October is here (well, almost)
“We had to invite suffering if we wanted to get faster. Setting a PR one week might mean we could do it the next, each competition an opportunity to lay down new slow-twitch muscle fibers and build anaerobic lung capacity; to overcome the mighty tricks the mind deployed to make a girl want to quit.” -Stephanie Reents, “We Loved to Run”
It’s officially fall, which means that cross country season is in full-throttle. If you haven’t yet, check out Amherst grad Stephanie Reents’s new book, “We Loved to Run,” and listen to her talk about it on the podcast.
I just finished it and must say it was the perfect read for cross country season. As someone living in my D3 XC Glory Days, it stirred up a ton of memories about navigating the female athlete experience on a women’s sports team, the power of camaraderie during tough and traumatic times, and yes, the slow burn of a 3+ mile race through grassy turns.
Also, be sure to get your official D3GD hats while supplies last! Buying one and wearing it to nationals guarantees you a high five from a D3GD staff member.
Though it’s still early in the season, D3 teams all over the country have taken to the course equipped with season goals and big summer training. Each race in September sets teams up for the latter half of the season when bids to the national meet are on the line. Here’s what’s happened so far and who looks to be the early favorites in late September.
Women’s Analysis
The last time MIT women took to the course, they showed undisputed dominance. With three athletes finishing as All-Americans and the remaining four just outside of the top 40, the Engineers return a loaded team that includes all of its 2024 national squad except for one. Two weekends ago, we saw them back in action at the Cardinal Invitational for the first time since nationals, and it’s safe to say they will be bringing back their dominance in 2025.
With a 22-point finish to runner-up Coast Guard’s 88 points, MIT showed off a 48-second spread. They were led by Kate Sanderson, last year’s 16th-place cross country All-American and fourth-place outdoor 10k All-American, and someone who could land in the nation’s top-ten come November. We will see the Engineers back in action next week when they face some of the best teams across all divisions at Paul Short.
Though MIT took the top of the podium last year, the rest of the podium teams will also bring back strong squads to contend for top team in 2025. Runners-up UChicago just boasted a strong showing at Gil Dodds where they swept first through fourth place and had a 62-second spread from one to five. Most impressively, their scoring team was end-capped by two freshmen: Katja Dunayevich took the overall win in a stunning 21:38, and Alexandra Lohse took seventh overall to round out a 17-point team score. With four freshmen in the top 15 of this race, this is a team loaded with young talent.
Another team with a young but impressive roster is that of Williams. Last year, freshman Kate Tuttle stunned the nation with her eighth place and top XC freshman finish, and she returns this year alongside fellow 2024 XC All-Americans Tamar Byl-Brann and Kate Swann as well as national squad members Charlene Peng, Jordan Liss-Riordan, and Lily Yampolsky. The Ephs are so far undefeated across three meets already this year, and their spread has not exceeded 21 seconds, a pretty tight pack to beat. As they move into the heart of the season, keeping this spread close will be the key to their success.
Niagara region favorites in the metro area NYU will also bring back a star-studded team, returning all but one from last year’s national squad of Janie Cooper, Lucy Gott, Josephine Dziedzic, Daniela Sekhar, Olivia Jackson, and Kate Cochran (who will run as a redshirt this year). Plug in 1500-meter national qualifier Stella Kuttner and XC national qualifier while at Emory Ashlyn Pallotta, and the Violets will be just as strong if not significantly stronger than they were last year. Slow to show all their cards just yet, they took the last two weekends off and have kept their early racing schedule light thus far.
We’ve said it before and we will say it again because it bears repeating: never count out Johns Hopkins. They beat D1 Maryland to win outright in their season opener and were third of ten teams at the multi-division Virginia Invitational three weekends ago. Led by freshman Mia Kotler, the Blue Jays have a young team with tons of potential. They return Carter Brotherton and Sydney Shock from last year’s national roster, as well as Storrie Kulynych-Irvin, Bella Stenhouse, and Eleni Alvarez, who took top-30 at Virginia. Historically in the hot section at Paul Short, look to see how they stack up against top teams when they travel to Lehigh next week.
Another rising team to watch is that of CMS, who traveled cross-country to South Carolina for Pre-Nats two weekends ago to take an easy victory in 22 points with a 24-second spread. Their returning national squad of Riley Capuano (18th last year), Sadie Drucker (61st), Revere Schmidt (129th), and the young talents Olivia Backholm, Sally Gaskell, and Olivia Smith are back in action after what was likely a disappointing 11th-place finish last year. Add to the mix Elle Marsyla, 2023 XC All-American who took a year and a half off but is back in peak form, and the Athenas have all the pieces to be a big threat this year. They just placed fourth overall at UC-Riverside amidst D1 talent, led by Capuano (10th) and Marsyla (18th), and placed all of their scorers in the top 35 with an impressive 19-second 1-5 split. A pack time like this could be lethal on the right day.
Last year, Wilmington’s Faith Duncan was the clear favorite for the individual crown. With Duncan having now moved on to post-collegiate competition in triathlons, and track distance standout Penelope Greene having moved on as well, the 2025 women’s title is wide open. Could it be reserved for Haley Schoenegge, the Vassar standout and two-time 1500-meter national champion? Schoenegge took runner-up last year and has had a modest start to her season so far this year. She took third at home in her opener and tenth at Pre-Nats behind an entire CMS line-up. Schoenegge has the resume to prove she’s one of the best, however, and does not need to necessarily back it up with early-season wins.
The Mideast seems to have a monopoly on talent, as the three top returners all represent this region in Schoenegge, RPI’s Jules Bleskoski, and Middlebury’s Audrey MacLean. Bleskoski just placed fifth at Vassar behind Schoenegge and her Vassar teammate Adelaide Nyhan, as well as Williams duo Tuttle and Morgan Eigel. MacLean opened her season with a third place finish at Aldrich Invitational at what appears to be a tempo effort and followed it up two weekends ago with a victory at Ronald C. Hoffmann. With such steep competition within the same region all year, it will be key for these standouts not to burn out too early, so don’t be surprised to see them not winning every race they run yet.
Other top-ten finishers from last year to watch for this year are Carleton’s Hannah Preisser, who is undefeated in races up north so far, having won her opener by over 20 seconds. Preisser has to be the most experienced in the field, having placed no higher than 15th in all three XC national meets in which she has raced. In fact, she’s placed better every year; 15th as a freshman, 14th as a sophomore, and 7th as a junior. Could senior year be the year Preisser takes her crown? An All-American finish in any position will make Preisser one of just 16 athletes in women’s history to capture four All-American honors in their careers.
Washington and Lee’s Olivia Warr is another to watch out for. Last year’s national meet marked a breakout race for the sophomore, who has proved to be an ace on the cross country course with her ninth place finish. So far this year, she won a near-by 4k against several D1 runners. Though nobody has any clue what a 4k time means, it’s clear from Warr’s victory that she returns sharp and ready this season.
Other rising stars emerging this season include Illinois Wesleyan’s Adriana Crabtree, the seventh-place steeple All-American who just won Pre-Nats, Sophie Bull, the steeple national champion who took fourth at George Dales amidst D1 talent, and Concordia (Wisc.)’s Ainara Sainz de Rozas, the two-time outdoor distance All-American last spring who opened her season with a victory at St. Norbert.
Men’s Analysis
UW-La Crosse posted the most dominant team victory D3 has seen in recent years when they beat runners-up Wartburg by 96 points last year. They return a stacked roster that includes everyone from their 2024 national squad except their seventh scorer, Corey Fairchild.
If you could make a cross country dream team, this team might be it: Joey Sullivan, steeplechase national champion; Adam Loenser, steeplechase national runner-up; Grant Matthai, indoor 5k national champion; Aidan Matthai, fifth place XC All-American; Jayden Zywicki, All-American in three different events from the mile to steeplechase to cross country. Add additional depth from 2024 national qualifier Chuck Vater and new freshman Declan Gregg, younger brother of D3 distance standout Ethan Gregg, and this is certainly an all-star team. Though yet to run at full effort in a race this season, keep an eye on results from Notre Dame next weekend to see just what this squad is capable of.
Photo by Jen Reagan
Wartburg will also return a star-studded lineup and could be the best shot at giving La Crosse a scare. Led by two-time steeple All-American and 37th-place XC All-American in 2024 Lance Sobaski, you’ll recognize names like 2024 10k National Runner-Up Tyler Schermerhorn, ninth place XC All-American in 2024 Isaiah Hammerand, and five-time national qualifier Jack Kinzer. Eli Larson also returns with some extra fire after missing All-American last year by one spot. Look for Sobaski, Hammerand, and Schermerhorn up front in the individual battle. The Knights flashed their cards a few weeks ago at the Redbird Invitational where they posted a nearly perfect score of 16. Sophomore Ayden Buchanan appeared to have a great summer of training, finishing as their number two, just one second off of Sobaski. As we move into the heart of the season, we will see this squad again at home this weekend and again at Augustana during interregional weekend to see how they stack up against the rest of the nation.
Photo by Jen Reagan
A team not necessarily on the radar last year that has already made a splash in 2025 is that of Johns Hopkins. Though a strong team takes five solid scorers, having a frontrunner surely helps. There aren’t many frontrunners in the nation stronger than Emmanuel Leblond. Leblond impressed a few weeks ago at the Virginia Invitational where he placed third overall to break up Virginia’s near-perfect score in a sub-24 time of 23:58. He landed amidst several D1 13:3x 5kers. Behind Leblond, the Blue Jays placed six in the top 30 and had a spread of 78 seconds. To really do some damage, they will have to get their scorers as close to Leblond as possible, but they show promise with their squad of Brady Ott, Nash Minor, Rowan Cassidy, and Anthony Clark. Catch them in Paul Short next, where rankings will start to get interesting, and keep an eye on Leblond, who is a strong contender for the national title.
SUNY Geneseo might be playing tricks on us this early in the season. They finished two spots out of podium position last year, but have a sneakily stacked roster of runners who have delayed the start to their seasons. They return strong performers in Pierce Young and Ryan Hagan from last year’s national squad, and though they have some holes to fill losing 10k national runner-up Charlie Wilson and 17th-place All-American Alex Hillyard, they seem to have promise in rising young talents Collin Brown and Ian Zehnder, who have led the team early on this season. Don’t forget 8:54 steepler Emerson Comer, 8:27 3ker Mike Taranto, and 14:25 5ker Anson Butler, the former two of whom took the starting line for the first time this season, easily contributing to the Knights’ 28-44 victory over D2 program Findlay. Known for peaking at the right time, perhaps from starting racing later in the season, SUNY Geneseo is a team to watch out for.
Pomona-Pitzer might be in a bit of a rebuilding year after they lose all members from last year’s third place team except Jack Stein and Jefferson Wright. The Sagehens have big shoes to fill without Cameron Hatler and Quinn White, who finished eighth and 11th last year, respectively, but if there’s one thing this program has shown it can do really well, it’s develop athletes. Stein returns in peak form and will be a strong new low stick. He just placed sixth overall amidst D1 talent at UC-Riverside in 23:45, 49 seconds faster than he ran on this same course last year and 13 seconds faster than eventual top-10 finisher Hatler finished last year. With a performance like that, Stein could be one to watch contend for the crown. Wright also saw 30 seconds of improvement, running the same time Stein ran on this course last year, indicating he might be on a similar projection. Less than 15 seconds behind Wright, the trio of Peter Neid, Amir Barkan, and Owen Irving made up a tight pack of scorers with just four seconds between them for a total 1-5 spread of 62 seconds. If this crew can significantly close the gap between Stein and Wright, the Sagehens have a better shot at replicating a podium finish. Most importantly, though, they got to return to Claremont with a significant victory over SCIAC rivals CMS.
Other teams to watch include last year’s third place team Pomona-Pitzer, Pre-Nats champions North Central, and Massachusetts-based standouts Tufts and Williams, who just had an epic duel at Purple Valley that saw Tufts on top. We will see a rematch between these two this weekend at Keene State, which will have a much larger field. The fight for a podium finish will be tough.
Whitewater legend Christian Patzka has finally moved on from D3 after a fruitful career that saw him finishing All-American four years in a row, including two runner-up finishes and one national title, which came his senior year like icing on a cake. Behind him were five juniors who will now contend in their senior seasons, and the men’s title could go to any one of them.
The returning favorite is none other than Augsburg’s Mo Bati, who appeared like he could win last year until a tactical Patzka ran him down in Terre Haute’s gruelingly long straightaway. A memory that has likely stuck with him, Bati will be determined to transform his heartache into a national title. He’s undefeated in his first two meets of the season, having won his opener by almost a full minute. Like the Mideast women, the North men’s regional championship might as well be a national preview for top finishers. Bati appears to be staying in the north this season and we will see where he stacks up against several notable WIAC competitors at the Blugold Invitational in early October.
The other storyline fans are rabid to follow this year is that of the Nathan Tassey revenge tour. After a tragic and controversial disqualification in the outdoor 10k for multiple steps inside the rail in the race’s final 200 meters en route to what he thought was his first national title, the Roger Williams star reflected that he was proud of running his perfect race. Tassey clearly possesses the talent to repeat a national victory, and with a little bit of fire under him from Tasseygate 2025, he may just win the whole darn thing again.
The double threat to both Bati and Tassey comes from the Matthai brothers of UWL, who took third (Grant) and fifth (Aidan) last year on either side of Tassey’s fourth place finish. Knowing they can work well together and that another team title is on the line, watch for these two to use some Matthai Magic™ all season long, especially come November.
Other men’s athletes to keep an eye out for this season are North Central’s BJ Sorg, who just won Pre-Nats; third place All-American in the 10k Isaac vanWestrienen of Cornell College, and wild cards St. Olaf’s Kevin Turlington, who just finished 5 seconds back from Bati, and Whitewater’s Dan Anderson, who will look to lead the Warhawk’s podium team from last fall.
Look for rankings and all-we-thought-we-knew about teams and individuals to completely stand on its head this coming weekend. Between Paul Short, Joe Piane, Blugold Invitational, Louisville Classic, and more, make room in your browsers for several results tabs.
