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One Sentence Previews: 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships Women's Mile (D3)

  • Hannah Thorn
  • Mar 8, 2022
  • 4 min read

Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin


1. Ella Baran (Johns Hopkins)

Baran is by far the clear and obvious title favorite in this event as she is the D3 record holder with a time that is four seconds faster than anyone else in the field.


2. Evie Miller (Trine)

Evie Miller is Baran’s biggest competition in this mile race and it would be a shock if she didn’t finish top-three as Miller boasts extensive national meet experience and is one of only two women who have gone sub-4:50 this year.


3. Clara Mayfield (Carleton)

After setting personal bests every single week this indoor season, Clara Mayfield looks to be in the best shape of her life this season and should be rewarded with a top-five finish, possibly top-three, as she seems like one of the safest All-American candidates in this field.


4. Zanzie Demco (UW-Oshkosh)

A lot of women dropped out of the mile in favor of other events, which leaves Demco in a great position to use her 800 speed to land her second All-American honor, preferably in a tactical setting where her turnover can play a greater role.


5. Katherine Geist (Carleton)

The fastest freshman in the field, Geist comes into this meet after a 10-second PR at the Wartburg Last Chance meet and while that result did come out of nowhere, her 2:14 speed for 800 meters does improve her chances of advancing out of the prelims.


6. Hope Murphy (Baldwin Wallace)

Murphy is going to use her 400/800 speed to try and track down runners in the last 200 meters to finish what she started last year when she made the outdoor 1500 final, but placed 11th, a result that likely acted as a key learning moment.


7. Margaret Trautner (Caltech)

This mile field is very bunched between the sixth and 13th seeds, so if Trautner can make it safely into the finals, then she should be able to receive her fifth All-American honor.


8. Leila Trummel (Bowdoin)

Trummel squeaked into this field, dropping a four-second PR at the Tufts Last Chance meet to finally dip under the five minute mark and qualifying for the national meet, leaving us to wonder if she will replicate her clutch performance this weekend.


9. Molly Fitzgibbons (Williams)

With the mile field being so close together, Fitzgibbons has a chance to make the final if she simply runs her race, even though she might lack some of the foot speed that the other runners possess.


10. Ellen Mickelson (St. Olaf)

After just missing All-American honors in the 1500 meters last spring (finishing 9th), Mickelson should have a chip on her shoulder as she tries to use her experience as a senior to navigate the championship tactics of a crowded mile field.


11. Alyssa Laughner (Baldwin Wallace)

Laughner's strength from cross country and the steeplechase could be extremely valuable, especially if she needs to hang with an honest pace from the leaders.


12. Lina Spjut (Johns Hopkins)

Lina Spjut's prowess in the 3k gives her a good chance of staying competitive if the pace is honest, but that is more likely to happen in the finals rather than the prelims.


13. Alexandra Blake (Washington U.)

A strict miler, Blake dropped a few seconds off her time every time she raced this winter and she’ll need to do the same (including breaking five for the first time) if she hopes to make this mile final.


14. Rachel Conhoff (Ursinus)

Benefiting from some scratches, Conhoff will be racing at her first national meet after having a breakout year, giving her encouraging momentum to counter her inexperience.


15. Maria Blaesing (Macalester)

Blaesing clearly has some foot speed as she has run 3:01 for 1000 meters, something that will (in theory) come in handy if her prelim goes out slow and she wants to begin her kick a bit early.


16. Ella Behrens (Washington U.)

In her first national meet on the track, Behrens will look to key off of teammate Lina Spjut as she attempts to break five for the first time and make the final, something that many women in this field will be also be gunning for.


17. Sarika Temme-Bapat (U. of Chicago)

Temme-Bapat has been pretty consistent this winter, running 5:04 two different times, a possible indicator that she may be due for a new personal best.


18. Jordan Wilson (Bates)

It's a little concerning that Wilson ran a 5:22 mile two weeks ago and she’ll have to channel her 5:04 (converted) mile from the Boston University Valentine Invite if she wants a shot at the finals.


19. Sarah Bentley (MIT)

Sarah Bentley has been slowly chipping away at her mile PR all season long and eventually used a last chance meet to run a mark of 5:04, a development which suggests that she is hitting her postseason peak right on time.


20. Katherine Kenny (Middlebury)

After being sidelined from racing for two years, Kenny has nothing to lose coming in as the last time qualifier, so expect her to take a chance and put herself in the mix early-on.


Final Predictions:

  1. Ella Baran (Johns Hopkins)

  2. Evie Miller (Trine)

  3. Zanzie Demco (UW-Oshkosh)

  4. Clara Mayfield (Carleton)

  5. Hope Murphy (Baldwin Wallace)

  6. Margaret Trautner (Caltech)

  7. Leila Trummel (Bowdoin)

  8. Katherine Geist (Carleton)

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