First Thoughts: Karinauskaite's Steeple Lead, Will Sumner's Statement & The Status of Parker Valby

There are still a handful of major conference meets that are wrapping up this Sunday, but the number of items that we need to talk about remain plentiful. There's no time for a longer intro, let's dive into the latest series of results...

PLEASE NOTE: Certain conference meet results have not yet been uploaded to TFRRS. It is possible that certain, nationally competitive, performances were not mentioned in this article. However, TSR will be planning to write one additional "First Thoughts" article on Monday to analyze the last set of results that come in.

ANOTHER NOTE: And yes, there were some strong performances that took place on Friday and Saturday that we simply won't have time to get to in our latest series of First Thoughts articles due to the mass number of top results from around the NCAA this weekend.

FINAL NOTE: All references to certain marks on the NCAA leaderboard are as of time of publication. It is possible that results from Sunday could alter the NCAA leaderboard and certain positions for the middle and long distance events.

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Karinauskaite Runs 9:35 For New NCAA Steeplechase Lead

Let's be clear: California Baptist's Greta Karinauskaite has been a nationally competitive name for the last year or so. She ran 9:51 in the steeplechase last spring and had a few moments of excellence during the fall months.

But I'll admit, I didn't expect her to have the season that she has put together so far this spring.

The Lancer distance standout has been thriving on the outdoor oval in 2023. Karinauskaite ran 33:27 for 10,000 meters back in March to kick-off her season, but has since thrown down an awesome string of results.

The Lithuanian distance ace ran 15:36 for 5000 meters at the Stanford Invitational, ran 9:46 in the steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invite and now, just this past weekend, threw herself into the national title conversation (depending on who you ask).

In a completely solo effort, Karinauskaite ran 9:35 in the steeplechase at the WAC Outdoor Championships, a new NCAA lead in that event by nearly four seconds! And with that, she'll likely earn a spot in our upcoming D1 top-25 outdoor track distance rankings.

The resume that this CBU ace has put together is wildly impressive. She has clearly elevated her fitness to a new level and she has some consistency across multiple events to back up that claim.

The only question I have about Karinauskaite is...can she compete for an NCAA title in the steeplechase?

Right now, on paper, she absolutely could. But it's also important to realize that women such as Kayley DeLay, Elise Thorner, Ceili McCabe, Kaylee Mitchell and Olivia Markezich are all capable of running as fast as 9:35 (or even faster) in the steeplechase.

In fact, in most cases, they already have run faster in prior seasons!

Now, as we move into the postseason, Karinauskaite will need to replicate this incredible effort in a field that will be distinctly different than what she just faced this past weekend. And if she is able to continue to build on her latest result, then maybe, just maybe, NCAA gold isn't entirely out of the question for California Baptist's focal star.

Rookie Nick Plant Stuns ACC to Win 800 Meter Title

When I was still writing for MileSplit as their recruiting correspondent, I wrote an article detailing how Ohio native and middle distance superstar, Nick Plant, was a perfect fit for the Virginia Tech men.

The Hokies have established themselves as a middle distance juggernaut in recent years and the 800 meters has been a marquee event for them. Plant, meanwhile, has been set to give this group a long-term star to rally and build around as Virginia Tech's roster saw some natural turnover with age.

But while Plant had shown promise this year as a true freshman, I wasn't expecting him to be a national-caliber contender this year. He's insanely talented, but a first-year learning curve was fully expected (at least from me).

Of course, what I wasn't expecting was Plant cruising to a 1:47 (800) PR in the prelims this past weekend at the ACC Championships and then proceeding to control the 800 meter finals where he once again ran 1:47, this time for the overall win.

However, there's more to this race than just a freshman winning gold.

Allow me to explain...

The Clemson duo of Tarees Rhoden and Aman Thornton had both run in the 400 meters before the 800 meter finals. Naturally, they were a little gassed for this two-lap affair which they only had 40 minutes of rest for.

Rhoden and Thornton both went to the front of this race early-on in an attempt to control the pacing into something slower (which would theoretically be more beneficial for them). However, the Virginia Tech duo of Ben Nagel and Nick Plant didn't let either Clemson runner have much rest as they overtook the Tigers with 400 meters to go.

Nagel, truthfully, is the guy who really made this a successful race for the Hokies. He faded to 3rd place on the final straightaway, but he effectively acted as the pacer for Plant who charged home to a title over the final 200 meters.

With Rhoden and Thornton fading hard at the end (understandably so), and Conor Murphy also coming back from the 1500 meter finals on the double, Plant and Nagel clearly took full advantage.

And for Rynard Swanepoel of Wake Forest, he proved that his lethal kick that we saw at the Raleigh Relays earlier this season wasn't a one-time thing. He snagged silver in the final moments of the race.

As a Virginia Tech alum, I'm thrilled by this result, but I do think it's important to acknowledge the context of this race. Rhoden, Thornton and Murphy were all on the double throughout Saturday -- and all three of those men were favored to beat Plant.

If they were fresh, these final results might look a little different.

That, however, shouldn't take away from what Plant did. After this weekend, he's probably favored to advance to the national meet over 800 meters this spring, something that I certainly couldn't say before Friday.

And for Swanepoel? This is now his second fast finish over 800 meters en route to a 1:47 mark. At the regional meets, his newfound finishing speed could prove to be incredibly valuable and a major reason why he advances to Austin, Texas in mid-June.

Valby Runs 15:25 Over 5000 Meters to Win SEC Title, Barely Fends Off Chelangat's (15:25) Last-Second Kick

Gosh, there is so much to unpack from this race. But let's first evaluate how this race unfolded.

For the most part, this race was Parker Valby vs the Alabama duo of Mercy Chelangat and Hilda Olemomoi. Valby, the long distance superstar from Florida, was the leader for most of this race while the Crimson Tide women simply stayed behind her.

On the final lap, Valby was doing everything in her power to pull away from her conference rivals. And for a moment, it looked like she had easily secured gold. With 200 meters to go, Olemomoi and Chelangat were still a ways out from their Gator opponent.

But on the final straightaway, Chelangat began to pick up massive momentum. Once she passed her teammate, the Alabama veteran found herself within reach of Valby. And as the two women surged to the line, it was Valby who found just one more gear, leaning at the tape to keep gold within her grasp.

In the end, Valby ran 15:25.03 for 5000 meters while Chelangat ran 15:25.07. Olemomoi would settle for a bronze medal in a time of 15:28.

That's how the race played out...but now let's dive one layer deeper.

I am not someone who likes to speculate. When you do this job (writing about NCAA track and cross country) for long enough, you find that not everything is as it seems. But I was glad to know that I wasn't going crazy when the commentators noticed that Valby was racing with a noticeable hitch in her stride.

Something just looked off.

Maybe it was the fact that she was wearing a single compression sock and tape on her left leg that made me evaluate her stride a bit closer than I usually would. But upon review, I don't believe I was overanalyzing this.

Then, in her post-race interview, Valby detailed that she has been battling an injury for the past three to four months, although she has yet to receive an official diagnosis. Not only that, but she had only done one track workout in spikes since February!

It seems fair to say that this Florida ace isn't fully healthy...which makes her recent win over an elite Alabama duo in a 5000 meter time of 15:25 INSANELY impressive!

But while we now have a few answers about Parker Valby's recent status, we may actually have even more questions than before. The biggest one being...what happens next?

Valby noted in that same post-race interview that she needed to race at the SEC Championships in order to secure points for her team. So does that mean that she'll have that same mindset for the regional meet and, more specifically, the national meet? It seems fair to assume that after running 15:25 (5k) that she'll be around for the rest of the postseason...right?

I would think that's a safe assumption to make, but this is also someone who ran 8:49 for 3000 meters back in February and then pulled out of the SEC Indoor Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championships due to that ongoing battle with her injury.

In other words, your guess is as good as mine.

As for the Alabama women, they were excellent. Valby, even when not at 100%, is just a completely different beast over 5000 meters. The fact that the pace could be as fast as it was and Chelangat still had enough of a kick to nearly pull off the upset is encouraging. That was the first time that I've seen some legitimate finishing speed from her in quite some time.

And when it comes to Hilda Olemomoi, I can't do anything more than shrug my shoulders and say, "Yeah, that seems about right." She had a nice race, but I have a feeling that she'll be better over 10,000 meters when we look back at the completion of her NCAA career.

Ethan Strand Wins ACC 1500 Meter Title Over Luke Tewalt As Both Men Run 3:38 For The Distance

I'll admit, I was a little concerned about North Carolina's Ethan Strand coming into this weekend. The redshirt freshman had only raced twice prior to this past weekend and his times, while competitive, weren't anything crazy.

But as we learned this past weekend from some post-race interviews, that was seemingly the plan all along -- and as a result, Strand was rewarded for his "keep things on the down-low" approach on Saturday.

That's because the North Carolina star took home gold in the 1500 meters at the ACC Outdoor Championships. While Wake Forest star Luke Tewalt controlled the lead in the latter portion of the race, it was Strand who made a charge to the front with 200 meters go. And when Tewalt made one last move on the final straightaway, it was Strand digging hard to find one last surge and give himself the overall win.

Both men ended up running 3:38 for 1500 meters.

Any concerns I had about Strand this season have suddenly vanished. Thanks to this past weekend, I have realized that his quiet w023 outdoor track campaign was largely intentional. He still looks like he's just as electric and just as much in command of his fitness as he was during the winter months.

In terms of raw talent, this second-year UNC ace is still among the best of the best -- and he's also proving to be a bit more of a refined racer than most athletes his age would be.

As for Tewalt, he put together another admirable performance. He just looks like a different runner. He looks far more sure of himself and just looks flat-out stronger. The Wake Forest star has now run 3:38 for 1500 meters twice this season and looked far better doing it this past weekend than he did on his home track a few weeks back.

Don't be surprised if this Demon Deacon ace puts himself in the All-American conversation in mid-June. I don't know if he's necessarily favored to earn a top-eight finish on the national stage, but that scenario is looking more and more like a possibility than a pipe-dream.

Also, seeing Parker Wolfe (3rd) and Jesse Hunt (4th) follow close behind with 1500 meter marks of 3:40 was very impressive. The North Carolina men as a team feel like they have grown up after years of recruiting young high school stars.

Katherine Mitchell Does It Again, Wins ACC 800 Meter Title In 2:01 While Lindsey Butler Runs 2:02 For Silver

If you're a listener of the Blue Oval Podcast (don't forget to rate and review if you are!), then you know that me and my fellow co-host, Ben Weisel, are big fans of Boston College's rising standout, Katherine Mitchell.

The Golden Eagle ace proved to be an exceptionally dynamic middle distance star this past winter, flexing nationally competitive marks in the 800 meters and the mile. Not only that, but her tactics were top-notch, she was incredibly consistent and she was/is only getting better.

Sure enough, Mitchell put on a masterclass half-mile showing this past Saturday. She let Virginia Tech star Lindsey Butler control the lead while hanging onto her shoulder. Then, on the final curve, Mitchell used the classic "sling-shot" method and cruised past Butler en route to gold in a winning time of 2:01 for 800 meters.

Behind her, Butler and fellow Hokie teammate Star Price both ran 2:02 marks.

I don't know what more I can say about Mitchell that hasn't already been said. On paper, she looks like one of the most well-rounded 800 meter runners in the NCAA. I don't think I have seen her make a single tactical mistake in all of the races that I've seen her toe the line for this winter and spring.

She's just been that good.

And now, with experience and momentum on her side, I don't know how someone wouldn't pick her as an All-American favorite for mid-June.

As for Butler, she is still running exceptionally well this year, but it's clear that she just doesn't have the same edge that she has shown us in the past. Again, it's not like she's running poorly by any means, but her command in the late stages of these fast races isn't quite as firm as it has been in the past.

That said, Butler did look a little bit stronger this past weekend and there may still be room for her to peak with a month-ish remaining until the outdoor national meet.

Also, Star Price had a heckuva performance. Butler had to do everything in her power to hold off her teammate for silver. And as a result, Price scored a new 2:02 PR for 800 meters. Since the ACC Indoor Championships, she has gone from 2:07 to 2:05 to 2:06 to 2:03 to 2:05 (prelims) to 2:02.

Simply put, momentum is in her favor as we head into the regional meets.

Georgia's Will Sumner & Texas A&M's Sam Whitmarsh Run 1:46 Over 800 Meters To Go 1-2 At SEC Championships

I gotta admit...these young guys are just built different.

The men's 800 meter finals at the SEC Outdoor Championships was a pretty straight-forward race. Texas A&M sophomore, Sam Whitmarsh, went to the front and was the aggressor in terms of pacing. And for most of this race, the Aggie sophomore was looking like he was going to potentially win it all.

But not far behind Whitmarsh was true rookie Will Sumner from Georgia. And in the final 100 meters, the freshman middle distance talent took off, catching Whitmarsh at the end by a few strides in an 800 meter time of 1:46.20 (which, before Sunday, was the NCAA co-lead). Whitmarsh would settle for a 1:46.77 mark.

Sumner continues to race beyond his years. It was obvious in high school that he had the potential to be one of the absolute best half-milers in the NCAA one day, but I wasn't exactly positive that he would be nearing that status as a true freshman.

And don't get caught up in just the time itself. Yes, running 1:46.20 for 800 meters as a true freshman is insanely impressive, but...did you see Sumner once he finished? He cruised/eased up at the line, was still bouncing on his legs once he had finished and he looked like he had barely broken a sweat.

To have that kind of command of your fitness, as well as the incredible tactical understanding of how to approach championship 800 meter racing, is so unbelievably impressive. I don't if I'm saying that Sumner is a national title contender this spring, but...in the future, that seems plenty realistic.

As for Whitmarsh, this is a HUGE result as well as a great comeback story.

The Texas A&M standout had a breakout year as a true freshman in 2022, running 1:46.09 for 800 meters at this same exact meet. However, Whitmarsh had to end his season early last year due to a heart condition (something that he mentioned on his Instagram page).

But now, Whitmarsh looks like he's peaking once more, earning his second-straight silver medal over 800 meters at the SEC Outdoor Championships in yet another mark of 1:46. And now, as we near the regional meets, we should be able to see what this Texas A&M star can do against a collection of the nation's absolute best middle distance talents.

It should also be noted that Tiarnan Crorken and Baylor Franklin, both of Ole Miss, had solid races of their own. The Rebel duo each posted times of 1:47 in the same 800 meter finals to finish 3rd and 4th, respectively.

Michaela Rose Wins SEC Title In 1:59 (800), Mehdi Yanouri (1:46) & Aidan McCarthy (1:47) Thrive Over 800 Meters

The grass is green, the sky is blue and Michaela Rose is really good at running fast over 800 meters. The LSU superstar recorded her second 1:59 mark for 800 meters this season at the SEC Outdoor Championships en route to gold.

At this point, there's not really anything new that we can learn about Rose in terms of her skillset, racing style, etc.

However, seeing her run 1:59 for 800 meters yet again gives me comfort that, if she needs to run that fast at the outdoor national meet against Juliette Whittaker and Roisin Willis, then it won't necessarily take an all-time great performance from her in order for that to happen.

We then come to Mehdi Yanouri, a rising half-mile talent from Oklahoma State who just ran his second 1:46 mark for 800 meters (in the prelims) this season. That is MASSIVE validation for this former JUCO star who, prior to this past weekend, didn't have anything else on his resume near that kind of time.

We should also note that Yanouri just finished runner-up in the finals at the BIG 12 Championships with yet another time of 1:46 behind Yusuf Bizimana who ran 1:45 for 800 meters. We'll discuss that race more in tomorrow's First Thoughts article.

As for McCarthy, he continues to thrive under the direction of Coach Ryan Vanhoy who has just been incredible in his very short time with Cal Poly.

McCarthy has run 3:39 for 1500 meters and 1:47 for 800 meters (multiple times) this season. And now, he just ran 1:47 over 800 meters to defeat a rising middle distance talent in Kash Powell en route to a conference title.

Don't be sleeping on this guy once we reach the regional and national meets...

BYU Men Post Incredible Altitude-Converted Mile Times As Three* Cougars Earn Sub-3:40 (1500) Conversions

First, it was Lucas Bons.

Then, it was Joey Nokes.

Now, it's James Corrigan and Caleb Johnson.

I just don't know how BYU does it...

Because the West Coast Conference does not have a conference meet for track and field, the BYU men often make an attempt to run fast mile times at altitude on their home track. And sure enough, we saw yet another all-out effort in Provo, Utah this past weekend.

On Friday, the BYU men were led by Aidan Troutner who ran 4:00.51 for the mile at 4600 feet of elevation. Right behind him was Casey Clinger who ran 4:00.61. However, Troutner was racing unattached, meaning that Clinger's altitude converted 1500 meter time of 3:38 was the top BYU mark on the NCAA leaderboard for that event.

But what really shocked us was seeing James Corrigan and Caleb Johnson, two men who are listed as freshmen, run 4:01.14 and 4:01.42 in the mile, respectively. Those times, after altitude conversions (and after being converted to 1500 meters) now sit at 3:38 and 3:39, respectively.

Corrigan and Johnson, two high school Class of 2020 talents, are presumably back from missions that they were taking before officially taking classes at BYU. That would explain why they have no racing history prior to 2023 and are only considered as freshmen, although I don't have that officially confirmed.

In fairness to Corrigan, it's not like he hasn't already posted some strong marks this season. The California native had already run 8:52 in the steeplechase and 13:45 for 5000 meters coming in this weekend. Johnson, however, had run no faster than 3:47 for his two 1500 meter efforts this spring and his last mile race in Provo, Utah produced a time of 4:11.

It's still too early in their collegiate careers to make any major declarations about these two guys, but at the very least, they seemingly hold great long-term value for BYU.