Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D1 NCAA Indoor Championship Women's 5k Preview

Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Mar 2, 2024
4 min read

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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 teams are ordered by seeding (via qualifiers list)

Predictions coming next week!

1. Parker Valby (Florida)

Given that she completely shattered the original NCAA 5k record with a time of 14:56, it would be stunning if Parker Valby didn't win gold in this race. The Florida megastar strongly prefers to employ an aggressive front-running approach. And in a race of pure fitness and strength, it's hard to pick against this Gator phenom.

2. Doris Lemngole (Alabama)

If Parker Valby chooses to run from the front like we think she will, then Doris Lemngole will be one of the biggest beneficiaries. The Alabama freshman is another runner who likes to run hard from the gun. And while her talent isn't as refined as Valby's, she's more than capable of snagging silver next weekend.

3. Amy Bunnage (Stanford)

Seeing Amy Bunnage drop a fantastic 15:11 (5k) PR the other weekend was massive validation that she has the fitness to be an All-American favorite. However, with freshman inexperience and only three races on her resume this season, it's hard to get a proper gauge on how this Stanford star will handle Friday night's field.

4. Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State)

After running an outstanding 15:12 (5k) mark earlier this season, Taylor Roe looks like she's back in top form. And if that's the case, then you could make the argument that she could be in contention for gold, specifically if she's sees a race that plays out similar to her 2022 3k national title win. Of course, with women like Valby and Lemngole set to make this a hard-from-the-gun affair, Roe may have no choice but to hang on and see what happens.

5. Hilda Olemomoi (Alabama)

Hilda Olemomoi sits on a fine line where some may say that she's a national title contender in this event and others may say that she's closer to be an All-American lock, but nothing more. However, with her 15:17 (5k) PR, preference for quicker races and prior championship experience, the Alabama star is likely the former. Regardless, Olemomoi feels like one of the safer top-eight picks of any distance runner in any distance event next weekend.

6. Molly Born (Oklahoma State)

It's been a long road back to national prominence for Molly Born, but it has certainly been worth it. The Oklahoma State veteran was great in the fall, but has been even better this winter, recently running an altitude converted 15:23 (5k) mark at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships. Born has only raced twice this winter (both times being the 5k), but both efforts were excellent.

7. Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)

Chloe Scrimgeour has been flat-out great this winter. She has, for the most part, effectively translated her cross country fitness to the indoor oval. And while this is her first indoor national meet, it's hard to find any glaring weakness on her resume.

8. Samantha Bush (NC State)

Sam Bush was having a very good season going into the middle of February. However, her flat-track converted 15:25 (5k) mark was a bit of an outlier from her 2023 cross country season and her current seasonal bests. The NC State veteran is arguably the most dynamic runner in this field, but in a race that may be all about aerobic strength, Bush's speed and turnover may not be quite as applicable.

9. Ella Baran (Colorado)

Admittedly, Ella Baran's 15:26 (5k) mark was a bit of a surprise. She's been a consistently strong runner for the last few years, but that was certainly a noticeable jump in her fitness. Even so, this is someone who has a tendency to peak for the postseason and her last few results suggest that she is doing exactly that.

10. Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)

It's really hard to dislike Phoebe Anderson, a Columbia runner who has been so steady and reliable this year. If certain TSR writers are less inspired with the better-seeded women in this field, don't be surprised if Anderson is a popular All-American pick in our pre-race predictions.

11. Kenzie Doyle (UMass Lowell)

We were pleasantly surprised to see Kenzie Doyle throw down a huge 15:27 (5k) PR back in December. And while the UMass Lowell product has posted a handful of personal bests and solid wins since then, none of her recent performances have matched the impressiveness of that national qualifying 5k effort.

12. Grace Hartman (NC State)

There's no denying that, over the course of the last year, Grace Hartman has taken that next step from being a high potential freshman to a nationally competitive name. But while there is still plenty of untapped talent remaining within her, the converted 15:29 (5k) performance that Hartman produced a few weeks ago wasn't necessarily indicative of how the rest of her season was going.

13. Jenna Hutchins (BYU)

There is a ton of upside within Jenna Hutchins who could realistically finish as high as 5th place in this race come Friday. The challenge, however, is that the BYU sophomore has had multiple moments of inconsistency in certain postseason races over the last year, leaving her with a fairly low floor as well.

14. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU)

Lexy Halladay-Lowry has looked incredibly sharp this winter. She has posted multiple personal bests, has showcased better-than-expected turnover in the mile and hasn't had a truly poor race this season. Despite her seed position, it's very realistic to think that this BYU veteran could secure an All-American honor on Friday.

15. Aubrey Frentheway (BYU)

While she has never earned an All-American honor on the track, Aubrey Frentheway should still fare well in this field. She is a true aerobic-centric talent which, in theory, means that she should hold her own in a more honest affair. And given how well the BYU women tend to run when they're together, I wouldn't be totally shocked if Frentheway took 7th or 8th place in this race on Friday.

16. Lucy Jenks (Stanford)

With veteran experience and an ability to run under 15:40 for 5000 meters multiple times, Lucy Jenks should actually have one of the higher floors in this field. Even so, predicting an All-American finish for this Stanford runner would admittedly still feel ambitious.