Ian Dickenson
Mar 86 min
Written by Ian Dickenson, edits and additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve
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.
It’s not every year that the top-three runners on the national leaderboard are also the top-three all-time D2 performers in that event, but Miguel Coca leads the best Division Two 3k contingent that we have ever seen (without question). He has been on fire this season, and although he will be competing in the mile as well, many of his competitors in this field are also doubling. No matter how this race plays out, it’s Coca’s race to lose thanks to his 7:44 (3k) PR.
2. Loïc Scomparin (Colorado Mines)
Maybe the biggest threat to the aforementioned Adams State superstar is Loïc Scomparin, someone who could have the strength to run away from a tired version of Coca. The Oredigger frontman has been within sight of a national title so many times in his career and could cement himself as a top-tier Division Two star of this stacked era if he pulls off this win. His chances might be better in the 5k, but there’s no doubt that Scomparin will be in contention for gold here as well.
3. Hamza Chahid (Wingate)
The third head of this all-time trio is Wingate stud Hamza Chahid who, despite all of my praise for the previous two runners, has about as much of an argument to win a national title as anybody else in this field. Chahid is the reigning D2 national champion in this event and as one of the most versatile athletes in all of Division Two, he should be able to handle whatever the heavy hitters try to throw at him.
4. Tyler Nord (Western Colorado)
It’s rather absurd that Tyler Nord’s converted time of 7:54 (3k) effectively takes him out of serious consideration for the national title win here, but that’s the era that we live in. However, the level of championship experience that he has (despite being relatively younger) means that we could still very much see him taking home a top-half All-American honor. If any of the above three men fade, then you can bet that Nord will take full advantage of that.
5. Dayton Brown (Adams State)
One of six men who boast times within two seconds of each other just under 8:00 (3k), Dayton Brown will have to find a way to separate himself from this group in order to nab his first All-American honor on the track. He achieved his qualifying marks in races that he lost by rather sizable margins, so despite his high ranking, there are plenty of men looking over his shoulder at the medal spots.
6. Josh Pierantoni (Colorado Christian)
In terms of strength, Josh Pierantoni is one of the best runners in this field along with his teammate Matthew Storer who we'll get to shortly. Those two CCU veterans could move up through the field together. A top-five finish is within sight for Pierantoni, but our only reason for pause is that he didn't look his best in his most recent race at Boston U.
7. William Amponsah (West Texas A&M)
After an eight-race winning streak stretching back to the start of the cross country season, William Amponsah finally lost a race in January at the New Mexico Team Open (to Lobo star, Evans Kiplagat). Even with that defeat and a mid-pack finish at the Boston U. Valentine Invite, he still has yet to lose to a single Division Two runner this year. While the caveat is that the only real All-American favorite Amponsah has beaten this winter is Dayton Brown, it’s hard to bet against a man with this kind of momentum even against the tremendous talent in the top-half of this field.
8. Matthew Storer (Colorado Christian)
Like his aforementioned teammate, Josh Pierantoni, Matthew Storer comes from a strength-based background, doing some of his best work on the grass. However, the Colorado Christian star could take advantage of that in what may end up being a gritty 3k race. The majority of his competitors will be doubling back from either the mile or the 5k and Storer will benefit from that as someone who’s used to grinding through long, arduous efforts.
9. Duncan Fuehne (Colorado Mines)
Most men in this field have some unique edge to draw from as they pursue an All-American spot and Duncan Fuehne’s differentiating aspect is that he has an Oredigger teammate in this field battling for a national title in Loïc Scomparin. While Scomparin has separated himself with some amazing personal bests, Fuehne has always been right there with him when it matters the most. And in this competitive setting, we can expect him to rise to the occasion once more.
10. Kevin McDermott (Western Washington)
If I were to pick one genuine sleeper in this field, then it would be Kevin McDermott. He is the runner with the fewest accolades, on paper, who I would consider to be a top contender for All-American honors. The reason is largely McDermott's range, as can be attested to by 4:02 (mile) and 13:50 (5k) efforts this season, something that could propel him into the top-eight to cap a breakout season.
11. Soheil Boufrizi (Wingate)
Here is another runner who benefits from having a teammate at the top of this field. Soheil Boufrizi has not quite had the dominant season that we may have expected after a 10th place finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships, but he has a comparable (and perhaps better) level of range when compared to Kevin McDermott. And if he can tag along with his fellow Wingate man, Hamza Chahid, then Boufrizi could fare quite well.
12. Yonas Haile (Adams State)
This is Yonas Haile’s first national meet appearance on the track, so his path to an All-American spot will be steep. He does, however, have two top-45 finishes at the cross country national meet and multiple teammates in this field. If Haile can outperform his seeding, it would be a success for this Grizzly harrier.
13. Caleb Futter (Grand Valley State)
Caleb Futter is one of the runners who will most benefit if the pace is slow. He has the second-best raw mile PR in this field and a good record in tactical races. It’s likely that some of the distance heavyweights at the front of this race will try and push the pace, but if it lags, Futter will be there to battle.
14. Josphat Meli (Harding)
There is only one freshman in this race: Josphat Meli. It’s difficult to enter the national stage so early and make a splash, but a decisive 5k win by 40 seconds earlier this season, paired with a victory at the Gorilla Classic, hints at some high potential. This could be the start of a great collegiate career for Meli.
15. Ricardo Barbosa (Wingate)
Ricardo Barbosa lacks the D2 national meet experience many of his competitors have, but he may have the raw firepower to match them. He did, after all, post a top-25 finish at his first cross country national meet since transferring up from the JUCO level and carries an elite 8:42 (steeple) PR. A recent conference title in this very event should give Barbosa the confidence and momentum to fight for a top-half finish in this race.
16. Simon Kelati (Western Colorado)
Entering the indoor national meet with the second-slowest 3k seed time might seem to put Simon Kelati in underdog status, but it would be a mistake to think that he doesn't possess a considerable chance of ending up towards the front of this field. The Western Colorado junior is coming off of a cross country season in which he placed 2nd on the national stage and he just beat Loïc Scomparin for an RMAC 3k title. He’s got the turnover too, as a 1500-meter runner during the spring, so this 3k could be Kelati’s chance to pull off something great.
17. Paul Knight (Colorado Mines)
In such a strong field, there are some men who will probably fall by the wayside. And Paul Knight, despite being a great runner in his own right, might be one of those men. He is, however, one of the younger athletes (by eligibility) in this race, so this will certainly be a valuable experience if nothing else.