Courtesy: David Kiefer

12/23/2015 STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford cross-country teams continued to add to their storied history in 2015: A third-place NCAA men's team finish, both teams advancing to NCAA's for a record 22nd consecutive year, four All-Americans crowned, and a third women's individual Pac-12 title in four years.

But the season was anything but predictable. The Cardinal performed strongly in the postseason, including 14th place for the women – its 23rd consecutive NCAA top-16 placing – to provide an upbeat conclusion to a season that at times seemed precarious.

For the men, fifth-year senior's Jim Rosa's sixth-place at NCAA's was a bonus, when injuries prevented him from racing nearly all season. Just behind, in seventh, Sean McGorty seemed to announce himself as a contender for 2016.

Former high school phenom Grant Fisher was 17th at NCAA's and the highest American-born freshman in the country. And, overall, the Cardinal ran well for a team that hadn't run its top seven together until the final race day of the season, because of injuries and a cautious approach to Fisher's season.

Among the regrets for coach Chris Miltenberg, Stanford's Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field, was “that the team never got a chance to come together prior to the very end,” he said.

In contrast, the 2014 NCAA runner-up team was strengthened by a core of four, led by Michael Atchoo, which raced together all season, trained together every day, and moved up together as a unit. The 2015 team didn't have that luxury.

“This year, we never got the soul, that synergy,” Miltenberg said. “We were putting pieces together up to the final day. Next year, we're going to run together early, make sure we go to Wisconsin and we're banging early, and keep this group of guys together.”

McGorty finally had a full year of healthy training and moved into a new role as the team's ace. McGorty was second at Pac-12's to the seemingly unbeatable Edward Cheserek, Oregon's three-time NCAA cross country champion, and helped lead the second pack at NCAA's.

What can be expected next from McGorty? Does he have the potential to win an NCAA title in his final season?

“Yes and no,” Miltenberg said. “I hate to say this, but I'm not sure any collegian can beat Ed Cheserek over 10K right now. With that said, we never want to have a defeatist mindset. Even if he's there, Sean is going to be in the hunt for sure, but a lot of it is him steadily developing over the next year. With Cheserek out of the equation, I think Sean can run with anyone in the country.”

McGorty also unknowingly played a role in Fisher's development. Fisher arrived as the only American-born high schooler to win two Foot Locker national titles and run a sub-4 mile. There were plenty of opinions on message boards about the proper handling of Fisher, and Miltenberg chose to bring him along slowly. The freshman did not make his collegiate debut until the Pac-12 Championships and raced only twice in a Cardinal uniform, plus was second in the early-season Stanford Invitational while racing unattached and keeping the possibility of a redshirt season alive.

Fisher's NCAA finish and No. 3 spot on the team at nationals seemed to validate Miltenberg's approach with his young star, especially considering Fisher would have to double his race distance from high school while also adding significantly more weekly mileage.

“Grant is the beneficiary of learning from some of the mistakes I made with Sean,” Miltenberg said. “The thing with Grant that's so unique is he's the rare freshman who's not trying to prove something every day. That's where most freshmen get in trouble. And, I think Sean would be the first to admit that he was in that boat once, trying to bring it every day, and he was so tired by November.

“I really credit Grant's high school coach, who said before he got here, 'Don't ever lead a workout as a freshman. Practice being in the back.' We're telling him the same thing. He knew, I don't have to prove something in practice every day. That's why he was able to run so great in November. He let himself come along gradually, be patient, and trust in us and in the process.”

Miltenberg was looking for a leader and feels he found one in Garrett Sweatt, a senior who has one more year of eligibility. Sweatt occupied the Nos. 2-4 spots, was consistent throughout the season and unafraid to duel in the lead pack. Even in his poorest race, a 64th place at NCAA's, he won respect from his coaches and teammates for the way he battled after sliding back in the field midway through the race.

“What Garrett did is a reflective of how we can be a great team,” Miltenberg said. ”If we can get seven guys who can learn to run solid even if they're not having their best day, you're really good. The first step in being great is being good all the time, and Garrett's really learned how to do that.”

Stanford will lose two runners to graduation – Jim and Joe Rosa. The twins have defined Stanford men's running in the post-Chris Derrick age and each leaves collegiate cross country as an All-American. Though both were limited by injuries this season, Joe especially had a lot of ground to make up in a short period of time because of hamstring problems, and the result was inevitably an up-and-down finish to the season, with an eighth place at the NCAA West Regional followed by 97th at NCAA's.

With McGorty, Fisher, Sweatt, and Jack Keelan and Sam Wharton, Stanford will have a solid top five. But the Cardinal also will get a boost from two national high school 5,000-meter champions, Alex Ostberg and Will Lauer, who redshirted this year and will be freshmen in eligibility, as well as current sophomore Blair Hurlock, who Miltenberg has high hopes for.

The women's team suffered an immediate blow when 2014 Pac-12 runner-up Elise Cranny was ruled out with a sacral stress reaction. The opportunity to see Cranny and Aisling Cuffe race together did not happen, and Cuffe also had to be patient as she continued to regain her fitness from a lost 2014-15 season.

Cuffe returned to action with a victory at the Washington Invitational but didn't race again until the Pac-12 Championships, which she also won, duplicating her victory from 2013. The fifth-year senior Cuffe pulled off a unique Pac-12 cross-country double – conference champion and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A calf injury prevented her from being at her best at NCAA's, but didn't prevent her from being a team player and greeting her teammates with hugs and smiles despite an uncharacteristic 117th-place finish.

Cuffe is a national championship contender when healthy and Miltenberg is determined to have her at her best in late spring, at NCAA outdoors and the Olympic trials, even if it means a limited or non-existent indoor season.

As for the performance of the women's team as a whole, the entire 14th-place lineup of 2014 returned, but the NCAA 2015 lineup included only two of those runners. Though the team placed the same, the Cardinal shaved 36 points off their total, and did so without a “low stick.” A year ago, Cranny was 12th. This year, former walk-on Vanessa Fraser led Stanford in 40th.

“it's taken us longer than maybe I would have envisioned starting out four years ago,” Miltenberg said of the women's results. “But in terms of evaluating in-house how things are going, we're evolving and getting better for sure. A year ago, a low stick bailed us out. This year, we had a better team performance.”

Stanford returns six of its top seven, including Claudia Saunders, a two-time NCAA outdoor 800-meter runner-up who was a surprise No. 2 at nationals, and Julia Maxwell, a sophomore walk-on who truly emerged as a consistently solid performer.

Miltenberg also was excited about the progress of Sophie Chase, who made big strides despite struggling at NCAA's, and the team will return Cranny and Emma Fisher (no relation to Grant), a 2014 all-region runner who missed 2015 with an injury. In addition, Stanford has a strong incoming freshman class.

“The next step forward is to be able to go to that meet, do exactly what they've been doing all year, and really believe in themselves,” Miltenberg said.

Cranny is back training, but Miltenberg is taking a conservative approach to her comeback.

“There's no doubt she'll rocking and rolling in June,” Miltenberg said. “Indoors is not set in stone yet, but she's progressing, probably even ahead of schedule. But we want to be cautious.”

Fraser has been ascending throughout her three years at Stanford and earned her first All-America honor in cross country, after an NCAA outdoor 13th in the 5,000 last spring.

“Vanessa is a prime example of what happens when you trust the process, believe in yourself, and let yourself develop,” Miltenberg said.

With that, Miltenberg allowed an unpredictable and ultimately successful season to melt into the next with high hopes and the anticipation of adding another strong chapter to Cardinal cross country lore.

Achievements and honors:

TEAM
Both teams advanced to NCAA's for 22nd consecutive year, an ongoing record
25th NCAA top-three team finish, including men and women
5th in combined team NCAA place

MEN
NCAA Championships third place
NCAA West Region runner-up
Pac-12 runner-up
Three All-Americans
Third consecutive year with an All-American
Third consecutive year with a Pac-12 top-three finisher
10th NCAA top-three team finish
22nd consecutive NCAA team appearance
24 NCAA team appearances all-time
21st consecutive Pac-12 top-three team finish
28 consecutive victories over Cal at conference championships
55 consecutive victories over Cal in championship competition when both have full teams

Jack Bordoni
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Tom Coyle
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Steven Fahy
Pac-12 All-Academic second team

Grant Fisher
All-American
17th at NCAA Championships
First American freshman at NCAA Championships
All-Pac-12 second team

Jack Keelan
Pac-12 All-Academic second team

Sean McGorty
All-American
Seventh at NCAA Championships
Fourth American at NCAA Championships
All-West Region
All-Pac-12 first team
Pac-12 runner-up
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
Stanford Invitational winner

Cameron Miller
Pac-12 All-Academic first team

Patrick Perrier
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Jim Rosa
All-American
Sixth at NCAA Championships
Third American at NCAA Championships
All-West Region
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Joe Rosa
All-West Region
All-Pac-12 second team

Garrett Sweatt
All-West Region
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

WOMEN
NCAA Championships 14th place
NCAA West Region fourth place
Pac-12 third place
Pac-12 individual champion for third time in four years
Fifth consecutive year with an All-American
23rd consecutive NCAA team appearance, the longest streak in the country
28th NCAA team appearance all-time
23 consecutive top-16 NCAA team finishes
25 consecutive victories over Cal at conference championships
45 consecutive victories over Cal in championship competition when both have full teams

Sophie Chase
All-West Region
Pac-12 All-Academic second team

Aisling Cuffe
Pac-12 champion
Pac-12 Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year
Pac-12 Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
All-Pac-12 first team
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
Washington Invitational winner

Vanessa Fraser
All-American
All-Pac-12 second team
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Claire Howlett
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Danielle Katz
All-West Region
Pac-12 All-Academic second team

Megan Lacy
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Julia Maxwell
All-West Region
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

Molly McNamara
Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention