.png)
First Thoughts: Kimberley May Flexes Range With 15:26 (5k) PR, Virginia Men Go 1-2 in ACC Steeplechase, Penn State Women Thrive Over 10k & James Corrigan vs Victor Shitsama in Steeplechase Thriller
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- May 11, 2024
- 12 min read
After a Thursday mostly filled with fast 10k performances, we got to see a few more impressive results scattered throughout the NCAA's conference meets. With a large handful of prelim races preparing us for the finals, the headline-worthy results weren't quite as plentiful.
Even so, the analysis that we do have could have fairly significant implications on the NCAA Championship qualifying picture and even who TSR picks to be All-Americans in June.
Let's review some of the top races from Friday, shall we?
Providence's Kimberley May Drops Huge 15:26 (5k) PR to Win BIG East Title
I gotta be honest, I don't totally know why I was surprised to see Kimberley May run 15:26 for 5000 meters at the BIG East Outdoor Championships. Maybe it's because I was more surprised that she opted to run that fast (when she clearly didn't need to) rather than the actual time itself.
But if you've been following May since the cross country season, then you know that she's had top-tier range for a while. Not only does she boast a 4:27 mile PR, national meet success, a 2:03 personal best for 800 meters and an 8:54 (3k) mark, but she was also an outstanding low-stick for Providence on the grass!
In the grand scheme of things, May's 5k performance from last night doesn't dramatically shift the NCAA landscape in any major way. Make no mistake, that's a terrific time, but the 1500 meters will undoubtedly be her focus on the national stage.
Now, that said, it's very possible that May does the 1500/5k double at both the regional and national meets. And if that happens, then I don't think double All-American honors is out of the question for her.
However, what if I told you that her 5k performance may have larger implications?
Not now, but in the future.
The Providence women just landed UMass Lowell standout Kenzie Doyle from the transfer portal. And if both May and Shannon Flockhart return in the fall to use their remaining cross country eligibility, then the Friars are going to be an even more formidable team than they've been for the last two years.
And with a 15:26 (5k) PR, May is showing us that she can be a legitimate upper-half All-American threat and the leader of a potential top-15 team in the country.
Virginia's Nathan Mountain & Yasin Sado Run 8:30 & Go 1-2 in Men's Steeplechase at ACC Championships
Does anyone know why the ACC is so unbelievably good in the steeplechase? Sure, other conferences have one or two great programs that headline that event while other conferences have solid depth, but not many home-run hitters.
However, the ACC has both of those things and they have had that for a while now.
One of the biggest and best steeplechasers in the conference is Virginia's Nathan Mountain. The Cavalier star ran 8:20 over the barriers and water pits earlier this season and has looked absolutely incredible in this event. Sure enough, he showcased that incredible talent and poise at the ACC Championships on Friday evening.
In a lead pack that was bunched to the quartet of Mountain, Yasin Sado (Virginia), Brett Gardner (NC State) and CJ Singleton (Notre Dame), it was the former who showcased the most control in his fitness. After taking over with 450 meters to go, Mountain looked effortless as he built a gap that no one else in the field was going to cover. And when he crossed the line, Mountain defended his steeplechase title from last year with a mark of 8:30.
The range, the poise, the control, the intangibles, the raw fitness -- Mountain checks each of those boxes. He's not the only NCAA title favorite in the steeplechase this year, but his case to be the heaviest favorite is certainly growing.
And just like last year, the Virginia men also took 2nd place in this event at the ACC Championships. Except this time, it was Yasin Sado, not Derrick Johnson, who secured silver.
Sado has been a really great runner for the Cavalier men for a while. He's an accomplished veteran who has tons of steeplechase experience. Even so, it's clear that the UVA veteran has elevated his fitness to a new tier this year.
After placing 73rd at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships, Sado posted personal bests of 3:55 (mile), 7:56 (3k) and 13:31 (5k) on the indoor oval. Thankfully, that momentum and fitness translated to his primary event, the steeplechase, as he ran a new PR of 8:30 on Friday.
Seeing Sado be the aggressor in this race was an encouraging sign. That showed me that he's not only fit enough to take that approach, but that he's comfortable running fast and putting himself in a position to win. That last part didn't happen, but he did run a new PR at the most important time of the year.
Among all of the non-NCAA title contenders, Sado is becoming one of the names who I feel most comfortable about becoming an All-American.
Let's chat about NC State's Brett Gardner, the veteran who made a big move in the last 200-ish meters of this race. Admittedly, that move wasn't really going to put Mountain in any danger, but he did put a lot of pressure on Sado.
In the end, Gardner settled for bronze, although the word "settling" comes with the implication that this wasn't among his best-ever performances. However, I would argue that Gardner had the single-best race of his career on Friday evening.
In his last two steeplechase races (the other being at the Penn Relays), Gardner has proven to be a legitimate factor at the end of races. He looks so much more calm and controlled in crowded packs and he just ran a new steeple PR of 8:31.
Across the board, it's hard to dislike Gardner. He simply appears to be far more sure of himself. He's another guy who I may end up choosing to be an All-American.
We then come to CJ Singleton, the Notre Dame sophomore who grabbed 4th place in this steeplechase battle and recorded a strong time of 8:35.
The Fighting Irish underclassman has been awesome this year. He turned into a reliable scorer on the grass, showed promise on the indoor oval and has evolved into a national-caliber name in the steeplechase. In fact, his most recent 8:35 effort isn't even a PR! Singleton actually ran 8:33 in this event at the Bryan Clay Invite earlier this spring.
Now, for as much as I like CJ Singleton, I'll admit, I thought he made a subtle, but crucial, tactical error in this race.
Taking over with 600 meters to go was all the indication that Nathan Mountain needed to prepare his final move and take over when everyone else in that pack was flipping on another (and likely their final) gear. In retrospect, it may have made more sense to wait for someone else to make that kind of move when they were that late into the race.
...and yes, I understand that what I am saying is far easier to type out than actually do.
Regardless, Singleton looks like the future face of Notre Dame's distance program. He has been so strong and has now proven on multiple occasions that he can consistently produce national-caliber results.
Also, shoutout to Duke's Michael Keehan for taking 5th place. His effort completed my prediction for this race that Mountain, Sado, Gardner, Singleton and Keehan would be the top-five finishers. The only catch is that I predicted a mostly different order.
Notre Dame's Sophie Novak Runs 9:48 to Win ACC Steeplechase Title
I'm not someone who pats myself on the back too often (ok, maybe that's a lie), but I thought I mostly nailed the women's steeplechase predictions at the ACC Championships.
Perfect? No.
But good enough to lightly brag about? Yeah, I think so.
Anyways, Notre Dame's Sophie Novak continues to do this thing where she puts together a really great performance and remains super underrated. The South Bend veteran has been awesome this year. Between the winter and spring months, Novak has produced personal bests of 4:14 (1500), 4:38 (mile), 9:02 (3k) and, as of Friday night, 9:48 (steeple).
However, what I loved the most about Novak's performance wasn't necessarily her time, but rather, how she executed. It became apparent early-on that her race plan was very complex.
The plan?
Go to the front and run really fast.
Like I said, very complex.
As soon as the gun went off, Novak went straight to the front and dared anyone to go with her. Georgia Tech's Helena Lindsey stuck with her ACC counterpart for a while, but Novak eventually shook off the Yellow Jacket talent and simply ran away with the title.
Like I mentioned with Yasin Sado on the men's side, I may not see Novak as a national title contender this year, but the arguments against her being an All-American favorite are rapidly beginning to dwindle.
Also, where on Earth did Syracuse senior Madison Neuner come from? The Orange veteran was not at all someone who was on my radar, but she led the chase pack and was rewarded for her measured approach with a silver medal and a 9:56 PR.
Neuner's prior steeple PR was 10:07 from the Virginia Challenge and before that, it was 10:09 from the Raleigh Relays. Now, she has her third-straight PR in the event this spring and, more importantly, she has a nationally competitive mark that could position her to be an NCAA Championship qualifier.
Few women, from a time perspective, have the same kind of momentum and hot streak that Neuner is very clearly on right now.
Georgia Tech's Helena Lindsey snagged 3rd place with a 10:01 personal best. And although she faded from Sophie Novak, I did like that Lindsey was the only one to run with the same ambition that Novak did. And while she may not have stuck to her, Lindsey did record a new personal best and a bronze medal at a major conference meet.
BYU's James Corrigan Holds Off Oklahoma State's Victor Shitsama to Win BIG 12 Steeplechase Title
In what may have been the most entertaining race of Friday night, the men's BIG 12 steeplechase produced some fireworks among a few All-American hopefuls.
This race started as a three-man pack which was led by Iowa State's Gable Sieperda. Behind him, Oklahoma State's Victor Shitsama sat on his shoulder while BYU's James Corrigan stayed in contact with the group. That pack largely stayed the same until Shitsama made a move around a fading Sieperda and attempted to pull away with 500 meters to go.
However, Corrigan refused to let his Cowboy counterpart get too far out of reach. And after the final water jump, the BYU runner shockingly found space on the inside rail which he took full advantage of. Corrigan would kick home to victory in an outstanding time of 8:29-mid while Shitsama took home a narrow runner-up finish in 8:29-high.
Iowa State's Gable Sieperda earned bronze with an 8:33 mark.
I will admit that James Corrigan hasn't always been given the respect that he deserves from The Stride Report. He ended his 2023 fall campaign as an All-American, but we struggled to find a spot for him in our end-of-season top-50 individual cross country rankings after seeing his less-than-inspiring season that he had leading up to the meet.
Corrigan would later run 13:30 for 5000 meters on the indoor oval, but his performance was largely not discussed despite winning the Husky Classic in the process. And even through this outdoor track season, the BYU talent was only lightly discussed despite posting an excellent 8:34 mark over the barriers and water pits.
But Friday night felt like a statement race for Corrigan. It was a performance that allowed him to beat an aggressive front-runner with an 8:26 PR (Gable Sieperda) as well as a steeplechase All-American with the best raw fitness in the field (Victor Shitsama).
So far this spring, Corrigan has gone from 8:50 to 8:46 to 8:34 to 8:29 in the steeplechase. That is incredible progression and further proof that Coach Ed Eyestone is still one of the best developers of collegiate steeplechasers in the nation. And when I think about the subtle intangibles that truly separate good runners from great runners, Corrigan showcased a lot of those aspects on Friday night.
As for Victor Shitsama, I actually liked how he ran this race...for about 2850 meters. The Cowboy veteran sat on the shoulder of Sieperda and aimed to make his big move from roughly 400 meters, choosing a more strength-based kick rather than a final straightaway surge (a decision which I loved).
However, failing to protect the inside rail on the final water jump (which, in fairness, is more challenging than it seems in a late-race scenario) is what allowed Corrigan to maintain momentum and kick past Shitsama.
Even so, I thought there was still a lot of good that we saw in Shitsama. He looks to be as fit as he ever has been and seemingly had an understanding of how to attack certain fields and races.
We then come to Gable Sieperda, the Iowa State runner who has developed a knack for pushing the pace once the gun goes off. We saw him do that at the Bryan Clay Invite and we saw him do it at the BIG 12 Championships. And in both of those efforts, he dropped back, fell out of contention and settled for marks of 8:34 and 8:33, respectively.
But make no mistake, the Cyclone veteran has proven to be just as talented and fit as Corrigan and Shitsama this season. Sieperda did, after all, post a monster steeplechase PR of 8:26 at the Virginia Challenge.
This steeplechaser from Ames, Iowa is talented enough to be an All-American. However, properly channeling and translating that fitness to a championship race is going to ultimately determine whether or not he finishes among the top-eight at the NCAA Championships.
Penn State Duo of Florence Caron & Sophia Toti Go 1-2 in Women's 10k at BIG 10 Championships
On Friday night, the Penn State women went to work at the BIG 10 Championships.
The duo of Florence Caron (who was contesting her first-ever 10k race) and Sophia Toti led a group of four other women under 34 minutes over 10,000 meters. The former earned a very strong time of 33:04 while the latter, who had already run under 33:00 this spring, ran 33:20.
There isn't much that we need to discuss with this race, although Caron was way better in her 10k debut than I thought she would be. Plus, women like Alexa Westley (3rd) and Kaitlyn Hines (5th) had the best races of their seasons. Oh, and Samantha Saez? Well, the Michigan veteran continues to find great success at the BIG 10 Championships.
Let's briefly step back and look at how good the Penn State women have been this year.
Florence Caron has run times of 4:33 (mile), 4:13 (1500), 15:32 (5k) and now 33:04 (10k). Sophia Toti, meanwhile, has produced times of 15:44 (5k) and 32:57 (10k). Kileigh Kane has improved her range while maintaining her mile talent with marks of 4:13 (1500), 4:32 (mile) and 15:58 (5k).
And of course, who could forget about Hayley Kitching, a woman who has been a national-caliber stud over 800 meters this year? She holds a blistering time of 2:01 (800) as well as a 4:14 (1500) mark.
Major kudos to whoever directly works with the women's distance runners at Penn State. Whether that's Coach John Gondak, Ryan Foster or Kara Foster, I'm not quite sure, but they've done a heckuva job.
Alabama's Doris Lemngole Runs 9:28 to Win SEC Steeplechase Title, Elise Thorner Runs 9:43
This performance was undeniably strong enough to deserve it's own headline rather than be relegated to our "Quick Hits" section. Even so, I'm not sure there is a whole lot to discuss.
Alabama's Doris Lemngole already showed us at the Wake Forest Invite earlier this spring that she's an elite steeplechaser, posting a time of 9:22 and comfortably defeating Olivia Markezich. Seeing her run 9:28 and take down Florida's Elise Thorner by 15 seconds to win the SEC title, while impressive, doesn't tell us anything that we didn't already know about her.
And when it comes to Elise Thorner, it's a similar story. The Lobo-turned-Gator runner already proved that she could be a major threat in the steeplechase this year after she posted a 9:28 PR at the Bryan Clay Invitational. But despite that impressiveness of that mark, Lemngole is simply on another level right now.
Also, really solid runner by Arkansas' Laura Taborda who ran 9:52.99 in the steeplechase to secure bronze. That's not a new PR for the Razorback veteran, but she's certainly approaching her 9:50 personal best at just the right time. And when you pair that momentum with her experience, this is someone who could end up making it to the steeplechase finals on the national stage in June.
Quick Hits
Yasmin Austridge (Colorado State) took home steeplechase gold at the Mountain West Championships in 9:58. That's a promising result for the graduate transfer from Lamar. Austridge had been struggling to return to her 2023 form this spring, but Friday suggested that she is nearing that point.
What a huge win by Marco Langon! The Villanova talent out-kicked Butler's Jesse Hamlin at the BIG East Championships to secure gold in a time of 13:45. Langon should be very proud of himself. Hamlin is not an easy guy to beat given how dynamic his resume is. That win should give the Wildcat redshirt freshman some great momentum heading into the regional and national meets.
Really solid win for Wyoming's Ryker Holtzen. The Cowboy runner posted a strong time of 8:43 to secure steeplechase gold at the Mountain West Championships. And when you see that four other men went sub-8:50, Holtzen's victory looks that much more impressive.
This race won't get much attention, but the Montana State duo of Rob McManus and Levi Taylor went 1-2 in the men's steeplechase at the BIG Sky Championships. With times of 8:50 and 8:51, these two men will receive hefty altitude conversions, although nothing past what they've already run this season. Also, valiant efforts from the Weber State men who took spots 3-4-5 in this same race.
HUGE win for Northern Arizona's Cael Grotenhuis. The Lumberjack veteran outran two very talented Montana State runners in Matthew Richtman and Ben Perrin on Friday night to win the BIG Sky 10k title. With a mark of 29:38, expect Grotenhuis to earn a big-time altitude conversion.
