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One Sentence Previews: 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships Women's 5k (D1)

  • Writer: Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
    Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
  • Jun 8, 2022
  • 4 min read



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

1. Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)

One could argue that Tuohy is the most obvious and best national title favorite on either the men's or women's sides for this year's NCAA Outdoor Championships...and I don't think I'll get a lot of push back on that.


2. Parker Valby (Florida)

After flexing her aerobic dominance in the 3k during the indoor track season, Valby has quickly rallied back from a season-ending injury in the winter to run 15:32 and 15:29, giving her tremendous momentum and tons of upside going into this race.


3. Savannah Shaw (NC State)

Shaw has grown increasingly more comfortable with the 5k throughout this year and it has shown in her results, ultimately making her one of the more well-rounded women in this field given her past 1500/mile success.


4. Sydney Seymour (Tennessee)

Seymour has made major improvements every time she toes the line this year and it's clear that she's becoming a real top-half All-American threat in this event given her momentum, nationally competitive times, year-long consistency and quietly great positioning skills.


5. Samantha Bush (NC State)

Bush is one of the best overall talents in this field thanks to her credentials in the 1500 meters, 3000 meters and the 5000 meters, although the latter may be her event when you consider the number of ways that she can find success.


6. Hannah Steelman (NC State)

While Steelman's injury at the end of the cross country season was certainly not a good thing, she did time her return incredibly well, nearing her peak fitness just before she goes into her biggest race of 2022.


7. Mercy Chelangat (Alabama)

Chelangat's unique variance in pacing didn't shake Tuohy at the indoor national meet, but if this race is fast from the gun, then in theory, Chelangat should have an outside chance of contending with the title favorites.


8. Marlee Starliper (NC State)

After two years of battling with injuries and now running a huge 15:37 mark at the East Regional Championships, it seems clear that Starliper -- much like Steelman -- has timed her return to peak fitness to coincide with the arrival of the postseason.


9. Amaris Tyynismaa (Alabama)

After battling an injury for a heavy portion of this academic year and posting a few unexciting results on the outdoor oval, Tyynismaa has seemingly regained a sizable portion of her fitness, although how much more she is able to recollect will ultimately determine how she fares in this field.


10. Abby Nichols (Colorado)

We could try to get fancy with our analysis when talking about Nichols' and her resume, but to put it simply, she is really darn good and it wouldn't necessarily surprise us if she won the national title this weekend.


11. Cara Woolnough (Utah)

Woolnough has not only gotten better this spring, but her consistency has been incredibly promising, running between 15:40 and 15:55 four different times this season, leaving us to wonder if that reliability could make her an outside contender for an All-American honor.


12. Eusila Chepkemei (Middle Tennessee State)

Chepkemei is new to this tier of talent, but championship inexperience has clearly not fazed this Middle Tennessee State product who has shown great poise and in-race execution in a handful of loaded fields.


13. Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State)

Taylor Roe is easily one of the most talented women in this field and her brilliant display of tactics to defeat Katelyn Tuohy in the 3k at the indoor national meet were fun to watch, but can she replicate her championship magic in a distance that more heavily favors Tuohy?


14. Elizabeth Mancini (La Salle)

Mancini has shown flashes of promise throughout this year and she just earned a PR at the East Regional Championships, although her national meet inexperience and slightly slower PR will be key obstacles that she'll have to overcome in this field.


15. Nicole Fegans (Georgia Tech)

Fegans is easily one of the most experienced women in this field and her versatility is pretty strong as well, but the one-time All-American hasn't always been able to have her absolute best race on the national stage (with the exception of the 2021 NCAA Winter XC Championships).


16. Gracelyn Larkin (New Mexico)

Larkin feels like an underappreciated name in this field despite her 8th place All-American finish in the indoor 5k and her recent 15:26 PR earlier this spring, and truthfully, there isn't a ton to dislike about her otherwise perfect resume.


17. Isabel Van Camp (Arkansas)

Van Camp seems to have a ceiling (time-wise) in the 5k, but her 1500/3k prowess could absolutely make her a factor if this race is tactical, a setting that this Arkansas standout is plenty familiar with.


18. Lauren Gregory (Arkansas)

For numerous seasons now, Gregory has been in the national title conversation thanks to her experience, consistency and outstanding tactics, and while it certainly seems wrong to keep her out of the title conversation, defining Gregory as an "All-American lock" does feel more appropriate for this race.


19. Emily Covert (Colorado)

Covert has done very well in races that are all-out, time-trial scenarios, something that we could see this weekend, although we'll be curious to see how she approaches a race that requires a bit more tactical nuance.


20. Bethany Hasz (Minnesota)

2022 hasn't been Hasz's best year, but the Minnesota ace is experienced and has elite-level personal bests from prior seasons, two facts that should at least keep her on your radar this weekend.


21. Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico)

Her two 5k marks this spring haven't necessarily jumped off the page, but her success in the 10k and her 15:37 indoor PR (which led to an All-American finish) leads us to believe that Mazza-Downie will more than likely have a good race than a bad one.


22. Emma Heckel (New Mexico)

Heckel is a very solid and talented youngster who could thrive in a race that features plenty of her teammates, although her inexperience could play a role in this uniquely assembled 5k field.


23. Lucy Jenks (Stanford)

Jenks is still somewhat young and her flashes of top-level talent this year have been encouraging, although a few recent results have left us wanting a little bit more.


24. India Johnson (Colorado)

Johnson's resume may not have the same firepower that her teammates Abby Nichols and Emily Covert boast, but she delivers respectable marks pretty consistently and when it comes to fast fields, she usually holds her own.


Final Predictions:

  1. Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)

  2. Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State)

  3. Abby Nichols (Colorado)

  4. Parker Valby (Florida)

  5. Samantha Bush (NC State)

  6. Sydney Seymour (Tennessee)

  7. Mercy Chelangat (Alabama)

  8. Lauren Gregory (Arkansas)

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