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Three Sentences Or Less: 2023 D3 NCAA Indoor Championship Men's 5k Preview
- Brett Haffner
- Mar 9, 2023
- 6 min read
Written by Brett Haffner, edits and additional commentary via John Cusick & Garrett Zatlin
Do you have an interest in writing for The Stride Report? We're looking for high school coverage writers and potentially NAIA coverage 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 meet. Stay tuned!
The below list is ordered by seeding
1. Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)
Christian Patzka has been running some of the best marks in Division Three history without some of the banked/oversized track advantages that many others have been able to receive. With this opportunity to battle the likes of Alex Phillip, Ethan Gregg, Sam Acquaviva and Elias Lindgren all at once, is this his time to claim glory and earn his first national title? Even if the race turns tactical, his lethal leg speed could absolutely bring him NCAA gold.
2. Ethan Gregg (UW-La Crosse)
Ethan Gregg’s tremendous leap in fitness since the cross country season has transformed him into one of Division Three’s best. This race is expected to play into his strengths assuming that it turns fast early-on. And in that scenario, this race will be his best shot to bring home a national title as he'll look to outlast his opponents.
3. Alex Phillip (John Carroll)
Alex Phillip’s reign as the Division Three record holder and reigning national champion in the 5000 meters should point to him being the national title favorite once again. However, with a slew of major contenders around him, that narrative feels less convincing this year. He'll need to bring that sharpness that we've seen all season from him in order to repeat as a national champion, but in terms of all-around racing, Phillip is still the man to beat.
4. Sam Acquaviva (MIT)
With his first appearance at a national meet on the track right in front of him, Sam Acquaviva’s incredible range and postseason “clutch” factor makes him a deadly (and very legitimate) threat to win the national title in the 5000 meters.
5. Elias Lindgren (Williams)
His courage to hammer the pace in the late stages of national meets is truly heroic and because of that, Elias Lindgren poses as one of the best aerobic threats to Alex Phillip. However, what might be the difference maker is whether or not this Williams veteran can keep his foot on the gas over the final 200 meters. If he can solve that problem, then he'll increase his chances of winning the national title.
6. Matthew Kearney (MIT)
Matthew Kearney’s breakout track season this winter saw him contest only three races with his 14:01 personal best in the 5000 meters being his season opener. He might be one of the freshest guys in the field going into this weekend and he can use that to his advantage in the late stages of this race...right?
7. Ryan Kredell (Haverford)
Speaking of fresh, Ryan Kredell’s remarkable jump up in fitness this winter has taken a pause since he posted his 14:02 (5k) qualifying mark. He hasn’t raced since late January, leaving us with some questions about his current state of fitness. Might this be a sign of him making sure that he has fresh legs...or could it be something else?
8. Cory Kennedy (RPI)
Cory Kennedy’s clutch run at the Tufts National Qualifying Meet got him his spot at the indoor national meet, running a converted 14:06 (5k) mark when it mattered the most. Will his legs be recovered enough to snag another All-American honor? Only time will tell, but Kennedy is in a great spot heading into the indoor national meet, especially with momentum and a potential postseason peak on his side.
9. Spencer Moon (Simpson (IA))
Spencer Moon’s underappreciated value and range should be kept an eye on during this 5000 meter race. He can handle a quick pace early and kick hard when needed. This should serve as a great opportunity for him to challenge for his first All-American honor on the track and maybe upset a few key names seeded ahead of him.
10. Simon Heys (Wilmington (OH))
With some strong improvements throughout this indoor track season, Simon Heys looks to be a strong candidate to earn his first All-American honor on the track. That possibility becomes even more realistic when you realize that this race will probably play into his skillset. He'll try to use his aerobic-based fitness to stick around for long enough to sneak into the top-eight.
11. Gavin McElhennon (Johns Hopkins)
Gavin McElhennon’s sneaky-good indoor track season ultimately qualified him for this year’s indoor national meet in both the 5k and the 3k. That kind of strength-based fitness leaves him as one of the more underrated talents in this field and someone who could play spoiler this weekend. The Johns Hopkins ace is probably one of the more consistent 5k/10k guys in the latter-half of this field (in terms of seeding).
12. Matt Carter (Connecticut College)
Matt Carter’s very strong end to this indoor track season gives him some great confidence and momentum heading into his first indoor national meet. He set personal bests in back-to-back weekends, implying that he's (theoretically) peaking at the right time. He'll try and take advantage of the fast start and sneak into the top-eight with a strong finish over the final few laps.
13. Andrew Mah (MIT)
Following the likes of teammates Sam Acquaviva and Matthew Kearney, Andrew Mah’s three races this indoor track season have all been terrific. His limited racing schedule has left him with fresh legs and some great momentum heading into the indoor national meet. And yet, at the same time, trying to figure out where in the All-American conversation he belongs for this race is a challenge.
14. Jeffrey Love (Connecticut College)
Jeffrey Love continues to fly under the radar as he is qualified for yet another national meet. With multiple years of experience under his belt, the Connecticut College ace is in a prime position to break that under-the-radar narrative. Marks of 8:11 (3k) and 14:20 (5k) from earlier this season suggest that he has taken a step forward in his fitness, something that he'll look to validate in one of the deeper 5k national fields that we've seen in a while.
15. Gunner Schlender (UW-Whitewater)
Gunner Schlender knows how to perform on the national stage and this year should be no different. His 6th place performance at last year’s indoor national meet in this event could very well be replicated, or bettered, with a strong race plan from the rising UW-Whitewater distance talent. He'll also likely have the luxury of knowing how title contender/favorite Christian Patzka will approach/dictate this race.
16. Brendan Knepper (Calvin)
After some close misses in 2022, Brendan Knepper has qualified for his first indoor national meet in the midst of crushing his personal bests all season long. While his results from the MIAA Indoor Championships were not very impressive, he’s had time to recoup and prepare for the bigger race ahead. As a virtual unknown before this point, Knepper is likely the most underrated guy in this field who has nothing to lose (which makes him that much more dangerous).
17. Max Svienty (North Central)
After a quiet first-half to his indoor track season, Max Svienty showed us that his success in cross country was no fluke. He performed up to his abilities and has been rewarded with his first qualification for a national meet on the track. It's just his first taste of the national stage and with that, he'll need to have his best performance (and then some) to realistically contend with some of the better seeds.
18. Isaac Wegner (UW-La Crosse)
Isaac Wegner’s fantastic indoor track season has been a fun one to follow, but we haven’t seen any recent results from the Eagles’ second star over the last month. We are wondering if his lack of performances was a decision to try and keep him fresh for this very moment. If he’s firing on all cylinders, then Wegner’s aerobic strength could very well be worthy of a top-10 finish, or even better, an All-American honor.
19. Emmanuel Leblond (Johns Hopkins)
The lone true freshman in the field, Emmanuel Leblond’s 2023 indoor track season has been impressive due to his progression since this past fall. The inexperience for Leblond could play a factor, but he was 26th at the NCAA XC Championships a few months ago, debunking the myth that experience is absolutely necessary for success. Plus, he'll have his Blue Jay teammate Gavin McElhennon with him in this field, offering some familiarity for the still-young Johns Hopkins runner.
20. Logan Bocovich (St. Olaf)
Logan Bocovich’s 5k mark from early December stuck all the way through the season and he was able to earn himself an indoor national meet appearance thanks to a scratch. Bocovich’s 12th place performance at the MIAC Indoor Championships, which was his only race since December, is admittedly a little concerning. But in a way, his latest effort could be viewed as a rust-busting race...right?
