Sam Ivanecky
Jun 11, 20217 min
If there was any debate on who the favorite was in this event, it was stomped out in heat one. Sage Hurta of Colorado sat behind the leader for much of the race, taking over during the final 200 meters and finishing in 4:08. Not only did she tie her NCAA-leading mark, but she did it with ease. Hurta looked like she was walking away from the field down the homestretch, even with an honest pace. It’s clear that this will be Hurta’s race to lose on Saturday.
Speaking of favorites, Whittni Orton of BYU failed to make the final in what may have been the biggest surprise of the day. Orton was stuck in the lead group with 200 meters to go in the second heat, but found herself boxed in as they hit the final straight. Although space opened up for her to make a move, she simply couldn’t find another gear and faded back to 6th place, finishing 0.3 seconds out of a qualifying position. Orton does have a chance for redemption on Saturday where she is entered in the 5k, but this was a stunning development. She was picked as a potential challenger to Hurta and had run 4:09 earlier in the year. Seeing Orton out of the mix is a stunner.
Another favorite who barely made it through to the finals was Krissy Gear of Arkansas. Gear spent much of the race sitting in the middle of the pack, but when moves were made, she struggled to follow. Despite having run 4:09 this season, Gear found herself clinging to the back of the pack as it split, but managed to finish in 7th place in a time of 4:10, earning the last qualifying position.
While heat two featured standard tactical championship racing, heat one was anything but that. Amaris Tyynismaa of Alabama strung the race out quickly, taking the pack through 400 meters in roughly 65 seconds. Seven women ran 4:10 or faster, with four of those women running personal bests. Tyynismaa faded after leading for three laps, but hung on for the final "Q" from the heat. This was the first
With a number of big performances, the biggest may have come from Olivia Howell of Illinois. Howell had been looking strong this year, claiming the BIG 10 title earlier this spring, but being a freshman in tactical racing can be a daunting experience. However, Howell looked unfazed, clocking 4:09 for a new personal best and a trip to her first national final. She has a TON of momentum right now and could end up being a very underrated sleeper name to watch in the finals.
The only other person who maybe has as much momentum as Howell is Michaela Degenero. The Colorado runner has continued to make improvements every time she toes the line for the 1500 meters. She just ran 4:09 and is now suddenly entering the All-American conversation. Her momentum and streak of top performances doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Julia Heymach of Stanford was coming off of an incredible performance at the West Regional Championships, but came up short yesterday. Heymach stumbled with 150 meters left, almost falling, but managing to stay upright. In a desperate attempt for a final qualifier, Heymach then fell with less than 10 meters left and missed out on a potential place in the final. The good news for her is that she still has the 5000 meters, a race which may actually suit her strengths if it turns tactical.
Speaking of Stanford, the duo of Ella Donaghu and Christina Aragon ran great races to qualify for the finals. Aragon ran from the front for much of the heat, but held on for 4th place. Donaghu looked to be in trouble, but was able to muscle her way through on the inside down the home straight and also earn a qualifier. In theory, their experience should help them navigate the finals. They're safe picks to do well.
Behind Orton, the biggest surprise of athletes coming up short was Hannah Steelman (NC State). Considered one of the favorites in the event, Steelman slowly lost contact with the leaders in her heat and was never able to rally. There are always a few key names to watch who ultimately don't qualify for the finals, and this year it just happened to be Steelman.
Similar to Steelman, Madison Boreman of Colorado also missed the final. Boreman was another runner who figured to contend for a top-five finish, but never found her stride. She had looked solid all year long and made impressive strides. We thought her experience would play a bigger role, especially in a race as technical as this one.
The overall speed of these races was absolutely incredible. A total of 19 women broke the 10:00 barrier, with 12 of the top-13 setting new personal bests. Annabelle Easton (George Mason) smashed her personal best of 9:53, finishing in 9:45, but was somehow the first woman out. She's a very solid and very underrated talent, so for her to make the finals shows just how strong this year's steeplechase field is.
Most of the favorites looked just fine moving through. Courtney Wayment led a contingent of five women, including Aneta Konieczek (Oregon) and Charlotte Prouse (New Mexico) who separated themselves over the final laps. Joyce Kimeli (Auburn) and Katie Rainsberger (Washington) took the first two spots from the other heat.
Is Wayment still the national title favorite? Yes, but the gap has shrunk a bit. The BYU senior was the heavy favorite coming into this race and while she did win her heat, it wasn’t as dominant as many would have expected. Maybe she was simply saving herself, knowing she was well clear of qualifying. On the other hand, she was the only runner not to set a personal best and the rest of the field closed the gap between their times and hers. On paper, her PR isn't quite as dominant as it once was.
In terms of falls, the races actually went pretty smoothly. Leah Hanle (Alabama) and Judi Jones (Nebraska) were the only two to fall while still being “in the race”. Both finished well outside of contention.
What is normally one of the more chaotic events actually went exactly as scripted. The one major exception was seeing indoor champion Aaliyah Miller (Baylor) fail to make the final. From the gun, Miller’s tactics were hard to follow. She won her indoor title by running hard from the gun and breaking the field. In this race, she sat in, almost slowing the field and then getting out-kicked down the home straight. She also spent almost the entire race running from lane two. The race plan was nothing short of head-scratching, mainly because it was in such stark contrast to her indoor final.
Besides Miller, all of the favorites moved through. Michaela Meyer (Virginia) controlled her heat while Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech) and Sarah Hendrick (Kennesaw State) also moving through easily. Butler looked like she ran closer to 820 meters with the amount of time she spent maneuvering through the field.
Someone needs to keep an eye on Gabrielle Wilkinson of Florida as a dark horse pick. Wilkinson came flying around the corner into the final 100 meters and slingshot herself to victory for heat three. She has been quietly great all season long and can't seem to do anything wrong this season. Her consistency has been top-notch.
The field for Saturday’s final will have one more runner than normal. Brooke Fazio of Richmond advanced to the final after being taken down by Katy-Ann McDonald of LSU. McDonald tried to move into lane two (from lane one) about 250 meters into the race. Unaware of her surroundings, McDonald shifted directly into Fazio’s path, causing the two to tumble. As a result, McDonald was disqualified and Fazio advanced.
This may be the most wide-open race on Saturday. While women like Meyer and Butler certainly are considered near the top, there is no single runner who stands above the field given Athing Mu and Sage Hurta opted for other events. This should be one of the most exciting races of the meet, although many fans and readers are likely expecting Meyer to be the dominant favorite.
What a race for Carmela Cardama Baez. After finishing runner-up in this event in 2019, the Oregon senior came away with the upset victory on her home track on Thursday. Cardama Baez ran the perfect race. She positioned herself right on the heels of Mercy Chelangat early on and stayed there as Chelangat began to ratchet down the pace. It became a race between just those two and with 900 meters left, Cardama Baez swung around Chelangat’s shoulder and into the lead. The two stuck together until 400 meters left when Cardama Baez shifted gears and began to gap Chelangat. With 300 meters left, the race was over. The Oregon Duck came down the homestretch to the roars of Hayward field, clinching the first Oregon title at the new stadium.
For Chelangat, it was just not her day. She looked strong, leading the race from the gun and continually upping the pace as they got farther along. As the pack behind her crumbled, all she had to do was crack Cardama Baez. The first sign of weakness showed when Chelangat looked back at Cardama Baez, as if she was asking her to take the lead. When the Duck made her move, Chelangat had no answer. Still, it's hard to fault the Alabama star for her tactics. Her plan seemed to be going smoothly with the exception of one pesky Oregon runner. While Cardama Baez will not be contesting the 5k, Chelangat has a second chance at a title.
“Hayward Magic” appears to exist in the new version of the stadium as well. Many of the races have seen personal bests abound and the 10k was no exception. Of the top-19 women, 14 of them set new personal bests. Chelangat set the quick tempo earlier which pulled most of the field along. Cardama Baez was only seven seconds off the meet record of 32:09, held by Sharon Lokedi of Kansas.
What a comeback season for Maria Mettler. After putting down some incredible track times in December, Mettler suffered an injury that kept her out of indoor competition. After a close contest to get out of her region, Mettler put together the performance many knew she was capable of, finishing 3rd place overall in a time of 32:34. (Mettler's mark is listed as a personal best, but ran 32:09 unattached in December).
It may not have been the season she hoped for, but Katie Izzo (Arkansas) is finishing strong. Izzo was poised for big things indoors in 2020, but saw the season canceled and eventually struggled for much of 2021. However, on Thursday, she put herself in a smart position, sitting in the chase pack and closed out for 4th place behind Mettler.
With the exception of Chelangat finishing second, the 10k went relatively as scripted. Most of the top names finished in the general range of expectation.