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First Thoughts: Valby & Blanks Make 5k History, All-Time 3k Runs From Markezich & Young (Part One)
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Dec 2, 2023
- 14 min read
I'm not sure that I can remember a time when I had this much fun working on a Saturday. That's because the 2023 Boston U. Season Opener was an absolute thrill! The men's and women's 5k and 3k races all featured historically elite performances and the middle distances hardly disappointed.
Today is Part One of our Boston U. analysis. We'll be sure to come back with Part Two tomorrow to chat about a handful of the other names who we didn't highlight. And if you haven't already, be sure to give our friend Andrew LeMay a follow on Instagram. He did a phenomenal job for us this weekend!
Alright, let's get into it...
Parker Valby Makes History, Runs 14:56.11 (5k) to Set New Collegiate Record Across Both Seasons
Before the women's top section of the 5000 meters began, long-time TSR veteran, Maura Beattie, put up a poll in our TSR Slack channel: Does Parker Valby go sub-15?
And to be entirely honest with you, I was almost offended at the absurdity of the question. Sub-15? On an indoor track? No collegiate has ever run under 15 minutes on an indoor track ever! Not even Jenny Simpson who ran 15:01 on an oversized track back in 2009.
To me, the idea that this Gator phenom would crack 15:00 for 5000 meters seemed like a fairly big stretch, specifically when you put that time into historical context.
But through the first half of the women's 5k race, I narrowed my brow, tilted my head and thought, "There's no way that she's actually going to run under 15 minutes...right?" Of course, with a few laps remaining, that once-distant possibility rapidly became a reality.
Parker Valby crossed the line looking like she still had a little more in the tank. Or maybe that's just what adrenaline looks like when you produce one of the greatest performances in NCAA track and field history.
With a new collegiate record of 14:56.11 for 5000 meters to pair with two NCAA titles in the last six-ish months, Valby has begun to skyrocket up the all-time collegiate distance running ranks. But maybe more importantly, we as fans need to take a moment to stop and appreciate the era that we're in.
To have both Katelyn Tuohy and Parker Valby competing in the same era, with roughly the same collegiate timelines, is an unbelievable luxury. I sat at my desk for a solid 15 minutes trying to think of an accurate comparison in other sports, but I couldn't quite figure it out without going overboard.
But let's actually chat about the more relevant aspect of this race: What does this 5k performance mean for Parker Valby moving forward?
Well, for starters, it means that she'll almost definitely be pursuing the 5k at the indoor national meet (duh). It also suggests that, by simply running 14:56 (5k), you might have to say that Valby is also favored to win the 3k national title.
And yes, I say that fully aware of what Olivia Markezich just accomplished.
However, I also can't help but wonder how often we'll see Parker Valby race this season. I have reason to believe that she might not be needed for a DMR this winter and she is usually someone who races fairly infrequently anyways.
If she wants to get into the top section of the 3k at the SEC Indoor Championships, then she'll need a fast enough seed time. Because of that, I envision that we'll see her race one 3k before the postseason rolls around.
Yes, I suppose it's possible that she only focuses on the 5k at the national meet and only races that event at her conference meet. After all, keeping Valby healthy for the postseason hasn't necessarily been a given in prior years.
But this Florida team is often in the hunt for a national title, or at least for podium finishes. I imagine that the Gators would like Valby to be racing for a total of 20 points between the 5k and the 3k at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Alright, let's talk about the rest of this field.
I feel bad for Hilda Olemomoi, an Alabama star who just ran 15:17 (5k) and will basically get zero attention despite replicating her effort from last year. And yet, at the same time, I'm not sure that we really learned anything new about her.
We knew that she was the second-best runner in this field and that she was likely going to run under 15:20 (5k). And sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
Georgetown's Chloe Scrimgeour (15:24) and UMass Lowell's Kenzie Doyle (15:27) had fantastic days, each running on the better end of my expectations for them.
Scrimgeour continues to be fantastic over 5000 meters, especially after a breakout cross country season. I can't remember the last time that she had a truly poor race. She has found a way to be competitive in nearly every race that she has toed the line for over the last eight months.
As for Doyle, I'll admit, I was a bit surprised to see her run as well as she did, even if her seed time suggested that she was roughly this good. The River Hawk veteran has been a strong distance talent, and maybe even a bit underrated, but there wasn't a whole lot on her resume which suggested that she would run 15:27 for 5000 meters.
Of course, after that kind of performance, I'll be very interested to see what she does throughout the rest of the winter months. Her resume prior to this weekend suggested that Doyle was arguably at her best over 3000 meters. And with Boston U. less than an hour away, I have a feeling that she'll get a few chances at knocking down the 9:00 barrier this winter.
Graham Blanks Changes Gears For Huge Finish, Runs 13:03.74 (5k) For NCAA Record Across Seasons
I have a sincere question to all of our track and field history nerds out there: When was the last time that we had two NCAA Division One records at the same meet? Has that ever happened before? I certainly can't think of when or where, but that should only underscore the legendary evening that we just witnessed at Boston University.
Harvard's Graham Blanks just ran 13:03 for 5000 meters.
And in case you can't tell, that's a big deal.
Not only did the Ivy League superstar break the NCAA indoor 5k record (a mark of 13:08 previously held by Lawi Lalang), but he also broke the NCAA outdoor 5k record as well (it won't technically count for those record books, but Abdi Nur's 13:06 mark is no longer the fastest record-eligibile NCAA 5k performance of all-time).
If you had told me that Blanks was going to run 13:07 on Saturday, I would have said, "That seems to be on the generous side, but that sounds realistic." But 13:03? To beat Ky Robinson by three seconds? That's just absurd!
What I loved about this performance wasn't necessarily the time, but rather how Blanks executed his race. The Harvard ace didn't put himself near the front of the race immediately, but instead worked his way up to the lead. He then battled with Robinson and Puma pro, Sam Atkin, responding to moves when he had to. And when he broke away, he did so convincingly, with incredible gear changes.
Heck, Blanks seemingly made a SECOND gear change when we thought he had already used his last one! That's incredible!
I have always said that it's one thing to run super fast and be crazy fit. However, actually having control of your fitness and being able to make surges and moves with conviction is another tier of talent that truly separates the greats from the elites.
After such a dominant victory, one that ended with Blanks quite literally bowing to the crowd, it seems undeniable that the recent Boston U. Season Opener champion is the national title favorite in that event.
But with those aforementioned gear changes and massive leaps in fitness, I also can't help but wonder what kind of damage Blanks could do over 3000 meters. How close can he get to Drew Bosley's collegiate record of 7:36? Don't forget, Boston University is pretty much in Blanks' back yard.
And what if I told you that Blanks wasn't the only one who broke the former NCAA indoor 5k record? No, I'm not talking about Parker Valby on the women's side, I'm talking about Ky Robinson! The Stanford runner ran 13:06 to also dip under Lalang's former mark.
Robinson was a bit more aggressive with his race plan in comparison to Blanks. The Cardinal standout put himself near the front pretty early-on and stuck with the pacers (as well as Sam Atkin) for most of the race until they (the pacers) stepped off.
While his race plan wasn't quite as nuanced as Blanks' effort was, you do have to credit this Aussie star for keeping the pressure on Atkins and setting the pace up for a collegiate record. However, what was maybe more impressive was the fact that even after he was passed, Robinson still stuck around and kept things competitive.
It's highly unlikely that Robinson will see a race setting as aggressive as what we saw on Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Instead, it'll likely be far more tactical. And for that reason, I would still very much keep him in the national title conversation for the 5k.
As for everyone else, you gotta credit North Carolina's Parker Wolfe (13:13) for having a phenomenal effort. He now sits at NCAA #9 all-time for the indoor 5k, an interesting contrast to his 9th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships.
New Mexico's Habtom Samuel (13:14) didn't look super comfortable at a handful of different points during this 5k race. And yet, the Lobo rookie still walked away with a time that was just one second off of his PR. For someone whose World Athletics profile showed very few indoor track results, that's one heckuva performance for Samuel.
Oh, and by the way, Nico Young (13:22) and Drew Bosley (13:29) just put together one of the more impressive doubles that I have ever seen. Those two men also ran absurdly fast times over 3000 meters just a touch under three hours before that. Young will likely have both of his national qualifying times taken care of, but Bosley will be on the fence with that 5k mark.
Olivia Markezich Runs Jaw-Dropping Time of 8:40.42 (3k) for NCAA #2 All-Time Mark, Eight Women Go Sub-9:00
Throughout the fall months, Olivia Markezich was running well...but maybe not quite as well as we had thought she would. She was still one of the top cross country talents in the NCAA (in the top-15, at least), but our original preseason top-five ranking seemed generous.
Of course, Markezich would later go to the NCAA XC Championships and throw down a monster 3rd place finish, yet again peaking for the cross country national meet.
Despite that effort, I don't think anyone (other than maybe her and Notre Dame) could have predicted that Olivia Markezich would outrun a LOADED women's 3k field at the Boston U. Season Opener en route to an unbelievably fast time of 8:40.42. That time would give the Notre Dame veteran the win by six seconds and an NCAA #2 all-time mark.
Only Katelyn Tuohy, with a mark of 8:35.20, has run faster than Markezich over 3000 meters as far as collegiates are concerned.
Given her incredible steeplechase success from this past spring (winning the NCAA title and running 9:17 at the USA Championships), we felt confident that Markezich would thrive yet again over this distance. She did, after all, win this race last year with a time of 8:50.
But running 8:40 is just mind-boggling. If Markezich had run around 8:46, I don't think I would have been totally shocked, but being six seconds ahead of that (and the next-best finisher) was not at all on my bingo card.
With the NCAA's second-fastest 3k mark ever now in her back pocket, we do have to ask the delicate question of, "Could Olivia Markezich win the 3k national title in March?"
And when you really think about it, that seems like a fairly realistic possibility for the Notre Dame star.
Yes, asking that question comes with the caveat that Parker Valby is still in the NCAA. However, the general feeling is that Katelyn Tuohy will turn pro before then. And if that were to happen (which isn't yet final), then the door for Markezich to win gold becomes much more open.
Now, in order to be measured in our analysis, we should note that a time trial environment like the Boston U. Season Opener is almost nothing like a race that you'll see at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Tactics, turnover, positioning and surges are arguably just as important as fitness (to a certain extent).
The good news is that we've already seen Markezich display all of those valuable racing nuances in prior championship meets. Now we'll just need to see how she marries those intangibles with her newfound, other-worldly fitness.
And then there's everyone else...
There were EIGHT total collegiate women who went under 9:00 for 3000 meters and of those eight, four of them ran under 8:50. In fact, five collegiate women in that field would have won this race last year with their times (Maddy Elmore's 8:50.43 mark was 0.01 seconds faster than Ceili McCabe's time from last year).
Harvard's Maia Ramsden (8:46), Duke's Amina Maatoug (8:46) and Oklahoma State's Billah Jepkirui (8:49) all validated our pre-race thoughts with where they placed, but that trio of results was still beyond our best-case scenarios for them.
As fast as 8:46 is for 3000 meters, I can't say that we learned too much about Maia Ramsden. The Ivy League standout has been incredible for the past year and I even said that I felt like the 3k was her best event (despite winning the 1500 meter national title).
Ramsden has the perfect skillset, specifically the ideal balance of turnover and endurance, for this event. And truthfully, I think there's going to be an argument later this winter that she should go all-in for the 3000 meters at the national meet rather than try to run the mile/3k double again.
It's a somewhat similar story for Amina Maatoug who continues to impress me. Her aerobic fitness, between this past fall and her 3k effort this past weekend, has clearly taken a step up. I'll be fascinated to see how that affects her incredible turnover and speed which was easily the best in this field when you compare middle distance credentials.
More specifically, I'm wondering what kind of mile race we'll see Maatoug entered in later this season. If she's able to get into a top-heavy pro field, then the Blue Devil star could scare the 4:30 mile barrier -- and then the national title conversation gets more interesting than we already expect it to be.
As for Jepkirui, I am such a huge fan of this Oklahoma State standout. She was shockingly great in the mile and 1500 meters last winter and spring. Her tactics and understanding of her owns strengths was fairly rare to see in someone as young as herself.
However, it also felt like this Cowgirl star was capable of so much more -- she may have had some of the highest upside in the NCAA coming into this year. And after placing 7th at the NCAA XC Championships, as well as running 8:49 (3k), we're seeing this sophomore evolve into a true superstar.
The next step for Jepkirui? Seeing how she fares in a slower, more tactical championship race over 3000 meters.
Maddy Elmore (8:50), Kaylee Mitchell (8:51), Flomena Asekol (8:52) and Kimberley May (8:54) are only now just getting mentioned -- and that's insane when you look at these times.
Elmore is someone who continues to prove time and time again that her recent performances are not at all flukes -- she truly is the real deal. On a team that was headlined by Izzy Thornton-Bott and Klaudia Kazimierska last winter and spring, seeing Elmore emerge as the focal star of this team has been a bit of a surprise.
Yes, Elmore did have a fantastic spring where she ran 4:08 for 1500 meters and made it to the finals in that event at the outdoor national meet. But to step up in distance and emerge as a top-tier cross country talent while also running 8:50 for 3000 meters (which is a school record) gives this Duck standout a resume that is arguably just as dynamic as her best teammates.
Again, just like I mentioned with a few women above, implementing tactics and utilizing her incredible fitness (in races that aren't all-out efforts) is the next area of emphasis that we'll place on Elmore's development. Regardless, the idea that she can be a legitimate All-American contender this winter is very much alive, especially with her combination of speed and endurance.
I don't have much to say about Mitchell, although that shouldn't downplay how incredible she was. She continues to be an underappreciated name in terms of how reliable she has been as a nationally competitive talent.
As for Asekol and May, these were fantastic efforts, but...I think the mile is still a better option for both of these women. I can't believe I'm saying that about two athletes who just ran under 8:53 for 3000 meters, but their primary event is (probably) still their best options for the postseason.
That being said, May could have an argument that her incredible 1000 meter speed (holding a PR of 2:42) would greatly benefit her in a tactical champion race over 3000 meters. And if she peaks just as effectively in the postseason as she did last winter, then this Friar star is one of the last women who I would want to toe the line next to.
Nico Young's Furious Kick Gives Him NCAA #3 All-Time Mark of 7:37.73 (3k), Five Other Collegiates Go Sub-7:50
I'll admit, I have been critical of Nico Young in the past, specifically when it comes to his efforts on the track.
I have consistently said that both him and Alabama's Eliud Kipsang are among the most naturally talented distance talents in the NCAA. I have also noted their propensity to thrive in time trial-type settings while also struggling with tactical affairs.
Turnover and late-stage closing speed have been major points of emphasis that I have made when evaluating Nico Young's performances over the years. But on Saturday, this Northern Arizona veteran gave me a tremendous display of finishing speed and turnover, something that I had never truly seen from him before, at least not in that setting.
In turn, Young earned a monumental win, taking home gold in the 3000 meters with a new NCAA #3 all-time performance of 7:37. And better yet, his strong, slingshot-off-the-turn kick was executed in an all-out race.
Yes, his time was incredible, but it's the development of that key intangible that makes me incredibly excited about Young this winter. He'll still need to translate that kind of finish to a slower, more tactical race, but I don't think I've ever been more encouraged about Nico Young after a regular season race like I am now.
The men who Young out-kicked at the end were the Oklahoma State duo of Brian Musau (7:38.04) and Ryan Schoppe (7:38.80), two men who now sit at NCAA #4 and NCAA #7 all-time, respectively.
Musau, a freshman from Kenya, has been so impressive since the fall months. He has yet to have a poor race and has had a handful of instances where he has looked truly elite -- Saturday being one of them.
We figured that this young Cowboy standout would thrive in a fast-paced setting that would allow him to be aggressive and display his raw fitness. But to run 7:38 for 3000 meters and stay composed throughout the entire race is wildly impressive. Being a freshman and coming from overseas certainly puts Musau at a disadvantage in terms of NCAA experience, but he hasn't let that affect him yet.
Of course, we'll be curious to see how he does in a more tactical affair and what happens when he needs to utilize his leg speed and kick.
Schoppe, meanwhile, is someone who I would not be excited about racing aginst. This Oklahoma State veteran is so dynamic and super experienced. He is quietly relentless and the 3k is the perfect sweet spot for him in terms of his skillset. His 2023 indoor track season was also among the best in the NCAA last winter.
We knew that this Cowboy distance runner was crazy good, but we didn't see him this past fall and his spring campaign wasn't quite as electric as what he did on the indoor oval last year. That's why his recent 7:38 (3k) PR comes as a bit of a shock; Schoppe just didn't have much of a recent resume to analyze.
When it comes to racing on the track, Schoppe is one of the most complete 3k runners out there, at least on paper. He'll need to be better on the national stage this year, but I liked how he gave himself a shot late in this race.
Northern Arizona's Drew Bosley (7:43), Alabama's Hillary Cheruiyot (7:45) and New Mexico's Lukas Kiprop (7:47) all had strong outings, albeit to varying degrees.
Bosley was the aggressor in this race and it came back to hurt him a bit in the latter portion when people began to switch into their second gears. That's now the second or third time in the last few months were Bosley has struggled to respond in the second-half of a major race. Considering his dominance last winter, that's a bit surprising.
As for Cheruiyot, I gotta hand it to him, that was one heck of a race. Running 7:45 for 3000 meters is legit and it somewhat silences my questions as to why he wasn't running the 5k.
Admittedly, I'm not sure if that time will hold up for national qualification, but it will likely keep him in the hunt for most of this season. That time is also a pretty fair representation of how good Cheruiyot was this past fall, minus the national meet.
We then wrap up with Kiprop, a New Mexico talent who owns a 7:41 (3k) PR. That personal best was run on an outdoor oval, so seeing him run six seconds behind that on an indoor oval seems to align with his prior resume. I'm not sure that we learned much about this Lobo freshman, but I am excited to see what he ends up doing in the 5k later this winter.
