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By: Michael Weidenbruch
Stanford is a team that is always relevant in discussions of projected podium teams at NCAAs. With 12 PAC-12 titles and four NCAA titles to their name, the Cardinal never seem to have trouble putting together a competitive squad.
Led by Grant Fisher (#3 in our preseason rankings), Alex Ostberg (#15 in our rankings) and Steven Fahy (#24 in our rankings), this is definitely a team to watch out for this fall. In fact, some would argue that they could scare for the team title in November.
Yet, what could really push Stanford to the top is their incredible group of young athletes. Many teams rely on the firepower of a few seniors, and while Stanford certainly has these pieces, they have some young studs that could shake things up and make Stanford a lethal squad come championship season. Although it may be odd to call the Cardinal an up-and-coming team, this could be their year to really turn some heads.
Recruiting is never a problem for the men from Palo Alto, as they consistently secure some of the top high school talent year in and year out. A noticeable trend with Stanford’s freshmen is that they don’t race all that often. Whether this is due to injury, to preserve eligibility, or simply to ease into the collegiate training program, the reason isn't always clear. Former high school stars such as DJ Principe, Brandon McGorty, and Thomas Ratcliffe have hardly gotten their feet wet on the collegiate scene, but could be major players for Stanford this fall.
DJ Principe graduated high school in 2017 with personal records of 4:00 in the mile and 8:47 in the 2 mile, but didn’t start a cross country or indoor race for the Cardinal last year. He ran impressive times of 3:49 in the 1500m and 14:11 in the 5000m outdoors, but these times are not on the same level as some of his freshman peers like Luis Grijalva and Cooper Teare. I think that if Principe is healthy this fall, he can be right in the scoring mix and help Stanford go for a title.
Brandon McGorty raced a bit more during his freshman campaign, running 1:50 in the 800m and 2:23 in the 1000m indoors. He was also a part of Stanford’s DMR that finished 4th at NCAA's indoor. His outdoor season was short, competing in only two 800m races.
It will be interesting to see what McGorty can do on the cross country course this fall, especially now that his older brother and recent NCAA champion in the 5000m, Sean, has graduated. McGorty has always been a true middle distance athlete, but I have confidence in the ability of the Stanford coaches to adapt him to the longer cross country distances.
While some may think that this is a bit of reach, just think about what has been happening with Peter Lomong at NAU. He was recruited as a mid-distance specialist who had an older brother focused on the longer distances (Lopez Lomong). Overtime, he transitioned into a 5k/10k runner who eventually placed 8th at NCAA's last fall. The situation is eerily similar to McGorty's.
Thomas Ratcliffe may have one of the biggest question marks next to his name among all collegiate athletes. Ratcliffe is entering his third year at Stanford after a stellar high school career where he broke multiple state records in Massachusetts. Of the six seasons that he has been on the team, Ratcliffe has only raced attached once, and that was his freshman cross country season. Ratcliffe ran unattached at the Stanford Invitational, winning in 23:17. This was his first cross country race ever - not just for Stanford, but in his life. Ratcliffe then went on to finish 8th at PAC-12s, only to DNF at NCAAs.
There are a lot of questions surrounding Ratcliffe and why he hasn’t been racing. Has he suffered long term injuries? Are they saving him for a monster season? Did he quietly leave the team? Despite his very limited race results, it is clear that Ratcliffe is a very talented athlete who could shake things up and be a serious boost for Stanford if he is racing this fall.
Other young guys like Isaac Cortes, Callum Bolger, Alek Parsons, and Connor Lane could break into Stanford’s top seven. Plus, they have some fast incoming freshmen such as Josh Schumacher, son of Bowerman Track Club coach Jerry Schumacher.
With all of these pieces in play, Stanford could certainly make a run for a title in Madison, WI this November. They will have some seriously stacked teams to take down if they wish to do so, but the talent level that Stanford possesses certainly has the capability to do that if they are all running well.
Keep an eye out for this Stanford squad to fly under the radar as everyone has their sights set on teams like NAU and BYU. Stanford is always a contender, but hasn’t put together a truly phenomenal season in a few years. Still, if all of their young guys are healthy and hungry to win this fall, it could be their year.