FRESNO, Calif. – Stanford makes its much-anticipated season cross -country debut on Friday when the Cardinal competes at the Fresno State Invitational at Woodward Park, at 8 a.m.
Stanford arrives straight from its 10-day altitude-training base at Mammoth Lakes, California, on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, via Tioga Pass through Yosemite National Park.
The Stanford men, NCAA runner-up a year ago, is ranked No. 2 in the nation and the Cardinal women, 14th at NCAA’s with five freshmen in eligibility, are No. 7.
The Cardinal will compete hard, but may not race all of its top runners until later in the season. Two freshmen who are likely to make their first collegiate starts are Hannah Long and Catherine Pagano. Long is the Missouri high school 1,600-meter record-holder (4:40.15) and won 11 state titles in all. Pagano, a New Jersey native, was the 2015 Millrose Games high school mile champ and among the top middle-distance runners in the country.
The Cardinal next races at home, at the Stanford Invitational on Sept. 26 at Stanford Golf Course. The high school races begin at 9 a.m. and the college races at 9:50 a.m.
* * *Season opener:
What: Fresno State Invitational
Where: Woodward Park, Fresno, Calif.
When: Men (6K, 8 a.m.); Women (4.2K, 8:45 a.m.).
Results: A link will be added when available.
* * *USTFCCA Rankings:
Men: No. 2
Women: No. 7
* * *
Men’s Outlook: The Cardinal bring strong depth – seven under 14 minutes for 5,000 meters, four cross country All-Americans, and three sub-4 milers. The Cardinal returns five of its top seven from the 2014 NCAA runner-up lineup. However, the two graduation losses are significant: Maksim Korolev placed fourth and Michael Atchoo placed 29th and was vital to Stanford’s high finish by leading a secondary pack of Cardinal runners through the field. Jim Rosa, fifth at 2013 NCAA’s before missing 2014 with injury, and Sean McGorty, 20th in 2014, are the top returning NCAA placers. Cross Country All-Americans: 4 (Sean McGorty, Jim Rosa, Joe Rosa, Sam Wharton). Total All-Americans: 7 (including Tom Coyle, Georgetown graduate transfer Collin Leibold and Luke Lefebure).
Women’s Outlook: Stanford placed 14th in the NCAA last year with a lineup that included five freshmen in eligibility. The entire top seven returns. Among them is sophomore Elise Cranny, the top freshman NCAA finisher last year (12th) and the highest Stanford frosh placer in 15 years. Also, Aisling Cuffe, the 2013 Pac-12 champion and fourth-place NCAA finisher, returns after taking a redshirt year because of injury. Vanessa Fraser, a junior who was on the fringe of the top seven for much of last year, was 13th at the NCAA outdoor 5K and could prove to be a frontrunner this season. Cross Country All-Americans: 2 (Elise Cranny, Aisling Cuffe). Total All-Americans: 5 (including Vanessa Fraser, Rebecca Mehra and Claudia Saunders).
* * *Quick Facts:
Men
NCAA Top Seven Returning/Lost: 5/2
NCAA Men’s Titles: 4 (1996, 1997, 2002, 2003)
NCAA West Regional Titles: 14 (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Conference Titles: 12 (1985, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010)
Women
NCAA Top Seven Returning/Lost: 7/0
NCAA Titles: 5 (1996, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007)
NCAA West Regional Titles: 14 (1982, 1984, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
Conference Titles: 20 (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010)