What to know about NCAA Cross Country Championship, Syracuse’s chances
Syracuse will travel to Columbia, Missouri, for the men’s cross country national championship after it qualified for the 17th straight season. Ike Wood | Asst. Photo Editor
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No. 4 Syracuse men’s cross country will compete in the national championship Saturday in Columbia, Missouri, for the 17th straight season. While the women’s team didn’t qualify, sophomore Selma Anderson will compete individually.
Here’s everything to know about the season finale:
The course
Saturday’s race will be held at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, where the Orange ran on Sept. 26 for the Gans Creek Classic. Then an 8K, SU finished sixth, behind five teams all currently ranked in the top 10. Assaf Harari (17th) and Sam Lawler (22nd) led Syracuse. Eighteen teams competing Saturday were also at the Gans Creek Classic.
The women’s event will be a 6K, the same distance as in September. Anderson finished 38th then but was just over a minute behind the first-place finisher, Washington State’s Rosemary Longisa. The Cougars will also be in Missouri on Saturday.
While the women will race in the 6K again, the men are transitioning to a 10K. They’ve competed in one other 10K this season — their first-place finish last week in the regionals.
Last time SU raced in Columbia, it faced 60-70-degree weather, a stark contrast from the expected 40s and 50s Saturday. Rain is also forecast for Thursday and Friday, which could create muddy conditions come raceday.
Favorites
Syracuse is ranked No. 4, behind Oklahoma State, Iowa State and New Mexico. Of all the top 10 teams, SU’s seen the biggest rise from preseason, shifting from No. 12. The Cowboys, Cyclones and Lobos have occupied the top three spots all year.
According to NCAA.com, Syracuse is considered a top contender for a podium spot but still sits below Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Iowa State finished first at the Gans Creek Classic but finished 24 spots below the Orange at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in October.
Syracuse’s depth makes it a formidable threat. The depth was on full display during the regionals, where SU’s top five performers finished in the overall top 10.
Saturday marks Anderson’s second time competing in the national championship. She finished 154th in last year’s 6K with a time of 20:49.9, her career-worst time and placement for Syracuse. Alabama’s Doris Lemngole, who won last year’s race and BYU’s Jane Hedengren are the favorites in the women’s race, per Stan Becton. Anderson didn’t compete against either athlete this year.
What’s at stake
The men’s team hasn’t finished on the podium since 2016, but this is its best chance in recent years. Since 2017, SU has had one top-10 team finish in the national championship. Three members of Syracuse’s current squad ran in last year’s championship, when it finished 11th. Lawler paced the Orange in 28th place.
The men’s team hasn’t had a top 10 individual placement since 2017, when Justyn Knight finished in first place. The women’s team has only had three top-40 individual placements, the most recent coming from Savannah Roark, who finished 23rd in 2022.
