2012 NCAA X COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS: discussions, spoilers, and predictions

WOMEN Individual

I do expect two freshman to be in the top 10! Is there really any other women who can truly contend for the title besides Laura, Betsy, & Abby?

Please Jordan maybe a top 5 or top 10 finisher but don't think she will TRULY contend for the individual title.

MEN Individual

Lawi or Kennedy, Lawi or Kennedy, Lawi or Kennedy- IDK and who else has a shot at top 5?

NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Top 15 Women

1. Laura Hollander (Fr) Cal Poly

2. Betsy Saina (Sr) Iowa State

3. Alphine Tuliamuk-Bolton (Sr) Wich State

4. Abby D'Agostino (Sr) Darmouth

5. Violah Lagat (Sr) Florida St

6. Sarah Kroll (Jr) Michigan St

7. Jess Enger (?) Oklahoma

8. Kathy Kroeger (?) Stanford

9. Alex McGrath (Sr) William & Mary

10.Emily Lipari (Jr) Villinova

11.Forence Ngetich (Sr) Florida

12 Jordan Hasay (Sr) Oregon

13.Elaine Baloudis (Jr) William & Mary

14.Meaghan Nelson (Sr) Iowa State

15.Cally Macumber (Jr) Kentucky

1. Lawi Lalang

2. Mo Ahmed

3. Stephen Sambu

4. Kennedy Kithuka

5. Mitch Goose

6. Girma Mecheso

7. Tom Farrell

8. Henry Lelei

9. Trevor Dunbar

10. Maverick Darling

Why do you have Mo Ahmed placing 2nd over Kennedy Kithuka and Stephen Sambu when Mo didn't even win his conference?

Mitch Goose 5th are you really serious?

1. Kennedy Kithuka

2. Lawi Lalang

3. Stephen Sambu

4. Andy Rotich

5. Henry Lelei

6. Girma Mecheo

7. Jess Enger

8. William Mulherin

9. Martin Hehir (Fr) if he runs

10.Maverick Darling

NCAApredictor wrote:

Why do you have Mo Ahmed placing 2nd over Kennedy Kithuka and Stephen Sambu when Mo didn't even win his conference?

Less than 3 months ago Mo was in the Olympics. Yesterday was his first race since then and it's not like he got destroyed, he just got outkicked. He'll be ready to rock in 3 weeks.

NCAApredictor wrote:

Mitch Goose 5th are you really serious?

Dark horse

1) Lawi Lalang (Arizona)

2) Kennedy Kithuka (Texas Tech)

3) Mohammed Ahmed (Wisconsin)

4) Stephen Sambu (Arizona)

5) Anthony Rotich (UTEP)

6) Henry Lelei (Texas A&M)

7) Paul Chelimo (UNC-Greensboro)

8) Terefe Ejigu (Eastern Michigan)

9) Matt Gillespie (Iona)

10) Andrew Colley (N.C. State)

11) Jake Hurysz (Colorado)

12) David Forrester* (Florida State)

13) Maverick Darling (Wisconsin)

14) Trevor Dunbar (Oregon)

15) William Mulherin (Virginia Tech)

16) David Rooney (McNeese State)

17) Jared Ward (BYU)

18) Zachary Mayhew (Indiana)

19) Parker Stinson (Oregon

20) Patrick Casey (Oklahoma)

*Coming off of injury but if he has a good 3 weeks he has the skill to be top 20

NCAApredictor wrote:

NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Top 15 Women

1. Laura Hollander (Fr) Cal Poly

2. Betsy Saina (Sr) Iowa State

3. Alphine Tuliamuk-Bolton (Sr) Wich State

4. Abby D'Agostino (Sr) Darmouth

5. Violah Lagat (Sr) Florida St

6. Sarah Kroll (Jr) Michigan St

7. Jess Enger (?) Oklahoma

8. Kathy Kroeger (?) Stanford

9. Alex McGrath (Sr) William & Mary

10.Emily Lipari (Jr) Villinova

11.Forence Ngetich (Sr) Florida

12 Jordan Hasay (Sr) Oregon

13.Elaine Baloudis (Jr) William & Mary

14.Meaghan Nelson (Sr) Iowa State

15.Cally Macumber (Jr) Kentucky

pretty good but I have Betsey running down Laura like Rupp did to Sammy....also Jordan will be in thetop 5 I think....the rest looks pretty good.

You maybe right but right even after beating BETSY SAINA & another runaway victory at her conference, LAURA HOLLANDER stated, "she will be working on her last 1000m."

Note: Betsy most recent race her conference victory by going out EXACTLY as fast as Laura did when Laura beat her and guess what Betsy wasn't able to sustain the same pace less then a week ago.

YES the course was different but during her conference meet Betsy WENT OUT EXACTLY like Laura at 10 flat at Wisconsin (where she beat Betsy) and Betsy 2nd 3000m 10:06 , compared to Laura's at Wisconsin 9:33.

Oh yeah Laura stated herself she is focusing on her last 1000m as she wants to be ready for NCAA!!!

Some runners are better X runners then track but REMEMBER

STEPHEN SAMBU trounced KENNEDY KITHUKA: Mt Sac Relays 2012

10000m

28:06.16

28:18.97

full video

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/248555-2012-Mt-SAC-Relays/video/629809-M-10k-Invite-Sambu-NCAA-leader-2012-Mt-SAC-Relays

SO ASK yourself is Kennedy a MUCH better cross runner then Stephen Sambu who also ran track 10000m 27:28 in 2011

Hasay at 12 lol she will be in the top 3 if not win it all this year. Oregon women are going to win the National Championship this year book it.

Looks like paul chelimo is injured.He has not run good since Louisville.

I hope JORDAN HASAY have a good run this year because so far she hasn't started off the season well. Really either you haven't been keeping up with collegiate cross country this year or you know something we don't know about Jordan's training- I would pick her for top 10 but don't consider her a title contender.

Hasay will always be considered a title contender. She always runs her best at the end and if the race is anything like last year, Hasay has the best finishing speed.

What about Chris O'Hare from Tulsa?

Women:

1. Abbey D'Agostino - injured but so talented and tough I think she'll pull it off

2. Betsy Saina - will run down Hollander with D'Ags but then lose in a kick

3. Laura Hollander - goes out hard but gets run down by the other two.

4. Jordan Hasay - coming on strong...could win. Don't count her out.

5. Aliphine Tuliamuk

Men:

1. Lawi Lalang - just doesn't lose.

2. Stephen Sambu

3. Kennedy Kithuka - doesn't live up to the hype against the AZ duo

4. Mo Ahmed

5. Trevor Dunbar (sentimental pick)

VIPAM wrote:

Some runners are better X runners then track but REMEMBER

STEPHEN SAMBU trounced KENNEDY KITHUKA: Mt Sac Relays 2012

10000m

28:06.16

28:18.97

full video

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/248555-2012-Mt-SAC-Relays/video/629809-M-10k-Invite-Sambu-NCAA-leader-2012-Mt-SAC-Relays

SO ASK yourself is Kennedy a MUCH better cross runner then Stephen Sambu who also ran track 10000m 27:28 in 2011

What did he run in 2012? Other than running second to his teammate, what makes you so sure that he has advanced since his 10,000 victory more than KK has.

On the Woman's side, what has AD done to indicate that she is top ten, much less a favorite for the victory. Conversely, Hasay ran second despite being sick overnight. She clearly had more than she thought she would and moved up from further back in the field. I think that she could be top 5 or better. I am not sure that Regionals will tell, as Oregon does not have to worry too much about qualifying.

NCAApredictor wrote:

NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Top 15 Women

1. Laura Hollander (Fr) Cal Poly

2. Betsy Saina (Sr) Iowa State

3. Alphine Tuliamuk-Bolton (Sr) Wich State

4. Abby D'Agostino (Sr) Darmouth

5. Violah Lagat (Sr) Florida St

6. Sarah Kroll (Jr) Michigan St

7. Jess Enger (?) Oklahoma

8. Kathy Kroeger (?) Stanford

9. Alex McGrath (Sr) William & Mary

10.Emily Lipari (Jr) Villinova

11.Forence Ngetich (Sr) Florida

12 Jordan Hasay (Sr) Oregon

13.Elaine Baloudis (Jr) William & Mary

14.Meaghan Nelson (Sr) Iowa State

15.Cally Macumber (Jr) Kentucky

Abbey is a junior.

I was offering information not a prediction; however, given the fact that Sambu reeled Kithuka in at the Mt Sac 10000m he isn't the one who needs to advance MORE then Kithuka.

Yes Sambu has finished 2nd to the 2011 NCAA X Champion this season; however, they both have crushed fields and CR. Also as Sambu reeled Kithuka in and THEN put distance between himself and Kithuka in the last 1200m of a 10000m race THIS YEAR.

**I haven't really decided what order my top 3 will be but it will be between L. LALANG, S. SAMBU, and K. KITHUKA**

What do you know all three have double initials- LL, KK, and SS (LOL)!

What did he run in 2012? Didn't I post 28:06.16 for the win at Mt Sac this year.