NCAA XC Countdown #6: BYU Men and Oregon Women

Aug 27, 2013 by Isaac Wood

For the next few weeks, 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. Feel free to follow him on Twitter, too.

View the full NCAA Top 31 Countdown HERE.

BYU

Head Coach: Ed Eyestone (14th Season)

2012 National Finish- 6th

Key Returners from 2012

Tylor Thatcher (Sr., 13:45 5k, 28:59 10k)
Tommy Gruenewald (Sr., 4:04 Mile, 8:07 Open 3k, 13:54 5k)
Curtis Carr (Sr., 14:20 5k, 8:40 3k Steeple)
Jason Witt (Sr., 4:05 Mile, 8:16 Open 3k, 13:58 5k)
Steve Flint (Jr., 8:12 Open 3k, 13:57 5k, 8:46 3k Steeple)
Taylor Farnsworth (Sr., 8:09 Open 3k, 14:21 5k, 29:33 10k)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

Jon Nelson (So., Off Mission- 14:20 5k)
Korey Krotzer (Fr., From Oklahoma State-4:09 1600m, 9:01 3200m)

Season Preview

After a podium finish in 2011, BYU followed up with a solid 6th place finish at NCAAs in 2012 and was a little bit disappointed by it. Many things went wrong that day for BYU and a injuries and health issues played key factors in their bid for back to back podium spots. 2013, things are looking a little bit different for the Cougars. Jared Ward lost a season of cross country and just training through cross, preparing for the 2014 track seasons. So that means the mantle of leadership goes to Tylor Thatcher, Tommy Gruenewald and Jason Witt.

Losing Jared Ward really hurts BYU. He is the heart and soul of that team. The good news is that BYU was so deep last year, that that depth is still helping push through many quality runners up to the front of the BYU pack.

Tylor Thatcher is the top guy returning from 2012. Thatcher finished the xc season in Louisville with a 34th place finish and All-American honors. Thatcher is a workhorse and a metronome at practice, and he does a great job of doing the little things that make you better. Coming from a 4:20 and 9:20 high school kid to 13:45 and 28:59, he still has upside and a legitimate shot to be top-20 individually at NCAAs this year.

Tommy Gruenewald is starting to figure things out again after coming off a church mission in early 2012. Many of you will remember him from many years ago where he qualified for NXN and Foot Locker every year since a sophomore in high school. His talent is still there and his 13:53 5k PR this outdoor season is proof of that. He has all of the tools to be All-American and if he stays healthy and motivated he should get that done.

BYU boasts two very good 3k Steeple guys that should factor in the pack in 2013. Curtis Carr surprised much of the country this past spring with his 4th place finish at NCAA Outdoors in the 3k Steeplechase. His 8:40 PR is no joke and he is as solid as they come in cross country. Carr is very consistent and provides stability to the Cougar top five.

Steve Flint is the other quality steepler for the Cougs. Flint boasts a much better 5k PR than Carr, having run 13:57 and has one of the best kicks in the NCAA. Flint was the no. 5 man for BYU at NCAA XC last year and should be a very good no. 3-4 runner for them this year.

Jason Witt was the no. 5 man for BYU during their podium finish in 2011 and if he has the summer he was hoping for, he is another guy capable of All-American. Witt has a solid 5k PR of 13:58, and is looking to make up for his second to last finish at NCAA XC in 2012.

Taylor Farnsworth is a former prep standout who was 13th at FL Finals in 2006. He finally came around toward the end of the track season this past spring where he won his heat of the 10k at Mt. Sac and ran 29:33. If he can stay healthy, he is a solid pack guy that will be pushing the top five all season.

The wildcard for the Cougars is Jon Nelson. With a year under his belt post-church mission service, Nelson is fit and very talented. He redshirted track, but ran all of the workouts right with Gruenewald and Witt and is capable of at least a top-60 finish at NCAAs, granted he stays healthy. Also, Korey Krotzer, who spent a year at Oklahoma State, has recently transferred to BYU and will be fighting for a top seven spot amongst all the guys mentioned above.

Coach Eyestone is one of the most consistent coaches in the NCAA at getting his team to the NCAA championships. BYU has a shot once again at a podium finish and if things come together for Coach Eyestone and the Cougars, even without Jared Ward, this will be a very good team come Terre Haute in November.

Oregon

Head Coach: Andy Powell (9th Season)

2012 National Finish- 1st

Key Returners from 2012

Allie Woodward (So, 16:17 5k, 32:56 10k)
Annie Leblanc (So., 2:06 800m, 4:17 1500m)
Megan Patrignelli (Jr., 4:21 1500m, 10:09 3k Steeple)
Molly Grabill (So., 16:38 5k, 4:49 1600m (HS), 10:19 3200m (HS) )
Sarah Penney (Sr., 4:21 1500m, 9:51 Open 3k, 16:41 5k)
Abbey Leonardi (So., no. 7 runner in 2012, 9:47 Open 3k)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

Lindsay Crevoiserat (From UCONN, 9:09 Open 3k, 15:58 5k, 42nd NCAA XC '12)
Alli Cash (Fr., 4:45 1600m, 10:32 3200m, 40th NXN '11)
Therese Haiss (Fr., 4:50 1600m, 10:37 3200m)
Nikki Hiltz (Fr., 4:42 1600m, 10:48 3200m, 17th FL Finals '11)
Kelly O'Neill (Fr., 4:37 1500m, 10:14 Open 3k)
Maggie Schmaedick (Fr., 4:35 1500m, 9:43 Open 3k)
Mel Newberry (From Princeton, 9:34 Open 3k, 16:35 5k, 10:18 3k Steeple)

Season Preview

Four of the seven athletes that made up the national championship winning team of 2012 have graduated. At most schools that would mean the next year would be a major rebuilding year. Let's get real, this is Oregon, there is no rebuilding year, it's more of an extreme makeover, cross country edition. Coaches Andy and Maurica Powell have brought in a very good recruiting class and have some key transfers along with quality girls who are ready to fill the shoes of their predecessors in 2013.

In 2012, Oregon was basically unbeatable (except for a loss to Florida State at Pre-Nats). Jordan Hasay and Alexi Pappas led the Ducks in every race and their loss will definitely hurt Oregon.

Allie Woodward is coming off of an amazing freshman campaign in 2012. Along side her 44th finish at NCAAs XC, she also proved her chops on the track running 16:17 and 32:56. Those are some outstanding feats for a freshman. Not to mention finishing 5th in the NCAA Outdoor 10000m. Now with a year of consistent top-level NCAA running under her belt, she is going to be one to watch for in 2013.

Annie Leblanc is the other returner, besides Woodward, from 2012s National Championship winning team. Leblanc was also big time as a freshman last season where she finished 68th individually and helped secure the title for the Ducks. She too had a solid track season running 4:17 for 1500m. Leblanc is a good example of a middle-distance type girl that can step up and run 6k.

The third returning freshman from 2012 whose name also starts with the letter "A," is Abbey Leonardi. Although she was not nearly as successful as her freshman teammates in 2012, Leonardi was still a crucial part to the national championship winning team. Leonardi was an outstanding high school athlete (4th FL Finals '11) and the experience she gained last season as a freshman will be huge for her confidence going into her sophomore season.

Molly Grabill was awesome her freshman year for Oregon in 2011 where she was the no. 5 scorer for the majority of the season. Now coming off of a redshirt year, Grabill should be fit and ready to roll with her fellow sophomores and lead the Ducks in 2013.

Sarah Penney and Megan Patrignelli are both capable cross country runners that had good track seasons this past spring. These two will be able to provide some veteran leadership to a very, very young Oregon team.

What makes Oregon so scary is that the preview has not even reached the incoming recruits and transfers for the season that approaches. With an underrated recruiting class and some key transfers, many of these girls are instant offense for Oregon.

The biggest transfer for the Ducks is Lindsay Crevoiserat, from Connecticut. Crevoiserat has the best track PRs of the bunch and has the highest national finish individually than any girl on the team. Crevoiserat is a tough runner that is perfectly suited for 6k. her 9:09 3k PR and 15:58 5k PR are top notch and after a redshirt outdoor season this spring, she should be fit and ready for an All-American bid in 2013.

The incoming freshman for Oregon that will play key roles are Nikki Hiltz and Alli Cash. These girls both had injury-plagued high school careers taking away much of their senior year, so their PRs listed above come from their junior years. That being the case, their upside is very high. Hiltz and Cash both have very quality track PRs and proven abilities in cross country. These girls should figure into the Oregon top seven at some point during the season.

Even with the blow of some of the biggest names in Oregon history gone, the Ducks have reloaded for 2013. The youth of this team, combined with the unreal talent, is what is so scary about Oregon this year. Crevoiserat, Woodward, Leblanc, Leonardi, and Grabill are all very young, but very good. Those five alone are capable of All-American on any given day. Oregon is back, and they are a serious contender for a podium spot at NCAAs in Terre Haute this year, if not a repeat title.