Maura Beattie
Mar 75 min
Updated: Mar 8
Written by Maura Beattie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
Editor's Note: Our TSR writers were asked to produce three sentences or less of analysis on every entrant in every distance event for every division.
Is Olivia Markezich the 3k national title favorite based on her 8:40 (3k) performance from early December? Or is she the favorite based experience and her lethal versatility on the indoor oval, specifically in the mile? It's probably both, but regardless, the Notre Dame veteran has been on fire every time that she has raced this winter, making it hard to see a race scenario that she doesn't thrive in.
It would be fair to question if Florida’s Parker Valby has the late-race turnover that could match likes of Olivia Markezich, a fresh Amina Maatoug and a doubling-back Maia Ramsden. Yes, the Gator phenom is in a league of her own in cross country and the 5k, but is Valby ready to face-off against women who have lethal finishing kicks? Well, given her aggressive front-running approach, a speed-based finish may not even matter as the Florida superstar guns for gold.
The 3k could be Maia Ramsden’s third race of the indoor national meet if she qualifies for the mile finals the night before. She’s a strong athlete in the 3k thanks in part to her beautiful blend of 4:24 (mile) speed and top-10 individual cross country prowess. However, the question that needs to be asked about the Harvard senior is, will the effort needed to gun for the mile national title significantly hinder her chances of a top-three finish in the 3k?
Duke’s Amina Maatoug is putting all of her eggs into one basket this upcoming weekend. Her combination of 4:29 (mile) speed and 8:46 (3k) strength makes her a formidable force in either a sit-and-kick race or grind from the get-go race. In theory, Maatoug having fresh legs should pay off big-time for her no matter what the leaders do from the gun.
This will be Billah Jepkirui’s first 3k race since she recorded an impressive 8:49 PR at Boston University back in December. Since then, the Oklahoma State Cowgirl has only gotten better by fine-tuning her skills in the middle distance events, producing a fantastic 4:29 mile PR to pair with an underrated awareness of in-race positioning. Her dynamic skillset that will come in handy if Jepkirui needs to employ quicker turnover late in the race or hang with a fast pace likely set by Valby or the Alabama women.
Alabama’s Hilda Olemomoi is better primed for the 5k, but dropping down in distance to the 3k doesn't necessarily take her out of the All-American picture. This season, Olemomoi hasn’t matched her 8:45 (3k) PR, only managing an 8:50 mark, but that shouldn’t be a point of concern. Since she joined the Division One scene back in the fall of 2022, the Crimson Tide star has recorded five top-six performances at NCAA Championships across cross country and track, leaving Olemomoi as one of the most reliable distance runners in this field.
At the beginning of the season, Maddy Elmore caught us by surprise when she broke the Oregon 3k school record, formerly held by Jessica Hull, by running 8:50 back in December. She was pretty quiet in the middle of the season, but after a recent 4:31 (mile) PR, Elmore is right back in the conversation for a top-five finish, especially since she'll likely only have the DMR in her legs from day one.
It’s been a heck of a breakout year for Chloe Scrimgeour. The Georgetown star has dropped her times in all distance events on the indoor oval and even though she hasn’t won a race this season, the potential is very much there for a top-eight finish. Her resume doesn't suggest that she has the best late-race turnover, but her endurance-based strength could be a major advantage in a race that could be made fast by multiple women.
Underappreciated range is going to be what carries BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry this upcoming weekend at the indoor national meet. With the ability to drop times of 4:31 (mile) and 15:31 (5k), the Cougar veteran should theoretically succeed in most race scenarios. However, Halladay-Lowry will need to keep her composure and not let the leaders get too far away before she makes a definitive move.
To be completely honest, we aren’t sure which version of Oregon State’s Kaylee Mitchell we will see at the upcoming indoor national meet. The Beaver veteran, when on her "A" game, is capable of a top-five finish in this field, although we haven’t seen Mitchell at her best since running 8:51 (3k) back in December. This weekend will either be redemption or a welcomed end for a more modest season of racing.
Surprisingly, BYU’s Riley Chamberlain is opting for the 3k this weekend rather than the mile, an event that the Cougar ace, in my eyes, would’ve had a better chance in. Chamberlain’s potential of landing among the top-eight in the 3k on Saturday may come down to whether or not she races on the DMR the night before (which we think she will). Regardless, you could make an argument that, with a 2:03 (800) PR and 8:51 (3k), Chamberlain has some of the best range in this field.
It’s been a rocky two years for Taylor Roe since she won the 3k national title at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships. That, however, isn't necessarily the case anymore after she dropped a monster 15:12 (5k) mark earlier this winter. We’ve seen her win with a massive move from 800 meters out, but in a race that has a few pace pushers, Roe's newfound aerobic strength could be the difference between a top-four All-American finish and a bottom-four All-American finish.
In theory, the race that Florida’s Flomena Asekol needs at the NCAA Indoor Championships is a sit-and-kick affair. With 4:26 mile speed, Asekol should have turnover that largely matches some of the top seeds in this field. And while doubling back from the mile could prove to be a tall task, the Gator star can also take solace in knowing that up to 13 women could also be doubling back from another race as well.
Georgetown’s Melissa Riggins might be a 1500-meter/mile ace, but she has also found success over 3000 meters this winter. The junior has been impressive on the oval, running PRs from the 800 meters up to the 3k, but how will a runner with middle distance origins fare in a longer race when doubling back? Riggins will most definitely need to reserve some closing speed to keep her in contention for a podium finish when the 3k nears the final 800 meters, although that's easier said than done.
Even though she’s only a freshman, you just can’t bet against Alabama’s Doris Lemngole after the year that she’s been having. She might be entering the NCAA Indoor Championships as the second-to-last seed in the 3k, but between her 15:04 (5k) PR and consistent top-three finishes, could Lemngole pull off the win against a top-heavy field?
Sadie Sargent makes it three BYU Cougars in this 3k field. She comes in with valuable experience after finishing 13th over this same distance at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, but will that experience land her a top-10 finish during this go-around? Sargent will need to key-off of teammates Riley Chamberlain and Lexy Halladay-Lowry to find success in a loaded field from top-to-bottom.