Official UAA 2025 XC thread

Thank you for taking interest in my NESCAC post! I'm looking forward to the inter-conference competition next year at the big invitationals/nationals.

Your early outlook for the 2025 University Athletic Association (UAA) men’s cross country season is a fantastic deep dive, and I love how you’ve drawn inspiration from the NESCAC analysis to spotlight a conference with similar academic and athletic prestige.

This is the best conference in the country!!!! But seriously why is NYU not ranked higher, they return alpha competitor jeff chen and Coach Dick Shipley is known for landing stud transfer students.

Been hearing whispers on Signal that Max Huang of Uchicago plans to be in sub 25 shape next season. Also some sources reporting sexual tension between Max Huang and Noah Bender, could see them finishing together (hopefully on the course).

Just got off the phone with Coach Hall of UChicago. It appears Quint Stein has decided to move up in workout groups in order to improve at the longer distances (North to South). Wonder if this could factor into rankings?

I talked to Quint after his 1:53 800m. sounded like he'd just discovered threshold training and that had been the key to his breakthrough indoor season. he told me the plan was double thresholds this summer in preparation for XC, so i guess that checks out with the switch to long d

I heard Quint Stein hates double thresh and will only do the elusive triple thresh. Could be the 1 this upcoming season given Sanju Patel’s only their 3 in the 1500

Now for 2 more teams, Wash U and then NYU.
Wash U suffers somewhat heavily from graduation. Capuano, Hornung, Gadin and Maranz are tough losses. Good deal of returning talent but winning the conference title would be a tall order.
Top returners:
Conor Daly, 17th at UAAs, rising SR, ran a 24:55 8k (2023)
and a 14:30 5k this outdoor season. Hasn't improved too much since his
sophomore year, on the right day I could see him being a top 5 finisher in
the conference.

Ilan Sherman-Kadish, 54th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 25:27
in the 8k and ran a 14:54 5k during indoor but hasn't raced since that 14:54.
If he gets back in shape over the summer he'll be a force to be reckoned
with.

Sean Green, rising SO, ran a 25:59 8k and a 14:46 5k.
Wasn't running anything crazy in XC but a 14:46 5k as a true freshman is
pretty impressive and indicates strong potential for improvement come this
fall.

Will Liu, 28th at UAAs, rising JR, 25:25 8k and ran 8:38 in
the 3k during indoor. Was more middle distance focused although his outdoor
steeple season has not been great. Might just be a sophomore slump.

Oliver Witt, rising SR, didn't race XC in the fall but at
his best ran 25:03 in the 8k (all the way back in 2022!) and made nationals
that year. Ran 8:28 in the 3k during indoor and set some PRs in outdoor,
assuming he's healthy he'll likely be an important contributor this fall.

Alexander Bullard, 22nd at UAAs, rising SR, ran 25:10 in the
8k and a 32:22 10k this spring. Stagnated a bit as far as XC and track times
go, he'll need to put together a strong senior season. Or maybe he's just
better at XC.

Max Latshaw, rising SR, ran a 26:11 8k (2022) and has
been pretty stagnant but ran a 15:19 5k this spring which is a significant PR
for him. Might be able to round out the top 7.

Now for NYU. They lose their top two with Ryan Tobin and Evan Sherman, and return some top end talent, but depth is their achilles heel. Big drop off from their 3 to their #4 runner.

Top returners:

Jeffrey Chen, 8th at UAAs, rising SR, has PRs of 24:26 in the 8k and a 29:40 10k. In my opinion the favorite to win the conference next fall, and very likely an all american. Absolute monster outdoor season, excited to see him at the NCAAs 10k.

Liam Hagerty, 6th at UAAs, rising JR, ran 24:36 in the 8k last fall and a 14:35 5k this spring. Technically the top returner in the conference, he was a vital addition to the NYU team in the fall and helped them nearly podium at nationals. Will certainly be in the lead pack at conference.

Andy Taylor, 13th at UAAs, rising SR, has PRs of 24:38 in the 8k and a 14:25 5k. Made some steady improvements through XC and has improved massively on the track this spring. Should be right up there in that lead pack.

Shaurya Srivastava, 46th at UAAs, rising SR, PR of 25:13 in the 8k and ran a 31:54 10k this spring. Didn't have a great XC or indoor season but did comparably better in outdoor. They'll need him to move up this fall if they want to win the conference.

Jake Christy, 62nd at UAAs, rising SO, ran 26:08 in the 8k and a 15:12 5k this spring. Had a solid freshman season and should be poised to move up this fall.

Huck Oakes, 55th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 25:49 in the 8k and a 3:52 1500 this spring. More of a mid distance guy but has some solid XC potential. If he can translate that to the grass, he'll be dangerous.

Brandon Meiner, rising SR, ran 25:54 8k (2023) and a 15:27 5k this spring. Had a junior year slump but at his best could be in the Violet's top 7. He'll need a rebound.

Other who could help out: Alex Hrycyszyn, who ran 3:53 1500/15:05 5k but had a rough year in XC last fall.

Next two teams I'll look at: Emory and Case Western

I would honestly be shocked in Jeff doesn't take this one home. When it comes to a conference like the UAA, he's the typa man to beat to.

Now let's look at Emory. Graduation is not very kind to them, losing 4 of their top 6. Got a very young squad of returners that has a lot of potential, but they lack the front end talent to secure a conference title. In a year or two they'll be dangerous.

Top returners:

Olin Gilster, 32nd at UAAs, rising JR, ran 25:19 in the 8k and a 14:52 5k during indoor but hasn't raced outdoor. Has improved steadily since his freshman year and is the top Emory returner in the 5k.

Kirin Karver, 20th at UAAs, rising JR, ran 24:54 in the 8k and an 8:41 3k during outdoor. Had a bit of an inconsistent track season but his XC times speak for themselves and he'll easily be in the top group of Emory guys this fall.

Ryan Van De Berghe, 49th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 25:14 in the 8k and a 4:00 1500 in outdoor. Burned out a bit towards the end of XC, but with more experience I think he'll improve significantly.

John Urciuoli, 31st at UAAs, rising JR, ran 25:20 in the 8k and a 3:58 1500 this outdoor season. Proof that Emory can be a heavily mid distance program in track and still produce success in XC. Made some big improvements from his freshman to sophomore year and will be a vital asset this fall.

Dalton Lowery, 38th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 25:23 in the 8k and an 8:35 indoor 3k but hasn't raced outdoor. Another strong Emory freshman with a lot of upside come this fall.

Carsen Valenta, rising SO, ran 25:52 in the 8k and a 3:59 1500. If he can translate that 1500 success to the grass he'll have the potential to improve immensely. Just needs to avoid a sophomore slump.

Lucas Moskovitz, rising SR, ran 26:06 in the 8k and a 15:14 5k in February. Has made some steady improvements and looks to break into the 25s comfortably come senior year.

Others who could help out: Nikhil Makker (15:06 5k), Parker Carrus (25:29 8k), Matthew McClure (15:14 5k)

Now let's look at Case Western. They lose their top dog in Aidan Nathan, and also lose Stephen Henry and Nate Gilbert. Their top 2 are solid and could contend for all conference, but from there their team is riddled with inconsistency and injury.

Top returners:

Donovan Crowley, 23rd at UAAs, rising SO, ran 25:12 in the 8k and 15:03/3:55 in the 5k and 15 respectively in outdoor. An amazing freshman campaign, could contend for top 10 in the conference on the right day.

Jacob Slater, 35th at UAAs, rising JR, ran 25:13 in the 8k and a 14:56 5k this spring. Should be right up there with Crowley and contending for an all conference spot. The "1-2 punch" that separates CWRU from Rochester.

Adam Esa, 36th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 25:40 in the 8k and an 8:55 3k during indoor but hasn't raced outdoor. If healthy he'll be a crucial asset to the team.

Finn Bonner, rising JR, ran 25:50 8k (2023) but hasn't raced since XC pre-regionals. If he can get back into form he'll definitely help out the team.

Solomon Greene, rising SR, has a PR of 25:59 in the 8k but didn't race XC last fall. He's still getting in better shape, having run a 32:14 10k this spring. Assuming he's healthy in XC he'll likely be in the scoring 5.

Seth Tivkaran, 48th at UAAs, rising JR, 8k PR of 25:09 from the short regional course in 2023 but on the track ran just two 2:03 800s in the winter, well off his PR of 1:54. At his best he's consistently in their top 7, but he needs to get back in shape over the summer.

Matias Facchinato-Sitja, rising SR, ran 25:56 in the 8k his sophomore year but also missed out on XC last fall. Put up a 15:53 5k in the spring which suggests he's trending in the right direction.

Lucas Siepser, rising SO, ran 27:15 in the 8k and dropped a 16:00 5k and 8:58 3k on the track. The latter is more impressive, but he'll need to keep building to have any shot of helping out the team.

Will look at Rochester and Brandeis' outlook next before making an early prediction for how the conference will play out. Definitely subject to change since a good freshman class can really make a difference in this conference.

Now for our last two.

Rochester has some big losses to graduation, with Vishal Yalamanchili, Sean Hendricks and a few other guys graduating. Thankfully, their freshman class was strong during outdoor and they return James Catania.

Top returners:

James Catania, 14th at UAAs, returning for a 5th year due to many injuries. Ran an impressive 14:36 5k in the spring and a 24:34 8k last fall. If healthy he is definitely a contender for top 10 in the conference, but that's a big if.

Liam Sakakeeny, 53rd at UAAs, rising SO, ran 26:01 in the 8k but this spring posted a 3:57 1500 and 15:20 5k at liberty leagues. More mile/1500 centered in track but definitely has a lot of potential to improve come this fall.

Sam Cohen, 68th at UAAs, rising SO, ran only a 26:46 8k last fall but ran a 14:53 5k this spring. Expecting him to make a big jump come his sophomore year fall

Joe Berry, 51st at UAAs, rising SO, ran 25:58 in the 8k and 9:55 in the steeplechase. Could just be better at XC, but his track results weren't quite as impressive as Cohen or Sakakeeny. Still should be a vital asset to the team come the fall.

Drew Garringer, 72nd at UAAs, rising JR, ran a 26:31 8k in the fall but his only result on the track was a 9:51 3k in January. Not sure what his status will be come the fall.

Nolan Goldthwaite, 73rd at UAAs, rising SR, ran 26:53 in the 8k last fall and 9:48 in the steeple this spring. Had a junior year slump but was closer to his PRs in the spring, although all around has been more mile/15 and steeple centered than long distance/xc.

Jacob Bernd, rising SO, ran 27:34 in the 8k but a 3:56 1500 this spring. Needs a big jump this fall, but as Rochester has shown success in that event doesn't always translate to success on the grass (ex: Hendricks last year)

Also could help if he races XC: Brendan McCollum (did XC in 2022/23 but not in 2024, 1:54 800 guy)

Now for Brandeis. Looks like last place will be the reality for them yet again as they lose Dia, Nguyen and Janicki. Without solid depth or solid firepower up front, it'd take a lot of improvement from their guys to have any hope of moving up in the ranks.

Top returners:

TJ Carleo, 43rd at UAAs, rising SR, 25:51 8k last fall and ran a 3:53 1500. Better known for his 800 abilities but his PR of 1:50.21 remains untouched from his freshman spring and he hasn't cracked 1:51 since last year. Despite being stagnant in track, he's improved with each XC season and will probably do so again.

Dylan Zhao, 79th at UAAs, rising SR, ran 27:04 in the 8k last fall and a 16:19 5k this spring. Did shorter events more but was somewhat inconsistent.

Parker Cook, 74th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 27:33 in the 8k and a 4:08 1500 this spring. Definitely some strong potential to improve come the fall if he can translate that success on the track.

Ben Katsev, 77th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 27:32 in the 8k and a 16:50 5k in the spring. Did not have a very impressive outdoor season, he'll need to turn things around come the fall.

James Waters, rising SO, ran 28:04 in the 8k and a 2:02 800 in the spring. He'll need to translate that to the grass which for 800 exclusive runners like himself aren't always easy.

Garrett Rieden, rising SR, only ran an 18:56 5k in the fall but has been a 1:50 800 guy along with Carleo since his sophomore year. They'll need him to actually complete an XC season which he did in 2023 but not his freshman or junior year.

Aidan Shames, 80th at UAAs, rising SO, ran 29:51 in the 8k last fall and a 17:45 5k this spring.

Others: Not sure if Hugh Licklider or Robert King are returning...

Overall, here's my very early assessment:

1st place-U Chicago, ~55 points. Can see Patel and Eifert easily in the top 10, with Cohen, Bender and May providing enough depth compared to the rest of the conference to secure a title.

2nd place- ~75 points, Tossup between NYU and Wash U. NYU has some heavy firepower up front with Hagerty, Chen and Taylor but a severe falloff from there to their #4. Wash U has a lower stick in Daly but a tighter top 5 that'll compensate for NYU's stellar top 3.

4th place-Carnegie Mellon, ~80 points, Podnar is very good but their returning 2-5 are slightly weaker than Wash U which makes me believe they'll finish right behind NYU and them. On the right day could get 2nd, but for now I'm putting them here.

5th place-Emory, ~95 points. Probably at most one Emory guy between Karver, Gilster and Van De Berge will be in the top 10, and their 4-5 are weaker than CMU's 4 and 5 so I'm putting them here.

6th place-Case Western, ~160 points. Solid 1-2 with all conference potential in Crowley and Slater, and as a whole more proven in XC. But it's a very shakey 6th place since there's a lot of injury/inconsistency among their returners that they'll need to figure out. If they're in the same state this fall as they were this spring I'd say Rochester gets by them.

7th place-Rochester, ~170 points. Generally they're better at track than XC, a very young team that's not entirely proven on the grass. Additionally if Catania's MIA they're hopes of beating Case Western are completely gone.

8th place-Brandeis, ~250 points. They'll be lucky if Carleo can crack top 35. Definitely a team that's out of their depth in a conference like this.

Super interesting deep dive into UAA cross country! Love the focus on schools with both brains and running talent. Excited to see how these predictions play out next season.

Anybody have thoughts on individual competitors/favorites? Feels like the conference race is more wide-open than usual.

Podnar, Hagerty, and Patel seem to be the favorites. Can't remember a time a true fresh won it overall, and I have no idea if there are any big transfers in.

Gotta include Chen and maybe Daly too. No one has shown the consistency to be the favorite…

Yeah, going to be an interesting year. I wish there was an easier way of tracking who the incoming freshmen are so we can get speculating. Ah well.

Some teams post recruits on socials.