The 2014 cross country season is the year of the duos. Several individuals from our Saucony Flo50 are also from the top-ranked squads. What makes their ranking more special, though, is the fact that these top runners have a teammate ranked not too far in front, or behind them. We’re breaking down the top duos in NCAA cross country - the pairs that we feel could be top 10 or 15 in their respective races. 

The Obvious: Edward Cheserek/Eric Jenkins, Oregon
#1 Edward Cheserek is the reigning NCAA champion, but the Ducks missed the podium by seven points last year, finishing fifth. With their fifth scorer from 2013 amassing 120 points, the Ducks hit the jackpot with Northeastern transfer #3 Eric Jenkins. A healthy Jenkins has made an immediate impact with Cheserek, going 1-2 at Boston and the Pac-12 Championships, and 1-3 at Pre-Nats. Because he hadn’t competed in cross country since 2011, we ranked Jenkins much lower in the early portion of the season. After proving that he is a cross country stud, he and Ches are clear as day the best duo in the NCAA.

The Tireless: Futsum Zienasellassie/Matt McEleroy, Northern Arizona
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks narrowly finished second in the team race in 2013, and that has certainly been on their minds during the 2014 season. #7 Futsum Zienasellassie and #13 Matt McElroy have been working together to remind us that they’re here again and they’re not giving up without a fight. Zienasellassie was fourth in 2013 and has been a solid front for NAU. The duo went 1-4 at Washington, 2-5 at Wisconsin, and 1-2 at the Big Sky Conference. With a team title most likely going to Colorado, the Lumberjacks persistence will show through Zienasellassie and McElroy’s efforts.

The Unpredictable: Maksim Korolev/Joe Rosa, Stanford
Our third twosome is hard to read. Stanford studs #10 Maksim Korolev (third in 2013) and #4 Joe Rosa (Most recently 7th in the NCAA outdoor 5k) seem as predictable as any two talented runners on the same team. But that hasn’t been the case. After the duo swept their home invite (holding hands no less), Korolev took home the win at Wisconsin, with Rosa falling back to 8th place. Then, at the Pac-12 Championships, Rosa finished third with Korolev ninth. This is their first (and only) year as teammates, and it seems that when one falls down, the other makes up for it. If these two can both throw down in Terre Haute, they’ll be top-10 finishers.

The Unstoppable: Crystal Nelson/Katie Moen, Iowa State
The Cyclone women are returning to their dominance days, back when Lisa Uhl and Betsy Saina were at the top of the nations' lists. And they have #2 Crystal Nelson and #12 Katie Moen to thank for that. Nelson and Moen have been the top duo of 2014, the female counterpart to Oregon’s Ches and Jenkins. They went 3-4 at Roy Griak, 1-5 at Wisconsin and 1-2 at the Big 12 Championships. Their improvements from 2013 (where Nelson was 32nd and Moen was 77th) are worth getting excited about. With Nelson a frontrunner for the NCAA title, Moen is right on her heels, and we could see two Cyclones in the top five.

The Raw Talent: Rachele Schulist/Leah O’Connor, Michigan State
What’s special about this duo is how interchangeable they are. Oh, and the fact that their team is poised to win an NCAA title. That’s cool, too. #8 Rachele Schulist and #9 Leah O’Connor are raw Michigan talents. O’Connor has risen to steeple stardom, while Schulist is coming into her own as a top cross country/5k runner. Schulist has led three races (1st at Dillinger, 5th at Roy Griak, and 2nd at Wisconsin) and O’Connor two (1st at Spartan Invite and 1st at the Big Ten Championships). Each time one leads, the other closely follows. You’ll find countless race photos of these two tall, blonde talents running side by side.

The Southern Soldiers: Dominique Scott/Grace Heymsfield, Arkansas
The rich history of Arkansas distance runners explains how this duo rose to the top. #10 Dominique Scott hails from South Africa, while #13 Grace Heymsfield was the first Arkansas high schooler to break 5:00 in the mile. Together, they were members of the NCAA Championship DMR last March and they’ve put the Razorbacks in a position to contend for a podium spot in Terre Haute. After recording blazing fast times at their Chile Pepper Invite (Scott in 16:01 and Heymsfield 16:12 for 5k), they went 8-10 at Wisconsin and 1-2 at the SEC Conference Championships. If Heymsfield continues to stay close to Scott, she’ll improve upon her 102nd finish at last year’s championships by a large margin and solidify that this duo is the real deal.