First Thoughts (Part One): Jenkins is Legit, the Providence Women Strike Again, Whitmarsh Unleashes 1:44 (800) PR, Hartman's Statement Win & Huge 5k Times From Elmore & Appleton

Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Mar 30, 2024
12 min read

The last few days of competition at both the Stanford Invite and the Raleigh Relays have left us with A LOT to talk about. And due to the overwhelming nature of these results, we'll be splitting our "First Thoughts" article for this weekend into separate pieces.

If you haven't already, be sure to go check out all of our awesome video interviews from the Raleigh Relays (and be sure to subscribe as well)! We have even more coming later today/tomorrow!

Alright, with that, let's begin...

Washington's Redshirt Rookie Evan Jenkins Throws Down Huge 28:04 (10k) Mark for Statement Win at Stanford Invite

Throughout his short time in the NCAA, redshirt freshman Evan Jenkins has made noticeable improvements and has even risen to a nationally competitive level as recently as this past winter. His marks from the 2024 indoor track season, 3:59 (mile) and 7:46 (3k), were far better than what we expected to see from him in just his second year with the Huskies.

And yet, even with a resume that clearly held tons of value (which signaled a tremendously bright future), expecting Jenkins to win the men's 10k at the Stanford Invite seemed like a major stretch. In fact, expecting him to run 28:04 also seemed like a stretch.

But on Friday night, Jenkins easily silenced those doubts...on his birthday, too.

While the long distance stars from Arkansas and New Mexico (not including Habtom Samuel) battled with Ky Robinson, Victor Kiprop and a few others at the front of this field, it was Evan Jenkins and Gonzaga's Wil Smith who were basically non-factors for (roughly) the first 20 minutes of this race.

That, of course, wasn't an issue as both men calmly chipped away at the runners in front of them and quietly moved up the field. And with only a couple of laps to go, few men looked better than Jenkins, Smith and Loic Scomparin, a Colorado Mines runner who was racing unattached.

In the end, Jenkins would narrowly hold off Smith in the final 100 meters, giving him a statement victory in his first official collegiate outdoor track season with a jaw-dropping time of 28:04.

Jenkins' performance on Friday is extremely important for a program like Washington. Not just because of what he can provide in terms of scoring this spring, but more specifically because of what he can provide on the grass and in future seasons.

If you had told me that, before he stepped foot on campus, that Evan Jenkins would run 28:04 for 10,000 meters in college, I would have said, "Ok, probably as a junior or a senior, right?" That's why posting a time as fast as he did with such little experience and while being so young is so wildly impressive, even in an era where everyone is running ultra fast times.

Given that the Huskies will be without Luke Houser after this year, the emergence of Jenkins as a true long distance ace is crucial. The Washington men struggled a good bit in the fall last year and based on expected departures, their 2024 cross country campaign isn't going to get any easier.

Luckily, Jenkins' emergence as a true aerobic-centric star, who could evolve into an even better runner by November, should mitigate a handful of upcoming scoring losses.

As for Wil Smith, this is an awesome time. He's someone who has been competitive for a while now, although it's clear that his fitness reached a new tier this year. Running 28:04 (10k) to nearly secure the overall win against dominant stamina-based stars should not be overlooked.

Admittedly, we still need to see Smith consistently put together performances of this caliber throughout an entire season. Or at the very least, we need him to replicate results like this on championship stages. Even so, you could argue that this effort was just as good -- and maybe even better -- than his 9th place effort from the Nuttycombe Invite last fall.

Colorado Mines star Loic Scomparin ran 28:05 for 3rd place, but he was competing unattached. That's a bit of a bummer given that he would have recorded the NCAA D2 #5 mark all-time for the 10,000-meter distance.

The good news is that Scomparin seemingly still has eligibility remaining, at least for outdoor track, meaning that he's likely preserving his eligibility for 2025.

As for everyone else, it's hard to be too surprised about their results even if they still ran well. Men like Victor Kiprop (28:07), Evans Kiplagat (28:08) and Ben Perrin (28:09) were all excellent, but based on prior performances, that was what we expected from them (and maybe even a little bit more).

Yes, freshman Adisu Guadia of Oklahoma State ran incredibly well with a 28:10 mark, but he had proven prior to Stillwater that he was a true 10k guy. And frankly, it's pretty the same story for guys directly behind him like, Chandler Gibbens, Denis, Kipngetich, Patrick Kiprop, Valentin Soca and a doubling Ky Robinson.

However, there was one name in particular who caught my attention. More specifically, it was a New Mexico runner. No, it was Habtom Samuel, Evans Kiplagat or Lukas Kiprop. Instead, it was Vincent Chirchir, yet another African distance standout who ran 28:19 for 10,000 meters on Friday night at Stanford.

That is a HUGE development for a team that was already leaning heavily on their aforementioned "Big Three" this past fall. By adding what is likely another true low-stick to their roster, the Lobo men are looking like they are just one runner away from having five legitimate All-American contenders on the grass later this year.

And when it comes to this spring, Chirchir gives the Lobos yet another competitive name who could contribute to team tactics at the West Regional Championships. Sure, the newest New Mexico runner isn't by any means a lock to make it to the national meet come June, but he does change the dynamic of this program in a fairly significant way.

Oregon's Maddy Elmore (15:15) & Virginia's Margot Appleton (15:18) Secure Massive 5k Wins at Stanford Invite & Raleigh Relays, Respectively

When you hear/see the names Maddy Elmore and Margot Appleton, you likely think of women who are predominately milers, but also boast great range. But after Friday night, we can't help but wonder if these two distance stars are actually better 5k talents than they are 1500-meter runners and milers?

That's because Maddy Elmore looked incredibly sharp at the Stanford Invite, showcasing an incredible amount of poise and strength en route to a fantastic 15:15 (5k) PR. That time now sits at NCAA #9 all-time for the women's outdoor 5000 meters, a fact that leaves us wondering if she will double on the national stage.

As far as tactics and championship experience are concerned, Elmore is still a better miler than she is a 5k runner. But as far as raw times are concerned, her fitness has seemingly been favoring the longer distances this year (see her cross country season and 8:50 (3k) PR).

It's a similar story for Margot Appleton who simply destroyed her competition at the Raleigh Relays. The multi-time mile/1500-meter All-American is one of the most complete distance runners in the NCAA right now. Between her range, upper-tier times, experience, tactics and more, Appleton's resume exudes value.

And now, with a 15:18 (5k) PR following an All-American finish in the mile at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, Appleton is on a clear hot streak. She is one of the last people who I would want to race against right now.

Of course, the path to NCAA gold over 5000 meters is going to be no less challenging than the path to NCAA gold over 1500 meters will be (pick your poison, Valby or Ramsden). Still, having this kind of aerobic strength does lead us to believe that both of these women can run something absurdly fast for the metric mile distance in a time-trial setting later this year.

Admittedly, the rest of the collegiate 5k results at the Stanford Invite left us shrugging our shoulders. BYU's Lexy Halladay-Lowry ran a great 5k time of 15:26, but she was also running unattached. The same could be said for Oregon State's Grace Fetherstonhaugh, although she may simply have no eligibility remaining at all.

UC-Davis' Brianna Weidler (15:38) and BYU's Jenna Hutchins (15:39) had respectable performances, but the former is debatably better in the 10k and the latter is capable of running much faster.

In Raleigh, the results were somewhat similar. Duke's Amina Maatoug ran well to place 3rd overall in 15:37 (5k), but given that she's run 4:29 (mile) and 8:46 (3k), there's clear potential for her to be even faster. Of course, it should be noted that Maatoug observes Ramadan, a religious holiday that typically requires fasting.

Regardless, there may be a good chance that she tries the 1500/5k double at this year's outdoor national meet once again.

Notre Dame's Siona Chisholm hasn't had the year that we thought she was going to, but running 15:37 for 5000 meters in her season debut is a very big step forward in the right direction. This should give her some momentum as she eventually moves up to the 10k distance which, in theory, may better suit her skillset.

However, the one name who we need to highlight is UConn's Chloe Thomas, a distance talent who just had a huge breakout race, running 15:35 for 5000 meters to finish 2nd overall at the Raleigh Relays.

For those who follow the sport intensely, you may have seen Thomas' name pop up before. She has, after all, run times of 4:17 for 1500 meters and 4:40 in the mile. In fact, the Husky standout even finished in 99th place at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall.

And yet, despite those encouraging results, none of those performances could have suggested that Thomas would run 15:35 for 5000 meters. But now that she has, Thomas is someone who could be a really difficult athlete to race against in the future. Her reputation has been developed in the more speed-based 1500-meter distance, meaning that her turnover could (theoretically) allow her to be competitive races that are a bit more tactical.

I'm not necessarily saying that Thomas is a national qualifying favorite all of the sudden or that she's going to be upsetting women ranked in our top-25. Even so, this breakout race felt more impactful and important than other breakout races would feel for other athletes.

Texas A&M's Sam Whitmarsh Unleashes Monster 1:44 (800) Effort As Mississippi State's Tyrese Reid Runs 1:45

If you're a listener of the Blue Oval Podcast (go follow/subscribe via this link), then you know that both Ben Weisel, my co-host, and myself like Texas A&M's Sam Whitmarsh quite a bit. Although, if we're being honest, I think Ben was/has been higher on Whitmarsh than I've been.

We knew that this Texas A&M was supremely talented when he almost upset Navasky Anderson for the 2022 SEC outdoor title over 800 meters, running 1:46.09 in the process. However, a variety of health challenges (some of which he discussed in this post) and injuries has kept this highly talented Aggie on the sidelines for quite some time now.

Whitmarsh didn't race after that 2022 conference meet due to his previously mentioned condition and he didn't race during the winter of 2023. Luckily, Whitmarsh has been able to establish some encouraging consistency, running 1:46 (800) multiple times last spring and running a string of 1:47 marks this past winter.

However, none of what I just mentioned could have possibly prepared us (or the nation) for the unreal performance that Whitmarsh just threw down at LSU. I am, of course, talking about his unbelievable 800-meter time of 1:44.46! That time gave him a win by over a second against Mississippi State's Tyrese Reid (who also had the race of his life) who still ran 1:45!

That's incredible! With that performance, Whitmarsh now sits at NCAA #7 all-time for the outdoor men's 800 meters. And suddenly, our perception of the men's national 800-meter picture has changed dramatically.

Whitmarsh proved as a rookie that he was, a) unafraid to attack and race with the NCAA's top men and, b) that he knows how to execute tactics fairly effectively. And if you don't believe me, then I'd suggest that you recall his prior 800-meter race at the 2022 SEC Outdoor Championships or remember that Whitmarsh was the SEC champion over 800 meters this past indoor track season.

With a 1:44 PR, Whitmarsh has proven that he at least has enough talent and fitness to compete for NCAA gold. Whether or not he can properly replicate that performance on the national stage is still something that we have to remain cautious about. Even so, there aren't many men who can have such a breakout performance like he does while also boasting prior experience where he has proven himself considerably.

We then come to Tyrese Reid, someone who looks like he'll be trying to fill the shoes of former Mississippi State star, Navasky Anderson.

Reid, who was once a JUCO talent, came over to Mississippi State in the winter of 2022. Since then, he's been a decent half-miler, producing a slew of 1:48 and 1:49 marks for 800 meters. However, it was until this past winter that Reid began to catch fire, running 1:47 for the half-mile distance multiple times.

And yet, just like Whitmarsh, that recent momentum and success couldn't have possibly led to us believing that Reid would run 1:45 for 800 meters!

Now, admittedly, that performance came a little bit out of nowhere. A two-second jump to land in the 1:45 range for 800 meters does make us wonder how easily he can replicate a performance like that (whether it be time or placement) in the future. Even so, Mississippi State is a program known for developing star-caliber half-milers and their history of success in that event goes well beyond Reid and Navasky Anderson.

If any singular program in the country will be able to properly develop and nurture the clear raw talent within Reid, it's going to be Mississippi State.

Also, nice 1:47 (800) effort for Ole Miss' Marcus Dropik. He's been a fairly consistent middle distance runner over the years and can sometimes be overlooked. I'm glad that his name will be near the top of the results when people take a look.

Providence Duo of Shannon Flockhart & Kimberley May Go 1-2 Over 1500 Meters at Raleigh Relays in 4:08 & 4:09

When looking back at my predictions for this weekend, I realized something interesting: My predictions were either REALLY good for certain races or flat-out awful for others. For the most part, there was no in between.

And when it came to the women's 1500 meters at the Raleigh Relays, while I certainly wasn't perfect, I did seem to have a pretty strong understanding of this field (just don't look at my Stanford Invite picks). That's because I had the Providence duo of Kimberley May and Shannon Flockhart finishing 1st and 2nd place on Friday.

Ultimately, those women did go 1-2, although it was Flockhart running 4:08 for the win (I had her running 4:09) while May was close behind in 4:09 (I had her running 4:07). But frankly, I don't think we should be surprised by these results.

May was beyond fantastic this past winter, running 4:27 in the mile twice while adding a bronze medal to her resume. Flockhart, meanwhile, ran 4:08 for 1500 meters last summer, ran 4:31 in the mile this past winter and is historically better on the outdoor oval compared to the indoor track.

So, despite accomplished talents like Teagan Schein-Becker, Sam Bush, Amaris Tyynismaa, Esther Seeland and Anna Workman being scattered throughout this 1500-meter field, I didn't see how the Providence duo was going to be upended.

As for Seeland and Workman, two Virginia veterans who have been great over the last year, they each produced 4:12 marks in this same 1500-meter race. That's a nice early-season time for both of these women, especially Seeland who more closely favors the 800 meters rather than the metric mile.

Grace Hartman Earns Breakout-Defining 10k Victory at Raleigh Relays in 32:28

There is no debate that NC State's Grace Hartman is having a breakout year as far as her performances go. Sure, she was still excellent as a rookie and was destined to improve, but her leap in 2024 has been far beyond what we expected to see from her.

After running times of 2:47 (1k), 4:36 (mile) and 15:28 (5k) this past winter, the latter of which gave her 8th place All-American honors, we had a hunch that this second-year Wolfpack star was in store for a major 10k performance. And sure enough, that's what we got on Friday night as Grace Hartman powered away on her home track to a fantastic time of 32:28 and a statement 10k victory.

With that time and win, Hartman has definitively stamped her mark on the NCAA as someone who is going to be a true national-caliber star for quite a long time. It's one thing to run as fast as she has, but to contest these longer distances and do so with such command and poise for a sophomore is arguably the most impressive part.

We also shouldn't overlook the fact that Hartman's range is sneaky-good as well, running competitive times as far down to the 1000 meters. Frankly, I'm surprised that she never contested the 3k more seriously this past winter. In theory, her skillset says that she would been incredible in that race.

As for the rest of the field, Notre Dame's Andrea Markezich deserves some recognition and kudos. The Husky-turned-Fighting Irish graduate student has had numerous moments of excellence throughout her career, mainly in the longer distances. However, being able to consistently replicate those exciting flashes of excellence has sometimes been a challenge for Markezich (who is not to be confused with her sister, Olivia).

Thankfully, Andrea Markezich has found a little more stability since coming to South Bend, Indiana. She was a cross country All-American back in November, ran two PRs during the winter and just kicked off her outdoor track season with a 32:36 (10k) personal best.

We may not always know what we're going to get from Markezich, but at the very least, it seems like her ceiling for success as taken a noticeable leap upwards since venturing away from Seattle.

Penn's Lily Murphy ran 32:40 to secure a strong 3rd place finish while Virginia's Jenny Schilling, Notre Dame's Erin Strzelecki and Villanova's Sadie Sigfstead each ran 32:44, 32:44 and 32:45, respectively, in the same 10k race.

Admittedly, there's not a whole lot to talk about amongst this group. Between recent successes, past successes, proven skillsets and momentum, each of these women were more than capable of of running as well as they did on Friday night. However, Murphy may be the one outlier given how substantial of an improvement her 32:40 (10k) mark was in comparison to the rest of her resume.