SEC And Big 12 Action Highlight NCAA Conference XC Championship Weekend
SEC And Big 12 Action Highlight NCAA Conference XC Championship Weekend
The SEC and Big 12 will be the top conference championships to watch this weekend, along with the Big 10, ACC, and Pac-12
After an exhilarating regular season that's included action-packed racing and shocking upsets, we're entering the point of the season where results become incredibly more serious.
From up north in Seattle, Washington and the Pac-12 finale, over to South Carolina for an important ACC championship, there is plenty of great action in store for Friday and Saturday.
Here's what you can expect at each Power Five conference championship.
Badger Men and Women Searching For 51st and 14th Big 10 Titles
Even with the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course being the venue of choice for the Big 10 Championships, Michigan State beats out Wisconsin as the favorites for the women's title, primarily because Katie Osika and Makenna Veen are the Spartans' 1-2 punch.
Last time in Madison at the Nuttycombe Invite, the pair finished 27th and 32nd, respectively, running 20:30 and 20:34 to lead the Spartans to a ninth-place finish. In its recent matchup with the Badgers, Michigan State had roughly 80 points of separation, but a smaller field may close that gap.
Leane Willemse is the frontrunner for Wisconsin, and she is their best chance to break up the Spartan duo. If Wisconsin's 2-5 runners can close the gap on Willemse, it has a chance to defend its home turf. After its breakout season a year ago, Ohio State is a sleeper pick to win the crown, led by individual contenders Addie Engel and Daniella Santos.
The team's top three is incredibly solid, but the gap between the Buckeye's third and fifth runner may be what gives Michigan State and Wisconsin enough time to make up ground. The individual battle will again be primarily between Engel of Ohio State and Michigan State's Osika, just like last year.
The Wisconsin men have won 50 Big 10 crowns in their history, only two less than the rest of the Big 10 combined. For the last five years, Wisconsin has held off the conference, with Michigan being the last program to upend the Big 10 powerhouse.
Right now, Michigan is trending up while Wisconsin is trending downward, at least far as its most recent result at Nuttycombe is concerned. Led by the second-best Tom Brady to ever come out of Michigan, the Wolverines posted a 24-second spread among their scoring runners, more than enough to comfortably beat Wisconsin on its home course.
However, the Badgers did race without two-time defending Big 10 champion Bob Liking. With his status unsure, the door is wide open for Michigan to win its 12th title and its first since 2017.
If Liking is absent, expect the 2022 runner-up Jackson Sharp to take his place at the front, especially following his fifth-place finish at Nuttycombe in 23:26, which was a new lifetime best.
Valby, Gator Women Looking For First Title Since 2012
Just a few weeks ago at the Nuttycombe Invitational, Florida's Parker Valby executed her race strategy to precision, upsetting the defending NCAA champion Katelyn Tuohy in dominant fashion.
This Friday, Valby is aiming to stay perfect on the year and carry on the momentum she garnered in Madison. However, for the first time in a while, the Gators aren't just looking for an individual title. The new-look program with former Alabama coach Will Palmer at the helm immediately shifted to a podium contender after their summer influx of All-American transfers. After their performance at Nuttycombe, fully expect the Gators to be the team to beat this week.
However, even with Florida reaching this new level, the Razorback women, who have dominated the SEC since its inception, will look to keep the hardware. A few weeks back at Panorama Farms, Arkansas finished runner-up behind BYU, as true freshman Paityn Noe led the squad for the second consecutive meet, as they put three in the top-fifteen.
Additionally, it would be ignorant to ignore the potential of the Alabama women, who are right in the thick of it, and can be even more potent if they can lower their spread.
On the men's side, it's all Arkansas, especially after their stellar racing in Virginia. Led by their national title contender Ben Shearer, it'll be tough to get in the way of the historic program capturing their 28th SEC title, and 11th since 2010. However, the Crimson Tide are quietly creeping up on the Razorbacks, and a stellar day from their 1-2 punch of Hillary Cheruiyot and Victor Kiprop could be just what the defending champions need to light a fire and go back-to-back.
BYU Planning On Shaking Up Big 12
For years, it seems as if Oklahoma State and Iowa State have controlled the Big 12. Since the Buffaloes left for the Pac-12 in 2011, either Oklahoma State or Iowa State has won the title on both the men and women's side.
Starting on Saturday, the BYU men and women are here to stay. In fact, this will be the first time since 2014 that a team not from Provo, Utah will win either the men or women's title. The addition of the Cougars is set to pose a challenge for rest of the Big 12, with both the men's and women's team having won a national title within the last four years.
On the women's side, it's the tale of two teams, as BYU and Oklahoma State are the two top teams to watch. Diljeet Taylor's squad is still riding the wave after a dominant performance at Pre-Nats, where Carmen Alder (19:36) led the team to a team title, and a dominant one at that. While Alder picked up the dub, Jenna Hutchins, Aubrey Frentheway, Lexy Halladay-Lowry and Riley Chamberlain went 5-7-9-10.
The Cowgirls, who haven't raced since September 23, are looking to make a statement ahead of regionals, and they get to add three-time cross country All-American and indoor national champion Taylor Roe into the fold.
For the men, Oklahoma State is looking for its fourth straight title. Last month, Denis Kipngetich and Brian Musau went 1-2 at the Cowboy Jamboree, with Victor Shitsama close behind in fourth.
Unfortunately, Ed Eyestone's crew will not see multiple time All-American Casey Clinger join the squad this Saturday, but two runner-up finishes to NAU at both their meets this fall provide more than enough evidence that BYU is still a contender despite his absence.
Additionally, don't sleep on Texas in its last go-around at Big 12s, as the No. 6 team in the country has the components to put together an upset bid, with Devin Hart leading the way in burnt orange.
Individually, Iowa State's Said Mechaal, and Kansas superstar Chandler Gibbens are two names to monitor.
Tuohy and NC State Set To Get Back On Track
After a strange day for the Wolfpack in Madison, the back-to-back champions have an opportunity to right the ship. Even in the midst of Northern Arizona's upset, NC State still dominated the rest of the field, including Notre Dame, their primary competition this weekend in South Carolina.
Obviously, Katelyn Tuohy and Kelsey Chmiel are the favorites to go 1-2. In addition to the team's low-stick duo, underclassmen duo Leah Stephens Grace Hartman will play key roles in their first ACC championships on the grass. Also of note: Amaris Tyynismaa. The Alabama transfer is still awaiting to make her cross country debut.
Behind NC State are two top-ten teams in Notre Dame (No. 8) and Virginia (No. 10). The Fighting Irish are led by 3,000m steeplechase national champion Olivia Markezich, who sports a 19:29 personal best and was the first non-Wolfpack finisher in last year's edition.
Since 2013, either Syracuse or Notre Dame has claimed the men's title, and the jump that the Orange have made this fall make them the favorites heading in. Their senior duo of Perry Mackinnon and Paul O'Donnell will be tough to match for the field, unless you're North Carolina, with Parker Wolfe and Alex Phillip both beating the Syracuse pair most recently at Nuttycombe. Don't forget about Notre Dame, who's top three of Joshua Methner, Ethan Coleman and Carter Solomon posted a measly ten second spread between the three.
Both Virginia and Wake Forest will be in the mix themselves, as young guns Gary Martin and Rocky Hansen look to lead their teams to a podium finish, and potentially an individual title as well.
Stanford, Colorado Look To Win Final Pac-12 Titles
In what is most likely the final year of the Pac-12, there are a handful of interesting storylines set to take the forefront in Seattle this weekend.
The Stanford women come into the conference slated as the fifth-ranked team in the nation, and that's without star freshman Irene Riggs having yet to compete in her first season. Like most of the ranked teams, the Cardinal took their talents to the Nuttycombe Invitational earlier this month, as it took just 42 seconds for their scoring to come to an end. If Stanford does what many are expecting, it would lift its 18th Pac-12 title in the air, which would be eight more than Oregon, which has 10.
Both Oregon State and in-state foe Oregon are both in the hunt as well, while Kaylee Mitchell leads the way for the Beavers following a fifth-place finish at Nuttycombe and a 19:37 in Virginia just a few weeks prior.
The Buffaloes come in leading the charge on the men's side, as Isaiah Givens is their top guy so far this season. Givens ran 23:54 at Nuttycombe, with the team finishing seventh, beating a plethora of ranked programs in the process.
The Cardinal (ranked No. 25) have had a very un-Stanford like first couple of weeks, finishing ninth and 20th at the Virginia Invitational and Nuttycombe, ultimately dropping 21 spots since the pre-season rankings.
For Jerry Schumacher and the Ducks, it's Quincy Norman in front, after running 23:41 at the Bill Dellinger Invitational. It's widely known that the Ducks have a lot of young weapons, but its unknown at the moment if the red-shirt will be ripped off this fall or not. With the mid-distance powerhouse that Washington has built on the track, everyone is eager to see if Joe Waskom and Nathan Green will join the young Husky lineup in their chase for the title.
There are a lot important aspects of the upcoming conference weekend to watch out for as the nation's best get one final tune-up ahead of next month's regional racing.
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Here's some helpful information if you want to follow along to any of the Power Five conference championship.
Big 10 -- Live Results & B1G+ Live Stream
SEC -- Live Results & SEC Network Live Stream
Big 12 -- Live Results & ESPN+ Live Stream
ACC -- Live Results & ESPN Live Stream
Pac-12 -- Live Results & Pac-12 Network Live Stream