Questions still loom as early meets get started

By Adam Schneider of DyeStat

At the John McNichols Memorial, senior Gina Sereno of No. 3 Michigan took her second win of the year and led the Wolverines to 11 of the first 15 spots. Meanwhile, senior Jillian Hunsburger led No. 9 Penn State to a win at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational, but there is a question about top runner Tessa Barrett’s health.  

Second-ranked Stanford will finally race this weekend at the University of San Diego Invitational and that might give watchers a better idea of whether senior Courtney Smith, junior Elise Cranny and freshman Nevada Mareno are in top form.

One burning question in Albuquerque is whether freshman Weini Kelati’s record-breaking performance for No. 4 New Mexico at the Sept. 1 Lobo Invitational will convince coach Joe Franklin to make another title run and have her wear UNM’s colors. The first evidence will be Sept. 29 at the Joe Piane Invitational. If so, it makes the top five a very tough group.

Big meets this weekend: 

Stanford at the University of San Diego Invitational

Iona, Princeton, and Arkansas (men) at Paddy Doyle MOC

BYU Autumn Classic

Alabama, Southern Utah and Arkansas (women) at UC Riverside Invitational

Sundodger (Washington) Invitational 

Top 20 (last week’s ranking)

1. Colorado (1)

2. Stanford (2)

3. Michigan (3)

4. New Mexico (4)

5. Oregon (5)

6. Boise State (6)

7. Arkansas (7)

8. NC State (8)

9. Penn State (9)

10. Notre Dame (10)

11. Providence (11)

12. San Francisco (NR)  

13. Wisconsin (13)

14. Eastern Michigan (NR)

15. Washington (14)

16. Furman (15)

17. Michigan State (16)

18. Missouri (18)

19. Utah (NR)

20. BYU (12)

Teams to Watch: Portland, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Colorado State, California, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Virginia, Princeton, Texas, UTEP, Georgia