13) Larkin - SR 15) Reiss - JR 20) Stearns - JR 54) Smee - JR 57) Upshaw - JR 60) Congdon - JR 76) Grice - SR
Returning 5 of top-6 and adding Baloga will make for a tough team. Of course, there are never any guarantees. Look at how UNCs women performed this year with 6 of their top-7 returning from a 5th place team.
13) Larkin - SR 15) Reiss - JR 20) Stearns - JR 54) Smee - JR 57) Upshaw - JR 60) Congdon - JR 76) Grice - SR
Returning 5 of top-6 and adding Baloga will make for a tough team. Of course, there are never any guarantees. Look at how UNCs women performed this year with 6 of their top-7 returning from a 5th place team.
Are you sure on Reiss having eligibility left? Her TFRRS lists her as competing in XC in 5 seasons thus far (2019, 20, 21, 22, 23). So NAU is losing their top 2 scorers from NCAAs, Larkin and Reiss.
Where is Reiss listed as a junior anywhere? She's listed as a senior in the official results from the NCAA Championship race, as well as on the roster at the official NAU website.
Thanks for actually posting a link confirming it instead of the other BS speculation
Also Allison Churchill from FSU. Seems like Mike Smith is following Dave Smith's 'go nuclear' recruiting strategy.
Barring stumbling over themselves, NAU will be huge favorites next year on women's side.
In addition to Stearns and Reiss many in their 3-9 group are on nice improvement tracks, plus they also add Stutzman. They will be 10 deep again.
Pretty sure NAU won't have Reiss for next year. If they were to add Churchill, then I would agree that they are favorites (as of right now). However, I would not say "huge" favorites. Obviously things can change a lot between now and next fall, with additional transfers to other teams as well. I think the team that NC State has (as of now) for next fall could compete with NAU even if they had Churchill, and would only be slight underdogs. And it looks like Alabama only needs another addition, and they will be in contention.
Where is Reiss listed as a junior anywhere? She's listed as a senior in the official results from the NCAA Championship race, as well as on the roster at the official NAU website.
Reiss did not race in 2019 XC after Nuttycombe. Was she injured then? I think Frentheway of BYU won an appeal to nullify her 2019 season even though she ran in Joe Piane, but then got injured, which let her run this year, even though she had run in 2018, part of 2019, 2021, 2022.
Where is Reiss listed as a junior anywhere? She's listed as a senior in the official results from the NCAA Championship race, as well as on the roster at the official NAU website.
Reiss did not race in 2019 XC after Nuttycombe. Was she injured then? I think Frentheway of BYU won an appeal to nullify her 2019 season even though she ran in Joe Piane, but then got injured, which let her run this year, even though she had run in 2018, part of 2019, 2021, 2022.