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One Sentence Previews: 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships Women's 3k Steeple (D1)

  • Writer: Maura Beattie
    Maura Beattie
  • Jun 4, 2022
  • 4 min read

Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin



NOTE: Athletes are listed in the order that they are shown on the official qualifiers list.

1. Kayley DeLay (Yale)

As an accomplished 5k runner, owning a PR of 15:36, it was surprising to see DeLay focus on the steeplechase this season after not contesting the race since 2019, but could DeLay's underappreciated aerobic strength surprise a few people next weekend?


2. Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame)

Markezich has been a very reliable runner this spring when it comes to winning races and posting top times, leading us to believe that her consistency makes her one of the safest All-American bets in this field.


3. Courtney Wayment (BYU)

Wayment's outstanding mix of speed and endurance, paired with her extensive experience in the steeplechase, could lead to her not only flirting with her third individual NCAA title, but also the NCAA record as well.


4. Ceili McCabe (West Virginia)

With only three races under her belt this outdoor season, all of which have been steeplechases, McCabe’s success at the NCAA Outdoor Championships will come down to whether or not she is confident in executing at her highest level in a crowded top portion of this field.


5. Carmen Riano (Miami (OH))

The improvements that Riano have made this season haven’t gone unnoticed and she is running like a true veteran, but can she can continue to build on her promising momentum after running 9:46 in the regional rounds?


6. Logan Jolly (Arkansas)

Jolly is a legitimate contender for a top-five finish on the right day given her 9:45 PR, her ability to latch onto the leaders and her excellent finishing strength over the last lap of most competitive races that she's been in.


7. Kayla Windemuller (Michigan)

Michigan’s Kayla Windemuller was a surprise this season in the steeplechase and is peaking at the right time after running 9:49, although that momentum may be the difference maker between falling out of the top-eight and earning All-American honors.


8. Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Oregon State)

Fetherstonhaugh’s name has been brought to the table when discussing All-American locks and rightfully so, especially after she showed enough athletic prowess to nearly take down Aneta Konieczek earlier this season.


9. Elise Thorner (New Mexico)

With a 9:32 PR, New Mexico’s Elise Thorner could give Wayment and this field a run for their money next weekend if she continues with her aggressive front-running approach and allows her youth-driven upside to carry her to a top finish.


10. Perri Bockrath (Kentucky)

Kentucky’s newest ace has a solid mixture of speed and endurance which could help her advance to the finals, especially when you realize that she's peaking better than a handful of women in this field.


11. Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)

Mitchell’s range varies from the 800 meters to the 5k and having those tools to fall back on in a tactical race could lead the highly experienced Oregon State veteran to an All-American finish.


12. Joyce Kimeli (Auburn)

This is a key race for Kimeli, the 2021 steeplechase runner-up, to prove that she still has a 9:31 mark in her legs, something that could make this race VERY interesting if she still does have that capability.


13. Laura Taborda (Eastern Kentucky)

Taborda is somewhat of an unknown heading into the NCAA Outdoor Championships given that she hasn’t raced against too many of the nation’s best steeplechasers, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t continue this Cinderella story, especially when you consider that she's from one of the steeplechase programs in the country.


14. Adva Cohen (New Mexico)

Cohen has been in this position before, finishing 4th in the steeplechase at the 2019 national meet, but after a rocky steeplechase season in 2021, can she return to the podium following the best lead-up she has ever had going into a national meet?


15. Sasha Neglia (North Carolina)

North Carolina's Sasha Neglia will need a time faster than her current 9:59 PR to vie for a spot in the steeplechase finals, but she is still is very young and holds tremendous upside, something that we've seen in her last few races.


16. Alissa Niggemann (Wisconsin)

Wisconsin’s Alissa Niggemann has competed in the steeplechase on the national stage twice before, finishing 11th in 2019 and 12th in 2021, but could her extensive experience allow her to sneak past some of the younger and more inexperienced runners in this field?


17. Emily Cole (Duke)

After demolishing the 10:00 barrier and running 9:48 at the ACC Championships, Emily Cole's promising momentum could carry her into the NCAA Championships as the best dark horse in this field.


18. Helena Lindsay (Virginia)

Although she has never broken 10:00, this is a great opportunity for Virginia’s Helena Lindsay to get her feet wet at the NCAA Championships, search for another PR and pick-up valuable experience that she can use later during her collegiate career.


19. Madison Boreman (Colorado)

As only a freshman back in 2017, Colorado’s Madison Boreman was the steeplechase runner-up and now she looks to be on a wildly impressive revenge tour, potentially acting as the greatest threat to Courtney Wayment depending on who you ask.


20. Annie Boos (Syracuse)

The move from California to Syracuse has paid off for Annie Boos as she has gone from a middle-of-the-pack steeplechaser at past regional meets to a top-10 finisher, but will her national meet inexperience affect her race plan next weekend?


21. Gabrielle Orie (Colorado)

Colorado has a long history of producing some of the best collegiate steeplechasers in the NCAA and although Orie might not have a sub-10:00 mark to her name, she could sneak into the finals and add to her growing consistency.


22. Lexy Halladay (BYU)

Lexy Halladay has been fortunate enough to train alongside BYU teammate Courtney Wayment and when you learn from one of the most talented women in the country, there’s no doubt that Halladay could be on the cusp of an even bigger breakthrough next weekend.


23. Kayla Schiera (Southern Illinois)

The Southern Illinois senior made a big jump this season, going from a 10:14 personal best to a 9:58 personal best, and has been rewarded with a chance to vie for an All-American honor if she maintains (and builds upon) the promising consistency that we've seen from her all season long.


24. Malia Pivec (Oregon)

Pivec has reached a new level in her fitness since transferring to Oregon from Boise State and this is the junior’s chance to go after a sub-10:00 performance after consistently racing against some of the most competitive steeplechase fields out west.


Final Predictions:

  1. Courtney Wayment (BYU)

  2. Madison Boreman (Colorado)

  3. Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Oregon State)

  4. Kayley DeLay (Yale)

  5. Logan Jolly (Arkansas)

  6. Ceili McCabe (West Virginia)

  7. Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame)

  8. Joyce Kimeli (Auburn)

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