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Three Sentences Or Less: 2024 D3 NCAA Outdoor Championship Men's 10k Preview
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- May 21, 2024
- 6 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. Hayden Beauchemin (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)
After flirting with the nine-minute barrier in the steeplechase this season, Hayden Beauchemin finally cracked that mark with an 8:56 PR. He would later go on to run a new 1500-meter PR of 3:47. This CMS distance talent has clearly peaked perfectly for the postseason, making him a very realistic threat to make the finals in a steeplechase field where 16 men are separated by less than three seconds.
2. Mason Brown (UW-La Crosse)
We'll admit, Mason Brown is a challenging name to gauge going into this weekend. He has contested three steeplechase races this spring, producing times that are a little all over the place (9:15 then 8:56 then 9:06). Pair that with zero prior national meet experience and you get a massive wild card who could sneak into a backend All-American spot or finish near the very bottom of this field.
3. Jack Brown (Central College)
A recent 8:57 steeplechase PR was a huge momentum boost for Jack Brown prior to the national meet. That result, however, was a clear outlier compared to the rest of his steeplechase marks. That's not necessarily the most encouraging aspect of his resume, but when you consider that he's only a freshman, jumps like that usually reflect plentiful youth-based upside.
4. Christopher Collet (Wartburg)
Christian Patzka may be the current seasonal Division Three leader in this event, but it's Christopher Collet who holds the NCAA D3 record with an 8:38 mark (barely faster than Patzka's 8:38 mark). Collet's 8:48 effort from the Drake Relays earlier this season doesn't put him in the same tier as his UW-Whitewater counterpart from a time perspective, but prior history and proven race savvy should make this Wartburg veteran a threat to Patzka and to win NCAA gold.
5. Ethan Domitrovich (John Carroll)
An 8:49 PR in the steeplechase already made Ethan Domitrovich dangerous enough. However, the fact that he was a mile All-American this past winter and boasts sneaky-good turnover could make this John Carroll talent a major problem if the finals turn even the slightest bit tactical.
6. Sam Elsen (Wheaton (IL))
Sam Elsen has only contested the steeplechase twice this year, first running 9:30 and recently running 8:58. That's a massive difference for just two races, but Elsen did something similar last year when he ran 9:16 before running 8:58...and then producing a DNF result at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Simply put, we have no idea what to expect from this Wheaton distance talent this weekend.
7. Austin Gappa (George Fox)
Unlike a handful of men in this field, Austin Gappa has shown some steadiness in the steeplechase this spring. The George Fox talent has run 9:02, 9:08, 9:04 and 8:58 in his last four attempts at this event. As long as he replicates that steadiness in the prelims, Gappa will have a realistic chance of making it to the finals despite the tightness of these seed times.
8. Cameron Hatler (Pomona-Pitzer)
Cameron Halter has proven that he can be a nationally competitive name within Division Three. However, the Pomona-Pitzer product has been unable to make it past the prelims of the steeplechase at the outdoor national meet in prior efforts. But in a field where almost half of the men are underclassmen, Hatler's veteran status should help him advance to the finals.
9. Alex Hillyard (SUNY Geneseo)
Alex Hillyard barely snuck into the national meet with an 8:59 (steeple) mark that he produced at the AARTFC Outdoor Championships (en route to a win). He has consistently cut off time from his steeple PR throughout the spring months, but he'll likely need to continue that if he wants to finish near the top-half of this field.
10. Will Kelly (St. Olaf)
The future Montana State runner holds a 8:52 steeplechase PR and a history of success in this event which should make him an All-American favorite. Will Kelly has run under the nine-minute barrier multiple times throughout his career and that reliability should serve him well in a field full of highly variable names.
11. Emmanuel Leblond (Johns Hopkins)
Despite being a sophomore, Emmanuel Leblond has showcased an ability to be nationally competitive despite his youth. His strength over 5000 meters could benefit him (more than other underclassmen) should guys like Christian Patzka and Christopher Collet opt to be aggressive with the pace.
12. Adam Loenser (UW-La Crosse)
Seeing Adam Loenser produce a monster 8:44 steeplechase PR at the Bryan Clay Invitational certainly caught our attention. However, his performances since then have left us wanting a bit more. Even so, the UW-La Crosse runner will still be heavily favored for an All-American honor in this event.
13. Zeke Micheel (Wisconsin Lutheran)
Zeke Micheel had not been truly tested in the steeplechase until he reached the Augustana Final Qualifier where he ran 9:09 and faded to 9th place. While you would certainly hope to see a better result as we prep for the NCAA Championships, it's good that Micheel at least had his first non-solo steeplechase experience of the season now rather than during the national meet.
14. Walter Moak (Oberlin)
Gosh, it's really hard to dislike Walter Moak right now. He has made steady progress in the steeplechase this season, but running 8:59 and 8:57 in his last two efforts, both en route to wins against talented fields, is extremely promising to see. Few men have the momentum that he does heading into this weekend.
15. Connor Oiler (Johns Hopkins)
Sure, Connor Oiler may be the last seed in this field, but he has run 9:10 or faster in the steeplechase four times this season and ran his 8:59 PR at the Widener Final Qualifier. With a handful of PRs scattered throughout his resume this spring, there's more to like on Oiler's resume compared to a number of men who are seeded above him.
16. Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)
With an 8:38 steeplechase PR that barely missed the NCAA D3 record, it's hard to imagine Christian Patzka not winning NCAA gold. Guys like Christopher Collet and Adam Loenser won't make things easy for him, but this UW-Whitewater runner is just flat-out better than everyone else in this field right now.
17. Elias Ritzke (UW-La Crosse)
Just as he did last year, Elias Ritzke timed his peak perfectly, running an 8:59 steeplechase PR to earn himself a spot to the national meet. After a horrid result at last year's national meet, we would expect this UW-La Crosse runner to find far greater comfort in 2024 now that he knows what to expect.
18. Caden Schneider (UW-Platteville)
Here's a fun fact: Since mid-February, Caden Schneider hasn't gone more than two meets without producing a personal best in any event (including javelin). He has also made great progress in the steeplechase, seemingly catching fire lately en route to an 8:57 PR. The sophomore from UW-Platteville isn't perfect, but there's a lot more to like about him than not.
19. Mason Shea (UW-Eau Claire)
Between a very narrow runner-up finish at the Augustana Final Qualifier en route to an 8:57 steeplechase mark, a PR of 8:53 from last year and a mile All-American honor from this past winter, Mason Shea is almost certainly better than what his 11th seed suggests. The UW-Eau Claire talent made it to the steeplechase finals of last year's outdoor national meet and although he finished last in that section, being familiar with many of these returning men can only help him.
20. Lance Sobaski (Wartburg)
One of the biggest surprises of last year's outdoor national meet was Lance Sobaski running back-to-back 8:51 marks in the steeplechase to earn NCAA bronze as a true freshman. Admittedly, the Wartburg sophomore hasn't been able to replicate that form since, although he is actually ahead of schedule in his fitness compared to last year.
21. Joey Sullivan (UW-La Crosse)
An 8:49 steeplechase PR was extremely encouraging, but what really made that result so huge was the fact that Joey Sullivan has also run 14:14 (5k) this season. On a handful of occasions, this second-year talent has more than held his own, making him a legitimate All-American threat despite his relative youth.
22. Jayden Zywicki (UW-La Crosse)
With some impressive mile prowess -- boasting a 4:07 PR and a 5th place All-American honor this past winter -- Jayden Zywicki has some lethal turnover that most men in this field can't match. Admittedly, his latest showing at the WIAC Outdoor Championships was a bit underwhelming, but his overall fitness has been on display in a far greater way than what many of his opponents have shown this spring.
