NCAA XC Predictions

Its gonna be interesting, thats for sure. what about individual qualifiers--whos going from the Northeast??

I heard NAU should be VERY good this year. They have several Australians plus Lamong, a guy from Sweden and Cardenas. I think they also got the 3200 champ from Cali.

To Tim Goldsack...

Where did you hear that Chelanga is transfering to LU? Are we talking about FDU's Samuel Chelanga, or is there another one I am missing?

Do you know the name of the other 29 ish guy?

please...dish!

Yes Samuel. Yes I know the name of the 29 flat 10k runner. It is not for sure if he is going to LU yet. When he decides he will be happy for me to tell you where he is going.

CU guys team is definitely a threat for the win again this year, but the women's team lost too many of their top runners, esp. in Liza and Claire. Aislinn Ryan was no where to be seen in track this year and the two twins they recruited from the Dakota's did nothing this past track season either. The only sure thing on the women's side is Jenny Baringer. The rest of the females on their roster are not at the caliber of the other top teams returning. CU women will be lucky to get in the top five.

Now, I know Stanford lost a few, but not in the top 10? I can't see that. They have the top five back from last year and a decent list of freshmen - especially US junior XC champ Eliot Heath. I don't think they are a championship caliber team, but they should be higher than 11th.

The women... they might be good. It really depends on how the runners pan out after a less than stellar track season. Ari and Teresa will probably be great, but after that, there is a lot of uncertainty. They could be top three... we'll see.

I like the Arkansas women for the win. They had a slightly rough day at nationals last year, but they really have a good group that could perform some big things.

I also like the Oregon men - although I don't think anyone has a clear advantage (that could change if all the redshirts and new frosh perform well). Wisconsin has a good group back also. Colorado will have it rough, though. Stanford is uncertain after injuries and no-shows during track.

2007 NCAA DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP MEN'S PREDICTION

1. Iona

2. Wisconsin

3. Oregon

4. Louisville

5. Providence

6. Colorado

7. Oklahoma State

2007 NCAA DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN'S PREDICTION

1. Colorado

2. Arkansas

3. Stanford

4. Michigan

5. Arizona State

6. Georgetown

7. Iowa

Seguru wrote:

2007 NCAA DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP MEN'S PREDICTION

1. Iona

2. Wisconsin

3. Oregon

4. Louisville

5. Providence

6. Colorado

7. Oklahoma State

Take out Louisville and these are solid picks

There will be a big showing from the BigEast at Nationals..possibly one of the best ever...Ok I am biased as you can tell from my name..but

Loiuville will do very well..returning all five starters.....Unfortunately I think they are going to beat my boys...along with the other normal contenders....

Providence I heard is returning four of their top five and their fifth man got an extra year...but not sure..with everyone but Fagan the team could be strong.. (which unfotunarely means alot but have a feeling there will be a big season from ahmed haji....wait and see...)

Nova...think they are being given a bit too much credit...it will take at least a year to rebound from last years disaster season... but with Bobby back on track they have a national contender in the indiv. title...

Syracuse....will make it to nationals for the first time ever?? (pretty sure) with one of the best incoming freshman classes...may have to get in on an auto because I dont think they are up on Iona or PCs level yet...

ND....In a very similar situation to PC with the loss of Kurt...but like PC are returning a good crew and will run well as a group (Patrick Smyth will have a big year judging on his recent 7 mile race result)

G'Town....could do anything really...with debole and bumbalough leading the way could power their way into the top ten..also got one of the taye boys comin in...but may need a year to make a splash..

My predictions..

BigEast

1) Louiville

2) PC

3) ND

4) G'town

5) Nova

6) 'Cuse (next year top three)

Nationals

5) Loiuville (best year ever for the program)

11) PC (falls two places from last year)

14) ND (loss of Benninger will hurt even though he didnt do so well at nat's last year..Smyth..all american)

17) G'town (Matt Debole...all-american)

25) Nova

27) 'Cuse (in three years...top ten...wait and see)

This could be the first year ever that the BigEast can qualify 6 teams for the big race...

I would choose:

1) Oregon

2) Colorado

3) Iona

4) Wisconsin

and everyone else

I feel these four teams will be the class of the field. I think Oregon has so much depth and talent, assuming Rupp returns they should win. If Rupp does return I would probably redshirt almost no one because it would be their best opportunity to win in the coming years. Beyond rupp, there is no one guaranteed on that varsity squad. Most likely they will have kiptoo, mercado, and the like. But then they have transfer Joaquin Chapa and Scott Wall who ran 13:57, both not part of Oregon's top 7 (Chapa was obviously at Stanford). Not to mention the slew of guys running 14:00-1405 or so in the 5k on the track this year. Couple in Acosta who redshirted, and newcomers Hall and Centrowitz and they are as loaded as possible.

"its the ducks title to lose"

Exactly why I would not put them at the top of the list.

What?? Sammy Chelanga to LU?? Crazy... Shit, if Sammy wanted out he should follow some of his fellow countrymen across the George Washington Bridge to Iona to win an NCAA title!

he should have transferred to stony brook--ohhh wait a minute, he would have gotten slower, never mind that---Iona or Liberty, either way hell be running with a monster group

I am going to go with Arkansas and Oregon battling it for the win.

Some teams I havent seen discussed much is William and Mary and UVA. Some great guys coming back and both teams have improved a lot and are on the rise

MEN:

1) Wisconsin

2) Oregon

3) Iona

4) Colorado

Could surprise: Arkansas

WOMEN:

1) Stanford

2) Michigan

3) Arkansas

4) Arizona State

Could surprise: Oregon

Just like last year right wrote:

Looking at last year's region results...

Iowa returns MacTaggert, Luciano, Napier, Schlotzhauer- four sub 25:00 runners.

I don't believe Schlotzhauer will be back.

this may not be wetmore's year with the most talent, but Ryan, ensrude, barringer are all very very solid. then they bring in laura thweat and a set of twins. they coudl kick some ass. they will be on the podium, 1 2 or 3 is just the question.

after last year how can you seriously rule out the men? they got tebo and medina too. they will also be on the podium just if they get gold silver or bronze is in a lot of ways up to how hard they run old f***in mags this fall.

Wisconsin is pretty injury-vulnerable on the men's side and potentially under-rated on the women's side. As noted by someone writing about CU, if Claire Maduza had run for Wisconsin (instead of CU) in XC as she did in track, the Badgers would have won the race (just moving the points around). They did lose some good runners, but Maduza replaces one of those top three, Grinaker was number 1 as a frosh (and the first frosh in Nationals) and Ann Detmer made a huge leap going from a nominal best of a 5:02 mile and 2:10 half down to a 4:21 1500 and she has run some XC. In addition, Hintz from Maine, a frosh that did not run last year, was tearing up the roads in Madison in the spring taking runaway victories in the 5-mile Crazy Legs (~28:00?) and I think she ran 2:00 in the moderately hilly 20-mile Syttende Mai under so-so conditions. I do not know much about incoming runners (some local 10:30-50 types?).

My two cents wrote:

MEN:

1) Wisconsin

2) Oregon

3) Iona

4) Colorado

Could surprise: Arkansas

WOMEN:

1) Stanford

2) Michigan

3) Arkansas

4) Arizona State

Could surprise: Oregon