Analysis of the 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll by Mike Scott, University of Rhode Island Updated: September 30
For the sixth consecutive year, I am analyzing the Women's Division I Coaches' Poll. Teams are listed according to their ranking in the current edition of the FinishLynx/NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL POLL, as conducted by the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches' Association. The complete version of this analysis may be found at: http://miscott.home.att.net/wxcanal Places listed in parentheses refer to finish at the 2001 NCAA D-1 XC Championships at Furman University, unless otherwise noted. Performances are from the 2001-02 year, unless otherwise noted. Performances at the Foot Locker High School Cross Country Championships are denoted by "FL". As always, I appreciate additions, corrections, and updates. Please send them to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Weekend Roundup: What a weekend! This was one of the most competitive opening weekend (of the portion of the season that counts for at large qualifying) in recent memory. What was even more interesting was the number of teams that sat out runners this weekend at a number of meets The weekend kicked off with BYU dominating an outstanding field at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Charlotte, NC. BYU, which sat out at almost as many potential top seven runners as they raced, scored 50 points -- 105 points ahead of runner up Columbia -- yes, you heard me right, Columbia claimed runner-up honors. BYU's margin would have been even greater had "B" race winner Katie Martin raced in the seeded race -- Martin would have been their 5th runner in 8th place, giving the Cougars a miserly 26 points (yeah, they would have beaten the entire rest of the field COMBINED). Columbia -- which didn't even have a perfect day as All-American Caitlan Hickin could only muster a 28th-place finish -- edged NC State (running without NCAA 10k champ Kristen Price). North Carolina edged Arkansas for 4th, while Georgetown (missing three potential scorers) finished 6th ahead of Virginia and Northern Arizona. Also of note also was Duke's 12th-place finish; the Blue Devils split their team, with 1/2 racing Great American and 1/2 racing Stanford. Both of Duke's squads could be considered "A" teams under the NCAA's criteria (3 or more runners that race for the team at regionals), thus giving teams at both races -- like Northern Arizona, Colorado State, Virginia, William & Mary, James Madison, and maybe even Columbia -- some important wins over a potential auto qualifier. Stanford swept both the long and short course titles at its own Stanford Invite, downing Duke, UCLA, and Wisconsin at 6k and Wisconsin and Purdue at 4k. Michigan State cruised to a comfortable win at the Roy Griak Invitational over surprising Arizona State and Providence. Marquette claimed 4th ahead of Indiana and Toledo, while Weber State finished 7th. At the Iona Meet of Champions, Missouri upset Wake Forest for the win. D-II power Adams State claimed the bronze ahead of Dartmouth and Yale, with Cornell finishing 7th. Weekly Preview: Despite all of last week's action, there are several good meets coming up this weekend. Stanford and Notre Dame face off at the 10/4 Notre Dame Invitational, as well as Indiana, Ball State, Purdue, and Washington. Colorado debuts at it's own 10/5 Rocky Mountain Shootout. Boston College, Arkansas, Michigan, Villanova, and Colorado State travel to Terre Haute for the 10/5 Indiana State Invitational (aka, NCAA Preview #1). Arizona State hosts Northern Arizona. Georgetown and SW Missouri gather at the 10/5 Cowboy Jamboree, while Marquette and Texas A&M race at the 10/5 Murray Keating, and Missouri races at the 10/5 Loyola Lakefront Invite. TOP THIRTY TEAMS: 1. Brigham Young Patrick Shane's BYU Cougars have won three NCAA crowns in the last five years (97-99-01). BYU would appear to be in the driver's seat to win it all, returning five of their seven -- a quintet that would have won last year's meet by a large margin. Last year's individual fifth-placer finisher Michaela Manova stepped it up in during track to win the steeple in an NCAA record and should be considered an individual contender, while teammate Jessie Kindschi claimed 7th. Lindsey Thomsen and Nan (nee Evans) Kennard finished 23rd and 36th in 2001. Their fifth returnee, Amy Bair, finished 45th last year -- and the Cougars add a sub-34:00 10k runner in Devra Vierkant, a 34:32 10k performer in Kristen Ogden, a 10:28 steepler in Breanne Sandberg, and the junior national 1500 champ Kassi Anderson. Redshirt frosh Breanne Sandberg, a 10:28 steepler last spring), led the Cougars at the 9/14 BYU Autumn Classic as Coach Shane held out his top five. Great American showed the BYU can run only half their potential top seven and still dominate one of the deepest fields in recent memory. Surprising Kassi Anderson was BYU's top finisher, a mere 9 seconds behind UNC's Shalane Flanagan. Manova was just behind, with Sandberg and Kennard also finishing in the top 7. Running "B" race winner Katie Martin in the seeded race would have netted the Cougars an individual 8th-place too -- and an amazing 26 points. However, BYU settled for a mere 105-point margin of victory. Among those not racing at Great American were NCAA scorers Kindschi and Thomsen, as well as potential scorer Viekant. BYU looks impressive early -- now the question remains whether they can be rated tops in the only poll that matters -- the NCAA championships team scores on November 25! Coach Shane was quoted as saying "I hoped we wouldn't be so dominant because I don't like to be ranked first." Meets: 10/19 Pre-NCAAs, 11/1 MW Conf (BYU), 11/16 Mtn Reg (NMex) Returnees: Michaela Manova (5th, 148th '00; 9:18.49i, 9:45.94 s/c; steeplechase champ; 8th ind 3k), Jessie Kindschi (7th, 28th '00 D-2; 34:32.48), Lindsey Thomsen (23rd, 150th '00; 16:16.47; 33:58.20; 8th ind 5k; 16th 10k), Nan (nee Evans) Kennard (36th, 152nd '00; 10:14.16s/c), Amy Bair (45th), Kassi Anderson (WXC, 4:18.04, 1st USA Jr 1500), Devra Vierkant (16:16.97; 33:56.02), Breanne Sandberg (10:28.87s/c), Kristen Ogden (34:32.28), Not returning -- Sarah Taylor (24th, 94th '00, 55th '98), Newcomer: Shalice Pugmire (4:56.62y) Mike Scott Vice Chair/Secretary, USATF Cross Country Council Clubs Coordinator, Team USA Distance Running Coordinator, CanAm High Performance Distance Circuit [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://miscott.home.att.net/