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One Sentence Previews: 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships Men's 3000 Meters (D2)

  • Writer: John Cusick
    John Cusick
  • Mar 9, 2022
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 9, 2022


Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin


1. Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.))

When you’re the reigning champion and the D2 record holder in this event, there’s not much to be said, especially for someone who has all of the necessary skills to keep this title in his hands.


2. Aaron Ahl (Simon Fraser)

Likely the biggest threat to Noble’s chances of repeating is Ahl who will need to use what he’s learned from the two races prior to this weekend and see if he can strike at the right time, regardless of the race scenario, to pull off the upset.


3. Titus Winders (Southern Indiana)

A perfect combination of speed and endurance finally has Winders competing for his first NCAA title and he has good-enough wheels to keep pace with the rest of the group in the latter-half of this race when it matters.


4. James Dunne (Adams State)

A strong aerobic base and only one race in the legs lines up perfectly for Dunne who can stay with the lead group and use his improved speed to kick hard if the tactical nature of this race flows down beyond the leaders.


5. Carson Bix (Lee (Tenn.))

When a miler moves up in distance it brings some risk, but Bix has handled every test with flying colors and that makes him a threat to keep the 3k national title in Tennessee.


6. Loic Scomparin (Colorado Mines)

One race was all Scomparin needed to qualify for the Big Dance and given his success and national meet experience, he’s in a perfect position to be in the mix for a title once again, especially if the pace is honest and endurance-centric.


7. Dillon Powell (Colorado Mines)

Powell is going to try and make everyone hurt more than he is and when he does that, it will simply come down to has the most guts, potentially resulting in an upset win for this Mines star.


8. Tanner Chada (Grand Valley State)

Chada has the experience, the endurance and the necessary speed to be successful in this race and with some improved upon tactics, he can find himself in the mix for the title, not just an All-American bid.


9. Davonte Jett-Reynolds (Adams State)

Jett-Reynolds opted for the 3000 meters instead of the mile, maybe because he can possibly kick with the best in this field, so if he can stick close, something crazy could happen...


10. Ryan Riddle (Missouri Southern)

Riddle has miler speed, but the 3000 meters might be his sweet spot and thanks to his improved endurance, Riddle’s racing tools match the qualities of a successful 3k athlete.


11. Ezra Mutai (American International)

There was an early-season emphasis on leg speed for Mutai, likely in preparation for this specific 3k race which can benefit runners who have greater turnover, something Mutai didn't necessarily have...until this season.


12. CarLee Stimpfel (Saginaw Valley State)

Stimpfel doesn’t quite have the same wheels as some of the other men in the field, but he will likely benefit from the race being taken out hard thanks to his proven aerobic strength in the longer distances.


13. Jake Mitchem (Colorado Mines)

Improved endurance for Mitchem has quickly taken him from All-American contender to an outside title contender, so as long as he keeps contact with his teammates, then he may very well outlast everyone else (or almost everyone else) at a fast pace.


14. Afewerki Zeru (UC-Colorado Springs)

Zeru has better tactics than ever before and his best interest is to be near the front for the entirety of the race due to his lack of a kick in comparison to some of the others in the field.


15. Dylan Ko (Colorado Mines)

Ko’s endurance is his best skillset and we have seen him running near the front in past national meets, something that we fully expect him to do again this time around.


16. Isaac Harding (Grand Valley State)

Harding may be more of a long distance athlete, but make no mistake, he absolutely belongs in the category of those with a special blend of strength and speed which, combined with his extensive experience, makes him a title contender despite his lower seed.


17. Kyle Moran (Colorado Mines)

The last Oredigger in this 3000 meter field, but arguably the most dangerous one, Moran is capable of making the pace hot enough to force anyone who isn't on top of their game to falter.


18. Clement Duigou (Adams State)

Duigou may find himself a bit outmatched this weekend given his national meet inexperience and limited middle distance prowess, but he should have the aerobic capacity to keep up with a supposedly hot pace and it also doesn't that he'll have two teammates in this field.


19. Callum Elson (American International)

Elson’s biggest question for the 3k will be how his legs respond to the fourth race of the weekend as he has already proven that he’s a legitimate force in any event on the track this season.


20. Joseph Leventry (Montevallo)

Leventry resembles Duigou a bit in terms of his ability to hang with the group for the entirety of the race, but we don’t know how he will fare when the field opts to make a race-defining surge.


Final Predictions:

  1. Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.))

  2. Aaron Ahl (Simon Fraser)

  3. Dillon Powell (Colorado Mines)

  4. Titus Winders (Southern Indiana)

  5. Isaac Harding (Grand Valley State)

  6. Carson Bix (Lee (Tenn.))

  7. Ezra Mutai (American International)

  8. Loic Scomparin (Colorado Mines)

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