Photo from Pac-12 pre-meet by Chris Hook
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – For the past 22 years, Stanford has advanced both its men's and women's teams to the NCAA Cross Country Championships and will attempt to extend that streak on Friday at the NCAA West Regionals.
The top two teams in each race advance. Others must hope for at-large bids, which are determined by a point system that reflects each team's season success against those who have already gained entrance.
Both teams appear in good shape. The Stanford men are ranked No. 1 in the West and No. 4 in the country, and the Cardinal women are No. 2 in the West and No. 7 in the country. In all, 18 teams around the country in each of the men's and women's divisions receive automatic bids and 13 more arrive at-large. In addition, the top four individuals not on qualifying teams (as long as they place in the top 25) will earn passage to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Finally, two individuals from around the country (with top-25 finishes) will receive at-large.
This creates some intrigue for regional coaches. Because the regional and national meets are only eight days apart. There may be some strategy involved in who should run and not run, in order to be fully rested for nationals. The Stanford men, for instance, will rest freshman Thomas Ratcliffe and redshirt freshman Alex Ostberg.
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Here are some details and links concerning Friday's meet:
NCAA West Regionals
Where: Haggin Oaks Golf Course
City: Sacramento, Calif.
Women's start: 11 a.m.
Women's distance: 6K (3.73 miles)
Men's start: Noon
Men's distance: 10K (6.2 miles)
Automatic team qualifying for NCAA's: Top two
Automatic individual qualifying: Top four not on those teams, finishing in top 25.
Follow the meet:
Meet Central: Click here.
Live results: Click here.
Entries: Click here.
Twitter: @StanfordXCTF
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Stanford's Entries
Men: Steven Fahy, Grant Fisher, Blair Hurlock, Jack Keelan, Sean McGorty, Garrett Sweatt, Sam Wharton.
Women: Christina Aragon, Hannah DeBalsi, Ella Donaghu, Vanessa Fraser, Danielle Katz, Abbie McNulty, Fiona O'Keeffe.
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Stanford Men's Overview: Stanford will rest two runners expected to be in its NCAA lineup – Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Thomas Ratcliffe and redshirt freshman Alex Ostberg. Stanford will race its top two of Sean McGorty and Grant Fisher for the third time this season. The first two races went well, with the Cardinal placing third at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational and second at the Pac-12 Championships. The conference meet marked the collegiate debut of Ratcliffe, who was Stanford's No. 3 and eighth overall, and it was the team's best competition, losing only 41-47 to Colorado. The six points were Stanford's closest margin to the Buffaloes since beating them at the 2010 NCAA meet.
Without Ratcliffe, Stanford still can win. The Cardinal is the top-ranked team in the West, ahead of UCLA and Oregon, which finished third and fourth, respectively at the Pac-12s. Oregon's Edward Cheserek, the three-time NCAA and Pac-12 champ, is the heavy favorite, though McGorty and Fisher may try to challenge. In all, six West teams are ranked among the nation's top 30.
The Stanford men, who have won 14 NCAA West titles including three straight from 2011-13, are seeking their 23nd consecutive NCAA berth.
Stanford Women's Overview: Stanford sends four freshmen into the fray from its lineup of seven, and the Cardinal will go without ace Elise Cranny for the third consecutive meet. Coach Elizabeth DeBole is hoping that Cranny will be back for the NCAA Championships.
This will be the second meet with freshmen Christina Aragon, Hannah DeBalsi, Ella Donaghu, and Fiona O'Keeffe, following the Cardinal's third-place at Pac-12's. O'Keeffe made her collegiate debut in that race and finished as Stanford's No. 2 runner, in 11th. She is racing in familiar territory, having grown up in nearby Davis. Three of Stanford's freshmen placed among the top 20 at Pac-12's and Aragon, Donaghu, and DeBalsi all have shown improvement from race to race.
Stanford trails only Washington in the regional rankings, coming within nine points of the Huskies at Pac-12's. Portland and Oregon, ranked No. 10 and No. 11 nationally, also will push for the top-two spots and NCAA automatic berths. Six West teams are ranked among the nation's top 30, including five in the top 16.
Stanford has won 14 NCAA West titles, but none since 2007, which capped a run of nine consecutive victories. Stanford hasn't won an individual title since Teresa McWalters in 2007. The Cardinal is seeking its 24th consecutive NCAA berth.
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Stanford's Team Honors:
Men
NCAA 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).
Individual Regional Titles: 8, Jonathon Riley (2000), Donald Sage (2001-02), Ian Dobson (2003), Ryan Hall (2004), Neftalem Araia (2006), Chris Derrick (2009), Maksim Korolev (2014).
Women
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).
Individual Regional Titles: 9, Ceci Hopp (1982), Louise Watson (1992), Julia Stamps (1999), Alicia Craig (2002-04), Arianna Lambie (2005-06), Teresa McWalters (2007).
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USTFCCCA Rankings
Men
National: 4, Stanford; 8, UCLA; 10, Oregon; 12, Portland; 17, Washington State; 20, Boise State.
West Region: 1, Stanford; 2, UCLA; 3, Oregon; 4, Portland; 5, Washington State; 6, Boise State; 7, California; 8, Washington; 9, San Francisco; 10, Cal Poly; 11, Gonzaga; 12, UC Santa Barbara; 13, Arizona State; 14, San Jose State; 15, Saint Mary's.
Women
National: 4, Washington; 7, Stanford; 10, Portland; 11, Oregon; 16, San Francisco; 27 California.
West Region: 1, Washington; 2, Stanford; 3, Portland; 4, Oregon; 5, San Francisco; 6, California; 7, UCLA; 8, Cal Poly; 9, Boise State; 10, Arizona; 11, Oregon State; 12, Gonzaga; 13, UC Davis; 14, Arizona State; 15, Idaho.
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Stanford's West Region Competitors
Men
Coach: Chris Miltenberg, fifth season
Steven Fahy, RS Soph. (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS)
- 16th at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: Human biology.
Grant Fisher, Soph. (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS)
- Second at Pac-12 Championships.
- Two-time All-America (once in cross country).
- Raced in the Olympic Trials in the 5,000.
- Major: undeclared.
- Two-time Foot Locker national cross country champion and sub-4 miler in HS.
Blair Hurlock, RS Soph. (Tracy, Calif./De La Salle HS)
- 36th at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: Human biology.
Jack Keelan, RS Jr. (La Grange Park, Ill./St. Ignatius College Prep)
- 39th at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: Product design.
Sean McGorty, Sr. (Fairfax, Va./Chantilly HS)
- Seven-time All-America (twice in cross country).
- 2015 USTFCCCA cross country Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
- Seventh at Pac-12 Championships.
- 2016 NCAA track runner-up: indoor 3,000, outdoor 5,000.
- Olympic Trials finalist in the 5,000.
- 3:53.95 indoor mile, a Stanford absolute record.
- Major: Management science and engineering.
Garrett Sweatt, 5th Sr. (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville HS)
- 14th at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: Biology.
Sam Wharton, FS Jr. (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe HS)
- 47th at Pac-12 Championships.
- 2014 All-America in cross country.
- Major: Management science and engineering major.
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Women
Coach: Elizabeth DeBole, first season
Christina Aragon, Fr. (Providence, R.I./Classical HS)
- 14th at Pac-12 Championships.
- Olympic Trials semifinalist in the 1,500.
- First American female to win a medal (bronze) in the 1,500 at the World U-20 Championships.
- Major: undeclared.
Hannah DeBalsi, Fr. (Westport, Conn./Staples HS)
- 47th at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: undeclared.
Ella Donaghu, Fr. (Portland, Ore./Grant HS)
- 20th at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: undeclared.
Vanessa Fraser, RS Jr. (Scotts Valley, Calif./Scotts Valley HS)
- Eighth at Pac-12 Championships.
- Four-time All-America, once in cross country.
- Major: Symbolic systems with a concentration on neuroscience.
Danielle Katz, Sr. (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS)
- 31st at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: Product design.
Abbie McNulty, Jr. (Cumberland, R.I./Bishop Feehan HS)
- 41st at Pac-12 Championships.
- Major: Bioengineering.
Fiona O'Keeffe, Fr. (Davis, Calif./Davis Senior HS)
- 11th at Pac-12 Championships.
- 2016 U.S. junior 5,000 champ in meet record time (15:56.84).
- Major: undeclared.