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Three Sentences Or Less: 2023 D2 NCAA Indoor Championship Women's 5k Preview
- Marissa Kuik
- Mar 9, 2023
- 5 min read
Written by Marissa Kuik, edits and additional commentary by John Cusick & Garrett Zatlin
Do you have an interest in writing for The Stride Report? We're looking for high school writers and potentially NAIA 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 indoor national meets. Stay tuned!
The below list is ordered by seeding.
1. Lindsay Cunningham (Winona State)
There is no doubt that this race is going to be fast with Lindsay Cunningham dictating the pace. She runs every race from the front and isn't afraid to form early gaps. Without any proven turnover, if anyone survives her aggressive pacing, then she may fall short of a national title.
2. Brianna Robles (Adams State)
The D2 record holder in the 5k comes into this race as one of the favorites, if not the favorite, for the national title. Make no mistake though, this will not be an easy win, even for someone as credentialed as Brianna Robles. She has all of the necessary qualities to stay with the aggressive pace of Cunningham and her turnover should aid in any efforts to fend off additional company who will also be chasing NCAA gold.
3. Zoe Baker (Colorado Mines)
Zoe Baker comes into this race as one of the more experienced runners on the national stage. There have, however, been concerns about her ability to respond well in tactical racing situations during championship races. Even so, Baker has worked on her weaknesses throughout this season and this could be her year to finish higher than just the middle of the field.
4. Florance Uwajeneza (West Texas A&M)
It's been two years since we have seen Florance Uwajeneza race at the indoor national meet, but the last time that she contested this event, she finished with a silver medal. Uwajeneza has transcended into one of the best distance talents in Division Two, highlighted by her mark of 9:14 (3k) from the other week. If Uwajeneza can position herself alongside Lindsay Cunningham and Brianna Robles, then she'll at least have a shot at the national title.
5. Kira MacGill (Colorado Mesa)
Kira MacGill may be the biggest sleeper pick going into indoor national meet. Fresh off of her RMAC title in the 5k and a huge PR, MacGill is riding a ton of momentum going into this weekend. This could be the final step for the Colorado Mesa talent to truly emerge as a nationally competitive star.
6. Precious Robinson (Adams State)
Though she had a slow start to her indoor track season, Precious Robinson is slowly turning into the runner that she was this past cross country season. Robinson ran a major 5k PR just a couple of weeks ago, reminding us just how good of a runner she can be when she's firing on all cylinders. If she can race like she did in Boston, then she'll contest for a top-five finish.
7. Molly Maksin (Colorado Mines)
Sometimes overshadowed by her teammate, Molly Maksin has made a name for herself throughout the last couple of seasons. Maksin is a grinder heading into a grind-fest type of race. If she races smart while keeping her foot on the gas, then she could find herself in an All-American position when it's all done and over with.
8. Kylie Anicic (Edinboro)
Kylie Anicic has always been a talented national-caliber name, but she's never been an All-American on the track. However, her improved times throughout this season now align with some of her opponents' marks. Her new level of fitness and further refinement of her racing tactics should allow her to fight for a podium finish.
9. Najwa Chouati (Stanislaus State)
Stanislaus State decided to add an indoor track season to their schedule and thankfully they did because Najwa Chouati has qualified for the indoor national meet. Chouati has slowly moved up the national leaderboard in multiple events and that progression/growing momentum could lead to a podium finish in the right race setting for her.
10. Madison Brown (Dallas Baptist)
Madison Brown has slowly become a household name on the national stage in the longer distances, but she has struggled to finish in an All-American position. That said, she finished inside the top-40 at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall and has ridden that momentum into the indoor track season. Is it safe to say that after her incredible race efforts in the 3k (9:24) and the 5k (16:33), that Brown is a different runner than she was a year ago?
11. Marissa Insinna (Dallas Baptist)
Marissa Insinna is someone who has definitely surprised us this season. She has quietly put together a resume of 4:50 (mile), 9:32 (3k) and 16:33 (5k), making her one of the most improved and well-rounded runners in the country. However, Insinna’s lack of experience on the national stage will be the biggest thing that she has to conquer as she gets her first taste of the bright lights.
12. Lauren Kiley (Grand Valley State)
Laker rookie Lauren Kiley has quickly become one of the most dynamic runners in the country given her personal bests, but her youth could be something to monitor this weekend. Will Kiley back up her highly impressive cross country campaign from this past fall? Or will her status as a true freshman show?
13. Kayce Rypma (Grand Valley State)
Kayce Rypma just snuck into the national meet with her impressive 5k performance at the GLIAC Indoor Championships. She has finished in an All-American position before in this race, but she has found the most success over barriers. Rypma may not have jaw-dropping aerobic strength or crazy fast foot-speed, but she's highly experienced and it seems like she is improving at the right time.
14. Savannah Ackley (Cedarville)
Savannah Ackley has improved significantly over the season as she has taken over 40 seconds off of her 5k PR. This improvement has allowed her to qualify for the indoor national meet for the first time in her young career. Although Ackley has made massive improvements, her inexperience may be a challenging aspect to manage if we do see a torrid pace.
15. Emily Schoellkopf (Adams State)
Emily Schoellkopf has set personal bests in her last two 5k races that she has contested, showing us that she is getting more familiar/comfortable with the event and maybe even peaking at the right time. She'll be up against an incredible group of women and she'll likely need a third-straight lifetime performance to challenge for an All-American spot. However, she is one of the more experienced (and accomplished) underclassmen in this field.
16. Sarah May (Grand Valley State)
Qualifying for her first indoor national meet, Sarah May gets to test herself by racing against the fastest women in Division Two. May has made major improvements to get to this point, but this will also be her first indoor national meet. Her appearance will come on the heels of her struggling at the GLIAC Indoor Championships, leaving us unsure as to what we should expect from this Laker standout this weekend.
17. Jenna Ramsey (Colorado Mines)
Since transferring from Emporia State, Jenna Ramsey has had an up-and-down first year with Colorado Mines. Her limited racing schedule this season may have left us with some questions, but that could also mean that Ramsey is plenty fresh and that she has not yet shown her full end-of-season potential.
18. Elizabeth Wamsley (Hillsdale)
This will be Elizabeth Wamsley’s first indoor national meet that she has qualified for, making her a bit inexperienced going into this weekend. However, Wamsley has been racing very well as of late, setting two personal bests and winning a conference title in just the last month. She'll need to have the race of her career to finish inside the top-eight against such a strong field of women, but...it's not entirely unrealistic, either.
