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/
