2023 Arkansas Qualifier (DMR) Preview

Ladies and gentlemen, it's DMR week.

Traditionally, annual indoor track meets like the Alex Wilson Invitational and the JDL DMR Invite headline the winter months when it comes to producing some of the fastest distance medley relay marks in the NCAA.

But last year, the Arkansas Qualifier proved to be just as competitive as those meets when it came to the DMR. In total, five men's teams advanced their relays to the national meet from this race.

And in 2023, the DMR fields on both the men's and women's sides could be just as competitive, maybe even more so, than they were last year.

Yes, there are individual events at this meet, but with depth of competition feeling limited, and certain entries feeling unlikely to actually toe the line, we felt like focusing strictly on the DMR (given the importance of this week) was the best decision.

So here we go...

Maura:

For the BYU women: Riley Chamberlain (1200), Alena Ellsworth (400), Claire Seymour (800), and Sadie Sargent (1600).

For the Kentucky women: Sydney Steely (1200), Dajour Miles (400), Jenna Schwinghamer (800), and Tori Herman (1600).

Scotty:

For the BYU women: Lexy Halladay-Lowry (1200), Alena Ellsworth (400), Claire Seymour (800), Riley Chamberlain (1600).

For the Kentucky women: Jenna Schwinghamer (1200), Dajour Miles (400), Sydney Steely (800), Tori Herman (1600).

Garrett:

For the BYU women: Taylor Rohatinsky (1200), Alena Ellsworth (400), Claire Seymour (800), Riley Chamberlain (1600).

For the Kentucky women: Jenna Schwinghamer (1200), Dajour Miles (400), Sydney Steely (800), Tori Herman (1600).

Maura: Oregon is currently on the outside-looking-in based on the current national leaderboard. A lot of things will change this weekend and the Ducks are obviously better than what they ran at the Washington Invite in late January. But it's also important to note that their lineup from last month was a full "A" team. They will need a big performance to land them a spot on the line at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.

We know that Izzy Thornton-Bott and Klaudia Kazimierska are established, national-caliber milers and that they will most likely be the bookends of the Duck’s lineup this weekend. But, it’s the 400/800 runners who will need to step-up big time.

It’s hard to pick a 400 meter runner for Oregon because they could opt for either a sprinter or a middle distance runner. This leg is important, but it doesn’t make or break the DMR.

This team doesn’t currently have another runner other than Kazimierska and Thornton-Bott who has broken 2:06 in the 800 meters. This could be a dilemma for Oregon as they'll need a third leg to be within a reasonable distance of the field on the final hand-off.

The Ducks have a lot riding on this weekend and given the talent that they have, as well as the level of the competition that they'll face, an improvement on their seasonal best time of 11:04 (DMR) is possible...but by how much is the real question.

Scotty: From my vantage point, it’s the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. This squad currently sits at NCAA #7 with a 10:57 (DMR) mark. That's a fringe All-American spot, but it's also close enough to the tail-end of the national leaderboard where they aren't entirely safe to advance to the indoor national meet.

Their assumed 1200 meter and 1600 meter legs of Gabija Galvydyte and Taylor Roe, respectively, are rock-solid and bookend this relay with elite firepower.

However, the biggest question mark then becomes the 800 meter leg. Could the Cowgirls possibly plug Billah Jepkirui into that spot? Or would it make more sense to drop Galvydyte to the 800 meter leg and insert Jepkirui to the lead-off portion of the relay?

Either way, I don’t think we’ve seen the best that the Cowgirls have to offer quite yet. And once they field their top lineup, this could be a group that is quietly in contention for a top-five finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Garrett: I feel like this answer is pretty obvious. It's Kentucky.

Yes, they had success last winter, emerging as an All-American relay. But after throwing down a wildly impressive wave of 1000 meter depth at Vanderbilt last month, some of the times that we've seen from these women have left us wanting more.

No one on this team has run faster than 4:45 in the mile this winter and no one has run faster than 2:04 (high) over 800 meters this season, either.

On paper, this team has the potential to be as complete and as dynamic as BYU and Oklahoma State could be this Friday. And based on their 1000 meter performances, as well as their 10:58 (DMR) mark from earlier this season, Kentucky can be a factor in this race.

But can they all have their best days in a scenario where they absolutely need to?

I guess we'll find out...

Maura:

Lauren Gregory (Arkansas): This Razorback star has the right combination of speed and endurance which is exactly what you need on the anchor leg of the DMR. Gregory’s recent 4:31 mile PR leads me to believe that she’s on the cusp of a memorable final indoor track season.

Jenna Schwinghamer (Kentucky): The Wildcats will rely on 800 meter specialist Jenna Schwinghamer to get the baton around the track as fast as she can. The sophomore athlete carries with her a 2:03 (800) PR and has gotten somewhat close to that time this season. Schwinghamer has the talent to hand the baton off in the lead if her 2:42 (1k) mark from earlier this season is any indication.

Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State): Part of my reasoning for choosing Taylor Roe here is partly because she ran down Lauren Gregory last weekend en route to her 8:56 (3k) PR. Roe has shown us that she has tremendous closing speed and doesn’t mind biding her time until the perfect opportunity to strike. That could make her an ideal anchor as the Cowgirls gun for the win.

Sadie Sargent (BYU): Sargent has been quietly putting together a really impressive resume and she is no longer flying under the radar. Earlier this season, the BYU middle distance specialist split 4:35 on the anchor leg of her DMR and followed that up with a 4:35 mile, a full 12-second PR in the open event. Sargent is riding the momentum train and doesn’t appear to be getting off anytime soon.

Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon): It’s her recent 4:33 mile PR that does it for me. Oregon’s Kazimierska seems to be finding her groove under first-year coach, Shalane Flanagan. She has a 2:03 (800) PR and after her recent mile, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Kazimierska lead-off for the Ducks to get the ball rolling.

Scotty:

Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State): This Lithuanian middle distance ace is the main x-factor for Oklahoma State. Whether she runs the 1200 meter leg or 800 meter leg, she provides a spark in the middle distances of the distance medley that few women can match.

Jenna Schwinghamer (Kentucky): Similar to Galvydyte, I like the versatility of Kentucky’s Jenna Schwinghamer who brings a boost to their relay whether she’s taking the 800 meter leg, the 1200 leg or the anchor leg.

Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon): One problem with Oregon is that it feels like they have three solid milers in Izzy Thornton-Bott, Klaudia Kazimierska and Maddy Elmore. But the shorter in distance that each of those women drop down to, the more question marks come up. For that reason, I agree with Maura that Kazimierska is the key, but I think they need to field her at the 800 meter leg to fully capitalize on her speed.

Britton Wilson (Arkansas): This is wishful thinking, but could you imagine seeing Britton Wilson take the 800 meter spot for Arkansas’ DMR? Given her 1:25 (600) mark from earlier this season, which took the world by storm in January, it’s not entirely out of the question to suggest that she could split sub-2:01 in the right race scenario.

Taylor Made Elite (BYU, sorta): I’m curious if Coach Diljeet Taylor will use her pro team’s entry as pacing support to push her BYU ladies on the 1200 meter leg, similar to what Washington did with the help of Alli Cash a couple of weeks ago. If so, this makes Lexy Halladay-Lowry (or whoever else leads-off) a pivotal part of the Cougars’ chances at running a season’s best.

Garrett:

Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State): I gotta agree with Scotty, it's Galvydyte. There's a realistic argument that she could be on literally any leg that isn't the 400 meters (but honestly, she could run that, too). She has been plenty consistent and solid as of late, but we also haven't seen her match her incredible 4:32 mile PR from early December. There are a lot of ways that she could impact her lineup.

Tori Herman (Kentucky): I believe that Kentucky's success will be determinant on how strong Jenna Schwinghamer is on whatever leg she toes the line for. But Tori Herman hasn't looked quite as sharp as she did last year. And if she has to be moved off of the anchor leg, then I don't know what that means for the rest of this lineup order.

Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon): Maura and Scotty pretty much said everything about Kazimierska that I wanted to, so I won't be redundant. But whatever leg she ends up running could then leave a very important leg to a still-developing, but highly promising, distance talent in Maddy Elmore.

Britton Wilson (Arkansas): At first, I thought this was a ridiculous suggestion, but Scotty makes a good point. The time-based benefit that the Razorbacks could gain by putting Britton Wilson on the 800 meter leg would be pretty substantial if they can simply find a good-enough replacement on the 400 meter leg. That would also give Arkansas more lineup flexibility by not putting a distance runner on the 800 meter leg and instead putting them elsewhere.

Taylor Rohatinsky (BYU): It is very possible that Riley Chamberlain will qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile this year. To ask a true freshman to then double back to run the DMR on day one of the national meet feels like a lot. That's why getting Taylor Rohatinsky, another true freshman who has also run 4:33 (mile) this year, relay experience in a loaded field could be super valuable a month from now.

Maura: I don’t see any of these women's DMR lineups winning the national title this winter as Washington looks unbeatable...but Arkansas is a close runner-up in my mind. The Razorbacks are the reigning NCAA champions in the DMR after running away with the win last year over the final leg.

Coach Lance Harter has consistently fielded one of the best all-around track team’s in the nation and always finds a way to get his DMR on the podium. This year’s team is younger and a little less experienced on the national stage, but sometimes that makes for an even more entertaining (and more explosive) lineup.

Scotty: I cannot see the path for any of these teams as Washington is the clear favorite. Not only that, but the subtractions of Krissy Gear and Logan Jolly are too much for Arkansas to overcome in their quest to repeat as champions.

I’ll roll the dice and say BYU when looking at a few other teams in this field.

Claire Seymour has been steadily improving throughout the season (or at least as of late) and we know how dominant she can be in the postseason. Although this Cougar contingent doesn’t have the firepower of a Courtney Wayment or Whittni Morgan (née Orton) on their anchor leg, they’re still getting a dominant miler rounding out the relay in Riley Chamberlain, and I think we have yet to see her full potential this season.

Garrett: I just don't see any of these teams winning the DMR national title. Arkansas is in a weird transition period of their roster lifecycle. BYU is way too young. Oklahoma State and Oregon feel like they are missing a key piece. Kentucky needs more of a spark this winter.

But in terms of which of these squads could finish the highest, I would say the Cowgirls. On paper, they probably have the best lead-off/anchor combo in Galvydte and Roe. That's a lot of firepower and I struggle to see how a roster as dynamic as Oklahoma State's wouldn't be viewed as the top lineup compared to the other teams in this field.

Maura: I don’t even know where to start with this Alabama lineup.

No one on their roster has broken 4:00 in the mile this winter. Eliud Kipsang, one of the nation’s best pure milers, hasn’t been at the top of his game, lately. The Crimson Tide don’t have a reliable 800 meter runner to field in their lineup right now either, especially with 1:46 man Jacob Lamb now gone.

There’s just way too many questions surrounding Alabama’s DMR this weekend for me to have any idea, good or bad, about what they'll do on Friday.

That said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hillary Cheruiyot somewhere on this relay, most likely on the 1200 meter leg, but then I’m at a loss after that. I say that because I'm not entirely sure Kipsang's status will be for this race.

Scotty: The Arkansas men are a difficult lineup to pin down. Not necessarily for any gaping holes in their potential lineup, but more so because they have such a deep roster that it’ll be difficult to put a final four together.

At this point in the season, Leroy Russell III has to be a lock on the 800 meter leg and Lexington Hilton feels like a guarantee to anchor this squad. But who ends up with the uber-important lead-off spot? I truly have no idea. It could be Elias Schreml, but if I had to guess, I’d take Ben Shearer who recently ran 4:00 (mile) and also has a 2:27 (1k) PR.

Garrett: It's Washington. They have seven guys who have run under four minutes in the mile this season. Some guys can move up in distance, some guys can move down in distance. Some guys will be needed for open events on the national stage, some guys will be going all-in for the DMR. The number of lineup possibilities that you could have with this relay seems limitless and I'm not even going to try and list all of them.

Maura: I don't want to beat a dead horse, but as I stated above, it’s a challenge picking and choosing the Alabama lineup for this weekend. Whoever the Crimson Tide opt to field will need to bring their "A" game...and then some.

Alabama was one of the best in the nation in 2022, running 9:22 (DMR) which was a top-10 time in NCAA history. But then they faded to 12th at the indoor national meet. Three of their men from that group are back this winter (Hillary Cheruiyot, Khaleb McRae and Eliud Kipsang), but only Cheruiyot and McRae have been reliable during this indoor track season.

It will be difficult for Alabama to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships if they don’t finish among top-three this weekend and run faster than 9:25.

Scotty: I’m fired up to see what the Iowa State Cyclones can do against the elite competition in this field. Washington is easily the favorite while Virginia and Oklahoma State have already run under 9:30 (DMR) this year. But between the likes of Nehemia Too, Peter Smith and Jason Gomez, the Iowa State men seemingly have each position covered north of 400 meters.

A big result here, maybe a 2nd place finish and something near 9:25, would give the Cyclones incredible momentum entering the indoor national meet.

Garrett: I would say Virginia.

The Cavaliers just had five men run under four minutes in the mile at Boston University last weekend. A lot of these guys are also able to dip into the 800 meters while remaining nationally competitive.

This weekend, the Virginia men will need to prove a few things. They need to prove that their relative youth won't be an issue, that their mile depth is translatable to the DMR and that they can choose the right lineup order in a situation where there are seemingly infinite possibilities.

Maura:

Nathan Green (Washington): There are three legs that Green could run this weekend and on each one, he could come out on top. The Washington redshirt freshman is enjoying success right now as one of the best middle distance runners in the nation given his 1:46 (800) and 3:52 (mile) marks. Green’s firepower should go unmatched on whatever his relay leg is.

Victor Kiprop (Alabama): The Crimson Tide will need a big race from Kiprop this weekend on the anchor leg. On a relay where much of this race is won on the anchor leg, Kiprop’s strength will be his secret weapon if Kipsang is subbed out (which is just speculation).

Fouad Messaoudi (Oklahoma State): He’s been on a roll all season long and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Messaoudi has won all of his individual races this winter and helped lead the Cowboys to their early-season DMR victory on this very track. You just can’t bet against a 7:41 (3k) runner when you let him run free in a shorter distance.

Jason Gomez (Iowa State): Experience will come into play for Jason Gomez. The Iowa State Cyclone has competed at numerous NCAA Championships over the last few years, holding his own against some stiff competition. The 1:46 (800) ace matched his 2022 outdoor half-mile PR last weekend and could be dangerous on the 1200 meter or 800 meter legs.

Lexington Hilton (Arkansas): It’s going to be the final leg that determines how well the Razorbacks do. Hilton has been on a roll this season, running his first sub-4:00 mile as well as posting a sub-7:50 (3k) mark. He might not have the same resume as some of his potential competitors, but Hilton has been able to run up to the caliber of his competition this winter.

Conor Murphy (Virginia): Like many of his potential competitors, Murphy is one of the best in the NCAA this winter. The Virginia Cavalier ran the 800 meters on the team’s nation-leading 9:27 (DMR) time this season. And since then, Murphy has dropped marks of 1:47 (800) and 3:56 (mile). The ceiling is high for this sophomore and his Virginia teammates.

Scotty:

Gary Martin (Virginia): Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the Gary Martin breakout race. Now that the Virginia rookie has broken the 4:00 mile barrier as a collegiate, he’ll be primed to throw down a monster 1200 meter lead-off leg when pushed by some of the nation’s best.

The Razorbacks' lead-off leg (Arkansas): I don’t have a particular name to throw down, but as I mentioned before, the aspect that will determine Arkansas’ success will be their lead-off leg. They have a solid core in the remaining slots, but that will be futile if they aren’t able to get the baton within striking distance of the top teams.

Joe Waskom (Washington): The reigning 1500 meter national champion from last spring gives Washington the edge for being the most dominant miler taking the track in this meet while also having the clutch gene of performing well in hostile environments.

Alex Maier (Oklahoma State): This veteran star is the key for Oklahoma State in my eyes given who is anchoring the other teams’ lineups. While Maier boasts tremendous range and holds a 3:56 (mile) PR as a true 10k guy, he’ll still need to split his 1600 meter leg in the low 3:50s if the Cowboys wish to pull off an upset over the Huskies. This, of course, assumes that he's even on the anchor leg or even on this relay to begin with, which is not a guarantee.

Eliud Kipsang (Alabama): Per usual, the biggest “feast or famine” guy is Eliud Kipsang. No one has as much pure talent as him in my opinion (not even Waskom), but the Crimson Tide will need Kipsang to be dialed in on the 1600 meter leg if they want to be somewhat competitive in this field.

Peter Smith (Iowa State): Smith feels criminally underappreciated compared to some of the big names in this field, but I’m expecting him to rise to the occasion and deliver a big 1200 meter leg for the Cyclones. That would give Too and Gomez a chance to close and deliver a national qualifying mark.

Garrett:

Gary Martin (Virginia): I agree with Scotty that Gary Martin will likely play a pivotal role on this relay. His 3:56 mile PR from this past weekend was encouraging and he has also proven that he can effectively step down in distance. But his youth makes him a bit of a wild card and it's unclear what leg best suits him (1200 vs 800) assuming Conor Murphy takes the anchor.

The Razorbacks' lead-off leg (Arkansas): Once again, I agree with Scotty. The Razorbacks will live and die by how good their 1200 meter leg is this Friday. Presumed anchor Lexington Hilton has been as solid as they come and Leroy Russell III is showing really great potential on the 800 meter leg. But trying to figure out who will start this race with the baton is a challenge.

Joe Waskom (Washington): Nathan Green's recent 1:46 mark over 800 meters makes him a pretty clear-cut option for that leg unless Coach Andy Powell feels strongly about putting Cass Elliott there. But it's more likely that Elliott runs the 400 meters and Green runs the 800 meter leg. And after seeing Waskom run 2:18 for 1000 meters earlier this season, does it makes sense to trust him the most on the lead-off leg while Fay or Lumb get placed on the anchor? That's a decision that could potentially lead to an NCAA record.

Juan Diego Castro (Oklahoma State): Honestly, it doesn't really matter who Oklahoma State decides to put on the 1200 meter and 1600 meter legs. Those two legs will go to some combination of Alex Maier, Ryan Schoppe and Fouad Messaoudi. But that's not really an important distinction. I think Juan Diego Castro, a 1:48 (800) and middle distance veteran with national meet experience, could be the guy who makes or breaks this relay.

Eliud Kipsang (Alabama): There's not really much to explain here. For a team that is going all-in on a fast time, they'll need Eliud Kipsang, one of the best time-based milers in NCAA history, running at 100%. That hasn't been the case so far as the Kenyan star has struggled, but a 3:55 anchor split would go a LONG way if he's able to get back to that level.

The Cyclones' lead-off leg (Iowa State): General logic would tell you that Nehemia Too will anchor this relay while Cebastian Gentil or Jason Gomez will run the 800 meter leg. But what happens on the 1200 meter leg? That should probably go to 1:47/4:00 man Peter Smith, right? But what happens if Gentil runs the 800 meter leg? Would Iowa State trust Jason Gomez's 2:19 (1k) speed over Smith's mile strength? Honestly, I have no idea.

Maura: Heck yes.

I mean, it's Washington.

Need I say more?

Coach Andy Powell’s Huskies run deep in the middle distance disciplines. When you have seven runners under 4:00 in the mile, how can you not bank on them winning NCAA gold?

The 1200 meter, 800 meter and 1600 meter legs for Washington could go to nearly anyone on this roster, so it all comes down to who they throw onto the 400 meter leg.

Scotty: It’s easily Washington.

I mean, if it wasn’t, then what would our final question (below) be there for, right? The Huskies are primed to not only win the national title, but to do so in thrilling, dominant fashion. In the right race, they could even knock on the door of a new NCAA record.

And perhaps the inspiration from their teammates on the women’s side was exactly what they need to get it done.

Garrett: Yeah, it's Washington. They could probably run the NCAA record on a perfect day, too. I won't spend any more time on this than is necessary. Let's move on...

Maura: 89% we see a Washington 1-2 finish. These men train together, so there’s no doubt they won’t count on team tactics this weekend. The more challenging thing for Coach Andy Powell this weekend is to pick and choose who he races on which team.

Scotty: In somewhat of a trolling move, but also because I was going to land near here anyway, I’ll take the reverse of Maura’s prediction and go with 11%.

Don’t get me wrong, I have bulletproof confidence in Washington’s “A” team taking the overall win, and I understand the level of depth this roster has, but these guys aren’t going up against some scrubs. They’re going against some of the best teams that the NCAA has to offer -- and those relay teams are out for blood.

I’ll take the Washington “B” team landing in a respectable 4th place.

Garrett: I'll meet somewhere in the middle(ish) and say 30%.

The question that we're basically asking is if Washington's "B" lineup can beat fully-stacked lineups from Oklahoma State, Alabama, Iowa State, Virginia and Arkansas. I think it's plenty realistic for the next-best group of Huskies to take down Alabama, Arkansas and Virginia. But Iowa State is a little iffy and Oklahoma State is a brutal task.

There's certainly a chance that it happens, especially if Coach Andy Powell opts to make two balanced relays, but Oklahoma State is probably going to run crazy fast. So unless the Cowboys completely falter, I would say that the Huskies will need a fully-loaded lineup to take down the BIG 12 juggernaut.

*Predictions via Garrett Zatlin

*Collegiates only

*Predictions are made under the assumption that each team is running a fully-stacked lineup