D3 distance running is not going to stop trending. Last year, we witnessed an overwhelming amount of national records and all-time performances that redefined the state of the sport. Coming into this cross country season, the expectations are high and the excitement is like never before. A new standard has been established for D3 Cross Country, and Pomona-Pitzer is at the helm.

Men’s West Region Preview

The West Region is the forgotten child of D3 Cross Country, as its talent is often overlooked and downplayed. The lack of inter-regional competition leads to this, although it is time to start giving the West its flowers.

First of all, the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer are the reigning back-to-back National Champions, and CMS is coming off a 6th place finish at the national meet. What is also impressive, the West Region secured 11 of the 40 individual All-American positions in the deepest national championship race ever (Pomona-Pitzer - 6, CMS - 2, Whittier - 1, Puget Sound - 1, Redlands - 1) Although a handful of these individuals have graduated, the region has the talent to reload and be just as good.

Favorite: Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens (-350)

Pomona-Pitzer to win the West Region seems to be a safe bet after the past two seasons. After winning the 2021 National Championship with ease, the Hens had an insanely successful track season from a time based perspective. They had 18 men break 15:00 in the 5000m, 4 go sub-9:10 in the 3000m Steeplechase, 10 break 4:00 in the 1500m, and 6 go sub-1:55 in the 800m. If they continue to progress, we are looking at a squad that has the chance to establish themselves as an elite team across all divisions. Pomona-Pitzer returns the most talented roster in all of D3 and anything less than a three-peat would be disappointing.

Key Losses: Dante Paszkeicz (30th at NCAA Champs), Paul McKinley (31st at NCAA Champs), Oliver Chang (14:22 5000m)

Projected Top Five: (1) Colin Kirkpatrick, (2) Ethan Widlansky, (3) Lucas Florsheim, (4) Derek Fearon, (5) Jack Rosencrans

Contender: Claremont Mudd Scripps Stags (CMS) (+400)

CMS will look a lot different this year as graduation hit them hard, including 2021 West Region Individual Champion Stevie Steinberg. It appears the Stags are only bringing back 2 of their top seven from last season, which can make it difficult to challenge Pomona-Pitzer for the title. A strong recruiting class and improvement from their veterans will keep the Stags in the national spotlight. A bright spot for CMS is that Henry Pick, who finished 3rd at the 2021 Cross Country Championships and 4th in the 5000m at the Outdoor Track Championships, should be seen as one of the favorites to win the individual national title. Miles Christensen, who finished 6th at last year’s Pre-Nationals Meet, also returns and hopes to finally earn an individual All-American spot. Even in what might be a “down year” the Stags should still be able to secure the region’s second automatic qualifying bid. That being said, teams like UC Santa Cruz and George Fox are closer than they have been in years.

Key Losses: Stevie Steinberg (22nd at NCAA Champs), Evan Hassman (102nd at NCAA Champs), Kyril van Schendel (105th at NCAA Champs), Will Kimball (123rd at NCAA Champs, Adam Wilkinson (142nd at NCAA Champs)

Projected Top Five: (1) Henry Pick, (2) Miles Christensen, (3) Oliver Pick, (4) Nicholas Taubenheim, (5) Daniel Fajardo

Contender: UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs (+500)

Santa Cruz always flies under the radar, although they have been surprisingly good over the last few years. In 2019, they placed 22nd at Cross Country Nationals and finished 3rd at last year’s West Region Championships, just missing a trip to Louisville. If TFFRS is accurate, they have 6 of their top 7 returning, plus a huge transfer in Oliver Chang (Pomona-Pitzer). As previously mentioned, Chang is a 14:22 5000m guy and also boasts an impressive 8:24 3000m. The former Sagehen looks to fill a void for a Santa Cruz team that desperately needs a front-runner who can compete with the big boys.

Key Loss: Sean Riedel (27th at West Region Champs)

Projected Top Five: (1) Oliver Chang, (2) Eric Jackson, (3) Walter Teitelbaum, (4) Casey Orton, (5) Raymond Ingersoll

Dark Horse Teams:

George Fox Bruins - 4th in West Region (2021)

Upside: Returns top 5 runners, bringing in Caden Hildenbrand (Jesuit - OR) - 8:29 3K, 14:46 5K

Downside: Large spread between one and two runners

La Verne Leopards - 9th in West Region (2021)

Upside: Has the chance for a nasty one-two-punch in TK Berhe (29:56 10000m, 14:33 5000m) & Michael Sahagun (14:33 5000m & 25:01 8000m). Strong freshman class.

Downside: Very inexperienced and lack of depth

Projected MVP: Henry Pick (CMS)

Pick’s third-place finish at the 2021 Nationals Meet makes this an easy pick. That being said, there are more than a few Sagehens that could claim the throne by the end of the season. I don’t see Pick letting that happen, but he will have to be at his very best. 

Most Improved: TK Berhe (La Verne)

After running a modest 26:02 8k last cross country season, Berhe dropped a 29:56 10k on the track. After this breakout performance, the legitimacy of the time was questionable, as he had only run a 15:11 5k at the time. He quickly silenced the haters, including myself, with two impressive 5ks and a shiny new PB of 14:33. Berhe didn’t run his best race at Outdoor Track Nationals, although his drastic improvements made him arguably one of the most interesting stories of the year. Coming into his Sophomore season, Berhe has high expectations for the first time in his young career and looks to prove that he can hang with the heavy hitters.

Best Comeback Story: Enrique Verschoor (Redlands)

Enrique “Gary” Verschoor is someone to keep an eye on all season. The Redlands Senior hasn’t raced since Fall of his Freshman year due to the pandemic and a broken ankle, making him one of the most inexperienced Seniors in SCIAC history. All the way back in 2019, Verschoor dropped an impressive 25:24 8k and showcased his raw talent. The long road leading up to his final season has been difficult, although if he can stay healthy he has a good chance to be a national qualifier.

Top Ten:

1. Pomona-Pitzer

2. CMS

3. UC Santa Cruz

4. George Fox

5. La Verne

6. Pacific Lutheran

7. Lewis & Clark

8. Occidental

9. Colorado College

10.  Redlands

Women’s West Region Preview:

CMS looked unstoppable all last season, winning Pre-Nationals (Louisville Classic) by 27 points and absolutely wiping the floor with the teams out west. At Cross Country Nationals, the Athenas finally met their match and narrowly lost to Johns Hopkins by 2 points. Although this had to be disappointing, the CMS top-five was incredible to watch all season and they had a lot to be proud of. Going into 2022 cross country season, the CMS women return as the favorite, but it might be closer than you think.

Pomona-Pitzer and Colorado College both return full squads, and are looking to make the jump from national qualifiers to contenders. To do that, they will have to go through the 2021 national runner-up who is looking to reload and defend its throne out west. On paper, the West Region is looking real deep as there is a lot of young talent returning from several teams. After qualifying three teams for the national meet in 2021, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw four qualifiers from the west this year. 

Favorite: Claremont Mudd Scripps Athenas (-100)

Similar to the men’s side, CMS is losing some major talent from their top five. Most notably Riley Harmon (19th at 2021 Nationals) and Emily Clarke (26th at 2021 Nationals). Clarke takes her talents to the University Nevada, Reno where she will compete as a graduate transfer. 

That being said, CMS returns its top two runners in Meredith Bloss (13th at 2021 Nationals) and Natalie Bitetti (16th at 2021 Nationals) who are both talented enough to contend for the individual title. This duo will likely keep the Athenas at the top of the West Region, although they will need some help if they are looking to contend for a national title.

Contender: Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens (+150)

Pomona-Pitzer had a sneaky good last year, but was overshadowed by CMS all season. The Sagehens capped off the season with a 10th place finish at the national meet and look to improve upon that finish this fall. The Sagehens bring back a full squad, including the individual West Region Champion, Genevieve DiBari. Pomona-Pitzer is certainly the biggest threat to CMS and should be aiming for a top-five finish at the national meet in November. 

Contender: Colorado College Tigers (+300)

Last fall, Colorado College had a season to remember after finishing third at the West Region Championships and earning a trip to Louisville. The Tigers flopped a bit at nationals, finishing 27th, although this performance might be the motivation they need to become a contender at the national level. Led by rising sophomore Elliot Singer (29th at 2021 Nationals), Colorado College returns a young squad that is bursting with potential. If the Athenas and Sagehens aren’t careful, CC could give us an exciting upset. 

Dark Horse Teams:

UC Santa Cruz - 4th in West Region (2021)

George Fox - 5th in West Region (2021)

Projected MVP: Natalie Bitetti (CMS)

This might be a bold prediction, although Bitetti’s upside is undeniable. The middle-distance focused athlete qualified for outdoor nationals in the 1500m and looks to continue that momentum this fall. Although CMS’ top returner Meredith Bloss might be the favorite to win the individual title out west, I’m going with Bitetti because of her high ceiling and middle-distance background. 

West Region Rankings:

1. CMS

2. Pomona-pitzer

3. Colorado College

4. UC Santa Cruz

5. George Fox

6. Trinity (TX)

7. Cal Tech

8. Lewis & Clark

9. Chapman

10. Occidental