The New SOCON Thread

I'm hearing a super conference merger with the Big South and CAA...

Lol yeah seriously dude.

Also, APP IS NOT GOOD!!!

Way to get dismantled in your second to last conference ever.

Is it xc season yet?

Aside from Chelimo, nobody is doing anything from the SOCON except maybe squeezing not the 10k and getting killed at regionals.

Early predictions

1 UNCG - 2 more Kenyans on the way for their last year with Chelimo will have them winning easily.

2 APP - will rally in Curcio's last stand

3 FURMAN - too many freshman counted on.

4 Davidson - some good track times by returners, but they lose key seniors

5 Chatt - return most of team from last year

Paul Katam was 9th in the 10k last year...

Thoughts about the outdoor conference meet?

Katam just finished 2nd in the 10k at Nats. Pretty Solid

Lets get some xc predictions!

I think it should be a dog fight for first (especially if UNCG gets more foreigners)

I think UNCG and Furman are the obvious contenders, but don't forget about Chatt.

Chelimo and Katam will be 1st and 2nd, but look for a wave of 5 Furman guys to be battling for the next 6-8 spots overall. Doing a little research on their site and their class is solid (2x FL guy, a 14:34 guy, a 9:01/4:15 guy, and a 4:07/9:07 guy) plus Hurt returns who was a top 10 guy last year, don't know if they have what it takes to knock off UNCG but I predict a close second, with Chatt a close 3rd.

Too many Freshman for Furman to challenge. UNCG has 2 more serious Kenyans to add to as good a 1-2 punch in the entire country, much less the lowly SOCON.

Anybody else think Watts over at Middle Tennessee will be the next powerhouse (App State dominance?)

police it reals wrote:

Too many Freshman for Furman to challenge. UNCG has 2 more serious Kenyans to add to as good a 1-2 punch in the entire country, much less the lowly SOCON.

Anybody else think Watts over at Middle Tennessee will be the next powerhouse (App State dominance?)

You think Watts will get better recruits than Firman is getting? You are crazy. If they go out and continue to keep adding these kind of athletes the SOCON will become a no contest meet with them just walking through the conference.

Winning SoCon this year will be very difficult for anyone not wearing a UNCG jersey. Furman will be very freshman heavy, but will be the dominant force down the road. Money talks.

Not sure what impact Watts will have on Middle Tennessee, considering he coaches at ETSU, and not sure what relevance Middle Tennessee has on this board considering they aren't in the Socon.

Nobody thinks that UNCG losing their coach this summer will have a negative impact on them? Will their new Kenyans still come now that he's gone?

I'm old enough to remember how bad that team was before he got there and I have to wonder if they can keep it up now that he's gone. Chelimo and Katam are going to be great but I'm interested to see how things shake out for that team with new leadership. Will the Kenyan pipeline dry up?

things that change wrote:

Nobody thinks that UNCG losing their coach this summer will have a negative impact on them? Will their new Kenyans still come now that he's gone?

I'm old enough to remember how bad that team was before he got there and I have to wonder if they can keep it up now that he's gone. Chelimo and Katam are going to be great but I'm interested to see how things shake out for that team with new leadership. Will the Kenyan pipeline dry up?

Assuming the new head coach knows how to use mapquest or invests in a smart phone, just getting these Kenyand to the meet on time is about it. Chelimo and Katan are a a minute faster over 8k/10k and have heard the 2 incoming freshman that are confirmed still coming are in between the 2.

They will win SOCON on a training run.

I will go out on a limb and say that after this upcoming year I don't think Davidson will be much of a factor in the Southern Conference for at least a few years.

bold predicts wrote:

Doing a little research on their site and their class is solid (2x FL guy, a 14:34 guy, a 9:01/4:15 guy, and a 4:07/9:07 guy) plus Hurt returns who was a top 10 guy last year, don't know if they have what it takes to knock off UNCG but I predict a close second, with Chatt a close 3rd.

You can add a 1:51/4:06/8:51 guy to Furman's stats because they have just picked up Brock Baker as well!!!

Yea Brock Baker makes this class up there with Oregon and Stanford for best recruiting classes this year

Guys are good, but not that good. Plenty of the usual suspects get classes just as good every year. Sure looks like it couldn't have gone much better, but still can't get one of the best guys in country (Lanang, Ches, Montoya - level).

slow down please wrote:Guys are good, but not that good. Plenty of the usual suspects get classes just as good every year. Sure looks like it couldn't have gone much better, but still can't get one of the best guys in country (Lanang, Ches, Montoya - level).

You are correct sir. They didn't get Lanang, Ches, Montoya. These guys are once in a decade types of high school runners. But those guys are attending colleges, with coaches that have proven "track" records.

Give Gary time, he will have solid teams for years to come. You can recruit very well when you have a class as good as this year class is.

Slow on but great wrote:

Is it xc season yet?

Aside from Chelimo, nobody is doing anything from the SOCON except maybe squeezing not the 10k and getting killed at regionals.

Early predictions

1 UNCG - 2 more Kenyans on the way for their last year with Chelimo will have them winning easily.

2 APP - will rally in Curcio's last stand

3 FURMAN - too many freshman counted on.

4 Davidson - some good track times by returners, but they lose key seniors

5 Chatt - return most of team from last year

I disagree.

1. Furman

2. Uncg

3. Chatt

4. App- will leave the conference with a whimper

Now that wofford no longer has the likes of maverkick harris and russell baker no longer own the socon bradley "the man" gossett is going to run the show. He's had a great summer of training doing upwards of 100 miles per week and for cross training he was riding the red river at least once a week.