TSR Collaboration

Mar 1923 min

2024 D3 Indoor Track End of Season Awards

Updated: Mar 20

Written by Conor Daly, Kevin Fischer & Gavin Struve, votes via TSR D3 staff

Additional edits & commentary by Gavin Struve & Garrett Zatlin

Welcome back to a trimestrial classic, our End of Season Awards!

Below, we listed our five seasonal awards for the men and five seasonal awards for the women, all for the Division Three level. These awards are a way to highlight the accomplishments of certain individuals from the entirety of the indoor track season. You'll also find our criteria for each of these awards as we list our nominees.

In the second half of this article, you'll find the votes from our TSR contributors (click that link if you want to skip all of the summary parts).

Let's begin...

Best Freshman Award (Men)

*Athletes who hold freshman status stemming from any type of eligibility extension (not including missions) are not considered for this award. International freshmen are included amongst these nominees unless we have reason to believe that they do not meet our criteria. Performances past 3/9 are not considered.

Nominees: Julian Aske (NYU), William Frohling (Washington U.), Lucas Nicholson (UW-Oshkosh), Quinn White (Pomona-Pitzer)

Julian Aske (NYU)

The only true freshman male to qualify for any distance event at the D3 indoor national meet this year, Julian Aske held his own once he got there. While he couldn't hang with the leaders in his 800-meter preliminary heat, a 14th-place finish is certainly nothing to hang your head about. There will be more opportunities for the Violet ace who ran a converted 1:51 mark for 800 meters in late February. His valuable championship experience that he gained this season will go a long way towards helping him continue to produce solid, composed races on the national stage.

William Frohling (Washington U.)

While William Frohling did not find his way to the start line of the indoor national meet, but he did defeat Aske over 800 meters in a head-to-head duel at the UAA Indoor Championships. In one of the deepest conferences in the country with a field that contained six men who have been national qualifiers for the half-mile distance, Frohling managed a 3rd-place finish, losing to only Carnegie Mellon's Andrew McGovern and TJ Carleo of Brandeis. Despite missing out on the "Big Dance," Frohling showed how competitive he can be with the nation's best this winter, and for that, we have to give him credit.

Lucas Nicholson (UW-Oshkosh)

With a third “Best Freshman” nominee in the event, the future of the 800 meters at the D3 level looks incredibly bright. In the case of Lucas Nicholson, he looked really solid all year. He ended at NCAA #37 on the D3 national leaderboard in the half-mile, but just as importantly, was quite consistent in his six 800-meter races with the exception of one hiccup. His other five half-mile results were all either 1:54 or 1:55 marks, each run on flat 200-meter tracks. Plus, a 7th place WIAC Indoor Championships finish is very respectable against the level of competition one faces in that league.

Quinn White (Pomona-Pitzer)

As with many of the Sagehens, Quinn White only raced twice on the indoor oval. When he did, he made it count with a 14:33 (5k) mark in December and an 8:35 (3k) result at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Meet. Those times might not be the flashiest, but they're highly encouraging marks for a freshman distance runner. At the very least, White should develop into a key contributor to an elite-level cross country team, but the potential is absolutely there for him to be even more than that.

Best Freshman Award (Women)

Nominees: Haley Schoenegge (Vassar), Dale Leonard (Ramapo), Jules Bleskoski (RPI), Estelle Snider (U. of Chicago), Elizabeth Csikai (Emory)

Haley Schoenegge (Vassar)

After kick-starting her collegiate career with a really solid cross country season that ended with a 100th-place national meet finish, Haley Schoenegge has now shown that her true specialty lies in the mile. Her debut in the event was a 5:15 mark, then she ran 5:08, then 4:59, displaying rapid improvement throughout the season. Making the national meet final with a 4:57 personal best was the crowning achievement of Schoenegge's first collegiate track season. And even though she missed out on All-American honors by one spot, this was a campaign to remember.

Dale Leonard (Ramapo)

This Ramapo ace has been exceptionally consistent this winter, running between 4:53 and 4:57 in seven of her eight different mile efforts. Dale Leonard showcased incredible talent throughout the season, and perhaps even more impressive was the composure that she displayed to finish 4th at the indoor national meet against a field of established stars. This is somebody who has the potential to develop into a multi-time national champion in her career.

Jules Bleskoski (RPI)

Even though she struggled at the indoor national meet, Jules Bleskoski has a lot to be proud of this season. The 3000 meters is probably the toughest distance event to qualify for at the NCAA Indoor Championships because of the lack of scratches, and it's not lost on us how impressive it is to get there as a true freshman. There will be plenty more opportunities for Bleskoski to compete against the nation's best in the future.

Estelle Snider (U. of Chicago)

Running her first collegiate 5000-meter race at the GVSU Big Meet in February, Estelle Snider dropped an astounding 17:03 mark which was the top time by any freshman this winter. Her next two attempts at that distance came at the UAA Indoor Championship and the indoor national meet. In both races, Snider faced loaded fields and held her own incredibly well. She has already shown time and time again that she won't be rattled against big names.

Elizabeth Csikai (Emory)

Despite her status as a cross country All-American, Elizabeth Csikai is the only athlete in this category who did not qualify for the indoor national meet. That, however, should not take away from the fact that she had a really solid season, running under 17:15 (5k) on two separate occasions. Even though there were no breakout results this winter in comparison to her cross country season, Csikai already set a high standard for herself. It's hard to be all that disappointed when her future seems as bright as it does.

Most Improved Award (Men)

*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this winter. Prior seasons are used as a loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Nominees for this award do not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season (not necessarily of indoor track) of collegiate competition. Performances past 3/9 are not considered.

Nominees: Isaac vanWestrienen (Cornell College), Jonathan Zavala (Brockport State), Grant Matthai (UW-La Crosse), Eric Anderson (UC Santa Cruz), Joe Franke (Loras), Will Goddard (Bowdoin)

Isaac vanWestrienen (Cornell College)

After transferring from NAIA program Midland, Isaac vanWestrienen had a good cross country season, but it was not at all an indicator of what was to come. This winter, vanWestrienen saw a huge breakthrough that landed him the top 3000-meter time in Division Three and a top-five mark for 5000 meters. What’s arguably more impressive is that he soloed both of these marks. Although the indoor national meet may not have gone his way, he cut over 40 seconds off of his 3k personal best and over 50 seconds off of his 5k personal best this season. Those numbers don’t lie.

Jonathan Zavala (Brockport State)

While Jonathan Zavala had been to a national meet on the track prior to this season, he was far from the consistently excellent runner that he is now. In addition to his much-improved 800-meter and 3k abilities, the junior had a strong pair of performances in his main event, the mile, this winter. First, Zavala ran a 4:07 in a time trial-style race before running a 4:08 (converted) to take a win over an eventual national qualifier in the event. At the indoor national meet, Zavala took home bronze in the mile, a resume-defining performance fit for an emerging star.

Grant Matthai (UW-La Crosse)

After missing both his freshman indoor track and outdoor track seasons, Grant Matthai had a very successful cross country season that landed him just outside of All-American status this past fall. Even so, he was on another level during this indoor track season, holding top-15 marks in both the 3k and the 5k. The youngster handled the 5k/3k weekend double at the indoor national meet extremely well, leading off the weekend with a monstrous 14:03 (5k) run for 5th place before running to 8th place over 3000 meters.

Eric Anderson (UC Santa Cruz)

After finding solid (but not quite national-caliber) success over 800 meters, Eric Anderson broke through in a huge way this winter in the mile. Anderson took home a commanding mile win at the Wartburg Qualifier and looked awesome the following week on the national stage. He cruised through the prelims with the fastest time on the day and was the only athlete who seemed up for challenging Bennett Booth-Genthe in the mile finals. Finishing runner-up in a time of 4:05, Anderson cut six seconds off of his personal best during the weekend when it mattered most.

Joe Franke (Loras)

It’s clear that there’s significant improvement when replicating your personal best from just a few months ago quickly becomes a “bad" day. That’s what happened to Joe Franke on the national stage. With a ceiling of 1:55 (800) last year, Franke ran no slower than that this season. He also ran as fast as 1:50 (converted) which earned him a trip to the national stage. Although things didn’t go all that well for him in his season finale, Franke was still an important part of a pair of relays for the Duhawks.

Will Goddard (Bowdoin)

With a very limited indoor track season last year, Will Goddard still didn’t seem to be his best self last outdoor track season. However, he trickled back into form during the cross country season before putting significant dents in his 3k and mile personal bests this winter. With a strong result during the final weekend before the national meet, Goddard relied on his momentum to make the finals a week later. And after capturing a 10th-place finish and a 4:08 (mile) PR at the NCAA Indoor Championships, this Polar Bear runner is establishing himself as a new name on the mile scene.

Most Improved Award (Women)

Nominees: Lexi Fernandez (MIT), Allison Sibold (St. Lawrence), Grace Hadley (WPI), Deyanneira Colon Maldonado (Aurora), Paige Phillips (Coast Guard), Pria Parker (Smith College)

Lexi Fernandez (MIT)

Last year, Lexi Fernandez was one of the best freshmen in the country. Now, she’s one of the best distance runners in the country across all grade levels. Fernandez consistently ran around 5:00 for the mile and 10:00 for the 3k last winter. This season, she comfortably ran under 10:00 comfortably in all three of her appearances at that distance, including a 9:49 (3k) personal best. Fernandez also ran under 4:55 in the mile on three separate occasions, including on her way to a 5th-place finish over that distance at the indoor national meet.

Allison Sibold (St. Lawrence)

Isn’t it crazy that Allison Sibold had never eclipsed the 5:00 (mile) barrier nor run in a national meet on the track until this winter? Although we saw hints during the cross country season that she had reached a new level, it wasn’t until the last few months that we saw this St. Lawrence star thrive on a whole new level. Sibold ran each of her six separate mile races comfortably under 5:00, a testament to her consistency. Her season climaxed in the mile final at the national meet with a personal best of 4:50 to grab silver, likely the best finish she could have asked for.

Grace Hadley (WPI)

With her mile title in championship record fashion, heroic DMR split and a very strong 3k, Grace Hadley had as strong of a national meet as anyone. Yet if we rewind a year, Hadley wasn’t even racing at the indoor national meet, as crazy as that sounds. Yes, she was the 4th place finisher at the cross country national meet this past fall, but Hadley’s mile capabilities put her on an entirely new plane than she occupied even a few months ago. To recap, she ran 4:46, 4:45 and 4:42 over the mile distance this winter in addition to producing a 4:40 DMR split. Add in her dominant runs at distances from the 800 meters all the way up to the 5k and there’s no doubt left that Hadley's fitness is on an entirely elevated level.

Deyanneira Colon Maldonado (Aurora)

This Aurora veteran had one race last year in which she snuck under the 5:00 (mile) barrier before seemingly reinventing herself in the past year. Her cross country season was very respectable, culminating in All-American honors, but that still didn't necessarily suggest that she would find the success that she did in distances from the mile all the way up to the 5k this season. Finding herself in national qualifying position in all three events, Colon Maldonado chose the two longer distances despite a new 4:56 (mile) PR. And while she came up just short of earning her first All-American finish on the track, Colon Maldonado gave herself a much better chance of doing so soon with 9:43 (3k) and 16:46 (5k) marks, making her one of the most dynamic distance talents in the country.

Paige Phillips (Coast Guard)

Coming into the season, Paige Phillips' 5k personal best sat at over 18 minutes. Now, it’s under 17 minutes and she’s an All-American in the event. Yes, her 2023 cross country campaign hinted that she had progressed, but not nearly to this extent. This success is no accident as it took the perseverance of three 5k attempts to obtain a national qualifying mark, hinting that Phillips intended to peak for the postseason.

Pria Parker (Smith College)

A mile specialist, Pria Parker comfortably earned a spot at her first track national meet thanks to three sub-5:00 mile performances (including conversions) throughout the regular season. She ran personal bests in each of her last three races, culminating with a 6th place finish on the national stage. As someone who has historically tended to perform better on the outdoor oval relative to the indoor oval, the future is bright for Parker with a hot start to 2024.

Best Performance Award (Men)

*Must have run attached at least once this winter and must have been attached during the race in question. Multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone "performance". However, performances that are amplified by the results of other meets/individuals with appropriate context are included. TSR writers can vote for the performance that they believe is either the most impressive, the most impactful, the most entertaining or the most surprising. Performances past 3/9 are not considered.

Nominees: Bennett Booth-Genthe Runs 4:00 (mile) in Early December to Hold Seasonlong NCAA #1 Mark by over Two Seconds, Ethan Gregg Runs Away from Patzka and the Field to Repeat as 3k National Champion, Christian Patzka Runs NCAA #1 13:51 (5k) to Blow away D3 Competition at Boston U., Cael Schoemann Wins First Half-Mile National Title by Hundredths of a Second

Bennett Booth-Genthe Runs 4:00 (mile) in Early December to Hold Season-Long NCAA #1 Mark By Over Two Seconds

Bennett Booth-Genthe was oh-so-close to joining the exclusive club of sub-4:00 milers in the Division Three ranks. While a 4:00 mile PR wasn't necessarily shocking for this highly accomplished Sagehen, it certainly was surprising to see him achieve that in his season opener. With a national title a few months later in which he blew kisses to the crowd over the final 50 meters, Booth-Genthe showed that there was no D3 middle distance runner at his level of fitness at the beginning of the season or at the end of it.

Ethan Gregg Runs Away from Patzka and the Field to Repeat as 3k National Champion

Following a runner-up 5k finish at the national meet the previous day, the reigning cross country national champion got revenge over the 3k distance to claim his third national title. Gapping the field by a significant margin before hitting the halfway mark, Ethan Gregg showed that he was simply more fit than his elite competitors. Not only was this a huge accomplishment for Gregg himself, but it also clinched the NCAA team title for UW-La Crosse.

Christian Patzka Runs NCAA #1 Mark of 13:51 (5k) to Blow Away D3 Competition at Boston U.

In what was a Division Three record attempt, this Wisconsin native flew across the country to find the best place to take a crack at an ultra-fast 5k race in a loaded field at Boston U. After placing runner-up at the cross country national meet, Christian Patzka regained his grasp of our TSR #1 spot (which he never relinquished) with a 13:51 (5k) performance. And while he did ultimately come up short of Alex Phillip’s D3 record from a year ago, this performance was highly impressive, particularly because it was 17 seconds faster than Gregg in the same heat.

Cael Schoemann Wins First Half-Mile National Title by Hundredths of a Second

With the men’s 800 meters seemingly wide-open this winter, it was Cael Schoemann who took the opportunity to claim his first national title. After making a big move just before the halfway point, the sophomore looked like he was going to run away from the field fairly easily. But that was not the case due to a late challenge from Sam Verkerke. In the end, it took a dive at the line from both of them to decide a national champion. And after being briefly disqualified, Schoemann was reinstated to earn his first national championship in a time of 1:50.56. The national title was briefly in doubt, but Schoemann wrapped the most complete and convincing campaign of any D3 half-mile this winter runner in memorable fashion.

Best Performance Award (Women)

Nominees: Fiona Smith Runs 15:50 (5k) to Reset D3 Indoor Record, Emma Kelley Runs 2:04 (800) PR En Route to Five-Second Victory, Third NCAA Title New D3 Indoor 800-Meter Record, Grace Hadley Dominates Mile Final with 4:42 PR for First Individual National Title, Fiona Smith Tops Deep 3k field for Second National Title in as Many Days, Grace Hadley Rallies from 11th Place to Anchor WPI to DMR Gold with 4:40 Split

Fiona Smith Runs 15:50 (5k) to Reset D3 Indoor Record

On the first Saturday in December, Fiona Smith provided a glimpse into why she's been our TSR #1 runner for the entirety of this academic year. The soon-to-be member of the NC State Wolfpack took to one of a number of high-octane races at Boston U. and came away with a new D3 indoor 5k record of 15:50 just two weeks after she won the cross country national title. That early-season mark proved to be 37 seconds faster than any other D3 woman ran over the 5000-meter distance this winter.

Emma Kelley Runs 2:04 (800) PR En Route to Five-Second Victory, Third NCAA Title New D3 Indoor 800-Meter Record

In an NCAA Championship that was especially memorable for the superstars it highlighted and helped to emerge, Emma Kelley produced arguably the most dominant distance performance. The Washington U. harrier won by nearly six seconds over the half-mile distance, running a new PR in the process and further stamping herself as an all-time great in the event. And of course, Kelley broke the D3 indoor 800-meter record in the process, becoming the first D3 woman to run under 2:05 on an indoor oval.

Grace Hadley Dominates Mile Final via 4:42 PR for First Individual National Title

Relative to distance, Grace Hadley's eight-and-a-half-second margin of victory in the mile was slightly less dominant (statistically) than what Emma Kelley achieved in a distance half as long the same day. That, however, doesn't mean that Hadley wasn't the most impressive performance. The WPI ace debatably faced a deeper field than Kelley en route to her individual national title and did so with more distance in her legs (the mile prelims and DMR anchor leg) and ahead of her (the 3k final later that day).

Fiona Smith Tops Deep 3k Field for Second NCAA Title in as Many Days

After receiving a bit of a scare by a worthy adversary (Grace Richardson) in the 5k on Friday at the national meet, Fiona Smith left little to question in the 3k final on Saturday. There was measurably more distance between this St. Benedict star and 2nd place than there was between 2nd and 5th place. And while, as the disclaimer for this award states, "multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone performance", the context of Smith's 5k victory certainly amplifies what she achieved over 3000 meters on her way to double gold.

Grace Hadley Rallies from 11th Place to Anchor WPI to DMR Gold with 4:40 Split

The more interesting sub-plot to this award is, which of Grace Hadley's national meet feats did you find more impressive? While it may have less impact on her individual legacy, there's a strong case to be made that Hadley's DMR effort was more awe-inspiring given the deficit she was in upon receiving the baton, the narrow margin by which she won the race and the limited rest time that she had after the mile prelims.

Best Distance Coach(es) Award (Men's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2024 indoor track season. Success relative to seasonal expectations or success relative to historical accolades of the program are factored into account when listing nominees. Multiple coaches from the same team can be nominated together should they oversee & lead different areas of their distance roster (middle vs long). Performances past 3/9 are not considered.

Nominees: Derek Stanley & Nathan Petesch (UW-La Crosse), Jake Reed (Lynchburg), Amber Williams (Pomona-Pitzer), John Lynch (RPI)

Derek Stanley & Nathan Petesch (UW-La Crosse)

After coming up just short of a national team title in the fall, UW-La Crosse continued apace as perhaps the clearest powerhouse in Division Three men's distance running. That the Eagles rebounded to comfortably win the team title at the NCAA Indoor Championships, mostly on the strength of their distance group, is a credit to Coach Derek Stanley and Coach Nathan Petesch (who oversee the long and middle distances, respectively). Under their guidance we saw the development of D3's largest and most imposing arsenal of distance runners this winter.

Jake Reed (Lynchburg)

You may remember that Tor Hotung-Davidsen began the season comfortably in the top-10 of our rankings after earning silver over 800 meters at the national meet last winter. However, he went on to race for Lynchburg just twice this season and didn't compete on the national stage. With that in mind, it's pretty impressive that Coach Jake Reed's Hornets won a DMR national title thanks to steady veteran stars Sam Llaneza and Frank Csorba as well as breakout underclassman, Chasen Hunt. They also received some strong performances from those guys in individual events and ultimately finished 7th as a team at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Amber Williams (Pomona-Pitzer)

Under Coach Amber Willams, the Sagehens produced an NCAA title winner in Bennett Booth-Genthe who was the top dog over the mile distance all season. Colin Kirkpatrick joined him as an All-American (his first time doing so on the indoor oval) while Derek Fearon also advanced to the indoor national meet over 5000 meters (and resided in our top-20 rankings for much of the season). Not bad for Coach Amber Williams' first track season after being hired to oversee Pomona-Pitzer's cross country and track and field teams in June.

John Lynch (RPI)

Under the direction of longtime coach John Lynch, RPI's distance group quietly enjoyed one of the better indoor track campaigns of any distance team. The focal highlight was Cory Kennedy and Vince Simonetti further establishing themselves by going 3-4 over 5000 meters at the indoor national meet, giving the Engineers double-digit points on their own. Kennedy doubled back to the 3000 meters and was joined by Jason Gibbons. RPI also advanced Davis Piercy to the national meet in the mile.

Best Distance Coach(es) Award (Women's Teams)

Nominees: Jeff Stiles (Washington U.), Joe Dunham (Central College), Ryan Chapman (Wartburg), Chris Hall (U. of Chicago), Riley Macon (MIT)

Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Washington U. has made its hay in large part as a cross country power, but half of Coach Jeff Stiles' inclusion in this category is thanks to his development of half-mile ace, Emma Kelley. The Bears go deeper than their focal star, though, as Alessia Sarussi joined her teammate as a top-half All-American over 800 meters two weekends ago. The St. Louis-based program also sent another woman (Danielle Schultz) to the indoor national meet over 800 meters and two others (Helena Teixeira-Dasilva and Jillian Heth) in the mile. With that middle distance prowess in mind, it made sense that Washington U. pieced together a 6th-place DMR unit and came three points away from a national team title.

Joe Dunham (Central College)

It's true that Caroline McMartin didn't have the kind of starry end to her season that we may have anticipated, but Megan Johnson's development into a distance star herself has been a revelation for Coach Joe Dunham's Dutch. Both women finished as backend All-Americans, but they also helped Central College to a runner-up DMR finish that was two-tenths of a second from matching title-winning WPI and making Dunham an even better candidate for this honor.

Ryan Chapman (Wartburg)

Coach Ryan Chapman and his staff continued to spread his wealth of experienced stars between the distance events as Wartburg ended the season with a bronze medalist in the mile (Aubrie Fisher), a comfortable 3k All-American (5th-place finisher, Lexi Brown) and another All-American in the 5k (6th-place finisher, Shaelyn Hostager). Add in a 5th-place finish in the DMR, and it feels like the Knights came close to maximizing their talents' scoring potential.

Chris Hall (U. of Chicago)

U. of Chicago's distance conglomerate didn't necessarily look how we expected it to this winter, but Coach Chris Hall was still very effective in developing a new set of stars. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel earned a pair of bronze medals while moving up in distance while Caitlin Jorgenson (3k) and Estelle Snider (5k) finished 13th and 11th, respectively. The Maroons also nabbed the final All-American spot in the DMR.

Riley Macon (MIT)

While the MIT women may not have had the same event coverage or overwhelming firepower as a few other teams mentioned in this section, they were still very solid. Between Lexi Fernandez, Katie Sanderson and Rujuta Sane, the Engineers had three women in the top-20 of the D3 national leaderboard in the mile. That's not something U. of Chicago, Wartburg or Washington U. can boast. That strong mile prowess was evident in MIT's 4th place DMR group at the national meet. It also didn't hurt that Sanderson ran 16:52 for 5000 meters and qualified for the national meet in that event.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Men)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 3/9 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Ethan Gregg (UW-La Crosse), Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater), Bennett Booth-Genthe (Pomona-Pitzer), Cael Schoemann (UW-La Crosse)

Ethan Gregg (UW-La Crosse)

Even though the times that Ethan Gregg ran during the regular season weren't necessarily at the same level as what he achieved in prior seasons, we knew that he would have something special in the tank for the national meet. Gregg didn't disappoint, finishing 2nd place behind Christian Patzka over 5000 meters before coming back and winning the 3000 meters in convincing fashion. This championship performance just goes to show that he is always a contender.

Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

The success of Christian Patzka this season was no surprise, as he added even more achievements to an already illustrious career. After running the fastest regular season 5000-meter mark in Division Three, he delivered once again on the national stage with a 5k national title and a runner-up finish over 3000 meters. And when you look at his entire indoor track season, Patzka was maybe the most complete distance runner when looking at the entirety of seasonal resumes for other title winners.

Bennett Booth-Genthe (Pomona-Pitzer)

We didn't see many races from Booth-Genthe this winter after his sensational 4:00 mile season opener. However, at the indoor national meet, it was made very clear that he had not lost a step in fitness. Booth-Genthe used a decisive move in the final 600 meters to outclass the field and add his first national title to an already impressive resume. In retrospect, we should have never had any doubts that he would get his crown.

Cael Schoemann (UW-La Crosse)

In what was arguably the most entertaining race of the national meet, Cael Schoemann and his WIAC rival, Sam Verkerke, both dove at the line in hopes of securing the 800-meter national title. Schoemann got the edge, and based on his consistent performances throughout the season, ending the winter with his first national title was no surprise. After finishing 5th place at the half-mile distance at the 2023 outdoor national meet as a freshman, we knew how great Schoemann's potential was and he's quickly fulfilling every bit of it.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Women)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 3/9 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Men

Kevin: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Conor: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Gavin: Ethan Gregg (UW-La Crosse)

Garrett: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Overall Winner: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Women

Kevin: Fiona Smith (St. Benedict)

Conor: Grace Hadley (WPI)

Gavin: Grace Hadley (WPI)

Garrett: Fiona Smith (St. Benedict)

Overall Winner: Grace Hadley (WPI)*

*Tie broken via TSR contributor, Maura Beattie