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PREDICTIONS & PREVIEWS: 2025 Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danvile Season Opener
The Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danvile Season Opener is annually one of the most competitive meets in the country for distance runners. In fact, one could argue that, with the exception of the national meet, it is consistently the most competitive meet of the entire indoor track season, at least for the longer distances.
That trend will likely continue in 2025 as Boston U. plays host to a variety of collegiate superstars.
Below, we highlighted the top collegiate names in each of the distance fields. Plus, at the bottom of this article, you can find our full predictions for each distance event.
Let's get into it, shall we?
Men's 5k: Habtom Samuel vs Marco Langon
When I was first crafting this preview, I offered in-depth analysis about why Oklahoma State's Brian Musau should actually be favored for this race, not New Mexico's Habtom Samuel.
And then, as fate would have it, Musau was seemingly removed from the meet entries right before we were going to publish this preview.
As such, the analysis for the men's 5000-meter race at the Boston U. Season Opener has become far more simple: Habtom Samuel is the clear favorite to win gold on Saturday.
The Boston U. Season Opener is designed to be fast -- very fast. It is extremely unlikely that this race will be about tactics. Instead, it will likely be about pure aerobic fitness and raw strength.
In theory, that favors the newest individual cross country national champion, who is undoubtedly the top name in the NCAA when it comes to that department.
There is, however, one additional name who has a legitimate shot at winning gold as well. That runner, of course, is Marco Langon, the electric distance star out of Villanova.
The Wildcat ace has evolved into one of the more exciting distance runners in the NCAA over the last year. His kick can, at times, be devastating, and he is largely unafraid to attack the most proven names in the country. His raw fitness is fantastic, his range is brilliant and he now has valuable experience against top names.
The challenge, however, is that Langon hasn't competed since June when he placed 3rd over 5000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He ultimately opted to redshirt during the fall months to preserve his eligibility for 2026.
We're not necessarily worried about Langon being in shape -- our workout video with him from two weeks ago should quell any worries. Even so, the Villanova star hasn't raced against NCAA competition in nearly six months. Plus, his 5000-meter PR of 13:14 is noticeably slower than the best times that Samuel has produced.
Regardless, there is still a scenario where Langon looks way sharper than we initially realized and he attacks the front of this field. If he's still around the leaders with 400 meters to go, then the odds begin to lean in his favor.
As for the rest of the names in this field, some people may suggest that Washington State's Solomon Kipchoge deserves to be mentioned with the lead group. But truthfully, I don't share that same sentiment.
Like Samuel, Kipchoge has an immense level of raw aerobic strength. This race, in theory, will favor his front-running style.
However, Kipchoge severely lacks turnover. Even in a race as long as 5000 meters, the indoor oval still requires a minimum level of leg speed to be competitive. And when it comes to the Cougar star, he hasn't shown much of that at any point in his career.
Yes, Kipchoge did have a phenomenal cross country season, but the only real difference between his 2024 and 2025 fall campaigns was the fact that he actually finished his race at the NCAA XC Championships two weeks ago. In the grand scheme of things, not much has truly changed about him.
That said, Kipchoge's teammate, Evans Kurui, is absolutely a name who deserves your attention.
The second Washington State star was electric as a rookie, especially on the outdoor oval this past spring. There, he ran times of 13:14 (5k) and 27:37 (10k) before earning 5th place All-American honors in the latter event. Kurui also placed 17th at the NCAA XC Championships two weeks ago.
I'm not saying that Kurui is going to hang with the likes of Samuel and Langon...but I'm also not NOT saying that, either. There is a clear comfort for Kurui on the track and his 2025 spring campaign suggests that he has reached a new tier.
Other guys like Denis Kipngetich (Oklahoma State) and Gary Martin (Virginia) are pretty safe bets for this kind of race.
Kipngetich is one of the single-most reliable distance runners in the entire NCAA. He has been metronomically consistent throughout his career. Martin, meanwhile, is dropping down closer to his ideal distance (and there's debate on what is). He holds far more foot-speed than pretty much any other name in this field.
Robin Kwemoi Bera (Iowa State), Kelvin Cheruiyot (Florida), Collins Kiprotich (New Mexico) and Abdel Laadjel (Oregon) have all showcased immense levels of fitness. However, it's the latter two names who may be on the biggest hot streaks of all, especially when you consider that they are more track-oriented than some of these other names.
Women's 5k: Jane Hedengren...And Then Everyone Else?
Unfortunately for fans of the sport, we won't get to see a Doris Lemngole vs Jane Hedengren rematch at this weekend's Boston U. Season Opener. That, however, makes sense given that Lemngole extended her 2025 outdoor track season into mid-September by competing at the World Championships in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
This, in turn, leaves BYU's phenom freshman, Jane Hedengren, as the somewhat clear and obvious favorite in the women's 5000 meters this Saturday.
When it comes to these race previews, I always try to be balanced with my analysis, highlighting both the strengths and potential shortcomings of an athlete (in relation to the race in question).
But with Hedengren, I don't know if I can find a legitimate critique.
In a race that will likely be all about pure fitness and raw talent, Hedengren is almost certainly going to be the top name. If the pacing is good enough, then she'll likely dip under 15 minutes for 5000 meters. However, the top-end of this field is probably not good enough for someone to chase after the NCAA record of 14:52.
After Hedengren is where things get trickier to analyze and predict...much trickier.
There are a large handful of collegians who you could argue as the favorites to be the runner-up in this field. And yet, at the same time, none of those arguments are air-tight.
Pamela Kosgei (New Mexico) and Hilda Olemomoi (Florida) are probably the two most proven long distance runners in this entire field. They have both run well under 15 minutes for 5000 meters at prior points in their careers and contested this same race this time last year.
However, Kosgei didn't have a great national meet showing this past fall (relative to expectations) and her cross country season as a whole wasn't particularly eventful. Meanwhile, Olemomoi hasn't looked like herself for all of 2025, although she did just record a huge 3rd place finish at the NCAA XC Championships. Does that latter result suggest that she's in peak form? Or was that a sign of things to come in 2026?
BYU's Riley Chamberlain stunned the country with a monster 4th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships two weeks ago. And given her obvious comfort on the track (especially the indoor oval), there could be an argument that she's due for a big race on Saturday. But was one stunning performance at the national meet from two weeks ago fully indicative of her potential for this race?
Oregon's Diana Cherotich and Silan Ayyildiz are both in this field as well.
The former has enough raw talent and past 5k success to be a legitimate contender for silver. However, she has been inconsistent on major stages and we don't have any history of her racing on the indoor oval. As for Ayyildiz, she is a fantastic all-around runner, but does her ceiling in the 5k go high enough to be the runner-up finisher in this field?
We can keep going down the list of names, but the point that I'm trying to make is...these predictions are really, really hard to craft!
When it comes to sleeper picks, don't forget about Chloe Thomas! The UConn-turned-Washington runner is a 15:17 (5k) talent who ran her PR on this same track last year (at this same meet). She didn't compete in an NCAA singlet in 2025, but she did just race at the Canadian XC Championships over 10,000 meters where she finished runner-up.
Other names such as Hannah Gapes (NC State), Joy Naukot (West Virginia), Marion Jepngetich (New Mexico) and maybe a fully-firing Sophia Kennedy (Stanford) could all find their way into the top-five this Saturday.
Men's 3k: The Middle Ground for Milers With XC Chops
I'll admit, the men's 3000-meter field at the Boston U. Season Opener is a bit weird. The field consists of a handful of excellent all-around distance runners, but very few standout stars (for this distance, specifically).
Yes, the Oklahoma State duo of Fouad Messaoudi and Ryan Schoppe are listed in the entries, but both of those men are shown as "unattached," likely because they are out of eligibility.
So...who are the top NCAA names to watch in this race?
In my eyes, George Couttie (Virginia Tech) and Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona) are the top-two collegians to be monitoring over 3000 meters.
The former name is arguably the best built for this distance. Couttie has run times of 2:20 (1k), 3:55 (mile) and 7:40 (3k). He has placed 13th and 10th at the last two NCAA XC Championships and has experience contesting the 3k at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Sahlman, meanwhile, is quite easily the most accomplished collegian in this race. He has run head-turning times of 1:44 (800), 3:33 (1500), 3:52 (mile), 7:40 (3k) and 13:38 (5k). Not only that, but he is fresh off of a monster performance at the NCAA XC Championships where he produced a surprising 16th place finish!
Despite Sahlman's insane showcase of range, Couttie's skillset is likely better suited for this battle. The men's 3000 meters at the Boston U. Season Opener will likely be fast from the gun. And while Sahlman has proven to be plenty capable of chasing ultra-fast times, the 3000 meters is Couttie's primary event.
That said, I wouldn't be surprised to see either of these men emerge as the top collegians with marks that are fairly similar to their personal bests.
Behind those men, I would expect guys such as Butler's Jesse Hamlin, Colorado's Isaiah Givens and Oregon's Simeon Birnbaum to also emerge as top collegians in this field.
You could argue that Hamlin is just as proven over 3000 meters as Sahlman and Couttie are. He was, after all, an All-American in this event from the winter of 2023 and holds a personal best of 7:44 from the 2022 version of this meet. The challenge, however, is that Hamlin wasn't particularly amazing on the grass this past fall (although he certainly wasn't bad) and he has been a bit inconsistent in his career.
Givens, meanwhile, has a skillset that is ideal for the 3000 meters. He is a strength-based miler who has a PR of 7:45 in this event. That time was run on this same track last year. And based on his 2025 cross country season, one could argue that his aerobic strength has only improved since then.
As for Birnbaum, he may have the most raw talent of any attached collegian in this field outside of maybe Colin Sahlman. The Oregon redshirt sophomore was fantastic on the track last year and has only made greater improvements in his aerobic fitness since then, becoming an All-American at the NCAA XC Championships two weeks ago.
If Birnbaum is able to mesh his elite mile prowess with his improved strength-based fitness, then he could be a nightmare for multiple names in this field.
Women's 3k: Battle of the Carolinas?
Gosh, this is a brutal race to analyze. There are A TON of collegiate women in this field who could realistically crack the top-five and there are multiple women who have arguments as title favorites/contenders.
In my eyes, I would say that North Carolina's Vera Sjoberg, NC State's Angelina Napoleon and South Carolina's Salma Elbadra are the three main contenders to earn the win over 3000 meters on Saturday.
Funny enough, all three of those women reside in the Carolinas.
When it comes to Sjoberg and Elbadra, my reasoning for listing them is fairly similar. Both women first established themselves in the NCAA as competitive milers. The former ran 4:28 in the mile last winter while the latter ran 4:05 for 1500 meters this past spring. Since then, both women have showcased a tremendous jump in their aerobic fitness, each having highly successful cross country seasons.
In theory, if you pair those mile-based skillsets with obvious leaps in endurance-based strength, then you should get some scary-good 3000-meter runners.
The logic for choosing Napoleon, meanwhile, is a bit more simple.
If the NC State star can run 9:10 for 3000 meters with barriers and water pits in the way, then she should be able to comfortably dip under the nine-minute barrier without those obstacles...right?
Of course, Napoleon's fitness beyond the 3000-meter distance has also improved. While she did falter a bit at the national meet, placing 40th at the NCAA XC Championships, she did win the ACC individual cross country title after placing runner-up at the Nuttycombe Invite.
Based on pure fitness and recent success, Napoleon has to be viewed as a major threat in this field.
And yet, despite how much I believe in those three women, it feels more likely than not that someone who I have not yet mentioned will break up that trio.
Oregon is fielding a quartet of stars for this 3000-meter race at Boston U. The contingent of Juliet Cherubt, Wilma Nielsen, Bahiya El Arfaoui and Dalias Frias will all toe the line for this contest on Saturday. And while none of those four women project to be as strong over 3k as Sjoberg, Napoleon or Elbadra, that doesn't mean that they can't have a breakout race.
Nielsen is an elite miler and is almost certainly the best women's miler in the NCAA when considering all facets of racing. She hasn't competed in an Oregon singlet since last winter (when she won the mile national title), but if her aerobic fitness has improved over the last nine months, the she could be primed for a big 3000-meter race.
Cherubet, meanwhile, has run 8:57 for 3000 meters. That time, however, came in the winter of 2024 when she was racing at Texas Tech. Since then, you could argue that Cherubet hasn't reached the same peak of her fitness, but she hasn't been too far off that point, either. It's possible that she drops more time off of her personal best on Saturday.
Other names such as Allie Zealand (Liberty), Sadie Englehardt (NC State) and Chloe Foerster (Washington) are all similar to Sjoberg and Elbadra as far as their skillsets and development are concerned. Each of those women are mile-centric stars who have proven to be more than serviceable in the longer distances -- and they made clear improvements in their strength this past fall.
In theory, one of those names should pop on Saturday.
Let's also not forget about Washington State's Rosemary Longisa! She stunned the country this past fall with how incredible she was on the grass. She is someone who entered the NCAA as a middle distance runner, but has clearly become better suited for the longer distances.
On paper, the 3000 meters should be the perfect meeting point between her fast turnover and recent jump in endurance.
Men's Mile: Can Anyone Stop Tinoda Matsatsa?
This section of analysis doesn't need to be too lengthy. That's because Georgetown's Tinoda Matsatsa is the clear favorite in this field. He has a 3:54 mile PR which he ran at this meet last year. Yes, he's better known for his 800-meter prowess, but the rest of this field isn't quite strong enough to say that the Hoya junior isn't the favorite.
That said, both Laban Kipkemboi (Oklahoma State) and Camden Marshall (Indiana) should make this race competitive -- they won't just give Matsatsa the win. The former has run 3:54 in the mile while the latter has run 3:55. Kipkemboi has proven to have exceptional raw talent while Marshall is an experienced veteran who ran as fast as 1:44 for 800 meters this past summer.
Sure, Matsatsa is favored, but an upset is very much in play.
Other names such as Carter Cutting (BYU) and Karsen Vesty (Boston U.) are strong talents who could make things interesting. Cutting, in particular, is a name who I am high on over the long-term. Saturday could be a good starting point for what may be a big-time breakout season for him.
Women's Mile: Sophia Gorriaran vs The Field
The women's mile, just like the men's mile, doesn't require much analysis, either. In our eyes, Harvard's Sophia Gorriaran is the somewhat clear favorite to win this race. Sure, there are some strong talents in this field, but none of them have the accolades, pedigree or experience that this Crimson junior does.
Gorriaran, who is better known for her 800-meter prowess, holds a mile PR of 4:36. However, after a 2025 cross country season where she seemingly made strong improvements, one has to believe that she's ready for a new personal best. Plus, there isn't any woman in this field who is more familiar with this track and this setting than Gorriaran.
That said, Makayla Paige (North Carolina) could make things interesting. In fact, some may even argue that she's on equal footing as Gorriaran when it comes to the mile distance.
Paige has run 1:58-high for 800 meters and is the defending indoor national champion at that distance. She also owns marks of 4:14 (1500) and 4:38 (mile). She would need to have the mile/metric mile race of her career in order to win this race...but that is possible.
Men's & Women's 800 Meters
The women's race over 800 meters should come down to BYU's Tessa Buswell and Kennesaw State's Emma Sullivan. The former has run 2:02 for 800 meters, but owns an altitude conversion of 2:01. The latter, meanwhile, has run 2:01, outright.
I'll take Buswell in this matchup as I think she is the better racer and has more high-level experience on the indoor oval. That said, Sullivan is more than capable of taking this win.
As for the men's race...your guess is as good as mine. I'll take Klaus Scholz of Wingate for the win, but you could also convince me that Thomas Cowan of Boston U. is capable of earning gold as well.
FINAL PREDICTIONS
*Attached collegians only. Assumes that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back).
Men's 800 Meters
Klaus Scholz (Wingate) -- 1:48
Thomas Cowan (Boston U.) -- 1:49
Miguel Abaitua (Loyola (IL)) -- 1:50
Owen Pett (Boston College) -- 1:51
Aleix Lago (Wingate) -- 1:52
Women's 800 Meters
Tessa Buswell (BYU) -- 2:03
Emma Sullivan (Kennesaw State) -- 2:04
Chloe Symon (Washington) -- 2:05
Tayissa Buchanan (Penn State) -- 2:08
Sami Oblad (BYU) -- 2:08
Men's Mile
Tinoda Matsatsa (Georgetown) -- 3:54
Camden Marshall (Indiana) -- 3:55
Laban Kipkemboi (Oklahoma State) -- 3:55
Carter Cutting (BYU) -- 3:57
Karsen Vesty (Boston U.) -- 3:59
Women's Mile
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard) -- 4:34
Makayla Paige (North Carolina) -- 4:35
Jenica Swartz (Washington) -- 4:36
Sydney Masciarelli (North Carolina) -- 4:37
Olivia Millen (Michigan State) -- 4:40
Men's 3000 Meters
George Couttie (Virginia Tech) -- 7:40
Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona) -- 7:41
Simeon Birnbaum (Oregon) -- 7:43
Isaiah Givens (Colorado) -- 7:44
Jesse Hamlin (Butler) -- 7:46
Women's 3000 Meters
Angelina Napoleon (NC State) -- 8:46
Vera Sjoberg (North Carolina) -- 8:46
Salma Elbadra (South Carolina) -- 8:47
Rosemary Longisa (Washington State) -- 8:50
Wilma Nielsen (Oregon) -- 8:52
Men's 5000 Meters
Habtom Samuel (New Mexico) -- 13:00
Marco Langon (Villanova) -- 13:04
Gary Martin (Virginia) -- 13:10
Evans Kurui (Washington State) -- 13:11
Denis Kipngetich (Oklahoma State) -- 13:13
Women's 5000 Meters
Jane Hedengren (BYU) -- 14:58
Hilda Olemomoi (Florida) -- 15:05
Pamela Kosgei (New Mexico) -- 15:07
Riley Chamberlain (BYU) -- 15:14
Chloe Thomas (Washington) -- 15:15
