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Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D2 NCAA Outdoor Championship Women's 5k Preview
- Marissa Kuik
- May 21, 2024
- 7 min read
Written by Marissa Kuik, 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)
Kylie Anicic has steadily raised her profile in 2024, most recently solidifying herself as one of the top seeds for both the 10k and the 5k. She's at her best in the longer races, and if the 5k turns into a faster-paced affair, Anicic should make it to the podium so long as she is not too tired from doubling back.
2. Betty Bajika (West Texas A&M)
Betty Bajika has displayed incredible improvement recently, going from barely running under 18 minutes in the 5k to smashing the sub-17:00 barrier en route to her first track national meet appearance. Bajika's relative inexperience on the national stage will be something that she has to grow through, but she has teammates to lean on as she navigates this race.
3. Zoe Baker (Colorado Mines)
Predicting how Zoe Baker will fare at the outdoor national meet is always a tricky objective. We know that she's capable of dropping very fast times during the regular season and she has experienced postseason success, but she hasn't always been at her best once championship season rolls around. After a disappointing 2024 indoor national meet showing, we hope to see Baker bounce back in either this event or the 10k.
4. Allison Beasley (Western Colorado)
What we're sure about with Allison Beasley entering this weekend is her top-half All-American candidacy in the steeplechase. What we're unsure of is to what extent she can stack up with the nation's best over 5000 meters, especially considering that she got here via an altitude-converted mark. Fortunately, Beasley has completed this double on the national stage before (just a year ago) and nearly made it to the podium in both events.
5. Kaylee Beyer (Winona State)
With the 5000 meters looking much more competitive compared to years past, Kaylee Beyer will have her hands full trying to land in the top-three in a second event. She will already have two 1500-meter efforts in her legs by the time she gets to this race. But don't count Beyer out just because she hasn't produced a blistering 5k mark this spring; after all, she always performs best on the national stage.
6. Marissa D’Atri (Chico State)
Marissa D’Atri is another name who has made great improvements in multiple areas in 2024. That includes a massive 10:08 PR in her main event, the 3000-meter steeplechase. While she did not run a personal best in the 5k this spring, D'Atri appears to be in the best shape of her career and could contend for a top-half finish in this field.
7. Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific)
Annika Esvelt enjoyed more success early in her career than many women in this field, but we missed her during last year’s outdoor national meet. Now, she's back with some pretty fast times, including a 16:18 (5k) effort that she ran in late March. Between this event and the 10k, Esvelt has strong odds of returning to the podium.
8. Anna Fauske (UC-Colorado Springs)
Anna Fauske has become increasingly strong in this event with not only improved times, but also a perceptible ability to push through fatigue. In many meets this season in which she doubled, Fauske either ran a fast time or placed high up in the field. That will be a huge advantage for her as most women enter this race with a number of laps already in their legs.
9. Katharina Goetschl (Academy of Art)
Katharina Goetschl is new to the national meet scene, having qualified both in the 5k and the 3000-meter steeplechase this spring. While Goetschl appears primed to reach the podium in the steeplechase, a 16:29 (5k) effort indicates that she also belongs here as well. We'll see, however, if a lack of experience plagues her double effort.
10. Gracie Hyde (Adams State)
Even though this event is the third in which she is ranked at NCAA #1 this season, the 5k will most likely present Gracie Hyde's biggest challenge yet. She holds more dominant times in the 1500 meters and the steeplechase and the 5k could be more interesting as a distance in which she has not yet won a national title in.
11. Morgan Hykes (Adams State)
Although Morgan Hykes did not run a PR in the 5k this season, she is still more than capable of squeezing onto the podium in this event. Her huge steeplechase PR of 10:06 from a few weeks ago indicates that her fitness is continuing to improve. Hykes has contested the 5k/steeplechase double before and should be just fine competing with the rest of the top pack.
12. Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)
With the help of multiple teammates in this race alongside her, Sarah Koomson could very well find herself on the podium. During the indoor national meet, Koomson hung on to her teammates in the 3k, pulling herself to a 6th place finish. The 5k is probably her better (maybe even best) event and another season of experience should be a boon for this rookie.
13. Molly Maksin (Colorado Mines)
Molly Maksin may be the last seed in this field, but do not count her out for a top-half finish. This Oredigger ace always seems to find a way to thrive when it comes to racing on the national stage, having produced a few unlikely All-American finishes. She may use up a lot of her energy in the 10k on Thursday, but she will still fight to the end in the 5k.
14. Maggie McCleskey (Adams State)
Maggie McCleskey has definitely had her ups and downs through her first two seasons at Adams State. However, this outdoor track season has been a major high as she has run as fast as 16:21 in this event. She will be racing the 1500 meters beforehand, so we'll see how she responds to doubling back, but having teammates to work with and gauge off of in this race should help.
15. Riley McGrath (Colorado Mines)
Even if her postseason results haven't necessarily shown it, we've seen improvements in Riley McGrath's endurance and strength since her transfer to Colorado Mines. Qualifying for the 5k after running a personal best is something that this Oredigger should be proud of. Although, we do wonder how she'll prioritize this race and the 1500-meter final which takes place on the same day.
16. Della Molina (Chico State)
As just a freshman, Della Molina is set to make her outdoor national meet debut. She already played a huge role for her team during the cross country season, so she shouldn't fear racing against some of the bigger names in Division Two. The only variable that may hold her back in terms of her rookie status is knowing how to navigate the always-changing 5k race.
17. Klaudia O’Malley (Grand Valley State)
One thing that Klaudia O’Malley has seemingly worked on immensely during her time at Grand Valley State is her endurance and strength in the longer events. This season, she ran her best time ever in the 5k with a mark of 15:51. O’Malley will have the 1500-meter final in her legs by the time she gets to this race, but she's no stranger to doubling and should be a contender in this setting.
18. Brianna Robles (Adams State)
Almost the opposite of Klaudia O’Malley, Brianna Robles has worked considerably on her turnover, running more middle distance races as of late. That should help her if this race turns tactical. However, if she wants her best chance at taking the title, Robles will likely have to push the pace and run the kicks out of O'Malley and teammate Gracie Hyde.
19. Emily Schoellkopf (Adams State)
Just as she has done in many seasons before, Emily Schoellkopf is rounding into optimal racing form just in time for the championship season. While she lost to Allison Beasley in the steeplechase at the RMAC Championships (as she was expected to do), Schoellkopf was able to nab conference gold in the 5k. While impressive on its own, that result paired with her effort over the barriers and water pits indicates that she has the strength to race well even on tired legs.
20. Hannah Smrcka (Lewis)
Hannah Smrcka was a big reason why Lewis had a breakout cross country season this past fall. While she unfortunately did not advance to the indoor national meet, Smrcka has since rediscovered her fall form with times of 16:30 (5k) and 34:35 (10k). Plus, she has not raced a true all-out 5k since the end of March, so she may be capable of a much faster time than her seeding suggests.
21. Tristian Spence (Adams State)
Tristian Spence going all-in on the 5000 meters was a surprising choice, but one that makes sense given this is the event she thrived in at the indoor national meet. While she may only be a redshirt freshman, she races like a veteran and could be a significant factor in this race. Spence will be one of the only contenders in this field who didn't compete on Thursday or Friday, so she may simply have more juice than some of her star counterparts.
22. Leah Taylor (Western Colorado)
The trajectory of Leah Taylor is quite similar to that of conference foe Anna Fauske. Taylor, first a miler, has also improved immensely over 5000 meters as of late, including running a personal best of 16:17 this season. Her metric mile times have not been as strong this spring as they were in seasons past, but she may have found her stride in a longer distance event this year and could have a leg up on some of her 5k contemporaries speed-wise.
23. Florance Uwajeneza (West Texas A&M)
The "less is more" approach has suited Florance Uwajeneza this spring as she has raced sparingly. However, the races that she has put together have been impressive including a sub-33:00 (10k) and a 16:00 (5k). While this 10k title contender will presumably be tired heading into this event, she is the reigning indoor 5k champion and has the veteran status to perform well under pressure.
24. Elizabeth Wamsley (Hillsdale)
After running exceptionally fast in the 10k at Bryan Clay, Elizabeth Wamsley struggled with her 5k race, running "only" 17:31 over the same weekend. However, she finally backed up her 10k effort with an impressive 16:20 (5k) at a last chance meet. The longer event may be Wamsley's priority, though, so we'll see how much this distance star has left by late Saturday afternoon.
