2014 HEPS cross country thread

Ivyguy wrote:

Teams? Defending champ Columbia graduated their 1-2-4 from last year, but with them it seems to be more a matter of reload than rebuild--crazy depth on that team.

Princeton lost last year's front three, but their next four did an outstanding job and some will see the Tigers as the early-book favorite.

I think you'd have to put me down as one of "some." I think it will again be a tight team battle, and I'd love to see my hometown Lions come out on top again, but they're not the only ones with depth. Princeton has quality in quantity.

Thoughts on the women's battle, anyone?

Based upon incoming recruiting classes it seems as though Princeton and Columbia are even further distancing themselves from the rest of the league, Harvard had the next best class by a significant margin. Heps XC has turned into Heps Track - a dual meet or possibly a tri-meet every few years.

CUPUHU wrote:

Based upon incoming recruiting classes it seems as though Princeton and Columbia are even further distancing themselves from the rest of the league, Harvard had the next best class by a significant margin. Heps XC has turned into Heps Track - a dual meet or possibly a tri-meet every few years.

Particularly on the men's side. The women's side has been a bit more variable in recent years, although could Harvard be starting a new dominance in the T&F scene and Dartmouth for the distance scene?

My prediction: XC individual battle will be between Neer (Columbia), Curham (Princeton), and Giordano (Dartmouth).

I haven't been following the recruiting classes though.

C/M Runner wrote:

I haven't been following the recruiting classes though.

Yeah, I haven't either. IIRC a school is allowed only one official announcement of its incoming class, and last year several squads seemed to employ the motto of a swim coach I used to know: "Don't count on a recruit until you see him stepping through the footbaths at the first practice." Some teams were playing very close to their vest.

Cornell obviously had a very good recruiting class last year, but I heard that they actually lost a couple of excellent kids (PVer and thrower) late in the summer--imagine if they'd kept those, too! Anyway, unofficial recruiting classes (from Dyestat or the like) are just that--unofficial--because things can change.

Well, official or unofficial: what's the word on Ivy class of '18 recruits?

Matt Chisholm is coming in for yale and could probably be a good scorer for them, hes more of the mile type but i can see him being a strong 5th man

Here are the women's Heps results from last year:

http://static.psbin.com/i/f/gqxjdt8a3zqcn7/2013_XC_Women.pdf

I won't try scoring the meet but looking at who graduated and didn't I'd say Dartmouth is the favorite to repeat. They would have won last year even without Abbey.

Cornell was hit hard by graduation and might even drop out of the top three. Word around town is that they've got a great class coming in but it seems like that's true of all the Ivy squads these days.

Harvard and Princeton both have a ton of excellent young runners and one of them could give Dartmouth a real run for its money. I have to think they've had their usual recruiting success, too.

For Columbia Neer may be the individual favorite this year but none of their other returners was within a minute of her at Heps last year.

There are so many good teams in the League but I could see Penn making a real run at the top half. Their top four returners were all frosh/sophs last year.

Brown and Yale should be really improved this year with most of their top runners returning. But it's hard to see either of them breaking into the top six.

Will the meet be at Princeton again? Does that look like a long term thing?

Garrett O'Toole, who just recently ran a 4:01 mile, is going to Princeton.

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2014/06/massachusetts-high-schooler-garrett-otoole-runs-u-s-1-401-89-mile-2014-adrian-martinez-classic/

I don't know of anyone else at this time.

Look for Brown to make big gains this season. You heard it here first, gents.

Invisible Walrus wrote:

Look for Brown to make big gains this season. You heard it here first, gents.

No, I think we heard it in the OP...

this thread is has some of the recruiting classes in it.

Harvard

Penn is drastically underrated. They return their entire top 5 from last year and they bring in sub 9 runner Ross Wilson. They also have the steeple champ from Heps, Brendan Smith. With Tommy Awad and few other solid young guns they could contend for Heps title.

I think Penn in 2014 will max out with 3rd in XC. But in 2015 Awad's senior year they will be a legit threat to win the xc title.

also on the track side look for Penn to finish third behind cornell and princeton next year

800, 1500/Mile conversions, Steeple, 5K, 10K scored using only sophomores and freshmen

Scoring using PRs (Penn DOMINATES)

59 Penn

22 Yale

18 Dartmouth

15 Columbia

11 Harvard

10 Princeton

10 Cornell

10 Brown

800 | 10 | 1:49.47 | Penn | SO | Magaha, Drew

800 | 8 | 1:50.04 | Brown | SO | Willig, Ned

800 | 6 | 1:50.16 | Columbia | FR | Napolitano, Rob

800 | 4 | 1:52.52 | Princeton | SO | Brahm, Luke

800 | 2 | 1:53.01 | Columbia | SO | Click, Taylor

800 | 1 | 1:53.19 | Cornell | SO | Crawford, Matt

1500 | 10 | 3:40.89 | Penn | SO | Awad, Thomas

1500 | 8 | 3:43.95 | Dartmouth | SO | Gorman, Tim

1500 | 6 | 3:44.15 | Princeton | FR | Paulson, William

1500 | 4 | 3:45.45 | Harvard | SO | Purnell, Tom

1500 | 2 | 3:45.53 | Brown | SO | Willig, Ned

1500 | 1 | 3:46.75 | Columbia | FR | Napolitano, Rob

3KSteeple | 10 | 8:52.72 | Penn | FR | Tuck, Nick

3KSteeple | 8 | 8:53.42 | Penn | SO | Smith, Brendan

3KSteeple | 6 | 8:55.41 | Cornell | SO | Herr, Connor

3KSteeple | 4 | 8:58.34 | Yale | SO | Tomlin, Duncan

3KSteeple | 2 | 9:09.47 | Dartmouth | SO | Anzvino, Anthony

3KSteeple | 1 | 9:33.37 | Harvard | SO | Surkont, Konrad

5K | 10 | 13:48.90 | Penn | SO | Awad, Thomas

5K | 8 | 13:50.17 | Yale | SO | Dooney, Kevin

5K | 6 | 13:59.42 | Harvard | SO | Purnell, Tom

5K | 4 | 14:08.47 | Dartmouth | SO | King, Curtis

5K | 2 | 14:13.64 | Cornell | SO | Eimstad, Brian

5K | 1 | 14:18.68 | Penn | SO | Smith, Brendan

10K | 10 | 29:10.13 | Yale | SO | Dooney, Kevin

10K | 8 | 29:26.13 | Penn | SO | Awad, Thomas

10K | 6 | 29:35.83 | Columbia | FR | Boyle, Jack

10K | 4 | 29:48.32 | Dartmouth | SO | King, Curtis

10K | 2 | 29:49.04 | Penn | FR | Shearn, Brendan

10K | 1 | 29:59.53 | Cornell | SO | Eimstad, Brian

Cornell announces its incoming women's class--earlier than I expected:

http://cornellbigred.com/news/2014/7/21/WXC_0721145819.aspx?path=wcross

Here's the info they gave for the incoming mid-/distance crew--a mixed bag, looks like:

Anne Charles

Encinitas, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy/College of Arts and Sciences

An accomplished middle distance and cross country athlete, Charles has run 2:14.93 for 800 meters, 4:55.72 for 1600 meters and 18:05 for 5K cross country.

Devinne Cullinane

Hampton, N.H./Deerfield Academy/College of Engineering

Captain of both the cross country and ice hockey teams at Deerfield, Cullinane was third at the NEPSTA cross country meet to lead her team to the team title. Cullinane has run 2:17.27 for 800 meters, 4:46.79 for 1500 meters and 18:22 for 5K cross country.

Mary-Alice Davison

London, England/Westminster School/College of Arts and Sciences

A fine middle distance and cross country runner, Davison comes to the States with personal bests of 4:46.09 for 1500 meters and 10:19 for 3000 meters. She helped her club qualify for the European U20 Club Championships in 2014.

Shannon Hugard

Middletown R.I./Middletown HS/College of Engineering

The Rhode Island state runner-up at 800 meters, Hugard has a personal best of 2:13.55 and is her school's record holder at 1500 meters. A four year varsity letter winner in soccer, Hugard helped her team to the state championship match every year.

Jacqueline Katzman

Albuquerque, N.M./Bosque School/College of Arts and Sciences

A four-time state champion on the track, Katzman won the 2013 New Mexico state cross country title and has a personal best of 4:43.20 for 1500 meters and 18:50 for 5K cross country.

Mackenzie Lemieux

Toronto, Ontario/Humberside Collegiate Institute/College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

The 2011 Junior Girls OFSAA 3000 meter and cross country champion, Lemieux is one of Canada's best, having qualified to represent her country at the NACAC championships. A top cyclist, she has personal bests on the track of 4:40.93 for 1500 and 9:55.60 for 3000 meters.

Gillian McIlroy

Summit, N.J./Summit HS/School of Hotel Administration

A 10-time county champion in cross country and track as well as a five-time sectional champion, McIlroy broke a 32-year-old school record with a time of 10:43.21 for 3200 at the New Jersey Meet of Champions and has also run 4:58.43 for 1600.

Erin McLaughlin

Boulder, Colo./Boulder HS/College of Arts and Sciences

A Colorado state cross country and track qualifier every year during high school, McLaughlin was the state runner-up in cross country as a senior and emerged as one of the very best distance runners in the US as a senior, placing 13th at the USATF junior cross country championships. She has personal bests of 4:40 for 1500, 11:03 for 3200 and 18:03 for 5K cross country.

Kyle Oefelein

Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS/School of Industrial and Labor Relations

An accomplished middle distance runner, Oefelein has run 2:14.83 for 800 meters and is a top cross country runner who helped Woodbridge qualify for the CIF finals as a team two years in a row.

Kirstin Sandreuter

Cumberland, Maine/Greely HS/College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

A many time state champion on the track and in cross country, Sandreuter qualified for the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships as a senior, where she finished 20th. She has personal bests of 5:03.76 for 1600 meters, 10:34.87 for 3200 meters and 17:27.65 for 5000 meters.

Greta Sloan

Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain HS/College of Arts and Sciences

A bright middle distance talent who set school records in five events, Sloan has placed in the state meet on five different occasions and helped her team to a state cross country team title. She has posted personal best of 2:15.01 for 800 meters and has run an impressive 18:30 for 5K in cross country.

Leah Triller

Glenmount, N.Y./Academy of the Holy Names/School of Hotel Administration

The 2014 New York outdoor state champion at 800 meters, Triller also won the 2013 indoor 1000 meter state title in Barton Hall. Possessing great range, she has personal bests of 2:10.96 for 800 meters, 2:52 for 1000 and 4:36 for 1500.

Jessica Wojnicki

Bethel, Conn./Immaculate HS/College of Human Ecology

One of New England's best in cross country and track, Wojnicki won the Connecticut indoor state mile title and was the New England indoor runner-up in the mile in 2013 and in the 2 miles in 2014. She has personal bests of 4:57.42 for 1600 meters and 10:48 for two miles.

With last year's front four all graduated, Cornell may need a real contribution from the rookies if it is to remain in the top three. But with few seniors this year, the team could be solid in 2015.

[FWIW the Big Red seem to have filled some of the gaps in their t&f lineup, with quality additions in the short sprints, throws, jumps, and hurdles.]

(Mens competition)

Teams:

1. Princeton

2. Dartmouth

3. Columbia

4. Penn

5. Harvard

6. Yale

7. Cornell

8. Brown

Individuals:

1. Awad

2. Everett

3. Purnell

4. Dooney

5. Gorman

6. Pons

7. McDonald

8. King

9. Boyle

10. Eimstad

As usual, I give props to anyone who makes specific predictions. I rarely have that level of moxie.

I'm not as familiar with individuals as I probably should be, but I'd have to say those team picks look right. I could see Cornell, which massively underperformed at last year's Heps, moving up a spot (even two), but if I *had* to pick a list, I'd go with yours.

Granted, a lot can happen in the next 14 weeks...

I tried to do a "fun." style analysis of ranking the women's returners to get a sense of what the cross country season might look like. But with women's running it seemed to make more sense to just look at 2014 track seasonal bests and not personal bests. I also did not score the 800 as it seems that less women's 800 stars make a difference at 6K than they used to at 5K.

Would agree that the Princeton women are a team to watch out for (this is obvious if you watched spring track), with a lot of young talent. Also seems that Cornell's depth and good spring seasons would indicate a better team for this fall than "Ithacan" assumed based on their 2013 xc lineup, which had a lot of seniors. Harvard and Columbia will certainly be good again with top people up-front. There could be several teams in the mix based on the spring track seasons.

Below are 1500/3K/5K/10K/steeple from 2014 taking out seniors. I tried to do some sort of scoring (questionable) at the bottom

1500

1 Renfer, Molly JR-3 Harvard 4:18.78

2 Giordano, Dana SO-2 Dartmouth 4:20.07

3 Veidis, Erika JR-3 Harvard 4:21.05

4 Sadler, Olivia SO-2 Columbia 4:22.55

5 Gillespie, Sarah FR-1 Harvard 4:23.32

6 Markowitz, Elizabeth SO-2 Dartmouth 4:24.08

7 Montgomery, Ashley FR-1 Penn 4:24.71

8 Foland, Aryn JR-3 Columbia 4:25.02

9 Bird, Elizabeth FR-1 Princeton 4:27.27

10 Curham, Megan FR-1 Princeton 4:28.74

11 DeVoe, Claire SO-2 Cornell 4:29.19

12 Niedrach, Kristen SO-2 Cornell 4:29.39

3000

1 Curham, Megan FR-1 Princeton 09:20.7

2 Giordano, Dana SO-2 Dartmouth 09:22.3

3 Neer, Waverly JR-3 Columbia 09:23.5

4 Whiting, Cleo FR-1 Penn 09:29.4

5 Kellner, Caroline SO-2 Cornell 09:32.6

6 Fluehr, Kathryn SO-2 Princeton 09:33.3

7 Gensib, Elyssa SO-2 Penn 09:35.8

8 Rustami, Henna FR-1 Columbia 09:36.9

9 Delozier, Sarah JR-3 Dartmouth 09:37.0

10 Foland, Aryn JR-3 Columbia 09:45.1

11 DeVoe, Claire SO-2 Cornell 09:45.7

12 Harrington, Lily SO-2 Brown 09:46.5

5000

1 Neer, Waverly JR-3 Columbia 15:37.9

2 Giordano, Dana SO-2 Dartmouth 15:54.0

3 Curham, Megan FR-1 Princeton 16:00.7

4 Kellner, Caroline SO-2 Cornell 16:23.3

5 Watson, Reid SO-2 Dartmouth 16:31.7

6 Fluehr, Kathryn SO-2 Princeton 16:32.1

7 Whiting, Cleo FR-1 Penn 16:32.3

8 Harrington, Lily SO-2 Brown 16:35.7

9 McDonald, Elizabeth SO-2 Yale 16:36.0

10 Szpak, Maggi SO-2 Cornell 16:36.5

11 Hanley, Viviana JR-3 Harvard 16:38.2

12 Rustami, Henna FR-1 Columbia 16:43.2

10K

1 Curham, Megan FR-1 Princeton 33:24.8

2 Kellner, Caroline SO-2 Cornell 34:21.9

3 Szpak, Maggi SO-2 Cornell 34:40.8

4 Hanley, Viviana JR-3 Harvard 34:44.5

5 Stark, Emily SO-2 Yale 34:51.6

6 Whiting, Cleo FR-1 Penn 35:55.0

7 Fluehr, Kathryn SO-2 Princeton 36:02.5

8 Pham, Claudia JR-3 Dartmouth 36:23.0

9 Alvarez, Alaina JR-3 Harvard 36:32.9

10 Thornburg, Whitney JR-3 Harvard 37:10.9

11 Herman, Ann JR-3 Cornell 37:44.8

12 Demaree, Anna JR-3 Yale 38:15.4

Steeple

1 Bird, Elizabeth FR-1 Princeton 10:13.2

2 Delozier, Sarah JR-3 Dartmouth 10:16.4

3 Garry, Kira JR-3 Yale 10:17.5

4 DeVoe, Claire SO-2 Cornell 10:26.1

5 Mantilla, Leila JR-3 Columbia 10:31.8

6 Dowe, Corey JR-3 Cornell 10:33.4

7 Kouba, Paige SO-2 Harvard 10:34.2

8 Tozser, Bori JR-3 Cornell 10:39.0

9 Eickhoff, Leah JR-3 Brown 10:39.2

10 Bennett, Sarah SO-2 Dartmouth 10:41.8

11 Darlington, Amy SO-2 Penn 11:00.8

12 Rizzo, Meredith FR-1 Yale 11:09.0

I did like "fun." and scored places 1-6 as at a track heps although not sure what this predicts for xc. In parentheses next to the point total is the total number of individual women from each school that are a top 12 returner on this list.

Princeton - 38 points track style (3 different women on these top 12 lists...not counting duplicates)

Dartmouth - 35 points (6)

Cornell- 25 points (7)

Harvard - 22 points (7)

Columbia - 22 points (5)

Yale - 8 points (5)

Penn - 5 points (4)

Brown - 0 points (2)

In the end? I think we are looking at the same top five teams from last year. Freshmen make a bigger difference on the women's side, although not as much as in the past. Not sure if that is because of 6K or better development of women's runners.

good to see someone looking at the women's side.

not sure I buy the track style analysis for a cross country prediction thread.

common sense says that a team like dartmouth will be a clear favorite on the women's side. they won easily last year and return a strong group. freshmen and injuries will make a larger difference on the women's side than the men's. those would be key to look at.

this track style analysis would say there are four or five schools in play on the women's side. based on last season's results in cross country, it would appear that not much has changed.

thanks for jumping in to look at this even if I'm not sure that it means a whole lot.