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Three Sentences Or Less: 2023 D1 NCAA Outdoor Championship Men's 10k Preview
- Gavin Struve
- Jun 3, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 5, 2023
Written by Gavin Struve, edits and additional commentary by Garrett Zatlin
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Editor's Note: 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 leading up to the outdoor national meet. Stay tuned!
The below names are ordered by seeding (via qualifiers list)
1. Isai Rodriguez (Oklahoma State)
One of the better cross country talents in recent years, Isai Rodriguez has also been deceptively productive on the track despite never earning All-American honors on the oval. After a tumultuous 2021-22 academic year and a very quiet 2023 indoor track season, the Oklahoma State star has reestablished himself as one of the nation’s better (and more refined) 10k runners following a win at the Payton Jordan Invitational and by running the fastest time at the regional meets (28:17). All that’s left is for the Cowboy veteran to snag a top-eight finish next weekend, something Rodriguez should be primed to do, particularly if the pace is honest from the start.
2. Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas)
Patrick Kiprop deserves more praise for the improvements that he has made during this academic year which he entered with some questions about his tactics in championship races. The former Division Two superstar finished 24th at the NCAA XC Championships and 6th at the indoor national meet in the 5k, pairing improved championship racing pedigree with his already-elite aerobic capacity. He may not be favored to do so, but it wouldn’t qualify as a shock to see Kiprop finish among the top-three in this race.
3. Bob Liking (Wisconsin)
Bob Liking is most at home at this distance, holding one of the quicker PRs in the field (28:00). No longer a neophyte, Liking could be primed for a breakout performance now that he has accumulated a handful of national meet experiences and All-American finishes. And truthfully, there still might be some additional room for growth.
4. Cormac Dalton (Tulsa)
As a rock-steady veteran on one of the most consistent distance programs in recent years, Cormac Dalton has been on our radar for the last few seasons. But for as good as he was before, the Tulsa standout has entered a new plane of fitness this year, most clearly evidenced by him chopping over 45 seconds off of his 10k personal best. The Irishman could cement his leap in fitness with an All-American result next weekend, especially if the pace is honest.
5. Scott Beattie (Tulsa)
Like his teammate and UK countryman, Scott Beattie has emerged as a star-level individual talent after already playing a key role in Tulsa’s top-tier cross country lineups. However, Beattie’s rise this spring has been more dramatic than ever before, going from a solid lineup scorer to one of four collegiate men to break 28:00 (10k) this spring and thriving in shorter race distances as well. It seems more likely than not that he emerges from this field as a first-time All-American given his surprisingly well-rounded resume.
6. Charles Hicks (Stanford)
The 10k is the event where Charles Hicks is at his best, and he is still wholly capable of winning a national title next weekend even if he hasn’t seemed to level up since his triumph at the NCAA XC Championships in November. After all, he boasts the fastest personal best in this field by some margin (27:40) and could emerge as the aggressor in this race, especially with Drew Bosley not in the field. And don't forget, his kick has developed into a legitimate problem over the last few seasons.
7. James Mwaura (Gonzaga)
Now one of the elder statesmen of the NCAA, James Mwaura has a wealth of experience filled with triumphs and failures that he can draw from, including two previous NCAA Outdoor Championship 10k appearances. That includes a historically fast 2021 race in which he was one spot out of All-American honors. The Gonzaga ace also has a history of being an aggressive front-runner and the aerobic-based 10k distance offers his best opportunity at a top-eight result next weekend.
8. Ky Robinson (Stanford)
In contrast to his teammate, Charles Hicks, Ky Robinson is more commonly thought of as a 5k runner. However, he holds the second-fastest 10k personal best in this field (27:44) behind Hicks which he ran at the Commonwealth Games last year. Robinson has contested a gamut of distances this year and has battled some (very minor) inconsistency, but he’s just as dangerous as anyone in the field when hanging around late in a race.
9. Casey Clinger (BYU)
This winter brought the first time where Casey Clinger truly replicated his elite cross country success on the track, finishing in the top-four of both the 3k and the 5k at the indoor national meet. And yet, despite his praiseworthy success at those distances, there’s reason to posit that the 10k could be Clinger’s best track event. He’s a dark horse contender to win his first national title in either this race or the 5k.
10. Brandon Garnica (BYU)
One of the more underrated members of BYU's distance running powerhouse, Brandon Garnica has significant NCAA Championship experience, mostly on the grass, but has also had moments of inconsistency. Regardless of whether or not his familiarity with this stage leads to a breakthrough, he and Clinger should take some measure of reassurance from each other’s presence in this field.
11. Ben Perrin (Montana State)
Ben Perrin has played a key role in the emergence of Montana State as a long distance force. To see his impact, look no further than his back-to-back BIG Sky titles over 10,000 meters. That may not sound impressive at face value, but that means that he beat every NAU runner entered in those fields (one of which was Drew Bosley in 2022) which required a blend of strength, racing nuance and know-how, elements that should prime him well for this race
12. Alex Maier (Oklahoma State)
Alex Maier has slipped towards the back of the collective distance running conscious with a somewhat underwhelming 2023 outdoor track season. Of course, discounting him would be a fool’s errand after he has amassed five All-American finishes, including a runner-up result in this race from last year. Not to mention, he has a proclivity for (usually) peaking and delivering in the postseason.
13. Victor Kiprop (Alabama)
Victor Kiprop is perhaps the best man in the NCAA distance sphere who has yet to become an All-American. However, he has a wide range of outcomes given his previous missteps on the postseason stage. Hopefully, his front-running style, lessons from past racing misfortunes and his near-perfect execution in the 10k at the Stanford Invite mesh for a career day next weekend.
14. Barry Keane (Butler)
As much as any runner in this field, the stars appear to be aligning for Barry Keane’s first All-American finish on the track. For starters, he was one spot away from doing so last spring before achieving that feat at last fall’s NCAA XC Championships, in the top-20 no less. Pair that with a considerable 10k personal best this spring (28:04), as well as a BIG East title, and this Bulldog veteran should almost certainly be a factor in his final collegiate race.
15. Nickolas Scudder (Charlotte)
Nickolas Scudder has enjoyed his greatest highs during cross country, usually during the regular season, but it would be dismissive to call him a specialist. After all, the long-striding Conference USA star made it to this very race last year and has been just as successful in the 5k where he’s run 13:33. Either way, it seems to be no accident that he finds himself at a distance that arguably has greater variance, something Scudder should welcome.
16. Perry Mackinnon (Cornell)
Perry Mackinnon had nice cross country and indoor track seasons, but he has truly emerged from national obscurity in recent months. He’s hardly an afterthought now after finishing runner-up in this event at the Ivy League Championships by beating Acer Iverson and comfortably qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a 4th place finish at the East regional meet. How’s that for a postseason (and late career) peak?
17. Kirami Yego (South Alabama)
Kirami Yego seems like a near-lock for a top-10 finish if all goes as expected. He defeated a number of men in this field at the Raleigh Relays to open his season and should do the same to close it. The Kenya native has spent much of his career dominating smaller or lower-level fields, but has more than enough national meet experience at this point to feel comfortable amidst, and perhaps superior to, his contemporaries in this race.
18. Haftu Strintzos (Villanova)
This Wildcat veteran’s experience and aerobic aptitude make him a natural fit for this event which he’s racing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for a third-straight year. His cross country success (namely a top-10 national meet finish in 2021) hints at a higher ceiling on the oval even if Strintzos is running out of time to discover it.
19. Marcelo Rocha (Providence)
Marcelo Rocha has flown more under the radar than expected this academic year and holds one of the slower personal bests in this field. Even so, don’t expect him to feel out of his element at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He’s been on this stage before and may well intend to finish with a flourish.
20. Graham Blanks (Harvard)
One of the emergent long distance superstars may have found his sweet spot. Graham Blanks, a two-time cross country All-American, raced the 10k on the track for the first time ever earlier this spring and found fast success by finishing runner-up at the Raleigh Relays and winning the Ivy League crown. His inexperience in the event hints at untapped upside for someone who’s already a known contender and could embolden him to chase an eye-opening result in Austin.
21. Dylan Jacobs (Tennessee)
It seems wild that Dylan Jacobs hasn’t dipped under 28 minutes in the 10k yet, but this weekend could certainly be the first time that he does so. That could be the case whether he pushes the pace from the gun or relies on his enviable late-race turnover. It seems more likely than not that Jacobs leaves these NCAA Championships with a third national title, and regardless of how he fares in the 5k, he feels like the most complete distance talent in this field.
22. Paul O’Donnell (Syracuse)
The runner-up in the 10k at this year's ACC Outdoor Championships has been one of the key faces of a Syracuse team that flexed great depth back in the fall. Paul O'Donnell will also feel right at home in this field, particularly with an honest pace, as a strength-based talent. And in terms of positioning, he's excellent in that respect as well.
23. Aidan O’Gorman (North Florida)
Aidan O’Gorman is the "Cinderella" name in this field. Despite winning numerous ASUN titles over the past year, the North Florida talent still feels like a significant underdog. But after securing a national qualifying performance at the East Regional Championships, there’s something to be said for catching fire at just the right time.
24. Acer Iverson (Harvard)
It feels like Acer Iverson hasn’t had one crowning performance that has truly reflected the numerous flashes of brilliance that he has put forth. He may not be riding high this track season compared to the winter or fall, just slipping into the NCAA Outdoor Championships as the final qualifier in the 10k and not coming close to doing so in the 5k, but what matters most is that he got here and has a chance to establish, or reestablish, himself among the NCAA’s elite.
