2023 D3 Indoor Top 20 Rankings (Men): Preseason (Part Two)

Written by Brett Haffner, Hannah Thorn & Kevin Fischer

Additional edits & commentary by Garrett Zatlin

Click here to read Part One as well as our Just Missed & Honorable Mention names.

Listed eligibility takes Covid-related extensions into consideration.

TFRRS is used as a general, but not strict, guide when determining eligibility.

10. Bennett Booth-Genthe, Sophomore, Pomona-Pitzer

Having soared to the upper-echelons of elite middle distance athletes in Division Three last spring, Bennett Booth-Genthe now has a chip on his shoulder as he enters his sophomore season.

With outstanding personal bests of 1:49.15 in the 800 meters, 3:45 in the 1500 meters and 14:36 in the 5000 meters, this Sagehen star has some of the best range and versatility of anyone on this list. And in theory, his skillset should allow him to compete with practically anyone in the final stages of a championship final.

Seeing him not advance to the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championship final in the 1500 meters was admittedly a tough result, but his pedigree of race results still suggests that he will be a top contender in 2023 around the oval.

Plus, those preliminary rounds shockingly knocked out a handful of top names. It was just one of those years *shrugs shoulders*.

While Pomona-Pitzer normally employs a very brief and under-the-radar racing schedule during the winter months, we will still see the Sagehens toe the line at the Boston University Valentine Invite in February. Once there, we're expecting Booth-Genthe to chase after some fast marks and showcase his elite dynamic talent even further.

9. Matthew Lecky, Junior, RPI

Following his 38th place finish at the 2021 NCAA XC Championships, we saw Matthew Lecky have an absolutely massive breakout 2022 indoor track season, running some jaw-dropping marks of 4:05 in the mile and 8:16 in the 3000 meters. He would eventually follow that up with an All-American performance in the latter event, placing 5th at the indoor national meet.

Just those results alone put Lecky in the conversation for a top-15 spot in our rankings.

But after running 14:12 for 5000 meters on the outdoor oval and securing an 11th place finish at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships, we can't help but ask...what’s next for this RPI ace?

As someone who boasts a sneaky amount of speed, it might not be out of the question to see Lecky emerge as a national title contender in the mile, even though he elected to compete in the 3000 meters at the previous national meet.

However, with the longer distance remaining incredibly crowded, and both Tucker Cargile and Aidan Ryan now out of the Division Three realm, Lecky's dynamic talent and ongoing rise makes him one of the most dangerous names in the country this winter.

8. Steven Potter, Senior, UW-Oshkosh

If there’s something that Steven Potter knows how to do, it’s knowing how to savvily qualify for national meet finals. And when you pair his tactical prowess and postseason consistency with his firepower-laden resume, Potter has an argument to be ranked closer to our top-five.

The UW-Oshkosh veteran has not missed out on qualifying for a championship final since 2019 and he has earned a slew of All-American honors in the middle distances, boasting personal bests of 1:49.51 in the 800 meters and 3:47.41 in the 1500 meters.

As the reigning runner-up finisher from the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 800 meters, it’s not crazy to suggest that Potter can truly contend for a win against some of the best names in Division Three in 2023.

However, with Ryan Wilson and Mike Jasa both returning this winter, Potter's goal of winning NCAA gold in the 800 meters won't be any easier than it has been in the past. For that reason, he sits at "only" TSR #8...but there's an argument for him to be ranked even higher.

7. Christopher Collet, Junior, Wartburg

Christopher Collet’s 7th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships wasn’t great...but that feels ridiculous to say. Because that performance could also be viewed as super impressive if that was just an “off" day for the Wartburg star.

Heading into this indoor track season, Collet's personal bests of 4:06 in the mile, 8:16 in the 3000 meters and 14:12 in the 5000 meters are not to be taken likely.

Collet will be a top contender this winter in any of those events. Not just because he has super fast times, but because this Knight standout has exceptional turnover along with a clear ability to ideally position himself in championship settings.

Because let's not forget, Collet was also the bronze medalist in the mile at the indoor national meet last winter (making him the top returner in the event this winter). He was also the steeplechase national champion this past spring.

In theory, it makes sense for Collet to focus his efforts in the mile, but it also feels like a toss-up in terms of what he could do. His decision of what to pursue on the national stage could determine whether or not perennial Wartburg star wins NCAA gold in March.

6. Sam Verkerke, Sophomore, UW-Eau Claire

It’s been awhile since we’ve talked about Sam Verkerke, the breakout star of the 2022 outdoor track season. The UW-Eau Claire ace brought home a stunning national title in the 1500 meters and a PR of 3:45.96 in the event last spring.

Few men in the NCAA built up greater postseason momentum than Verkerke did last spring.

Verkerke had a decent cross country season this past fall, nearly breaking 25:00 (8k) at the Augustana Interregional Invitational. That was a massive improvement from his previous personal best time of 26:30 from the 2021 season.

We know that Verkerke is one of the best middle distance athletes in Division Three, but we’ll have to see how he fares during his first indoor track season where he is considered one the top men in the nation.

And to be clear, this Blugold ace isn't just a one-dimensional middle distance runner. We also have to remember that he has run 1:50.01 for 800 meters! That mark, paired with his stunning 1500 meter success from last spring, softens his limited resume on the indoor oval.

5. Mike Jasa, Junior, Loras

Mike Jasa is another name on this list who we haven’t discussed in quite some time. But after his 2023 indoor track season opener, he has already opened some eyes...yet again.

The Loras veteran made his 2023 season debut at the Finals Week Invitational in Davenport earlier this month, running an outstanding time of 1:50.33 over 800 meters. Not a bad way to start off the season, huh?

While he didn’t win an individual national title in 2022 in any given event, we will never count out Mike Jasa’s ability to run incredibly fast and hold his own at the national level.

2023 could very well be Jasa's year. And on paper, he's just as talented as any middle distance star in Division Three -- maybe even the MOST talented! He has, after all, run 1:48.70 in the 800 meters and 3:47.78 in the 1500 meters. But there have also been moments where Jasa faded on the national stage after being viewed as a national title favorite.

Of course, if 4th and 5th place finishes at the 2022 indoor and outdoor national meets, respectively, are viewed as "underwhelming", then that's a very good problem to have.

4. Christian Patzka, Sophomore, UW-Whitewater

Christian Patzka continues to get better and better with his recent exploits, bolstering his resume with a runner-up result at this year’s NCAA XC Championships, finishing closely behind Alex Phillip.

Giving Phillip a legitimate run for his money was an impressive development, but more importantly, that performance ultimately leap-frogged Christian Patzka into the top-tier of distance runners in Division Three. In fact, we're now putting him in the same conversation as guys like Phillip and Elias Lindgren!

His personal bests of 8:19 in the 3000 meters and 14:15 in the 5000 meters are super impressive marks, especially when you consider that he was only a freshman last year.

Patzka has only gotten better with each season that he's competed in and that trend should continue heading into this indoor season. With a clear knack to compete for national titles, as evidenced by this past fall and his narrow runner-up finish in the steeplechase at the 2022 outdoor national meet, Patzka seems like a perfect fit for our TSR #4 spot.

3. Elias Lindgren, Senior, Williams

Death, taxes and Elias Lindgren making a gutsy move at a national meet.

While he didn’t finish the way that he probably would have liked at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall, Lindgren bounced back at the Boston University Season Opener, running a massive time of 14:00 in the 5000 meters.

And frankly, that mark should have gotten more attention than it has.

This Williams veteran is clearly in a great place heading into the winter months. And assuming that he stays healthy throughout this season, Lindgren should be a nasty force in the longer distance events at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

And while some of his times in events like the mile and the 3k could be better in comparison to his 5k PR, Lindgren is still one of the (very few) contenders who can realistically challenge Alex Phillip. That's not something that many other guys can realistically say.

2. Ryan Wilson, Senior, MIT

Ryan Wilson winning national titles in the 800 meters during both the indoor and outdoor track seasons was one of the bigger shocks of the 2022 calendar year...but maybe not as shocking as what he did on the grass this past fall.

Finishing 5th in the NCAA XC Championships last month very well may have been a bigger surprise for this middle distance star who has historically been a solid cross country runner, but not at THAT level of greatness.

Considering that his vastly improved ability on the grass occurred in just one year, how will that success translate to his abilities in the middle distances this winter?

This is a guy who has already run 1:48 for 800 meters (unattached in the summer of 2021), has displayed tactical brilliance on championship stages en route to multiple national titles and already owned a 4:06 mile PR before improving his aerobic capacity earlier this fall.

So if Wilson was already that good, then how much better could he be this winter? We are very curious to see where this even higher level of fitness takes him.

1. Alex Phillip, Junior, John Carroll

Picking up where he left off during the spring months, Alex Phillip remains at our TSR #1 spot in our 2023 preseason indoor track rankings.

It feels like it’s been a very long time since we’ve seen movement at the top of our rankings, but Phillip has simply been that dominant over the last year and a half. His most recent national title win at the NCAA XC Championships is just the latest evidence of that.

Yes, we could list all of his personal bests and postseason honors, but there's really only one thing that you need to know about Phillip for this season: He's the best in the country -- and it's not really close.

Having recently announced his commitment to run at the University of North Carolina for graduate school starting in the fall of 2023, this track season will be the last that we’ll see of Phillip on the Division Three scene.

How will Phillip cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats in Division Three?

That will be something for us to watch throughout 2023.