There was one top returner missing from the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships last Saturday. Northern Arizona’s Futsum Zienasellassie redshirted the cross country season and the Lumberjacks failed to qualify out of the deep NCAA Mountain Region without their star.

His redshirting was reported on September 21, and many wondered if the 3x XC All American — who finished fourth and third in the last two championships — was injured. NAU Coach Eric Heins put that rumor to rest, explaining that the team would be much stronger in 2016. Top returner Nathan Weitz also redshirted, and the Lumberjacks' roster featured nine freshman this fall. 

I met up with Zienasellassie in Flagstaff, Ariz., shortly after the NCAA Championships in Louisville. He had just finished doing a tempo workout in NAU’s “dome,” (indoor track facility) on a blistering-windy day in the mountain town.

“Training’s been good,” Zienasellassie said. “Just been getting the mileage in, lot of LT’s and tempos. We actually just got into doing a little speed work, getting ready for the track season.”

Even with the redshirt on, Zienasellassie stayed very in tune with this past cross country season. “As long as I’m in college, I’m definitely following and seeing the competition.”

So what did he think of last weekend’s NCAA Championships battle between Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan and Oregon’s Edward Cheserek? “I think it went out really well," Zienasellassie said. “I can’t really say much about Patrick. He raced like a man. I think that was the best way for him to do it.”

Last fall Zienasellassie finished third behind now three-time winner Cheserek and his teammate Eric Jenkins. After the race he told FloTrack he was disappointed that he made his final move “too early,” and called third-place “not too good this time.” After watching this year’s battle, he said he would have gone out with the two leaders, but noted that he is unsure of where he speed limit is.

“I think second place is what he [Tiernan] deserved. I mean Cheserek is…” he said, laughing.

Yes, Cheserek is often unexplainable. While it's debatable if he is the greatest NCAA runner of all-time, he's certainly on his way with his nine NCAA individual titles. Given that Tiernan pushing the pace with Cheserek is something we as NCAA spectators aren’t used to seeing, Zienasellassie offered his opinions on “The King.”

“I think the only way to beat Ches is you have to be a sub-13:00 5K guy. I’m not going to say he’s unbeatable, but he’s on a different level. We’re at the college level, let’s just put it that way. He’s at the professional level.”

He has a point. Besides his own teammate, Jenkins, the only person to beat Cheserek (in the longer distances) is Arizona’s Lawi Lalang in the thrilling 2014 Pac-12 1500m and NCAA Outdoor 5K. Lalang holds a PR of 13:00.95. (Yes - he lost to several professionals in the 2015 Millrose Mile and Jordy Williamsz in the 4xMile at Penn Relays, but we're talking strictly distance.)

Cheserek aside, Zienasellassie is focused on making the next two track seasons count, as he has goals to qualify for both indoor and outdoor championships. “I haven’t really done anything on the track,” he said. “One reason we redshirted this cross season was to focus on the track.”

He’ll open up on December 11 at Indiana University in the 5K, a race that has seen a good amount of early season NCAA qualifying times over the years. Last year Brian Shrader ran 13:40. In 2013, Jim Spisak ran 13:43 and in 2012 Ryan Hill won in 13:43.

When asked what he wants to accomplish in Bloomington, it’s pretty simple for Zienasellassie. “To PR, that’s the plan,” he said. “My PR for the 5K is pretty slow to be honest. The goal is to change that.” (For reference, he ran 13:49 at outdoors last spring, not too shabby. The final indoor qualifying time for NCAAs last winter, however, was 13:48!)