.png)
Three Sentences Or Less: 2023 D1 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's 10k Preview
- Maura Beattie
- Jun 3, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 5, 2023
Written by Maura Beattie, edits and additional commentary by Garrett Zatlin
Do you have an interest in writing for The Stride Report? We're looking for high school coverage writers and Division Three writers. Want to know more? Read this and send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com to let us know!
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. Everlyn Kemboi (Utah Valley)
Utah Valley’s Everlyn Kemboi could make history this weekend as she'll aim to win her program's first national title on the track. The junior distance talent has a stellar 32:03 (10k) personal best and she only ran two seconds shy of that time to win the West Regional Championships, proving that she is still in tip-top shape. The UVU ace may also be one of the more complete overall distance runners in this entire field given her consistency and 1500 meter success this spring.
2. Anna Kostarellis (Baylor)
It appears that Anna Kostarellis has found the spot where she can capitalize on her fitness following stints at Xavier University and the University of New Mexico. When the Baylor Bear surprised everyone with a then-PR of 32:13 (10k) at the Stanford Invite, and then earned a recent 32:10 (10k) PR from last weekend, she was able to firmly place herself in the All-American conversation. It's admittedly going to take another big-time performance for the redshirt senior to earn an upper-half All-American honor in this loaded field, but this race will likely unfold in a way that will benefit her racing style / skillset.
3. Emily Venters (Utah)
The 10,000 meters will be Emily Venters' best chance at winning her first NCAA Outdoor Championship title. When the Utah veteran dropped an incredible 31:48 (10k) PR at the Stanford Invite, which was a stellar 79-second PR, her name immediately entered the national title conversation. Even though this is Venters' first go at the outdoor national meet, the experience that she has gained at the cross country and the indoor national meets will be key in how she approaches the 10k this weekend.
4. Aubrey Frentheway (BYU)
After years of solid regular season consistency, BYU star Aubrey Frentheway has been rewarded with a shiny 10k PR of 32:28 and a chance to redeem herself after finishing 22nd in the 10k last spring at the outdoor national meet. It's unlikely that Frentheway will pull off a major upset next weekend, but her chances of an All-American honor seem plenty realistic as long as she delivers on her usually-excellent fitness.
5. Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico)
Amelia Mazza-Downie will be donning the turquoise this weekend for the New Mexico Lobos in both the 5k and the 10k. The junior has one of the fastest PRs in this 10k field with her 32:07 mark, but after fading (slightly) in her regular season battle with the Alabama women, can this Lobo ace race from the front and hang on for a top-five result?
6. Cailie Logue (Iowa State)
It’s the final showdown for Iowa State’s Cailie Logue who is going to be contesting the 10k/5k double next weekend. The redshirt senior doesn’t have the most consistent track record when it comes to championship races, but she has never looked as good as she has this spring. Can the Cyclone ace reach into her aerobic well and pull out her best All-American finish since finishing 4th at the 2021 NCAA Fall XC Championships?
7. Gracelyn Larkin (New Mexico)
New Mexico distance talent Gracelyn Larkin has only contested the 10k a total of three times ever, once last spring and twice this spring. Her 10k PR of 32:32 is respectable when compared to some of her competitors in this field, but it's more important to note that Larkin has been quietly great on the national stage. In terms of reliability, she is an excellent All-American pick.
8. Molly Born (Oklahoma State)
Welcome back to the top Molly Born! The Oklahoma State Cowgirl is on a revenge tour since dealing with numerous hiatuses following her 2019 cross country All-American finish. But will a lack of experience at the NCAA Outdoor Championships halt any upside that Born has?
9. India Johnson (Colorado)
Colorado’s India Johnson has been at the outdoor national meet before, finishing 20th place in 2021 and 10th place in 2022, both times in the 10k. In her final go at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Johnson's familiarity with these women and this stage could allow her to sneak into a top-eight spot. The depth of this field, however, may be the best that she has ever faced.
10. Annabel Stafford (Colorado State)
After missing out on last year's national meet, Annabel Stafford safely secured her spot to Austin, Texas with a 10th place finish last weekend, nine seconds ahead of the final qualifier, while earning a promising 32:45 (10k) PR in the process. The 10k at the outdoor national meet will be Stafford’s third effort at that distance in less than a month, leaving us to question if tired legs will come into play or if she'll be able to continue to ride her promising momentum.
11. Camila Noe (Montana State)
It’s been awhile since we've heard about Camila Noe of Montana State, the last time being when she finished 30th at the 2019 NCAA XC Championships. Yet, here comes the senior looking for a second All-American honor before leaving Bozeman. The gap between Noe and the top women in this field is admittedly quite large (time-wise), but the Bobcat veteran has had multiple moments in her career where she has performed above expectations.
12. Monica Hebner (Texas)
Huge shoutout to Monica Hebner of Texas as she bookends her collegiate career with a return trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships after qualifying as a freshman while representing Duke. The redshirt senior punched her ticket to the Big Dance with not only a 12th place finish, but also a 51-second 10k PR of 32:54! The Longhorn veteran will have the home track advantage, but it's hard to know what we should expect from her after such an out-of-nowhere performance.
13. Eleanor Mancini (La Salle)
Third time’s the charm for La Salle’s Eleanor Mancini who finally qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10k. After comfortably winning the East Regional Championships in a not-too-fast/not-too-slow time of 33:13, the Explorer veteran has the chance to continue her stellar season with an All-American result. And given how she has improved her race IQ and positioning this spring, that sounds pretty realistic.
14. Mercy Chelangat (Alabama)
Don’t be alarmed with the seeding of Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat. The veteran has almost always been in the national title conversation, especially at the 10k distance, given her extensive resume, elite-level times and front-running ability. With her final NCAA Outdoor Championship race on deck, will Chelangat repeat as the 10k national champ?
15. Hilda Olemomoi (Alabama)
If she does what she has done all season long, latching onto Crimson Tide teammate Mercy Chelangat, then it's not impossible for Hilda Olemomoi to snag a top-two finish. Between the cross country, indoor track and outdoor track seasons, the sophomore talent has consistently finished in the top-six on the national stage. And if history repeats itself, then Olemomoi is on the cusp of her fourth All-American honor of the year, especially if this race plays out like we think it will.
16. Amanda Vestri (Syracuse)
Amanda Vestri is making her return to the outdoor national meet in the 10k after a 14th place finish in 2019 and a 10th place finish in 2021...but this time, she has a much faster PR of 32:08. The Syracuse Orange senior is an experienced distance talent and if she just latches onto the leaders, then a finish on the podium isn’t out of the question for her. She did, after all, show how steady she can be over 5000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships this past winter with her All-American finish.
17. Ava Nuttall (Miami (OH))
The RedHawks of Miami (OH) will be sending Ava Nuttall to the line for the 10k in her first go at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after the junior surprised a few people with her qualifying performance. Nuttall might not have the fastest 10k PR in the field or boast an overall resume like her competitors, but she has seemingly done very well this year in large, nationally-competitive 10k fields.
18. Kelsey Chmiel (NC State)
NC State’s Kelsey Chmiel has been just outside of truly contending for an NCAA title over the last few seasons, be that on the grass or the oval, but she has yet to truly emerge as a national title favorite. Even though the redshirt junior hasn’t contested the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since finishing 8th in that race at the 2021 outdoor national meet, this Wolfpack veteran is still one of the most consistent championship racers in the country.
19. Kenzie Doyle (UMass Lowell)
It’s been a steady rise to the top for UMass Lowell’s Kenzie Doyle this year. The sophomore ended her cross country season with a strong 85th place showing at the NCAA XC Championships and has since built on her momentum. Gaining experience will be the name of the game for Doyle next weekend as she still has room to grow, but it's also important to remember that, outside of her regional 5k from last weekend, she has yet to truly have a poor race this year.
20. Sophie Atkinson (Virginia)
Virginia’s Sophie Atkinson will be competing at just her second NCAA-sanctioned championship meet, both of which have occurred during the 2022-2023 academic year. After shaving off 19 seconds to run 33:53 (10k) in a matter of two weeks, the redshirt freshman could be due to cut off even more time, especially in this kind of field. And while she is relatively inexperienced, we should also note that Atkinson is a Texas native who should be familiar with the climate.
21. Alexandra Hays (NC State)
After Alexandra Hays ran away from the 10k field at the Raleigh Relays, we immediately took notice of the NC State veteran. Hays didn’t race for a month and a half following her Raleigh Relays victory, so we aren’t necessarily sure what we will see from her at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. But what we do know is that when she's at her absolute best, the Wolfpack standout can be an outside contender for the national title.
22. Mariah Howlett (NC State)
It was admittedly a bit surprising to see NC State’s Mariah Howlett on the 10k start list for the outdoor national meet. The junior athlete didn’t secure her East Regional Championship qualifying time until the ACC Championships (her first 10k of the season) and then ran extremely well to clinch a berth to the national meet last weekend. Will a late start to Howlett's 10k campaign actually leave her with some untapped upside next weekend?
23. Erin Strzelecki (Notre Dame)
It’s been an interesting season for Notre Dame’s Erin Strzelecki. The sophomore had a decent 10k effort at the Raleigh Relays, recorded a DNF in the 5k at the Wake Forest Invite, surprised us with a 15:51 (5k) PR at the Penn Relays, recorded a DNF in the 10k at the ACC Outdoor Championships and then went on to finish 11th at the East Regional Championships with a 33:47 (10k) PR. A lack of consistency this season for the Fighting Irish distance runner isn't great, but when she is clicking, Strzelecki can be fairly competitive.
24. Daisy Liljegren (Boston University)
Five seconds separated Daisy Liljegren from not qualifying for her second outdoor national meet, but she made it in and will have the chance to improve upon her 19th place 10k finish from a year ago. The Boston U. distance ace impressed at the Raleigh Relays when she ran 33:15 (10k), a full 49 seconds better than her previous PR. It will probably take Liljegren running sub-33:00 to be competitive in this field, but given her experience and recent progress, we wouldn't count out that possibility.
