2024 D3 Outdoor Track End of Season Awards

Written by Conor Daly, Kevin Fischer & Gavin Struve, votes via TSR D3 staff

Additional edits & commentary by Gavin Struve & Garrett Zatlin

Welcome back to a trimestrial classic, our End of Season Awards!

Below, we listed our five seasonal awards for the men and five seasonal awards for the women, all for the Division Three level. These awards are a way to highlight the accomplishments of certain individuals from the entirety of the outdoor track season. 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...

Best Freshman Award (Men)

*Athletes who hold freshman status stemming from any type of eligibility extension (not including missions) are not considered for this award. International freshmen are included amongst these nominees unless we have reason to believe that they do not meet our criteria. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Julian Aske (NYU)

It must be tough to exist as a D3 men’s half-miler at the same time as Julian Aske. The Violet rookie has frightening speed as evidenced by a sub-1:49 (800) PR at a last-chance meet (talk about performing under pressure) alongside a separate 1:50.35 result. Once he harnesses that raw talent, we expect Aske to rise towards the very top of the 800-meter ranks. 

Parker Boyle (Amherst)

Parker Boyle raced the half-mile often in an abbreviated first collegiate outdoor track campaign, contesting the distance three times in a two-week span. He started with a 1:50-low PR (before two 1:52 marks) and that was enough to earn him what will likely be the first of many national meet appearances. 

Jack Brown (Central College)

Not only did Jack Brown earn a bronze medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the American Rivers Conference Championships, finishing one spot ahead of multi-time All-American Caleb Silver, he produced the same finish one week later for a sub-9:00 PR that got him into the outdoor national meet. That was Brown’s third NCAA Championship appearance in three seasons during his debut academic year. That gives him a strong baseline of experience to pull from as he likely competes through 2027.

William Frohling (Washington U.)

A 1:51.0 (800) PR run in mid-May put William Frohling right on the outside of qualifying for the outdoor national meet in his rookie season. That came two weeks after he produced a 1:52.01 then-PR over the same distance. Knowing Washington U.’s developmental acumen, Frohling should make his NCAA Championship debut sooner rather than later.

Stan Craig (Amherst)

Stan Craig produced both fast times and strong finishes in championship settings during his first spring season on the collegiate scene. He was the runner-up finisher over 5000 meters at the NESCAC Championships, topping competitive names like Ned Farrington and Will Goddard. Then, once the calendar turned to May, he ran PRs over 1500 meters (3:55 at the New England D3 Championships) and 5000 meters (14:22).

Best Freshman Award (Women)

*Athletes who hold freshman status stemming from any type of eligibility extension (not including missions) are not considered for this award. International freshmen are included amongst these nominees unless we have reason to believe that they do not meet our criteria. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Zoe Marcus (Amherst)

Back-to-back PRs and high finishes in the postseason paved Zoe Marcus’ way into the outdoor national meet for the half-mile. She earned silver over 800 meters in a time of 2:11 at the NESCAC Championships and placed 3rd in the same event with a 2:10 effort at the New England D3 Championships. Had she run that fast on the national stage, Marcus would have had strong odds of reaching the final. She may well get there and lock down All-American status as soon as next year. 

Dale Leonard (Ramapo)

Dale Leonard announced herself to the NCAA D3 scene in the winter, finishing as a top-half All-American in the mile, and she carried her momentum onto the outdoor oval. Even if she didn’t reach the same heights in the spring, Leonard still broke 4:30 over 1500 meters, finished runner-up behind the eventual national champion over that distance at her conference meet and then qualified for the outdoor national meet. 

Haley Schoenegge (Vassar)

It was Haley Schoenegge who topped Dale Leonard at the AARTFC Outdoor Championships. That effort helped her continue her momentum to later in the postseason where she emerged as the surprise national champion in the metric mile. Schoenegge’s presence as a nominee for this award is almost unfair to her rookie peers. 

Jules Bleskoski (RPI)

While it wasn’t a surprise to see Jules Bleskoski advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships after she reached the national meet in both the fall and the winter, she reached a new level in the spring. Double runner-up efforts between the 1500 meters and the 5k at the Liberty League Championships gave way to a 16:50 (5k) PR and then a 12th-place finish over that distance on the national stage. 

Estelle Snider (U. of Chicago)

Much of what was written about Jules Bleskoski can be reiterated for Estelle Snider, who competed at the NCAA XC Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championships, before posting her best postseason finish to date at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. That came in the form of a 10th-place result over 10,000 meters after she earned silver in that event at the UAA Outdoor Championships where she also nabbed bronze in the 5k. 

Audrey Maclean (Middlebury)

Audrey Maclean continued her early excellence this spring, winning conference titles between the 5000 meters and the 3000-meter steeplechase, producing a 16:52 (5k) PR a week after and then earning All-American status over the barriers and water pits. If not for the presence of Haley Schoenegge, Maclean would likely be the favorite to win this award. 

Most Improved Award (Men)

*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 loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Nominees for this award do not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season (not necessarily of outdoor track) of collegiate competition. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Mitchell Dailey (RPI)

Previously overlooked due to his star teammates, Mitchell Dailey made sure that would no longer be the case this outdoor track season. The aerobic-centric runner leveled up to join the nationally competitive level that his teammates have been competing at, even beating them head-to-head in some cases such as in the Liberty League Championships 5k. Having never qualified for a track national meet, Dailey not only earned a spot on the line this year, but executed a fantastic race to place 4th over 10,000 meters.

Tyler Schermerhorn (Wartburg)

This Wartburg sophomore has surprised us time and time again throughout this academic year. In the fall, Tyler Schermerhorn wasn’t even a part of Wartburg’s regional and national meet lineup. On the indoor oval, he barely qualified for the national meet. As for this spring, Schermerhorn was fantastic, putting up a pair of all-time Division Three marks. After running 29:24 (10k) in late March, the up-and-coming star became the first true sophomore in Division Three to break the 14:00 (5k) barrier. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Schermerhorn was only 200 meters away from winning an upset 10k national title before eventually settling for silver.

Mason Brown (UW-La Crosse)

Having just finished his second year at UW-La Crosse, Mason Brown is a bit tricky to evaluate. That’s because this spring was his first collegiate track season, indoor track or outdoor track, although it’s worth noting that he has competed in two cross country seasons. Still, neither of those fall campaigns showed any signs that Brown was ready to be a contributor for an impressive UW-La Crosse program. After all, he had never broken 26:00 over eight kilometers on the grass. However, none of that inexperience seemed to matter as Brown took to the 3000-meter steeplechase and quickly cracked an impressive 8:56 performance this spring. The youngster continued his success throughout the rest of the season and performed well on the national stage in spite of his youth, taking 8th in the steeplechase finals.

Walter Moak (Oberlin)

Walter Moak’s status of being far from a national-caliber talent ended abruptly this spring when he got the hang of the steeplechase, an event that he had been working toward perfecting for two years. Even though he wasn’t running personal bests in the flat events this season, that didn’t seem to matter as Moak peaked at the perfect time, running three sub-9:00 clockings over the barriers and water pits in May. His 8:57 mark in the outdoor national meet prelims earned him the fastest time on the day, punching his ticket to a final. While the final didn’t go as planned, it’s highly impressive that Moak even made it there.

Aidan Arthur (George Fox)

Entering the outdoor track season, Aidan Arthur hadn’t run under 4:00 (1500). Fast forward to now, and the George Fox junior holds a personal best leaps and bounds better than his 2023 self, although it wasn’t until the last month of the season that he saw these immense improvements. First, Arthur ripped seven seconds off of a new personal best at his conference meet with a 3:52 metric mile, but that turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg as he proceeded to match that mark before running 3:48 and 3:47 to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. It’s this consistent progression that validates the idea that Arthur is in fact a nationally competitive name regardless of where he was three months ago.

Gordon Doore (Colby)

Like Aidan Arthur, Gordon Doore is a 1500-meter specialist who has seen extensive improvement lately. After bouncing around several events last year, Doore has now established himself in the metric mile thanks to the race of his life at the Farley Inter Regional Extravaganza. There, the Colby junior ran 3:46.99, good for a five-second personal best. He’ll surely be one to watch in the middle distances over the coming year.

Most Improved Award (Women)

*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 loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Nominees for this award do not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season (not necessarily of outdoor track) of collegiate competition. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Nominees: Faith Duncan (Wilmington (OH)), Ally Verbauwhede (Edgewood), Sophie Bull (Calvin), Ciara Gillen (Occidental), Teghan Booth (Simpson (IA)), Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

Faith Duncan (Wilmington (OH))

If you follow Division Three running (which you probably do since you are reading this), then you probably know Faith Duncan as the woman who upset Fiona Smith for the 5k national title a few weeks ago. Honestly, there are no words that can accurately describe how surprising that effort was, so we’re not going to try. And while it’s obvious that her performance in and of itself was a massive breakthrough, Duncan's spring season as a whole was as well. The Wilmington ace began her outdoor track campaign with a huge run in her first-ever 5k on the oval, where she clocked a rapid 16:34. After dropping down in distance, Duncan took home double gold via the very challenging 10k/5k double at her conference meet before winning that aforementioned national title.

Ally Verbauwhede (Edgewood)

After her indoor conference meet, Ally Verbauwhede was in a position in which chasing a last-chance mark to qualify for the indoor national meet wasn't really an attainable goal. But when she returned to racing a month later, Verbauwhede instantly leveled up in a way that is truly inexplicable. At the Washington U. Distance Carnival, Verbauwhede saw a huge breakthrough when she ran 35:09 (10k) to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. To put that in perspective, Verbauwhede had only one 5k result faster than her average pace from that 10k race. The Edgewood veteran proceeded to run personal bests in every other event she contested the rest of the season as her campaign culminated in a highly impressive 4th place finish over 10,000 meters at the outdoor national meet.

Sophie Bull (Calvin)

This sophomore was on fire from the second she stepped on the outdoor oval. In her first race of the season, Sophie Bull took almost a minute off of her 3000-meter steeplechase personal best. That first race was a microcosm of the newfound success Bull experienced throughout the spring season. The steeplechaser continued to elevate her fitness and knock seconds off of her personal best throughout the coming months. In the end, Bull’s season culminated in a 5th-place steeplechase finish in one of the deepest fields ever assembled at the outdoor national meet.

Ciara Gillen (Occidental)

This Occidental junior is another story of someone who just needed to get used to the rhythm of the steeplechase, but once she did that this outdoor track season, Ciara Gillen was fantastic. This spring, Gillen was a consistent national-level competitor in her efforts over the barriers and water pits and pieced together some very nice 1500-meter performances in between racing her main event. Although she was a single second out from making the steeplechase finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she ran a personal best of 10:40 in that setting, which is nothing to hang her head about.

Teghan Booth (Simpson (IA))

Teghan Booth is one of those athletes who had a season that took unthinkable margins off of her personal bests across multiple events. With a clear long distance tilt, she thrived in the 5k and 10k like she never had before, establishing new personal bests of 17:03 and 35:23, respectively. It’s even more impressive when you consider the challenges she faced by not starting her season until mid-April. Placing 3rd over 10k in a strong American Rivers Conference and making a national meet appearance is certainly enough to say that we saw a much-improved version of Booth this season.

Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

There’s not an official list of women who ran 2:11 (800) after entering the season never having run under 2:20. But if there were, Hailey Shreffler would be on that very short list. That’s an impressive feat and an insane trajectory to follow in a matter of months. While the half-mile was Shreffler’s main focus, she did show promising developments in other events as well like winning her conference's 1500-meter title amidst a five-race weekend.

Best Performance Award (Men)

*Must have run attached at least once this spring and must have been attached during the race in question. Multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone "performance". However, performances that are amplified by the results of other meets/individuals with appropriate context are included. TSR writers can vote for the performance that they believe is either the most impressive, the most impactful, the most entertaining or the most surprising. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Cael Schoemann Runs 1:48 (800) PR, Defends Indoor 800m Title & Helps UWL Win Team Title

Even in his youth, sophomore Cael Schoemann hasn’t had any trouble executing his best races on the national stage. After winning the indoor NCAA half-mile title, there was nothing on Schoemann’s outdoor track resume to suggest that he was running better than ever, although there wasn’t anything suggesting the contrary, either. Therefore, Schoemann entered the 800-meter final as an outside title contender. But that didn’t stop him from finding a way to break the tape in a tactical even-split 1:48 race. It’s one thing to peak perfectly for a national meet, and it’s another to do it in PR fashion even when the conditions weren’t favorable to do so. 

Sam Llaneza Wins Tactical 1500m Final to Earn First Individual NCAA Title

This Lynchburg ace simply put on a tactical masterclass in the NCAA D3 1500-meter final. Sam Llaneza immediately jumped to the front of the race and slowed the pace so that when it inevitably came down to a kick in the final lap, he was in perfect position. Llaneza successfully led wire-to-wire, winning his first national title thanks to a 55-second final 400 meters. The middle distance specialist finished clear of the field by nearly a second, which makes sense considering his 3:43 (1500) PR from earlier in the season.

Bennett Booth-Genthe Runs 1:48.08 to Comfortably Earn NCAA #1 Mark Over 800 Meters

It’s no secret that this Pomona-Pitzer star has held a firm grasp over the middle distances this academic year. Bennett Booth-Genthe added to his already-loaded resume with a 1:48.08 half-mile heat win over very strong competition at the Bryan Clay Invitational in early April. This mark stands as the fifth fastest all-time performance in Division Three, a nice addition to complement his 4:00 mile from the 2024 indoor track season.

Christian Patzka Posts 8:38 & D3-Leading Steeple Mark for Dominant WIAC Title Win

It’s no secret that Christian Patzka is a wizard in the steeplechase. He only added to that legacy with a monster 8:38 run at the WIAC Championships in what was D3's best steeplechase field assembled prior to the national meet. Patzka's umpteenth conference title came over 8:44 man Adam Loenser in addition to five other national qualifiers. The mark also sits second all-time, less than 0.2 seconds off of a coveted national record.

Spencer Moon Outlasts 10k Field to Go Out with His First NCAA Title

Spencer Moon has long been one of the fittest guys in Division Three distance running, but he seemed to never quite be able to perform up to his potential on the national stage. He improved upon that history with an All-American effort at the 2024 indoor national meet and was ripping some fantastic times this outdoor track season. In retrospect, that momentum pointed toward him being in a position to win his first national title. And sure enough, Moon did just that thanks to a monstrous final 200 meters at the outdoor national meet. Competing against one of the best 10k fields ever assembled at the Division Three level, Moon deserves a tip of the cap for coming out on top.

Christian Patzka Out-Runs Christopher Collet & Chasen Hunt to Defend NCAA Indoor 5k Title

Fresh off of back-to-back races en route to his steeplechase national title, there were doubts as to whether Christian Patzka would be fresh enough to be a factor in the 5k. After all, he languished in the latter half of a distance double at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Yet by the end of the 12.5 laps this year, the UW-Whitewater star left no doubt that he was more than prepared. Patzka not only won the race but did so thanks to a red-hot 3:06 final 1200 meters that left the star-studded field a stunning seven seconds behind him. It was a dominant showing out of Patzka that reminded everyone that he’s not only a fierce competitor over the barriers and water pits.

Best Performance Award (Women)

*Must have run attached at least once this spring and must have been attached during the race in question. Multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone "performance". However, performances that are amplified by the results of other meets/individuals with appropriate context are included. TSR writers can vote for the performance that they believe is either the most impressive, the most impactful, the most entertaining or the most surprising. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Emma Kelley Brings 800m PR Down to 2:02 to Defeat BIG 10 Competition

We knew Emma Kelley had the potential for a performance like this. After all, she had almost snuck under 2:04 (800) at the indoor national meet in an effort that was almost completely solo. Still, it’s one thing to have the potential to run 2:02 and another to actually do it. This incredible show of star power was enough for the NCAA #3 mark all-time mark at the D3 level. 

Grace Hadley Runs 15:56 (5k) at Sean Collier Invitational to Win by Nearly a Minute

As the NCAA mile champion from the indoor national meet, it was no surprise when Grace Hadley ran the fastest 1500-meter mark in the nation this spring. But we didn't know if she was a truly elite 5000-meter talent as well. She put any uncertainty to bed quickly with an inspirational performance, posting a 15:56 (5k) mark at the Sean Collier Invitational. That was 43 seconds faster than her previous personal best and 51 seconds ahead of the 2nd-place finisher. It also changed our perception of what kind of talent Hadley is.

Fiona Smith Runs Away from Star Peers for Her First NCAA 10k Title

After biding her time for over 6000 meters, Fiona Smith moved into the lead and nobody had an answer for her as her advantage grew bigger and bigger, reaching nearly 30 seconds. She was the heavy favorite to win the 10k crown this spring, and she lived up to every bit of those expectations to come away with her sixth national title across all seasons (and what was surprisingly her first over this distance).

Haley Schoenegge Blasts 1500m Field to Win NCAA Title as a Freshman

After a scratch from Grace Hadley, it looked like the women’s 1500 meters would be a wide-open, tightly contested race. Alas, Haley Schoenegge made sure that was not the case, gapping the field during the third lap and still somehow closing hard off of that to win by a ridiculous nine-second margin. It’s already a pretty uncommon occurrence for a true freshman to win an event at a national meet, but to do so with that level of dominance is another thing entirely and a development we almost never see. 

Faith Duncan Stuns 5k Field to Win NCAA D3 Title as a Sophomore

The 5000-meter favorite, Fiona Smith, approached that event with the same tactics that she had successfully employed two days prior in the 10k. This time, however, someone stuck with her when she made her move, and it wasn’t who we thought it would be. Faith Duncan had "only" the 11th-fastest 5k mark in Division Three this spring, but she refused to be dropped by anybody at the national meet. When she finally moved into the lead with just over a lap to go, neither Smith nor Grace Hadley answered her challenge, and she pulled off the major upset victory. 

Megan Johnson Concludes Undefeated Steeplechase Season with First NCAA Title 

On paper, there were four serious title contenders in the steeplechase this spring. Megan Johnson was one of them, but she wasn’t necessarily considered the favorite. While it wasn’t shocking to see her take her first national title, the extent to which she ran away from the likes of Aubrie Fisher, Rachel Hirschkind, and teammate Caroline McMartin (winning by almost 10 seconds) was a little bit staggering. A time of 10:13 made her one of just two women in the field to PR on a day with conditions that weren’t necessarily perfect. 

Best Distance Coach Award (Men's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2024 outdoor track season. Success relative to seasonal expectations or success relative to historical accolades of the program are factored into account when listing nominees. Multiple coaches from the same team can be nominated together should they oversee & lead different areas of their distance roster (middle vs long). Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Derek Stanley & Nathan Petesch (UW-La Crosse)

Even with the various injuries that this group faced during the outdoor track season, the Eagles still make a strong case as D3's best men's distance team. While Cael Schoemann highlighted the middle distances thanks to his second 800-meter national title this year, coaches Derek Stanley and Nathan Petesch still led countless stars in the longer distance categories. After all, UW-La Crosse had seven men run 14:14 (5k) or faster. And what’s crazy is that this program might be even better at the steeplechase given that they were responsible for four of the top-nine men in that event at the national meet. But we mustn’t forget to give credit to Isaac Wegner and Corey Fairchild, who were both top-10 national meet finishers in the 10k. Oh, and the Eagles won the national team title thanks in part to their distance runners.

Jake Reed (Lynchburg)

Relative to the other teams on this list, Coach Jake Reed's is group admittedly a more top-heavy program. Lynchburg's season was highlighted by a pair of 3:43 (1500) marks from Sam Llaneza and Chasen Hunt in the same race. The former went on to win the national title in that event while the latter earned bronze in the 5k. The picture of this team would not be complete if we didn’t acknowledge the contributions of sub-14:00 (5k) man Frank Csorba before his unexpected passing in April.

Emma DeLira (Pomona-Pitzer)

The Sagehens stand out from many of the other teams who are nominated for this award due to the fact that they have immense talent in seemingly all of the distance events that we cover. It’s almost as if they specialize in every event. Names like Bennett Booth-Genthe, Oscar Roering and Colin Kirkpatrick hold down the middle distances (the latter is also one of two Sagehens to hold a sub-9:00 steeplechase mark this season). On the distance side, Derek Fearon and Lucas Florsheim are a pair of veterans who ran 14:07 and 13:59, respectively, for the 5k. Add in a plethora of depth, much of it from underclassmen, and it’s easy to see the case for Coach Emma DeLira's men as the top distance group this season.

Ryan Chapman (Wartburg)

At this year's outdoor national meet, the Knights held the honor of being the team that scored the most points in the men's distance races. Coach Ryan Chapman has developed the program to be a long distance and steeplechase powerhouse, sending two men to the national meet in the 5k, 10k and the steeplechase. It naturally follows that Wartburg is the only program that can say they had two men break the 14:00 (5k) barrier this spring. But it’s not just the top-end national-level athletes that make this Wartburg program so impressive, it’s also their depth. Their ninth-fastest 5k runner posted a 14:37 mark this spring -- that’s just bonkers.

Matt Sinnott (North Central)

While the North Central men didn't boast the same event diversity a few other programs this season, they still had great national-caliber success in the longer distances. The trio of Connor Riss, Braden Nicholson and Max Svienty qualified for the outdoor national meet over 5000 meters. And in that same race, the first two men earned top-six All-American finishes. No matter which way you spin it, Coach Matt Sinnott is plenty deserving of this nomination.

John Lynch (RPI)

The Engineers, much like the North Central men, thrived in the longer distances this spring (which was hardly a surprise). Cory Kennedy and Vince Simonetti both qualified for the national meet over 5000 meters while the latter and Mitchell Dailey also qualified for the 10,000 meters. Sure, Dailey was the only one of that group who earned All-American honors with a 4th place finish on the national stage, but we still felt that there was enough production from that group and 3:48 (1500) man, Davis Piercy, for Coach John Lynch to be nominated.

Best Distance Coach Award (Women's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2024 outdoor track season. Success relative to seasonal expectations or success relative to historical accolades of the program are factored into account when listing nominees. Multiple coaches from the same team can be nominated together should they oversee & lead different areas of their distance roster (middle vs long). Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Washington U. won the women’s national team title this spring thanks in part to their distance contingent. Emma Kelley and Danielle Schultz went 1-2 in the half-mile (the latter being a bit of a surprise runner-up finisher), Alessia Sarussi earned bronze over 1500 meters while also reaching the half-mile prelims on the national stage and the Bears had a few other women competing in the distance events who didn’t earn All-American finishes. Coach Jeff Stiles’ crew continues to come through. 

Joe Dunham (Central College)

Coach Joe Dunham’s 3000-meter steeplechase group carried the water for the Dutch as Megan Johnson and Caroline McMartin earned gold and silver, respectively, while teammate Addy Parrott secured a backend All-American finish. After McMartin also placed 6th in the 5k at the NCAA Championships, that trio literally scored all of Central College’s points en route to an 11th-place team finish. No D3 team crowded a women’s distance event final quite like Central College did in the steeplechase this spring. 

Ryan Chapman (Wartburg)

Having a handful of women score points from the middle of their fields across the distance events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships helped Wartburg finish atop a closely packed cluster for 5th place in the team race. Lexi Brown produced a 5th-place finish in both the 1500 meters and the 5k while Shaelyn Hostager and Aubrie Fisher earned top-five finishes in the 10k and the steeplechase, respectively. They weren’t the only Wartburg women competing in the distance events on the national stage, either. The Knights have Coach Ryan Chapman’s athletes to thank for their strong finish. 

Marina Muncan (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Riley Capuano was the surprise headliner for the Athenas as the lone All-American over the distance events this spring, but she earned that distinction in impressive fashion by finishing 2nd over 1500 meters. Relative to expectations, that was one of the more impressive showings of anyone on the national stage. Coach Marina Muncan also deserves credit for qualifying several other distance runners for the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships, including star Natalie Bitetti who was one place away from a top-eight finish. 

Chris Hall (U. of Chicago)

Even if this wasn’t necessarily a banner season for U. of Chicago, the Maroons still boasted

a level of distance depth that would overwhelm most of their peers. Elisabeth Camic topped her more heralded teammate for an All-American honor and the Windy City-based group would have likely had a couple more postseason top-eight performances had focal star Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel not recorded “DNF” results in both the 5k and the 10k. We think that Coach Chris Hall having five athletes listed between our “Just Missed” and “Honorable Mention” sections of our rankings (along with Battleson-Gunkel in the top-20) is worthy of a nomination here. 

Most Valuable Runner Award (Men)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 5/25 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Cael Schoemann (UW-La Crosse) 

After winning the 800-meter national title this winter, Cael Schoemann was only the 10th-fastest Division Three runner in this event heading into the outdoor national meet. But he showed his class when it mattered most, taking down a star-studded field on the way to another national title this spring. A WIAC half-mile title adds to his case to win this award.

Christopher Collet (Wartburg)

He may not have won a national title this spring, but if we’re gauging value in terms of scoring, then Christopher Collet absolutely deserves to be in the conversation for this award. He finished 2nd behind Christian Patza in both the steeplechase and the 5000 meters at the outdoor national meet which was instrumental in Wartburg’s top-five team finish as he ultimately accounted for 16 of the Knights' 34 points.

Sam Llaneza (Lynchburg) 

With personal bests between the 800 meters (1:49.1), 1500 meters (3:43) and the 5000 meters (14:25) this season, Sam Llaneza was clearly in a great position to get over the hump at the outdoor national meet and win his first NCAA gold medal this spring. He did just that in the metric mile by closing hard off of a modest pace to outperform several other superstars. 

Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater) 

Christian Patzka was about as dominant as an individual can be on a postseason stage, running away from the competition in both the steeplechase and the 5000 meters. When he made his moves in both events, there wasn’t much of an answer from anybody. He has now won at least one individual title at each of the last four national meets on the track, cementing his legacy as one of the best to ever do it at this level. 

Bennett Booth-Genthe (Pomona-Pitzer)

The regular season saw Bennett Booth-Genthe post a Division Three-leading 800-meter mark by nearly dipping under 1:48, along with a 3:45 performance in the metric mile that put him at NCAA #5 in Division Three this spring. He ultimately fell to Cael Schoemann in the half-mile finals at the national meet after electing not to contest the 1500 meters, but his regular season was more than strong enough to earn him a nomination here. 

Spencer Moon (Simpson (IA))

Prior to this season, Spencer Moon had not finished in the top-five at a national meet in any season, but an incredible regular season in which he posted marks of 13:51 (5k) and 29:18 (10k) this spring indicated that he had a good shot to change that. Moon's 10,000-meter performance at this past national meet was full of composure and toughness, earning him his first national title along with a "Most Valuable Runner" award nomination. 

Most Valuable Runner Award (Women)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 5/25 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Fiona Smith (St. Benedict)

As expected, Fiona Smith put down some incredible marks throughout the spring, topping the national leaderboard in both the 5k and the 10k. She dominated the latter at the outdoor national meet to take the title by almost 30 seconds. While she looked human in the 5k and fell to 3rd place, she still accounted for 16 points at the outdoor national meet and notched the 16th All-American finish of her storied D3 career. 

Emma Kelley (Washington U.)

The national champion in both the 800 meters and the 400 meters, Emma Kelley was far and away the best middle distance runner in the country this spring. It’s been that way for a few seasons now, and she just continues to get better both in terms of her primary event and also when she goes down to the 400 meters or up to the metric mile. 

Grace Hadley (WPI)

This was nothing short of a historic regular season for Grace Hadley as she posted PRs of 2:06 (800), 4:17 (1500), 15:53 (5k) and 34:06 (10k), all of which placed her among the top-three on the D3 national leaderboard. That kind of range at this level is something we don’t see all too often. After being a late scratch in the 1500 meters at the outdoor national meet due to illness, Hadley finished in 2nd place in the 5k. It’s a shame that her level of continued success did not lead to a national title, but that doesn’t diminish the scope of all of Hadley's accomplishments.

Megan Johnson (Central College) 

Megan Johnson was excellent in the flat events this year, running nationally competitive marks over the 1500 meters, the 5k and the 10k along with a solid 2:13 effort over the half-mile distance. But where she really shined was the 3000-meter steeplechase. She entered the outdoor national meet at NCAA #2 (seasonal) with a 10:19 performance from the Bryan Clay Invite before comfortably taking the national title in a PR of 10:13. Johnson came back from that triumph to contest the 5000 meters on the same day where she finished a respectable 10th place.

Haley Schoenegge (Vassar) 

This young star was already having a phenomenal season prior to the outdoor national meet, but it was her championship performance that truly solidified her place as a "Most Valuable Runner" nominee. Haley Schoenegge not only won a national title over the 1500 meters, but she did so in dominant fashion with a six-second lifetime best of 4:19. Then, in the 5000 meters, she held her own incredibly well for a 4th-place finish, entering the last lap in 7th place and overtaking three women with a 72-second final 400-meter split. 

FINAL VOTES

Best Freshman Award

Men

Kevin: Jack Brown (Central College)

Conor: Julian Aske (NYU)

Gavin: Jack Brown (Central College)

Garrett: Julian Aske (NYU)

Overall Winner: Julian Aske (NYU)*

*Tie broken via TSR contributor Maura Beattie

Women

Kevin: Haley Schoenegge (Vassar)

Conor: Haley Schoenegge (Vassar)

Gavin: Haley Schoenegge (Vassar)

Garrett: Haley Schoenegge (Vassar)

Overall Winner: Haley Schoenegge (Vassar)

Most Improved Award

Men

Kevin: Aidan Arthur (George Fox)

Conor: Tyler Schermerhorn (Wartburg)

Gavin: Tyler Schermerhorn (Wartburg)

Garrett: Tyler Schermerhorn (Wartburg)

Overall Winner: Tyler Schermerhorn (Wartburg)

Women

Kevin: Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

Conor: Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

Gavin: Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

Garrett: Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

Overall Winner: Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

Best Performance Award

Men

Kevin: Christian Patzka Out-Runs Christopher Collet & Chasen Hunt to Defend Indoor 5k Title

Conor: Christian Patzka Posts 8:38 & D3-Leading Steeple Mark for Dominant WIAC Title Win

Gavin: Christian Patzka Posts 8:38 & D3-Leading Steeple Mark for Dominant WIAC Title Win

Garrett: Christian Patzka Posts 8:38 & D3-Leading Steeple Mark for Dominant WIAC Title Win

Overall Winner: Patzka Posts 8:38 (Steeple) to Win WIAC Title

Women

Kevin: Haley Schoenegge Blasts Metric Mile Field to Win NCAA Title as Freshman

Conor: Emma Kelley Brings Her 800-Meter PR Down to 2:02 to Defeat BIG 10 Competition

Gavin: Haley Schoenegge Blasts Metric Mile Field to Win NCAA Title as Freshman

Garrett: Faith Duncan Stuns 5k Field to Win NCAA D3 Title as a Sophomore

Overall Winner: Schoenegge Wins D3 1500m NCAA Title as Freshman

Best Distance Coach Award

Men

Kevin:  Derek Stanley & Nathan Petesch (UW-La Crosse)

Conor: Derek Stanley & Nathan Petesch (UW-La Crosse)

Gavin: Ryan Chapman (Wartburg)

Garrett: Derek Stanley & Nathan Petesch (UW-La Crosse)

Overall Winner: Derek Stanley & Nathan Petesch (UW-La Crosse)

Women

Kevin: Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Conor: Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Gavin: Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Garrett: Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Overall Winner: Jeff Stiles (Washington U.)

Most Valuable Runner Award

Men

Kevin: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Conor: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Gavin: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Garrett: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Overall Winner: Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)

Women

Kevin: Emma Kelley (Washington U.)

Conor: Grace Hadley (WPI)

Gavin: Emma Kelley (Washington U.)

Garrett: Emma Kelley (Washington U.)

Overall Winner: Emma Kelley (Washington U.)