Creating a separate thread from the Preseason Top 10 threads.
Gans Creek Timing site is up. Other than Aaylidiz looks like full OR squad. Similar for NAU ex Baloga. Looks like full Florida squad. Stanford holding out both Kennedy and Bunnage.
An Aaron Sahlman sighting for NAU? BYU Men are here, while Women are at the Jamboree.
No Addie Engel for NAU or Natalie Cook for Colorado. I didn’t see Marlee Starliper for Colorado either and just checked their roster. She isn’t listed. Does anyone know what is going on with her?
Creating a separate thread from the Preseason Top 10 threads.
Gans Creek Timing site is up. Other than Aaylidiz looks like full OR squad. Similar for NAU ex Baloga. Looks like full Florida squad. Stanford holding out both Kennedy and Bunnage.
Kennedy is understandable due to her competing in the USA 5000 race on August 3rd. She appears in several recent-xc-related social media posts, including training photos, so she's ok, just returning from training after racing every month from Sept '24 to last month.
Bunnage, however, is a different matter. No pictures or references to her in any social media dating back to her own, most recent IG post from June. Appears not to have attended the team's altitude camp in CO, same as last year. Don't know if her knee injury from this past winter still lingers or is simply being brought along slowly. The latter approach sure worked wonders last year when Amy opened xc by winning West Regionals then finishing 4th at NCAAs.
Maybe somebody who attends Friday's meet can ask around about her current status.
Should be interesting to see how Oregon's Diana Cherotich and the two Alabama FR Caren Kiplagat & Cynthia Jemutai fare in the mix up top.
Of Furman's eight entries, seven are freshmen. Maybe one emerges as a diamond in the rough.
I also want to see how strong Florida's Desma Chepkoach, Tia Wilson and Isobelle Jones are (in addition to Judy Chepkoech - another 2024 AA while at Arizona State (30)). My guess is FL and OR battle for the W win with NAU 3rd.
The Georgia men don’t look half bad at this point in the season. That is not expected.
Since Blade committed to FSU I’ve thought it was an interesting choice for her. Does anyone know the story there?
We’ll see if the LSU Kenyans can maintain their form throughout the season. The Kenyans at Clemson looked great in the first meet last year and still were respectable at the end of the season but faded a bit.