.png)
Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D1 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's 3000-Meter Steeplechase Preview
- Maura Beattie
- Jun 1, 2024
- 8 min read
Written by Maura Beattie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
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 athletes are ordered to match the start list
Predictions coming soon!
1. Doris Lemngole (Alabama)
A few weeks ago, Alabama’s Doris Lemngole surprised the NCAA when she took down reigning steeplechase champion, Olivia Markezich, by a lofty margin of 14 seconds. The steeplechase will be the only event that the Alabama freshman is contesting at the upcoming NCAA Outdoor Championships and based on how she’s performed at previous national meets this academic year, it seems fair to say that she's a clear national title favorite.
2. Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame)
As the reigning NCAA steeplechase champion, Fighting Irish senior Olivia Markezich has the advantage of experience on the field, but that doesn’t mean that a win is guaranteed, either. The Notre Dame veteran is one of the best overall distance runners in the field and owns the fastest PR of anyone with her 9:17 steeplechase performance from last summer. Markezich will need to replicate her postseason magic from 2023 to take down Doris Lemngole which is possible, but also much easier said than done.
3. Greta Karinauskaite (California Baptist)
At last year's outdoor national meet, California Baptist’s Greta Karinauskaite made herself extremely vulnerable by employing an aggressive front-running approach, a move that led to her being caught by Olivia Markezich and ultimately settling for 2nd place overall. Karinauskaite's competition for NCAA gold has only grown stronger this year with the introduction of Doris Lemngole and her performances so far this spring haven't been quite as exciting (although certainly not bad, either). There's an outside shot that she wins the national title, but she'll need to have her best-ever race and not let the favorites get too far ahead of her if that's going to happen.
4. Sophie Novak (Notre Dame)
What a season it’s been for Notre Dame’s Sophie Novak! The junior has consistently been getting faster with each steeplechase she races and as we enter the outdoor national meet, Novak has the potential to earn her first individual All-American honor. En route to that honor, can the Fighting Irish steeplechaser dip into the 9:30s?
5. Angelina Napoleon (NC State)
NC State true freshman Angelina Napoleon has been on a roll during this outdoor track season and she has fared relatively well during her early transition into the NCAA. The 9:54 (steeple) PR that Napoleon ran to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships leads us to believe that she’s capable of much more when in a highly competitive field. It's plenty reasonable to think that she can advance to the finals, but at the very least, gaining national meet experience for the future will be the biggest point of emphasis for the Wolfpack rookie next weekend.
6. Elise Thorner (Florida)
Elise Thorner has already earned two 5th place finishes in the steeplechase at the outdoor national meet in her career, but does she have what it takes to crack the top-three this time around? The Florida standout is coming into the NCAA Outdoor Championships with some solid momentum after running a fantastic 9:28 (steeple) earlier this spring. That clear boost in fitness paired with her extensive experience makes this Gator ace a borderline All-American lock in this event.
7. Kayla Schiera (Western Michigan)
It’s been two years since Western Michigan’s Kayla Schiera last competed in the steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but this time around, the redshirt senior could realistically find herself qualifying for the finals. Schiera is entering the "Big Dance" with a recent 9:56 (steeple) PR and has yet to finish outside of the top-four of the steeplechase this spring, two encouraging developments for the Bronco veteran.
8. Emma Tavella (Boston College)
Emma Tavella has jumped over the barriers and water pits three times throughout this outdoor track season and has recorded two sub-10:00 performances, one of which came just one second shy of bettering her 9:52 PR. After gaining valuable experience in 2023 by running in the NCAA Outdoor Championship steeplechase prelims, the Boston College transfer via UCLA is likely favored (slightly) to make the finals this time around.
9. Teresa Cherotich (South Carolina)
South Carolina is building something formidable on the distance side of their roster and freshman Teresa Cherotich may be a big part of that over the long-term when it comes to the steeplechase. The Gamecock athlete has flown under the radar as of late, but the field should start taking notice of the freshman who has run 9:55 (steeple) this spring. Cherotich has the talent to contest for an All-American honor, but it’s the national meet experience that she’s lacking.
10. Laura Taborda (Arkansas)
When she’s on her "A" game, Laura Taborda is probably viewed as a favorite for a top-10 finish in the steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. And for the most part, the extensive veteran experience that she boasts gives her a higher floor than most of her competitors. Even so, we have to wonder, can Taborda's ceiling can rise high enough to the point where she's finally adding an All-American honor to her resume next weekend?
11. Karrie Baloga (Northern Arizona)
Looks like the transfer from Colorado to Northern Arizona following the end of the cross country season has paid off well for Karrie Baloga. The Lumberjack freshman has made an immediate impact in the steeplechase this spring, consistently running low 10:00s. Baloga will need to survive the prelims at the outdoor national meet to strive for her first All-American honor, an outcome that’s not too far out of reach for the youngster.
12. Mikenna Vanderheyden (West Virginia)
Mikenna Vanderheyden is keeping West Virginia on the map in the steeplechase with teammate Ceili McCabe opting to redshirt this spring. Vanderheyden began the 2024 outdoor track season with a modest 10:26 (steeple) personal best, but since then, the Mountaineer runner has lowered that mark to 10:00. After seeing how she executed her race plan at the East Regional Championships, there's reason to believe that Vanderheyden still has some untapped potential that she could further exhibit next weekend.
13. Taylor Lovell (BYU)
BYU’s Coach Diljeet Taylor develops steeplechase athletes extremely well and redshirt freshman Taylor Lovell is no exception. The BYU talent, in just her first season contesting the steeplechase, has already recorded an impressive 9:51 PR in the event. Lovell's lack of experience is hard to look past, but her youth-based upside could lead her to a result somewhere in the All-American range on a perfect day.
14. Calli Doan (Liberty)
Redshirt senior Calli Doan of Liberty will be on the prowl for a top-10 finish in the steeplechase at the outdoor national meet after finishing in 11th place in 2023. Doan is a veteran when it comes to this event and even though she hasn’t been able to match her 9:52 (steeple) PR this spring, she peaks well for championship season which is exactly when it matters most.
15. Yasmin Austridge (Colorado State)
Yasmin Austridge has peaked just in time for the outdoor national meet. The senior ran a seasonal best of 9:58 (steeple) to win the Mountain West Conference title and then easily finished 2nd place in her heat at the West Regional Championships to secure a spot to Eugene. The Lamar-turned-Colorado State talent just needs to maintain her fitness over these next few days if she wants to make a statement at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and advance to the finals in a highly talented field.
16. Olivia Morganti (Penn)
Before heading out to Colorado next year, Olivia Morganti is aiming to leave her mark on Penn's history books. The redshirt junior is enjoying a spring season that has seen her run personal bests of 9:57 (steeple) and 16:06 (5k), the latter of which is sure to give her added endurance through two rounds of the steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. For the most part, Morganti has been super consistent this year and the best version of her could lead to a fringe All-American result.
17. Leonie Saurer (Lipscomb)
The freshman class seems to be ruling the steeplechase this season and Leonie Saurer of Lipscomb just adds to that. A 10:08 (steeple) PR at the East Regional Championships led Saurer to the outdoor national meet in what was one of the more surprising developments in this field. The nice thing for the Bison runner is that there are no expectations being placed upon her as Saurer just needs to go out, have fun and build her experience for what will likely be a fruitful college career.
18. Lona Latema (Kansas)
Lona Latema will need to find some consistency in her steeplechase performances if she wants to vie for an All-American finish at the outdoor national meet. The Kansas veteran, who owns a PR of 9:51 (steeple), has posted a large handful of results that have been all over the place this spring. And yet, Latema's prior experience and obvious raw talent makes her impossible to dismiss as we prepare to watch the prelims unfold next weekend.
19. Mattison Plummer (Illinois State)
Kudos goes out to Illinois State’s Mattison Plummer after running a steeplechase PR of 10:11 to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Even though Plummer doesn’t have any national level experience under her belt, there’s always someone who writes a Cinderella story at the end of the season. That person could be Plummer who has posted two personal bests in her last two meets.
20. Rachel Anderson (Southern Illinois)
Rachel Anderson of Southern Illinois has gotten her redemption after finishing 47th place at the 2023 West Regional Championships in the steeplechase. The Saluki ace, who ran 10:00 in this event at the Bryan Clay Invite, will be making her first trip to the outdoor national meet in the steeplechase and could be a great sleeper pick to win an All-American medal. She hasn't cracked the 10-minute barrier this spring (yet), but she hasn't run slower than 10:14 in her four tries at this event this season, either.
21. Hannah Stewart (Kansas State)
Hannah Stewart is an athlete who probably won’t make the steeplechase finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as she hasn’t run faster than 10:09 in the event. Even so, that doesn’t mean that the Wildcat runner can’t catch us off guard. Stewart’s going to be a threat among the time qualifiers if she runs like she did at the West Regional Championships.
22. Katie Clute (Oregon)
Oregon’s Katie Clute will have the home track advantage when she toes the line for the steeplechase at the outdoor national meet. Clute, only a freshman, has impressed in her first collegiate steeplechase season, running 9:59, finishing 2nd place at the PAC-12 Championships and winning her heat at the West Regional Championships. Will "Hayward Magic" be on the side of this rookie Duck who clearly has tons of untapped raw talent?
23. Janette Schraft (Iowa State)
Iowa State’s Janette Schraft caught our eye after her surprisingly comfortable 9:48 (steeple) victory at the Stanford Invite back in March. The Cyclone veteran might not be a favorite for the steeplechase title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but she’s more than capable of earning a top-eight finish, a showing that would cap off a great career in an Iowa State singlet.
24. Zoie Dundon (Minnesota)
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a Minnesota Gopher in Eugene for the outdoor national meet, but redshirt freshman Zoie Dundon is changing that. Yes, Dundon ran 9:57 (steeple) earlier this spring, but it’s really her steeplechase title at the BIG 10 Championships that put the Gopher on our radar. Despite her youth, the potential is there for Dundon to challenge for a top-10 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships if she plays her cards right in the prelims.
