TSR's 2022 D1 Outdoor Track End of Season Awards

What? You thought it was time to move on to the postseason? Not so fast...

Before we move to the offseason (which is my favorite time of the year for the site), it's important that we reward the best of the best in the NCAA distance events from this now-concluded outdoor track season.

Below, we list out five seasonal awards for the men and five seasonal awards for the women. 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...

*Redshirt freshmen are not considered for this award. Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria.

Nominees: Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M), Dayton Carlson (Arizona State), Samuel Rodman (Princeton), Anass Essayi (South Carolina), Miles Brown (Michigan), Adam Spencer (Wisconsin), Nathan Green (Washington), Hillary Cheruiyot (Alabama), Victor Kiprop (Alabama)

Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M): A former high school standout, Whitmarsh has thrived at Texas A&M as a rookie. A few 1:48 and 1:49 marks this spring led to back-to-back 1:46 results at the SEC Championships en route to a silver medal and a narrow loss to Navasky Anderson. Unfortunately, a heart condition kept this breakout star from advancing to the regional and national meets.

Dayton Carlson (Arizona State): Carlson was an excellent high school 800 meter runner, but no one could have projected him to make the leap in fitness that he did. The Sun Devil rookie went from 1:50 to 1:53 to 1:49 to 1:48 to 1:47 to back-to-back 1:46 marks at the NCAA Championships en route to a 6th place All-American result. Few men in the entire NCAA, regardless of their age, showed better progression than Carlson.

Samuel Rodman (Princeton): Rodman was a stud on the indoor oval, so seeing him thrive on the outdoor scene is far from surprising. Even so, this is a guy who was "only" a 1:54 guy in high school. He was fairly quiet during the regular season, but then threw down multiple 1:47 marks, showed encouraging aggression in the 800 meter final and earned a 7th place All-American finish with a 1:46 PR. On paper, few men in this group have more upside than Rodman.

Anass Essayi (South Carolina): If Essayi won this award, no one would be upset. The South Carolina star was undefeated in every single race this year, 1500 meters and 800 meters, leading up to the national meet, posting seasonal bests of 3:39 and 1:47. He even beat Mario Garcia Romo! However, a tough showing in the prelims of the NCAA Championships where he pulled out with 100 meters to go is a small hit to an otherwise perfect resume.

Miles Brown (Michigan): Brown didn't have the jaw-dropping 1:46 personal best or the All-American finishes that a few others in this nominee pool did, but he was very solid and very reliable. He consistently showed up when called upon and still ran an excellent time of 1:47.99 at the NCAA Championships. His reliability as a rookie is highly valuable.

Adam Spencer (Wisconsin): One of the more dynamic and explosive young talents in the NCAA, this Wisconsin youngster was outstanding this year. He ran a jaw-dropping mark of 3:37 at the Oregon Relays, took down Jonathan Davis to win the BIG 10 title in the 1500 meters and later earned All-American honors (8th) at the outdoor national meet. There is a very real argument for Spencer to win this award.

Nathan Green (Washington): Despite his collegiate inexperience, Green thrived in high-pressure settings this year, running sub-3:40 three different times as just a freshman! He beautifully peaked for the postseason, running 3:37 in the prelims of the national meet and later earning a 7th place All-American finish in the finals. Few rookies have shown the level of consistency and firepower that Green has this year.

Hillary Cheruiyot (Alabama): Arguably the most versatile distance talent amongst these nominees, Cheruiyot surprised many of us when he ran an impressive mark of 3:38 for 1500 meters. He also ran 13:45 for 5000 meters and 29:42 for 10,000 meters. However, it was his 8:48 mark in the steeplechase that really diversified his resume.

Victor Kiprop (Alabama): One of the best long distance runners of the regular season, Kiprop was outstanding this spring. The Alabama star ran 28:15 for 10,000 meters to emerge as the top collegiate at the Stanford Invite. He then ran 13:24 for 5000 meters at Bryan Clay before flexing some speed with a 3:40 mark for 1500 meters in a win over Shane Bracken two weeks later. Kiprop struggled at the national meet in the 10k, but his resume is loaded with top-tier marks.

*Redshirt freshmen are not considered for this award. Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria.

Nominees: Mia Barnett (Virginia), Carlee Hansen (North Carolina), Michaela Rose (LSU), Carmen Alder (BYU), Melissa Riggins (Georgetown), Hannah Miniutti (Colorado), Sydney Thorvaldson (Arkansas)

Mia Barnett (Virginia): Despite not making it out of the East region, Barnett was simply on another level this year. Not only did she run ridiculously fast times, including a 4:11 personal best for 1500 meters, but she showed tremendous poise for someone who is still so inexperienced. Her consistency, paired with two 2:06 marks, makes her a tough name to ignore in these awards.

Michaela Rose (LSU): One of the best candidates to win this award, the former high school superstar ran an outstanding time of 2:02 earlier this season and consistently emerged as a top-tier half-miler in the NCAA. Rose earned a surprise silver medal at the loaded SEC Championships and although she didn't advance to the national meet, her resume still boasts tons of firepower.

Carlee Hansen (North Carolina): One of the more underrated freshmen in the NCAA, this North Carolina standout ran 4:20 or faster five different times this spring. And the best part? She peaked in the postseason, running a then-PR of 4:15 in the ACC Championship 1500 meter finals and then 4:14 at the East Regional Championships. Hansen's consistency and ability to thrive in championship settings was wildly encouraging to see.

Carmen Alder (BYU): Alder ran between 4:16 and 4:18 in the 1500 meters four different times this spring. That metronomic consistency for someone so young is somewhat rare. While she didn't advance to Eugene, Oregon, Alder still competed in a handful of highly competitive meets and proved to be fairly competitive in those settings.

Melissa Riggins (Georgetown): After a solid indoor track campaign, Riggins broke out in an even bigger way on the outdoor oval. Not only did she run a high-octane time of 2:03 in the 800 meters, but she also ran 4:17 to earn a dramatic upset victory over eventual NCAA 1500 meter champion Sintayehu Vissa, as well as Taylor Roe. She was also the first woman out of the national meet in the East region in the 800 meters.

Hannah Miniutti (Colorado): Quietly one of the better freshmen of the 2021-2022 academic calendar, Miniutti extended a very solid cross country season by running highly promising personal bests in the longer distances. Her times of 16:08 (5k) and 33:49 (10k) were absolutely critical to the long-term success of the Buffaloes, a team that will soon be without numerous veteran stars.

Sydney Thorvaldson (Arkansas): The Razorback rookie was debatably better in the winter than she was in the spring, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that she ran 4:26 (1500), 16:12 and 16:09 (5k) and also finished 5th in the 10,000 meters at the SEC Championships. Thorvaldson's name didn't jump out in any major way this spring, but a 17th place finish, which was just five spots out from a national qualifying spot, was quietly impressive.

*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this spring. Prior seasons are used as a very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Navasky Anderson (Mississippi State), Estanis Ruiz (Loyola Marymount), Jacob Lamb (Alabama), Clayborn Pender (Georgia), Cebastian Gentil (Iowa State), Matthew Pereira (Harvard), Matthew Wilkinson (Minnesota), Levi Taylor (Montana State), Michael Power (Tulsa)

NOTE: We are aware that BYU's Sebastian Fernandez made significant improvements to become a walk-on, then a 1:47 runner and then a national qualifier. Unfortunately, because he is a first-year runner in the NCAA and because he is considered to be a freshman by eligibility, Fernandez is not eligible for this award.

Navasky Anderson (Mississippi State): Anderson was a fine 800 meter talent last year, but 1:49 was where he clearly plateaued throughout the 2021 indoor and outdoor track seasons. But this year, the Mississippi State star became a juggernaut in the half-mile. He ran 1:45 three different times, took down Brandon Miller three different times (four times if you count aggregated results), won an SEC title and earned a silver medal at the NCAA Championships. The leap in fitness that we've seen from Anderson this year was absolutely jaw-dropping.

Estanis Ruiz (Loyola Marymount): Quantitatively, Ruiz is arguably the most improved out of all of these nominees. Prior to this season, the Loyola Marymount star had never run the steeplechase. He also held a 5k personal best of 15:00 (which still remains) and his 1500 meter PR was capped at 3:58. But suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Ruiz became a steeplechase superstar. He went from 9:13 to 8:37 to 8:36 to 8:29 before finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships with an 8:36 result. On paper, this is one of the biggest leaps in fitness we've ever seen.

Jacob Lamb (Alabama): Before coming to Alabama, Lamb was a solid 800 meter runner, cracking the 1:50 barrier only once to hold a then-PR of 1:49. Since then, Lamb has secured a handful of 1:49 marks on the indoor oval with a Crimson Tide singlet. However, what he did on the outdoor track was outstanding. Lamb never ran slower than 1:48 in any non-prelim 800 meter race this spring. He dropped multiple 1:48 marks and peaked at the SEC Championships, running 1:46 in the prelims and then 1:47 in the finals. On a team that is known for their prowess in the 1500 meters up to the 10,00 meters, Lamb gives the Alabama men a surprisingly great boost in the middle distances.

Clayborn Pender (Georgia): Much like Lamb, the performances that we saw from Pender prior to this season were solid, having run 1:49 just once in his career, but he was far from being nationally competitive. That, of course, changed this spring. After the month of March, Pender never ran slower than 1:49 in six 800 meter races. He threw down a clutch 1:46 mark at the SEC Championships to earn bronze and validated his success with a national qualifying performance.

Cebastian Gentil (Iowa State): Gentil had always been a solid middle distance talent coming into this spring season, but he still needed to take a step upwards. Luckily for him, that is exactly what happened. A 1:48 mark on the indoor oval was promising and a 1:49 mark prior to this academic year also showed his potential. However, a sudden 1:46 result at Bryan Clay allowed him to emerge as the top D1 athlete in that field. Gentil then followed the momentum of that mark into the postseason where he earned a national qualification.

Matthew Pereira (Harvard): The thing with Pereira is that coming into this year, people already knew he was talented. After all, he had earned All-American honors on the grass and had run 28:24 for 10,000 meters in the summer of 2021 (unattached). But to see this Harvard ace run a jaw-dropping mark of 27:45 for 10,000 meters, 13:38 for 5000 meters and later earn a national qualifying spot was remarkable. Pereira still needs to refine his in-race tactics, but his fitness made a massive leap this year.

Matthew Wilkinson (Minnesota): Wilkinson could have only been pushed so hard at the Division Three level given how much better he was than his competition. But since coming to Minnesota, he has continued to stay near the top of his respective disciplines. His best 1500 meter time at Carleton was 3:53, but then he ran 3:44 this spring. His best 5k time at Carleton was 13:55, but then he ran 13:35 this spring. His best steeplechase time at Carleton was 8:44, but then he ran 8:25 this spring. This Minnesota standout was super consistent all year long and even earned 8th place All-American honors in the steeple.

Levi Taylor (Montana State): Generally speaking, Taylor didn't necessarily improve a whole lot in most of his contested races this spring...except for the steeplechase. Taylor had never run faster than 8:55 in the 3000 meter steeplechase, but the Montana State star went from 8:50 to 8:38 to 8:42 to 8:56 (altitude) to 8:36 to 8:30 to 8:33 (9th at the national meet) this spring. Kudos to Taylor who was a major success story for the Bobcats this year.

Michael Power (Tulsa): Power hangs on the fringe of just barely meeting our nominee criteria given that this spring was technically not his first season in the NCAA, but rather his third. Power ran exceptionally well on the indoor oval, but truly emerged as a competitive star on the outdoor track. He ran 13:29 for 5000 meters to remain very competitive in a loaded field at the Stanford Invite. He later stunned everyone when he earned 6th place All-American honors in the 5000 meters. And when you look at his marks prior to him coming to Tulsa, it's clear that he has made massive strides.

*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 very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes (BYU), Anna Vess (NC State), Izzy Thornton-Bott (Oregon), Gracie Morris (TCU), Cara Woolnough (Utah), Greta Karinauskaite (California Baptist), Everlyn Kemboi (Utah Valley), Elise Thorner (New Mexico), Emily Cole (Duke)

Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes (BYU): Barnes had always been a solid and competitive 800 meter and 1500 meter runner. However, she truly reached a new tier this year, running huge a 2:01 mark for 800 meters and also running a super quick time of 4:13 for 1500 meters -- all at the same meet. She was relatively consistent with her times this season and although she didn't advance to the national meet, the firepower was still there.

Anna Vess (NC State): Vess proved to be a competitive name in the ACC after she ran 4:37 in the mile during the most recent indoor track season. However, her best 1500 meter mark coming into this spring was 4:21. But nowadays, her PR is 4:12, a mark which gave her a bronze medal at the loaded ACC Championships. After posting a 4:13.99 mark at her regional meet, Vess was able to validate her fitness with a national qualifying spot.

Izzy Thornton-Bott (Oregon): Yet another name who is riding a fine line when it comes to the required criteria of our nominees, Thornton-Bott made tremendous progress this spring. She was a solid runner on the indoor oval, running 4:48 (mile) and 9:26 (3k), but the Oregon ace really made a jump this spring. The Duck ace not only ran 2:04 (800) and 4:13 (1500), but she also showed signs of promising tactics. Unfortunately, her postseason results weren't ideal, but her general growth this spring was very encouraging.

Gracie Morris (TCU): Few women, on paper, have quantitatively improved more than Gracie Morris this spring. At Texas, she ran no faster than 4:25 for 1500 meters and 2:09 for 800 meters. This past winter, while at TCU, she ran 4:53 in the mile. However, this spring, we saw a completely different version of Morris. She ran an outstanding mark of 4:14 for 1500 meters, ran 2:05 for 800 meters, nearly beat Imogen Barrett and qualified for the national meet. What more could you ask for?

Cara Woolnough (Utah): Woolnough was solid this past winter, running 15:52 for 5000 meters and also running 9:13 for 3000 meters. However, this spring, she not only ran a PR of 15:40, but she also ran between 15:40 and 15:50 four different times. A 12th place finish in the 5k at the outdoor national meet validated what was a sneaky-good breakout season for the Utah ace.

Greta Karinauskaite (California Baptist): The Lancers weren't eligible for NCAA competition this spring, but that shouldn't take away from Karinauskaite's wildly impressive season. The CBU star went from running 16:31 in the 5k last spring to 15:58 earlier this season. She also went from 10:25 in the steeplechase last spring to 9:51 earlier this season. In terms of being nationally competitive, it's hard to ignore the overall progression of this California Baptist runner.

Everlyn Kemboi (Utah Valley): If the Utah Valley women could be nominated as a group, then they would be listed. Instead, Kemboi is the marquee name. The former JUCO standout had a very strong (and underrated) cross country season, but her indoor track season was quiet and she was a relative unknown heading into the spring. However, marks of 16:04 (5k) and 33:12 (10k), the latter of which helped her place 2nd at Bryan Clay, surely caught our attention. Kemboi ultimately placed 12th in the 10k at the national meet, but her season as a whole put the rest of the NCAA on notice.

Elise Thorner (New Mexico): Prior to this spring. Thorner was a very solid talent, but not much more than that. She had a strong 9:52 PR in the steeplechase, held a respectable 4:20 PR in the 1500 meters and proved to be a valuable cross country contributor. However, her leap into an elite tier of fitness produced marks of 9:32 for the steeplechase and 4:15 for the 1500 meters. That former mark eventually catapulted Thorner to the national meet where she ran 9:33 in the finals to earn a 5th place All-American finish.

Emily Cole (Duke): On paper, Cole may have improved the most out of any woman in the country relative to past personal bests in their respective events. At the beginning of this season, the Duke ace had run no faster than 10:25 for the 3000 meter steeplechase. But at the ACC Championships, Cole stunned everyone with a monster 9:48 mark. She later rode that momentum into the national meet where she posted another sub-10 performance.

*Must have run attached, all marks must have been run at or before the NCAA Championships

Nominees: Nur runs 13:06 to earn NCAA D1 5k record, Kipsang runs 3:33 to earn NCAA D1 1500 meter record, Moad Zahafi's 1:43 mark for NCAA #3 all-time, Adriaan Wildschutt's 27:38 NCAA 10k lead, Jaziri's runs 8:18 to earn NCAA #2 all-time steeple mark and NCAA title, Waskom throws down strong kick to upset Garcia Romo en route to 1500 meter national title, Jacobs out-kicks Nur to earn upset 10k title win, Hacker out-kicks Beadlescomb to win 5k national title

Nur runs 13:06 to earn NCAA D1 5k record: The previous NCAA D1 men's 5k record of 13:08, which was set by Henry Rono back in 1978, seemed like it wouldn't be touched for a much longer time until the last few seasons. Nur delivered on his elite fitness in a loaded pro-laden field to somewhat comfortably dip under the old record with a mark of 13:06.

Kipsang runs 3:33 to earn NCAA D1 1500 meter record: The men's 1500 meter record has been under assault by Yared Nuguse, Josh Kerr and Cole Hocker over the last few years, so it was somewhat unsurprising to see one of the best aerobic-based 1500 meter runners in NCAA history (Eliud Kipsang) take advantage of a loaded field at Bryan Clay and become the first collegiate under 3:34.

Moad Zahafi's 1:43 mark for NCAA #3 all-time: Prior to a few days ago, Texas Tech's Moad Zahafi was your world leader in the 800 meters with a jaw-dropping 1:43 mark which he used to defeat a wildly elite field at the Tom Jones Memorial meet. Zahafi was the fourth collegiate to ever dip under the 1:44 barrier and he now ranks at NCAA #3 all-time.

Adriaan Wildschutt's 27:38 NCAA 10k lead: For the past decade, the men's 10,000 meters has not been nearly as fast (or as deep) during the regular season as it was this year. That's why Wildschutt's mark of 27:38, leading the Stanford men and Matthew Pereira under 27:50, was such a big deal. Wildschutt's 10k mark now ranks at NCAA #12 all-time and it potentially signals that faster marks are coming in this event in the future.

Jaziri's runs 8:18 to earn NCAA #2 all-time steeple mark and NCAA title: In one of the fastest and deepest steeplechase races in NCAA history, Jaziri utilized his raw fitness to follow Duncan Hamilton en route to the national title. Not only that, but the EKU star also ran 8:18, a time that puts him at NCAA #2 all-time in the steeplechase. That all-time mark is impressive, but pairing that result with NCAA gold makes this performance a very real contender to win in our voting.

Waskom throws down strong kick to upset Garcia Romo en route to 1500 meter national title: After showing off his impressive drawn-out kick at the PAC-12 Championships (en route to a win), Waskom repeated his strategy at the NCAA Championships. The Washington ace kicked from 200 meters out and pulled away from the field while Garcia Romo was stuck on the inside rail. Waskom took home gold somewhat convincingly despite this race being tactical which doesn't happen all that often.

Jacobs out-kicks Nur to earn upset 10k title win: Going into the national meet, Abdi Nur was the biggest national title favorite on the men's distance side of things. However, Dylan Jacobs had other plans, following Nur when he made his move and eventually out-kicking the NAU superstar. Of course, the most impressive part in all of this was that Jacobs actually fell during the race and rolled his ankle fairly badly...and yet he still won gold.

Hacker out-kicks Beadlescomb to win 5k national title: Few men at the NCAA Championships better executed their race plan than Hacker. In what was arguably the second-deepest distance final on the men's side, Hacker let his competitors do the work up front and then slingshotted himself off the final curve and past Beadlescomb to win the 5k national title.

*Must have run attached, all marks must have been run at or before the NCAA Championships

Nominees: Hendrick's 2:00.98 NCAA 800 meter co-lead, Tuohy's 4:06 D1 NCAA #7 all-time 1500 meter mark, Tuohy's 15:14 D1 NCAA #8 all-time 5000 meter mark, Nichols' 32:27 NCAA 10k lead, Schoffield outruns strong 800 meter field to win NCAA title in 2:01, Vissa holds off DeGenero to win 1500 meter title in 4:09, Tuohy outruns Valby to win 5000 meter title, Chelangat perfectly navigates 10k field to win NCAA title, McDonald runs 4:13 after running 2:00.98 a day before, Wayment crushes NCAA steeple record in 9:16 to win title

Hendrick's 2:00.98 NCAA 800 meter co-lead: Hendrick is known for her aggressive front-running and her ability to post fast times on a consistent basis. However, her fitness took a notch upwards this spring as she ran a jaw-dropping mark of 2:00.98 for 800 meters which, in any era prior to this one, would be appreciated far more than it actually was.

Tuohy's 4:06 D1 NCAA #7 all-time 1500 meter mark: We knew that Tuohy had the potential to go under 4:10 and win the ACC title in the 1500 meters. However, to see her run hard from the front and drop a handful of marquee stars en route to a 4:06 mark was wildly impressive. The long distance juggernaut flexed elite turnover and earned an NCAA #7 mark all-time in the event.

Tuohy's 15:14 D1 NCAA #8 all-time 5000 meter mark: Before Tuohy ran her 4:06 mark for 1500 meters, she contested the 5k. In that event, she posted a monster time of 15:14 to become one of the fastest collegiate women ever in the event (NCAA #8 all-time). Although, admittedly, knowing her pedigree and after seeing her promising performances at the indoor national meet, this result was hardly surprising.

Nichols' 32:27 NCAA 10k lead: It's still a bit confusing as to why Nichols chose the 5k over the 10k at the outdoor national meet. However, her huge mark of 32:27 gave her the PAC-12 title over what was easily the fastest 10k race of the year, collegiately. Despite not contesting the event at the NCAA Championships, Nichols was viewed as a title favorite in the 10k after this performance.

Schoffield outruns strong 800 meter field to win NCAA title in 2:01 mark: The women's 800 meters arguably had more title contenders than available finals spots. And while Schoffield was certainly one of our title contenders, she probably wasn't amongst our first three options, or maybe even first five options. But in the national meet 800 meter finals, the Boise State ace led the chase pack, caught Aaliyah Miller and still pulled away to win gold in a time of 2:01. It was one of the more convincing big-time wins of the season despite what the end results say.

Vissa holds off DeGenero to win 1500 meter title in 4:09 mark: At the national meet, Krissy Gear ran from the front and Micaela DeGenero stalked from the back. However, it was Vissa who quietly positioned herself near the lead without ever making any dramatic or excessive moves. That ultimately allowed her to run 4:09 and hold off DeGenero en route to NCAA gold.

Tuohy outruns Valby to win 5000 meter title: Florida's Parker Valby had tons of momentum coming into the outdoor national meet and she proved to be a legitimate challenge for Tuohy in the second-half of the women's 5k. But even then, Tuohy outran the Gator star and posted a remarkable time of 15:18 to earn gold and defeat what may have been, debatably, the most top-heavy distance field at the national meet.

Chelangat perfectly navigates 10k field to win NCAA title: Despite Haley Herberg asserting an aggressive early pace, Chelangat showed a level of poise and patience that we had never seen from her before (or at least, not that often). The Alabama star perfectly timed her move to chase Herberg and then extended that move into a gap over Grace Forbes en route to the 10k national title.

McDonald runs 4:13 after running 2:00.98 a day before: Doubles aren't necessarily considered for this award, but McDonald running 4:13 for 1500 meters becomes much more impressive when you realize that she also ran 2:00.98 for 800 meters a day before. Oh, and the best part? Both performances resulted in wins over top-level competition.

Wayment crushes NCAA steeple record in 9:16 to win title: There was arguably no middle or long distance title at the NCAA Championships that was won more convincingly than Courtney Wayment's steeplechase victory. Not only did she breakaway for the win, earn a gold medal and smash the collegiate record, but she also (easily) defeated the fastest steeplechase final that the NCAA Championships have ever seen.

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season. Evaluates events 800 meters up to the 10,000 meters (which includes the steeplechase).

 Nominees: Andy Powell (Washington), Mike Smith (Northern Arizona), Sean Carlson (Notre Dame), Dave Smith (Oklahoma State), Ricardo Santos (Stanford), Dan Waters (Alabama), Jason Vigilante (Princeton), Jeremy Sudbury (Iowa State), Mick Byrne (Wisconsin)

Andy Powell (Washington): The decision to redirect Waskom from the steeplechase to the 1500 meters this season was obviously brilliant, but seeing three Huskies earn All-American spots was incredible. Brian Fay looked like the most versatile distance runner in the NCAA and Kieran Lumb wasn't far behind. Isaac Green ran 13:29 (5k) this spring and Tibebu Proctor went sub-28:40 (10k), putting together one of the best collective seasons that a distance program could have.

Mike Smith (Northern Arizona): The accolades that we saw from the NAU men this spring were incredible. Nur ran the collegiate record in the 5k while Young now sits at NCAA #3 all-time in the same event. Kusche ran 3:37 and 13:39 while Quax revived his career after running 3:39 and 13:41. Drew Bosley was one of the more underappreciated names in the NCAA this spring after running 3:39 and 13:25. In total, seven NAU men were listed in the top-100 spots of the men's 5k this season. Nur and Young would go on to earn bronze medals in the 10k and 5k, respectively.

Sean Carlson (Notre Dame): When it came to the outdoor national meet, Carlson had two men qualify in the 800 meters, one man qualify in the 5000 meters, four men qualify in the 10,000 meters and one man qualify in the steeplechase. Dylan Jacobs won a national title, the Irish had one of the most underrated 800 meter groups in the country and they did all of this without Yared Nuguse.

Dave Smith (Oklahoma State): The Cowboys didn't necessarily have the same depth in certain events that we saw from NAU, Washington or Notre Dame, but they arguably had just as much firepower. Ryan Smeeton emerged as one of the best steeplechasers in the country, placing 4th at the NCAA Championship in a time of 8:22. Alex Maier stunned the country when he earned a runner-up national meet finish in the 10k. Ryan Schoppe qualified for the 1500 meter finals and although he faltered in that race, he still ran 3:37 this spring.

Ricardo Santos (Stanford): There is a good argument to be had that the Stanford men not only had the best top-three distance runners in the country this season, but they also had the three most reliable distance runners as well. The trio of Hicks, Sprout and Robinson all ran under 27:50 in the 10k and all three of them earned All-American honors in their respective events, finishing no lower than 6th on the national stage. Thomas Boyden was the first man out of the 5k and the 10k at at the West Regional Championships, John Lester was great in the 800 meters and a slew of men added promising depth to an army of elite distance runners.

Dan Waters (Alabama): Potentially the most underrated distance crew in the country this year, the Crimson Tide covered every middle and long distance event at a very high level. Jacob Lamb came out of nowhere to run 1:46. Eliud Kipsang ran the 1500 meter collegiate record of 3:33 while Hillary Cheruiyot ran 3:38. Victor Kiprop dominated the long distances with marks of 13:24 (5k) and 28:15 (10k). Hillary Cheruiyot also ran 8:48 in the steeplechase this spring. From top to bottom, Coach Waters and his staff produced tons of firepower.

Jason Vigilante (Princeton): If Coach Vigilante doesn't win this award, he'll at least go down as the most underrated nominee of this group, specifically for this season. Ed Trippas ran 8:20 to finish 5th in the men's steeplechase. Sam Ellis stunned many after running 3:37 for 1500 meters in the national meet prelims AND after finishing 3rd in a tactical 1500 meter final. Samuel Rodman shook off any rookie inexperience by running 1:46 in the 800 meter finals at the national meet and earning 7th place All-American honors. The stunning rise of Kevin Berry and Nicholas Bendtsen also didn't hurt Coach Vigilante's resume.

Jeremy Sudbury (Iowa State): In the 800 meters, Sudbury had two men run 1:46, three men run 1:47 or faster and four men run 1:48 or faster (when factoring in altitude adjustments). Gomez's career was revived with a huge 4th place finish at the national meet and after running 3:39 earlier in the season, Nehemia Too qualified for the national meetas well. If that wasn't enough, Chad Johnson and Ezekiel Kibichii both ran sub-13:37 (5k) while Thomas Pollard and Ryan Ford each ran sub-28:35 (10k). Ford eventually qualified for the national meet in the 10k. Oh, and Gable Sieperda ran 8:43 in the steeplechase.

Mick Byrne (Wisconsin): From top to bottom, Wisconsin proved to be an outstanding distance team. They had national qualifiers in the 800 meters (Hassan), the 1500 meters (Spencer), the 5000 meters (Hacker) and the 10,000 meters (Liking). Spencer earned All-American honors and Hacker won a national title.

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season. Evaluates events 800 meters up to the 10,000 meters (which includes the steeplechase).

Nominees: Lance Harter (Arkansas), Laurie Henes (NC State), Diljeet Taylor (BYU), Maurica Powell (Washington), Mark Wetmore (Colorado), Joe Franklin (New Mexico), JJ Clark (Stanford), Dave Smith (Oklahoma State), Chris Solinsky (Florida)

Lance Harter (Arkansas): Unsurprisingly, Arkansas was an all-around great team this year. Krissy Gear peaked when it matted the most and became an All-American in the 1500 meters. Isabel Van Camp peaked when it mattered the most and became an All-American in the 5000 meters (with a huge PR). Logan Jolly peaked when it mattered the most and became an All-American in the steeplechase despite a fall. Lauren Gregory was one of the all-around best distance runners in the country this spring. Despite a DNF in the 10k, she was still an All-American in the 5k.

Laurie Henes (NC State): Sending five women to the NCAA Championships in one event is wildly impressive, especially when you consider the challenges that Steelman and Starliper had to get to that stage. However, to also have a 5k national champion, two additional national qualifiers in the 10k (including one All-American) and two additional national qualifiers in the 1500 meters is so wildly impressive.

Diljeet Taylor (BYU): This wasn't the best distance team that Coach Taylor has ever led, but it was still pretty darn good. Wayment was a title winner and smashed the collegiate record. Meanwhile, Ellsworth-Barnes ran 2:01 and 4:13 this spring while Seymour ran 2:03 and emerged as a title contender. Lexy Hallady broke out as a top name in the steeplechase this year and the 1500 meter depth of this team was quietly excellent. Add-on a great 10k effort from Frentheway and it's hard to dislike this team.

Maurica Powell (Washington): Coach Powell may not get enough credit for what her distance crew accomplished this spring. Carley Thomas returned to title contending form despite a major setback from two years ago. Allie Schadler looked sharper than she did in the winter and Haley Herberg also emerged as a strong long distance talent, earning All-American honors in the 10k. Anna Gibson was one of the most consistent 1500 meter runners in the NCAA and Madison Heisterman also held her own, as did Sophie Sullivan.

Mark Wetmore (Colorado): DeGenero was one stride away from winning the 1500 meter national title. She was also joined by Rachel McArthur in the 1500 meters when it came to qualifying for the national meet. Madison Boreman peaked beautifully for the steeplechase, earning All-American honors in the event and running a new PR. In the 10k, Emily Covert earned a huge 4th place All-American finish while India Johnson was just outside of first-team honors in the same race. And the team's best 10k runner, Abby Nichols, placed 6th in the 5k on the national stage. There is a very real argument for Coach Wetmore to win this award.

Joe Franklin (New Mexico): Depth was the best trait of Coach Franklin's team this year. Three women ran 4:16 or faster for 1500 meters and five women ran sub-4:19 for the same distance. Cohen and Larkin both ran sub-15:30 in the 5k while two others also went sub-16:00. A total of FIVE women were listed inside the top-22 this season in the 10k. In the steeplechase, New Mexico had two All-Americans in Cohen and Thorner, neither of whom ran slower than 9:35 at the national meet.

JJ Clark (Stanford): Coach Clark guided not one, not two, but THREE women into the 1500 meter finals at the national meet with Heymach and Aragon placing in the top-five. Ellie Deligianni and Lucy Jenks also showed promise this season and also qualified for the national meet in their respective events.

Dave Smith (Oklahoma State): Gabija Galvydyte? 3rd place All-American in the 800 meters. Taylor Roe? 3rd place All-American in the 5k. Gabby Hentemann? 6th place All-American in the 10k. When it came to delivering top performances, the best Cowgirls delivered.

Chris Solinsky (Florida): Valby rebounded from a winter-season injury, ran 15:20 in the 5k at the outdoor national meet and earned a silver medal behind a modern-day phenom in Katelyn Tuohy. Imogen Barrett emerged as one of the most versatile and dominant middle distance runners for most of the spring season and she became an All-American in the 800 meters. Gabrielle Wilkinson rebounded from a quiet indoor track season and earned a spot in the 800 meter finals at the national meet.

*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss), Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona), Moad Zahafi (Texas Tech), Ahmed Jaziri (Eastern Kentucky), Joe Waskom (Washington), Olin Hacker (Wisconsin), Dylan Jacobs (Notre Dame), Duncan Hamilton (Montana State)

Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss): He may not have won the 1500 meter national title, but Garcia Romo still ran 3:36 en route to the SEC title and a win over Kipsang. He still ran 1:46 for 800 meters. He still earned silver at the outdoor national meet. All things considered, he may still have a shot at winning this award.

Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona): Despite not winning the 10k national title, a bronze medal is still pretty darn good, as is a seasonal best of 28:14. However, Nur's season as a whole is what makes him a potential candidate to win this award. Running 3:36 and 13:06 in a single season is a level of lethal firepower that very few distance running fans ever see.

Moad Zahafi (Texas Tech): Running what was once a world lead in the 800 meters (1:43) will obviously boost Zahafi's resume quite a bit. However, running multiple 1:44 marks in the postseason and beating two superstars in Navasky Anderson and Brandon Miller (mulitple times) may make Zahafi the most dominant name in this nominee pool.

Ahmed Jaziri (Eastern Kentucky): An early-season steeple mark of 8:23 was later validated by a monster time of 8:18, the second-fastest steeple mark in NCAA history. That 8:18 led to a national title and a win over the greatest steeple field ever assembled.

Joe Waskom (Washington): Waskom's regular season was respectable, but relatively unexciting compared to some of these other names. Even so, his marquee 1500 meter wins at the PAC-12 Championships and the NCAA Championships made him the most tactically imposing distance runner in the country this season.

Olin Hacker (Wisconsin): Hacker ran 13:19 for 5000 meters earlier this season and then followed up that mark with multiple statement wins. One of those wins included a perfectly executed 5k race where he out-kicked a top-heavy field to win the NCAA title. If you exclude the West Regional Championships, Hacker was undefeated in three 5k races this season.

Dylan Jacobs (Notre Dame): Sure, Jacobs ran outstanding times of 13:23 (5k) and 28:01 (10k) this season, but that's not what makes his resume impressive. The Notre Dame star beat Amon Kemboi in the Mt. SAC Relays' 10k, beat Adriaan Wildschutt in the ACC 5k and then beat everyone at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10k to win gold.

Duncan Hamilton (Montana State): Washington's Brian Fay may have proven to be more versatile than Hamilton this season, but it wasn't by a lot and Fay didn't have nearly the same success on the national stage that Hamilton did. Not only did the Montana State star run 8:18 in the steeplechase to earn silver at the NCAA Championships, but he also ran 3:39 for 1500 meters and 13:30 in the 5000 meters. That is an unreal level of firepower in so many events.

*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Courtney Wayment (BYU), Katelyn Tuohy (NC State), Kristie Schoffield (Boise State), Sintayehu Vissa (Ole Miss), Katy-Ann McDonald (LSU), Imogen Barrett (Florida), Abby Nichols (Colorado), Mercy Chelangat (Alabama)

Courtney Wayment (BYU): Running 9:26 in the steeplechase at the beginning of the season was impressive, but destroying the former collegiate record in a time of 9:16 to win the national title and defeat the best collegiate steeplechase field ever assembled? Yeah, that's pretty good, too.

Katelyn Tuohy (NC State): Only two other women sit in the D1 all-time top-10 lists for both the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters. They are Jenny Simpson and Sally Kipyego. That should be all the explanation you need to truly understand just how good Tuohy was this spring.

Kristie Schoffield (Boise State): Her regular season was a little quiet, but Schoffield peaked better than almost anyone in the postseason. She ran 2:02 (conference), then 2:01 (regional) then 2:01 (national). That last mark resulted in NCAA gold over what may have been the middle or long distance event with the most title contenders.

Sintayehu Vissa (Ole Miss): Yes, Vissa's 1500 meter title victory in a time of 4:09 was exciting, but she ran 4:08 over Lauren Gregory earlier in the season. She also went sub-16 in the 5000 meters and ran 2:01 in the 800 meters to defeat Imogen Barrett in her marquee event.

Imogen Barrett (Florida): Barrett was just all-around great this season. She ran an 800 meter PR of 2:01 this season and ran 2:02 (or faster) seven different times this spring. The Florida star won the SEC 800 meter title over an elite field and she ran 4:14 for 1500 meters during a weekend double. Her 4th place finish at the NCAA Championships wasn't perfect, but her season as a whole was too good to ignore.

Abby Nichols (Colorado): Yes, we know that Nichols only placed 6th in the 5k at the national meet, but she was the NCAA leader in the 10k, ran the NCAA #9 all-time mark in the 5k and posted strong 4:14 result for 1500 meters. All things considered, that's a heck of a resume.

Mercy Chelangat (Alabama): Chelangat was the only double All-American woman in the distance events this season, although her 10k national title is what carries more weight. Not to be lost in her postseason accolades is also the fact that she ran 15:17 for 5000 meters this spring, a mark which sits at NCAA #11 all-time.

Men

Garrett: Nathan Green (Washington)

Maura: Nathan Green (Washington)

Gavin: Dayton Carlson (Arizona State)

Ben: Adam Spencer (Wisconsin)

Kora: Nathan Green (Washington)

Women

Garrett: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Maura: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Gavin: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Ben: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Kora: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Men

Garrett: Estanis Ruiz (Loyola Marymount)

Maura: Navasky Anderson (Mississippi State)

Gavin: Navasky Anderson (Mississippi State)

Ben: Navasky Anderson (Mississippi State)

Kora: Matthew Wilkinson (Minnesota)

Women

Garrett: Elise Thorner (New Mexico)

Maura: Elise Thorner (New Mexico)

Gavin: Elise Thorner (New Mexico)

Ben: Elise Thorner (New Mexico)

Kora: Elise Thorner (New Mexico)

Men

Garrett: Nur’s 13:06 D1 5k record

Maura: Nur’s 13:06 D1 5k record

Gavin: Kipsang’s 3:33 D1 1500 meter record

Ben: Jaziri’s 8:18 mark to win the steeple NCA title

Kora: Waskom's strong kick to upset Garcia Romo for the 1500 meter NCAA title

Women

Garrett: Wayment crushes NCAA steeple record in 9:16 en route to NCAA title

Maura: Wayment crushes NCAA steeple record in 9:16 en route to NCAA title

Gavin: Wayment crushes NCAA steeple record in 9:16 en route to NCAA title

Ben: Wayment crushes NCAA steeple record in 9:16 en route to NCAA title

Kora: Wayment crushes NCAA steeple record in 9:16 en route to NCAA title

Men

Garrett: Mike Smith (Northern Arizona)

Maura: Andy Powell (Washington)

Gavin: Andy Powell (Washington)

Ben: Andy Powell (Washington)

Kora: Mike Smith (Northern Arizona)

Women

Garrett: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Maura: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Gavin: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Ben: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Kora: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Men

Garrett: Moad Zahafi (Texas Tech)

Maura: Ahmed Jaziri (Eastern Kentucky)

Gavin: Moad Zahafi (Texas Tech)

Ben: Moad Zahafi (Texas Tech)

Kora: Dylan Jacobs (Notre Dame)

Women

Garrett: Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)

Maura: Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)

Gavin: Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)

Ben: Courtney Wayment (BYU)

Kora: Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)