First Thoughts: Miller's 10:23 Steeple, Csiki-Fejer Makes Statement & Smith Defeats Mayfield Again

Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin

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Click here to read First Thoughts (Part One)

Click here to read First Thoughts (Part Two)

Click here to read Surprise Factor: Evaluating D2 Performances

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Cargile (1:48) Fends Off Booth-Genthe (1:49) & Dettman (1:50) in Epic 800 Meter Battle

We already detailed this race in an earlier "First Thoughts" article, but it bares repeating. Cargile's 1:48 effort was huge and a massive statement to the rest of the D3 world about how elite he is. His mile prowess and newfound 800 meter stardom makes him a middle distance threat that we didn't truly appreciate before.

However, Cargile's performance has already been discussed ad-nauseam. We should also discuss the performances behind him, mainly from Bennett Genthe-Booth (1:49) and Kai Dettman (1:50), who were plenty impressive in their own right.

Genthe-Boothe is on a hot streak right now. After running a 4:05 outdoor mile back in March, the Pomona-Pitzer runner has since flexed his versatility and speed by running 1:52 (800), 49.98 (400) and most recently, 1:49 (800), this spring.

If this Sagehen star can sustain his success and continue to improve at his current rate, then he'll be a massive problem for his competitors in May. Not just because of his raw talent, but because he'll be able to, theoretically, be a nationally competitive name in numerous race scenarios.

As for Dettman, his 1:50 performance was incredibly strong and it deserves a lot of respect in a race where he, unfortunately, wasn't the focal point. Still, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. He was actually just a little bit off of his 1:50.11 personal best which he ran in Boston a month and a half ago.

Dettman is clearly one of the top middle distance runners in Division Three. His recent marks suggest exactly that. However, his next step will be translating that upper-tier fitness to wins in super high-level fields that feature other elite D3 talents.

Daniel Sealand (3:49) Emerges As Top D3 Collegiate at Pomona-Pitzer Invite

It seems like every week there’s a new Pomona-Pitzer or Claremont-Mudd-Scripps runner who emerges with a very impressive mark, forcing us to reevaluate their place in the D3 hierarchy of elite talents.

This weekend, it was Daniel Sealand who stepped into that role, running a standout mark of 3:49.64 over 1500 meters, taking the NCAA #3 spot on the Division Three national leaderboard in the process.

The rising Sagehen star had an "indoor" campaign that was a little on the quieter side this past winter due to the likes of his successful teammates and Pomona-Pitzer's lack of emphasis on the indoor oval (compared to outdoor track).

However, in 2022, Sealand has thrown down marks of 1:53 in the 800 meters, 4:09 in the mile, 8:23 in the 3000 meters and 14:38 over 5000 meters. On paper, that collection of marks makes Sealand one of the most dynamic distance talents in D3.

All of those times demonstrate some really nice range, giving him the means (and the ability) to run fast and theoretically thrive in tactical settings. His recent string of performances should bode well in the near future later this outdoor season.

Matyas Csiki-Fejer Drops Huge 14:09 Mark At Duke Invitational to Headline D3 Leaderboard in 5k

Even though we haven’t seen perennial superstars like Aidan Ryan and Alex Phillip contest the 5000 meters yet this spring, having a 14:09 mark that now sits at the top of the Division Three leaderboard is very telling of how good Csiki-Fejer really is.

After an All-American performance at the cross country national meet, then completely booming onto the national scene with an 8:09 mark in the 3000 meters this past winter, the Suffolk star got his first national track meet experience in Division Three, placing 9th overall in a star-studded 3000 meter championship final.

Csiki-Fejer has proven one thing so far: He can run very, very fast. But how will that fact translate to another championship setting, specifically in a race that is tactical? Only time and experience will truly tell, but in terms of raw talent and pure endurance, this Suffolk ace has become one of the best in the nation.

Andrews Comfortably Defeats Teammate Ruggles With Steeplechase Time of 9:10

We saw SUNY Geneseo stars Nick Andrews and Ezra Ruggles emerge as two potent distance talents during the indoor season. Between their mile, 3k and DMR prowess, the Knights' 1-2 punch evolved into one of the nation's most formidable D3 distance duos.

This past weekend, that duo put together two solid openers in the steeplechase, with Andrews running 9:10 and Ruggles running 9:18. This was Andrews’ first attempt at the steeplechase, which makes this mark pretty impressive if you ask me.

While 9:18 is nothing to slouch about, this was only Ruggles’ second attempt at the steeplechase, so there’s definitely room to grow for both him, as well as Andrews, in this event.

From the looks of it, considering their talent in the flat, non-obstacle events, we could be well on our way to seeing these two men become one of the best duos in the D3 steeplechase if they intend to pursue the event at the national meet.

With the 1500 meters looking incredibly crowded, it would make sense for this duo, specifically Andrews, to transition their focus to the steeplechase this spring, mainly because their postseason opportunities seem a bit more open.

Kelley, Sall & Baran All Run 2:10 Marks For 800 Meters

These three women all running 2:10 is very impressive. This trio of times should likely secure them spots to the national meet in a little less than two months from now.

However, the significance behind each of their performances is unique to each athlete.

You cannot ask for someone more consistent (and potent) over 800 meters in Division Three than Emma Kelley right now. She’s been so reliable in the middle distances, showing off an ability to run in between 2:09 and 2:11 on a more consistent basis than most people not named Esther Seeland can.

But it's not just her consistency -- she can win, too. Kelley has run 2:10.20 and 2:10.15 over the last two meets in the 800 meters to come out victorious on both occasions. On paper, she has beautifully demonstrated consistency and reliability, all while posting very fast times, in a way that many other collegiates have not.

As for Delaney Sall, her 2:10 served as a terrific breakthrough performance...depending on how you look at it.

Coming off of her 8th place finish at the indoor national meet in the 800 meters and running 2:11 this past winter, there was no question that she was talented and a nationally competitive half-milers. In the eyes of some people, this result may have been a long time coming for Sall.

However, this jump down to the 2:10 mark is still a key indicator that Sall has continued to improve since her recent indoor track success. Her continued progression into the spring months is encouraging, especially when you consider how good she already was this past winter.

We then come to Johns Hopkins star Ella Baran. She stepped down in distance and had some promising success, showing us that she’s got some leg speed to back up her successes in the 1500 meters, 3000 meters and the 5000 meters.

While we probably won't see her contest this event again during the outdoor track season, the 800 meters is always an option that Baran could surprise us with in the postseason...if need be.

Yet, at the end of the day, this race was designed to simply work on her speed and it looks like she passed that test with flying colors.

Margaret Trautner Posts 4:33 / 2:11 Weekend Double

Trautner has started off this outdoor track season with a bang as her most recent double at the Pomona-Pitzer Invite puts her in a great spot in both the 800 meters and the 1500 meters.

She was the 7th place finisher in the mile at the indoor national meet this past winter, so it isn't too surprising to see her sitting very highly on the Division Three leaderboard in both of these events (NCAA #7 in the 800 meters + NCAA #4 in the 1500 meters).

In fact, what makes these times even more impressive is that Trautner completed them at the same meet during the same weekend, showing off her ability to effectively double and run fast times in both events.

While that my seem inconsequential in the moment, that ability to double could actually prove to be a major asset for this recent All-American who will likely need to navigate the preliminary rounds yet again in the postseason.

And after this weekend, our confidence in Trautner, who has already proven to be a reliable distance talent, has continued to rise.

Kassie Parker Cruises to 4:34 Win For 1500 Meters

As shown from her indoor track season -- running a time of 4:50 in the mile to anchoring the final leg of Loras' DMR at the indoor national meet -- long distance specialist Kassie Parker isn’t afraid to drop down in distance.

And frankly, why should she? At the end of the day, Parker is still going to be great at whatever middle or long distance event she toes the line for.

Parker won her 1500 meter race at the University of Dubuque Open by over 10 seconds this past weekend, flexing her ability to run fast in a completely solo scenario. This, however, was likely just speed work and an attempt to refine her turnover.

We’ll likely see a fast 5000 meter performance from Parker in the near future. After all, she’s already clinched the Division Three record in the 10,000 meters.

Demco Edges Fisher, 4:34 to 4:35 in 1500 Meter Battle

Watching this race up-and-close was a sight to see as these two women made this 1500 meter race a true battle. Each woman was able to gauge their talent against another nationally competitive, well-known name.

Demco and Fisher have both proven their abilities in the middle distance events before, especially when you consider Demco’s raw 400/800 speed. However, it was Fisher who was nearly reeling in Demco by the race’s end at the Ashton May Invitational.

Demco was able to squeeze out the win, as the reigning 1500 meter All-American had a strong seasonal debut in the event.

Fisher is well-known for her steeplechase abilities and tends to lean towards the longer distances. However, she showed us during the indoor season that her abilities in the mile, namely on the anchor leg of the DMR at the indoor national meet, allows her to be competitive at this distance and in this setting.

Yet, regardless of the loss, this was still an impressive performance to back up her speed. She probably dropped down closer to Demco's ideal distance than vice versa. While she didn't get the win, Fisher should find promise in this result, as should Demco.

Marks Follows Momentum of Providence Women to Earn D3 5k Lead of 16:26

Even though Ari Marks had already opened up her season at a home invitational in the 5000 meters, this was her true first effort against a quality field, placing 2nd overall behind Providence's Laura Mooney and ultimately running a time of 16:26 for 5000 meters.

When you consider that Marks has only broken 16:35 once in her career, this was a great start to her season. Admittedly, this was a result that we expected from the Wellesley ace, especially after her incredible indoor track season, but it's nice to see her translate her winter success to the outdoor oval.

Even so, one could argue that her prowess in the 10k better suits her strengths as a runner, both in terms of time and in tactical settings...well, in theory it does.

Smith & Mayfield Once Again Put Together Thrilling Head-to-Head Matchup, Smith Gets Win, 34:33 to 34:41

Is Fiona Smith vs Clara Mayfield the most exciting rivalry in Division Three right now? These two midwest stars toed the line against each other this past winter multiple times and in both instances, fans of D3 distance running were treated to a few thrilling battles.

Luckily, we got to see yet another rematch of these two superstars and once again, the results reflected a race that was equally as epic as their last few matchups.

The two distance standouts certainly put on a show over 10,000 meters this past weekend as Smith and Mayfield claimed the NCAA #2 and NCAA #3 rankings in Division Three, respectively, securing their 10k qualifying marks to the outdoor national meet.

These two women are going to be some of the best competitors over 5000 and/or 10,000 meters this outdoor season, and it’s very likely that we’ll see them battle once (or twice) (or thrice) more times in due time.

However, it's important to keep in mind that this is now Smith's third-straight win over Mayfield extending all the way back from the indoor track season. Right now, the Saint Benedicts star seems like she has reached an entirely different level and that was evidenced this past winter by her two top-five All-American honors.

Few women in D3 are more reliable than Smith is and this was also her first 10k race ever. If she was able to run this well in her event debut, imagine what she can do later in the year when she has more experience, more momentum and more confidence when racing that distance.

Miller (10:23), Hirschkind (10:50) and Stephenson (11:00) Post Top-10 Steeple Marks on D3 Leaderboard

First off, I did not expect at all expect to see Miller’s name on this section of the national leaderboard. That, of course, happened last night, with Miller running 10:23 in the steeplechase on a somewhat random Monday evening.

For someone who already has incredible range in the non-steeple events, posting an upper-echelon mark in this race adds another whole layer of absurdity to the resume of this Trine star. On paper, it feels like Miller can be a nationally competitive name in quite literally any distance event that the NCAA offers.

The only distance event that she has yet to toe the line for is the 10,000 meters.

Of course, nothing that I just said is surprising. We've known that Miller is amongst the best distance talents the Division Three realm has to offer. However, in a year where the 800, 1500, 5k and 10k are all headlined by all-time superstars, the steeplechase may be the most wide-open for NCAA gold.

Let's now shift our attention to Hirschkind who has been a solid steeplechaser in the past, having finished 12th place at last year’s outdoor national meet in the event.

Her recent 10:50 performance was a really nice seasonal debut, showing us that she can continue to drop even more time throughout the season and contend for an All-American position this year.

Meanwhile, Sara Stephenson, who was contesting her first steeplechase in a few years, put together a really solid mark of 11:00 to hop into the NCAA #6 spot on the Division Three leaderboard.

Considering she’s already run 17:01 over 5000 meters this past outdoor season, Stephenson is putting together a really solid start that should bode well for her next few months of competition.