NCAA Cross Country

[gm]

Tiernan has no eligibility left.

[26mi235]

The NCAA must be carrying him as a senior for 2016 outdoors at the very least, because the table above is directly from the NCAA's official results. The TFRRS entry has him as a Freshman in 2014, and SO in 2015 but he jumps to a Senior in 2016. It might

Year Season Class 1500 3000 5000

2016	Outdoor	SR-4	-- --	-- --	13:25.78
2016	Indoor	SR-4	-- --	7:48.55	14:03.53
2015	Outdoor	SO-2	3:45.43	-- --	13:54.00
2015	Indoor	SO-2	-- --	8:18.73	14:18.04
2014	Outdoor	FR-1	3:46.27	-- --	13:31.25
2014	Indoor	FR-1	-- --	7:57.75	13:37.73

Wikipedia has this on college, which indicates that he "used" a season of eligibility (I&O) in 2013, which might lead to reclassifying him this year as a Senior.

Tiernan was recruited by Villanova in January 2013 and missed out on the first indoor and outdoor track seasons. At the 2014 NCAA DI Indoor T&F Championships, Tiernan finished in seventh place in the 5000 meters final round. At the 2014 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships, Tiernan placed sixth in the 5000 meters, earning his first All-American honors in track and field in his NCAA collegiate career. He placed second overall at the 2015 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships behind Edward Cheserek, whom he beat in 2016 when he won the men's overall title.

[NotDutra5]

Tiernan has no eligibility left.

In support:

Friday night’s competition marked the final collegiate track races for both Tiernan and Williamsz, who have combined for 13 career All-America honors between the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons. Williamsz has used up all of his collegiate eligibility, while Tiernan will return in the fall for a final season of cross country eligbility.

He was also listed as having Senior eligibility last outdoor season on Villanova's roster.

[tandfman]

Wikipedia has this on college, which indicates that he "used" a season of eligibility (I&O) in 2013, which might lead to reclassifying him this year as a Senior.

Tiernan was recruited by Villanova in January 2013 and missed out on the first indoor and outdoor track seasons.

A serious question, based on my ignorance of NCAA eligibility rules. If he "missed out" on his first indoor and outdoor seasons (which I assume means he didn't compete for Villanova in those seasons), why do those seasons count against his eligibility, leaving him with only 3 remaining years?

[26mi235]

I have no idea and have no more access to the internet than you do; I spent overly long looking at things last night, now it is your turn. No one says that he is eligible and he lists as a senior last year both indoors and outdoors, so that part of the answer is reasonably clear (and he is not on their T&F roster).

[NotDutra5]

I have no idea and have no more access to the internet than you do; I spent overly long looking at things last night, now it is your turn. No one says that he is eligible and he lists as a senior last year both indoors and outdoors, so that part of the answer is reasonably clear (and he is not on their T&F roster).

From Villanova's archived rosters, he's also not listed as a member of the 2013 I/O roster. He's listed as a GA/Sr on this year's XC roster so maybe the fact that he graduated forces him to file paperwork to use post graduate eligibility and he chose not to do so.

There was a basketball player at my son's school who graduated in August (in three years) and weighed returning for his post graduate 4th year of eligibility and was required to file some paperwork to do so....at least how it was told to me.

[aaronk]

I was curious about Tiernan's eligibility because, if eligible, his 27:59 would qualify for the Collegiate lists, even though run "off-season" and in Australia!
So apparently it was his first POST-Collegiate race---yes??

[br]

In the Let's Run post-race interviews, he mentions that his next race will be the Australian 10k championships on December 8 (the 27:59) and then he will be looking to "see if we can pick up some sort of a contract and keep going for the world champs in 2017". Indicates he needs to stay in Australia for about a month and sort out visa issues before heading back to Villanova to train with Marcus (O'Sullivan) for another year.

Start video at 6:00 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJUK-IU2gcE

[tandfman]

If he has graduated and is not attending graduate school, that could be the answer to the eligibility question.

[br]

After the race he said: "It is unbelievable and a very surreal feeling," Tiernan said after the race. "I have been here for four years and this is something that you always dream about happening. To have it happen in my last race as a college athlete is an unbelievable feeling, and a very good representation of all the hard work myself, [head coach] Marcus O'Sullivan and the whole team has put in. To pull it off today was fantastic."

http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-xc/recaps/111916aab.html

[NotDutra5]

If he has graduated and is not attending graduate school, that could be the answer to the eligibility question.

This is probably he right answer. It's too simple. We crave confusion.