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Three Sentences Or Less: 2026 D2 NCAA Indoor Championship Women's DMR Preview
Written by Gavin Struve, edits & 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 teams are ordered by seeding (via qualifiers list)
Predictions are coming next week!
1. Adams State Grizzlies
The prohibitive favorite for good reason, the Grizzlies' qualifying lineup features a collective total of 15 individual All-American finishes. We have good reason to think most of the women who ran that mark will contest this event at the national meet since Maggie McCleskey and Lieke Hoogsteen both scratched out of the mile. However, Adams State also ran the NCAA #2 DMR time with a "B" lineup (which featured half of the same runners), so the scratches may be partially negligible to consider.
2. West Texas A&M Buffaloes
The West Texas A&M women function like an Adams State-lite squad. They also have an 800-meter title contender in the half-mile slot (Abigail Abugire) and two cross country stars moving down in distance who might not be quite as adept at doing so as the Grizzlies. Nonetheless, leadoff leg Sarah Koomson and anchor Kalkidan Vincendeau are proven postseason performers who should keep the Buffaloes towards the front of the field.
3. CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves
In contrast to West Texas A&M, CSU-Pueblo has a middle distance-heavy lineup. In theory, that should make the ThunderWolves favorites to be second-best behind their in-state rival, Adams State, but they lost to West Texas A&M head-to-head earlier this season. Can Charlotte Young fit in seamlessly with returning bookends Jadyn Herron and Helen Braybrook and help her new team put together a strong NCAA title defense?
4. Grand Valley State Lakers
The Lakers earned DMR bronze at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships, but have four new women in their four relay spots. Fortunately for GVSU fans, the newcomers have proven capable. If 2:08 (800) freshman Daisy Speet can adeptly double back from the 800-meter prelims and 2:06 (800) sophomore Megan Postma runs as strong an anchor leg as she did earlier this season, then the Lakers can live up to their seed position.
5. Western Colorado Mountaineers
The Mountaineers don't appear to be fielding their "A" lineup at the indoor national meet, but fortunately for them, they put together two lineups that earned top-12 marks nationally this season. Emma Kjellsen and Peyton Weiss are NCAA veterans, which is needed with freshman Alissa Rall manning the 800-meter leg. Can the Mountaineers put Weiss in position to earn All-American honors?
6. Lee (Tenn.) Flames
This lineup is largely an unknown, given that it ran its national qualifying mark at a Division One meet (which also featured other solid D2 opposition). The fact that the Flames held up so well in that type of competitive setting bodes well for their chances of competing in this race. Anchor leg Aria Hawkins gives Lee (Tenn.) a chance to hang with anyone in this field if she gets the baton in a fortuitous spot, while the Gulf South Conference 400-meter runner-up, Maddox Mayfield, should hold her own.
7. Simon Fraser Red Leafs
The Red Leafs have been one of the most pleasant surprises in Division Two women's distance running this season. While the highlight of their lineup is anchor Raiya Matonovich, they should be able to hand off to their freshman phenom in a competitive position. Veronica Dee is a capable leadoff leg and Emma Canaan has 52-second 400-meter speed, giving this team fairly solid balance overall.
8. Ashland Eagles
The Eagles' All-American odds will likely reside on the back-half of their lineup clawing its way up through the field. Jade Avance is one of the best 800-meter runners in all of Division Two, let alone this field, while Hope Sievert has as much mile strength as ever before. It doesn't hurt that both of those women were members of Ashland's backend All-American DMR team last winter, but they'll need to be exceptionally great next week.
9. Fort Lewis Skyhawks
Fort Lewis may have finished "only" 4th at the RMAC Indoor Championships, but the Skyhawks' leadoff and anchor legs could give them a chance at a top-eight finish. Individual 800-meter qualifier Eliana Angelino may be stretched a bit out of her comfort zone on the 1200-meter leg, but perhaps her foot-speed and altitude training will help her hold her own in this type of competitive setting. If so, trusty senior Hannah Hartwell could anchor the Skyhawks to a strong finish.
10. Cedarville Yellow Jackets
This all-upperclassman lineup has seniors running its three longest legs and its best two runners in the bookend spots. That's a recipe for success, right? Truthfully, much of the Yellow Jackets' fortunes will come down to what kind of position star miler Emily Walsh receives the baton in and how much ground she can subsequently make up.
11. NW Missouri Bearcats
This is a fairly formidable lineup on paper with some upside, given that the Bearcats have only raced the DMR once this season and won convincingly in doing so. Middle distance talent Lydia McGlocklin will lead things off on fresh legs and MIAA 800-meter champion Marie Dea will take on the half-mile leg. Kiki Witt is a sub-4:50 miler who could find herself closer to the front-half of the field on her anchor leg than her team's seed position suggests.
12. Stanislaus State Warriors
Save for CSU-Pueblo's Helen Braybrook, Stanislaus State probably has the best anchor leg in this field. That would be reigning NCAA mile champion, Annie Wild. However, she'll quite likely be operating out of a deficit by the time she takes over for the Warriors' last leg, leaving her with quite the challenge when she gets the baton.
