.png)
Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D2 NCAA Outdoor Championship Men's 5k Preview
- Gavin Struve
- May 21, 2024
- 7 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 alphabetically to match the start list
Predictions coming later this week!
1. William Amponsah (West Texas A&M)
If we're to believe that a 6th place finish in his first time racing this event on the national stage (at the 2024 indoor national meet) is William Amponsah's baseline, then what is his ceiling? Including as soon as this spring? This Buffalo ace is probably the biggest title favorite in the 10k and figures to have a hard effort under his legs from that event two days prior to this race, but he can't be counted out among the favorites in this event as well.
2. Jan Lukas Becker (Mississippi College)
Jan Lukas Becker is in a similar position to William Amponsah as one of the primary favorites in the 10k (he's the defending champion after all) who's doubling back for the 5k. He's admittedly tougher to place in this field than Amponsah given that he didn't double last spring and underwhelmed in this event at the indoor national meet. Even so, we can't rule out someone with Becker's pedigree to be in the mix late, especially considering he earned bronze over 5000 meters at the 2023 indoor national meet.
3. Logan Bocovich (Colorado Mines)
I'll be honest, I think Logan Bocovich's best chance at a top-half finish is in the 10k, an event in which he is more proven and one that seems to better suit his strength-based acumen. Racing a total of nearly 10 miles on the national stage over three days is a lot to ask in his first year at the D2 level. However, after the past couple of showings that he's had in the 5k -- a 13:49 PR and an RMAC title -- it's hard to fault Bocovich for competing in both events in which he's earned a spot.
4. Soheil Boufrizi (Wingate)
While he's more of a contender in the steeplechase, Soheil Boufrizi shouldn't be counted out in the 5k. His breakout 10th place finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships indicated that his aerobic reserves are greater than most anyone thought, and he just produced complementary PRs of 3:47 (1500) and 13:53 (5k) to go with his gaudy 8:37 (steeple) PR.
5. Hamza Chahid (Wingate)
With last spring's 5k national champion having now graduated, is Hamza Chahid (the 2024 indoor 5k national champion) now the favorite in this event? Romain Legendre may have something to say about that, but Chahid out-dueled him at the indoor national meet and has quickly amassed a few seasons of high-leverage postseason success at a level that even some of his greatest rivals can't match.
6. Duncan Fuehne (Colorado Mines)
After producing 5k finishes of 9th, 8th and 7th (in that order) at the past three national meets on the track, it's certainly conceivable that Duncan Fuehne continues that trend and places 6th this spring. After all, he has enjoyed a more extended ramp-up this season than he did a year ago. And even though Fuehne hasn't produced a PR this season, there's still time to do so when the stakes are highest.
7. Ryan Hartman (Augustana (SD))
Ryan Hartman has been operating at a high level for such an extended time that it's hard to believe that he was not a part of the pre-Covid era of NCAA distance running. The four-time All-American may have finished last in this event at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, but he's also coming off a top-10 finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships and recently produced commendable PRs in the 1500 meters (3:44) and 5k (13:49) which suggest that he'll succeed in this field.
8. Simon Kelati (Western Colorado)
An upset 3k national title this past winter stamped Simon Kelati as a contender in both this race and the 1500 meters as he pursues both events for the second consecutive outdoor national meet. That will be a daunting same-day double, but Kelati has already proven capable of succeeding in this type of situation when he also earned bronze in the 5k at the 2024 indoor national meet (and when he finished as a double All-American last spring). Of course, a 13:34 (5k) PR late last month doesn't hurt his candidacy here, either.
9. Peter Kipkemboi (East Central)
Sure, Peter Kipkemboi won a conference 5k title early this month, but what was more intriguing were PRs of 1:52 (800) and 3:48 (1500) while tripling at the same meet. Those marks suggest underrated speed for this cross country All-American. Still, I can't help but wonder if Kipkemboi, who has mostly raced in smaller settings, would be helped by the presence of his teammates (who are racing together in the steeplechase) given his best result to date was achieved while helping his team reach the podium last November.
10. Lars Laros (Wingate)
Lars Laros will hardly have the fastest mark in this field despite running 13:55 (5k) for the first time just last month (for better or worse, breaking 14:00 just doesn't get you as far anymore). However, he has a few elements working in his favor: First, a recent 3:45 (1500) effort implies that even some of these men shouldn't be able to simply run away from Laros late, and secondly, the presence of several teammates in this field raises his chances of being a factor in one way or another.
11. Titouan Le Grix (Wingate)
Like his aforementioned teammate, Soheil Boufrizi, Titouan Le Grix probably has stronger odds at a top-end finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase one day prior to this race. But his dynamism and success in the 1500 meters, the 5k and cross country -- and the fact that he ran his 13:49 (5k) PR in a deep Raleigh Relays field -- mean that he should have little problem staying afloat in this race.
12. Romain Legendre (Adams State)
Is Romain Legendre ready to win his first NCAA title? Forcing that question upon him feels like trying to replicate the shtick of an NBA media pundit, but this Frenchman has had such an outsized impact in his first year as a collegian that it feels like a gold medal at a national meet is the final thing he has to achieve. His NCAA D2 record (13:16) in this event tells us that Legendre's best is far better than anyone else's, but the true question is whether he's able to dictate the style of this race in a way that best plays to his strengths.
13. Josphat Meli (Harding)
This is one of the double decisions that seems most prudent as Josphat Meli and his coaches try to figure out this freshman's optimal distances, his racing style and his ceiling. He was one spot away from a top-eight finish in this event at the 2024 indoor national meet and just produced a new sub-14:00 PR. Does all of that point to Meli's first All-American honors in either this event or the 10k?
14. Cole Nash (Alaska Anchorage)
This has been a confusing academic year for Cole Nash who has at times looked like his old star self, but has mostly been fighting to rediscover that form. A 13:55 (5k) seasonal best at the Stanford Invite in March was enough to get him here and a GNAC 5k title was a nice refresher two weeks before these NCAA Outdoor Championships. Still, it's hard to think that all of that is enough for this 49th-state star to claim his first 5k All-American finish since 2022.
15. Tyler Nord (Western Colorado)
Tyler Nord has previously found more success in the shorter distance events on the national stage, although his skillset (impressive cross country strength and metric mile speed) suggests that he can thrive over this distance. We didn't see that play out when he recently lost to Logan Bocovich at the RMAC Championships, but this underclassman (who's doubling from the 1500 meters) has never failed to produce at least one All-American finish in his four national meet appearances thus far.
16. Felix Perrier (Azusa Pacific)
Another name who may be even better suited over the barriers and water pits, Felix Perrier won conference titles in both the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 5000 meters in his last showing. In running 13:48 (5k) at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Perrier suggested that he could hang with the bulk of this field, but it's still difficult to envision him finding more success in this event than in the steeplechase.
17. Luca Poppe (Wingate)
The last of five Wingate harriers in this race is arguably the least established (perhaps because he just joined the program ahead of this academic year). But Luca Poppe was stellar in earning a recent 5k win at the Franson Last Chance Meet. Plus, his 3:44 (1500) PR implies that his opponents would be wise to try to run the legs out of him early.
18. Matthew Storer (Colorado Christian)
It's wild that Matthew Storer almost feels like an afterthought in this field despite being last spring's 5k national runner-up and now the top returner from that race. A 13:47 (5k) PR in his most recent race suggests that he's as fit as he's ever been and while he feels more like an outside contender than a true favorite, Storer has a non-zero chance at nabbing his first national title in either this event or the 10k.
19. Sam Wilhelm (Alabama-Huntsville)
Sam Wilhelm placed 10th in this event at the 2024 indoor national meet which may mean that he's knocking on the door of landing in the top-eight this weekend. The question is whether he's more likely to do that over 5000 meters or 10,000 meters. Recent PRs of 13:48 in the former and 28:43 in the latter are pretty balanced, but Wilhelm's relative lack of raw foot-speed means that he may have to put himself in the mix from the start of this race even if he's competing on tired legs.
