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Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D1 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's 5000-Meter Preview
- Maura Beattie
- Jun 5, 2024
- 8 min read
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
Click here to see predictions!
1. Hilda Olemomoi (Alabama)
There's a real possibility that it's going to take Alabama’s Hilda Olemomoi running a 5k PR, something faster than her current 15:06 personal best (or close to it), to take down SEC rival Parker Valby at this year's outdoor national meet. Olemomoi has the experience of racing on the national stage and has never finished outside of the top-five, making her one of the more reliable All-American favorites in this field. Reaching gold will be a reach, but there's a good argument to be made that she's favored for silver.
2. Parker Valby (Florida)
As she doubles back from the 10k, will Parker Valby attempt to make this an aggressive battle to tire out others who are doubling back (to which there are many)? Or will the Gator star be more conservative through the first-half before throwing in a killer gear change? Whatever race tactic she may employ, it would take an all-time upset for Valby to walk away with anything other than gold.
3. Maia Ramsden (Harvard)
The way to ensure that Harvard middle distance star Maia Ramsden earns a top-five finish in the 5k at the outdoor national meet will be for the race to turn to a kicker’s battle. The Crimson tars will be doubling back from the 1500-meter finals on the same day, a race where she is not only the reigning champion, but also a race where she’s run a stellar 4:02 PR. The range that Ramsden has displayed throughout her career is inspiring and her ability to double so effectively this seaosn should not be overlooked going into Saturday.
4. Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)
Since the cross country season, Chloe Scrimgeour has consistently delivered at the NCAA Championships and the upcoming outdoor national meet should be no different. The Georgetown star has been extremely reliable when it comes to battling for All-American finishes, thriving in paces that are a bit more aggressive, but can she make her way to the top-three with a 10k race already in her legs?
5. Samantha Bush (NC State)
NC State’s Samantha Bush is as experienced as they get with eight All-American honors headlining her resume. The Wolfpack ace is an athlete who is seemingly peaking perfectly for the postseason after running a new 1500-meter PR of 4:09 and matching her 5k PR of 15:32 at the East Regional Championships. On paper, Bush can be an All-American in this event, but racing on tired legs adds a layer of uncertainty as to what we can expect from her this weekend.
6. Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)
Columbia junior Phoebe Anderson will be making her outdoor national meet debut this spring in the 5k and with the way that she’s competed this academic year, Anderson could very realistically walk away as an All-American spot. The Lion standout athlete took down a very strong 5k field at Wake Forest back in April en route to a 15:29 PR. If Anderson repeats that performance, then she'll be able to take advantage of a field where many of these women are racing on tired legs.
7. Chloe Thomas (Connecticut)
At the East Regional Championships, Connecticut’s Chloe Thomas nearly matched her 15:35 (5k) PR by running just two seconds slower to notch a qualifying mark for the outdoor national meet. The fast-rising Husky junior has seemingly found the "it" factor this spring and that could be enough to carry her to a top-10 finish in a deep field despite her relative inexperience.
8. Margot Appleton (Virginia)
It’s a pleasant surprise to see Virginia’s Margot Appleton qualify for the national meet over 5000 meters after finishing 3rd for the 1500-meter distance at the 2023 outdoor national meet. When Appleton ran 15:18 (5k) earlier this year, she put herself in contention to vie for a top-five finish on the national stage against some of the heavy-hitters in the longer distances. What’s going to aid the Cavalier veteran in her pursuit for an All-American finish will be her remarkable 4:08 (1500) closing speed, especially with other top contenders racing on tired legs.
9. Grace Hartman (NC State)
Sophomore Grace Hartman has been racing like a veteran and when she stands on the starting line for the 5k, we could be in for a treat from the NC State ace. Hartman has seen improvement across the board this year and even though she hasn’t matched her 15:28 (5k) PR on the outdoor oval this spring, the newfound 1500-meter speed and surprisingly great 10k strength makes this Wolfpack runner one of the more complete distance talents in this field.
10. Flomena Asekol (Florida)
Speed and range are what headline the resume of Florida’s Flomena Asekol. The Gator distance ace is a stellar talent when it comes to all-out efforts, but with her 4:07 (1500) closing speed, Asekol is theoretically a threat for the top-10 if the 5k becomes a sit-and-kick ordeal. Of course, like many others who we have spoken about, we need to consider how much will be taken out of Asekol's legs from the earlier-contested 1500-meter prelims (and possibly finals) when she toes the line for the 5k.
11. Siona Chisholm (Notre Dame)
It’s a little hard to gauge what we will see from Notre Dame’s Siona Chisholm as she has a history of posting multiple nationally competitive times, but not necessarily replicating that fitness each time she toes the line. Thankfully, the Fighting Irish junior is coming off of a strong 2nd-place finish at the ACC Championships, running a 15:32 (5k) PR in the process. Chisholm clearly has the talent to improve upon her seed time and position, but she is going to need her full potential to the stage that matters most.
12. Lily Murphy (Penn)
Believe it or not, Penn’s Lily Murphy is the only woman in this field who has never toed the line for a national meet before across any season. The rising Quaker star began her spring season with a modest 16:10 (5k) effort and has since then dropped that PR down to 15:51. Momentum is on Murphy’s side at the moment, especially over 10,000 meters, but given her inexperience (and the fact that she'll be racing on tired legs), trying to secure an All-American honor in this event would mean that she has surpassed expectations.
13. Sophia Kennedy (Stanford)
It has seemingly taken Stanford freshman Sophia Kennedy no time to acclimate to the collegiate scene. Kennedy has placed amongst the top-seven in each of the three 5k races that she has contested this spring and while this will no doubt be her toughest challenge yet, who’s to say that she doesn’t continue that trend at the NCAA Outdoor Championships? She lacks experience, but that hasn't seemingly been an issue for her throughout this year.
14. Bailey Hertenstein (Colorado)
All-American star Bailey Hertenstein is firing on all cylinders at the right time in her final collegiate season. The Colorado Buffalo's 15:18 (5k) PR is one of the best times in the NCAA this spring and it sets her up well to go out with a bang at the outdoor national meet. If Hertenstein follows the likely-aggressive pace that Parker Valby and Hilda Olemomoi will inevitably set, then the redshirt senior's raw talent could reward her with her highest NCAA Championship finish to date.
15. Sadie Sargent (BYU)
The rise of BYU’s Sadie Sargent hasn’t gone unnoticed this spring and now she’ll be a top contender for an All-American finish in the 5k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. After focusing on the steeplechase in 2023, the Cougar veteran is finding her groove in the 5k this season after posting a massive 15:34 PR. Sargent is thriving this season and there’s no telling what she will accomplish in her last race in a Cougar uniform (assuming TFRRS is accurate).
16. Annika Reiss (Northern Arizona)
When Annila Reiss ran 15:33 (5k) to finish 3rd place at the Payton Jordan Invite and take down a slew of top collegiate runners, we knew that the Northern Arizona veteran was going to have a memorable outdoor track season. This will be the Lumberjack’s outdoor national meet debut, but the established All-American shouldn’t be fazed. Coach Mike Smith has well-prepared Reiss to rely on her mix of speed and strength to lead her to a potential top-10 finish in the 5k.
17. Ella Baran (Colorado)
Ella Baran is a solid middle-of-the-pack runner and we project her to continue that trend at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Colorado Buffalo, who will be contesting her fourth 5k race of the season, is projected to finish amongst the top-half of the field based on her previous national level experience, although it's unclear if her upside (which she has plenty of) will be capitalized on to put her in the All-American hunt.
18. Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State)
During the 5k at the indoor national meet, Taylor Roe stuck on Parker Valby's heels for roughly half of the race, although Roe had to settle for runner-up honors after Valby threw in a large late surge. This time around at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the Oklahoma State veteran will likely employ the same race tactic, although don't be surprised if Roe opts to make the first move this time around.
19. Amy Bunnage (Stanford)
Will this be the weekend that Stanford’s Amy Bunnage puts everything together? The Cardinal freshman has one of the fastest 5k PRs in the field with her 15:11 mark, but we haven’t had the chance to see Bunnage at that level at an NCAA-sanctioned championship. Bunnage could finish in the top-four on her best day, but that upside hasn't necessarily been shown from her during these spring months.
20. Juliet Cherubet (Texas Tech)
Juliet Cherubet has been on fire this postseason. Between her 4:09 (1500) and 15:25 (5k) efforts, this Texas Tech freshman is the real deal and has the potential to finish in the top-five in the 5k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Inexperience at the national level may not faze Cherubet given how well she's been running, but doubling back from the 1500 meters isn't easy to do, especially for a freshman.
21. Maelle Porcher (Iowa State)
Iowa State’s Maelle Porcher is entering the NCAA Outdoor Championships with no expectations placed upon her by The Stride Report. For the Cyclone runner, the 15:44 (5k) mark that she ran earlier this season puts her amongst the chase pack. Porcher’s “A" goal for the weekend should be to improve upon her 21st seed position, something she could do if she employs a more conservative approach while others in the field fall victim to what will likely be an aggressive early pace.
22. Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona)
Gracelyn Larkin is a true veteran of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Northern Arizona Lumberjack has a history of recording All-American honors across multiple seasons and with her 15:29 (5k) PR, a top-10 finish isn’t out of the question for Larkin. Don't be surprised if the distance veteran is a bit more aggressive in what is seemingly her last collegiate race.
23. Sydney Thorvaldson (Arkansas)
Sydney Thorvaldson has developed into a savvy racer, putting together some fantastic individual efforts throughout this academic year. The Arkansas junior has fine-tuned her speed and increased her stamina, two skills that will set her up well for what’s expected to be a fast 5k at the outdoor national meet. Thorvaldson’s going to be doubling back from the 10k earlier in the meet, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the 15:25 (5k) ace who is fit enough to earn two All-American honors after this weekend.
24. Silan Ayyildiz (Oregon)
By the skin of her teeth, Oregon’s Silan Ayyildiz qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, a surprising development given how strong she has looked throughout most of this spring. The Duck distance stud opted to forgo the 1500 meters, a race that she has a 4:09 PR in, and she instead chose to put all of her eggs into the 5k basket. The 15:15 (5k) personal best that Ayyildiz recorded earlier this spring suggests that she can be a top-half All-American, but her limited experience in this event and not-so-great regional performance leaves us a little unsure as to what to expect from her.
