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Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D2 NCAA Outdoor Championship Men's Steeplechase Preview
- TSR Collaboration
- May 21, 2024
- 6 min read
Written by Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve, edits and 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 alphabetically to match the start list
Predictions coming later this week!
1. Ricardo Barbosa (Wingate)
We knew that Ricardo Barbosa was a big-time talent when he was coming up from the JUCO ranks as a multi-time national champion in this event and he acclimated to the D2 level faster than expected during the cross country and indoor track seasons. As evidenced by an 8:40 steeplechase PR at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Barbosa absolutely has the firepower and skillset to carry over his title-winning prowess to the NCAA D2 level.
2. Kaleb Beloy (CSU-Pueblo)
A last chance meet gave Kaleb Beloy a national qualifying time and a significant PR heading into his first-ever NCAA Championship appearance across all three seasons of competition. Now the question is: Can Beloy carry that momentum forward? Or will his postseason inexperience show through?
3. Joshua Bishop (Tiffin)
After gaining valuable steeplechase experience at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Joshua Bishop will be back on the same stage a year later hoping to show what he's learned. He has contested this event early and often this spring, but produced his first sub-9:00 effort of the season just in time as he chased a few other men in this field to a qualifying mark at the 2024 Franson Last Chance meet.
4. Soheil Boufrizi (Wingate)
Soheil Boufrizi is part of a small cadre of Wingate men who are NCAA title contenders in this event and one might posit that his rise has been more sudden than those of his Bulldog contemporaries. Boufrizi already contested the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, but has since become an individual star and has bested his previous steeplechase PR by 12 seconds for the NCAA #1 mark this spring (8:37). He feels like he simultaneously has one of the highest ceilings and floors in this field in terms of what he's capable of.
5. Grant Bradley (Fort Hays State)
Rather than leave national qualification for his first outdoor national meet (or any national meet) appearance to a last chance meet, Grant Bradley and his coaches were proactive in entering him in a deep Bryan Clay Invitational field where he produced an 8:53 (steeple) PR. A conference-meet double in which he earned silver in the steeplechase and bronze (with a 3:47 PR) over 1500 meters suggests that Bradley is still sharp a month later as he readies for the postseason.
6. Tim Brown (Black Hills State)
Black Hills State (a school situated at altitude in Spearfish, South Dakota) generally receives far less shine than its RMAC contemporaries, so it's nice to see Tim Brown earn some recognition while representing the Yellow Jackets. Interestingly, Brown didn't contest the 3000-meter steeplechase at the RMAC Championships (and hasn't since 2022). But his new 8:51.92 PR at the Franson Last Chance meet put him right ahead of Joshua Bishop in that setting and one spot behind Kaleb Beloy, both of whom he'll get to race with again two weeks later.
7. Caleb Futter (Grand Valley State)
Is this Caleb Futter's year in the steeplechase? The Laker star upset Miguel Coca in the mile at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships for his first national title and is now very much in the mix to do the same in both this event and the 1500 meters. But does he have the aerobic strength to hang with an honest pace and win after finishing several seconds behind the Wingate men at the Bryan Clay Invitational last month?
8. Jeret Gillingham (Western Washington)
Jeret Gillingham hardened himself against Division One competition in his early steeplechase efforts this spring and that may well pay off during his second consecutive outdoor national meet appearance in this event. And after recently running away from the rest of the field en route to another GNAC title and an 8:45 PR, Gillingham may be the cream of the crop in this field among those who don't appear to be in the NCAA title chase.
9. Richie Johnston (Hillsdale)
Another returner from last year's steeplechase field at the outdoor national meet, Richie Johnston feels like he may be one of the more reliable men in this field. He admittedly wasn't great at the Bryan Clay Invitational, but he seems to be peaking late and still improving, as evidenced by an 8:55 PR for a conference title (over the aforementioned Bishop) at the G-MAC Outdoor Championships.
10. Aspel Kiprob (East Central)
Foremost among East Central's well-rounded podium lineup from this past fall, Aspel Kiprob is making just his second national meet appearance since entering the NCAA. After sitting out the winter months, he hasn't been as sharp as he was on the grass, but we know that Kiprob has an aerobic engine and strength reserves to rival anyone in this field. Will we see that unleashed when he closes his season in Emporia, Kansas?
11. Nixon Korir (Azusa Pacific)
It was Nixon Korir who emerged victorious from that relatively deep Franson Last Chance field and he did so via an encouraging 8:47 PR just a couple of weeks after being soundly defeated by his teammate (more to come on him) at the PacWest Championships. With four 3000-meter steeplechase efforts under his belt this spring and the best one coming most recently, Korir's prospects of repeating as an All-American feel strong.
12. Paul Korir (East Central)
Paul Korir wasn't as elite as his above-listed teammate (Aspel Kiprob) on the cross country course, but he bested him for a Great American Conference steeplechase title earlier this month. A finish in the top-half of this field may be in store if Korir, who has contested this event just twice for East Central, is able to topple Kiprob again.
13. Titouan Le Grix (Wingate)
The third head of the best steeplechase trio in recent memory, Titouan Le Grix has been just as impressive as his Wingate teammates. After finishing as a cross country All-American in the fall, he replicated that honor in the mile final several months later. His gaudy 3000-meter steeplechase PR (8:40) came not at the Bryan Clay Invitational, but at the Charlotte Invitational in an outright victory before Le Grix won a conference title in the metric mile with a 3:47 PR one week later.
14. Felix Perrier (Azusa Pacific)
The range that we have seen from Felix Perrier this season has been fantastic. With excellent aerobic strength, a strong PR and respectable turnover, this Azusa Pacific talent should be able to fare well through the rounds of the national meet and respond to most race scenarios thrown his way.
15. Edwin Siuda (Western Colorado)
A former runner for Illinois, Edwin Siuda has given us very little data when it comes to racing against Division Two competition. He did run his 8:56 steeplechase PR when he was chasing Reece Smith around the track in mid-April, but that was his only effort over the barriers and water pits at sea level in a Western Colorado singlet. In other words, we're still learning a lot about the BIG 10-turned-RMAC junior.
16. Reece Smith (NW Missouri)
The back-to-back defending D2 steeplechase national champion has been good this season, but not nearly as strong as he has proven to be in the past. His all-around racing prowess makes it impossible to leave him out of the national title conversation, but saying that Reece Smith is the favorite for NCAA gold in this event would not be an accurate reflection of the season that he has had.
17. Adnew Stueven (MSU-Moorhead)
For the most part, Adnew Stueven has been solid this season. In fact, you could argue that he still has some untapped potential within him heading into this weekend. Even so, the MSU-Moorhead product will need to elevate his fitness even further if he wants to have a shot at making it to the finals.
18. Alexander Vance (Colorado Christian)
A strong aerobic runner with plenty of raw talent, Alexander Vance is likely better than what his seed would indicate. The Colorado Christian standout has only contested the steeplechase once this year, leaving him a bit rusty at this discipline while simultaneously holding tons of potential.
19. Matisse Virey (CSU-Pueblo)
Winning the RMAC steeplechase title was encouraging, but it didn't necessarily separate Matisse Virey from the rest of this field in any distinguishable way. However, a recent 3:47 (1500) personal best at the beginning of this month is what has caught our attention as we move to the always-interesting rounds system of the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
