The Texas Tech cross country season is getting off to a very low-key start - the first meet was a dual meet with a NAIA school (Wayland) and the 2nd meet was a home meet populated by NCAA D-II and junior college teams. I will note this, the Wayland men could probably beat 50% of D-I cross country programs in the country in a head to head competition. The Tech XC coach, Jon Murray, has been highly successful (particularly on the women's side) since coming to TTU and he usually likes to ease his teams into the season - a few low-key meets, with an increasing level of competition right up to conference. We will know a lot more in 2 weeks when the Red Raiders run at Missouri State (I still think of it as SW Missouri) against several D-I programs.
Below is the top 10 for both the Tech men and women. As expected, the women look really, really good - they are ranked 4th nationally. The men are young and I am having a hard time getting a read on them. I am ranking the top 10 because teams can take up to 9 runners to the conference meet, so here goes:
WOMEN
1. Rose Tanui - I expected her to help this year, after all she was the Mountain West champ in both the 5K and 10K last spring for TCU before transferring to Tech. She appears to be the #1 runner for Tech thus far, easily winning both meets. She might be a top-10 national contender, the way she has looked thus far.
2. Caroline Jepleting - the JC national XC champ for New Mexico JC last year appears to have settled into the #2 spot for Tech this year. She fills the spot that now-graduated Gladys Kipsang filled in 2009 and Caroline appears to be much better than Gladys.
3. Caroline Karunde - she was actually the #5 runner for Tech in the first meet, before moving up to #3 this past week. There appears to be little difference between Tech's #3-5 runners.
4. Winrose Karunde - actually beat her twin sister, Caroline, the first week, but fell behind her this past week. I think both of them may be just a little ahead of last year and that could be very important come championship season (conference, regional and nationals).
5. Purity Biwott - my only real disappointment this season is Purity. I really think she has the ability to contend with Rose Tanui for that top spot, but through the first 2 meets she simply has not run to that level. However, having Purity as the #5 person on the team (the top 5 runners for each team in a race actually get to score) still makes this team very, very deep in talent.
6. Michelle Guzman - has finished 6th in each race thus far. I looks to me that Michelle may have improved a bit from 2009 and is trying to have a strong senior campaign.
7. Kaci Westervelt - she improved drastically from her redshirt freshman season to her freshman season. I simply have not seen that level of improvement in the past year. I think she is capable of being a top 50 finisher at conference. Holding that 7th spot on the team is very important for Kaci - Tech can take 7 runners to regionals and nationals.
8. Katherine Priebe - still continues to be a steady competitor for Tech - never flashy, but steady.
9. Meagan Willingham - Meagan was bothered by nagging injuries last spring on the track and I fear that may keep her from contending to move up in the ranks this fall.
10. Chelsea Scott - an interesting walkon kid. She placed 4th in the District 5-5A XC race last fall for Keller. In 2009, she placed 2nd in the district 3200, plus 3rd in the 1600, but for some reason did not run this past spring in that district meet. Not sure if she will be able to compete for one of those top 9 spots at conference, but I suspect she will get to travel for the next meet or 2 to see if she can contribute.
10A. Devin Bailey - I wanted to mention Devin, who had a breakout season on the track last spring, placing in the 800 at the Big 12 meet. She is running XC to get stronger for this coming spring and I always have a lot of respect for half-milers who go through the rigor of the XC season.
MEN
1. Silas Kemboi - he actually beat Gilbert Limo this past week. Silas had a huge freshman year at Tech, getting All-Conference in XC his first year, then has seemed to regressed after an injury that wrecked his soph year on the track. I hope that he is showing signs of coming back to his freshman form.
2. Gilbert Limo - placed at nationals in the steeple and would appear to be odds-on the best distance runner at Tech right now. Placed 2nd in the first race of the season to Kennedy Kithuka, from Wayland, the NAIA champ in the 5K on the track. Wow, I would love to see Kithuka running for Tech sometime in the future.
3. Nathan Milles - has been a a dependable runner for Tech for 3 seasons now. I wish that Tech had the depth to have Nathan at the #5 spot, but running at #3 you still know he will fight for every place.
4. Samuel Bushong - the most pleasant surprise of the year thus far. Bushong is a former all-district distance runner for Cedar Park who laid out of college for a year, then walked on at Tech last fall. I really did not expect him to run in Tech's top 5, but he was 5th among Tech runners in the first race and 4th this past week. Very pleasant surprise!
5. Valentino Julien - another freshman who redshirted last year. I frankly expected him to be a little ahead of Bushong this year, but he still seems to be running pretty well.
6. Zach Dawson - may be the most important runner for Tech this year. If Zach runs to his capability, then he could move up as high as the 3rd runner for Tech and enhance Tech's chances of moving out of the bottom 3 at conference. True to form for Zach, he has been all over the place this season - 4th best Tech runner in the first race, then 7th best Tech runner in the 2nd race. One good sign, he appears to be running much better than last year, which was just a horrible season for Zach.
7. Reid Strong - the freshman from Abilene Wylie is having to transition to the longer college race distances, a transition that seems to trip up most kids. He has actually been the 6th best Tech runner in each race this year, but I moved Zach Dawson ahead of him in the rankings, because Tech is depending more on the veteran Dawson to have a good season. Reid has great potential and will get the chance to compete in a lot of big races, because Tech NEEDS him to compete this year.
8. Kade Parker - another freshman with potential, Kade placed 4th in the 4A 3200 in 2009 on the track for Big Spring. He was 13th in the 4A XC in the fall of 2008. I could not find any stats on him for 2009-2010 - not sure if he was laying out of school for a year or injured in 2009-1010. An interesting addition this year with some upside.
9. Andrew Goldstein - a walkon in 2009, he might actually have a shot at making the top 9 and getting to run at conference.
10. Christian Mendoza - a freshman from Burkburnett who signed a national letter of intent early in the signing period, but he has not shown me in his HS stats or in the first 2 races for Tech that he will be conference-competitive. He will need to improve dramatically over the next few weeks to contribute in any way in 2010.
There you have it - a terrific, nationally ranked women's team and a very young men's team that will need to improve some to be competitive in the Big 12. Will check back in after another meet or two and see how both teams are progressing.
Below is the top 10 for both the Tech men and women. As expected, the women look really, really good - they are ranked 4th nationally. The men are young and I am having a hard time getting a read on them. I am ranking the top 10 because teams can take up to 9 runners to the conference meet, so here goes:
WOMEN
1. Rose Tanui - I expected her to help this year, after all she was the Mountain West champ in both the 5K and 10K last spring for TCU before transferring to Tech. She appears to be the #1 runner for Tech thus far, easily winning both meets. She might be a top-10 national contender, the way she has looked thus far.
2. Caroline Jepleting - the JC national XC champ for New Mexico JC last year appears to have settled into the #2 spot for Tech this year. She fills the spot that now-graduated Gladys Kipsang filled in 2009 and Caroline appears to be much better than Gladys.
3. Caroline Karunde - she was actually the #5 runner for Tech in the first meet, before moving up to #3 this past week. There appears to be little difference between Tech's #3-5 runners.
4. Winrose Karunde - actually beat her twin sister, Caroline, the first week, but fell behind her this past week. I think both of them may be just a little ahead of last year and that could be very important come championship season (conference, regional and nationals).
5. Purity Biwott - my only real disappointment this season is Purity. I really think she has the ability to contend with Rose Tanui for that top spot, but through the first 2 meets she simply has not run to that level. However, having Purity as the #5 person on the team (the top 5 runners for each team in a race actually get to score) still makes this team very, very deep in talent.
6. Michelle Guzman - has finished 6th in each race thus far. I looks to me that Michelle may have improved a bit from 2009 and is trying to have a strong senior campaign.
7. Kaci Westervelt - she improved drastically from her redshirt freshman season to her freshman season. I simply have not seen that level of improvement in the past year. I think she is capable of being a top 50 finisher at conference. Holding that 7th spot on the team is very important for Kaci - Tech can take 7 runners to regionals and nationals.
8. Katherine Priebe - still continues to be a steady competitor for Tech - never flashy, but steady.
9. Meagan Willingham - Meagan was bothered by nagging injuries last spring on the track and I fear that may keep her from contending to move up in the ranks this fall.
10. Chelsea Scott - an interesting walkon kid. She placed 4th in the District 5-5A XC race last fall for Keller. In 2009, she placed 2nd in the district 3200, plus 3rd in the 1600, but for some reason did not run this past spring in that district meet. Not sure if she will be able to compete for one of those top 9 spots at conference, but I suspect she will get to travel for the next meet or 2 to see if she can contribute.
10A. Devin Bailey - I wanted to mention Devin, who had a breakout season on the track last spring, placing in the 800 at the Big 12 meet. She is running XC to get stronger for this coming spring and I always have a lot of respect for half-milers who go through the rigor of the XC season.
MEN
1. Silas Kemboi - he actually beat Gilbert Limo this past week. Silas had a huge freshman year at Tech, getting All-Conference in XC his first year, then has seemed to regressed after an injury that wrecked his soph year on the track. I hope that he is showing signs of coming back to his freshman form.
2. Gilbert Limo - placed at nationals in the steeple and would appear to be odds-on the best distance runner at Tech right now. Placed 2nd in the first race of the season to Kennedy Kithuka, from Wayland, the NAIA champ in the 5K on the track. Wow, I would love to see Kithuka running for Tech sometime in the future.
3. Nathan Milles - has been a a dependable runner for Tech for 3 seasons now. I wish that Tech had the depth to have Nathan at the #5 spot, but running at #3 you still know he will fight for every place.
4. Samuel Bushong - the most pleasant surprise of the year thus far. Bushong is a former all-district distance runner for Cedar Park who laid out of college for a year, then walked on at Tech last fall. I really did not expect him to run in Tech's top 5, but he was 5th among Tech runners in the first race and 4th this past week. Very pleasant surprise!
5. Valentino Julien - another freshman who redshirted last year. I frankly expected him to be a little ahead of Bushong this year, but he still seems to be running pretty well.
6. Zach Dawson - may be the most important runner for Tech this year. If Zach runs to his capability, then he could move up as high as the 3rd runner for Tech and enhance Tech's chances of moving out of the bottom 3 at conference. True to form for Zach, he has been all over the place this season - 4th best Tech runner in the first race, then 7th best Tech runner in the 2nd race. One good sign, he appears to be running much better than last year, which was just a horrible season for Zach.
7. Reid Strong - the freshman from Abilene Wylie is having to transition to the longer college race distances, a transition that seems to trip up most kids. He has actually been the 6th best Tech runner in each race this year, but I moved Zach Dawson ahead of him in the rankings, because Tech is depending more on the veteran Dawson to have a good season. Reid has great potential and will get the chance to compete in a lot of big races, because Tech NEEDS him to compete this year.
8. Kade Parker - another freshman with potential, Kade placed 4th in the 4A 3200 in 2009 on the track for Big Spring. He was 13th in the 4A XC in the fall of 2008. I could not find any stats on him for 2009-2010 - not sure if he was laying out of school for a year or injured in 2009-1010. An interesting addition this year with some upside.
9. Andrew Goldstein - a walkon in 2009, he might actually have a shot at making the top 9 and getting to run at conference.
10. Christian Mendoza - a freshman from Burkburnett who signed a national letter of intent early in the signing period, but he has not shown me in his HS stats or in the first 2 races for Tech that he will be conference-competitive. He will need to improve dramatically over the next few weeks to contribute in any way in 2010.
There you have it - a terrific, nationally ranked women's team and a very young men's team that will need to improve some to be competitive in the Big 12. Will check back in after another meet or two and see how both teams are progressing.
