Luis Grijalva/NAU vs Yared Nuguse/ND @ Silver State Collegiate XC Challenge

the statistician wrote:

I think BYU ran just about everybody, and maybe Troutner was under instruction to run easier. I could be forgetting someone from BYU though.

BYU's #5 returner from last year, Matt Owens.

We may see him in the B race, as it currently stands though I think the other guys must have beat him for the varsity spot entering competition.

It was good to see Elijah pull through for a big finish to secure the win for the Cougs today.

Great race! A couple quick thoughts:

-NICO is for real. He stayed neck and neck with a battle hardened 5 time first team all American. When is the last time we had a true freshman this good? Cheserek?

-BYU has a very good top 4. But they aren't going to beat NAU in March without a better number 5. Their gap between 4 and 5 is massive. BYU is nowhere near as deep as recent years on the back end.

-ND is not in the same conversation as NAU and BYU. They are definitely a threat to be a podium team. But they have zero chance of winning(and Nuguse is good but is a far cry from Grijalva or Mantz).

NAU held out Grijalva and Bosley, BYU without Ericksen (who was their 4th at OK state).

Man these 2 teams are loaded right now. Currently a slight edge to NAU it seems, with Nico emerging as their 2nd low stick to match up with Mantz and Clinger.

Talon Hull from Washington was #3. He's also from Utah. I don't think he's Mormon...but if BYU somehow snagged him out of HS they'd be almost unbeatable. Or even if they somehow held onto Raff who NAU snagged right from under their nose. He was a lock for BYU. Guess that's the problem when you have that much talent in one state.

runnER/DR wrote:

Talon Hull from Washington was #3. He's also from Utah. I don't think he's Mormon...but if BYU somehow snagged him out of HS they'd be almost unbeatable. Or even if they somehow held onto Raff who NAU snagged right from under their nose. He was a lock for BYU. Guess that's the problem when you have that much talent in one state.

Raff never really wanted to go to BYU. He went to NAU to distance himself from the school.

Jeez, that's a crazy good race for Nico. 2nd only 2 seconds behind Mantz and ahead of Clinger, Nuguse, and a ton of really fast guys.

Also good to see that Clinger is racing well, NCAAs should be really exciting this year.

NAU projected line-up

Girjalva

Young

Nur

Ferro

Bosley

Raff

Gorgas

We haven't seen Quax race in a year, so he's gotta be injured or coming off injury and not fit. Hasty was way back today and didn't light the world on fire at OK state either. If Bosley gets back to last year's level that might shut the door on BYU.

BYU projected line-up

Mantz

Clinger

Shumway

Garnica

Ericksen

Armstrong

?

Bit more instability in the back end of their line-up, if Matt Owens gets back to full fitness that would be huge for them.

nico is so good at running

red5 wrote:

runnER/DR wrote:

Talon Hull from Washington was #3. He's also from Utah. I don't think he's Mormon...but if BYU somehow snagged him out of HS they'd be almost unbeatable. Or even if they somehow held onto Raff who NAU snagged right from under their nose. He was a lock for BYU. Guess that's the problem when you have that much talent in one state.

Raff never really wanted to go to BYU. He went to NAU to distance himself from the school.

That may be the narrative being pushed by some now, but it was absolutely never that straightforward. At all.

Big picture though: You've got a very talented athlete who lives 10 minutes from a national powerhouse that has been "recruiting" him for years. They have a talented team with a legendary coach in his prime. He knows everyone on the team. He's offered a partial scholarship. Every reason to go with BYU. But he chose leave the state for a program he's entirely unfamiliar with. Obviously there were concerns with BYU.

Utah HS all-star team:

1-3-4-6-10-11-14

1. Utah 34

2. BYU 49

3. NAU 54

red5 wrote:

the statistician wrote:

Anyone know who got third place?

What school they from?

Talon Hull, runs for UW. So glad to see him finally beat Clinger after so many state championships in high school.

[quote]mount in man wrote:

Utah HS all-star team:

1-3-4-6-10-11-14

[\quote]

I think Clayson Shumway would emphatically beg to not be included

runnER/DR wrote:

-ND is not in the same conversation as NAU and BYU. They are definitely a threat to be a podium team. But they have zero chance of winning(and Nuguse is good but is a far cry from Grijalva or Mantz).

I agree, it seems like NAU and BYU will be 1 and 2, but many other teams will be gunning for 3rd. Obviously Notre Dame and Washington, but definitely also Tulsa, Iowa St, and Oklahoma St. Oregon could also potentially be a factor.

I think something that has gone unmentioned so far is the performance of Blaise Ferro for NAU. He looks to be fit and healthy, which hasn't been the case for much of his career. If he's running well, he'll make a drastic difference at NCAA's and makes NAU almost a lock.

30 guys under 24 in one race, 2 under 23! Another guy broke 24 in another race.

BYU actually had another five guys between 24:01 and 24:18 in another race, and I think about 13 guys under 24:24 total.

It is XC and obviously a short course when some 14:50 guys run 24:20.

Flotrack fanboy wrote:

It is XC and obviously a short course when some 14:50 guys run 24:20.

Agree, just like the conversation about the ACC Championship

FastTuohy wrote:

Flotrack fanboy wrote:

It is XC and obviously a short course when some 14:50 guys run 24:20.

Agree, just like the conversation about the ACC Championship

Are there any splits that could prove it was short? I remember in the ACC championships Nuguse's final 1500m split was 3:35, which obviously proved the the course was short.

the statistician wrote:

runnER/DR wrote:

-ND is not in the same conversation as NAU and BYU. They are definitely a threat to be a podium team. But they have zero chance of winning(and Nuguse is good but is a far cry from Grijalva or Mantz).

I agree, it seems like NAU and BYU will be 1 and 2, but many other teams will be gunning for 3rd. Obviously Notre Dame and Washington, but definitely also Tulsa, Iowa St, and Oklahoma St. Oregon could also potentially be a factor.

Spoiler alert - Oregon won't be a factor.