First Thoughts: Parker Wolfe's Historic 3k, Olivia Markezich Runs 4:27 Mile & Maia Ramsden Returns to Action

With the USA Marathon Olympic Trials taking place in Orlando yesterday, it was only natural that we had a "down" weekend for NCAA distance running. And yet, despite the comparatively limited depth of outstanding performances, college fans were still treated to some phenomenal all-time marks.

That, of course, seems to be the standard nowadays, huh?

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NOTE: This article was posted as the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix was taking place. We will come back to update this article (if necessary) at the conclusion of the meet.

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UNC's Parker Wolfe Drops Incredible 7:37 (3k) Mark to Earn NCAA #3 All-Time Spot

Make no mistake, North Carolina's Parker Wolfe wasn't just a good runner coming into this weekend, he was great. And frankly, "great" might even be too soft. A word like "exceptional" is likely a more accurate description.

However, over the last year or two, Wolfe has largely been stuck in that tier of men who are All-American locks, but rarely in the national title conversation.

That, ladies and gentlemen, may have changed on Saturday night.

In a 3000-meter field that was supposed to feature Graham Blanks (he scratched), it was Parker Wolfe who completely stole the show. The Tar Heel star soloed this race a little past halfway after On pro, George Mills, wrapped up his pacing duties. From there, the UNC standout simply powered his way around the track to an NCAA #3 all-time mark of 7:37.41.

And with a time like that, we are now forced to at least consider Wolfe as a national title contender. Maybe not a favorite, but at least a contender.

This North Carolina ace has been incredibly consistent throughout his career and has almost always shown up on the national stage. Not only that, but the Tar Heel runner has already posted 13:13 (5k) and 3:55 (mile) personal bests this season, further showcasing his still-rising fitness.

But seeing Wolfe thrive in all-out time trial affairs isn't totally shocking. The more aggressive the pace and the higher caliber the competition, the better Wolfe (usually) is. Although, funny enough, despite Saturday effectively be a time trial-type environment, the competition didn't truly match up to Wolfe and the "aggressive" pace was largely set by the rabbit and him.

The question now, however, is how will this UNC junior perform in a race that's a bit more tactical and places an emphasis on positioning, surging and kicking? That isn't to say that he hasn't had those kinds of races before, but when it comes to contending for a national title in the latter portions of a national title race, that would be a first for Wolfe.

It also doesn't help that four others have also run under 7:40 (3k) this season.

If this analysis feels like it's taking away from how well Wolfe just ran on Saturday, then I would encourage you to review what we're actually talking about: Parker Wolfe potentially contending for NCAA gold.

That's something that we, The Stride Report, haven't brought up before.

We'll need to see Wolfe refine his finishing speed and kick, as well as his ability to stay with the leaders going into those final couple of laps. Even so, this is the first time that I have looked at Wolfe and thought, "That wasn't just an excellent performance -- that was a truly elite performance."

Notre Dame's Olivia Markezich Solos 4:27 Mile PR

On Saturday, at Notre Dame's Meyo Invitational, distance ace Olivia Markezich soloed a phenomenal mile time of 4:27. While that mark won't count towards the official NCAA all-time list (she ran on a 300-meter track), Markezich is still the seventh-fastest collegiate women's indoor miler of all-time when factoring in all track sizes.

Half of me feels largely unsurprised about this result. Markezich did, after all, run a jaw-dropping 3k PR of 8:40 back in December. Her fitness is arguably just as good as anyone else (depending on what you think about Parker Valby). But the other half of me is stunned to see someone who previously had a 4:34 mile PR make a seven-second improvement in one race! That's A LOT of time for a distance as short as the mile.

At the end of the day, this performance doesn't necessarily have a major impact on the mile national title race. Markezich has mentioned before that she'd like to focus on the DMR/3k double come the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Of course, what that performance does tell us is that -- assuming they qualify for the indoor national meet -- the Notre Dame women could have a realistic shot at NCAA gold in the DMR if Markezich gets the baton close enough to the leaders. That's admittedly a big "if" to consider, but it's not an unrealistic scenario, either.

But allow me to close with an entirely new topic: Who should currently be ranked at TSR #1?

Would you choose Parker Valby who has raced only once, but ran 14:56 for 5000 meters? Or would you choose Olivia Markezich, someone who has run 4:27 (mile) and 8:40 (3k) so far this season? Our D1 women's writing crew hasn't decided yet (well, one of them has), but let's see what some of you think first...

Which Woman Should Currently Be Ranked at TSR #1 for the Indoor Season?

• Parker Valby (Florida)
• Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame)
• Other

Maia Ramsden Competes in First Race Since Early December, Runs 4:30 in Mile

In her first race back since the Boston U. Season Opener from December 2nd, Harvard standout Maia Ramsden toed the line for the mile on Saturday afternoon in her return to action. In doing so, she put together a strong mile effort of 4:30.01 in a field that was littered with pro athletes.

And...that's pretty much it. I don't know if there is a whole lot more to say.

Yes, I expected Ramsden to go a bit faster -- I had her running 4:28 -- but a 4:30 mile mark is hardly a bad result. So did we learn anything new about Ramsden? Nope, I can't say that we did, but given how accomplished she already is, that's by no means a bad thing.

Georgetown Puts Three Men Under 4:00 in Mile

Going into the Boston U. Scarlet & White Invite, I noted how I expected the Georgetown men to essentially dominate this mile field. In fact, I had four of their men running 3:57 or faster with Matthew Payamps posting a time of 3:54.

Unfortunately, Payamps faltered a bit, fading to a 4:02 mark that isn't indicative of his true fitness. But for someone who has also had a few inconsistencies over the last year, it's hard to get a strong grasp of what he'll do over the next few weeks.

To be clear, this Georgetown veteran is more than capable of being a national qualifier, and maybe even a fringe All-American, but we don't always know what we'll get from him.

Instead, the leading Hoya on Saturday was Abel Teffra, someone who is having a true breakout season after running 2:19 (1k) and, most recently, 3:56 (mile). That latter mark won't be enough to put him on the national stage as an individual, but there is at least a clear path for him to do so. Teffra has tons of momentum right now and should be a major player against the Villanova men at the BIG East Indoor Championships.

The other Georgetown men, Camden Gilmore and Parker Stokes, both ran 3:57 in the mile. Those are solid marks for each of those Hoyas, although I don't think that we learned anything new about either of those two.

Boston U.'s Foster Malleck (3:57), Northeastern's Benjamin Godish (3:58) and Harvard's Ferenc Kovacs (3:58) all had solid outings as well. Of course, just like their Georgetown counterparts, these results were all on par with what we thought that they were capable of.

Darius Kipyego Improves 800-Meter PR to 1:46.71, Multiple Men Produce Breakout 1:47 Performances

Watch out! Darius Kipyego is getting on a hot streak.

The Iowa State junior has been fantastic this season. After failing to run under 1:47 (800) for the last two years and being unable to qualify for the national meet, all of that may be changing in the winter of 2024.

After running 2:18 (1k) on a 300-meter track and going sub-1:47 for 800 meters last weekend, this Cyclone star further improved his half-mile PR to 1:46.71. And unless the men's 800-meter field takes a dramatic leap in talent over the next three weeks, then Kipyego will almost definitely be heading to the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Are there still questions about how he'll handle the national stage? Yes, there definitely are, but those are questions that we'll address at a later time.

I was admittedly critical of Kipyego last year, continuously pushing for him to take that next step in his growth and fitness. As a sophomore, he had seemingly stalled. But the Iowa State star has finally broken through. And given his pedigree, this may not even be the best version of Kipyego that we see this season...

Outside of Kipyego, there were numerous men who ran 1:47 for 800 meters. And when you look at who those men are, you could argue that many of them just had breakout races.

I may have specifically said that Georgetown's Tim McInerney was due to go under 1:48 (800) this weekend, but to see him actually do it -- and get the overall win -- was encouraging.

Also...who is Leo Davis?

The true freshman from Hampton came into the NCAA with a 1:51 (800) PR, so there was denying that he was talented. But to run 1:47.05 for 800 meters, pretty much out of nowhere, is incredibly impressive. Yes, he had run 1:49 for 800 meters last weekend, but to then make another leap one week later is very rare.

That mark puts Davis at NCAA #7 right now and it might be enough to get him into the national meet given the somewhat limited top-heaviness of the half-mile distance right now, nationally.

Finley McLear is back! The Iowa State runner, who was once one of the top middle distance runners in the entire NCAA back in the winter of 2021 (when he was with Miami (OH)), just ran 1:47-low for 800 meters on his home track.

It's hard to know what to expect from McLear, a true veteran who has not competed since the spring of 2022. We know that, at his best, he could theoretically battle for a national title. He did, after all, run 1:45 for 800 meters in the winter and spring of 2021. He also barely lost to Oregon's Charlie Hunter at the line of the 2021 indoor national meet.

His time away from racing (or at least, attached collegiate racing) leaves us with very little recent data. However, if his 1:47 mark is just a starting point, then I would not want to toe the line next to this guy in March -- assuming he makes it to the national meet.

And how about Virginia Tech's Christian Jackson? Where on Earth did that come from? His 1:47.51 (800) PR came on his home track this past weekend where he won with ease. And truthfully, I'm not sure how many people on that team expected him to do that.

The Doc Hale Invite isn't necessarily a loaded meet that features numerous stars. Plus, Jackson had only run 1:52 (800) before! With nothing else on his resume to suggest that he was going to reach this point, this had to be the biggest breakout race of the weekend.

In fact, with that kinda speed, this guy will almost never be late when he's got 15 minutes between classes and has to go from Litton-Reaves to McBryde (IYKYK).

Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M) and Handal Roban (Penn State) both snagged great wins over the 800-meter distance this past weekend, each running 1:47. That's nothing new for two men who have run faster than that in the past, but those are good signs as we head into the championship portion of the season.

It's a similar story for Iowa State's Jason Gomez. He didn't win, but he ran a solid 1:47 (800) mark for the second time this season and, on paper, we know that he can go faster.

Washington's Carley Thomas (2:01) & Wilma Nielsen (2:02) Battle Pros Over 800 Meters at New Balance Grand Prix

Earlier today, the New Balance Grand Prix hosted a variety of top pro athletes. In fact, as I'm typing this, the meet is still going on.

But on the women's side, the top collegiate highlights belonged to the Washing duo of Carley Thomas and Wilma Nielsen. Those two women ran 2:01.96 and 2:02.91, respectively, over 800 meters. Thomas finished 4th overall while Nielsen placed 7th.

For the most part, there isn't much to say. Thomas has already run faster than 2:01 (800) this season and Nielsen was less than a second off from matching her overall half-mile PR. In a race that seemed to be fairly tactical against pro standouts, it's hard to be too critical, especially with Thomas at least putting herself in contention to win with a lap to go.

Star Price, Brooke Jaworski Put Forth 2:03 (800) Efforts

Really great run by Virginia Tech's Star Price on her home track this past weekend. She ran 2:03 for 800 meters which is easily the fastest indoor half-mile time that she has ever run. However, the Hokie middle distance standout owns a PR of 2:02 from last spring.

With an official time of 2:03.42, Price is likely just out of reach of qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships. That time does, however, put her in position to snag a spot to Boston over the next couple of weeks, specifically at the ACC Indoor Championships. That's usually a stage that becomes very quick and historically, the Virginia Tech women have thrived at their conference meet.

And then we come to Brooke Jaworski, a current Minnesota middle distance runner who just ran a very strong time of 2:03 for 800 meters as well. If her name sounds familiar, that's because this is the same Brooke Jaworski who previously ran for Texas. During her time there, she qualified for three national meets (one via relay) and often thrived over the half-mile distance.

Jaworski has never run faster than 2:03 for the half-mile distance. Even so, after this weekend, she has now gone under the 2:04 mark three separate times. In theory, this Golden Gopher graduate student may be due for a breakthrough race where she runs 2:02. And if she does that, then she'll be someone with a lot of national meet experience who is peaking at the right time.

Quick Hits

• Drake standout Isaac Basten* made his return to competition this past weekend, throwing down a 3:56 mile mark to give himself a one-second victory over Iowa State's Said Mechaal who ran 3:57. That's a solid effort for Basten, but he almost certainly has more in him. As long as get into the national meet, he'll be a major tactical threat as always.

• Utah State's Brennan Benson just dropped a converted 3:56 mile time on his home track. Sure, this Aggie distance runner was already an accomplished name (holding personal bests of 1:48 (800) and 3:40 (1500)), but this was a clear uptick in his fitness.

• Grand Valley State's Caleb Futter ran a 3:58 mile PR to take down Notre Dame's Carter Solomon, Vincent Mauri and Ethan Coleman, all of whom ran 3:59. That's a huge performance for Futter and the kind of result that I think many of our D2 writers have been waiting to see from him for quite some time.

• Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney) ran 1:47 for 800 meters this past weekend, a largely unsurprising time for someone who ran 1:45 at altitude last spring. Even so, he has further solidified his status as the D2 half-mile national title favorite.

• Loic Scomparin (Colorado Mines) ran an altitude converted mile time of 3:57 this past weekend in Colorado. But for as strong as that mark is, his best bet at D2 gold undoubtedly lies over 3000 meters.

• Winona State's Kaylee Beyer just keeps getting better. She ran 4:43 in the mile this past weekend, a new PR. She may not have the fastest mile time in D2 this season, but she is arguably just as dangerous as anyone else.

• Iowa's Alli Bookin-Nosbisch posted a very respectable 2:04 (800) mark this past weekend. She has historically hovered around the 2:04 to 2:05 range for a while now. I imagine that she'll be looking to run something fast at the BIG 10 Championships later this month.

• Nice win by Kansas' Aaliyah Moore who ran 2:04 for 800 meters this past weekend. In her last four indoor track races over the half-mile distance, she has run 2:07, then 2:06, then 2:05 and now, 2:04. Watch out for the Jayhawk talent at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships.

• Very strong mile efforts by both Sara Tait (West Virginia) and Madison Mooney (Wisconsin). Both of those women ran 4:35 mile marks at different meets. Keep an eye on Mooney who has very quietly put her name in the BIG 10 title conversation for the mile later this season.