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Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D2 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's 10k Preview
- Ian Dickenson
- May 20, 2024
- 6 min read
Written by Ian Dickenson, edits and 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 alphabetically to match the start list
Predictions coming later this week!
1. Kylie Anicic (Edinboro)
Despite being the third seed, Kylie Ancic comes in as an underdog compared to the extraordinary talent ahead of her. But don't be mistaken, at an outdoor national meet race that often results in chaos, she could near her already-lofty seeding. No matter what, we know that this Edinboro senior should be in the mix deep into this race.
2. Zoe Baker (Colorado Mines)
Zoe Baker hasn’t run a 10k PR this season, but with a recent sub-16:00 clocking in the 5k and a top-five finish in this setting a year ago, she's positioned to be at the front of this race. Baker doesn’t quite have the resume of rivals Florance Uwajeneza or Brianna Robles, but her aerobic acumen and experience level rivals those of everyone else in this pretty wide-open 10k field.
3. Najwa Chouati (Stanislaus State)
With a better background in the middle distances than many of the women whom she'll face here, Najwa Chouati has a unique skill set that could bode well for her fate in a championship race. If she’s in a position to use her turnover at the end of this race, she could move up several places.
4. Madison Clay (Catawba)
Madison Clay is one of the few underclassmen in this race, but she’s positioned to make a big splash as a returnee. She was the 14th place finisher in this race last year, but if she can replicate the form that she showed in late March when she set her 10k personal best of 34:07, then she should better that performance by quite a bit.
5. Kaela Dishion (Stanislaus State)
Kaela Dishion is one of a few runners who just snuck into this meet with a late-season performance. Sure, we'll admit it, a 4th place finish in the 5k at the CCAA Championships before her 10k national qualifying mark was not the most encouraging sign. Even so, Dishion is a cross country All-American who has historically been at her best over the longer distances, making it hard to discount her in this kind of field.
6. Madison Ebright (Grand Valley State)
As the last seed, Madison Ebright will perhaps be overlooked here, but comparatively low expectations and the pressure-cooked environment of an outdoor national meet should give her a chance to have the race of her life. Don’t count Ebright out from being a top-half finisher in this race, particularly after she has run PRs in her last three efforts.
7. Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific)
Although her best performance at a national meet came back in 2022 when she placed 4th
over this distance, Annika Esvelt's 33:41 PR this season shows us that she’s in the best shape of her life. After establishing herself as one of only four Division Two women to break 34 minutes in the 10k this season, she will surely be looking to nab a podium spot in Kansas.
8. Hannah Hartwell (Fort Lewis)
A former JUCO athlete, Hannah Hartwell has impressed during her first year in the NCAA by making it to the outdoor national meet. If she can hang on and place towards the top-half of this field (and a 10k bronze medal at the RMAC Championships suggests that's possible), then that would be enough of a success to kick-start her Division Two career as a national-caliber talent who is here to stay.
9. Mikayla Jones (Catawba)
This will be Mikayla Jones’ first time competing at a national meet on the track. However, she holds the advantage of having one of her teammates, Madison Clay, competing alongside her in this race. If they can work together, Jones could make her mark on the national scene of Division Two.
10. Molly Maksin (Colorado Mines)
Over the past four years, Molly Maksin has been in and around the podium spots at numerous national meets. But despite what her cross country success may suggest, she's been better in the 5k than the 10k. Regardless, she likely has high hopes (and little fear) for the first-half of her weekend double in her final collegiate postseason showing.
11. Iresh Molina (Chico State)
As one of only two freshmen in this field (redshirt or otherwise), the expectations on Iresh Molina may be low compared to most women in this field, but that can work in her favor. And of course, it's not like she's devoid of experience after emerging as a cross country All-American this past fall.
12. Holly Moser (Colorado Mines)
As one of five (!) Orediggers in this field, Holly Moser can rely on her teammates to propel her deep into this race. When things start to get difficult, as they always do in championship 10k races, the familiar faces around her should give her the confidence to stay in it. Moser ran her 10k PR at the 2023 outdoor national meet, so further improvement could land her first All-American finish on the oval.
13. Precious Robinson (Adams State)
Precious Robinson is one-half of a formidable Grizzly pair. She hasn’t been her best in recent races, but we know that the Adams State athletes have a tendency to turn it up when it comes to championship season (as evidenced by Robinson's five All-American honors). We expect Robinson to be relatively close by her superstar teammate...
14. Brianna Robles (Adams State)
The second and more heralded half of Adams State's star tandem in this field, Brianna Robles could be vying for her team’s first national title of this outdoor national meet. Two years removed from her stunning 2022 track season, the Adams State ace has put together yet another phenomenal campaign. Her postseason history and improved foot-speed should give her further confidence to take the national title here.
15. Hannah Smrcka (Lewis)
Another first-timer at the outdoor national meet, Hannah Smrcka has ridden a breakout year to get here. She notched conference titles on the grass, the indoor oval and just recently dominated the 5k at the GLVC Outdoor Championships. While Smrcka doesn’t have the experience that other upperclassmen in this field boast, she has taken a big step up this year and a top-half finish would be the perfect capper.
16. Grace Strongman (Colorado Mines)
Back in April, Grace Strongman ran her 10k national qualifying mark at altitude in a heavily paced race with many of her teammates. There are always questions about the validity of converted times, but after she put forth a similar performance at the RMAC Championships, it's hard to argue against her fitness. That being said, Strongman still has her work cut out for her if she wants to be among the All-American contenders in this field.
17. Aubrey Surage (Augustana (SD))
Aubrey Surage is relatively (well, totally) new to this stage of competition on the track. However, a cross country All-American honor this past fall, as well as PRs throughout 2024, suggest not only that she belongs here, but that she can hold her own.
18. Florance Uwajeneza (West Texas A&M)
The expectations are sky-high for Florance Uwajeneza in this race. With the times that she’s put down and the people who she has beaten this year (including for the indoor 5k national title), she may well be the biggest favorite in the field. Of course, it feels unfair to paint a picture of championship-or-bust considering that the reigning outdoor national meet runner-up, Brianna Robles, was over a minute faster than Uwajeneza (3rd) in this setting last year.
19. Abby VanderKooi (Grand Valley State)
Since the end of the indoor track season, Abby VanderKooi has been relatively quiet. But let’s not forget that she was one of the most talented recruits coming into Division Two just two years ago and seems bound for a true breakout result fairly soon. She clearly has the ability to be great, but will her relative lack of racing keep her from showing that at this outdoor national meet?
20. Elizabeth Wamsley (Hillsdale)
While there have been some more sudden breakout stars among Elizabeth Wamsley’s competitors, she stands out for the steady improvement that she’s shown. That trajectory has led her to building up fantastic momentum coming into this national meet with recent PRs in the 1500, the 5k and the 10k, including two of them in May. A 10k All-American finish for the second year in a row is very much in the cards for this Hillsdale veteran.
