By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 84th NCAA Division 1 men’s cross country final is scheduled for Nov. 19 at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater, Okla.

Here are 10 storylines to follow at the championship meet, hosted by Oklahoma State for the second time after being contested in March 2021:

Can NAU make it a three-peat times two?

Northern Arizona not only has the opportunity to capture a sixth men’s team title in a seven-year span, but the Lumberjacks could also join Arkansas as only the second program to produce a pair of championship trifectas.

Northern Arizona won in 2016, 2017 and 2018, placed second behind Brigham Young in 2019, then secured both titles in March and November 2021.

Arkansas won four in a row from 1990-93 and then achieved another three-peat from 1998-2000.

Northern Arizona could also join UTEP as only the second men’s program to win six championships during a seven-year stretch.

UTEP triumphed in 1975 and 1976, placed runner-up to Oregon in 1977, then prevailed from 1978-81, capped by the most impressive performance in NCAA men’s championship history. The Miners had five athletes finish in the top six in 1981 to produce a record 17-point performance in Wichita, Kan.

A sixth championship for Northern Arizona would help the Lumberjacks become the fifth men’s program in Division 1 history to achieve the feat, joining Arkansas, Michigan State, UTEP and Oregon.

Northern Arizona returns All-Americans Nico Young, Drew Bosley, George Kusche and Brodey Hasty from last year’s lineup that prevailed by a 92-137 margin against Iowa State at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

Cowboys hope comforts of home create magical moment

Oklahoma State has won four men’s team championships in program history, the most recent coming in 2012 in Louisville, Ky., but the Cowboys are looking to deliver a spectacular showcase in Stillwater on the Greiner Family Course by securing a title on home soil.

Wisconsin was the last men’s team to capture a championship in its home state, although the Badgers’ victory in 1985 came in Milwaukee and not in Madison.

Michigan State was the last men’s program to truly triumph at home, winning all eight of its championships in East Lansing, the final victory coming in 1959.

Oklahoma State took third in both Division 1 men’s championship races in 2021, including in March at the Greiner Family Course and again in November at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Cowboys return All-Americans Isai Rodriguez and Victor Shitsama from the NCAA final in Florida. Alex Maier, Rodriguez and Shitsama were All-Americans at the March 2021 championship in Stillwater.

An Oklahoma State victory would help the Cowboys become the eighth men’s program in Division 1 history with at least five titles, joining Arkansas, Michigan State, UTEP, Oregon, Northern Arizona, Colorado and Wisconsin.

Building toward a breakthrough

For all the team success enjoyed by Northern Arizona, Oklahoma State and Stanford, programs that have combined for 13 Division 1 men’s team titles, none of the teams have produced an NCAA individual cross country champion.

But all three lineups boast athletes capable of winning the 10-kilometer race, with each team potentially having a pair of top contenders.

Northern Arizona has Nico Young and Drew Bosley, who were 11th and 13th, respectively, at last year’s championship meet at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

Stanford is expected to showcase Charles Hicks and Ky Robinson, who finished fourth and 14th last season.

And Oklahoma State boasts Alex Maier – 17th at the March 2021 final in Stillwater but looking to rebound from a 147th-place effort in Tallahassee – along with Isai Rodriguez, a three-time All-American who finished fourth in 2018, eighth in March 2021 and 22nd last year at Apalachee Regional Park.

Hicks would be the first British athlete to triumph since John Nuttall of Iowa State in 1989, with Robinson potentially following Wisconsin’s Morgan McDonald in 2018 as an Australian champion.

Maier, Rodriguez, Bosley and Young are all representing the United States, which would mark the first time since 2006-08 that American male athletes won three consecutive NCAA cross country crowns, following a pair of victories from Brigham Young’s Conner Mantz in March and November 2021.

Josh Rohatinsky of BYU, Josh McDougal of Liberty and Galen Rupp of Oregon were the last American trio to achieve the feat.

Pack mentality should prevail

Notre Dame produced one of the most impressive achievements in Division 1 championship history in March 2021 at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater with six All-Americans, including its top five scorers all placing in the top 25 and separated by only 15 seconds.

Unfortunately for the Irish, Northern Arizona had four athletes in the top 10 separated by less than 12 seconds and its fifth scorer finishing 44th overall to prevail by a 60-87 margin.

The path to a title, especially for Brigham Young and Stanford, will heavily depend on which group can achieve the smallest spread among its pack.

Although BYU was edged by Northern Arizona by a 43-54 margin Nov. 11 at the Division 1 Mountain Regional in Albuquerque, N.M., the Cougars had five scorers in the top 22 and achieved a 17-second spread, even more impressive considering coach Ed Eyestone decided to rest Creed Thompson, Davin Thompson and Aidan Troutner.

BYU, which last won in 2019 in Indiana, had five scorers in the top 21 separated by less than two seconds Oct. 14 at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, followed by seven athletes in the top nine with a 21-second gap Oct. 28 at the West Coast Conference Championships in Oregon.

Stanford had five scorers in the top 30 to win at Nuttycombe, with a 27-second spread, followed by six athletes placing in the top 10 separated by 28 seconds to take the title Oct. 28 at the Pac-12 Conference Championships.

The Cardinal, despite resting Cole Sprout, still won the West Regional competition Nov. 11 in Washington, producing four competitors in the top eight and five scorers among the first 23 finishers with a 34-second gap.

Stanford last won a championship in 2003 in Iowa.

Oklahoma State had six athletes in the top 17 at the Midwest Regional in Missouri, achieving a 17-second spread, with Tulsa countering with four competitors in the top six all running less than a second apart to equal the Cowboys with 49 points and prevail on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

Different team, same goal

Aaron Bienenfeld celebrated a unique achievement last year by earning All-America honors for Cincinnati by finishing 16th in the March 2021 final in Stillwater, then transferring to Oregon and becoming an All-American again for the Ducks by placing 18th in November in Tallahassee.

A trio of competitors will have a similar opportunity by securing All-America recognition in consecutive cross country seasons for different programs, including a pair of Tennessee teammates.

Dylan Jacobs took 10th for Notre Dame at Apalachee Regional Park, but decided to follow former Irish coach Sean Carlson to Knoxville and complete his remaining eligibility with the Volunteers.

Yaseen Abdalla finished 32nd for Texas last season in Tallahassee, but joined Carlson and Jacobs at Tennessee this fall.

Christian Allen secured 14th place in 2019 and earned 16th last year for Weber State, but decided to transfer to Brigham Young as a graduate student-athlete and has an opportunity to become an All-American for a third time in his career, but the first with the Cougars.

Welcome Back Bobcats

Montana State boasts the distinction of enduring the longest drought among the 31 men’s teams that qualified for the Division 1 final, earning just the second NCAA appearance in program history after its debut in 2002 with an 11th-place performance at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind.

The Bobcats finished fifth with 123 points Nov. 11 at the Mountain Regional in Albuquerque, with five scorers in the top 45 highlighted by Duncan Hamilton taking third and Matthew Richtman finishing fourth.

Hamilton is making his third career appearance at the NCAA cross country championship meet, placing 110th in March 2021 in Stillwater after he took 16th in the mile three days earlier at the Division 1 indoor championship meet in Arkansas.

Hamilton finished 59th last season at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, before earning All-America honors for placing second in June in the 3,000-meter steeplechase final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Richtman returns to the Division 1 championship meet after placing 112th last year in Florida.

Spectacular streaks

The Colorado men’s team is making its 31st consecutive appearance at the Division 1 championship meet, the longest streak by any program regardless of gender among the qualifiers for this year’s final.

The Buffaloes also remain tied with Arkansas for third all-time with their 52nd overall appearance.

Stanford has qualified for the NCAA final for a 29th straight year, with 31 overall championship berths for the Cardinal.

Brigham Young is the only other men’s program with a streak of more than 20 consecutive years, with the Cougars extending their run to 23 seasons in a row of advancing to the championship meet, contributing to 39 overall appearances.

Although Wisconsin has only qualified for the fifth consecutive year, the Badgers added to their all-time record with a 60th NCAA championship appearance this season, with Notre Dame remaining second overall at 54 finals berths.

Seth Hirsch has contributed for both Wisconsin and Colorado during his career. Hirsch raced at NCAA finals for Wisconsin in 2019 in Indiana and in March 2021 in Stillwater, along with last season in Tallahassee.

Hirsch finished 19th for Colorado at the Mountain Regional and is expected to be part of the Buffaloes’ lineup in the 10-kilometer championship race.

Impressive individual achievements

The top four programs in Division 1 men’s history when it comes to the depth of athletes placing in the top 10 all have strong contenders to add to those legacies Saturday in the NCAA final.

Arkansas holds the all-time record with 40 top-10 performances from the combined efforts of 25 different competitors, and the Razorbacks have the potential to add to that list with Patrick Kiprop, the South Central Regional winner who is competing in his first Division 1 cross country final after placing 14th in the 10,000-meter championship race in June at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Stanford, which has 37 all-time performances in the top 10, has several contenders and the Cardinal have an outside shot at matching the success of Arkansas, depending on Kiprop’s performance.

Charles Hicks and Ky Robinson are both athletes capable of winning the 10-kilometer race, with Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau and Devin Hart both showing significant improvement in the past month for Stanford, which could also receive a boost with the potential return of Cole Sprout.

Stanford placed four competitors in the top 10 in both 2002 and 2003, with UTEP holding the record for one NCAA final with five top-10 athletes in 1981. UTEP ranks seventh overall with 27 performances.

Wisconsin boasts 36 all-time top-10 efforts, with two-time Big Ten Conference champion Bob Liking hoping to improve on his 66th-place performance last season in Tallahassee.

Oregon is fourth overall with 33 competitors finishing in the top 10 and Aaron Bienenfeld is looking to elevate into that group after finishing 16th and 18th in his past two NCAA finals appearances.

Patiently awaiting another podium presence

The Air Force Academy could end one of the longest stretches in between podium appearances in Division 1 history, with its lone men’s team trophy coming in 1967 in Wyoming when the Falcons were second overall behind Villanova by a 91-96 margin.

Air Force is making its third consecutive appearance at the NCAA finals and 19th overall.

Tennessee, which won the Division 1 crown in 1972, achieved its last podium appearance by taking third in 1988 in Iowa. The Volunteers, who qualified for the NCAA championship meet for the 33rd time, have made the podium four times overall.

Wake Forest took third in 1989 in Maryland and is looking to return to the podium, also making its third straight appearance and 12th in program history.

Wisconsin, which has 25 all-time podium appearances, hasn’t secured a trophy since placing second in 2012 in Kentucky.

Syracuse took third in 2016 following a national title the year before, but hasn’t returned to the podium since.

Tulsa has perhaps the most to gain, seeking its first podium finish in its 13th appearance at the Division 1 final. The program’s best finish was a fifth-place performance in 2019 in Indiana.

North Carolina is also looking to end its podium drought, qualifying for the second year in a row and ninth time overall. The Tar Heels achieved a program-best fifth place in 1985 in Wisconsin.

Redemption runs

Wil Smith of Gonzaga has the potential to showcase the most improvement from last year’s NCAA final, placing 241st at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.

Smith could also be a significant factor in the Bulldogs, making their third consecutive appearance at the Division 1 championship meet, also elevating into the top 20 after finishing 27th in March 2021 and 26th last season in Florida.

Smith finished fourth Nov. 11 at the Division 1 West Regional in Washington, following a third-place effort Oct. 28 at the West Coast Conference Championships.

Harvard’s Joe Ewing also has an opportunity to be an important factor for the Crimson following a 235th-place effort last year.

Harvard returns All-Americans Graham Blanks and Acer Iverson, but are looking to make up for the graduation of Matthew Pereira, who also achieved All-America honors in Tallahassee.

Ewing was 28th at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships and 42nd at the Northeast Regional to help Harvard make its 12th appearance in program history at a Division 1 final.

Jack McMahon of Butler also has plenty of motivation after placing 232nd in Tallahassee, looking to help the Bulldogs improve from 28th overall last season.

McMahon finished 32nd at the Big East Conference final and secured 25th at the Great Lakes Regional for the Bulldogs.

Isaac Basten of Drake placed 217th last season, but won the Missouri Valley Conference title and achieved ninth at the Midwest Regional.

But the improvement that could matter most in the team race might come from Oklahoma State’s Ryan Schoppe, who is looking to rebound from a 225th-place performance last year for the Cowboys and contribute to a podium finish on their home course.

Schoppe secured seventh place Oct. 15 at the Weis-Crockett Invitational on the Greiner Family Course and matched that achievement Oct. 28 at the Big 12 Conference championship meet.