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.