2022 XC Nationals: Women's Individual Preview
November 10th, 2022
This will be the first NIRCA National race for each Regional Champion, leading to what looks like a wide open race.
While 13 runners return to the 2022 National Championship race with All-American status from 2021, none of those runners won their region. Instead, the top placements in each region (of athletes competing this weekend) belong to runners who did not race in the 2021 National Championship race.
The top returner from 2021 is Anna Nagelhout from Michigan. Although just 10th at the Great Lakes Regional, it would be a surprise to not see Nagelhout fighting at the front of the race on Saturday. Her teammate, Ashley Heidenrich, won the Great Lakes region with a time of 21:56, the fastest of any regional winner. The only runner within a minute of Heidenrich was Shea Aquilano of Notre Dame (22:19, the second fastest performance at any Regional). Expect a strong showing from the Great Lakes region in the individual race this weekend.
The next fastest regional winner was Abbey Mckee (North Carolina, 22:41) who won over Madison Lanai of North Carolina, Charlotte (22:55). Mckee’s teammate Janet Scott rounded out the top 3 from the Southeast region. Scott is also the 3rd fastest returner from 2021, having finished 9th last year. As North Carolina hopes to compete for a team title as well, Mckee and Scott will have to keep things close with Michigan’s top runners.
Charlotte Tysall of Cornell won the Northeast Regional in 23:21 by 12 seconds over Emma Slavin of Connecticut. Neither raced at the 2021 NIRCA National Championships, but will be contenders for this year’s podium.
The Great Plains will be represented by the region’s runner-up, Diane Makovic (Illinois). Makovic’s Regional Championship time of 23:35 indicates a performance that should be competitive with the best of each other region.
Chloe Taylor (Stanford) won the Pacific Regional in 23:30 with a 10-second margin of victory. The next top finisher out of the Pacific Regional that will be competing this weekend is Una Griffith of Cal Poly Distance Club (5th, 24:31).
The Mid-Atlantic Regional was won by Eden Michael (Princeton, 22:42) over Jodi Patterson (Penn State, 22:48). While Michael did not race at last year’s National Championship, Patterson is one of the top returners having finished 17th in Shelbyville. Two of the last three individual National Champions are from the Mid-Atlantic region, so expect Michael and Patterson to be competing for the lead on Saturday.
While Regional times and top returners from 2021 seem to indicate that the Great Lakes region contains a lot of the individual title contenders this year, it is always tricky trying to compare cross country performances from across the country on vastly different courses. Any of the runners listed above have the potential to win this weekend, and it should be an exciting race.
Prediction:
1. Ashley Heidenrich - Michigan
2. Abbey Mckee - North Carolina
3. Shea Aquilano - Notre Dame
Highest Returning Finishers from 2021
Anna Nagelhout, Michigan, 4th
Juliana Dudziak, Boston College, 8th
Janet Scott, North Carolina, 9th
Thea Johnson, Michigan, 11th
Katelyn King, Michigan, 12th
Alyssa Fedorshak, Penn State, 13th
Sophia Grant, Michigan, 14th
Jodi Patterson, Penn State, 17th
Emily Arenas, Notre Dame, 19th
Kathryn McCarthy, Northeastern, 20th
Rose McDonnell, Northeastern, 21st
Diana Liepinya, Maryland, 26th
Sydney Szabos, Virginia Tech, 30th
NIRCA Women’s National Champions
| Year | Champion | College | Time | Course |
2021 | Savannah Carnahan | Princeton | 21:37 | Blue River XC Course, Shelbyville, IN |
2019 | Anna Piccione | Michigan | 21:40 | Pole Green Park, Richmond, VA |
2018 | Suzanne Stein | Penn State | 21:21 | Masterson Station Park, Lexington, KY |
2017 | Katelyn McCracken | Duke | 22:04 | Forest Akers Course, East Lansing, MI |
2016 | Katelyn McCracken | Duke | 22:10 | Parkview XC Course, Hershey, PA |
2015 | Kaitlyn Johnson | Georgetown | 22:00 | Masterson Station Park, Lexington, KY |
2014 | Cara Donohue | Minnesota | 22:24 | Forest Akers Course, East Lansing, MI |
2013 | Betsy Suda | Florida | 22:22 | Parkview XC Course, Hershey, PA |
2012 | Becky Boyle | Indiana | 22:31 | Parkview XC Course, Hershey, PA |
2011 | Betsy Suda | Florida | 21:27 | McAlpine Creek Park, Charlotte, NC |
2010 | Danelle Woods | Illinois | 21:54 | IU XC Course, Bloomington, IN |
2009 | Lauren Philbrook | Penn State | 21:59 | Eagle Crest Golf Course, Ypsilanti, MI |
2008 | Kelsey Armstrong | Clemson | 22:30 | Penn State Golf Course, University Park, PA |
2007 | Jen Laser | Indiana | 23:45 | IU XC Course, Bloomington, IN |
2006 | Ruth Mick | Penn State | 22:35 | Lock Haven XC Course, Lock Haven, PA |
All-Time Top 25 6k Performances at NIRCA XC Nationals
| # | Runner | College/University | Time | Course | Year |
| 1 | Suzanne Stein | Penn State | 21:21 | Masterson State Park | 2018 |
| 2 | Betsy Suda | Florida | 21:27 | McAlpine Creek Park | 2011 |
| 3 | Lucy Hillarides | Purdue | 21:33 | Masterson State Park | 2018 |
| 4 | Savannah Carnahan | Princeton | 21:37 | Blue River XC Course | 2021 |
| 5 | Lauren Orr | Purdue | 21:39 | Masterson State Park | 2018 |
| 6 | Anna Piccione | Michigan | 21:40 | Pole Green Park | 2019 |
| 7 | Becky Boyle | Indiana | 21:42 | McAlpine Creek Park | 2011 |
| 8 | Clare Peters | North Carolina State | 21:48 | Blue River XC Course | 2021 |
| 9 | Suzanne Stein | Penn State | 21:49 | Pole Green Park | 2019 |
| 10 | Danelle Woods | Illinois | 21:54 | Indiana XC Course | 2010 |
| 11 | Audrey Ladd | Michigan | 21:55 | Pole Green Park | 2019 |
| T12 | Lauren Jenkins | Michigan | 21:58 | Blue River XC Course | 2021 |
| T12 | Charlotte Etienne | Michigan State | 21:58 | Pole Green Park | 2019 |
| 14 | Lauren Philbrook | Penn State | 21:59 | Eagle Crest Golf Course | 2009 |
| T15 | Kaitlyn Johnson | Georgetown | 22:00 | Masterson Station Park | 2018 |
| T15 | Anna Piccione | Michigan | 22:00 | Masterson Station Park | 2018 |
| T15 | Anna Norman | UT-Austin | 22:00 | Pole Green Park | 2019 |
| T15 | Elizabeth Buckley | Virginia Tech | 22:00 | Pole Green Park | 2019 |
| T19 | Cassi Knight | Penn State | 22:04 | Indiana XC Course | 2010 |
| T19 | Katelyn McCracken | Duke | 22:04 | Forest Akers Golf Course | 2017 |
| 21 | Emma Keesling | Purdue | 22:06 | Pole Green Park | 2019 |
| T22 | Anna Nagelhout | Michigan | 22:08 | Blue River XC Course | 2021 |
| T22 | Charlotte Etienne | Michigan State | 22:08 | Masterson Station Park | 2018 |
| 24 | Christina LaRitz | Boston College | 22:09 | Masterson Station Park | 2018 |
| T25 | Katelyn McCracken | Duke | 22:10 | Hershey Parkview Course | 2016 |
| T25 | Nicole Ticea | Stanford | 22:10 | Masterson Station Park | 2018 |
Patrick Kenney, NIRCA