Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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56 PRESEASON 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED ND SPORTS BY TODD D. BURLAGE F rom a national runner-up finish in men's soccer to a fourth-place per- formance at the NCAA Championships for women's cross country, the fall sports season provided plenty of high- lights for Notre Dame in 2023. The Fighting Irish women's soccer team also performed well last year, re- cording a second-place finish in the At- lantic Coast Conference to earn a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Championship — its third straight appearance in the post- season tournament. This fall, the Fighting Irish volley- ball team hopes to improve on its 11-15 record from last year, while the men's cross country program will work to bet- ter on its pedestrian 14th-place national finish in 2023. The ACC will also feature a new look this fall with Stanford, Cal and SMU joining the league. Following is a look at what to watch this fall from the five Fighting Irish Olympic Sports programs. MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Season Opener: Crusader Invite Aug. 30 at Val- paraiso, Ind. ACC Predicted Finish: Top three; North Carolina and Virginia are the preseason favorites in this powerful conference, but Notre Dame isn't far behind. NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Top five — the Irish are expected to finish in the top 10 nationally but a top-five finish isn't a stretch. Coach's Expectations: Notre Dame head cross country coach Matt Sparks finds himself with a dilemma as he enters the 2024 cross country sea- son. Carrying arguably the deepest men's roster he has during his seven years on the job, Sparks isn't exactly sure who will emerge as his top performers this season. "If you ask me right now who are going to be our top seven, I would list 12 to 14 guys," Sparks said. "There is so much parity on the men's team, it's going to take a good month to figure out who the top seven to 10 are." With a welcome blend of youthful talent com- peting alongside a veteran nucleus of runners, Sparks believes this team should improve on its fourth-place ACC finish and its 14th place national placement from last year. "We weren't overly excited with our finishes last season," he said. "But we weren't disappointed either. It's something to build on." Top Runner: When healthy, graduate student Josh Methner is as good as any runner in the coun- try. He finished 21st in the ACC Championships last season and 15th in the national championship qualifying race. Athlete To Watch: Junior CJ Singleton is expected to become one of Notre Dame's top runners this fall. Singleton earned All-America honors in the steeplechase at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a fifth-place finish. Don't Miss: Notre Dame will get its first true test of the season Oct. 4, when it hosts the highly competitive Joe Piane Invitational at its revamped course on campus. WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Season Opener: Crusader Invite Aug. 30 Val- paraiso, Ind. ACC Predicted Finish: Top three; three-time de- fending national champion North Carolina State lost five of its top seven runners but will still be a challenge to unseat. NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Top five — the return- ing talent is in place to add a fourth straight top-10 national finish. Coach's Expectations: Sparks also coaches the Irish women's team, and he explained how this season will have a different look and feel. Three- time All-American Olivia Markezich has gradu- ated and is gone. Sparks, though, believes his new group can absorb Markezich's absence through a more collective effort. "For the last three years we've had that super- star up front that would carry the load of the team's score," Sparks said. "Now, we're going to have to do it by committee to make up for the loss of the big hitter up front." The ACC will be loaded again with reigning na- tional champion North Carolina State looking for a four-peat, and with perennial power Stanford joining the league. Top Runner: Graduate student Erin Strzelecki returns as the top Irish runner after finishing 37th at the 2023 national championship race. Athlete To Watch: Senior Sophie Novak finished seventh in the steeplechase at the 2024 NCAA Out- door Track Championship and is expected to make a big jump this season on the cross country course. Don't Miss: The ACC meet Nov. 1 in Raleigh, N.C., will have a new look with league newcomers Stanford, Cal and SMU also competing. Breaking Down The Irish Fall Teams Last year, senior soccer forward Matthew Roou tied for the team lead in points (23) and was second in goals (10). PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME