TSR's 2022 D1 Indoor Track End of Season Awards

The 2022 indoor track season was terrific. The number of headlines that we constantly needed to follow was overwhelming, but exciting, all at the same time. With the winter season now reaching its conclusion, it's time to shift our attention to the outdoor track season...well, almost.

Before that, we wanted to evaluate our biggest winners from the past three to four months and highlight some of "the best of the best". What we do is we list out five awards for the men and five awards for the women (all at the same). We list the criteria for each of these awards and then list our nominees.

In second-half of this article, you'll find our votes from TSR contributors.

Let's begin...

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Best Freshman Award (Men)

*Redshirt freshmen are not considered for this award. Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria.

Nominees: Sam Austin (Florida), Miles Brown (Michigan), Samuel Rodman (Princeton), Parker Wolfe (North Carolina), Elias Schreml (Arkansas), Anass Essayi (South Carolina), Hillary Cheruiyot (Alabama)

Sam Austin (Florida): Austin barely got himself a spot to the indoor national meet after running 1:47 for 800 meters at the SEC Championships. That result, however, got him a 3rd place finish in a loaded field. He later ran 1:47 at the indoor national meet and made a courageous move in his prelim heat to get away from his competition. That tactic didn't necessarily work, but he showed high-level consistency this season and was clearly unafraid of his competition.

Miles Brown (Michigan): Brown was fantastic this winter. His 1:47 mark at the Windy City Invite was super impressive as he was in the mix of top finishers, many of whom were some of the best middle distance talents in the country. Brown wasn't able to advance out of the prelims at the national meet, but he was a big reason why the Michigan men qualified for the national meet in the DMR. Brown's 1:15 mark for 600 meters was also wildly impressive, especially for someone as young as him.

Samuel Rodman (Princeton): Rodman's personal best of 1:48 this season wasn't quite as fast as Brown or Austin, but the amount of time that he cut off of his high school personal best (1:54) was incredible. The value Princeton ultimately got out of Rodman was likely more than they were expecting and he was also a key reason why the Tigers did so well in the DMR at the indoor national meet.

Parker Wolfe (North Carolina): After a brilliant cross country season, Wolfe showed us that he could translate his fitness from the grass to the track. His flat-track converted 7:46 (3k) was massive validation for what he did during the fall. It also didn't hurt that he flexed both speed (via a 4:00 mile) and endurance (via a 13:48 5k) this season. Wolfe didn't qualify for the national meet like a few of his fellow freshman counterparts, but he was arguably just as impressive.

Elias Schreml (Arkansas): The German miler was electric in his first year with the Arkansas men. He ran a personal best of 3:57 in the mile, later ran a 3:58 mile for 7th place (!) at the SEC Championships, was the anchor for the Razorbacks' national qualifying DMR and also earned a 2:23 personal best for 1000 meters. Schreml was the glue guy of this Arkansas roster, giving the Razorbacks an additional piece who opened up various scoring and lineup options.

Anass Essayi (South Carolina): Essayi didn't make his collegiate debut until the SEC Championships. However, with a 3:34 personal best for 1500 meters, it was hard to miss him. The South Carolina stud eventually ran a 3:57 in the mile to win the SEC title in what some might consider to be an upset. However, he did not qualify for the indoor national meet with that time.

Hillary Cheruiyot (Alabama): Cheruiyot didn't get the same love his fellow freshmen did this winter, but he was very strong throughout this entire season. He ran 7:48 and 7:49 in the 3k this year. He was also on Alabama's DMR which qualified for the national meet. Cheruiyot wasn't perfect, but gosh, running under 7:50 twice in the same season is impressive.

Best Freshman Award (Women)

*Redshirt freshmen are not considered for this award. Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria.

Nominees: Allison Johnson (Penn State), Mia Barnett (Virginia), Alexandra Carlson (Rutgers), Brynn Brown (North Carolina), Michaela Rose (LSU)

Allison Johnson (Penn State): Johnson was a superstar this year. She ran a jaw-dropping time of 2:43 for 1000 meters, ran 4:37 in the mile and ran 2:02 for 800 meters to defeat Sarah Hendrick at the Music City Challenge. Throw in a BIG 10 title and an additional 800 meter win on her home track, and you get a Penn State runner who looked unstoppable up until the national meet.

Mia Barnett (Virginia): No one in the NCAA showed better progression than Barnett did despite owning a high school 1600 meter best of 4:37 before the season began. During her first year with the Virginia women, Barnett went from a 4:40 mile to a flat-track 4:40 mile (rough 4:37 conversion) to a 4:35 mile to a 4:42 mile (prelim) to a 4:37 mile to a 4:33 mile (prelim) to a 4:42 mile. Her poise and front-running ability in the 1200 meter leg of Virginia's DMR was also wildly impressive and her willingness to go after a fast pace at the indoor national meet was commendable. Kudos to Barnett who looked like a true veteran this winter.

Alexandra Carlson (Rutgers): Carlson was fantastic this winter, emerging as a surprise star who suddenly gave Rutgers a distance running identity in the loaded BIG 10 conference. Carlson ran a 4:43 mile to start her season and shockingly upset the Kentucky duo of Jenna Gearing and Tori Herman. She later improved her mile PR to an outstanding mark of 4:36 at Boston University. Carlson would later venture to Notre Dame and run 9:15 in a very deep field. A 5th place finish in the mile at the BIG 10 Championships, a 2:06 personal best for 800 meters and a 2:48 personal best for 1000 meters rounded out an incredible season for the versatile Rutgers star.

Brynn Brown (North Carolina): Brown understandably gained plenty of attention for her successes on the grass last fall, but she has been just as effective on the track this winter. She ran a 4:37 mile time, ran 9:11 for 3000 meters earlier in the season, later improved upon that mark to run 9:04 en route to a 3rd place finish at the ACC Championships and showed off some surprising speed with a 2:49 mark for 1000 meters. Brown did a little bit of everything this winter, clearly made improvements when she needed to and simply showed a lot of promise.

Michaela Rose (LSU): Rose didn't have the same season that some of these other nominees had, but she ran 2:04 twice in back-to-back meets. She was the highest ranked true freshman in the women's 800 meters this season not named Allison Johnson. There was a good bit of consistency from Rose this winter and that should be promising for her as we look towards the outdoor track season.

Most Improved Award (Men)

*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this winter. Prior seasons are used as a very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Cole Johnson (Michigan), Evan Dorenkamp (Penn State), Duncan Miller (Princeton), Olin Hacker (Wisconsin), Alex Maier (Oklahoma State), Dario De Caro (Boise State), Matthew Carmody (Notre Dame), Ahmed Muhumed (Florida State), Yaseen Abdalla (Texas)

Cole Johnson (Michigan): Johnson had never run faster than 1:50 between indoor track and outdoor track for 800 meters. Now he owns a personal best of 1:47, went under the 1:50 barrier five different times this season and was a 6th place All-American the other weekend. Johnson has been a steady veteran and a strong tactician for a few seasons now, but this jump in fitness was completely unexpected.

Evan Dorenkamp (Penn State): Dorenkamp ran 1:49 for 800 meters last spring and qualified for the national meet in that event. That was a solid showing and it held plenty of promise, but I don't know if anyone was expecting this Penn State star to then run 3:57 and later 3:55 in the mile. Sure, a few tactical decisions in the postseason could have been better, but those mile times and his 2:21 personal best for 1000 meters showed a level of raw fitness that we had never seen before.

Duncan Miller (Princeton): With the Ivy League limiting competition for their member institutions since the start of the pandemic, we haven't had a great chance to truly evaluate some of these Ivy League talents. This ultimately led to a surprise 3:57 mile performance from Miller. The rest of his season wasn't quit as exciting, but that mile time certainly came out of nowhere.

Olin Hacker (Wisconsin): If Dorenkamp won't cause debate, then Hacker certainly will. The Wisconsin veteran has been a very strong and very reliable distance talent for years now. He entered this winter with a 7:52 personal best for 3000 meters. He was also coming off of his first individual All-American honor, a 30th place finish at the cross country national meet this past fall. Even so, no one could have predicted the surge in fitness that he would have this winter. He ran 3:56 (mile), 7:45 (3k) and 13:37 (5k). He won all five of his races leading up to the national meet where he placed 4th in a loaded 3k field. Hacker was undoubtedly a great talent before this season, but this level of elite success was unprecedented.

Alex Maier (Oklahoma State): Maier is someone who was admittedly due for a big-time indoor season. He was excellent on the grass (depending on the year) and his outdoor season gave him some strong 5k and 10k marks. However, Maier's indoor success prior to this winter was extremely underwhelming. That's why times of 3:56 (mile), 7:46 (3k) and 13:25 (5k) were so incredible. Those mile and 5k personal bests were run on the same weekend and Maier also won two BIG 12 titles (3k and DMR) this season. This Oklahoma State runner was obviously a nationally competitive name prior to this season, but certainly not to this level and certainly not on the indoor track.

Dario De Caro (Boise State): When De Caro entered the NCAA, he was posting respectable times on the outdoor oval and decent finishes during cross country, but he was far from an attention grabber. Plus, he was struggling in the postseason. But suddenly, De Caro flipped a switch on the indoor oval. He ran 13:38 (5k), 7:47 (3k) and 4:00 (mile) this winter. In fact, De Caro ran under 7:50 twice, recording a separate result of 7:48. Ultimately, De Caro didn't qualify for the national meet, but his wide range of national-level success was impressive.

Matthew Carmody (Notre Dame): Carmody has always been a solid and reliable distance talent who is often overlooked in Notre Dame's arsenal of a roster. However, before this season, his prior indoor 5k best was 13:56 and his outdoor best stands at 13:41. Those were solid times, but they didn't at all suggest that he was going to run a jaw-dropping time of 13:27 at Boston University. That was a massive surprise, although Carmody later validated his performance with an ACC title in the same event.

Ahmed Muhumed (Florida State): Much like Carmody, Muhumed has been a solid and reliable name for a while now. Prior to this season, his past indoor 5k best was 14:20 while his outdoor 5k best stands at 13:42. That's why you can understand how shocked we were when Muhumed ran 13:26 which ultimately qualified him for the indoor national meet. With a 3rd place 7:51 (3k) finish at the ACC Championships, Muhumed proved that his fitness was the real deal.

Yaseen Abdalla (Texas): A 32nd place All-American finish on the grass this past fall was outstanding for Abdalla who had been great during the cross country regular season as well. Those performances indicated that he was making improvements, but we were not at all expecting him to run as fast as he did this winter. With times of 3:57 (mile), 7:46 (3k converted) and 13:33 (5k), as well as a DMR national title, Abdalla went from a relative unknown on the track to one of the nation's most versatile and most dangerous distance weapons.

Most Improved Award (Women)

*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this winter. Prior seasons are used as a very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Emily Mackay (Binghamton), Gabija Galvydte (Oklahoma State), Brooke Jaworski (Texas), Eusila Chepkemei (Middle Tennessee State), Katie Camarena (Portland State), Laura Pellicoro (Portland), Valery Tobias (Texas), Ellie Leather (Cincinnati), Logan Jolly (Arkansas)

Emily Mackay (Binghamton): We knew Mackay was a solid, national-caliber talent before this season. Heck, she was a two-time All-American coming into this winter! But Mackay's fitness this season was next level and completely unexpected. She went from a fringe All-American to one of the most dominant distance runners in the country. The historical 5k runner ran 2:03 for 800 meters and 4:30 for the mile, all while earning a personal best of 8:54 for 3000 meters. Despite her national meet performances, Mackay was at a different level this year.

Gabija Galvydte (Oklahoma State): Prior to this season, Galvydte never ran faster than 2:08 for 800 meters. But this winter? She ran 2:03. The Oklahoma State ace made consistent progression throughout the season, won a BIG 12 title, qualified for the national meet and also earned an impressive 1000 meter personal best of 2:46. If you're looking at pure improvement, then Galvydte could be your winner.

Brooke Jaworski (Texas): Coming into this season, Jaworski had primarily been a long-sprints specialist. She did run 2:09 for 800 metres last spring, but that was hardly enough to shift her focus to the half-mile distance...until she ran 2:06 (at altitude) at the beginning of this winter season. The Texas ace would then run seven additional half-mile races to earn a 2:03 personal best and a spot to the national meet. Jaworski was a complete unknown in the half-mile prior to this season, but now she's a national-caliber name.

Eusila Chepkemei (Middle Tennessee State): Who? That was the question I found myself asking when I saw that Chepkemei ran a 16-second personal best in the mile to run 4:32. Not only that, but any questions about the legitimacy of that mark were brushed aside when Chepkemei made it to the mile finals, placing 6th overall for All-American honors. Chepkemei had a few decent 1500 meter results and some respectable cross country finishes prior to this season, but there was nothing on her resume which suggested that she would run 4:32 and be an All-American.

Katie Camarena (Portland State): Camarena's success in the 1500 meters during past outdoor track seasons certainly makes her one of the more established nominees amongst this group. However, she had never been to a national meet on the track before and her indoor experience was little-to-none. We knew that Camarena was a great 1500 meter runner, but seeing her actually translate that fitness to a 4:32 mile PR, along with a stunning 8:57 (3k) PR, was absolutely incredible. Camarena didn't have a great national meet, but she looked like a true national elite this winter.

Laura Pellicoro (Portland): Admittedly, Pellicoro didn't have much on he resume prior to this season, so it's tough to gauge her improvement. Even so, her trio of mile times (4:37, 4:34, 4:35) showed off an impressive level of national-caliber consistency that she simply didn't have last spring.

Valery Tobias (Texas): Tobias had been chipping away at her 800 meter PR since last spring, ultimately running 2:05 and showing off some underrated consistency. However, when Tobias transitioned to this indoor track season, her momentum stayed with her. The Texas star continued to work at her personal best and she was ultimately rewarded with a 2:03 personal best, a time which came at the indoor national meet where she placed 4th overall. Tobias was fantastic this year and while some astute observers might have seen this coming, her jump into being a top-end All-American was not expected.

Ellie Leather (Cincinnati): Leather was a respectable miler last winter, barely qualifying for the 2021 indoor national meet after a mass number of scratches. During that meet, Leather simply wasn't strong enough to hang with the commanding moves of the field or the overwhelming talent in front of her. However, Leather was a completely different runner this year. She beat Olivia Howell head-to-head, beat Mia Barnett and Samantha Bush head-to-head, beat Nicole Fegans head-to-head and earned a clutch 3rd place finish at the indoor national meet in the mile. Tack on personal bests of 2:05 (800) and 4:34 (mile) and Leather seemed like the last runner who anyone wanted to face in the mile this winter.

Logan Jolly (Arkansas): Many of at The Stride Report saw Jolly as more of a 3k runner entering this season. She did, after all run 9:03 this winter. And while she did boast a handful of strong marks on her resume, it was clear that she was still waiting for a breakout race. Well, sure enough, she had that breakout race at the Arkansas Qualifier. Jolly ran a 4:35 mile time in the latter portion of the season, a personal best by nearly four seconds. And just in case you thought that was a fluke, Jolly later threw down a 4:32 anchor split on the Razorbacks' DMR to win the national title. Wow.

Best Performance Award (Men)

*Must have run attached. We are looking at singular races for this award. Two or three races over the span of one day or a weekend do not count as one singular performance.

Nominees: Adriaan Wildschutt runs 13:09 for 5000 meters at Boston University which was one second off of the collegiate record, Yared Nuguse runs 7:38 (3k) en route to the collegiate record, Morgan Beadlescomb runs 3:52 in the mile to earn an NCAA #4 All-Time mark, Texas men upset Notre Dame in DMR to win the national title, Brandon Miller solos a 1:45 (800) mark at the SEC Championships, Abdi Nur wins men's 5k national title, Abdi Nur wins men's 3k national title.

Wildschutt's 13:09 (5k): Wildschutt thrived in a fast 5k setting at Boston University. That race perfectly suited his strengths as someone who thrives in aerobic-based, all-out settings. Sure enough, he made the most of his opportunity and ran 13:09 for 5000 meters, just one second off of the collegiate record.

Nuguse's 7:38 (3k) collegiate record: Seeing Nuguse run the latter-half of his 3k collegiate record all alone makes his record that much more impressive. After building his reputation in the mile and the 1500 meters, Nuguse now has a record that makes his resume awfully challenging to ignore.

Beadlescomb's 3:52 mile: No one in the NCAA had "Beadlescomb owning the fastest mile time in the nation" on their bingo sheet. Beadlescomb was obviously fit and we at TSR knew that he had more speed than some people realized. However, running a 3:52 and battling with both Teare and Hocker in a race that was designed specifically for them, and not Beadlescomb, was super exciting and fairly thrilling.

Texas upsets Notre Dame in DMR: The Notre Dame men were the obvious favorites to win the national title in the men's DMR, even if Nuguse was behind with the baton. The Texas men, meanwhile, had a limited lineup and had Carrozza doubling back from the mile prelims. In theory, this race was not favorable for the Longhorns. However, Cruz Gomez showed tremendous poise, Crayton Carrozza was outstanding on the double and Yaseen Abdalla had arguably the best race of his life to split 3:55, out-kicking Nuguse and win the national title.

Brandon Miller runs 1:45 (800): Brandon Miller makes it look easy to run so incredibly fast. His time of 1:45 essentially gave him the SEC title before the race was even over. He was the only one to run under 1:46 without a conversion this season and he simply ran his race with such great command.

Abdi Nur wins 5k national title: In a race that involved multiple lead changes and aggressive battles to hold off bold moves, Nur's convincing jump to the front of this race is what ultimately gave him a national title. His raw fitness was completely unmatched.

Abdi Nur wins 3k national title: *see above*

Best Performance Award (Women)

*Must have run attached. We are looking at singular races for this award. Two or three races over the span of one day or a weekend do not count as one singular performance.

Nominees: Arkansas women win DMR national title despite not having "A" lineup, Lindsey Butler handles ACC field with ease en route to collegiate 800 meter lead, Lindsey Butler splits 4:29 on Virginia Tech DMR anchor leg at ACC Championships, Emily Mackay runs NCAA mile lead of 4:30 at Boston University, Lauren Ryan runs 8:47 for 3000 meters at Boston University, Wayment dominates collegiates at Boston University in the 5k en route to a time of 15:15, Taylor Roe makes a bold move at the indoor national meet to win the 3k title over a historically elite field, DeGenero throws down a stunning move with 400 meters to go to win women's mile national title.

Arkansas runs 10:51 w/o Gregory & Maloney to win national title: Arkansas ran 10:51 earlier in the season with Lauren Gregory and Shafiqua Maloney in their lineup, two of the best middle and long distance talents in the country. Without those women in this lineup, it seemed unlikely that the Razorbacks would run 10:51 again, much less win the national title. That, however, is exactly what happened. Van Camp held her own on the opening leg, Gear had a terrific 800 meter leg and Jolly dropped a 4:32 split to give the Arkansas women NCAA gold. Wildly impressive stuff.

Mackay runs 4:30 mile: In a loaded field at Boston University, Mackay thrived in the high pressure situation and followed the hot pace to a jaw-dropping 4:30 mile time. That was easily the best race of Mackay's career and it likely forced us to reevaluate how we view her as a national-caliber talent.

Ryan runs 8:47 (3k): Ryan's 8:47 mark for 3000 meters was a massive surprise. While we knew that she would be able to run something super quick, we didn't at all expect her to be the NCAA leader in what may have been the most loaded event ever. That time forced us to put Ryan in the national title conversation and it put her over two seconds ahead of Wayment on the national leaderboard. Wow.

Wayment runs 15:15 (5k): This performance wasn't necessarily surprising, especially since we've seen Wayment thrive in longer distance races in elite-level fields for a while now. However, just because something wasn't surprising doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't impressive. No women in the NCAA came close to match Wayment's 15:15 mark this winter, further establishing the dominance of the BYU ace this winter.

Roe makes bold move to defeat elite 3k field at national meet: Ben Weisel on the Blue Oval Podcast mentioned that Roe, "could absolutely win this national title." Well, Ben was right. Roe made a bold move at the indoor national meet from a few laps out. She went straight to the front and caught the entire field by surprise. While Tuohy and Gregory tried to reel her in, Roe was still too strong and won the national title in thrilling fashion.

DeGenero's stunning move gives her the mile national title: Much like Roe, the move made by Colorado's Micaela DeGenero with 400 meters to go in the national meet mile final essentially gave her the title before the race was even over. DeGenero caught the entire field by surprise and earned a stunning national title victory as a result.

Lindsey Butler splits 4:29 on Virginia Tech DMR anchor leg: This was a massive race for Butler who forced us to reevaluate how we look at her. The 800 meter star proved that she was more than just a half-miler, splitting 4:29 on the Hokies' anchor leg en route to an ACC title. However, the way she ran that race, by exhibiting more strength than a strength-based runner in Kelsey Chmiel, caught many of us by surprise.

Best Team / Distance Coach Award (Men's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season. Evaluates events 800 meters up to the 5000 meters, plus the DMR.

Nominees: Ben Thomas (Oregon), Chris Bucknam (Arkansas), Ryan Vanhoy (Ole Miss), Andy Powell (Washington), Mike Smith (Northern Arizona), Pete Watson (Texas), Sean Carlson (Notre Dame), Dave Smith (Oklahoma State), Ricardo Santos (Stanford)

Ben Thomas (Oregon): Jack Yearian and Reed Brown both ran 3:54 mile times at the end of the season. This resulted in Brown having the best national meet of his career and earning a bronze medal in the mile final. If that wasn't enough, Aaron Bienenfeld also ran 7:46 for 3000 meters and 13:21.99 for 5000 meters, qualifying for the national meet in the latter event. Then we have Luis Peralta who got over his postseason prelim woes. He ran 1:47 this season and earned All-American honors. Did we mention Elliott Cook running 1:47? What about Tomas Palfrey running 1:48? Or Yearian running 7:47? Even without Hocker, Teare and Hunter, Oregon was still VERY elite this winter.

Chris Bucknam (Arkansas): After a few seasons of plateauing, veteran Arkansas stars such as Kieran Taylor and Amon Kemboi had the best seasons of their careers. Leroy Russell also came out of nowhere to run 1:47 and emerge as the next great Razorback half-mile star. The emergence of 3:57 miler Elias Schreml was also promising, as were Myles Richter (13:44) and Patrick Kiprop (13:45). Heck, we didn't even mention Andrew Kibet who ran 2:22 (1k), 3:59 (mile) and 7:55 (3k)! There was a lot to like about the Razorbacks this winter.

Ryan Vanhoy (Ole Miss): Three men at 1:48 or faster for 800 meters. Two men at 2:20 for 1000 meters. Five men under 4:00 in the mile. Four men sub-8:00 in the 3000 meters. One man sub-13:50 in the 5000 meters. One of the fastest DMR times in the nation. A national champion in the mile. Two All-Americans in the 800 meters. Coach Vanhoy was absolutely incredible this winter...and the craziest part? He could probably do better.

Andy Powell (Washington): Powell might be overlooked in these awards despite what he accomplished this winter. He had both Houser and Waskom run 3:56 mile times. Before Lumb was done for the season, he ran a 3:55 mile time. Then there was Brian Fay who also recorded a 3:55 mile mark along with a jaw-dropping time of 13:24 for 5000 meters (an event that he earned All-American honors in). Oh, and did we mentione that they ran the fastest DMR time in the nation this year? And how about Isaac Green running 4:00 (mile) and 7:49 (3k)? Or Cass Elliott running 1:48? The amount of mile firepower on this team was overwhelming, but the performances outside of the mile make Powell's achievements much better than some people realize.

Mike Smith (Northern Arizona): Earning a podium spot at the indoor national meet (as a team) with just three distance runners is almost unheard of. What Coach Smith just accomplished is beyond impressive, although when you think about, none of the 3k and 5k results that we saw from the NAU men were total shockers. But while people will be distracted by what the Lumberjacks did at the national meet, we have to remember that NAU also had George Kusche run 13:28 for 5000 meters this season and Ryan Raff run 13:34 (converted). That kind of depth and firepower in one event is unbelievable...

Pete Watson (Texas): Given the structure of this Texas roster, there were high expectations for the Longhorns distance group this winter...and yet, Coach Watson surpassed those expectations. By a lot. The Longhorns had FOUR men run 1:47 or faster this season for 800 meters. In fact, they had so many half-mile contenders at the national meet that they had to move Carrozza to the mile (where he was a lower seed) to better distribute potential point scoring. They also had FIVE men who ran sub-4:00 in the mile this winter, including three men who ran 3:57 or faster. Yaseen Abdalla ran a flat-track converted 7:46 (3k) and later ran 13:33 for 5000 meters. Two of his teammates, Rivera and Knight, each ran 13:41 (5k) this winter. Oh, and they won the DMR national title without their full "A" lineup. The amount of depth and raw firepower on this roster is incredibly rare and it's crazy to think that certain areas of this roster could have grown even deeper.

Sean Carlson (Notre Dame): This season, Nuguse ran 3:54 (mile) and a collegiate record of 7:38 (3k). Dylan Jacobs ran 3:57 (mile), 7:49 (3k) and 13:14 (5k). Matthew Carmody came out of nowhere and dropped a time of 13:27 for 5000 meters. Teammate Josh Methner was in the same race as Carmody and ran 13:32. Both Carmody and Methner later went 1-2 in the 5k at the ACC Championships. How could we forget about Zepf, Voelz and Mosavel-Lo? Those three all ran 1:48 for 800 meters this season. Outside of the 2021 NCAA Winter XC Championships, this might be Carlson's most impressive coaching effort since he came to Notre Dame.

Dave Smith (Oklahoma State): Coach Smith quietly assembled a small army of top-tier talents who proved to be amongst the best in the nation. Alex Maier was easily one of the versatile and lethal distance runners in the country. Ryan Schoppe had a breakout season and only got better as the season progressed. Fouad Messaoudi, despite his inexperience in the NCAA, ran 7:50 for 3000 meters and was a key member of Oklahoma State's DMR which placed 5th at the indoor national meet. Not only that, but Isai Rodriguez, despite being in a serious car accident earlier in the season, still ran 13:43 for 5000 meters just a few weeks later.

Ricardo Santos (Stanford): Between Charles Hicks (3k), Cole Sprout (5k/3k) and Ky Robinson (5k), the Stanford men had four opportunities to earn All-American honors. The result? They went four for four. The craziest part in all of this is that Hicks has the eligibility of a sophomore while both Sprout and Robinson have freshman eligibility. So not only did Coach Santos guide up three guys to earn four All-American honors, but he did this in spite of the relative inexperience that his men had. Bravo to Santos who did a phenomenal job with this young group, including true freshman and 1:48 man, John Lester.

Best Team / Distance Coach Award (Women's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season

Nominees: Lance Harter (Arkansas), Laurie Henes (NC State), Diljeet Taylor (BYU), Maurica Powell (Washington), Mark Wetmore (Colorado), Joe Franklin (New Mexico)

Lance Harter (Arkansas): Coach Harter opted not to enter Maloney or Gregory in the DMR at the national meet, the best legs in Arkansas' lineup. And yet, somehow, that relay still won a national title. Separately, Gregory continued to be a proven All-American veteran in the longer distances while Maloney, despite some national meet struggles, was still amongst the best 800 meter runners in the nation. Krissy Gear wasn't at 100% this season, but she still put together a 4:36 mile time and showed off plenty of promise for the outdoor season. Quinn Owen was a nice early-season surprise with national qualifying mark of 2:04 for 800 meters. Seeing Isabel Van Camp also run 9:01 for 3000 meters was a pleasant surprise as well. And the emergence of Logan Jolly, specifically in the mile? Well, that was just the cherry on top for yet another outstanding season by the Arkansas women.

Laurie Henes (NC State): Wow. What an absolutely incredible season by Coach Henes and the Wolfpack. NC State had FIVE women ranked in the top-20 of the national leaderboard for the 3000 meters. They also had three women ranked in the top-16 of the national leaderboard for the 5000 meters. They also had five women run 4:40 or faster in the mile this winter. Women such as Chmiel, Hays and Bush showed off better-than-expected versatility and the depth of this roster helped their DMR make it to the national meet. Speaking of which, NC State had three All-Americans in the women's 3k and two top-five All-Americans in the women's 5k. So many of these women emerged as legitimate national-caliber threats and despite already being top talents, some of these women continued to have breakout seasons.

Oh, and they did this all without Hannah Steelman who is coming back from an injury.

Diljeet Taylor (BYU): Despite Orton and Camp-Bennett going pro, Coach Taylor was still able to produce some outstanding results. Claire Seymour peaked like she always does and ran 2:01 in the 800 meter finals to earn a runner-up finish at the national meet. Wayment continued to be a superstar by winning the 5k national title, running 15:15 earlier in the year and earning All-American honors in the 3k as well. Meghan Hunter ran 2:04 for 800 meters, Carmen Alder ran 4:36 in the mile, Kate Hunter ran 4:39 in the mile, Lexy Halladay continued to emerge as a star talent with a 9:02 (3k) effort and Aubrey Frentheway ran a very solid 5k time of 15:52. All things considered, this was an impressive group that may not get the attention that it deserves.

Maurica Powell (Washington): Anna Gibson ran 4:32 in the mile. Madison Heisterman ran 4:33 in the mile. Allie Schadler ran 4:35 in the mile. Taylor Chiotti ran 4:37 in the mile. Haley Herberg ran 4:38 in the mile. Carley Thomas began to approach her former elite fitness by running a time of 2:05. In the longer distances, Schadler ran 9:03 for 3000 meters while Herberg ran 15:39 for 5000 meters, qualifying for the national meet in the process. When you type it all out, it's actually pretty incredible what the Washington women were able to accomplish this year. Their national meet wasn't great, but Coach Powell continues to produce a powerhouse program.

Mark Wetmore (Colorado): Not one, not two, but THREE women from Colorado were ranked in the top-17 nationally for the mile this winter. However, what makes that stat even more impressive is that ALL THREE of those women were All-Americans, including DeGenero who won the national title. When you tack on a national qualifier in Emily Covert who ran 15:35 for 5000 meters this winter, the amount of firepower on this Colorado looks overwhelmingly strong.

Joe Franklin (New Mexico): Coach Franklin may go underappreciated this season, but it's important that we recognize what he did. The Lobos' coach put four of his women into the national meet for the 5000 meters. In the end, two of those women came away as All-Americans. Throw in the fact that Abbe Goldstein ran an altitude converted 4:35 mile and suddenly, this roster is much better than some people may have initially thought.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Men)

*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss), Morgan Beadlescomb (Michigan State), Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame), Brandon Miller (Texas A&M), Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona)

Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss): His 3:53 mile from earlier in the season was outstanding. He took down numerous star talents in that race and ultimately gave himself enough momentum to win a national title in a very slow and tactical race. With other marks of 2:20 for 1000 meters and 7:47 for 3000 meters, Garcia Romo was a threat to win most of the races that he toed the line for.

Morgan Beadlescomb (Michigan State): Beadlescomb's poise in the 3000 meters at the Millrose Games was wildly impressive. He showed off patience, great turnover and outstanding instincts. However, his 3:52 mile mark really steals the shows. That was a level of raw fitness and a level of speed that we weren't sure he had. His runner-up finish to Garcia Romo at the national meet wasn't ideal, but in terms of value, Beadlescomb was easily one of the best in the country.

Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame): After running a 3:54 mile in what almost felt like a rust-buster effort, Nuguse eventually anchored home his DMR at the Alex Wilson Invitational to a win. Then, he went out and ran 7:38 for 3000 meters. His national meet wasn't great, but no one is doubting Nuguse as one of the best distance talents of this era.

Brandon Miller (Texas A&M): You could make an argument that no one in the NCAA was more dominant than Miller was this winter. He took down Craig Engels in an early-season 800 meter race and then proceeded to dominate his competition in a few "off distance" races. His postseason was flat-out incredible and there was little doubt about Miller going into the national meet. He was the easiest pick to win NCAA gold amongst anyone in the distance races.

Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona): Many people will point to Nur's national meet as his main highlight for this season, but the NAU superstar had a phenomenal indoor track season outside of last weekend. He ran 3:55 (mile), 7:40 (3k) and 13:22 (5k) during the regular season and looked so unbelievably strong in every race he ran. Then, at the national meet, Nur navigated through hectic races in the 3k and the 5k to win two national titles in two days. He made his moves with conviction and he simply trounced a field of elite distance stars.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Women)

*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Courtney Wayment (BYU), Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech), Emily Mackay (Binghamton), Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State), Katelyn Tuohy (NC State), Micaela DeGenero (Colorado)

Courtney Wayment (BYU): Nothing that we say about Wayment will be anything that you don't already know. Her opening season 5k time of 15:15 was one of the best distance performances of the winter and she matched expectations at the Millrose Games by running 8:50 for 3000 meters. She won the 5k national title as expected and despite a hiccup in the 3k where she placed 5th overall, it's hard to argue that Wayment wasn't one of the most reliable top-tier talents in the nation this winter.

Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech): Butler proved on numerous occasions that she can win whatever kind of race she wants. She an electric time of 2:43 for 1000 meters early in the season and later ripped off a string of wins. With the exception of one prelim race, Butler didn't lose a single race that was 800 meters or longer to any collegiates this winter. She peaked in the postseason, running 2:01 at both the ACC Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championships. Her 4:29 split on Virginia Tech's DMR anchor leg, which helped her outrun a strength-based runner in Kelsey Chmiel, was arguably one of the most impressive distance races of the entire winter season. With a half-mile national title, it's hard to find a flaw on Butler's resume.

Emily Mackay (Binghamton): Despite an underwhelming national meet for Mackay, her regular season is hard to ignore. She ran 2:03 (800), 4:30 (mile) and 8:54 (3k). She was easily the most dynamic distance runner in the NCAA this winter and her value as a potential scorer should still be fairly high despite last weekend.

Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State): While many people are just realizing how strong Roe is following her 3k national title win, her season as a whole has suggested that she could be a major threat on the national stage. Here's a fun fact: Roe didn't lose a single mile or 3k race all season long. And yes, she had to face the likes of Lauren Gregory, Logan Jolly, Abby Kohut-Jackson, Cailie Logue, Ceili McCabe and of course, the entire 3k field at the national meet.

Katelyn Tuohy (NC State): Yes, it's true, Tuohy didn't win a national title. However, between the 3k and the 5k, no one scored more points than she did with her two runner-up finishes. The NC State star had an outstanding 3k opener with her time of 8:54, but then she went dark. Tuohy reappeared at the ACC Championships which she won with ease in a time of 15:41. The amount of strength, poise and courage that Tuohy exhibited on the national stage was beyond impressive.

Micaela DeGenero (Colorado): No one timed their postseason peak better than DeGenero did. She had a few unexciting rust-busters to start her season, got a national qualifying time of 4:34 in the mile, slightly improved upon that mark in the prelims of the national meet and later threw down one of the most convincing moves in recent memory. That move ultimately gave her a semi-comfortable national title and a 4:33 mile personal best. On paper, there isn't a ton to dislike about her resume.

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FINAL VOTES

Best Freshman Award

Men

Garrett: Parker Wolfe (North Carolina)

Maura: Samuel Rodman (Princeton)

Gavin: Miles Brown (Michigan)

Ben: Sam Austin (Florida)

Kora: Sam Austin (Florida)

Overall Winner: Sam Austin (Florida)

Women

Garrett: Allison Johnson (Penn State)

Maura: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Gavin: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Ben: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Kora: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Overall Winner: Mia Barnett (Virginia)

Most Improved Award

Men

Garrett: Cole Johnson (Michigan)

Maura: Yaseen Abdalla (Texas)

Gavin: Cole Johnson (Michigan)

Ben: Olin Hacker (Wisconsin)

Kora: Yaseen Abdalla (Texas)

Overall Winner: Yaseen Abdalla (Texas)*

*Tie broken by TSR contributor Ben Weisel

Women

Garrett: Eusila Chepkemei (Middle Tennessee State)

Maura: Emily Mackay (Binghamton)

Gavin: Ellie Leather (Cincinnati)

Ben: Emily Mackay (Binghamton)

Kora: Ellie Leather (Cincinnati)

Overall Winner: Ellie Leather (Cincinnati)*

*Tie broken by TSR admin Garrett Zatlin

Best Performance Award

Men

Garrett: Texas men upset Notre Dame for DMR national title

Maura: Texas men upset Notre Dame for DMR national title

Gavin: Wildschutt runs 13:09 (5k) for NCAA #2 All-Time

Ben: Nuguse runs 7:38 (3k) to earn NCAA record

Kora: Texas men upset Notre Dame for DMR national title

Overall Winner: Texas men upset Notre Dame for DMR national title

Women

Garrett: Arkansas runs 10:51 w/o Gregory and Maloney to win DMR national title

Maura: DeGenero makes big move to the lead and wins mile national title

Gavin: DeGenero makes big move to the lead and wins mile national title

Ben: Roe outruns historically elite 3k field to win the national title

Kora: Roe outruns historically elite 3k field to win the national title

Overall Winner: Roe outruns historically elite 3k field to win the national title*

*Tie broken by TSR admin Garrett Zatlin

Best Distance Coach / Team Award

Men

Garrett: Pete Watson (Texas)

Maura: Pete Watson (Texas)

Gavin: Pete Watson (Texas)

Ben: Ryan Vanhoy (Ole Miss)

Kora: Pete Watson (Texas)

Overall Winner: Pete Watson (Texas)

Women

Garrett: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Maura: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Gavin: Mark Wetmore (Colorado)

Ben: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Kora: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Overall Winner: Laurie Henes (NC State)

Most Valuable Runner Award

Men

Garrett: Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona)

Maura: Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona)

Gavin: Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona)

Ben: Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona)

Kora: Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona)

Overall Winner: Abdi Nur (Northern Arizona)

Women

Garrett: Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)

Maura: Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)

Gavin: Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)

Ben: Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)

Kora: Katelyn Tuohy (NC State)

Overall Winner: Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)