With the best runner in the country returning for his sophomore campaign, there hasn’t been a lot of debate about who will win the race at NCAA XC. Edward Cheserek won four national titles during his freshman year, and will be heavily favored in Terre Haute come November 22nd. The question this season has never been who will get first at NCAAs, so we’re more interested in the battle for second behind King Ches. There are quite a few candidates for the silver medal spot according to our rankings, and some top-10 finishers from a year ago have already impressed in 2014. One could argue the case for upwards of ten different individuals, but we’ve selected five men who we believe have a shot to place second at NCAAs. These men are either returning after outstanding performances at last year’s race, or they have been so impressive early this season that they cannot be denied. While we will learn a lot more after the Wisco/Pre-nats weekend, these five make the most sense based off past performances. 

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Maksim Korolev: Even after dealing with injuries in a less than stellar track season, the newest Stanford Cardinal has picked up right where he left off after last cross country season. Korolev finished 3rd at NCAAs last season, and looked really strong going stride for stride with Joe Rosa at the Stanford Invite two weekends ago. He has a strong argument for second this year considering the talented squad he gets to train with everyday in Palo Alto. That should only make him better. 

Joe Rosa: Despite missing the 2013 XC season, Joe Rosa had an outstanding track season that culminated in him running 13:31 at the NCAA outdoor 5k. Only one-half of the Rosas have run so far this season, but Joe looks just as solid as his brother after winning with ease at the Stanford Invite. Joe doesn’t have the top-5 experience that Jim or Maksim have, however, and that could be a factor in the latter stages of a cold 10k in November. 

Patrick Tiernan: While the Colorado men stole the headlines with their assault on the record books last weekend, Patrick Tiernan of Villanova turned some heads with his dominating victory over NAU’s best at the UW Invitational. Tiernan quietly took 9th at NCAAs as a freshman, and ho hum, ran 13:31 on the track this spring. Stanford and Colorado have stolen the spotlight so far this season, but Tiernan looks fit right now, and could prove especially dangerous if the course at NCAAs runs fast. 

Jim Rosa: We have yet to see Jim on the grass in 2014, but his 5th place finish from a year ago, as well as his sixth place showing in the 10k outdoors suggests that he will be just fine. We’re excited to see Stanford’s Big Three all roll together at Wisco, and expect Jim to be up in the mix for the win. With no early season races to speak of, a rested Rosa could prove to be a scary thing at nationals. 

Futsum Zienasellassie: Although Futsum finished fourth at NCAAs a year ago, we were hard-pressed to consider him among the favorites this year after his sub-par track season due to injury. However, after his solid showing at UW, we’re starting to come around on the idea that Futsum is not to be overlooked. If Zienasellassie finishes in the top three at Wisco next weekend, consider us believers. 

So who is going to finish second to Mr. Cheserek in November? It’s anyone’s guess, and one thing we’ve learned is to expect the unexpected in Terre Haute. Last year, Kennedy Kithuka was the overwhelming individual favorite, and look what happened there. Cheserek will feel the pressure of being the favorite, and if he can’t handle the heat, these five will be ready to swallow him up.