MADISON, Wis. – The Stanford cross country teams will put its best runners on the starting line Friday at the high-powered Wisconsin Invitational. The meet is among the two major invitationals – along with the Pre-Nationals in Terra Haute, Ind. -- providing NCAA-championship caliber competition in advance of the postseason.
The Cardinal men will wait until the Pac-12 Championships to run Sean McGorty, but otherwise this will be a close proximity to the top seven for both the men and the women. All-America Aisling Cuffe, who is nursing an injury, will not be competing in Wisconsin, but has not been ruled out for a return by nationals. However, All-America Jim Rosa is out for the season with an injury, but will return for a fifth year.
Stanford’s previous three meets were used as part of the training cycle and did include full squads. However, those meets were highlighted by strong Cardinal debuts for freshman Elise Cranny in winning the Washington Invitational and by graduate transfer Maksim Korolev, who joined Joe Rosa across the line to win the Stanford Invitational.
What: Wisconsin adidas Invitational
Where: Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, Madison, Wis.
When: Friday: Women (6K), 9 a.m. PT; Men (8K), 9:45 a.m. PT
Meet Information: Click here
Live Results: Click here
Premium Webcast: Flotrack Pro
* * *
WOMEN
Race Overview: No. 6 Stanford is among 22 teams among the USTFCCCA national Top 30 rankings – and among six in the top 10 -- competing in Wisconsin. No. 2 Michigan State, coming off a victory at the Roy Griak Invitational, is regarded as the favorite, with No. 5 Arkansas, led by Dominique Scott, the runner who denied the Cardinal victory in the 2014 NCAA indoor distance medley relay, also among the contenders. Among the top individual contenders are Arizona State’s Shelby Houlihan, the 2014 NCAA outdoor 1,500 champ with great range, reigning NCAA 10,000 champ Emma Bates of Boise State, and Florida State’s Colleen Quigley, sixth at the 2013 NCAA cross country finals.
Stanford Breakdown: Stanford will field essentially the same team that narrowly finished second to No. 3 Oregon at the Washington Invitational, plus Molly McNamara and Vanessa Fraser, who raced at the Stanford Invitational instead. Elise Cranny made a scintillating collegiate debut in Seattle, winning the race by seven seconds, in 20:11. She leads a young nine-runner team that includes four true freshmen and three sophomores who are freshmen in eligibility, plus one junior and one senior (McNamara).
Stanford’s Lineup:
Sophie Chase, so.: Finished 11th at Washington Invite.
Elise Cranny, fr.: 4:10.95 1500m runner won Washington Invite in collegiate debut.
Emma Fisher, so.: Stanford’s No. 1 at Stanford Invite and No. 2 at Washington.
Vanessa Fraser, so.: Has a 5000m best of 16:22.64.
Claire Howlett, fr.: No. 14 on all-time national high school 5,000 list (16:28.71).
Anna Laman, fr.: 2014 World Junior finalist in the 1500m.
Molly McNamara, sr.: 1500m specialist was team No. 2 at Stanford Invite.
Abbie McNulty, fr.: Massachusetts All-State two-mile champ has 10:22.03 PR for 3,200.
Rebecca Mehra, jr.: Second-team NCAA outdoor track All-America in the 1500m.
* * *
MEN
Race Overview: No. 7 Stanford joins a loaded field that includes six top-10 teams and 19 among the USTFCCCA Top 30. No. 3 Northern Arizona, the Washington Invitational champ, tops the field, with No. 5 Portland, a contender at the NCAA West Regional at Stanford on Nov. 14, running its ‘A’ team for the first time. No. 6 UCLA also will bear watching, not just in Wisconsin, but at the Stanford Regional. Stanford’s Maksim Korolev is the top returning NCAA finisher in the field, having placed third last year in Terre Haute. But Northern Arizona’s Futsum Zienasellassie and Arkansas’ Stanley Kebenei were fourth and sixth in the same race.
Stanford Breakdown: This race is an unveiling of sorts for No. 7 Stanford, with the addition of All-America Maksim Korolev from Harvard and a group of sophomores in their first seasons of eligibility, all running together for the first time. Stanford will need to prove it can compete without Jim Rosa, last year’s NCAA fifth-place finisher who will use a medical redshirt. Joe Rosa, Stanford’s No. 1 for most of the 2012 season before sitting out 2013 with an injury, will be racing in his first major meet in two years and is eager to show what he can do.
Stanford’s Lineup:
Michael Atchoo, 5th sr.: 3:57 miler was team’s No. 3 at 2014 NCAA’s.
Jack Keelan, so.: With 5K best of 13:55.59, was Stanford’s No. 2 in Washington.
Maksim Korolev, 5th sr.: 2014 NCAA third-placer in first big meet for Stanford.
Cameron Miller, jr.: Big surprise after missing two years with injuries.
Joe Rosa, sr.: Stanford Invite champ and NCAA first-team All-America in 5K.
Garrett Sweatt, jr.: Ran No. 1 for Stanford at Washington Invite, 8th overall.
Sam Wharton, so.: 2012 Nike Cross Nationals champ in first collegiate season.
* * *
The Season So Far: Stanford has competed in three meets – the low-key USF and Stanford invitationals and the strong Washington Invitational – but has yet to field its full squad. Joe Rosa and Maksim Korolev cruised to a 1-2 finish at the Stanford Invite while the team placed third, but the Cardinal’s depth really shined in placing third at the Washington Invitational with a young team that didn’t include Korolev, Rosa, or sophomore Sean McGorty, who will make his debut later in the season. The Cardinal women won the Stanford Invite despite not having a runner among the top 10, and then unleashed its top four freshmen at the Washington Invitational with Elise Cranny winning the race in her collegiate debut. Cranny, the 2014 U.S. junior national champ among an array of honors, ran 20:11 over 6K to win by seven seconds.
Stanford’s Wisconsin Invitational History: Stanford excelled in its most recent appearance at this meet, in 2012, winning the men and finishing second among the women. This is Stanford’s third appearance at the meet, which began in 2009. In 2012. Jim Rosa and Joe Rosa led Stanford, finishing 17th and 19th, respectively, in the same time of 23:44. The Cardinal scored 135 points to earn the victory. In 2011, Chris Derrick’s sixth-place (23:33) led the Stanford men to third as a team. Joe Rosa will be racing at the Wisconsin Invite for the third time. The Cardinal women placed second in 2012, led by Kathy Kroeger’s fifth place (19:46). The team was fifth in 2011. Rebecca Mehra is the only current Stanford runner with experience at this meet.
* * *
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- In addition, Stanford will run in both the men's and women's races at the Bronco Invitational at Baylands Park in Sunnyvale on Saturday. Among Stanford's top runners competing will be Claudia Saunders, the 2014 NCAA outdoor 800-meter runner-up, and Amy Weissenbach, a two-time NCAA outdoor 800 finalist.
The Stanford men will feature Marco Bertolotti, who ran the 1,200-meter leadoff leg on the Cardinal's 2014 NCAA champion indoor distance medley relay team.
What: Bronco Invitational
Where: Baylands Park, Sunnyvale, Calif.
When: Saturday: Men (8K), 9 a.m.; Women (6K), 9:45 a.m.
Meet Information: Click here
Live Results: Click here
Entries: Click here
Note: Attendance if free, but parking is $6.
Men's Lineup:
Marco Bertolotti, 5th sr.
Kevin Bishop, jr.
Jack Bordoni, jr.
Thomas Coyle, so.
Will Drinkwater, jr.
Patrick Gibson, so.
Ryan Silva, so.
Women's Lineup:
Danielle Katz, so.
Julia Maxwell, fr.
Claudia Saunders, jr.
Amy Weissenbach, jr.