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Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D2 NCAA Indoor Championship Women's 3k Preview
- Grace McLaughlin
- Mar 8, 2024
- 7 min read
Written by Grace McLaughlin, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve
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 by seeding (via qualifiers list)
1. Gracie Hyde (Adams State)
This may be Gracie Hyde’s first indoor national meet as a D2 runner, but the former Arkansas Razorback has plenty of high-level experience. The new Grizzly superstar’s historic 8:58 (3k) national record puts her eight seconds ahead of the next woman in this field and she’s proven to be a fierce competitor in addition to a supreme talent. With Hyde’s current momentum, all-time talent in this event and wicked closing speed, it's hard to imagine a scenario where she does not take home gold.
2. Kaylee Beyer (Winona State)
It’s no secret that Kaylee Beyer has been on her “A” game this year and the Winona State veteran’s recent PRs of 9:06 (3k) and 4:38 (mile), the latter being unconverted, put her in contention for the national title in both events. Despite the fact that Beyer has only run two 3k races over the course of her collegiate career (both this year), the Warrior ace has plenty of overall experience and is a three-time All-American on the track between the mile and the metric mile. Beyer’s current fitness level, dynamic range and tactical IQ put her ahead of the competition going into this race.
3. Brianna Robles (Adams State)
Brianna Robles is the top returner in this event from last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships where she was the national meet runner-up after also being the 3k bronze medalist in 2022. The Grizzly star feels like the only other realistic title contender outside of Gracie Hyde and Kaylee Beyer, and she certainly has history on her side. Robles is incredibly reliable and her consistent success from year to year makes a podium finish a probable outcome this weekend.
4. Florance Uwajeneza (West Texas A&M)
While the 3k seems a bit short to be the optimal distance in Florance Uwajeneza’s endurance-based skillset, this Buffaloe veteran is a two-time All-American in this event alone. Uwajeneza doesn’t quite have the closing speed to out-kick her competitors, but she is capable of a top-five finish, particularly in a more aggressive race, after achieving that in both 2021 and 2023.
5. Klaudia O’Malley (Grand Valley State)
Despite her standing as the fifth seed, Klaudia O'Malley's track record in this event at the NCAA Indoor Championships hasn’t been great compared to her overall level of success. Even so, the Laker ace still goes into this race as an All-American contender and has the balance of mile speed and cross country stamina to suggest that this should be an ideal distance for her to be able to respond to a variety of race tactics.
6. Morgan Hykes (Adams State)
When you hear "Adams State", Morgan Hykes likely isn’t the first runner to come to mind, but I wouldn’t underestimate her experience and steady pulse of stardom. The Grizzly junior placed 9th in this event back in 2022 and may vey well be in line for her first indoor All-American finish based on her current momentum. There may also be an argument that this has been the best season of her career.
7. Tristian Spence (Adams State)
The fourth Adams State runner entered in this event is the youngest and least experienced, but Tristian Spence's early success and momentum gives her an incredibly high ceiling. Spence’s irregular race schedule, combined with her inexperience, makes her a bit of a wildcard heading into this weekend. Of course, her 16th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships is a testament to what she is capable of on the national stage.
8. Eleonora Curtabbi (West Texas A&M)
It may be a bit surprising that a former D2 3k national record holder (albeit, briefly) is seeded eighth in the event, but it's been apparent that Eleonora Curtabbi is not firing on all cylinders this season. That being said, Curtabbi has run 9:08 over this distance before, was the runner-up finisher at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships and she's capable of being a high-end All-American yet again this weekend. She had a rough race last year which involved a blood-covered spike and a "DNF" result, so she’ll need to have peaked perfectly this winter to have a shot at redemption this year.
9. Natalie Graber (Grand Valley State)
Natalie Graber has the endurance, speed and championship experience to excel over 3000 meters. The Grand Valley State veteran earned the bronze medal in this event last season, but the elevated level of competition will make matching that result difficult. Graber seems to have more momentum in the 5k and the mile than she does in the 3k this season, but that doesn't mean this isn't the distance in which she's best suited for success.
10. Precious Robinson (Adams State)
This will be Precious Robinson’s third time competing in this event at the NCAA Indoor Championships and she has finished as high as 12th last year. Robinson qualified for the national meet in this event with a heavy altitude conversion and holds a sea level 3k PR of 9:32. She goes into this race with some unknowns regarding her current fitness level and tactical acumen, but she also has experience and plenty of endurance-based talent.
11. Maggie McCleskey (Adams State)
This Adams State sophomore exceeded expectations with her 8th place finish in the mile at the 2023 indoor national meet and now the question is, can she repeat that feat after moving up in distance? Maggie McCleskey’s most recent result of 9:24 (3k), which qualified her for the NCAA Indoor Championships, was not only impressive, but appears to be an outlier in relation to the other results that she has posted this season. McCleskey is likely not in the All-American conversation, but then again, she wasn’t in the mile last year either and still finished among the top-eight.
12. Mckenna Cavanaugh (Lee (Tenn.))
Mckenna Cavanaugh is one of the few women in this race who has somewhat limited exposure to the national stage on the track, but even she has a solid amount of overall experience. The Flame star just missed out on being an All-American on the grass this past fall with her 43rd place finish in November and her recent PRs of 9:26 (3k) and 4:46 (mile) indicate that she has an outside shot at earning that honor this weekend. Coach Caleb Morgan is known for perfectly preparing his runners for championship events, so we wouldn’t be too surprised if Cavanaugh outperforms her seed position.
13. Lauren Kiley (Grand Valley State)
Lauren Kiley comes into this race with solid momentum and a recent 3k PR of 9:27 in this event. The sophomore's season has been decent thus far and consistent overall, but nothing has stood out or indicated that she can match her early cross country success. Kiley placed 14th in this event at last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships and should better that result, but is probably more geared towards the 5k.
14. Margaux Basart (Colorado Mines)
This will be Margaux Basart's first time at a national meet on the track and inexperience will be a tough barrier to overcome. Even so, the Colorado Mines sophomore emerged as a key piece for the Orediggers on the grass this past fall and carried that momentum onto the indoor oval, something shown in her PRs of 9:28 (3k) and 4:58 (mile). However, it will take another personal best for her to land in the top-half of the results this weekend.
15. Emily Schoellkopf (Adams State)
This Adams State junior is in a similar spot as her teammate, Precious Robinson, in that she is highly experienced and has multiple All-American honors on her résumé, but there's still a better version of her that we haven't seen yet. Schoellkopf’s 3k seed time of 9:28 came from a heavy altitude conversion, but she did run 9:30 at sea level and dropped a 16:27 (5k) in December. She finished 14th in this event at last year's indoor national meet and will likely be around the same spot this weekend (maybe slightly better) based on her current fitness level.
16. Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)
Sarah Koomson’s 6th place finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships this past fall indicates that she has raw the talent to exceed her seed position. She emerged as a star rookie on the grass, but hasn’t reached the same level on the oval…well, at least not yet anyway. Koomson has made steady progress over the course of this season and will be a wildcard to watch this weekend given her youth-based upside.
17. Anna Fauske (UC-Colorado Springs)
Anna Fauske is known for her impressive cross country performances and has even competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile and the DMR before, but the 3k is uncharted territory for her. Nonetheless, the Mountain Lion ace has the experience and competitive prowess to excel in this event. UC-Colorado Springs tends to really show up at the NCAA Indoor Championships, so don’t be surprised if Fauske ends the weekend with a massive PR.
18. Leah Taylor (Western Colorado)
The recently crowned RMAC champion over 3000 meters will be one of the most exciting athletes to watch this weekend. Leah Taylor has developed into a top distance runner and a fierce competitor. She has been on a hot streak since her 13th place finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships and is one of the better distance-based backend seeds of this weekend.
19. Zoe Baker (Colorado Mines)
Zoe Baker may have been the last athlete to qualify for this event, but she likely won’t finish last based on her extensive level of experience and endurance-based talent. Baker has been reliable in the longer events for several years now, and she excels at outlasting her competitors in aggressive race scenarios. She may not have the speed or turnover that some of her competitors boast, but Baker's stamina should allow her a top-15 finish at the very least this weekend.
