To say qualifying for the NCAA Cross Country National Championships for the first time since 2018 was a dream come true for the men’s cross country team last year would be an understatement.
That group, then littered with multiple seniors in their final year of eligibility, had grinded for several years together to reach the ultimate goal of qualifying to the national championships as a team, which transcended any individual achievement they had ever accomplished.
“It was definitely a surreal moment,” Ryker Holtzen said. “Finally qualifying was obviously a very exciting moment but almost a moment of relief, like ‘we’ve done it’.”
There’s no doubt that the moment they pulled it off was special–however, much of that roster is now but a distant memory. Gone are three of the scoring five from the national championships–those runners being Dylan van der Hock, Gus McIntyre and Mason Norman. Trevor Stephen and Asefa Wetzel–who both also attended and ran at the meet, but were not scored–are also gone.
However, the Cowboys’ top two finishers at the national championships, Holtzen and Jacob White, are back into the fold for their senior seasons and are looking to make a return to the national championships and they certainly feel like they once again have the tools to do so.
“We lost some of the guys we had on the team last year,” Holtzen noted, “but I think everybody’s looking like they have the ability to score on our team this year and bring in experience, whether that be transfers from other schools or guys that have been on our team previously.”
Head coach Scott Dahlberg shares the same perspective Holtzen has on the upcoming season as well. Dahlberg recognizes that last year’s group had a special connection only some teams are able to build, and that Holtzen and White have helped carry that torch into this season with a relatively new group.
“This group is doing a great job of staying connected. The young guys and new athletes that have come into the program this year are really embracing that and immersing in it,” Dahlberg said.
“We’ve been super happy with, even though the group looks a little different, it has retained that value.”
Drake transfer Aidan Ramsey and Southern Illinois transfer Mathis Chavand have seamlessly transitioned into the team and have already emerged as some of the Cowboys’ top running threats. Ramsey finished as the runner-up in the 5,000 meter run at the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships last season, while Chavand won the MVC championship 3,000 meter run and was the freshman of the year in the conference during the 2022 season.
“He’s fitting into the group extremely well and doing great things,” Dahlberg said of Ramsey.
“He’s another guy that will step up,” Holtzen added of Chavand.
Senior Mac Zastrow has also positioned himself to be a valuable runner for this year’s team as well, as Zastrow has bided his time in the program into now becoming one of the top returners on this squad in his senior season.
“He’s definitely a guy that is making gains this year and is definitely a scorer,” Holtzen said of Zastrow.
Regardless, Holtzen and White both will remain at the forefront of this squad and the team will rely on them to continue to improve and finish highly, paving the way for the group to make it back to nationals as a unit. White crossed the line in 119th at the national championship, with Holtzen perfectly pacing him in 120th. With those two pushing each other at every turn, the sky is seemingly the limit on how far they can go.
“They’re real good for each other, in lots of ways,” Dahlberg said of their connection. “They have a lot of really good experience and the success they’ve had has really instilled, I think, a confidence within the group of knowing that these guys have put in a lot of work over the years and are seeing a lot of reward for that.”
While making the national championships is not a guarantee, especially when competing in a region as cutthroat as the Mountain Region–which features five ranked teams in the preseason NCAA cross country coach’s poll–this group certainly has the capabilities of making a return to the national championships.
Now, it’s all about executing.
“I think to get there you have to have that drive,” Holtzen said. “You just have to be so perfect on any given race day.”
