Podium Dark Horses
No. 5 Ranked Southern Indiana
Region: 2nd at Midwest
Conference: 1st at GLVC
2016 NCAAs: 13th
How They Will Make The Podium: The Screaming Eagles haven't made the NCAA podium in 35 years, but perhaps this experienced group running on their home course will be the USI squad to finally get it done. Southern Indiana will likely need at least two of the trio of Bastian Grau, Cain Parker, and Austin Nolan to finish as All-Americans to end their drought, and although none of those men have done it before, each seems capable.
Seniors Grau and Parker both finished top 10 at the Midwest regional, while Nolan beat both of them to win the conference title on October 21. USI's ceiling is likely limited to fourth considering the talent above them, but the squad from Evansville would surely be thrilled with that outcome as they host NCAAs.
Region: 2nd at West
Conference: 1st at Pac West
2016 NCAAs: 15th
How They Will Make The Podium: The Lancers have one of the better freshmen in the country this season in McMarshall Hartzenburg, who has finished top three in every race he's run. He may not finish that high on Saturday, but Cal Baptist will need their freshman to be excellent for them to have any shot at the podium.
CBU beat Southern Indiana earlier in the season, so they should at least have confidence that they're knocking on the door. But the Lancers' best-ever finish at nationals came last November when they placed 15th, so top four just might be a reach. Still, there's no doubt Cal Baptist is significantly better than they were a year ago: junior Jayden Emerson, who 86th and CBU's No. 2 man at NCAAs in 2016, wasn't even in the team's top five at regionals.
But in order to earn a trophy, this team will need to find a way to beat Chico State -- a squad that soundly beat them at regionals.
Conference: 1st at GLVC
2016 NCAAs: 13th
How They Will Make The Podium: The Screaming Eagles haven't made the NCAA podium in 35 years, but perhaps this experienced group running on their home course will be the USI squad to finally get it done. Southern Indiana will likely need at least two of the trio of Bastian Grau, Cain Parker, and Austin Nolan to finish as All-Americans to end their drought, and although none of those men have done it before, each seems capable.
Seniors Grau and Parker both finished top 10 at the Midwest regional, while Nolan beat both of them to win the conference title on October 21. USI's ceiling is likely limited to fourth considering the talent above them, but the squad from Evansville would surely be thrilled with that outcome as they host NCAAs.
No. 6 Ranked Cal Baptist
Region: 2nd at West
Conference: 1st at Pac West
2016 NCAAs: 15th
How They Will Make The Podium: The Lancers have one of the better freshmen in the country this season in McMarshall Hartzenburg, who has finished top three in every race he's run. He may not finish that high on Saturday, but Cal Baptist will need their freshman to be excellent for them to have any shot at the podium.
CBU beat Southern Indiana earlier in the season, so they should at least have confidence that they're knocking on the door. But the Lancers' best-ever finish at nationals came last November when they placed 15th, so top four just might be a reach. Still, there's no doubt Cal Baptist is significantly better than they were a year ago: junior Jayden Emerson, who 86th and CBU's No. 2 man at NCAAs in 2016, wasn't even in the team's top five at regionals.
But in order to earn a trophy, this team will need to find a way to beat Chico State -- a squad that soundly beat them at regionals.
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