2019 XC Nationals: Men’s Individual Preview
November 14th, 2019
No clear favorite and inconsistency will lead to a tight race in Richmond.
Last year, runners from UC-Davis claimed the top two individual places in Lexington. While Jon Horvath and Nathan Kwan will not be competing in Richmond this weekend, another UC, Davis runner looks ready to retain the individual championship, Clancy McConnell. McConnell was 20th overall in Lexington last year and has been having a strong season this year, posting a time of 24:32 in non-NIRCA competition at the Santa Clara Bronco Invite. McConnell won the individual title at the Pacific Regional in 25:33, while teammate James Melkonian finished fifth with a time of 26:32. Melkonian just missed All-American honors in 2018 as he finished 33rd but will be seeking a top 30 finish and those honors this year. Dilpreet Singh of UCLA (25:57) was a clear second at Regionals and should be another contender at the front of the race this weekend in Richmond. Thomas Busse of Cal Poly was tenth at the Pacific Regional, but is an All-American and one of the top returners from 2018 Nationals, tenth overall.
Two of the top three returners from last year are from one of the team title favorites, Purdue University. Matthew Sraders and Conner Sandt placed fourth and seventh at Nationals last year, respectively. The pair ran very well at Regionals where Sraders finished first, 25:35, and Sandt finished third, 25:43, on the back of a strong season where Sandt has finishes of second and third while Sraders has a first and a second place finish. They are ready for strong races again this year at a new NIRCA course in Richmond. Separating those two at the Great Lakes Regional was Paolo Guarano of Michigan State University (25:36) who has been having an incredible season after finishing 98th in Lexington last year but has a first and seventh place finish at NIRCA races this year. Tyler Opdycke from the University of Michigan will be another runner from the Great Lakes region at the front of the race on Saturday. Opdycke did not compete at regionals, but is the second returner from 2018 Nationals, having finished fifth overall. Fellow teammate and All-American Adam Sawicki, 22nd in 2018, was Michigan’s fastest runner at Regionals finishing eighth with a time of 26:02 and will be expected to finish top 30 again this year.
The fastest regional time from the year comes from Joseph Clark of Penn State University, who won the Mid-Atlantic regional title in 24:31, a 15-second victory over second place. Clark was just 130th at Nationals in 2018, but looks ready to run away from the competition in Richmond as his Regional time is fastest time of his NIRCA career. His teammate Andrew Hanna, 39th in 2018, finished fourth at Regionals after a second place finish at the Nittany Lion Invitational. They will look to team up and pace each other in the lead pack. Sam Lebahn of Virginia Tech finished second to Clark at Regionals and this will be Lebahn’s first NIRCA Nationals meet. Lebahn was undefeated in NIRCA competition before finishing second to Clark at regionals, and he will surely be working to turn the tables on Clark this weekend. Third at the Mid-Atlantic regional was Zack Holden of Virginia, 25:10 who will be looking to improve on his 34th place finish from 2018 Nationals.
Binghamton’s Matthew Jacob won the Northeast regional title in 25:39 over Luke Janik from Northeastern, 25:57. Jacob will be looking to break into the top of the field in Richmond after having placed 69th in Lexington last year and a strong performance at the Nittany Lion Invitational where he finished first. Janik returns as a senior this year and hopes to improve on a 40th place finish in 2018 after four consecutive first place finishes in NIRCA competition prior to placing second at Regionals.
Josh Mollway from Illinois was one of the most dominant regional champions, winning the Great Plains title in 26:15, a 36-second victory over his teammate Justin Ostrem. Mollway is the fourth fastest returner from Lexington, where he was an All-American finishing ninth overall while Ostrem was 70th. From the Southeast regional, the top individual contenders come from North Carolina State University. Danny Sodano, 27:33 at 2019 Regionals, 50th overall at 2018 Nationals, and Ethan Frey, 27:34 at 2019 Regionals, took the top two places in their region.
Other runners to watch for:
Alexander Livernois, Indiana
Andrew Hanna, Penn State
Andrew Lent, Maryland
Blake Zufall, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona
Brandon Shepherd, Michigan
James Melkonian, UC, Davis
Jared Reckard, Indiana
Liam Collins, Texas
Mayank Agrawal, Princeton University
Nicholas DeHaven, Cincinnati
Nick Brouch, Indiana
Raymond Friend, Penn State
Ryan Somerfield, Illinois
Samuel Schroeder, George Washington
Prediction:
1st - Joseph Clark, Penn State
2nd - Clancy McConnell, UC, Davis
3rd - Matthew Sraders, Purdue
Highest Returning Finishers from 2018
Matthew Sraders, Purdue University, 4th
Tyler Opdycke, University of Michigan, 5th
Conner Sandt, Purdue University, 7th
Josh Mollway, University of Illinois, 9th
Thomas Busse, California Polytechnic State University, 10th
Samuel Schroeder, George Washington, 11th
Liam Collins, University of Texas - Austin, 15th
Ryan Somerfield, University of Illinois, 17th
Brandon Shepherd, University of Michigan, 18th
Clancy McConnell, University of California, Davis, 20th
NIRCA Men’s National Champion
Year |
Champion |
College/University |
Time |
Course |
2018 |
Jon Horvath |
UC, Davis |
25:08 |
Masterson Station, Lexington, KY |
2017 |
Andreas Lommer |
Iowa State |
25:29 |
Forest Akers Course, East Lansing, MI |
2016 |
Rob Scanlon |
Iowa State |
25:35 |
Parkview XC Course, Hershey, PA |
2015 |
Rob Scanlon |
Iowa State |
24:59 |
Masterson Station, Lexington, KY |
2014 |
Ryan Wells |
Indiana |
25:36 |
Forest Akers Course, East Lansing, MI |
2013 |
Gregory Jantzen |
Virginia |
25:31 |
Parkview XC Course, Hershey, PA |
2012 |
Joey Murray |
Virginia Tech |
25:26 |
Parkview XC Course, Hershey, PA |
2011 |
Andy Weaver |
Delaware |
23:59 |
McAlpine Creek Park, Charlotte, NC |
2010 |
Duriel Hardy |
Michigan-Ann Arbor |
25:24 |
IU XC Course, Bloomington, IN |
2009 |
Andrew Coates |
Michigan-Dearborn |
24:55 |
Eagle Crest Golf Course, Ypsilanti, MI |
2008 |
Matt Flaherty |
Indiana |
26:54* |
Penn State Golf Course, University Park, PA |
2007 |
Keith Laverty |
Oregon |
26:02 |
IU XC Course, Bloomington, IN |
2006 |
Brock Phillips |
North Carolina |
25:44 |
Lock Haven XC Course, Lock Haven, PA |
All-Time Top 25 8k Performances at NIRCA XC Nationals
Ranking |
Runner |
College/University |
Time |
Course |
Year |
1 |
Andy Weaver |
Delaware |
23:59 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
2 |
Wallace Campbell |
Clemson |
24:12 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
3 |
Michael Frigo |
Illinois |
24:27 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
4 |
Janis Teopfer |
Texas |
24:30 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
5 |
Aaron Silver |
Illinois |
24:41 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
6 |
Mason Frank |
Iowa State |
24:44 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
T7 |
Peter Hogenson |
Minnesota |
24:45 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
T7 |
Grant Johnson |
Minnesota |
24:45 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
9 |
Robert McLaughlan |
Oregon |
24:47 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
10 |
Sean Sketch |
Princeton |
24:50 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
11 |
Greg Jantzen |
Virginia |
24:52 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
12 |
Brendan McDonnel |
Illinois |
24:53 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
13 |
Andrew Coates |
Michigan Dearborn |
24:55 |
Eagle Crest Golf Course |
2009 |
14 |
Casey Campbell |
Oregon |
24:57 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
T15 |
Wallace Campbell |
Clemson |
24:59 |
Eagle Crest Golf Course |
2009 |
T15 |
Rob Scanlon |
Iowa State |
24:59 |
Masterson Station Park |
2015 |
T17 |
Ryan Wells |
Indiana |
25:05 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
T17 |
Chris Steenkamer |
Maryland |
25:05 |
Masterson Station Park |
2015 |
19 |
Ryan Jones |
Oregon |
25:06 |
Masterson Station Park |
2015 |
20 |
Colin Zauner |
Minnesota |
25:07 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
21 |
Jon Horvath |
UC, Davis |
25:08 |
Masterson Station Park |
2018 |
T22 |
Kelly Fermoyle |
Penn State |
25:09 |
Eagle Crest Golf Course |
2009 |
T22 |
Aidan Galasso |
Delaware |
25:09 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
24 |
Dan Fadgen |
Purdue |
25:10 |
McAlpine Creek Park |
2011 |
25 |
Avi Bregman |
Michigan |
25:11 |
Masterson Station Park |
2015 |
Written by: Patrick Kenney & Michael Potter
Michael Potter, NIRCA