in this case.

In the RMAC and the Region WSC will finish 2nd, and at NCAA's The WSC Men's team will be in a hard fight to crack the top 5, and the women won't qualify

Recruiting Kenyans is the way to go! Go Kenya! We love to be top 10 every year with internationals.

I think after this weeks rankings we are now seeing who the permanent top 10 will be in no particular order.

I am not sure what DBU was refering to, but I have seen the following in my career:

1.In-state athletes who cannot run under 10 minutes for 2-miles who think--along with their parents and coaches---that they deserve nearly full-ride type money to come to a small school. When they don't get it, they would rather walk-on at a bigger school so they can run a couple races and wear the DI sweats back home...Sometimes they develop into decent college runners, more often they get left behind, discouraged and end up quitting---I have seen this numerous times.

2. In-state or other US athletes who are pretty good--4:30 mile, 9:40 2 mile, sub-16 5k--get offered very good scholarships but think they are too good for DII. Sometimes they take smaller offers at big schools, sometimes they sign very late with a smaller school when DI offers never appear.

3. International athletes who have proven results (sub 9:20 for 2 miles, sub 15 for 5k) and will go to a small school for the same amount of scholarship money.

What would you do if you were the coach faced with this situation?

I have seen my coach struggle with this. She (yes, female coach) wants US athletes, but often cannot get them to come--International athletes contact the school all the time WANTING an opportunity.

Should the coach be happy "developing" 10:30 2 milers into college runners or try and get the best possible athletes to build a competitive program?

My high school team would put a whooping on Dallas Baptist. Lack of internationals is the least of your troubles...