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Three Sentences Or Less: 2023 D1 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's 5000 Meters Preview
- Maura Beattie
- Jun 7, 2023
- 8 min read
Written by Maura Beattie, edits and additional commentary via 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.
The below names are ordered by seeding (via qualifiers list)
1. Everlyn Kemboi (Utah Valley)
Rather than just biding her time en route to qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in both the 5k and the 10k, Utah Valley’s Everlyn Kemboi ran marks of 15:30 and 32:05, respectively, at the West Regional Championships. With a likely-quick 10k race on her schedule two nights before this event, how will this heavy workload affect the Wolverine star on Saturday? It's hard to say for sure, but Kemboi does have all of the intangibles to be a contender with the top women in this field.
2. Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)
Back in 2011, Villanova’s Sheila Reid successfully completed the 1500/5k double victory at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. 12 years later, NC State's Katelyn Tuohy will attempt to do the same, although she will have less than two hours to recover, not a full day. The 103 minutes between those two events will require this Wolfpack phenom to perfectly utilize her remaining energy against a 5k field that could try to make things fast in an effort to tire her out.
3. Parker Valby (Florida)
Florida superstar Parker Valby will rely on two things heading into the 5000 meter finals at the outdoor national meet: A majority of her competitors racing on tired legs after doubling back from the 1500 meters or the 10k, and her gutsy front-running style. Valby's health is admittedly a bit of question mark, but at the moment, she's seems to at least be healthy enough to be competitive with anyone in this field. Look for her to make things fast in an attempt to capitalize on a tired Katelyn Tuohy.
4. Alyson Churchill (Florida State)
Thanks to a 13-second PR, Florida State’s Alyson Churchill is making her outdoor national meet debut in the 5k. The junior talent has been quietly putting together a solid spring campaign, highlighted by her 4:13 (1500) and 15:33 (5k) personal bests. To put the cherry on the top of her breakout season, Churchill will need to further build on the highly-promising momentum that she has established this spring.
5. Emily Venters (Utah)
This has been the season that Emily Venters has been waiting for since she began her collegiate career. Even though Venters is a stronger 10k runner by comparison, the Utah veteran could be a top-three finisher in this 5k field given her extensive experience on the national stage and clear uptick in fitness. In theory, she should thrive in a race that could be made fast by a handful of women.
6. Simone Plourde (Utah)
It’s hard to believe that Utah’s Simone Plourde had never contested a 5k race until the Bryan Clay Invitational back in April. But when she did grace the track for the 12.5 lap affair, Plourde impressed immediately with a 15:21 (5k) mark, a time that pairs nicely with her recent 4:08 (1500) PR. No one is doubting that Plourde is supremely talented, but it's hard to know exactly how she'll handle doubling back from the 1500 meters (assuming she qualifies for the finals).
7. Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico)
Experience will be on Amelia Mazza-Downie’s side as she enters her third outdoor national meet in which she is contesting the 5k. The New Mexico star has finished as high as 9th place at this meet and is always in the conversation to deliver a top performance, although she has fallen short of an All-American honor over the last year. Even so, it's important to remember that this Lobo ace ran 15:18 in this event during the winter months, making her more than capable of being a top-eight finisher as long as she effectively rebounds from her 10k final.
8. Siona Chisholm (Notre Dame)
Notre Dame’s Siona Chisholm is a dark horse talent in this 5k field at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The Fighting Irish newcomer dropped a massive 15:37 PR the other weekend to clinch her national qualifying spot in this event, delivering on the potential that we've grown to suspect that she has. But will Chisholm be in over her head given her significant lack of experience on this stage?
9. Ella Baran (Colorado)
Colorado’s Ella Baran has seamlessly transitioned to Colorado after transferring from Division Three powerhouse, Johns Hopkins. Baran’s runner-up finish in the 5k at the PAC-12 Championships was impressive and she has run within striking distance of her 15:33 (5k) PR twice this spring. On paper, she's more than talented enough to be an All-American on Saturday, but her underwhelming effort at the NCAA Indoor Championships simultaneously leaves us a little cautious about her when making our predictions.
10. Lucy Jenks (Stanford)
Lucy Jenks has had a very solid outdoor track season, running personal bests of 4:14 (1500) and 15:33 (5k) which give her strong versatility that not everyone in this field boasts. The Stanford junior is returning to this stage after finishing 15th in this event at last year's outdoor national meet. And while the competition has certainly not gotten any easier, Jenks has made a ton of promising improvements this year and seems to hold a fairly complete resume.
11. Kelsey Chmiel (NC State)
Regardless of the event, Kelsey Chmiel always impresses us when All-American honors are on the line. And even though the NC State veteran hasn't had her sharpest season ever (she hasn't recorded a new 5k or 10k PR since December of 2021), Chmiel is still one of the most reliable postseason runners that the NCAA has to offer.
12. Maia Ramsden (Harvard)
It’s going to be a long weekend for Harvard’s Maia Ramsden as she tackles the 1500/5k double. The Crimson distance star has enough raw talent, proven endurance and underrated speed to be an All-American in both events. While doubling could take a toll on her, a sit-and-kick affair could allow Ramsden to use her 4:11 (1500) speed in the final moments of this 5k race.
13. Cailie Logue (Iowa State)
It’s been a busy season for Iowa State veteran Cailie Logue as she has contested three 5k races and three 10k races this spring. Logue has surprisingly only competed at one NCAA Outdoor Championship, a 10k race back in 2021, but since that performance, the Cyclone standout has gotten stronger and has gained valuable experience on the national stage. Will her improvements from this year be enough to give her an All-American honor?
14. Gracelyn Larkin (New Mexico)
New Mexico’s Gracelyn Larkin knows how to race on the national stage. The All-American talent, who is coming off of a 7th place finish in the 5k at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, has what it takes to vie for a higher finish on Saturday if she recovers well from the 10k two days prior. With a 15:29 (5k) PR and a proven track record of success, Larkin feels like one of the more reliable All-American picks in this field.
15. Jane Buckley (Providence)
Consistency has been the name of the game this spring for Providence’s Jane Buckley as the freshman talent has recorded three sub-16:00 (5k) marks, the last of which was a 15:41 PR. The Friar stud may not have the same loaded resume that her competitors do, but her consistency makes it difficult to imagine her having a poor race.
16. Sarah Carter (Colorado State)
After peaking beautifully at the tail-end of the 2023 indoor track season, Sarah Carter has been able to sustain that momentum this spring with personal bests of 15:44 (5k) and 32:58 (10k). While this Colorado State veteran is still a bit of an underdog, she has proven on numerous occasions that she can take down a handful of top distance talents in championship settings. And with no other races to worry about, Carter will enter a 5k field completely fresh whereas 10 other women (nearly half the field) will be racing on tired legs.
17. Sydney Thorvaldson (Arkansas)
Sydney Thorvaldsen of Arkansas had to nearly match her 15:41 (5k) PR at the West Regional Championships to qualify for the outdoor national meet. The Razorback sophomore has some talented shoes to fill this weekend given the history of Arkansas distance runners at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. But Thorvaldson seemingly has a ton of untapped upside that she has yet to truly show us, something that could change come Saturday.
18. Yasna Petrova (California Baptist)
At the beginning of the season, Yasna Petrova had a modest 5k PR of 16:33, but following the West Regional Championships, the California Baptist ace has shaved that time down to 15:45! The growth that we’ve seen from this Lancer standout this season has been head-turning, but the adrenaline of fast times and stellar finishes will be challenged this weekend on a stage where she is a clear underdog.
19. Brianna Weidler (UC-Davis)
In order for Brianna Weidler of UC-Davis to qualify for the outdoor national meet, the sophomore distance talent had to beat a slew of accomplished women and nearly match her current 15:48 (5k) PR. The end of Weidler's 2022 cross country season was quietly excellent, leaving us to wonder if she is someone who will continue to peak in the postseason throughout her career. So far, that seems to be the case.
20. Amaris Tyynismaa (NC State)
This will be Amaris Tyynismaa’s first NCAA Outdoor Championship as a member of the Wolfpack after transferring mid-year from Alabama. Tyynismaa has the endurance to keep pace with this field for a majority of the race, but if she wants to see an All-American result, then the NC State junior will need to tap into her 4:09 (1500) speed in the final moments of this 5k battle.
21. Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)
Chloe Scrimgeour was a surprising 2nd place finisher at the East Regional Championships in the 5k the other week, taking advantage of a slower-paced race. This has been a breakout year for this Georgetown runner who has also been fairly consistent this spring. However, we can't help but wonder if her reliability or her inexperience will win out this weekend when faced against an overwhelmingly loaded field of top talent...
22. Amina Maatoug (Duke)
Duke’s Amina Maatoug has contested the 5k twice this spring, finishing 4th overall at the ACC Outdoor Championships (on the double) and 3rd in her heat at the East Regional Championships (also on the double). Maatoug’s 15:58 (5k) PR is a bit concerning given that most of the competitors in this field have gone sub-15:40, but she's clearly capable of running faster than that. If Saturday's 5k final is tactical, then this Duke ace could be an All-American as a faster pace may put a top-eight finish out of reach for someone like her who is doubling.
23. Lydia Miller (Lipscomb)
Lipscomb junior Lydia Miller has nothing to lose in her first go-around at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Miller’s name might not be making headlines like other women in this field, but her resume is more well-rounded than some may realize. While maybe not favored to be an All-American, she could walk away from this race with a shiny 5k PR and valuable national meet experience.
24. Faith DeMars (Penn State)
Nittany Lion distance talent Faith DeMars picked up the final automatic qualifying bid to the outdoor national meet with her 5th place showing in her 5k heat at the East Regional Championships. DeMars benefited from a slower pace, crossing the line 20 seconds shy of her 15:44 PR. Even so, this Penn State runner has secured a handful of key wins this season, including a BIG 10 title which puts her in a higher tier than her seeding may suggest.
