NCAA XC Countdown #22: Auburn Men and Vanderbilt Women

Aug 1, 2013 by Isaac Wood

For the next month, The Wood Report will be counting down projected team finishes in this year's NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, IN. Make sure to stay up-to-date with The Wood Report throughout the season. You should follow him on Twitter, too.

View the full NCAA Top 31 Countdown HERE.

#22

Auburn Men

Head Coach: Mark Carroll (5th Season)

2012 National Finish- N/A

Key Returners from 2012

Niklas Buhner (Sr., 3:45 1500m, 8:02 Open 3k, 14:07 5k)
Kane Grimster (Jr., 3:45 1500m, 8:14 Open 3k)
Samuel Mueller (Sr., 14:29 5k, 29:49 10k)
Griffin Jaworski (Jr., 14:16 5k, 30:11 10k)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

Ty McCormack (Jr., From Clemson, 3:45 1500m, 13:52 5k, 8:50 3k Steeple)

Season Preview

After a few years building the foundation of a national qualifying team, it appears as if Coach Mark Carroll has finally done it. Carroll is an accomplished coach and is proving his ability to recruit and develop with the solid team that Auburn brings back for 2013.

Auburn's Men's Cross Country team has not been relevant since 2009 and if it is going to be this year it is going to rely on veteran athletes that must stay healthy in order for the team to reach its potential and qualify for NCAAs.

The Tigers are led by no. 1 man from 2012 Niklas Buhner, whose ability to translate his great track ability to the xc course is something he must teach to his teammates in 2013. Buhner had a good cross season in '12 and ran well on the track. As the man with the most quality cross country experience on the squad, he must rise up and lead this team as its lowest point scorer.

Kane Grimster is a good track guy with excellent wheels (3:45 1500m PR). It will be essential that Grimster has a good summer, stays healthy, and really puts in the miles to be able to lengthen his range and be a contributor in cross country. His talent level is there, he only needs to prove that he can do it in an actual race.

Samuel Mueller seems like the one true cross country guy on Auburn's squad and will be counted on to push the pace up front with Buhner. Mueller had a very good track season with a nice 10k PR of 29:49. Mueller finished 5th at the SECs 10k and will need to play a significant role in Auburn's return to NCAAs.

Griffin Jaworski and Francisco Hernandez are both capable xc runners and anything that they can do to help keep the spread close will be much needed.

The final piece to the puzzle that will help Auburn make NCAAs is the Clemson transfer Ty McCormack. McCormack is one of the most up-and-coming Steeple guys in the country. He has the ability to run 3:45 for 1500m and 13:52 for 5k. This track ability must translate to the cross country course. McCormack should be competing with Buhner for the no.1 spot and to be honest if he is not the low-stick for the Tigers, they will have a hard time making it out of the regional.

Unfortunately for Auburn is that the South Region is generally not as deep as some of the other regions in the NCAA, but this year it is. Florida, Florida State, and Georgia are all very quality programs that should make the meet. With this being said, the Tigers have an excellent 1-5 and if they can stay injury-free throughout the 2013 season, they will be punching their ticket to Terre Haute.

#22

Vanderbilt Women

Head Coach: Steve Keith (8th Season)

2012 National Finish- 27th

Key Returners from 2012

Hannah Jumper (So., 4:24 1500m, 9:40 Open 3k, 17:14 5k)
Liz Anderson (Sr., 9:24 Open 3k, 16:19 5k, 33:51 10k)
Amira Joseph (So., 9:54 Open 3k, 17:13 5k, 10:43 3k Steeple)
Grace Orders (Jr., 9:46 Open 3k, 16:48 5k, 34:48 10k)
Sara Barron (So., 4:20 1500m)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

Carmen Carlos (Fr., 4:48 1600m, 10:15 3200m, 12th at FL Finals)
Reagan Anderson (Fr., 4:44 mile, 10:40 3200m, 4 X NXN Qualifier: 23rd '11 )
Courtney Kriegshauser (Fr., 4:49 1500m, 17:08 5k, 10:39 3200m, 3 X NXN Qualifier)
Lily Anderson (Redshirt Frosh., 4:22 1500m, 9:45 Open 3k, FL Finalist)

Season Preview

If Coach Steve Keith was not set up enough for a great 2013 season with all of the quality women he brings back, he definitely sealed the deal by signing the best recruiting class in Vanderbilt history. After going to NCAAs back-to-back years the Commodores will be back again, and here is why.

Hannah Jumper, the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2012 is returning with a year of experience under her belt. Jumper had a good track season following up a great cross season with nice runs of 4:24 for 1500m and 9:40 in the open 3k. Some athletes are just better in cross than they are on the track, and Jumper seems to fit that definition to a "t." Her ability to run well when it counts and one year past being a rookie, she is ready to lead this team as the low-stick for Vandy in 2013.

If anyone is to challenge her upfront for the no. 1 spot it is going to be Liz Anderson. Anderson is a very good track girl who had a breakout outdoor season with PRs of 16:19 in the 5k (10 second PR) and 33:51 in the 10k which helped her make NCAAs where she placed 14th overall at the same distance. If Anderson can carry her strong momentum from track and translate her ability running in circles to running even faster on the grass (she is already a good xc runner) she will make this team even better than they already are going to be and will push Jumper up front.

The 'Dores also return important veteran athletes such as: Amira Joseph, Grace Orders and Sara Barron, who are all capable of running in Vandy's top five on any given race.

To go along with an already very good team on paper returning from 2012, Vanderbilt has brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Carmen Carlos is a very good track girl who is also has some good range with PRs of 4:48 and 10:15. Carlos was 12th at the Foot Locker finals (and every coach wants to say they signed someone who placed well at that meet).

Reagan Anderson was a part of one of the best high school teams in the country year after year from Delaware (Wilmington). Anderson qualified for NXN Nationals with her team all four of her high school years. This kind of high level experience will benefit her greatly as she makes the switch from good high school teams to good college teams. She also boasts top notch track PRs: 4:42 1500m and 10:40 3200m. Anderson is the kind of girl that can step up and run with the front pack off the bat and could find her self in the no.3-4 spot by the end of the season.

This could stop right here and one would be impressed with how good this class is, but it just keeps going. Courtney Kriegshauser of Southlake Carroll, Texas is another girl who has had very quality high school cross country running experience and this will bulk up the already deep Commodore squad. Kriegshauser, like Anderson, has been a member of one of the perennial powers in the country and along with her ability to race well on the track will make her even that much more valuable.

An athlete that ran track for Vandy, but redshirted cross is Lily Williams. Lily is coming off of an amazing freshman year of track where she ran very good PRs of 4:22 1500m and 9:45 for the open 3k. With her also being a Footlocker Finalist (Vanderbilt does not have enough of them) she also has experience running xc at a high level and is just one more girl to throw in the mix of a possible to five.

Is there anymore that needs to be said? The only question mark lies in the newcomer learning curve. If these freshman can step up right off the bat and contribute, this #22 ranking is way off and appalling to be honest. The biggest thing though, is that these girls need to actually prove it in a race that they can run at this level. Once they do, this is a top 10 team. The South Region teams better keep an eye out on Vanderbilt, because they are for real.