The NCAA DII Championships are this Saturday in Louisville, KY. The defending champions Adams State will go for their sixth national title in the last seven years, and the individual battle will feature the reigning 3kST, 5k, and 10k champions from the NCAA outdoor meet. Here's our preview:

TEAM PREVIEW

1. Adams State- The Grizzlies have won five of the last six cross country titles, and will rely heavily on defending champion Tabor Stevens and fellow All-American Kevin Batt to capture their their third straight title. Stevens and Batt are undoubtably the top 1-2 punch in D2, as they combined to win four individual titles last year in cross country and track. These two give Coach Damon Martin’s team a huge edge with the potential to finish back-to-back on Saturday, but the team from Alamosa, Co. will need solid performances out of their 3-5 in order to secure the coveted trophy in Louisville. 

The Grizzlies got a scare from in-state rival Colorado Mines at the South Central region two weeks ago, and much of that was due to the Orediggers' ability to put their top three in front of Adams State’s #3. Matthew Daniels and Jack Espeset will be crucial to Adams’ chances at NCAAs as they need to pick up the slack for a team that lacks a reliable #5. At regionals, Daniels and Espeset both finished behind Mines #3 Nathanel Williams, and those places could prove vital come Saturday. The Grizzlies have greatly missed last year’s 18th place finisher Kyle Masterson of late, and will be biting their nails as they wait for their 5th man to cross the line in Louisville. 

2. Grand Valley State- The Lakers made easy work of the Midwest region two weeks ago, scoring a measly 43 points to dismantle previous #2 Southern Indiana by a whopping 58 points. The #2 Lakers biggest strength is their depth, as all seven runners earned All-Region honors, led by All-American Alan Peterson. Peterson was 2nd in the Midwest region, and is poised for a big improvement from his 16th place showing at NCAAs a year ago. A top ten finish from Peterson would be huge for GVSU, as they will look to use a tight pack behind Peterson to upend the Adams State dynasty. The Lakers 2-5 spread was a meager 11 seconds at regionals, and they could steal an NCAA title by replicating that gap on Saturday. Grand Valley doesn’t have two guaranteed top 5 guys like Adams State, but unlike the Grizzlies they have a guarenteed fifth man. Bryce Bradley was the Lakers’ #5 at regionals, but he was #3 at the GLIAC Championships. The Lakers have the depth to upset Adams State, and they will provide their best punch with a tight pack that cannot be matched by the Grizzlies. 

3. Colorado Mines- #3 Colorado Mines has come very close to beating Adams’ twice in 2014. At the RMAC Championships, the Orediggers came up just five points short, and moved the needle even closer with their 38-41 loss to the #1 Grizzlies at regionals. In both races, Stevens and Batt of ASU have gone 1-2 to thwart any potential upset. Could the ‘Diggers pull a shocker if either Stevens or Batt has an off day?

It’s possible. This team has a strong front runner in Phil Schneider, who was third at regionals and should drastically improve on his 34th place showing from a year ago. Behind Schneider, Mines has three solid pieces in Derek Alcorn, Nathanel Williams, and Marty Andrie, each of whom finished in the top 10 at RMAC. The Orediggers have a shot to leap frog Adams State and GVSU in Louisville if they get perfect days from 4/5 guys Andrie and Seth Topper, who were more than 30 seconds back of Mines #3 Nathanel Williams two weekends ago. The Orediggers cannot afford that drastic of a spread if they hope to win a national title in Louisville.  

4. Chico State- The Wildcats breezed through the West region by occupying places 4-8, good for a six second spread and a 30 point final score. If you need any more proof that Chico knows how to run together, check out this week’s WOW with Coach Gary Towne’s squad. 

The Wildcats are led by senior Johnny Sanchez, who was 23rd at last season’s NCAA Championships. Sanchez has filled the void left by the departed Isaac Chavez, who could always be counted on for a top ten showing at NCAAs. For Chico to secure a podium finish, Sanchez will need to do his best impression of his former teammate by jumping into the top ten. 

The Wildcats do not compete in nearly as strong of a region as the teams ahead of them, but their ridiculous spread cannot be ignored. We expect Chico’s 3-5 to battle those of GVSU and Colorado Mines to earn a higher spot on the podium, as the Wildcats have been better than expected in 2014 with only two returners from last year’s 6th place team. Frosh Kyle Medina was Chico’s #2 at regionals, and the Wildcats will lean on him heavily in just his first NCAA Championship race. 

INDIVIDUAL PREVIEW

The fight to break the tape first will be a fantastic one to watch. Reigning champ Tabor Stevens is the most accomplished runner in D2, as he added his second straight steeple title last spring to complete an outstanding 2013-14 campaign. Stevens dominated the last 5k at NCAA XC 2013, eventually winning by a comfortable 11 seconds over current Oklahoma State Cowboy Vegard Olstad. Although Stevens has enjoyed similar successes thus far in 2014, he should only be considered co-favorite heading into Saturday’s race. 

American International’s Mike Biwott has gone a perfect five for five this season, highlighted by his victory at Paul Short where the junior beat both Kevin Batt and Stevens by more than 28 seconds. The Kenyan was fourth at the NCAA Championships last season, and has exceeded expectations this fall after placing second in the outdoor 10k last spring. Biwott should face a lot more heat from Batt and Stevens than he did at Paul Short, but he will enter this race confident as the closest man to him this season was still 14 seconds back. 

Other names to watch will be Batt, Aaron Dinzeo, Johnnie Guy, and Tyler Pence. Batt finished 12th at NCAA XC last season, but was particularly impressive over 5,000 meters on the track, winning both the indoor and outdoor titles in the event. Dinzeo of California (PA) is the third highest returner after his fifth place showing in 2013, while Guy and Pence of Southern Indiana are both capable even though their resumes lack a top five XC finish. Guy won the outdoor 10k over Mike Biwott last spring, while Pence beat his NCAA champion teammate and all of Grand Valley to win the Midwest region. These four men are all capable of upsetting Biwott and Stevens on the right day to steal an NCAA title.