Southeast region: Queens. Period.

I always have great designs to get these regional previews done early. And here we are, with about 26 hours until the first qualifiers cross the line. So it goes...
Mount Olive, King College. Not teams I would’ve guessed lining up for nationals in two weeks’ time. And yet the Mount Olive men and King College women are poised to do just that.
Certainly, the class of the Southeast are Queens of Charlotte, N.C., hosts of last year’s outdoor nationals. But add the above two newbies and you nearly have the field. The men get an additional spot, which will go to Columbus State, led by likely regional champ Meshack Koyiacki. Am I right to assume Kate Griewisch (Lenoir-Rhyne, pictured) will win the women’s race again?

Koyiacki 2, Crouch 0

No, they didn’t play a game of soccer. Or best-of-three ping pong.
But Meshack Koyiacki (Columbus State) was able to beat Michael Crouch (Queens) for the second time in three weeks -- on Crouch’s home course.
How does Crouch close a 5-second gap? It’ll come down to coaching, and whether each (Columbus State’s J.D. Evilsizer or Queens’ Scott Simmons) can peak his man at the right time. On paper, Simmons has deep experience doing so, but we’ll see. After Saturday's meet Simmons had this to say: "We approached the race as a workout, starting out slowly and moving up mile by mile."
Crouch will have an extra mile to erase that gap in the first weekend of December.

Queens’ Crouch already in late-season form

Except for a hard-fought second place finish in the outdoors 5,000 at Charlotte (nationals), the last academic year wasn’t a banner one for Micheal Crouch (Queens). He appears to be making up for lost time, winning Appalachian State’s Mountaineer Open by nearly 40 seconds over the closest collegiate competitor. Ohio State won the seven-team race, but interestingly No. 8 Southern Indiana tied No. 7 Queens for second. I have both pencilled in for nationals in Louisville.
Coach Mike Hillyard of Southern Indiana appears to have found a way to cope with the loss of David Goodman, who left for Western State. On the women’s side, No. 13 Southern Indiana was second.
When Daniel Kirwa (Harding) is a distant second, you know the winner must be quite a stud. Kennedy Kithuka (Wayland Baptist) scorched the field at the Missouri Southern Stampede. No. 9 Harding and No. 18 Drury were third- and fifth-place teams. (NAIA got the better of D2, as Wayland won the men’s race.)
Remember this name: Adam Volkert of Pittsburg State. His 24:36 on the fast Stampede course was good enough for 10th -- and makes him a likely participant at nationals in Louisville. Amy Pierson (Southwestern)Tabbitha Ashford (Dallas Baptist) was the top D2 women’s finisher (in 9th), but unranked Midwestern State had a better pack and were D2’s best (in second) at the 36-team event. This team won't be unranked when the new poll comes out this week.

Queens' Crouch returneth

After nearly one year of blogging about his absence, Micheal Crouch (Queens) reappeared with style at Stanford's Peyton Jordan meet. After knocking below the 14 minute mark, one wonders if the defending outdoors 1,500 champ will now focus only on the 5,000 at nationals. He's the favorite now in Charlotte, which is essentially home field advantage, although the mile field also appears to be anyone's race.

As promised, the Peyton produced some fast times:

• Reuben Mwei (Adams State) proved without a doubt that he's the man to beat in the steeplechase;
• Luke Cragg (Adams State) got close to the 29-minute barrier, making him a favorite (and fastest) for Charlotte;
• defending 10k champ Tanya Zeferjahn (Queens) again leads in that event, leading three D2 competitors to the top of the event performance list, including Sarah Porter (W. Wash.) and Kristin McGlynn (Adams State);
• Adams State frosh Alicia Nelson also leads the steeple (10:20).

The mile continues to confound: Chico State's Micheal Wickman had the best D2 effort, a very competitive second in the second-fastest heat. Unfortunately, only the first heat -- and the guy ahead of Wickman -- broke 3:45. And that's out of five heats.

Enough about the Stanford meet (of course, it's hard to ignore the men's 10k AR): Meets at Princeton and Ohio State produced good D2 times, including the fifth- (Amanda Radabaugh of Shippensburg), sixth- (Clare McSweeney of California, Pa.) and seventh-fastest (Stephanie Charnigo of Findlay) times. Charnigo had a fast 1,500, too (4:30).

Shippensburg will be a force to be reckoned with in Charlotte. Teammates Mary Dell and Abigail Huber both posted sub-4:30 (and auto) times at Princeton. Both were outdoor finalists in San Angelo and aim to get closer to Ms. Pixler.

The lull before Mt. SAC

Aside from a few excellent individual performances, it appears most are waiting to run fast. Which makes sense, at Mt. SAC starts what are the two best weekends in American track (with Drake and Penn relays to follow).

In my estimation, last weekend's best male performance was Amos Sang's 29:15. The Abilene Christian junior got a small altitude adjustment for running his time in (always?) breezy Lubbock. He and the winner, Wayland Baptist's Kennedy Kithuka, beat the field by two minutes. That's a mental test. Sang is entered at Mt. SAC in the 5,000 and 10,000.

Best women's performance to Queens' Tanya Zeferjahn's second-best-in-D2 1,500, where she ran completely by herself to win by 14 seconds in 4:28.

Other performances of note:

• Anthony Luna (Metro State), who won last year's outdoor 800m in San Angelo but sat out this indoors in Albuquerque, enters the list at No. 8. He's set to run the 800 at Mt. SAC.
• Adams State now owns four of the top nine spots in the 1,500, thanks to some decent marks at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
• Alexis Skarda (Mesa State) also recorded a quick 4:28 at Sun Angel. Mesa State is definitely an overshadowed program in Colorado. She'll run the same event at Mt. SAC.
• Dani Dell'Orco (Truman State) won the 10,000 at the Jim Duncan Invite, which happens to be at Drake. Dell'Orco is now No. 5 (and an auto qualifier) in that event.

Poll says: Crouch, "someone else" will battle for Louisville crown

Here's the results from the d2cross early, early poll on who might win in Louisville. Apparently, me and five others like Queens' Micheal Crouch. And equal number favor "someone else."

The tally, for posterity's sake:

Crouch (Queens) 6 votes

Someone else 6

Sang (Abilene Christian) 5

Kirwa (Harding) 4

Rop (American Int'l) 3

Emmorey (Grand Valley) 1.

Queens' Zeferjahn rocks 5k; Pixler powers

Tanya Zeferjahn leads all collegiate women after her 16:13 performance last weekend.
Missing from action this fall, freshman Zeferjahn ran her fast time in a fast field at the University of Washington. Her time is below the D2 championship record, which is unlikely in ABQ.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pixler and her Seattle Pacific teammates continue to impress. Pixler now leads teammate Jane Larson in the mile performance list. Her 4:33 is more than 20 seconds under the D2 auto standard.

South East: Queens, with or without Crouch

A Southeast Regional without Michael Crouch (Queens, N.C.) would be unfortunate. Little birdies have told me he's hurt, but I don't have definitive word.

With or without Crouch, Queens will punch its ticket to Evansville. Without Crouch, teammate Oscar Ogwaro is my favorite to win the region.

Thanks to the Royals' seventh-place finish last year, three teams will come out of the SE. Look for Columbus State to return to the national stage. I'll have to rely on the coaches' poll for the third team: Mars Hill.

Week 1: Performances of the week

Individual: Alaska-Anchorage newcomer Micah Chelimo put the smackdown on the small field at the Anchorage-Abliene Christian dual last Saturday. To wit: He nearly put 30 seconds in Abilene's Chleophas Tanui over 5 km; Tanui finished fourth in the 10,000 at San Angelo in May.

Both squads held out runners, so it is tough to tell what the team prognosis is for each. But look for Chelimo to figure in the top 10 individuals in Evansville.

Team: It's really, really hard to pick only one individual performance at The Vigil in Alamosa last Saturday. Four Adams State runners under 25 minutes on that course, which is pancake flat, yet at 7,600 feet, is amazing. Some alumni and I were talking that we rarely recall anyone dipping under 25 -- let alone a teammate. Adams State is certainly running well early. If they continue and avoid the injury bug, it could be quite a season for them.

Honorable mentions: Michael Crouch (Queens) rocks the field at Appy State. Colorado Mines shakes off summer rust and turns in strong performance against Denver Metro-area rival.

Meet of the Week: The Vigil

It's hard to ignore a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, so for the first week of the 2009 NCAA Division II cross country season, the Joe I. Vigil Invite is my "meet of the week."

Having run it four times myself (although 'twasn't called that way back when), it doesn't always turn into a knock-down, drag-out race. Adams State or Western State may hold runners out, top runners have yet to emerge and oftentimes everybody is just a bit rusty.

But we'll be able to tell something.

Adams State has amazing depth: national champ and 3:39 and 13:35 performer Aaron Braun; steeple champ Reuben Mwei (13:53 best for 5,000m); Brian Medigovich (3:42 and 13:40); Florian Theophile (13:59); Luke Cragg (14:05); and Ryan McNiff (14:19). I have no idea who is running best these days, but I wouldn't be surprised at the emergency of outdoor conference 10k champ Edwin Cruz. (All times are performances from last year.)

Western might not appear as deep on paper with Iain Donnan (13:53), Tyler Pennel (13:54) and Sean Brown (30:16), but Loren Ahonen and Tyler Rasmussen add depth, as do recent additions Glenn Watts (9:00 steeple) and David Flynn. I wonder, too, if redshirt frosh Cordell Baker is ready to make some noise.

I can almost smell the dust and cottonwoods of Alamosa.

Other meets to watch:

Queens (N.C.) -- led by the outdoor 1,500 champ Micheal Crouch -- races at Appalachian State, where they may see D1 competition. Florida State and Clemson were there last year. I have a hunch that Coach Scott Simmons is constructing a squad that will surprise people in Evansville.

No. 15 Alaska Anchorage hosts No. 4 Abilene Christian in the shadow of the Chugach Mountains. It's the Seawolves sole home meet, so they should be ready. Last year, they hosted (and beat) Atlantic Region power Edinboro. It'll kind of be a intra-country rivalry, as Anchorage's tough Kenyans (Cheseto, Kangogo and Rottich) take on Abliene's tough-er Kenyans (Maina, Sang and Tanui). Strangely, the school Web site lists the race as a 5k.

Colorado Mines (No. 3 in Central Region) and Metro State (No. 6) tangle at the aptly named Rust Buster Invite hosted by Colorado-Colorado Springs. Sub-30 minute performer Ben Zywicki leads Mines, while Metro has four 3:50-or-faster metric milers. This should give a good indication of a team ready step up in the Central Region, should Adams and/or Western falter.

Late addition: Harding opens at the Memphis Twilight. A first chance to look at my fave for the individual title, Daniel Kirwa, a double winner in San Angelo. Interesting fact: Start time is 9:20 p.m., in obvious deference to the heat.

My top storylines from San Angelo

Here's what I'm looking forward to at D2 nationals in San Angelo, Tex., starting Thursday:

• Aaron Braun (Adams State) and his attempt to pull of a 1,500/5,000 double
• Michael Crouch (Queens, N.C.) in the 1,500, when I assumed he would be running the 5,000. This is the indoor 5,000 champ,, you know
  
• Another chapter of the Chebon-Mwei vs. Maina battle over barriers. Maina is the defending outdoor steeplechase champ; Chebon-Mwei got the better of him at Penn Relays.
  
• A wide-open 10,000.
  
• Heat and humidty. Or not: The forecast is for low 80s and chance of thunderstorms.
  

Next up: Who will win the 1,500

Peyton

Queens' Micheal Crouch delivered at the Peyton Jordan meet at Stanford, clocking a 13:40 in the 5000m.
Adams State sent three studs and came away with some modest efforts: Aaron Braun 3:44, Brian Medigovich 29:35, Luke Cragg 30:14.

Why Michael Crouch skipped Penn Relays

'Cause he wants to run faster, it appears. 

The Queens (N.C.) sophomore has already run a school-record 13:46 this season at Stanford, which is where he (and others) will be again this weekend for the Peyton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. Adams State's Aaron Braun, already owner of a school-record 13:36, will run the 1,500. And ASC will send a pair of runners (Luke Cragg and Brian Medigovich) for the 10,000m.

Just how fast is the Peyton Jordan?

• 32 men went sub-14 minutes in the 5,000 meters last year
  
• The B heat of the 10k went in 28:15
  
• Chico State's Scott Bauhs ran D2's fastest-ever 10k at 27:48.

It all goes down Saturday evening.

Race of the week: Penn Relays steeplechase

As alluded to below, most D2 distance squads appear to be looking for individual efforts at the country's two pre-eminent track and field relays. (This could change with late entries, maybe?)

At Drake (find the start list here), Harding has James Cheriuyot and D. Dirawa signed up for the 10,000, while Philip Biwott is entered in the 5,000. (Harding didn't get much out of Mt. SAC, as Julius Kosegei was a 5,000m DNF and Artek Kern was a DNS.) 

In Philly, indoor 5,000m champ Micheal Crouch of Queens (N.C.) is entered in the both long races. He can't do both, though, as those start just hours apart. Also watch for Edinboro's Ben Hahn in the 5k.

With the focus on fast relay squads, Drake and Penn don't typically produce fast long-distance races. But the race of the weekend -- from a D2 distance perspective, natch -- is the Penn Relays steeplechase.

Scheduled to go off at 7:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, the event should be a small college showdown between Daniel Maina of Abilene Christian ('08 D2 champ and last year's Penn winner in 8:40), Adams State's Reuben Chbon-Mwei ('08 D2 runner-up) and D3 stud Peter Kosgei of Hamilton (here's his own Web page).

On paper, Maina looks like the guy to beat...

4.23 update: Kern (Harding) will run the 10k at Drake