TSR's 2022 D3 Indoor Track End of Season Awards

Welcome to our final edition of TSR's End of Season Awards! Today, we have our D3 End of Season Awards and some of these are not easy to decide. In the second-half of this article, you'll find our votes from our TSR contributors which decide who the winners are.

Click here to read our D1 End of Season Awards

Click here to read our D2 End of Season Awards

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: Graham Tuohy-Gaydos (Williams), David (Drew) Donahue (Middlebury), Pau Ilerbaig-Bajona (MIT), Timothy Boyce (Saint Lawrence), Aleksei Seletskiy (Carnegie Mellon)

Graham Tuohy-Gaydos (Williams): Tuohy-Gaydos ended the season as an All-American in the 3k, but his best performance of the year was his 14:00 (5k) at the Boston University Valentine Invitational. This race put him at NCAA #2 All-Time on the official D3 indoor record book. He sits at NCAA #5 All-Time when accounting for performances under all-conditions. These are ridiculous numbers for a true freshman. Tuohy-Gaydos is one of the most promising young talents the division has seen in a very long time.

David (Drew) Donahue (Middlebury): Donahue dropped his 3k personal best from 8:37 to 8:24 to 8:18 this winter prior to the national meet, growing into the season as it progressed. He ultimately qualified for the national meet in one of the deepest years ever in the event. Not only that, but he held his own fairly well with a 12th place finish. He was the 42nd place finisher at the cross country national meet, so he hasn’t earned All-American honors yet. However, it seems like it is just a matter of time until that happens.

Pau Illerbaig-Bajona (MIT): It is said that "iron sharpens iron", and that is certainly the case here. Having national title-winning teammate in Ryan Wilson likely helped Illerbaig-Bajona go from 1:57 in the 800 meters in high school to 1:52 in his first collegiate season. He finished a solid 13th at the national meet after entering as the NCAA #18 seed and carries a lot of momentum with into the outdoor season.

Timothy Boyce (Saint Lawrence): Boyce was quietly great this season. The rookie from Saint Lawrence ran a 1:53 (800) mark during the season, placed 2nd at the All-Atlantic Regional Track & Field Conference meet, ran 4:15 in the mile and ended up finishing 9th in the 800 meters at the national meet. That was a really encouraging season for the first-year talent who showed a lot of promise and great consistency.

Aleksei Seletskiy (Carnegie Mellon): A 4:11 mile personal best this past winter was great to see from the Carnegie Mellon freshman. The young Terrier talent placed 3rd at the All-Atlantic Regional Track & Field Conference meet and was able to qualify for the national meet. Despite a not-so-great showing, Seletskiy was super consistent all season long and has a very bright future ahead of him.

*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: Sidnie Kulik (Amherst), Rachel Krouse (UW-Stevens Point), Claudia Harnett (U. of Chicago)

Sidnie Kulik (Amherst): Kulik was the only true freshman to qualify for the national meet in the 3k. She fell a little bit off of the lead pack, but held her own very well on the way to a 12th place finish. She finished this indoor season with bests of 5:08 in the mile and 9:54 in the 3k, marks that made her very competitive in the grand scheme of things despite her youth.

Rachel Krouse (UW-Stevens Point): Krouse was very solid all year long, winning three of her four races prior to the national meet. She ultimately PR’d at the NCAA Indoor Championships and earned a top-10 finish. She is knocking on the door of All-American status and is one breakthrough away from reaching the same caliber as some of the elite names in the country.

Claudia Harnett (U. of Chicago): Claudia Harnett burst onto the scene as soon as she arrived on the University of Chicago campus. After finishing 17th at the cross country national meet, she continued her momentum into the indoor season, posting times of 2:12 (800) and 5:01 (mile). She could have qualified for the national meet with either of those marks, but scratched in favor of a fresh DMR leg -- a decision which paid off big-time as the Maroons earned a bronze medal.

*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 freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Michael Obroin (Carnegie Mellon), Matthew Lecky (RPI), Nick Andrews (SUNY Geneseo), Matthew Kleiman (Johns Hopkins), Matyas Csiki-Fejer (Suffolk), John Reed (RPI)

Michael Obroin (Carnegie Mellon): Obroin dropped his 5k personal best this season from 14:58 to 14:16 and went from not being in the national qualifying conversation to finishing 2nd overall at the national meet this year. There were a lot of athletes who found another level of fitness this season, but to take 42 seconds off of your PR is a big deal. Obroin did finish 3rd at his regional meet in cross country, so there was some indication that he had improved, but his indoor performances were still beyond what anyone expected.

Matthew Lecky (RPI): Prior to COVID, Matthew Lecky held collegiate bests of 4:29 (mile) and 8:37 (3k). He took advantage of the time off from competition and, after snagging cross country All-American honors with a 38th place finish, he continued to improve throughout this winter season. He now boasts personal bests of 4:05 for the mile and 8:16 for the 3k, along with a 5th place finish in the 3000 meters and a 7th place DMR finish at the national meet.

Nick Andrews (SUNY Geneseo): Andrews was already a respected name in Division Three going into this season, but he has taken a massive step up to another level this year. His best performance of the season was likely his 8:08 (3k) effort at the Boston University Valentine Invite, over 30 seconds faster than his 3k best from the 2020 season.

Matthew Kleiman (Johns Hopkins): What an absolutely incredible season by Kleiman. After coming into this season with a mile PR no faster than 4:17, the Johns Hopkins ace ran 4:09 three separate times and then ended his season with a 4:07 personal best. He also ran 2:26 for 1000 meters. Kleiman did more than just have one great race and settle. He elevated his fitness to an entirely new level where new personal bests were expected out of him every time he toed the line.

Matyas Csiki-Fejer (Suffolk): This Suffolk star had never run faster than 8:36 for 3000 meters beyond this season. Nowadays, Csiki-Fejer is running 8:09 for his personal best, making him one of the greatest all-time talent in D3 history for the event. Sure, his outdoor season last spring was encouraging, specifically in the 1500 meters, but nothing on his resume suggested that he would make such a big leap, specifically into such an elite tier.

John Reed (RPI): Reed hit four personal bests this season, his most notably in the 5000 meters. Prior to this season, the RPI veteran had run no faster than 14:58 for 5000 meters. In the 10k, he had barely cracked 32 minutes. Now, Reed flexes a personal best of 14:15 which sits at NCAA #16 All-Time in D3. He has also run 8:21 for 3000 meters, proving that his 5k PR was far from a fluke.

*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 freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Ari Marks (Wellesley), Kathleen McCarey (SUNY Geneseo), Erin Magill (Brandeis), Elizabeth Donnolly (Gustavus Adolphus), Leila Trummel (Bowdoin), Sara Stephenson (Johns Hopkins), Stephanie Burnett (Lynchburg), Riley Mayer (Wartburg)

Ari Marks (Wellesley): Marks obviously had an incredible cross country season which suggested that she would run big personal bests on the track. That, however, doesn’t make her jumps in fitness any less impressive, though. She went from never having broken 10:00 in the 3000 meters to running 16:19 for 5000 meters at the national meet (going through 3k in 9:54 and continuing to pick up her pace towards the end). Even though she had yet to compete at a track national meet until last weekend, her pair of 2nd place finishes behind Kassie Parker made her look like she had been there many, many times.

Kathleen McCarey (SUNY Geneseo): Like Marks, we saw McCarey break out during the cross country season, so you kind of knew that her improvement would translate to the oval. Sure enough, she likely came into the track season with expectations of a potential top-eight finish at the national meet despite having broken 19:00 for 5000 meters on the track. However, McCarey went above and beyond those expectations by recording a personal best of 16:36 in the 5k and ultimately finishing 3rd in the event at the national meet. We knew she would be good, but we didn't realize she would be THIS good.

Erin Magill (Brandeis): Magill’s progression is pretty wild to think about. She came out of the 2020 indoor season with a best of 18:07 in the 5k. Then, last spring she was only able to race one time, recording a mark of 5:16 for 1500 meters. After a spring season that was likely frustrating for her, she put her head down in the summer and made a big jump on the grass. Then, during the indoor season, she took another step into the elite category. Magill earned personal bests in all three of her 5000 meters races this season, going 17:24 at the Boston University Valentine Invite, 17:09 at the UAA Indoor Championships and then 16:54 at the national meet to earn a 6th place finish.

Elizabeth Donnolly (Gustavus Adolphus): Prior to this season, Donnolly had never run faster than 2:16 for 800 meters. However, this season, she ran under that mark five different times! And the best part is that the four fastest races of her career all came at the tail-end of the season, meaning that she peaked perfectly. Donnolly now owns a personal best of 2:11 in the event and ended her season an All-American.

Leila Trummel (Bowdoin): Trummel had never run faster than 5:12 in the mile before this season. Her cross country performances were far from an All-American honor and her 5k personal best still sits at 19:46 (collegiately). However, this season was different for someone who ran under her old PR five different times this season. In fact, there wasn't an instance where she came within four seconds of her previous mark. With a personal best of 4:58 in the mile, Trummel has clearly elevated her fitness to a new level.

Sara Stephenson (Johns Hopkins): This was a huge season for Stephenson. She was ranked at NCAA #10 in the 3000 meters (9:44 unconverted), NCAA #18 in the mile (5:00) and NCAA #8 in the DMR (11:43 unconverted). Prior to this season, she had never run faster than 5:12 (mile) and has never run faster than 10:22 (3k). Her value across all distances was outstanding and she clearly made a big enough leap to be an impact talent, earning All-American honors in the 3k.

Stephanie Burnett (Lynchburg): Burnett was flat-out impressive this winter. On the outdoor oval, she had only ever run under 18:00 for 5000 meters once (via a time of 17:45). On the indoor oval, she had never run faster than 18:21. However, this winter, she ran sub-18:00 four different times, qualified for the national meet, earned a personal best of 17:09 in the event and settled for a respectable 11th place finish on the national stage. Burnett was clearly a different runner this season and her consistency proved that.

Riley Mayer (Wartburg): Mayer could do it all this winter. The Wartburg ace ran 5:05 in the mile (NCAA #41), 9:58 in the 3k (NCAA #23) and 17:15 (unconverted) in the 5k (NCAA #17). However, at the national meet, she improved her PR to 17:11 to place 9th overall. Her fastest mile before this season? 5:27. Her fastest 3k time before this season? 10:42. Her fastest 5k time before this season? 18:32. Talk about improvement...

*Must have run attached. We are looking at singular races for this award. Two or three races over the span of one day or a weekend do not count as one singular performance. However, a singular performance within a double is context that we do take into consideration.

Nominees: Ryan Wilson upsets Mike Jasa for national title in 800 meters, Aidan Ryan runs 3:56 mile for Division Three record, Alex Phillip anchors John Carroll to Division Three record over Williams in the DMR, Jacob Ridderhoff out-kicks Aidan Ryan to anchor Washington U. to a national title DMR, Aidan Ryan runs 7:54 (3k) to smash D3 indoor record, Alex Phillip runs 13:58 (5k) for NCAA lead, Jasa runs 1:49 (800) on 300 meter track

Wilson’s 800 meter national title: Nobody saw this result coming...well, maybe nobody other than Wilson himself. When perennial favorite Mike Jasa began to falter in the final 100 meters of the championship final at the national meet, the MIT Engineer seized the opportunity, battling with Steven Potter and ultimately claiming his first national title.

Ryan’s 3:56 mile: Breaking a national record by three seconds in a distance event is no small feat alone, let alone in THE MILE. Aidan Ryan deconstructed the previous standard of what it means to be a standout miler in Division Three, running 3:56.88 to earn a collegiate record.

John Carroll’s DMR D3 record: Ian Pierson, Garrett Clark, Caleb Correia and Alex Phillip truly exemplified how much of a team effort the DMR needs to chase records, as all four of these men had unbelievable legs on the relay to break the national record by five seconds, running 9:41.56. Even with Aidan Ryan chasing, Alex Phillip was able to split 4:02 on the anchor and hold him off in a strong kick to solidify the team’s national record.

Ridderhoff out-kicks Ryan for DMR national title: With a guy like Aidan Ryan on the anchor leg of Williams’ DMR, it’s hard to think that anyone would beat him over 1600 meters. A fresh Jacob Ridderhoff, on the other hand, had a different outcome in mind for him and the Washington U. Bears. On the final straightaway, Ridderhoff surged past Ryan to pull off a major upset, bringing home the national title for the Bears.

Aidan Ryan runs 7:54 (3k) to smash D3 indoor record: We knew that Aidan Ryan was an all-time elite before this race even began and we figured that he had a good shot at taking down the D3 record in the 3k. However, what we didn't expect was him running 7:54, breaking the old record by a jaw-dropping total of nearly 13-seconds.

Alex Phillip runs 13:58 (5k) for NCAA lead: Phillip owned the 5k this season. He ran 13:58 at Grand Valley State (a 300 meter track) and that led to him ultimately winning the national title in event. On the All-Conditions list, Phillip now sits at NCAA #3 All-Time.

Jasa runs 1:49 (800) on 300 meter track: Only 10 men in the history of D3 have ever run under 1:50 for the indoor 800 meters. One of those men is now Mike Jasa who ran 1:49.45 on an oversized track to become one of the fastest to ever do it.

*Must have run attached. We are looking at singular races for this award. Two or three races over the span of one day or a weekend do not count as one singular performance. However, a singular performance within a double is context that we do take into consideration.

Nominees: Ella Baran obliterates the Division Three mile record by running 4:40, Kassie Parker nearly wins the DMR national title for Loras just 60 minutes after running 16:13 in the 5k, Esther Seeland takes 7th place in the 3k at the national meet with a time of 9:47 after running 2:05 for 800 meters 40 minutes earlier, Ella Baran runs D3 indoor 3k record of 9:13, Kassie Parker runs 9:13 (3k) for NCAA #2 All-Conditions best in D3, Esther Seeland runs D3 indoor 800 meter record of 2:05, Kassie Parker runs NCAA #2 All-Time in the D3 indoor 5k with a mark of 16:15 en route to national title, Kassie Parker runs 15:58 (5k) on 300 meter track for D3 All-Conditions best mark.

Ella Baran obliterates D3 mile record: After starting off the season with a 4:51 mile, we knew that Baran was already going to be in a great spot for the winter. However, just one week later, she completely blew expectations out of the water, taking down the Division Three record in the mile by three seconds, running 4:40.53 in the process. This was the catalyst to Baran’s unbelievable indoor track season.

Kassie Parker’s incredible DMR leg following short rest from the 5k: After Ari Marks unexpectedly pushed Parker to her limits in the 5000 meters, having to throw down a hard effort to win the national title, Parker decided to come back an hour later to anchor the Duhawks’ DMR. Thanks to the heroics of their 800 meter leg, Parker got the baton near the lead and was able to control the race. She summoned a fiery kick right at the end, but just got nipped by Aubrie Fisher of Wartburg. Even so, this was a wildly impressive anchor effort on tired legs which helped contribute points to Loras’ team title.

Esther Seeland’s All-American 3k finish after running 2:05 in the 800 meters: Many people, myself included, questioned the 800/3k double that Seeland was poised to attempt on day two of the national meet. After running 2:05 to win the 800 meter final, Seeland put herself in strong contention in the 3000 meter final. She ultimately finished 7th place in a time of 9:47 which was a sizable PR. Considering Seeland had the NCAA #17 mark in the 3k coming into the national meet ,and had just run the 800 meter final 40 minutes before this race, placing 7th in an incredibly deep field was a very impressive achievement.

Ella Baran runs D3 indoor record of 9:13 (3k): In the dominance that we've seen in the 800 meters, the mile and the 5000 meters, it is Baran's 3k record of 9:13 that doesn't get enough attention. She took down a challenging record from Missy Buttry and now sits seven-seconds faster than the next-best record-eligible mark. That record only emphasized Baran's dominance this season.

Kassie Parker runs 9:13 (3k) for D3 NCAA #2 All-Conditions best: While Baran does hold the official 3k record, it is Parker's time that now sits at NCAA #2 All-Time when including the All-Conditions marks. Parker also ran 9:13 this season, but on a 300 meter track. In that race, she took down some highly talented D1 collegiates and solidified herself as one of the all-time greats in D3.

Esther Seeland runs D3 indoor record of 2:05 (800): Lost in all of the madness produced by Baran and Parker, Seeland was incredible this year. She scored the 800 meter record, as expected, with a time of 2:05. That mark soundly defeated the old record by about a second and was barely off of the All-Conditions record.

Kassie Parker runs NCAA #2 All-Time indoor 5k of 16:15 in D3 en route to national title: When Parker ran her 15:58 PR for 5000 meters on a 300 meter track, we were all super impressed. However, we were curious how fast she would be in a competitive environment on a 200 meter track. Well, sure enough, Parker a jaw-dropping time of 16:15 for the 5000 meters to win the national title and earn the NCAA #2 All-Time mark in the event.

Kassie Parker runs 15:58 (5k) on 300 meter track for D3 All-Conditions best mark: Parker's incredible 5k prowess was on full display this winter. On Iowa State's 300 meter track, she ran a jaw-dropping time of 15:58, an All-Conditions record for the event. She was the first woman in D3 history to run under 16:00 for the indoor 5k.

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season. Evaluates events 800 meters up to the 5000 meters, plus the DMR.

 Nominees: Jeff Miller (UW-Whitewater), Kyle Basista (John Carroll), Dusty Lopez (Williams), Ryan Chapman + Staff (Wartburg), Dan Moore (SUNY Geneseo), Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Jeff Miller (UW-Whitewater): In the men’s 5000 meters at the national meet, there were not one, not two, but THREE Warhawks in that race: Christian Patzka, David Fassbender and Gunner Schlender. The result? UW-Whitewater had three All-Americans in that event going 4-5-6 and flexing some serious potency up front. No other men’s program even had three entrants in one individual event, let alone three All-Americans. Fassbender would also come back to place 3rd in the 3000 meters, giving the Warhawks a boatload of points scored from these individuals.

Kyle Basista (John Carroll): In previous seasons, the narrative surrounding John Carroll was that they have "arrived" to the national scene. Now, John Carroll is here to stay near the top. Two national titles by Alex Phillip, two All-American honors by Jamie Dailey and an All-American DMR without those two individuals. In total, 26 team points and a 6th place team finish, all with just the distance program. Basista is clearly doing many of the right things in Ohio.

Dusty Lopez (Williams): When it comes to track, Aidan Ryan is certainly the poster child of Williams, but Graham Tuohy-Gaydos and Elias Lindgren are still superstars in their own right, too. With Ryan’s mile title, runner-up finish in the 3000 meters, a runner-up finish in the DMR and Tuohy-Gaydos’ 7th place finish in the 3000 meters, Williams’ distance program contributed 28 points to their team’s 3rd place podium finish.

Ryan Chapman + Staff (Wartburg): Alright, let's try to lay this all out. Wartburg had the NCAA #16 runner in Wyatt Schmidt for the 800 meters, the NCAA #12 runner in Christopher Collet for the mile, two top-10 runners in the NCAA in Christopher Collet and Joe Freiburger for the 3k, a top-five runner in Joe Freiburger for the 5k and a top-50 talent in Morgan Shirley-Fairbairn, also for the 5k. Tack on a national qualifying DMR group, and this Wartburg team was sneaky good.

Dan Moore (SUNY Geneseo): Arguably one of the most underrated teams in the country this winter, the SUNY Geneseo Knights boasted three men in the top-30 of the 800 meters, three men in the top-40 for the mile, a runner in Nick Andrews who was a top-10 talent in both the 3k and the 5k and an All-American distance medley relay. Talk about firepower and depth...

Jeff Stiles (Washington U.): It's important that the depth of this team isn't overlooked. They had three men in the top-50 of the men's 800 meters, three top-35 runners in the men's mile, an All-American talent in the 3k, a national qualifier in the 5k and a title-winning DMR. Not bad Coach Stiles, not bad at all...

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season

Nominees: Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins), Bob Schultz (Loras), Brian Diemer (Calvin), Jeff Stiles (Washington U.), Eamon McKenna (UW-Oshkosh), Chris Hall (U. of Chicago)

Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins): We’ve talked about Ella Baran a lot this season, but Johns Hopkins’ depth was impressive with the number of athletes they qualified to the national meet. They had two entries in both the mile and the 5000 meters, but ended up with SIX entries into the 3000 meters, comprising nearly a third of the field. What’s not to forget was that the Blue Jays also had a national qualifying DMR team as well, giving Johns Hopkins a wide array of athletes who all were among the nation’s best.

Bob Schultz (Loras): Schultz and the Duhawks were national champions for indoor track this year, with many of the points coming from their distance crew. Kassie Parker was an obvious highlight, but middle distance specialist Alyssa Pfadenhauer, the national champion in the 400 meters, ran a heroic 2:09 split on the 800 meter leg of DMR to propel Parker near the front. That eventually locked up eight more points for the Duhawks. Schultz has been growing the women’s distance program behind Parker, and finding more mid-distance talents has certainly paid off.

Brian Diemer (Calvin): The Calvin Knights might not stick out as clearly as other programs, but the duo of Delaney Sall and Sadie Heeringa served as some of the most underrated All-Americans this indoor track season. Sall placed 8th in the 800 meters and Heeringa placed 5th in the 3000 meters, both doubling after their 5th place team performance on the DMR. Diemer is quietly developing one of the more unsung programs in Division Three.

Jeff Stiles (Washington U.): The depth of this team was insane. The Bears had three women in the top-17 nationally for the women's 800 meters, as well a fourth runner who was ranked at NCAA #42. There were also FIVE different runners listed in the top-45 for the women's mile. Tack on three top-50 talents in the 3k, four top-30 talents in the 5k and an All-American DMR and you have one of the deepest middle and long distance contingents of talent in all of Division Three.

Eamon McKenna (UW-Oshkosh): The Titans dominated the 800 meters this winter. They had four women in the top-35 for the event as well as two additional top-25 talents in the mile. with a top-30 talent in the 3k and one of the best DMR lineups in the country, Coach McKenna did a nice job with this group.

Chris Hall (U. of Chicago): Despite the youth of this team, there were a lot of great performances from the Maroons this winter. They had four women in the top-50 for the 800 meters, four women in the top-30 for the mile, four in the top-40 for the 3k, two in the top-50 for the 5k (including one in the top-20). With a DMR that finished 3rd at the national meet, the Chicago women had numerous weapons in nearly every distance event and boasted overwhelming depth.

*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: Alex Phillip (John Carroll), Aidan Ryan (Williams), Ryan Wilson (MIT), Mike Jasa (Loras)

Alex Phillip (John Carroll): Alex Phillip probably had the best weekend out of anybody at the national meet. He was the 5k champion after running 14:10, pulling away from the field and making it look effortless. He then came back the next day and beat Aidan Ryan in a sprint finish to win the 3k in a mark of 8:16. Overall, his season was special. Set personal bests in the mile, the 3k and the 5k. His 13:58 (5k) that he ran back in December is the third-fastest time in D3 history when including All-Conditions marks. He was also a part of the record-setting DMR when John Carroll ran 9:41. He anchored their team in 4:02, showcasing the foot speed that we eventually saw at the national meet.

Aidan Ryan (Williams): The best miler in D3 history and it’s not even close. We were blown away when we saw that Ryan had not only broke four minutes, but smashed it at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. His 3:56.88 personal best is not only the D3 record, but he is only the second man in D3 to ever break four. He was also a part of the DMR duel against John Carroll where Williams ran the second-fastest time ever. He brought his team into striking distance, anchoring in a split of 3:56 and almost caught Alex Phillip. At the national meet, he attempted a heroic mile, 3k and DMR triple. He won the mile and then finished a close 2nd in both the 3k and the DMR. Once again, in the DMR, it was Ryan who brought his team all the way back, just to fall less than half a second short of winning. Williams finished runner-up in a time of 9:54.50 to Washington U.’s mark of 9:54:26.

Ryan Wilson (MIT): An unexpected champion, but a champion nonetheless. Going into the 800 final at the NCAA Indoor Championships, all eyes were on Mike Jasa, but it was Ryan Wilson who won the national title. We would argue that he raced the smartest and it paid off for him. And it’s not like it was a slow race as he finished in a time of 1:50.92. That time is just off his PR of 1:50.16 which is NCAA #10 All-Time mark in D3 for the 800 meters. He also is a strong miler as his 4:06.02 PR from this winter puts him NCAA #19 All-Time.

Mike Jasa (Loras): While his national meet performance may seem disappointing, overall Jasa had a great indoor season. So let’s start there. This year, he was the only runner in D3 to break the 1:50 barrier in the 800 meters when he ran 1:49.45 at the Meyo Invitational. That makes him one of top 10 men to run sub-1:50 in the indoor 800 meters in all conditions. His 1:50.13 from back in December also puts him at NCAA #9 All-time. In the 800 meter finals at the national meet, his 1:52.78 was only fast enough to get him 4th place. He had some tactical mistakes that really cost him the win, but he bounced back to race the 4x400 meter relay and help his teammates finish 5th place overall.

*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: Kassie Parker (Loras), Ella Baran (Johns Hopkins), Esther Seeland (Messiah), Ari Marks (Wellesley), Evie Miller (Trine)

Kassie Parker (Loras): What is there left to say about Kassie Parker that we haven’t already said? This season, she broke the All-Conditions record in the 5k with a 15:58 and is now at NCAA #2 All-Conditions best in the 3k with a mark 9:13.10, missing the all-conditions record by 0.08. At the indoor national meet, she won the 5k and 3k. In the 5k, her time of 16:15 was a championship record. She also brought her DMR team within a second of winning a national title, ultimately getting 2nd.

Ella Baran (Johns Hopkins): The big story with Ella Baran is that she absolutely crushed the indoor mile record, running 4:40 at the Armory. That is more than three seconds faster than the old record. But she isn’t a one-trick pony, as she also crushed the 3k this year. Her 9:13.32 personal best at the Boston University Valentine Invitational is technically the D3 record. Two records in one season? Not too bad if you ask us. At the national meet, she battled Evie Miller to win the mile in a time of 4:47.97, just missing out on the championship record of 4:43.92. She also doubled back to a stacked 3k, finishing in 6th place in 9:47.40.

Esther Seeland (Messiah): Arguably the best 800 meter runner in D3 history, Esther Seeland continued her dominance this year. This indoor season, she ran the four fastest times in D3 history, (excluding All-Conditions best) with her best being 2:05.39. Two of those top times came at the national meet which means she can perform in the big moments. Her 2:05.75 in the final was basically a solo effort and it gave her the national title. To show off her range, she came back 40 minutes later to finish a close 7th place in the 3k.

Ari Marks (Wellesley): She may not have won a national title, but the 5k/3k double that we saw from Marks at the national meet was incredible. She thrived with aggressive paces, didn't back down from anyone and seemed like a realistic threat to Parker at times. With personal bests of 9:36 (3k) and 16:19 (5k), as well as two silver medals, it's hard to dislike anything that she did this season.

Evie Miller (Trine): Miller was strong all season, earning some clutch wins over a handful of elite names. She gave Baran a scare at the indoor national meet in the mile she finished a narrow runner-up in a time of 4:48 (a personal best). With a 4th place finish at the national meet in the 3k, Miller actually tied with Baran when it came to scoring the most points of anyone doing the mile/3k double this year.

Men

Brett: Graham Tuohy-Gaydos (Williams)

Hannah: Graham Tuohy-Gaydos (Williams)

Kevin: Graham Tuohy-Gaydos (Williams)

Women

Brett: Claudia Harnett (U. of Chicago)

Hannah: Claudia Harnett (U. of Chicago)

Kevin: Claudia Harnett (U. of Chicago)

Men

Brett: Matthew Lecky (RPI)

Hannah: Matthew Lecky (RPI)

Kevin: Matthew Lecky (RPI)

Women

Brett: Kathleen McCarey (SUNY Geneseo)

Hannah: Ari Marks (Wellesly)

Kevin: Kathleen McCarey (SUNY Geneseo)

Men

Brett: Aidan Ryan runs 3:56 mile for D3 mile record

Hannah: Aidan Ryan runs 3:56 mile for D3 mile record

Kevin: Aidan Ryan runs 3:56 mile for D3 mile record

Women

Brett: Kassie Parker nearly wins DMR national title 60 minutes after running 16:15 for 5k

Hannah: Ella Baran obliterates Division Three mile record by running 4:40

Kevin: Esther Seeland places 7th in the national meet 3k with a time of 9:47 after running 2:05 for 800 meters 40 minutes earlier

*Tie broken by TSR admin Garrett Zatlin

Men

Brett: Jeff Miller (UW-Whitewater)

Hannah: Kyle Batista (John Carroll)

Kevin: Jeff Miller (UW-Whitewater)

Women

Brett: Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins)

Hannah: Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins)
 Kevin: Bobby Van Allen (Johns Hopkins)

Men

Brett: Alex Phillip (John Carroll)

Hannah: Aidan Ryan (Williams)

Kevin: Aidan Ryan (Williams)

Women

Brett: Kassie Parker (Loras)

Hannah: Kassie Parker (Loras)
 Kevin: Kassie Parker (Loras)