Regionals Preview Pt. 2

Who wants it more???

Round 1 of the Regional meets has been completed! We saw several dominant runs by top teams and a few upsets. But we’re not here to talk about that quite yet. We got the heaving hitting weekend on deck! Round 2 of the Regional meets has 4 meets: the Great Lakes, Northeast, Southeast, and Pacific. 15 men’s and 13 women’s teams have already punched their tickets to the Championship Race at Nationals. Who will join them next? Read on to find out who we think!

Due to NIRCA rules, any team that competes in the Heartland Regions are allowed to directly enter into the Championship Race at Nationals. As a result, Arkansas and Texas already are set to race. 

No poll for this week :( Instead we’re doing something a little different. We’re making our predictions as to which teams will qualify for the Championship Race at Nationals! Who did we get right? Who will surprise us? Let us know! If you want to get involved with the Coaches’ Poll, we have an information packet here if you are interested in learning more. In that packet we have information on how to join the Coaches’ Poll and the planned dates for the polls. So if you want to join, feel free! 

Don’t forget to check out the National Running Club Database! If you want to find the meet results from this season (because very few of them are on NIRCA’s website), you can check them out on the Database! It is an on-going project by our founder Jonathan Karr to have all of the club results in one convenient spot. There are sure to be a few meets we missed on the Database, but you can add it and it will be included! More information about that can be found on the Database website.

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Great Lakes

The Great Lakes has historically been one of the most dominant regions in the country, with numerous teams standing atop of the podium over the years. This year is no different as there are 6 teams who are ranked in the Coaches’ Poll Top 25, including 3 of the Top 5 Women’s teams. There will be 7 spots up for grabs in the men’s race and 6 for the women’s race in order to qualify for the Championship race!

Team Race

Men

If you have been following along to these articles all season, then you already know who the major favorite in this region is: Michigan. The defending champs have once again established themselves as a title favorite this year and should easily walk away with their umpteenth Great Lakes title. They will be without their law student, Andrew Healey, this weekend, but they have no shortage of depth to account for this loss. There are a few teams that might be nipping at the Wolverines' heels, so they can’t be too relaxed this weekend. The Ohio State Buckeyes have been running very consistently and very fast this year. On top of that, they have been able to keep the gap between their scorers relatively low all season, which can be a massive boost when the field sizes start increasing (there are 205 men entered in this race). The Buckeyes are without one of their top scorers in Joshua Baker so they will need their 6th and 7th runners to really step up if they are to have a shot at knocking off the defending champs. Up next we have Notre Dame. They arguably have the best runner in the country with Pieter Heesters having the 2 fastest times this year. Their usual 3rd, Owen Donaher, will not be on hand for the Irish which is a big loss for this team as they are not quite as deep as some of their competitors. Purdue comes in with a little bit to prove. They have had a bit of an inconsistent season. Despite this, they are still one of the top teams in the country and they will always put up a fight when it matters most. Michigan State comes in pretty solidly as the 5th best team in the Region. They had a very good showing at the Spartan Grand Classic earlier this season but will need to improve on those results if they want to place higher in the region. After Michigan State is where things get interesting. In our mind, the top 5 spots will come from the teams mentioned above, but the final two spots could go to any number of teams. Indiana would be a lock for the 6th spot, only they will be without Noah Scott this weekend. He was a Top 5 finisher at Nationals back in 2022, so this is a big loss for the Hoosiers. Kentucky snagged the 7th spot last year, but they have only raced twice this year and are one of the few teams in the region without a runner sub 27 on the year. Throw in GVSU, Cincinnati, and Miami - OH and this will be a hotly contested race for those final spots.

Predictions

1. Michigan

2. Ohio State

3. Purdue

Women

This women’s race is shaping up to be a little unpredictable. Last year, Purdue took home the win, upsetting the multiple time defending champs in Michigan. But the Boilermakers haven’t quite looked like the team that got 5th last year at Nationals. One team that has been looking very good is Ohio State. They upset Michigan this year at Little Tens and haven’t looked back. The Buckeyes have the firepower and the depth to take home the Great Lakes crown this time around. That being said, never count out Michigan. They know a thing or two about racing well when it matters. This squad is definitely coming into the meet with a chip on their shoulder. They might have had a few down races by their incredibly high standards, but the Wolverines are never out of it. Michigan State started the season off with a bang in almost upsetting their in-state rivals, but since then they have been a little short handed. Since their opening meet, we have only seen 2 of their top runners one other time and her result got discarded since she was directed the wrong way at a race. Without those two runners, the Spartans’ chances of pulling off a surprise win shrink significantly, but they should still be locked in qualifying in the top 6. Indiana had some surprising results individually at the beginning of the season and continued that trend at their most recent meet. They will need all of their top runners firing on all cylinders in order to secure a bid. Notre Dame comes into the meet in a shaky spot. They finished an impressive 8th last year at Nationals but lost 3 of their scoring 5. The two who are still here have been a little inconsistent in their races so far which could be cause for concern. That being said, they have one of the most talented freshmen in the field in Meagan McKenna. She has been running extremely well all season and should help provide a buffer for this small but mighty squad.

Predictions

1. Ohio State

2. Michigan

3. Purdue

Individual Race

Men

This meet is shaping up to be a fun battle up front. We have the fastest man in the country, Pieter Heesters, going up against the might of Michigan. Pieter has run almost a minute faster than anyone else in this field, so it realistically should be his race to lose. That being said, this is the first time he has competed in a NIRCA meet this year, so he will actually have to be the one who pushes the pace. Behind him is a trio of Wolverines who would want to take him down. Henry Christiansen, Ben Clason, and Max Klarman have all been running well this season. They will have to work together if they have any shot of taking down the fastest man in the country, however. Pieter might have some familiar company up front, as his teammate, Ryan Fryer, has also been running well this season. His season’s best of 25:12.3 shows he is in shape to run fast. Another big name to be on the lookout for is Purdue’s Luke Linscott. He was the lone runner to break up the Michigan sweep at Little Tens and has the talent to win this meet if Pieter struggles. An interesting name to watch for is freshman Joseph Sigall from Ohio State. He has thrown down the fastest time for the Buckeyes this season and could stick his nose in the front. It took sub 25 to win this race last year, and there are definitely a few guys capable of doing that in this field. This fast course suits most of these top runners well. We are in for a treat to say the least.

Predictions

1. Pieter Heesters - Notre Dame

2. Henry Christiansen - Michigan

3. Luke Linscott - Purdue

4. Ben Clason - Michigan

5. Max Klarman - Michigan

Women

If you want fast, this race will bring the heat. If we were to call a “clear” favorite in this race we would have to give the nod to Laney Alig after her dominant win at Little Tens earlier this year. She’ll have her hands full, however, as there is a whole host of runners who have been running extremely well this year. Charlotte Batra always needs to be in the conversation for top finishes, especially as she finished 4th last year at Nationals. She has been running extremely fast this season and would have picked up the meet win at Spartan Grand Classic had she been directed the right way. Revenge might be on her mind coming into this race. The Ohio State duo of Emerson Greene and Samantha Fobean has been impressive all season long and they head into this weekend with 2 of the fastest times in the region. Having two scorers in the top 5 could be huge for the team race. Purdue also has a duo who could factor in late in the race with Cara Karmolinski and Emily Reeves. These two runners need to come up big for the Boilermakers as the rest of their squad has been a little inconsistent up to this point. We also have a couple of newcomers to NIRCA who could shake up the top pack this weekend. Notre Dame’s Meagan McKenna and Indiana’s Elise Byers are having a stellar debut year as they hope to secure personal and team glory this weekend. This duo already has shown that they can compete at the top. It took just under 24 minutes to win last year, if we had to guess, it will take much faster than that this time around.

Predictions

1. Laney Alig - Michigan

2. Charlotte Batra - Michigan State

3. Samantha Fobean - Ohio State

4. Emerson Greene - Ohio State

5. Meagan McKenna - Notre Dame

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Northeast

The Northeast has been on fire this season. They are usually one of the more prolific regions in terms of regular season head-to-head matchups, so we should have a good idea who the favorites are. But as we have seen in the past, just because a team is the top dog on paper, does not mean they will win come race day. We should be in for a treat in Massachusetts this weekend! All these teams are racing for 6 spots in the Championship Race for both men and women.

Team Race

Men

Firepower or depth, which one wins you cross races? That question could be answered this weekend in the Men’s race. UConn and Northeastern have two of the fastest runners in the region in Colin Slavin and Ted Yee. That being said, Cornell has been running with a very consistent and close 3-5 pack. In a race of 254 athletes, it is crucial to beat as many runners as possible. UConn and Northeastern will be hoping for a maximum of 5 points for their top runner if they want to take home the regional title. Cornell has a pretty good low stick too in Callum Coots, but where this team really shines is in the strength of their pack. The back end of their lineup has consistently been running well and sticking together for the majority of the race. How well they can keep their pack together could be the x-factor for Cornell this weekend. Outside of these top teams, Binghamton, Brown, Boston College, UMass Amherst, Stony Brook, and WPI have all been running well this season. 6 into 3 doesn’t go, so there will be some tight finishes for these teams. Of the teams listed, Boston College is probably the squad sitting the most comfortable as their duo of Ryan Kittredge and Luke Walsh have been running well all season. If the rest of their lineup can close the gap, then they should be able to lock down a spot in the Championship race. 

Predictions

1. Cornell

2. Northeastern

3. UConn

Women

If you’re a fan of packing running, then this might be the race for you. The Boston College women are one of the best pack running teams in the country. They are also undefeated against club teams this season, which can be a big confidence boost heading into the postseason. Northeastern won’t let the Eagles get too far ahead, however, not if Shae Regan and Sadie Beres have anything to say about it. They have been prominent staples at the front of races this season and will need to come up big if Northeastern wants to take home the title. UMass Amherst has been flying under the radar a little but have put together a very solid season so far. Stony Brook, UConn, and Brown have all been running well and should be in contention for the final few spots. One interesting team to consider is Holy Cross. This is the first time we have seen them race with a complete squad. They have 3 runners with times that rank in the Top 15 in the region, if the rest of their squad can match these performances, then this is a very legit squad.

Predictions

1. Boston College

2. Northeastern

3. UMass Amherst

Individual Race

Men

This might be one of the more unpredictable races to call. Colin Slavin (UConn) and Ted Yee (Northeastern) have been tearing it up in the Northeast this season. Ted is the highest placed returner from this meet last year as he finished 2nd behind his teammate, but he is 0/2 against Colin this season from Codfish Bowl and Brown Bear Invitational. He did take a dominant win at the Minuteman Invitational earlier in the year, so he definitely is a force to be reckoned with. Two names that always feature prominently at the front are Ryan Kittredge from Boston College and Callum Coots from Cornell. These two runners have finished a close second to Ted and Colin at earlier meets this year and have continued to run well. Is this weekend finally the time for either of these runners to make the jump and take home the victory?  Last year, only 2 runners qualified out of the Northeast as individuals. The only one still here is Anthony O’Brien of Stony Brook. He has quietly been putting together another very solid year and looks to be a top finisher once again. It could be huge for his team if he can finish Top 5 as they are a bubble team to qualify in the Championship race.   

Predictions

1. Colin Slavin - UConn

2. Ted Yee - Northeastern

3. Callum Coots - Cornell

4. Ryan Kittredge - Boston College

5. Anthony O’Brien - Stony Brook

Women

The individual race, like the team race, looks to be very close and very competitive. Almost all of the top runners at this meet have raced each other at some point earlier in the season, so we should have a decent idea of who will come out on top, right? Right??? If we had to pick someone to call a favorite, look no further than Hayley Norton from UMass. She is 3/3 in Top 2 finishes this season, so she is used to being at the front of races and being the one to push the pace. Finishing right behind Hayley at the Minuteman XC Invitational was Reese Wall (Holy Cross). We haven’t seen Reese since that meet over a month ago, but she certainly left an impression. Her team will be relying on her to score well if they want to snag a qualifying spot. Next up we have the battle of the top team’s duos. Northeastern’s Shae Regan and Sadie Beres are projected to trade off spots with Boston College’s duo of Grace Petrick and Aislinn Smeader. This battle could become very important down the line as Boston College and Northeastern are projected to have a close finish in the team race. This individual race as major team implications as well as personal glory. So let’s find out: who wants it more???

Predictions

1. Hayley Norton - UMass

2. Reese Wall - Holy Cross

3. Grace Petrick - Boston College

4. Shae Regan - Northeastern

5. Aislinn Smeader - Boston College

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Southeast

The Southeast has been one of the up and coming regions as of late. They’re in a weird spot as we have seen some of the teams set to compete quite often throughout the season, whereas others haven’t raced (to our knowledge) at all! This range of race readiness could be the deciding factor. The Southeast will battle it out in Knoxville this weekend for the chance of snagging one of the 8 men’s spots or 7 women’s spots in the Championship race.

Team Race

Men

In most regions, you could argue that there are too few auto bids. This might be one of the few where there are too many. 8 of the 13 teams will qualify out of this region. With the unpredictability of this region, it’s uncertain how many will make the trip to Nationals anyway. That being said, this race features the rebirth of a few teams. One of the big storylines to follow is can Georgia Tech establish themselves as a podium contender? They have lost their top runner, Ansh Parashar, due to injury, but they return Elijah McCauley from injury. Depending on what form Elijah returns in, this is probably a net neutral exchange for the Yellow Jackets. Elijah won this meet last year so it is good to have him back racing. If there’s any sign of weakness, expect North Carolina and NC State to pounce. We haven’t seen the Tar Heels in about a month, but they ran very well on a difficult course to open their season. The Wolfpack, however, are coming off a 3rd place finish at the VCU Invitational just a few weeks ago. Don’t forget about the home team, Tennessee. They have been racing a lot this season and should be ready to roll to defend their home turf. There are a few unfamiliar faces listed that could shake things up. Central Florida and Florida finished 5th and 6th last year, but we have no idea what these teams are capable of this season. The Knights seem to be returning a good number of runners from last year so they could factor in. Another team that we have no idea what to expect from is Wake Forest. It has been a long time since we have seen the Demon Deacons race in NIRCA, but if the success of their varsity team is anything to go off of, then this could be a dangerous team.  

Predictions

1. Georgia Tech

2. UNC

3. NC State

Women

The Northeast might have been the battle of firepower versus pack, but the Southeast will be Old Guard versus New Guard. We have teams like Tennessee, NC State, and UNC who we are used to seeing run the region. Over the last couple years, however, UCF and Florida have been making a name for themselves, especially as they finished 2-3 last year. This year, we have potentially a new shift as Kennesaw State and Clemson are in a very good position to pull off something special. Tennessee is in a good position to defend their home turf, especially after their top runner, Julia Ray, dropped a sub-22 clocking last week. Making her season debut for UNC, 3rd place finisher at Nationals, Abbey Mckee, is finally racing. This addition definitely vaults the Tar Heels into the conversation to take home this title. The Wolfpack finished a very solid 4th at the VCU Invitational behind the top teams in the Mid-Atlantic. They have a very young but talented squad entered this weekend, but they would need a lot to go right for them and a lot to go wrong for others if they are to win this race.  

Predictions

1. Tennessee

2. UNC

3. NC State

Individual Race

Men

If this isn’t a one man race, we will be quite surprised. Diego Santiago-Cardona from Georgia has run the fastest time in the region by over 20 seconds this season. He should be the clear favorite, especially as the 2nd fastest runner, Georgia Tech’s Ansh Parashar is out due to injury. The Bulldogs will definitely be needing Diego to come up big if they want to snag a qualifying spot. Behind Diego, we could be in for a nice battle that has big team race implications. Bradley Mankus (UNC), Guillermo Marquina (Georgia Tech), and Ranson Lester (Tennessee) will all be vying for top spots in this race to help lead their teams to victory. We haven’t seen Bradley since the Cavalier Invitational over a month ago and Guillermo had his first race earlier this month at the Georgia Tech Invitational. This is in stark contrast to Ransom, who has raced 6 times this season. He will be running on his home course, so he might get that extra boost. One person we can’t ignore is Elijah McCauley. This will be his season debut, much like it was last year. Last year it seemed to work out well for him as he would go on to win the region and then finish top 30 at Nationals. Assuming he is in that type of form again, he could definitely be a big impact name for the Yellow Jackets.

Predictions

1. Diego Santiago-Cardona - Georgia

2. Ransom Lester - Tennessee

3. Bradley Mankus - UNC

4. Elijah McCauley - Georgia Tech

5. Guillermo Marquina - Georgia Tech

Women

This has the potential to be a one women race as Julia Ray from Tennessee has the fastest time in the region by over a minute. She could face some unexpected opposition, as Abbey Mckee from UNC is set to make her long anticipated season debut. At her best, she is one of the fastest runners in the country. We could be in for a good showdown if Abbey is in good form. The next group is also shaping up to be a very exciting race. We’ll see the return of Kennesaw State’s Samantha McGarity and Clemson’s Kendall Collier. This freshman duo went 1-2 at the Owl Invitational back in August but are entered this weekend and can make a huge impact on the race. Also going for Kennesaw State is Hallie Baffic. She has run very well this season and has experience running on this course. We can’t talk about the Southeast without mentioning Madison Lanai from UNC Charlotte. She always finds a way to work her way into the top of the Regional races. One name we don’t have results for this year but we do from last year is Taylor Moler from UCF. She finished 13th at Nationals last year. If she is ready to race, she can’t be one to be counted out. Similarly, Georgia’s Eryn Lackey has had a good season so far. She finished 2nd at the Cherokee Farms XC Invitational earlier this year and won the Hokie Invitational as well. There are a lot of names to look out for… 

Predictions

1. Julia Ray - Tennessee

2. Abbey Mckee - UNC

3. Taylor Moler - UCF

4. Hallie Baffic - Kennesaw State

5. Kendall Collier - Clemson

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Pacific

I have a bone to pick with these Pacific teams. Why is this the first meet of the season for so many of these teams??? I get it, your semester only started like last week or something but come on! On a more serious note, this is the largest that the Pacific Region has been in quite some time. There are 9 teams with athletes entered. Most notably, we have a group from Oregon set to race. We haven’t seen the Ducks on the NIRCA scene since 2019. They will be racing against a whole host of California schools for 4 spots on the men’s side and 3 spots on the women’s for the Championship race.

Team Race

Men

There is a lot of uncertainty in this race due to how many teams we do not have information on. One thing we do know is that Cal Poly should have no issue taking home this title. They have been one of the most dominant teams over the last few years and this year is no different. They have a few unexpected entries that could definitely help vault this team to untouchable status. Trying to chase the Mustangs is a very experienced Stanford team. Of their 24 entries, 13 of them are grad students. The Cardinal has the experience to keep it close if everything goes according to plan. Oregon presents an interesting opportunity since they have had 3 different top runners at each of their 3 meets. We also haven’t seen the Ducks race in NIRCA in 5 years. There are also a whole host of UCs entered with UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, and UCLA are all back to racing. This is the largest the Pacific Region has ever been in terms of full teams entered, so we should be in for a treat. There are only 4 spots up for grabs, so it will be a real battle to claim those spots.   

Predictions

1. Cal Poly

2. Stanford

3. Oregon

Women

Of all the regional races, the Pacific women’s race is the smallest with only 53 competitors and only 5 complete teams. There should be a good race between Cal Poly and Stanford, especially if their performances at the Bronco Invitational are anything to go off of. That last spot should be hotly contested between UC Davis and UC Irvine as only 3 teams get the big into the Championship race. It will be a close numbers game as, on paper, these teams are actually well balanced especially through 4 runners. This is a race that really could come down to the 5th runner for each team. One team that could throw the wrench in everyone’s plan is San Francisco, we have no intel on this team so we have no idea what to expect from this squad.

Predictions

1. Cal Poly

2. Stanford

3. UC Davis

Individual Race

Men

This individual race could very well just be a battle of who is Cal Poly’s top guy. Heading into this race, the Mustangs hold 5 of the top 6 times in the region led by their two studs in Tom Bell and Frank Assumma. Then they have other guys like Miles Jones and Tyler Craven who have been running extremely fast this season. One interesting name we noticed on their roster is Nathaniel Federoff. Last year he had the fastest time in the country before transferring out and competing for a local school’s varsity team mid season. Apparently he is back with Cal Poly for the 2nd half of this season. If he is in the form that saw him run sub-25, then he will definitely be a contender in this race. The lone runner who could break up the Cal Poly sweep is Michael Thorburn from Stanford. The Cardinal law student has been around the block a few times but has continued to run well. He’ll have to pull out a top finish in order to bring his team to another Championship race.

Predictions

1. Tom Bell - Cal Poly

2. Frank Assumma - Cal Poly

3. Michael Thorburn - Stanford

4. Miles Jones - Cal Poly

5. Turner Hayes - Cal Poly

Women

We have an unfortunate lack of information when it comes to this race just due to how few races we have seen from this region. As such, these predictions are the ones we are the least confident in. That being said, we are pretty confident we can pick the top 2. Making her NIRCA debut is the Oregon stud, Avery Hackenberg. She has been very impressive out on the west coast for the Ducks and we’re very excited to see what she will do in a NIRCA race. Chasing after her will be a duo from Cal Poly as Delaney Voronin and Lexi Conley have the next 2 fastest times in the region. Stanford has a duo that will be battling it out to claim a top 3 spot in the region. The Cardinal have Carolyn Smith and Juliet Horenziak who both put up fast times at the Bronco Invitational last weekend (along with everyone else who ran the meet…). UC Davis will actually be without their top 2 runners from Bronco Invitational, which puts them in a difficult position as both Tatiana Dorrestein and Maraki Amare have top 10 times in the region. We also could be in for any number of surprises due to our lack of info on half of these runners. 

Predictions

1. Avery Hackenberg - Oregon

2. Delaney Voronin - Cal Poly

3. Lexi Conley - Cal Poly

4. Carolyn Smith - Stanford

5. Lauryn Wojcik - Cal Poly

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If you have made it this far, you’re just as crazy as I am. Thank you for reading all the thoughts of my brain and tolerating the length of these articles :)