First Thoughts: Washington U.'s Big Weekend, Collet Rebounds & Cotter Earns Impressive 3k Conversion

Today's article is going to be a little different.

Usually, this would be the week where we post our updated D2 and D3 indoor track distance rankings. But with results from this past weekend being a bit more modest and big-time conference championships fast approaching, we thought it would be better to delay all of our rankings across all divisions until next week.

So for today, we're combining a handful of D2 and D3 headlines that caught our attention from the last few days. Let's see how this goes...

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Division Two

Dillan Haviland Earns Another PR, Runs 4:03 (Mile)

One of the guys on our early-season radar was Northwood's Dillan Haviland. The Michigan-based distance talent ran a 4:07 mile back in January and then followed that up with a 1:51 effort over 800 meters a week later. He then capped the month by running an incredible time of 8:02 for 3000 meters.

But after stalling with another 4:07 mile mark at Grand Valley State, there were questions about whether or not Haviland would be able to put himself in a national qualifying position at that distance. Luckily, he delivered on his latest opportunity, dropping a huge 4:03 mile PR.

There aren't many D2 distance talents with a resume more complete than Haviland's. He keeps improving every time he toes the line and he hasn't come anywhere close to having a truly poor race this winter.

Inexperience when it comes to racing at this level will be something to watch on the national stage. But in terms of overall value, Haviland is up there with some of the absolute top guys in all of Division Two.

Lainy Williams Inches Back Into National Qualifying Conversation via 2:10 (800) Mark

Anyone familiar with the D2 middle distance scene has probably heard the name Lainy Williams before. The Southwest Baptist ace had a massive breakout year last spring, ultimately running 2:07 for 800 meters.

So far this winter, Williams has been relatively quiet. She has consistently flirted with the 2:11 and 2:12 range over the half-mile distance, but those efforts all came on 300 meter tracks. However, this past weekend, Williams thrived at the Arkansas Qualifier. She ran an excellent time of 2:10 (800) which now places her at NCAA #15 on the D2 national leaderboard.

There are a couple of takeaways from this result.

The first is that Williams is still in jeopardy of not advancing to the indoor national meet. With conference meets coming up, there is a very good chance that a few women run faster than her. And even after scratches, this Southwest Baptist runner may be on the outside looking in.

Is it possible for her to still qualify with that time?

Definitely.

Does it feel likely?

Admittedly no, not my in mind it doesn't.

But it's important to note that Williams peaked last year at her conference meet. And although she didn't make it out of the prelims of the outdoor national meet that season, it looks like she's set to follow the same postseason trend of success this winter that she did nine months ago.

If that's the case, then the upcoming GLVC Indoor Championships could be a big opportunity for this Missouri-based runner.

Stephanie Cotter Runs Huge 3k Conversion of 9:25 in First Ever Attempt at the Event

There was an unspoken feeling among our TSR writers that Stephanie Cotter would eventually run the 3000 meters for the first time in her collegiate career. We thought we were going to get that at Boston University a few weeks back, but that wasn't the case.

Instead, Cotter stayed at altitude and soloed a time that gained an altitude conversion of 9:25 over 3000 meters. She now sits at NCAA #6 in the event.

It feels increasingly more likely that Cotter will attempt the mile/3k double at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The mile is her bread and butter as far as event speciality goes, but tactically, she's an outstanding fit for the 3000 meters...depending on how that race plays out on the national stage.

Cotter has traditionally gone after the mile at the indoor national meet and has doubled in the DMR as well (on one occasion). But is Adams State deep enough this year where they won't need Cotter for the relay?

I don't know the answer to that, but in her (presumably) final year in the NCAA, earning two individual gold medals in March would be monumental for her legacy. That would, effectively, strengthen her argument for being the D2 distance running G.O.A.T.

Division Three

Chris Collet Runs NCAA #6 Mark of 8:08 (3k) via Conversion

In a year where D3 distance running has been absurdly strong, it's been easy to forget about how good someone like Chris Collet is.

Admittedly, this has been Collet's strongest season. He ran an 8:20 (3k) mark earlier this season on a flat-track (likely earning a conversion around 8:15) and lost to Spencer Moon (convincingly) in the process.

And after running a 4:19 mile (unconverted) on a flat-track a couple of weeks ago, there was real reason to be concerned about the trend that Collet was following.

But in one of the final few weeks of this season, the Wartburg ace dropped a huge 8:13 (3k) mark on his home track (which is flat) in what was essentially a solo effort. And after conversions, Collet now sits at NCAA #6 with a time of 8:08 for the 3k distance.

This was a massively important result for the midwest star and it couldn't have come at a better time. Collet was struggling to build momentum heading into the latter portion of February. And if even he had this rebound race at his conference meet, it would have been difficult to properly gauge his gauge.

However, after running that kind of time, Collet's confidence has to be so much higher. And by getting a chance to validate that confidence at the American Rivers Indoor Championships this weekend, we could actually see Collet enter the national meet as someone who peaked better than anyone else in D3.

Four Men's DMR Lineups Go Sub-9:50 via Conversion, Washington U. Men Run Converted 9:49 (DMR) Elsewhere

What an absolutely incredible DMR battle by four of the top midwest programs in D3 this past weekend. We saw the Wartburg men come away victorious in a converted DMR time of 9:45 while UW-La Crosse (9:46), UW-Oshkosh (9:46) and North Central (9:48) kept things incredibly close.

This piece of analysis could get really long, although it's also tough to talk about these relays without knowing any of their splits.

For Wartburg, this is a pretty big result. A win over that kind of field has to feel encouraging. Not only that, but when you look at their lineup, there's a good chance that they'll be the freshest DMR on the national stage -- and that's a big deal.

The only other relay that could go all-in on a DMR (completely fresh) is SUNY Geneseo. But for the most part, that's the only other group. And if Collet is peaking like we think he is, then the Knights are one of the last teams that I would want to face on the national stage.

UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh and North Central all ran very well. But Ethan Gregg is probably not running the DMR (in favor of the 5k) and it would be surprising if Potter didn't try the 800 meter prelims. North Central has a solid squad that could be fresh, but only if Connor Riss opts out of the mile. And right now, he's set to qualify.

Elsewhere, the Washington U. men were able to run a converted 9:49 (DMR) mark this past weekend. There's truthfully not a ton to analyze given that they dusted their competition, but we'll be watching their squad this weekend to learn more about them before they toe the line on the national stage.

Hope Murphy's Converted 2:09 (800) Result Leads Strong Weekend For D3 Women's Half-Milers

It's been a fairly tough season for Hope Murphy. She was phenomenal last spring in the middle distances, but had posted 800 meter marks of 2:16 and 2:21 (both unconverted) in her last two efforts prior to this weekend. Plus, for someone who has run 4:57 (mile) and 4:26 (1500), her mile efforts have been underwhelming as well.

But none of that seemingly matters now. That's because Murphy dropped a huge time of 2:10 over 800 meters. She completely soloed her win and gained a 2:09 conversion, placing herself at NCAA #2 in the process.

Murphy, when she's at her best, is wildly dynamic and extremely dangerous. She had a very underrated cross country season and has also proven that she holds dangerous turnover stemming from the speed-based events.

Much like Chris Collet, this was an important performance. Murphy can now refine and validate her most recent result at her conference meet before entering the national stage. Doing so would complete one of the better in-season turnarounds of the year.

Other women such as Windsor Ardner (2:12), Elisabeth Camic (2:12), Sierra Doody (2:12), Claudia Harnett (2:13) and Maya Ordonez (2:13) all had strong 800 meter races of their own, earning conversions en route to top-15 marks on the national leaderboard.

These are fairly significant results for both Camic and Doody. Both of these women have shown signs of being nationally competitive, but this pair of results confirms that they are exactly that. Doddy, more specifically, is someone to watch, especially since she ran a 4:57 (mile) earlier this season.

Aoife Dunne (4:51) & Caroline McMartin (4:55) Enter Top-10 of Mile D3 National Leaderboard After Conversions

Coming into this weekend, Aoife Dunne (Washington U.) had only ever run the mile once in her collegiate career. But after running a solo 4:54 mile time on a flat-track, the middle distance ace gained a 4:51 conversion and now sits at NCAA #4.

This is a really interesting development in terms of Washington U.'s entry decisions for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Current Bear standouts Emma Kelley headlines the women's D3 half-mile field this year while Emily Konkus currently sits at NCAA #6 in the mile.

Where does Dunne end up if the Bears already have two true aces in each of the middle distance events?

Dunne has historically been at her best in the 800 meters. She is also far more experienced in that event. But the mile seems far more variable this year while the 800 meter national title is already heavily favored to go to her teammate, Emma Kelley.

So if Washington U. wants to hedge their bets, they may try to have as many top-tier options as they can in the mile to score points. That would also make a theoretical double back to the DMR much easier than running the 800 meter prelims.

But Dunne is also a much safer bet over 800 meters given her experience and consistency in the event. That is why this is such a perplexing national meet entry scenario -- there isn't necessarily a "wrong" decision.

As for Caroline McMartin, she feels super underappreciated this winter. She's been on fire in terms of setting new personal bests and she has also shown off great range.

So far this season, the Central College distance talent has run 3:04 (1k), 4:58 (mile), 9:52 (3k) and 17:29 (5k). And the best part? Those 800 meter and mile marks were both run on flat-tracks, meaning that McMartin has earned times of 4:55 (mile) and 9:47 (3k) this winter.

If you're looking for a deep sleeper pick when making your predictions for the indoor national meet, McMartin feels like a really great option, especially given her recent experience (and success) on the national stage.

Emily Konkus Continues Fantastic Year, Runs Solo & Converted Time of 9:31 (3k) to Sit at NCAA #3

As impressive as this result is, it's truthfully not a surprise. Konkus has been fantastic this season, getting better and better as the winter months have progressed.

Yes, this was a substantial PR, but given her ongoing improvements and her incredible cross country season, it's not a total shock that she ran 9:36 (3k) and got a 9:31 conversion.

Of course, it's important to not confuse a lack of surprise with not being impressed. In terms of overall value, there aren't many women in the NCAA who have the distance resume that this Washington U. star does. There is simply not a single weak point on her TFRRS profile.

UW-La Crosse & Wartburg Women Battle in DMR En Route to Sub-11:50 Conversions, Loras Women Also Run 11:47

While the men battled to a tight four-team race in the DMR, we saw the women's race play out similarly, although only two teams separated themselves from the rest.

UW-La Crosse and Wartburg's DMRs crossed the line with converted times of 11:40 and 11:41, respectively. The Eagles got the edge as Maddie Hannan proved to be the trump card over Aubrie Fisher. But truthfully, if you ran this race 100 times, the UW-La Crosse women would 50 of them and the Loras women would win the other 50 races.

On paper, these two lineups are almost perfectly balanced.

Each of these teams have an up-and-coming lead-off leg, solid-enough middle distance talents and a true ace on their anchor. But Maddie Hannan will likely run an individual event on day one of the NCAA Indoor Championships. And right now, Fisher would only be running the 3000 meters, leaving her fresh for the DMR.

The complexion of UW-La Crosse's relay lineup may look different three weeks from now, but the Wartburg women, even after settling for a runner-up finish, may have an outside of shot of winning gold...depending on who Washington U. fields.

As for Loras, they were also in this race, running a converted time of 11:47 (DMR). For a team that didn't have Kassie Parker or any true middle distance star, this is a really solid effort. I'm not sure I would have said that I saw the Duhawks running this fast with that lineup, but I am very happy to be wrong.

Quick Hits

• Kendall Branan (Indiana (PA)) ventured to Penn State this past weekend and found himself in a loaded half-mile field of Nittany Lions. As a result, the D2 talent earned a strong mark of 1:50 (800) despite finishing last in his heat. After running 1:51 over the half-mile distance twice this season, it makes sense that Branan finally broke through and it looks like he'll be able to advance to the indoor national meet with that time.

• After a strong, but relatively modest, beginning to Ezra Ruggles' season, he has seemingly picked up some momentum over the last few weeks. A 1:52 mark over 800 meters is really solid, but just like his mile and 3k times, that probably isn't going to allow him to qualify for the D3 indoor national meet. He'll have one more shot to do so at his conference meet this weekend.

• It's been of a modest season for Frank Csorba ever since his DNF at the cross country national meet this past fall. But the Lynchburg talent put together a really nice 1:56/4:08 (800/mile) weekend double at Virginia Tech. That was a very encouraging pair of performances. And although he sits at NCAA #16, he may still have a shot of making it to the indoor national meet after scratches.