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Three Sentences Or Less: 2023 D1 NCAA Indoor Championships Women's Mile Preview
- Scotty Loughlin
- Mar 5, 2023
- 5 min read
Written by Scotty Loughlin, edits and additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
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Our TSR writers were asked to produce three sentences or less of analysis on every entrant in every distance event for every division. We will be slowly rolling out these previews over the next week leading up to the indoor national meets. Stay tuned!
Predictions coming next week
The below list is ordered by seeding.
1. Amina Maatoug (Duke)
A versatile threat across the middle and long distances, Maatoug's sweet spot is in the mile. She'll attempt to utilize her 2:03 (800) speed and 8:55 (3k) strength in a bid for a national title. This Duke star has displayed tactical prowess all season long and appears to always find another gear when the bell rings.
2. Maia Ramsden (Harvard)
One of the most bulletproof performers in the entire country, Ivy League superstar Maia Ramsden has carried her momentum from a breakout cross country season to the indoor oval. Her unimpeachable consistency leads us to believe that it would be a bigger shock for the Crimson ace to fade outside of the top-five than it would be for her to win the national title.
3. Anna Gibson (Washington)
A battle-tested veteran, Washington's Anna Gibson has raced the mile on four occasions this season, possibly in hopes of cleaning up the tactical errors that have caused her to struggle to reach the finals of national meets in the past. This Husky star is hungry to write a new chapter that ends with an All-American honor and her incredible consistency this winter makes that goal plenty attainable.
4. Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)
After shocking the nation by scratching from the event that she won a national title in (the 800 meters), Lindsey Butler has opted to lean on her ultra-fast 4:31 mile PR from earlier this season. Could she utilize her elite middle distance speed to surprise her competition with a late surge in a tactical race?
5. Alexandra Carlson (Rutgers)
A breakout talent from BIG 10 country, Alex Carlson has exploded onto the scene, qualifying for the national meet in two events. While her racing tactics are untested (but surprisingly well adept) on the highest-possible stage, the Scarlet Knight ace comes in with momentum via multiple top-two finishes at the BIG 10 Indoor Championships in a difficult mile/3k double.
6. Lauren Gregory (Arkansas)
Utilizing the full extent of her eligibility, Arkansas veteran Lauren Gregory is slated to contest the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time since 2019. No collegiate woman in the country is as experienced as she is, a facet that makes her an incredibly safe pick for a top finish. After a handful of narrow misses in separate events, could she finally add a national title to her trophy case?
7. Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)
A rising freshman star who has looked like a different runner in the second-half of this season, Oregon's Klaudia Kazimierska seemingly skipped the developmental stage of her career after a few unexciting early-season races. Her recent 1200 meter DMR leg, where she split 3:16 via an incredible kick, should strike fear into anyone who finds themselves near the Polish Duck at the bell lap. Oh, and she's proven to be a phenomenal doubler as well.
8. Silan Ayyildiz (South Carolina)
A three-time national champion in her native Turkey, it's been impressive to see Silan Ayyildiz have no trouble acclimating to NCAA competition and make a name for herself. Taking down Flomena Asekol and contending with Lauren Gregory at the SEC Indoor Championships shows us that the up-and-coming South Carolina star is at the peak of her powers. There is still so much that we don't know about this international standout...and that's what makes her so dangerous.
9. Izzy Thornton-Bott (Oregon)
In the same vein as Maia Ramsden who we mentioned above, Oregon's Izzy Thornton-Bott has continued to ride the success that she experienced on the grass into this indoor track season. The Aussie standout has cut one second off of her mile PR each time she's raced the distance this season. Does this mean that she's peaking at the perfect time?
10. Flomena Asekol (Alabama)
A JUCO national champion in the 1500 meters during her days at New Mexico JC, Flomena Asekol has been at her best on the cross country course when donning an Alabama singlet. Her tactics will need improvement if she wishes to advance to the final and bring back hardware, but she does look like a more refined runner this winter compared to past seasons.
11. Laura Pellicoro (Portland)
A dynamic runner who can be nationally competitive in the 800 meters and in cross country, Laura Pellicoro has taken a more strength-based approach to the current indoor track season. She ran a monster PR of 9:03 (3k) earlier this winter and recently secured a signature mile victory over NCAA standouts such as Anna Gibson, Kaylee Mitchell and Juliette Whittaker. If she's firing on all cylinders, Pellicoro is just as dangerous as the women seeded above her.
12. Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)
Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell has evolved from a steeplechase specialist to a well-rounded star across all three seasons of competition. While she lacks a jaw-dropping win this season, the Beaver veteran is among a select few women who have run under 4:35 (mile) and 9:00 (3k) this winter. That dynamic skillset, paired with her extensive experience, forces us to view her as a major factor in this race.
13. Riley Chamberlain (BYU)
A freshman with an incredibly bright future ahead of her, Riley Chamberlain will gain valuable national meet experience by competing in this mile field. The Cougar rookie showed flashes of brilliance in cross country, but has truly found a home as BYU's premier miler. Yes, her inexperience on this stage could be a challenge, but many of the BYU rookies have shown incredible poise this season in loaded fields.
14. Annika Reiss (Northern Arizona)
After securing her national qualifying mark via altitude conversion, Annika Reiss will rely on her experience in elevation-based environments to give her an edge in Albuquerque, New Mexico as she fights for an All-American honor. She may not have the fastest seed time of this group, but she's one of only two women in this field who trains at altitude.
15. Olivia Howell (Illinois)
A three-time BIG 10 champion at this distance, Illinois' Olivia Howell has had a response to almost any tactical setting imaginable. Her experience and consistency should lend itself to the quality decision-making that is needed to progress through the preliminary rounds and potentially challenge for a top-three spot.
16. Margot Appleton (Virginia)
Margot Appleton has made a name for herself as Virginia's newest ace this winter following the departure of Mia Barnett. She hasn't had the flashiest resume compared to a few others in this field, but the Cavalier standout has been very consistent and has displayed ongoing improvement. Despite being the final seed, she isn't going to be someone who you can shake off very easily.
