Photos from 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships by Spencer Allen/SportsImageWire.com. Top: Callum Bolger; Bottom: Jessica Lawson.
STANFORD, Calif. -- The Stanford men's track and field freshman class was rated No. 1 in the nation by Track & Field News, and the Cardinal women's was ranked No. 4.
The Stanford men earned their first No. 1 ranking since 1999 and fourth top-ranking overall, tying for the most in the years since TF&N has established its recruiting rankings.
The 10-member men's freshman class consists of distance runner
Callum Bolger (San Luis Obispo), javelin thrower
Liam Christensen (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), jumper/combined events athlete
Jack Herkert (Verona, Wis.), thrower
Jake Koffman (Orono, Maine), distance runner
Connor Lane (Raleigh, N.C.), middle-distance runner
Brandon McGorty (Fairfax, Va.), sprinter
Gabriel Navarro (El Paso, Texas), distance runner
DJ Principe (Johnston, R.I.), sprinter
Louis Stenmark (Mosman, New South Wales, Australia), and distance runner
Michael Vernau (Davis).
Highlighting this group is 2017 U.S. junior national javelin champion Christiansen (season best 228-0, 69.49 meters), No. 1 prep 1,500-meter runner Principe (3:44.52), No. 2 5,000 runner Lane (14:17.89), and No. 3 half-miler McGorty (1:48.71).
The 12-member women's freshman class consists of sprinter
Ashlan Best (Guelph, Ontario, Canada), combined events athlete
Giana Gayles (Merritt Island, Fla.), middle-distance runner
Julia Heymach (Houston), distance runner
Jessica Lawson (Addison, N.Y.), distance runner
Nevada Mareno (Raleigh, N.C.), javelin thrower
Virginia Miller (Vashon, Wash.), distance runner
Jordan Oakes (Seattle), high jumper
Valerie Przekop (Jamison, Pa.), distance runner
Kaitlin Ryan (Tuckahoe, N.Y.), long and triple jumper
Aria Small (Bridgetown, Barbados), jumper and combined events athlete
Samantha Seaton (Simi Valley), and sprinter
Carolyn Wilson (Thousand Oaks, Calif.).
Best of Canada won the 200 at the Pan American Under-20 Track and Field Championships in Peru over the summer and returned home with a full collection of gold, silver, and bronze medals. Also,
Jessica Lawson was the 2017 New Balance Outdoor Nationals champion in the 5,000 (best of 16:38.54) and the fastest 1,500 runner in her class (4:22.38), and
Nevada Mareno was a two-time Foot Locker national cross country top-three finisher.
