Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown: #5 Michigan State Women
Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown: #5 Michigan State Women
Probable Top Five:
JR Rachele Schulist (9:01 3K; 15:36 5K; 4th NCAA XC ’14)
SR Lindsay Clark (16:08 5K; 11th NCAA XC ’14)
JR Alexis Wiersma (16:18 5K; 34:00 10K; 69th NCAA XC ’14)
SR Katie Landwehr (16:27 5K; 10:07 3K Steeple; 51st NCAA XC ’13)
JR Shelby Jackson (16:27 5K)
SR Lindsay Clark (16:08 5K; 11th NCAA XC ’14)
JR Alexis Wiersma (16:18 5K; 34:00 10K; 69th NCAA XC ’14)
SR Katie Landwehr (16:27 5K; 10:07 3K Steeple; 51st NCAA XC ’13)
JR Shelby Jackson (16:27 5K)
Impact Freshmen/Transfers:
Jessica Hoover via Miami, OH (16:56 5K; 6th MAC XC ’14; 23rd Great Lakes Regional XC ’14)
Kelsie Schwartz via University of Louisville (69th Southeast Regional XC ’14)
Gabrielle Pepin via University of St. Thomas Minnesota (17:02 5K; 35:39 10K)
Annie Fuller via Manistee, MI (4:44 1600; 5th Brooks PR Mile ’15; 1st Michigan State XC ’14)
Jeralyn Poe via Lincoln, NE (10:48 3200; 1st Nebraska State XC ’14)
Karrigan Smith via St. Johns, MI (1st Michigan State XC ’14)
Amber Way via Charlevoix, MI (10:35 3200)
Kenzie Weiler via Cedar Springs, MI (10:37 2 Mile)
Kelsie Schwartz via University of Louisville (69th Southeast Regional XC ’14)
Gabrielle Pepin via University of St. Thomas Minnesota (17:02 5K; 35:39 10K)
Annie Fuller via Manistee, MI (4:44 1600; 5th Brooks PR Mile ’15; 1st Michigan State XC ’14)
Jeralyn Poe via Lincoln, NE (10:48 3200; 1st Nebraska State XC ’14)
Karrigan Smith via St. Johns, MI (1st Michigan State XC ’14)
Amber Way via Charlevoix, MI (10:35 3200)
Kenzie Weiler via Cedar Springs, MI (10:37 2 Mile)
Analysis:
In 2014 the Michigan State Spartans took the cross country season by storm. There was never a question about another team challenging their depth and enormous talent, because nobody could. They dominated every competition, including Roy Griak, Wisconsin Invite, the Big Ten Championships, the Great Lakes Regional, and finally the NCAA Championships. The “Big Dance” was highlighted by the Spartans placing four in the 25. Barring any major tragedies, Michigan State has the ability to return to the podium in 2015.
Led by the fearless Rachele Schulist, the Spartans return four of their top seven from the 2014 championship team. Schulist has proven herself on the national ranks in only two years of donning the Spartan uniform. Last year she ran 4:16, 9:01 and 15:36 and qualified for the indoor and outdoor championships. Though she has yet to bring home hardware in track season, you cannot miss Schulist on the XC course. She never finished worse than fifth in any competition last fall and is an aggressive frontrunner. She won the 2015 Big Ten Indoor 3K by 15 seconds because she wanted to make it an “honest race.” Without Leah O’Connor at her side, Schulist will need to adapt this strategy on the grass if she wants to contend for an NCAA individual title.
Lindsay Clark was 11th in Terre Haute last fall and ran well indoors but struggled during the outdoor season. Alexis Wiersma and Katie Landwehr made big strides in both track seasons that should translate to better performances come November. Head Coach Walt Drenth does such a good job of making sure his athletes progress each year and Wiersma and Landwehr are in perfect positions to fill the holes O’Connor, Sara Kroll and Julia Otwell left when they graduated. If they do slide into the top 40 in Louisville, and Clark looks just as good as she did last fall, this could be a very surprising Spartan team.
One question mark is who the fifth woman will be. On paper it appears to be Shelby Jackson, who ran on the 2013 sixth-place NCAA squad. However transfer Jessica Hoover from Miami (Ohio) was 23rd in the Great Lakes Region in 2014, just ahead of MSU’s seventh finisher. Kelsey Schwartz from Louisville could also step into a scoring role under the direction of Drenth. The Spartans have an impressive freshman class, but like O’Connor, Schulist, Clark and more, they will likely redshirt. This team is all about building for the future, and it appears they have enough pieces from 2014 to make 2015 similarly successful.
Led by the fearless Rachele Schulist, the Spartans return four of their top seven from the 2014 championship team. Schulist has proven herself on the national ranks in only two years of donning the Spartan uniform. Last year she ran 4:16, 9:01 and 15:36 and qualified for the indoor and outdoor championships. Though she has yet to bring home hardware in track season, you cannot miss Schulist on the XC course. She never finished worse than fifth in any competition last fall and is an aggressive frontrunner. She won the 2015 Big Ten Indoor 3K by 15 seconds because she wanted to make it an “honest race.” Without Leah O’Connor at her side, Schulist will need to adapt this strategy on the grass if she wants to contend for an NCAA individual title.
Lindsay Clark was 11th in Terre Haute last fall and ran well indoors but struggled during the outdoor season. Alexis Wiersma and Katie Landwehr made big strides in both track seasons that should translate to better performances come November. Head Coach Walt Drenth does such a good job of making sure his athletes progress each year and Wiersma and Landwehr are in perfect positions to fill the holes O’Connor, Sara Kroll and Julia Otwell left when they graduated. If they do slide into the top 40 in Louisville, and Clark looks just as good as she did last fall, this could be a very surprising Spartan team.
One question mark is who the fifth woman will be. On paper it appears to be Shelby Jackson, who ran on the 2013 sixth-place NCAA squad. However transfer Jessica Hoover from Miami (Ohio) was 23rd in the Great Lakes Region in 2014, just ahead of MSU’s seventh finisher. Kelsey Schwartz from Louisville could also step into a scoring role under the direction of Drenth. The Spartans have an impressive freshman class, but like O’Connor, Schulist, Clark and more, they will likely redshirt. This team is all about building for the future, and it appears they have enough pieces from 2014 to make 2015 similarly successful.