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Three Sentences Or Less: 2023 D1 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's 800 Meters Preview
- Scotty Loughlin
- Jun 6, 2023
- 7 min read
Written by Scotty Loughlin, 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. 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. Michaela Rose (LSU)
Michaela Rose fell to the Stanford duo of Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker at the indoor national meet this past winter, settling for 3rd place over 800 meters. But since then, this LSU star has proven to be the most fit woman in this field, dropping two 1:59 (800) marks this season in dominant fashion. Rose's aggressive front-running approach does carry some risk, but with no altitude to worry about this time around, she could legitimately run away from Willis for the national title.
2. Roisin Willis (Stanford)
The defending national champion in this event from this past winter, Roisin Willis is on a mission take home another NCAA gold medal, this time on the outdoor oval. Despite her relative youth, Willis holds experience beyond her years from U20 World Championships as well as the NCAA Indoor Championships. Her skillset should pave the way for success no matter if the race is tactical or fast from the gun.
3. Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)
The highest returner from last year’s outdoor national meet, Oklahoma State’s Gabija Galvydyte appears to be primed and ready to make a bid for a similar result at this year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Cowgirl star is sneaky-good at finding the right position within a pack and is a patient runner who always seems to have another gear over the last 50 meters. She was a bit up-and-down this past winter, but the Cowgirl ace has slowly rebuilt her momentum this spring.
4. Valery Tobias (Texas)
Easily one of the most reliable and consistent half-mile performers of the last few seasons, Valery Tobias has quietly delivered excellent results on the national stage in this event. The Texas ace has secured three All-American honors in her last three appearances on the national stage. And with an 800 meter PR of 2:00.31 now on her resume from earlier this spring, Tobias has the raw talent to handle one of the strongest half-mile fields that the NCAA has ever seen.
5. Brooke Jaworski (Texas)
Also known for being a competitive 400 meter hurdler, Texas’ Brooke Jaworski opted to go all-in for the 800 meters at the West Regional Championships, a decision that paid off to the tune of a new 2:03 personal best and a ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her speed and toughness that come with her hurdling background will be plenty valuable, but so will her prior national meet experience in this event.
6. Aurora Rynda (Michigan)
A long-time, high-level performer from BIG 10 country, Michigan’s Aurora Rynda brings a veteran presence to this field with a loaded resume that few competitors can match. This year, in particular, has been one where Rynda has become a more refined runner in championship settings, earning All-American honors on the indoor oval. This Wolverine standout is a bit hit-or-miss on the national stage, but she is undoubtedly a major All-American threat.
7. Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)
Lindsey Butler, the 2022 indoor national champion in this event, returns to her primary discipline in what has been a good season for her, but not quite her best. While she may not be the same national title contender that she has been in season's past, there are few collegiate women who you should trust more than Butler in terms of tactics in an 800 meter final.
8. MaLeigha Menegatti (Boise State)
A national meet qualifier on the indoor oval as well, MaLeigha Menegatti has continued to boost her level of fitness this spring to the tune of three personal bests between the 400 meters, the 800 meters and the 1500 meters. Menegatti appears to be peaking at the perfect time, although she still needs to prove that she can compete with (and defeat) some of the top women in this field.
9. Sarah Hendrick (Kennesaw State)
Ever since her “risk it for the biscuit” approach failed at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships, a race where Sarah Hendrick took the race out in 56 seconds through 400 meters, the Kennesaw State veteran has become one of the more reliable performers on the national stage with two All-American honors to prove it. While national title expectations may be lofty, it would be surprising to not see Hendrick in contention for a top-eight finish given her improved execution of race tactics.
10. Dorcus Ewoi (Campbell)
A JUCO national champion in the mile back in 2019, Campbell’s Dorcus Ewoi has experience delivering when it matters most. With a high volume of 800 meter efforts this season (contesting the event six times, including prelims), Ewoi has seen a variety of race settings. This Campbell ace may not be an established half-mile star like a few others in this field, but she is plenty capable of pulling off an upset.
11. Jessica Rabius (Houston Christian)
Seven-time Southland Conference champion Jessica Rabius has found the prime of her career as a senior. The Houston Christian ace has been quietly excellent this spring, but the women who she will face later this week will either overwhelm her or allow her to build upon an already-excellent breakout season.
12. Ella Nelson (Oregon)
Oregon’s Ella Nelson simply found another gear at the West Regional Championships that she had not displayed earlier in her career. By running back to back personal bests the other week, Nelson will look to ride her current wave of momentum as an underdog with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
13. Rose Pittman (UCLA)
A key piece of the Bruins’ DMR during indoor track season, Rose Pittman has saved her best for last this spring as she ran a lifetime 800 meter PR of 2:04.31 at the West Regional Championships. The Aussie middle distance talent is a true half-mile specialist whose 800 meter DMR split at the indoor national meet was better than half of the field. She may not be favored to advance to the finals, but she does seem to do fairly well in the postseason.
14. Katherine Mitchell (Boston College)
Although Boston College’s Katherine Mitchell has yet to make the finals of a national meet during her career, she still feels like a safe bet to advance and even finish as an All-American this weekend. The ACC indoor and outdoor champion over 800 meters has shown improvements in both her speed and her tactics, all while posting a new 2:01 PR in the event the other week. Mitchell may actually be one of the most complete half-mile talents in this entire field.
15. Hayley Kitching (Penn State)
Australian freshman Hayley Kitching has hit the ground running since joining the Penn State women. The Nittany Lion rookie has shown veteran-like consistency despite her youth and the national meet will be the perfect stage for her to gain high-level racing experience. Kitching will be a name to watch in the future, but her recent efforts at the BIG 10 Indoor & Outdoor Championships tell us that she could be a deep sleeper to sneak into the finals.
16. Cindy Bourdier (LSU)
French middle distance runner Cindy Bourdier has been a reliable competitor for LSU since arriving in Baton Rouge and she has rarely faltered. She has admittedly been overshadowed by her superstar teammate, Michaela Rose, but after impressively navigating the rounds at the East Regional Championships and setting an 800 meter personal best of 2:03.09, Bourdier enters the national stage with some decent momentum.
17. Claire Seymour (BYU)
Depending on who you ask, Claire Seymour may be viewed as a national title contender this weekend. After a mostly-rocky indoor track season, this BYU veteran peaked for the indoor national meet better than anyone else. With two 2:00 (800) marks on her resume this season, we can't help but wonder how dangerous Seymour could be this weekend if she performs like she historically has on the national stage.
18. Lauren Tolbert (Duke)
An up-and-coming freshman standout for the Blue Devils, Lauren Tolbert has quickly become one of the ACC’s most versatile hybrid sprint/middle distance runners. After contesting the gruesome 400/800 meter double at the ACC Outdoor Championships, Tolbert has locked-in on the two-lap affair. Admittedly, the odds are stacked against this Duke rookie, but with 52.59-second speed over 400 meters, a tactical race could make Tolbert a quietly dangerous name to watch.
19. Kayla Bell (Murray State)
Murray State’s Kayla Bell primarily emphasized speed this season, contesting the 400 meters or a leg of the 4x400 meter relay on nine occasions (including preliminary rounds). However, the Missouri Valley champion over 400 meters opted to employ an aggressive front-running approach at the East Regional Championships in the 800 meter finals. Bell has made a ton of progress this spring and may have some untapped upside, although it's unclear what race strategy would best suit her for the national stage.
20. Rachel Gearing (Penn State)
A former long and triple jumper for the Nittany Lions, Penn State’s Rachel Gearing seemingly came out of nowhere last spring when she qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in this event. With an additional year of experience and a fresh 800 meter PR of 2:02 from the East Regional Championships, Gearing is looking increasingly more dangerous, especially given the clear refinement in her tactics.
21. Taylor James (Stanford)
Two Stanford freshmen headline the second heat of the women’s 800 meters, but what you may not have expected is that the second name is not Juliette Whittaker, but rather Taylor James. The Colorado native was able to deliver a clutch performance at the West Regional Championships where she ran a 2:04 (800) PR and snagged the last national qualifying spot. However, maybe more importantly, James will be in the same preliminary heat as teammate Roisin Willis, potentially giving her an advantage by knowing how that race will play out.
22. Imogen Barrett (Florida)
Potentially one of the five-most talented women in this field, Imogen Barrett is absolutely good enough to be an All-American in this event (she was last spring). However, this Florida veteran has been a bit hit-or-miss on the national stage throughout her career. The good news is that Barrett should be able to handle the heat and humidity of Austin, Texas better than most of the women in this field.
23. Carley Thomas (Washington)
Tactically refined and nationally competitive since she first came to the NCAA, we're still waiting for Carley Thomas to deliver an All-American performance. The Washington ace has admittedly had some bad luck, breaking her femur in the summer of 2020 after COVID erased her chances of competing for a national title. If Thomas is able to return to her peak 2020 form, then she'll absolutely be a top-eight finisher this weekend.
24. Meghan Hunter (BYU)
It seems fair to say that Meghan Hunter is an underdog as she enters the NCAA Outdoor Championships. That said, she has had a few sneaky-good races over the last year or two and she has yet to return to her 2:04 (800) PR this season. That, in turn, could suggest that she still has some upside remaining for this weekend.
