Predictions & analysis via Maura Beattie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin Years ago, the SEC was not considered to be a competitive conference within the distance running realm. That narrative, however, has changed dramatically. Nowadays, the nation's most elite middle distance stars and long distance juggernauts all hail from the Southeastern Conference. And in 2024, that couldn't be more true. That's why, despite the late release of the entries, we needed to make sure that we produced predictions! Alright, here we go... *Denotes that a collegian is also entered in another individual event. In these predictions, TSR is assuming that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back). Men’s 800 Meters Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M) - 1:45 Parvej Kahn (Florida)* - 1:45 Tyrese Reid (Mississippi State) - 1:46 Oussama El Bouchayby (Alabama) - 1:46 Sam Austin (Florida) - 1:47 Analysis: This is probably the race of the weekend at the SEC Championships, and maybe the entire NCAA, given the depth in the field. Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M) is the title favorite, but the competition won’t let him run away with the title. Florida’s Parvej Kahn has the home track advantage and has a reputation for a VERY fast finish. Tyrese Reid of Mississippi State ran 1:45 (800) earlier this season, but he was overshadowed by Whitmarsh's 1:44 mark in that same race. This will be a huge opportunity for Reid to validate his early-season effort. And that’s just the potential top-three that we could see! There's a very real possibility that we see four or even five men under 1:47 this weekend. Women’s 800 Meters Michaela Rose (LSU) - 1:58 Sanu Jallow (Arkansas) - 2:02 Sylvia Chelangat (South Carolina) - 2:02 Sydney Steely (Kentucky)* - 2:03 Lorena Rangel Batres (LSU)* - 2:03 Analysis: LSU’s Michaela Rose is in a league of her own. The Tiger star is the clear title favorite, so let’s focus on the race for 2nd place. Arkansas' Sanu Jallow has continued to find success over 800 meters on the outdoor oval, consistently running 2:03 marks. However, despite her ongoing consistency, Jallow will have to fend off a quietly deep field of women. Among those women includes Sylvia Chelangat of South Carolina, the SEC runner-up in this event back in 2023. Men’s 1500 Meters Parvej Kahn (Florida)* - 3:40 Jaouad Khchina (South Carolina)* - 3:41 Ryan Kinnane (Auburn)* - 3:41 Cruz Gomez (Ole Miss)* - 3:43 Ben Shearer (Arkansas)* - 3:43 Analysis: All-American talent Parvej Kahn (Florida) should come charging down the homestretch with his chain necklace in his mouth and win his first outdoor SEC title this weekend. Watch for Jaouad Khchina of South Carolina, though. The freshman is an unknown entering the men's 1500-meter field this weekend, but mark my words, his 1:48 (800) and 3:41 (1500) marks are worthy of him giving Kahn a run for his money. Women’s 1500 Meters Flomena Asekol (Florida)* - 4:14 Judy Kosgei (South Carolina)* - 4:15 Lorena Rangel Batres (LSU)* - 4:15 Tiana LoStracco (Arkansas) - 4:17 Mia Cochran (Arkansas)* - 4:18 Analysis: A sub-4:10 (1500) performance probably isn’t what we’ll see from the women at the SEC Championships, but rather, we’re going to get a tactical race. Florida’s Flomena Asekol's impeccable range will land her atop the podium, but SEC newcomer Judy Kosgei and veteran Lorena Rangel Batres have the wheels to challenge the Gator to the line. Men’s 5000 Meters Victor Kiprop (Alabama)* - 13:36 Kirami Yego (Arkansas)* - 13:38 Toby Gillen (Ole Miss)* - 13:39 Brandon Olden (Tennessee) - 13:42 Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas)* - 13:43 Analysis: It’s honestly anyone’s race in the 5k. Victor Kiprop of Alabama leads the SEC this spring with his 13:24 (5k) PR performance, but a time that fast likely won't be run this weekend. Many men are doubling back from the 1500 meters or the 10k, but not Tennessee’s Brandon Olsen. The Volunteer’s fresh legs will help him tremendously against a field of aggressive front-runners. Women’s 5000 Meters Parker Valby (Florida) - 14:51 Doris Lemngole (Alabama)* - 15:04 Hilda Olemomoi (Alabama)* - 15:09 Sydney Thorvaldson (Arkansas)* - 15:27 Brenda Tuwei (Alabama)* - 15:41 Analysis: Florida’s Parker Valby will be making her first appearance on the outdoor oval since recording an NCAA 10k record of 30:50. Fans shouldn’t be shocked one bit to see Valby improve upon her current 14:52 (5k) PR at the SEC Championships and continue her undefeated junior year. For the remainder of the podium, Alabama’s duo of Doris Lemngole and Hilda Olemomoi stand out and will sit on Valby as long as possible. Men’s 10,000 Meters Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas)* - 29:13 Victor Kiprop (Alabama)* - 29:17 Bradley Makuvire (South Carolina)* - 29:24 Yaseen Abdalla (Tennessee)* - 29:25 Jacob McLeod (Arkansas)* - 29:30 Analysis: Don’t expect a fast one from the men in the 10k. The heavy favorites, Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas) and Victor Kiprop (Alabama), will be doubling back later in the weekend for the 5k and won’t want to exert too much energy. The 10k at the SEC Championships is really about bragging rights and execution of tactics this weekend. Women’s 10,000 Meters Hilda Olemomoi (Alabama)* - 34:20 Sydney Thorvaldson (Arkansas)* - 34:28 Joy Gill (Alabama) - 34:31 Ella Chesnut (LSU)* - 34:32 Emily Covert (Tennessee)* - 34:36 Analysis: There’s not much to say here. Alabama’s Hilda Olemomoi should be able to run away from Arkansas’ Sydney Thorvaldson somewhat convincingly, although not necessarily easily. And while the times may seem slow, you have to remember that both of those women have to double back for the 5k. Florida is also a hot and humid setting and last year's 10k race, won by Thorvaldson, was won in 35:07. If you want a dark horse though, pay attention to LSU’s Ella Chestnut. The Tiger sophomore is finding her groove in the 10k after focusing on the steeplechase in 2023. A top-five finish after running 32:46 (10k) earlier this season isn’t out of the question for Chestnut. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Victor Kibiego (Texas A&M)* - 8:37 Carson Burian (Alabama)* - 8:46 Brett Brady (Tennessee) - 8:49 Jackson Watts (Kentucky)* - 8:55 Wesley John (Georgia) - 8:58 Analysis: Victor Kibiego doesn’t need to run lights out this weekend in the steeplechase as the Texas A&M star is leaps and bounds ahead of the field. No one from the chase pack is really catching our eyes. The men’s steeplechase at the SEC Championships just isn’t deep enough to give Kibiego a fight for the win. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Doris Lemngole (Alabama)* - 9:32 Elise Thorner (Florida)* - 9:34 Laura Taborda (Arkansas)* - 9:54 Kennedy Fontenot (Texas A&M)* - 10:02 Teresa Cherotich (South Carolina)* - 10:05 Analysis: Doris Lemngole (Alabama) surprised anyone who wasn't familiar with her steeple accolades when she beat Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich in that event a few weeks ago. But heading into the SEC Championships, everyone knows what to expect from the Crimson Tide freshman. Lemngole and Florida’s Elise Thorner should have a nice battle upfront for the win, but the former has the advantage over the Gator.

The ACC could be argued as the deepest distance running conference in the entire NCAA, especially with the introduction of Stanford happening in the fall. As such, the ACC Outdoor Championships will give east coast fans plenty of exciting races to watch and important results to monitor. Here's how we see this conference meet unfolding... *Denotes that a collegian is also entered in another individual event. In these predictions, TSR is assuming that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back). Men’s 800 Meters Nick Plant (Virginia Tech) - 1:46 Tarees Rhoden (Clemson) - 1:46 Rynard Swanepoel (Wake Forest) - 1:46 Jack Balick (Wake Forest) - 1:47 Zach Hughes (NC State)* - 1:48 Analysis: In my opinion, Nick Plant is the most complete half-miler in this field. He has championship experience (and success), a nationally competitive PR, effective middle distance range, strong consistency, excellent poise and a good understanding of tactics...what's not to like? Tarees Rhoden is arguably just as talented, but his championship tactics over the years have led to mixed results. Rynard Swanepoel is the only guy in this field who has run under 1:46 (800) this season, but this weekend will be a great chance for him to validate that huge breakout result. Women’s 800 Meters Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech) - 2:01 Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson)* - 2:02 Star Price (Virginia Tech) - 2:03 Makayla Paige (North Carolina) - 2:03 Esther Seeland (Virginia) - 2:03 Analysis: Lindsey Butler is certainly favored to win this race given her history of dominance at this meet and her recent success. That said, Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson) and Makayla Paige (North Carolina) have both run faster this season and teammate Star Price has been closing the gap between her and Butler. Regardless, I'll take the long-time veteran who (usually) peaks beautifully for this meet every year. Men’s 1500 Meters Ethan Strand (North Carolina)* - 3:39 Gary Martin (Virginia)* - 3:39 Wes Porter (Virginia)* - 3:41 Steven Jackson (Boston College) - 3:41 Daelen Ackley (Notre Dame)* - 3:42 Analysis: I would not at all disagree with anyone who wanted to pick Gary Martin for the win. In my eyes, both him and Ethan Strand have an equal shot at winning gold. Strand is slightly more accomplished than his UVA counterpart at the mile/1500-meter distances by the narrowest of margins, but this is still a coin-toss race. I like the experience of Wes Porter and I feel like he's due for a top finish while Steven Jackson hasn't done anything to lower his stock since the winter. As for Daelen Ackley, he's a touch underrated and has consistently been a threat over this distance. Women’s 1500 Meters Margot Appleton (Virginia)* - 4:11 Sam Bush (NC State)* - 4:11 Molly Hudson (Boston College)* - 4:13 Grace Hartman (NC State)* - 4:13 Suus Altorf (Florida State) - 4:15 Analysis: It's probably best not to go against Margot Appleton in these predictions, a woman who has a 4:29 mile PR and has developed a reputation for peaking in the postseason. Even so, Sam Bush is beginning to build a lot of positive momentum and as long as the pace doesn't get away from her, I could see her winning gold. The rest of the field could break up those two women, but when it comes to contenders for gold, Appleton and Bush seem like the best options. Men’s 5000 Meters Parker Wolfe (North Carolina)* - 13:25 Alex Phillip (North Carolina)* - 13:33 Will Anthony (Virginia)* - 13:36 Perry Mackinnon (Syracuse) - 13:37 Gary Martin (Virginia)* - 13:42 Analysis: It should be no surprise that we have Parker Wolfe winning. And when it comes to Alex Phillip, he is simply the next-most accomplished runner in this field. For that reason, we have him getting silver, although Will Anthony has been really strong this season as well. But considering that the UNC men will likely work together, it would take a herculean effort to break up that Tar Heel duo. Women’s 5000 Meters Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame) - 15:32 Amaris Tyynismaa (NC State)* - 15:35 Margot Appleton (Virginia)* - 15:37 Grace Hartman (NC State)* - 15:40 Kelsey Chmiel (NC State) - 15:47 Analysis: With Olivia Markezich eschewing the steeplechase to be fresh for the 5000 meters, it's hard to imagine she'll lose on fresh legs. That's especially true given that Amaris Tyynismaa, Margot Appleton and Grace Hartman will all be doubling back from the 1500-meter finals (assuming they qualify). Men’s 10,000 Meters Parker Wolfe (North Carolina)* - 28:22 Alex Phillip (North Carolina)* - 28:36 Paul O'Donnell (Syracuse)* - 28:44 Will Anthony (Virginia)* - 28:46 Colton Sands (North Carolina)* - 28:57 Analysis: It doesn't matter that Parker Wolfe hasn't run a 10k on the track before. He's simply way too fit for anyone else in this field to beat him -- and that's saying something given that Alex Phillip has run under 28:00 (10k) this spring. Paul O'Donnell continues to be overlooked over the 10k distance despite his historical success, Will Anthony is a reliable pick and Colton Sands has been great in the two races that he has contested this spring. Women’s 10,000 Meters Amaris Tyynismaa (NC State)* - 32:49 Erin Strzelecki (Notre Dame)* - 32:58 Savannah Roark (Syracuse)* - 33:12 Winnie Incorvaia (Pittsburgh)* - 33:33 Caroline Garrett (Wake Forest) - 33:41 Analysis: After running 15:40 (5k) less than a month ago, Amaris Tyynismaa's fitness is seemingly nearing it's prior peak form. The NC State talent is definitely a better 5k runner than she is a 10k runner, but she should still be able to fend off Notre Dame's Erin Strzelecki who has been excellent at the ACC Championships over her last few years with the Irish. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Nathan Mountain (Virginia)* - 8:28 CJ Singleton (Notre Dame)* - 8:31 Brett Gardner (NC State)* - 8:33 Yasin Sado (Virginia)* - 8:34 Michael Keehan (Duke) - 8:37 Analysis: This is a very, very good field. And yet, Nathan Mountain is far and away the best steeplechaser in this field. He's the defending ACC steeple champion, ran 8:20 earlier this spring and was a 4th place All-American in this event last year. I don't see him losing. Notre Dame sophomore CJ Singleton has been incredible this spring and despite his relative youth, I don't think it's going to matter. That's saying a lot considering that Brett Gardner, Yasin Sado and Michael Keehan have all proven (to varying extents) that they could be steeplechase All-Americans on the right day. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Sophie Novak (Notre Dame) - 9:49 Emma Tavella (Boston College) - 9:49 Helena Lindsay (Georgia Tech)* - 9:59 Angelina Napoleon (NC State) - 10:03 Emily Cole (Duke) - 10:08 Analysis: Sophie Novak peaked at the ACC Outdoor Championships last year en route to a 9:48 (steeple) PR. But this year, she's been even better in the her lead up to this meet. In theory, that experience and recent momentum should be enough to give her the win...right? However, Emma Tavella could absolutely win this race. She has run three personal bests in her last four races and the one race where she didn't PR was a 9:53 steeplechase mark that was less than one second off of her personal best.

The BIG East doesn't always get the respect it deserves when we talk about the top athletic conferences in the NCAA. Sure, the conference isn't nearly the same caliber as the SEC, ACC, BIG 12 or BIG 10, but it among the headliners of the next-best tier. This year's BIG East Outdoor Championships will, once again, hold plenty of excellent results as well as a matchups that we could also see on the national stage. Here's how TSR veteran Maura Beattie sees the distance events unfolding at this meet... *Denotes that a collegian is also entered in another individual event. In these predictions, TSR is assuming that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back). Men’s 800 Meters Tinoda Matsatsa (Georgetown) - 1:46 William Cuthbertson (Butler) - 1:47 Sean Dolan (Villanova) - 1:47 Matthew Payamps (Georgetown) - 1:48 Mahamed Sharif (Connecticut) - 1:48 Analysis: Man, is this race going to be close. Freshman stud Tinoda Matsatsa (Georgetown) is primed to win his first BIG East title after being denied by Sean Dolan (Villanova) at the indoor edition of this meet. Be sure to also keep an eye on Butler's William Cuthbertson who may be able to upset Dolan for silver. Cuthbertson has momentum on his side after running 1:47 (800) to secure a win at Indiana University one week ago. And while Dolan has not at all run poorly in recent weeks, he has also given us very little to review in terms of results. Yes, I'm going out on a limb here, but I don't think it's out of the correction. Women’s 800 Meters Madison Martinez (Villanova) - 2:04 Nora Haugen (St. John’s) - 2:04 Micah Trusty (Villanova) - 2:05 Maeve O’Neill (Providence) - 2:05 Katy-Ann McDonald (Georgetown) - 2:06 Analysis: Villanova’s Madison Martinez is a veteran of the sport, especially over 800 meters at the BIG East Championships. That's why it's only fair that the senior stands atop the podium this weekend. Martinez’s teammate Micah Trusty might have the fastest seasonal best time in the field, but there are other underclassmen who have been just as good over the last few months. That contingent of younger challengers includes St. John’s Nora Haugen (who has run 2:05 for 800 meters) and Providence Maeve O'Neill (who was really solid at the Penn Relays on her team's 4x800-meter squad). Men’s 1500 Meters Liam Murphy (Villanova) - 3:42 Charlie O’Donovan (Villanova) - 3:43 Abel Teffra (Georgetown) - 3:43 Sean Donoghue (Villanova) - 3:45 Jesse Hamlin (Butler)* - 3:46 Analysis: Liam Murphy of Villanova is the obvious pre-race favorite, but Abel Teffra of Georgetown and Jesse Hamlin of Butler are going to make the Wildcat star work for the win. Murphy’s incredible range from the 1500 meters up to 5000 meters is unmatched, as is his incredible kick. If someone wants to pull off the upset, then we may see some team tactics. The only problem for Murphy's challengers is that the Wildcats have also loaded up the metric mile, meaning that Villanova will be able to employ some team tactics of their own. Women’s 1500 Meters Melissa Riggins (Georgetown) - 4:07 Shannon Flockhart (Providence) - 4:07 Cara Laverty (Providence) - 4:15 Chloe Thomas (Connecticut) - 4:16 Chloe Gonzalez (Georgetown) - 4:18 Analysis: It’s going to be Melissa Riggins (Georgetown) vs Shannon Flockhart (Providence) in the women’s 1500 meters. These two women are mostly interchangeable athletes, excelling in a variety of distances, showcasing great race savvy and thriving as top-tier names in the mile. Riggins has the advantage over Flockhart though thanks to her 2:01 (800) speed and in my eyes, that's what’s going to land the Georgetown star atop the podium. However, let's not forget that these two women have both run well under 4:10 this season and in a race where they'll push each other, the final results could be much faster than some may expect. Men’s 5000 Meters Marco Langon (Villanova) - 13:38 Florian LePallec (Butler)* - 13:40 Jesse Hamlin (Butler)* - 13:40 Devon Comber (Butler) - 13:49 Lucas Guerra (Georgetown) - 13:52 Analysis: Many of the favorites in the men’s 5k will either be doubling back from the 1500 meters or the 10,000 meters. However, someone who is expected to come in with fresh legs is Marco Langon (Villanova). The redshirt freshman is coming in with extra confidence after helping Villanova win a wheel in the 4xMile relay at Penn Relays. Langon’s 13:28 (5k) PR is sandwiched between Butler’s Jesse Hamlin (who is doubling back from the 1500 meters) and Florian LePallec, two men who have been consistent all season long and thrive at this distance arguably more than Langon does. Women’s 5000 Meters Kimberley May (Providence) - 15:50 Lily Tuck (Providence) - 15:54 Sadie Sigfstead (Villanova) - 15:55 Maggie Donahue (Georgetown) - 15:58 Emma McGill (Villanova) - 16:09 Analysis: Jumping up in distance to the 5k from her marquee 1500-meter event is Providence’s Kimberley May. The Friar front-runner is expected to run sub-16:00 over this distance given her resume and she will surely carry teammate Lily Tuck along with her. Villanova’s Sadie Sigfstead could break up the May-Tuck duo after the strong season that she's been having, but that’s going to take some extra speed from the long distance specialist if this comes down to a fast finish. Men’s 10,000 Meters Florian LePallec (Butler)* - 28:45 Abdel Laadjel (Providence) - 28:53 Will Minnette (Butler) - 29:12 Jack McMahon (Butler)* - 29:12 Jack Fredian (Villanova) - 29:16 Analysis: Of the 16 men entered in this 10k field, Florian LePallec (Butler) and Abdel Laadjel (Providence) are expected to be up at the front, outdistancing themselves from the chase pack early-on in the race. And in my eyes, these two men won’t need to do anything special to secure a top finish. However, arguably the bigger development to monitor is how many points a team can in this race. This is a huge opportunity for Butler to rack up some serious points. Women’s 10,000 Meters Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)* - 33:06 Laura Mooney (Providence) - 33:14 Kelsey Swenson (Georgetown) - 33:29 Elizabeth Vaughn (Villanova)* - 34:47 Abby Olson (Butler) - 34:54 Analysis: Distance ace Chloe Scrimgeour will be making her 10k debut at the BIG East Championships. Scrimgeour’s 15:21 (5k) PR leads us to believe that her potential to post a strong time in the 10k is in the cards. Laura Mooney of Providence, who is an underrated talent when she's firing on all cylinders, has the best shot of staying close to the Georgetown runner. Even so, the raw fitness of Scrimgeour will likely be too much to overcome. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Patrick Thygesen (Providence) - 8:41 Peter Herold (Georgetown) - 8:43 Martin Kovacech (Butler) - 8:44 Kevin Cawley (Connecticut) - 8:54 Dan Weizeorick (Marquette) - 8:59 Analysis: It’s going to be a battle up front with Providence’s Patrick Thygesen, Georgetown’s Peter Herold and Butler’s Martin Kovacech. Of those three men, Thygesen has the most experience and the fastest steeplechase PR of 8:33. Don’t expect that fast of a time this week as the Friar will be doing just enough to safely cross barriers as well as out-sprint Herold and Kovacech in the latter-half of this race. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Mary Hennelly (Georgetown) - 10:12 Wiktoria Klebowska (Butler) - 10:23 Sophie Coughlin (Connecticut) - 10:25 Rachel Woodruff (Connecticut) - 10:26 Amy Prugh (Xavier (OH)) - 10:35 Analysis: There’s not much to focus on here in the steeplechase. Georgetown’s Mary Hennelly comes in as the heavy favorite after posting a 10:08 (steeple) PR earlier this season. Instead, this race will instead be for 2nd place as Wiktoria Klebowska (Butler), Sophie Coughlin (Connecticut) and Rachel Woodruff (Connecticut) enter with PRs separated by only three seconds. The nod has to go to Klebowska who has momentum after running a 1500-meter PR of 4:24, speed that will come in handy at the end of this steeplechase bout.

When people think of the BIG Sky Conference, they usually think of Northern Arizona (and understandably so). However, as the Lumberjacks have risen in the all-time ranks, some of their conference opponents have found great success as well. Montana State has evolved into a steeplechase powerhouse and the Bobcats have also become legitimate, national-caliber threats on the grass as well. Weber State has produced a handful of excellent individuals and the conference in general has been very strong in the steeplechase. Below, we gave you our predictions and brief thoughts on what the BIG Sky Outdoor Championships may hold this weekend. *Denotes that a collegian is also entered in another individual event. In these predictions, TSR is assuming that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back). Times that are listed below are NOT converted from altitude. Men’s 800 Meters Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona)* - 1:49 Nico Young (Northern Arizona)* - 1:49 Zac Bright (Idaho) - 1:50 Jesse Hayward (Northern Colorado) - 1:50 Lorenz Herrmann (Idaho) - 1:51 Analysis: Colin Sahlman and Nico Young are favored in this race simply because they are the most fit men in this field (by a large margin). However, both Zac Bright and Jesse Hayward have been very consistent this season and have given us way more things to like about them than not. Also, if Lorenz Herrmann is firing on all cylinders, then he's capable of capturing bronze. Women’s 800 Meters Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)* - 2:06 Regina Mpigachai (Northern Colorado)* - 2:08 Annika Reiss (Northern Arizona)* - 2:09 Nikita Moore (Northern Arizona)* - 2:10 Keira Moore (Northern Arizona)* - 2:10 Analysis: Maggi Congdon is the best middle distance runner in this field, specifically over 800 meters. Regina Mpigachai is no pushover, but outside of her, the raw fitness of the NAU women should allow them to glide through this field. Men’s 1500 Meters Nico Young (Northern Arizona)* - 3:46 Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona)* - 3:46 Harvey Cramb (Montana State)* - 3:48 Aaron Las Heras (Northern Arizona)* - 3:50 Sam Ells (Montana State)* - 3:51 Analysis: I really like Harvey Cramb over 1500 meters. No, I don't see him beating Nico Young or Colin Sahlman, but he's had a quietly great season. Don't expect him to falter too much when NAU's top duo makes their move. But truthfully, after the top-three, this order seems to be pretty up in the air. There are a somewhat large handful of names who could very realistically crack the top-five of the 1500-meter finals. Women’s 1500 Meters Annika Reiss (Northern Arizona)* - 4:21 Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)* - 4:21 Karrie Baloga (Northern Arizona)* - 4:23 Regina Mpigachai (Northern Colorado)* - 4:23 Kyla Christopher-Moody (Montana State)* - 4:24 Analysis: I really like Regina Mpigachai and Kyla Christopher-Moody going into this weekend. They are two of the few women who I think are capable of breaking up NAU's dominance. But on paper, Reiss, Congdon and Baloga are just flat-out better right now. Men’s 5000 Meters Nico Young (Northern Arizona)* - 14:03 Aaron Las Heras (Northern Arizona)* - 14:07 Ben Perrin (Montana State)* - 14:09 Brodey Hasty (Northern Arizona)* - 14:11 Matthew Richtman (Montana State)* - 14:17 Analysis: I have no idea how fast this race is going to be. It's certainly not going to be an all-out affair, but at what point do the NAU men begin to ramp up the pace? How does the altitude play into this 5k final? And will Nico Young even contest this event after the 1500-meter finals and 800-meter finals? This group is entirely aerobic-centric, so I imagine that it will remain somewhat honest as their endurance-based strength is put to the test. Women’s 5000 Meters Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona)* - 16:18 Ali Upshaw (Northern Arizona) - 16:20 Annika Reiss (Northern Arizona)* - 16:20 Bryn Morley (Northern Arizona)* - 16:22 Kyla Christopher-Moody (Montana State) - 16:25 Analysis: There is a very, very, very real possibility that Northern Arizona sweeps the top-five spots in this race. In fact, their sweep could go potential six or seven women deep! Kyla Christopher-Moody is probably too good to miss the top-eight entirely, but the Lumberjacks seemingly brought out the full arsenal for this event. Men’s 10,000 Meters Ben Perrin (Montana State)* - 29:53 Matthew Richtman (Montana State)* - 29:54 Cael Grotenhuis (Northern Arizona)* - 29:59 Owen Smith (Montana State)* - 30:11 Erik Le Roux (Northern Arizona)* - 30:17 Analysis: Ben Perrin and Matthew Richtman will probably go 1-2 in this race. They are both experienced veterans, have thrived over the longer distances, easily hold the fastest personal bests in this field and are always great at altitude. However, NAU's Cael Grotenhuis ran 13:38 (5k) earlier this spring and has a 28:45 (10k) PR from last year. If he's at the top of his game, then the Lumberjack junior is capable of pulling off a fairly decent upset. Women’s 10,000 Meters Ruby Smee (Northern Arizona)* - 34:54 Anna Fenske (Northern Arizona)* - 34:59 Alex Moore (Montana State)* - 35:25 Hannah Perrin (Montana State)* - 35:48 Cassandra Vasquez (Idaho State)* - 36:00 Analysis: I would be VERY surprised if Ruby Smee doesn't win this race. She is the most accomplished runner in this field...and it's not even close. Anna Fenske also deserves a lot of respect in this race -- I could see the 10k being a big breakthrough opportunity for her. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Rob McManus (Montana State)* - 8:43 Levi Taylor (Montana State)* - 8:44 Bronson Winter (Weber State)* - 8:48 Peter Visser (Weber State)* - 8:55 Owen Smith (Montana State)* - 8:57 Analysis: I sincerely believe that this could be the best race of the entire conference weekend, at least on the men's side. Both Montana State and Weber State have small armies of top-tier steeplechasers, many of whom are on absolute fire right now. Someone in the field is going to make this race fast and given how well these guys have run at altitude, I think you're going to see massive conversions that headline the national leaderboard. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Karrie Baloga (Northern Arizona)* - 10:33 Katja Pattis (Idaho)* - 10:38 Sage Hagelin (Weber State)* - 10:40 Hannah Perrin (Montana State)* - 10:44 Grace Gilbreth (Montana State)* - 10:44 Analysis: Karrie Baloga is simply the better overall runner and Katja Pattis has shown us that her peak level of fitness can make her a contender in this field. Other than that, this isn't a race that is going to garner major headlines.

Predictions & analysis via Maura Beattie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin The Mountain West is one of the more underrated conferences in the NCAA, boasting numerous teams that have been able to reach the national stage in cross country over the last few years. These programs have also produced some of the best individuals in the entire NCAA and in 2024, there are plenty of those athletes still around. Below, TSR veteran Maura Beattie gave her top-five picks for each distance event (with times) followed by some brief analysis. Let's get into it, shall we? *Denotes that a collegian is also entered in another individual event. In these predictions, TSR is assuming that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back). Men’s 800 Meters Ryan Birkmeier (Colorado State) - 1:47 Dylan Burrows (New Mexico) - 1:47 Matthew Larkin (New Mexico) - 1:48 Landon Bott (Utah State) - 1:49 Brandon Bate (Colorado State) - 1:50 Analysis: As the reigning 800-meter indoor Mountain West champion, it’s only fair that Colorado State’s Ryan Birkmeier remains as the favorite on the outdoor oval. However, this is going to be a tight race as New Mexico’s Dylan Burrows and Matthew Larkin could employ team tactics to counter what Birkmeier’s strategy is. Burrows has been one of the more underrated middle distance runners out west this season and Larkin is a strong veteran. Expect this to be a fairly quick race. Women’s 800 Meters Salma Elbadra (Wyoming)* - 2:04 Quinn McConnell (Colorado State)* - 2:05 Ava Gilliana (Air Force) - 2:06 Mattalyn Geddes (Utah State) - 2:08 Alex Lomeli (San Diego State) - 2:08 Analysis: Freshman talent Salma Elbadra has been flying under the radar throughout this outdoor track season. The Wyoming athlete has found success by running times of 2:05 (800) and 4:16 (1500), further extending her great momentum from the winter months. Of course, Elbadra will have her hands full with established veterans such as Quinn McConnell (Colorado State) and Ava Gilliana (Air Force) in the field. But after finding grand success at the Mountain West Indoor Championships with a gold medal and a silver medal, there's not much reason to doubt this rising rookie. Men’s 1500 Meters Habtom Samuel (New Mexico)* - 3:40 Ollie Newman (Boise State)* - 3:43 Sean Maison (Air Force)* - 3:43 Cal Banta (Colorado State)* - 3:44 Samuel Field (New Mexico)* - 3:45 Analysis: Even though he’s a long distance specialist, New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel can still throw down a killer 1500-meter performance if necessary. Samuel showed during the winter that he has plenty of race savvy and frankly, given how much raw talent he has, it shouldn’t be surprising to see him outdistance this field in the latter-half of this race. With this race largely being a battle for 2nd place, expect to see a close contest between Ollie Newman (Boise State) and Sean Maison (Air Force), the latter being the reigning champion. The former has been building some sneaky-good momentum as of late while the latter is an accomplished veteran who should be able to handle most race scenarios. Women’s 1500 Meters Jessica Kain (San Diego State)* - 4:13 Klara Dess (New Mexico)* - 4:15 Salma Elbadra (Wyoming)* - 4:15 Sarah Eckel (New Mexico)* - 4:17 Anna Petr (Colorado State)* - 4:19 Analysis: As much as I wanted to choose reigning Mountain West indoor mile champion Salma Elbadra for the win, I’ve opted for San Diego State veteran Jessica Kain instead. The senior is coming off of recent personal bests of 4:14 (1500) and 15:57 (5k), indicating that she has capitalized on her endurance this season and has never been more fit. To win this race, Kain is going to need to rely on her strength rather than her speed as she attempts to outrun a field that has plenty of high-turnover women. The New Mexico women could also find themselves in the mix for the win if enough things break in their favor. Men’s 5000 Meters Habtom Samuel (New Mexico)* - 13:34 Evans Kiplagat (New Mexico) - 13:35 Vincent Chirchir (New Mexico)* - 13:35 Eli Bennett (Air Force) - 13:46 Tom Graham-Marr (Colorado State)* - 13:49 Analysis: The New Mexico Lobos have the potential to sweep the podium (which we're saying is top-three). Between Habtom Samuel, Evans Kiplagat and Vincent Chirchir, team tactics will take over and these three men will likely separate themselves from the chase pack and cross the line somewhat close together. On paper, they're just more fit than most of this field. However, one key name to watch in this race is Eli Bennett (Air Force). The Falcon veteran owns a 5k PR of 13:39, but hasn’t been able to match that this season. Of course, with the right race this weekend, Bennett could break up that Lobo trio. Women’s 5000 Meters Sarah Carter (Colorado State)* - 15:44 Nicola Jansen (New Mexico)* - 15:46 Mercy Kirarei (New Mexico) - 15:46 Emily Jobes (Boise State)* - 15:53 Halle Hamilton (Air Force) - 15:55 Analysis: It’s a three-woman race between Sarah Carter (Colorado State), Nicola Jansen (New Mexico) and Mercy Kirarei (New Mexico). We already know what Carter and Jansen can do on the track, so let’s focus on Kirarei. The New Mexico talent arrived in Albuquerque in early January and is already proving to be a legitimately competitive name. Her 15:49 (5k) PR sets her up nicely to have a strong end to her 2024 spring campaign and her full fitness will be tested (and maybe further displayed) against two women who have been relentless at the conference level. Men’s 10,000 Meters Vincent Chirchir (New Mexico)* - 28:36 Luke Combs (Air Force)* - 28:39 Mason Brown (Colorado State)* - 28:45 Brian Kiprotich (Boise State)* - 28:47 Mason Norman (Wyoming)* - 28:52 Analysis: Without Habtom Samuel (New Mexico) in this race, teammate Vincent Chirchir is probably the favorite in this 10-person field. The freshman’s PRs of 13:34 (5k) and 28:19 (10k) are stronger than the next closest athlete, Air Force’s Luke Combs, although Chirchir's relative inexperience is something to consider. Combs is a veteran when it comes to competing at the Mountain West Championships, but can that lead him to victory? He has had multiple moments of excellence throughout his career and he's capable of winning this race, but there are a lot of sneaky-good runners who will challenge both him and Chirchir. Women’s 10,000 Meters Nicola Jansen (New Mexico)* - 33:19 Sarah Carter (Colorado State)* - 33:21 India Jones (Air Force)* - 33:32 Eowyn Dalbec (Wyoming)* - 33:37 Emma Thornley (Utah State)* - 33:38 Analysis: Nicola Jansen (New Mexico) and Sarah Carter (Colorado State) are expected to separate themselves from this 10k field. These two women are long distance aces and, on a good day, they are capable of earning All-American honors later this spring. Don’t expect a head-turning time from either Jansen and Carter as they will likely be doing just enough to win. They do, after all, have to double back for the 5000 meters later in the weekend. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Max Wehrli (Utah State)* - 8:41 Ryker Holtzen (Wyoming)* - 8:42 Jason Renze (Air Force)* - 8:46 Logan Garnica (Utah State)* - 8:49 Mark Crandall (Utah State)* - 8:52 Analysis: It’s Utah State vs the field in the men’s steeplechase. Max Wehril has been very solid over the barriers this spring and is gunning for the conference title after finishing 3rd at this meet last season. Teammates Logan Garnica and Mark Crandall will be there to add more points on the board for the Aggies, but they will still need to face-off against Wyoming’s Ryker Holtzen and Air Force’s Jason Renze. The former name is arguably Wehril’s biggest threat for the title while Renze is viewed as a dark horse in my eyes. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Yasmin Austridge (Colorado State) - 10:04 Shelby Jensen (Utah State) - 10:09 Sophia McDonnell (New Mexico)* - 10:10 Hanna Ackermann (Boise State)* - 10:19 Rachel Crytser (Air Force)* - 10:21 Analysis: Last year, Yasmin Austridge was on fire in the steeplechase, recording a PR of 9:52. However, we haven’t seen the Colorado State transfer at full strength in her main event this spring, leaving us a little uncertain about what she'll show us this weekend. Of course, that could all change against a field where she'll be pushed, but also favored for the win. Austridge will be challenged by Shelby Jensen (Utah State) and Sophia McDonnell (New Mexico). The former has been plenty consistent throughout last winter and this spring while the latter has built nice momentum as of late.

Podcast production via Wyatt Barnsley It was just a solo effort from your TSR admin as Ben was given the week off. This week, Garrett dives into some of the key results from this past weekend including Nico Young and Colin Sahlman's 1500m efforts as well as a big weekend for the Penn women. Garrett then caps the episode by diving into transfer news highlighted by Amina Maatoug entering the transfer portal. As always, be sure to listen, review and subscribe! (4:09) Nico Young & Colin Sahlman Run 3:34 (1500m) (7:33) Does the 1500m Make More Sense for Nico Young in the Postseason (9:39) Penn Women Take Over 10k (12:59) Bronwyn Patterson Upsets Sophia Gorriaran (15:29) Maia Ramsden Claims 1500/5k Double Gold (17:07) Nick Plant Runs 1:46 (800m) (20:07) Lindsey Butler and Billah Jepkirui Go 2:02 (800m) (21:14) Kenzie Doyle Enters Portal as Grad Transfer (24:46) Emma Heckel Transfers to Louisville (26:41) Max Murphy Headed to UNC (30:41) Abby Loveys Signs With Boston College (33:13) Alex Carlson To Northern Arizona (36:07) Amina Maatoug Enters Transfer Portal ➤ Running Gear We Found GREAT Deals On (Amazon Affiliate) 👟 ⁠https://linktr.ee/thestridereport/store⁠ ➤ "My Way" by TSR Podcast Producer, Wyatt Barnsley (Amazon Affiliate) 📕 ⁠https://amzn.to/3KclrdX⁠ ➤ SUBSCRIBE! 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@thestridereport You can listen to that episode (and others) on our PODCASTS page! You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud. If you like it, be sure to leave us a rating and a review! Note: If you're having issues loading the episode on the site via mobile, try refreshing the episode page. We will look into this issue for future episodes.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's conference championship week! While some conference meets already took place last weekend, nearly all of the nation's biggest and best leagues will be competing this week/weekend. Unfortunately, some conference meets don't release their entries/heat sheets until the last second, leaving us at The Stride Report unable to make predictions. Thankfully, the American Athletic Conference is not one of those institutions. In fact, they may be the conference who has released their entries the earliest! Here is one of what will likely be many conference meet predictions throughout this week... Click Below File for Entries *Denotes that a collegian is also entered in another individual event. In these predictions, TSR is assuming that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back). Men's 800 Meters Zander Dunbar (Tulane) - 1:50 Andrew Mallo (Charlotte) - 1:51 Sukeil Foucha (Tulane)* - 1:51 Maddon Muhammad (Charlotte)* - 1:52 Karim Belmahdi (South Florida)* - 1:52 Analysis: The men's 800 meters at the AAC Championships could go a variety of ways, but I think Zander Dunbar is best option for these predictions. Yes, he is the only guy in the field who has a seed time that goes under 1:50 for 800 meters, but his consistency has been great this season and he isn't doubling back from a longer distance event. Andrew Mallo has also been super reliable this spring and I think he gets rewarded for that. I also opted to put Sukeil Foucha, Maddon Muhammad and Karim Belmahdi behind those two men given that they'll be doubling back from the 1500-meter finals which are just one hour before the 800-meter finals on Sunday. Women’s 800 Meters Taigen Hunter-Galvan (Rice)* - 2:06 Jessica Lambert (Florida Atlantic) - 2:06 Farrah Miller (Wichita State) - 2:07 Rosa Ten Berg (Florida Atlantic) - 2:09 Sarah Hosey (Tulsa) - 2:11 Analysis: Even if she's doubling back from the 1500-meter finals, I still think Taigen Hunter-Galvan is the somewhat clear favorite in this race. She's run the fastest marks in the conference between 800 meters (2:05) and the 1500 meters (4:23) this season. The Rice veteran is also the defending conference champion in this event and has a 2:04 PR from that same race. Yes, Farah Miller does have a blistering 2:04 (800) mark from her narrow runner-up effort at the AAC Indoor Championships. However, she hasn't run under 2:07 at any other point in her career which makes me a little more cautious with her in our predictions. Jessica Lambert, meanwhile, has been super reliable and has metronomically run under 2:10 throughout the season. I could see her giving Hunt-Galvan a serious challenge come Sunday. Men’s 1500 Meters Maddon Muhammad (Charlotte)* - 3:44 Alec Esposito (Charlotte)* - 3:44 Shay McEvoy (Tulsa)* - 3:44 Illia Kunin (Tulane)* - 3:45 Karim Belmahdi (South Florida)* - 3:47 Analysis: If I could pick all of the Charlotte men, I would. But among the 49ers, veterans Maddon Muhammad and Alec Esposito stand out the most. That duo has been super consistent this season and their range is pretty decent, too. Pair that with great experience and you can see why I'm predicting them to go 1-2. However, you could argue that Shay McEvoy is the most naturally talented of this group. He is undeniably at his best in the longer distances, but two big 5k and 10k PRs should allow this cross country All-American to stay competitive. Also worth noting, Illia Kunin is building great momentum and I like the speed that Karim Belmahdi boasts. Women’s 1500 Meters Taigen Hunter-Galvan (Rice)* - 4:19 Lauren Johnston (Charlotte)* - 4:20 Danna Diaz (Tulane)* - 4:24 Aislynn Reagle (Charlotte)* - 4:27 Macey Hilton (Southern Methodist)* - 4:27 Analysis: With a 4:23 (1500) seed time, Rice's Taigen Hunter-Galvan is certainly favored to win this title. However, Lauren Johnston has had a handful of really great moments over the last year and isn't far off from her Rice counterpart with a 4:24 PR of her own. Don't be surprised if both of these women run new personal bests this weekend. Meanwhile, both Danna Diaz and Aislynn Reagle have showcased great endurance-centric stamina while posting recent personal bests over the metric mile distance. Those are great signs for what could end up being a fairly quick race. I do like Macey Hilton, but she has a heavy workload coming up for her this weekend and she has yet to truly replicate the impressiveness of her 4:24 PR from March. Men’s 5000 Meters Nickolas Scudder (Charlotte)* - 13:46 Chris McLeod (Tulsa) - 13:56 Shay McEvoy (Tulsa)* - 13:57 Malte Propp (Tulsa) - 13:57 Christian Baker (Tulsa)* - 14:01 Analysis: Yes, Nickolas Scudder has to race the 10k on Friday, but after that, he doesn't have to race again until Sunday which isn't something that many other contenders in this field can say. And with a resume that is flat-out faster than his counterparts, he'll be heavily favored to take the win as long as Shay McEvoy doubles like he's scheduled to. The Tulsa men should dominate this event. Charlotte has a ton of great guys as well, but nearly all of their top names are doubling back from the 1500 meters or the steeplechase from the night before. And with the Golden Hurricanes having both Chris McLeod and Malte Propp completely fresh for this race, I think it's going to be very hard to get around this group at the end of a long weekend. Tulane's Jack Jennings is also a really interesting name. He owns a 28:28 (10k) PR from earlier this season and has run 13:52 (5k) over this distance as well. However, his fastest 5k time this spring has been 14:03 and admittedly, his consistency has room for improvement. He'll also be racing the 10k which is something to consider when he doubles back for this event. Women’s 5000 Meters Lucy Ndungu (Wichita State)* - 16:10 Lauren Johnston (Charlotte)* - 16:17 Kaitlyn Gearin (SMU)* - 16:24 Chloe Hershenow (Tulsa)* - 16:25 Paula Vaquera (Tulane)* - 16:32 Analysis: This is such a tricky race to figure out. Lauren Johnston has the best seed time of anyone in this field, boasting a 16:02 (5k) PR. The next-best seed time belongs to Paula Vaquera who has run 16:20. However, Johnston will be doubling back from a 1500-meter battle that we're assuming will be quick. Plus, Tulsa's Chloe Hershenow has a 16:05 (5k) PR and was the conference champion in this event during the winter. The only catch is that Hershenow hasn't looked quite as sharp this spring as she did a few months back. But lost in the craziness of the 5k entrants is Lucy Ndungu, a Wichita State runner from the JUCO ranks who has run 33:41 for 10,000 meters. On paper, she is much better than her 5k PR of 16:20 would suggest and I think we'll see that on Sunday. Men’s 10,000 Meters Nickolas Scudder (Charlotte)* - 28:53 Jack Jennings (Tulane)* - 29:17 Charlie Krasnoff (Tulsa)* - 29:29 Ryan Adkins (Tulane)* - 29:35 Zander Cobb (Wichita State)* - 29:36 Analysis: On paper, Tulane's Jack Jennings is probably viewed as the favorite. He ran 28:28 in this event back in March and showed on the grass that he gets better when the distance gets longer. The only issue, however, is that Jennings' 28:28 (10k) PR came back in late March and his latest 5k effort, while certainly not bad, could have been a bit better. Nickolas Scudder, meanwhile, has been very consistent in the longer distances this season and his overall 10k PR is exactly 28:28 as well. For that reason, I'm picking the Charlotte veteran given that this is his best event. After those two, there is a fairly noticeable drop-off to the next tier of runners. Guys like Zander Cobb (Wichita State) and Ryan Adkins (Tulane) are sub-30:00 (10k) talents, but the other top 10k runners in the conference are mostly racing the 5k. Tulsa's Charlie Krasnoff doesn't have a 10k mark on his resume, but a 14:04 (5k) PR and a season full of new personal bests suggests that he'll be competitive in this field. Women’s 10,000 Meters Lucy Ndungu (Wichita State)* - 34:04 Chloe Hershenow (Tulsa)* - 34:07 Lauren Johnston (Charlotte)* - 34:11 Tamara Reeves (Tulsa)* - 34:29 Alyssa Zack (East Carolina)* - 34:36 Analysis: Lucy Ndungu has the fastest seed time in this 10k field at 33:41. In fact, she's the only one who has run under 34 minutes this season. Lauren Johnston doesn't have a 10k seed time, but she does have the fastest 5k mark of any woman this spring at 16:02 and has proven to be great over the longer distances. Chloe Hershenow's 34:16 mark is solid, but it's her experience and established placed at the top of the AAC that makes her a threat. Any of those three women could challenge for gold in my mind. But truthfully, predicting who you think wins this race largely reflects what you value the most in runners: Fast times, momentum or established talent. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Christian Baker (Tulsa)* - 8:49 Hunter White (Charlotte)* - 8:53 Braden Lange (Charlotte)* - 8:58 Gus Gannon (Rice)* - 9:03 Gunner Hogston (Charlotte)* - 9:05 Analysis: Tulsa's Christian Baker and Rice's Gus Gannon are the only two men who have run under 8:50 in the steeplechase this spring. The former has run 8:46 while the latter has run 8:47. However, I simply trust the experience of Baker more rather than the underclassman upside of Gannon. Baker's resume is very well-rounded and his personal best is actually eight seconds faster than his seed time. That said, the Charlotte men could give Baker and Gannon a lot of problems. Braden Lange, Hunter White and Gunner Hogston have all run in the low 8:50s in this event and they are all experienced veterans. White has proven that he can run faster than his 8:51 seed time while both Lange and Hogston have had seasons littered with new personal bests. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Katharina Pesendorfer (Tulsa)* - 10:31 Alicen Ashley (Tulsa)* - 10:33 Anabell Reumann (Florida Atlantic)* - 10:38 Elsa Chan (Temple)* - 10:43 Nikoleta Rafailaki (Southern Methodist)* - 10:49 Analysis: This admittedly isn't the most exciting field as the conference's top steeplechaser, Lauren Johnston, is entered in a variety of events that aren't the steeplechase. In fact, her fellow sub-10:30 teammate, Karoline Daland, isn't entered, either! And among those who are in this race, none of them have seed times under 10:20. The Tulsa duo of Katharina Pesendorfer and Alicen Ashley should handle this field with relative ease and on a really good day, Florida Atlantic's Anabell Reumann is probably the only other woman who can challenge them.

Written by Ian Dickenson & Garrett Zatlin Additional edits & commentary by Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve Click here to see our Just Missed and Honorable Mention names. Listed eligibility takes redshirts and Covid-related extensions into consideration. TFRRS is used as a general, but not strict, guide when determining eligibility. 25. George Couttie, Freshman, Charleston (WV) (-4 / 21) There's not a whole lot to report when it comes to George Couttie. The Charleston freshman underwhelmed with a 3:52 effort over 1500 meters at the Virginia Challenge, but admirably rebounded with a metric mile Mountain East title early last week. Couttie's prior success from the winter months and his 3:43 (1500) mark from late March are ultimately the reasons why this Golden Eagle remains in our top-25. However, with others showcasing far greater momentum, Couttie had to drop in our rankings. 24. Dayton Brown, Senior, Adams State (0 / 24) While a 14:00 (5k) mark may not look like anything crazy on paper, it's still nice to see Dayton Brown establishing consistency and building momentum. So far this spring, the Adams State talent has gone from 14:19 to 14:08 to 14:00 over the 5000-meter distance while snagging a huge 28:35 (10k) PR as well. Admittedly, that latter effort (which sits at NCAA #3 this season) is the main reason why Brown remains on the fringes of our rankings. Even so, he hasn't necessarily given us any glaring reason to drop this Adams State ace from our top-25. 23. Felix Perrier, Junior, Azusa Pacific (+2 / 25) A pair of PacWest titles between the steeplechase and the 5000 meters wasn't too surprising for someone like Felix Perrier. He was, after all, the clear-cut best name in both of those fields. Even so, the production was admirable, he looks as strong as ever and we liked that he ran another fast steeplechase mark of 8:51, further cementing his reliability as we dive deeper into the postseason. 22. Logan Bocovich, Junior, Colorado Mines (Unranked) There have been plenty of us at The Stride Report who have really liked Logan Bocovich and have wanted to find room for him in our rankings. And after producing top-10 times over 5000 meters (13:49) and 10,000 meters (28:56.68 converted), he certainly had an argument. Of course, what really pushed Bocovich over the top was a recent 5k win at the RMAC Championships, the best conference meet in all of Division Two. Defeating Tyler Nord and teammate Duncan Fuehne proves that this former St. Olaf runner can not only run fast, but execute and secure big wins. Admittedly, it would have been nice if Bocovich placed higher in the 10k, a race where he finished 6th place overall. However, a deeper review of the results shows the Orediggers taking a sweep of the top-seven spots and fellow teammates running with each other. In other words, it's best not to take that result too seriously. 21. Drew Dailey, Senior, Shippensburg (+2 / 23) When I first saw Drew Dailey race in person, I was extremely impressed. At a Bucknell meet in the spring of 2022, the Shippensburg middle distance ace ran 1:48 (800) for the win, flexing his talent against a field that simply wasn't as good as him. Since then, Dailey hasn't been quite as strong. Or at the very least, he hasn't matched the potential that he had showcased numerous times in the earlier days of his collegiate career. However, I would argue that Dailey has never looked better than he has this spring. The Shippensburg ace had run under 1:50 (800) three different times, the most recent being a 1:49 effort at the PSAC Championships to secure gold. With experience, momentum and consistency on his side, we're choosing to buy more and more Drew Dailey stock as the outdoor national meet approaches. 20. Roberto Fajardo, Senior, Lee (Tenn.) (Unranked) Wow, Robert Fajardo was flat-out awesome at the Georgia Tech Invitational! Lee's newest middle distance star had a monster breakout weekend back in mid-April, dropping a huge 1:49/3:40 (800/1500) weekend double in Atlanta. That pair of results came after a 1:50/4:05 (800/mile) weekend double at the Fast Break Invite and proceeded a Gulf South victory over 1500 meters. Fajardo is on absolute fire right now and seems to only be getting better. His consistent display of successfully doubling has been a very pleasant surprise. However, his lack of national meet experience keeps us cautious as we approach the tail-end of the season. 19. Prince Mcabelo, Junior, West Texas A&M (+3 / 22) We're a bit conflicted about Prince Mcabelo and his last two races since our last rankings update. This is someone who has run 1:50 over 800 meters twice in late April, both times coming at altitude. However, the catch is that Mcabelo won one of those races, but lost the other to Aziz Mohamed and JUCO standout Hamdani Benahmed. The ability to consistently run fast times and be competitive with top names is encouraging, but falling to both Mohamed and Benahmed wasn't ideal, either. Even so, the consistency is there and his raw 800-meter times are still among the fastest that he has run this spring. On paper, he is once again primed to peak for the national meet like he did back in March. 18. Sam Wilhelm, Junior, Alabama-Huntsville (0 / 18) No surprises here. Sam Wilhelm was the best runner in both the 5000 meters and the 10,000 meters at the Gulf South Conference Championships this past weekend. There, he secured double gold in those two events and also placed 9th over 1500 meters. None of that really changes our opinion of Wilhelm who has been excellent this year. He'll be a legitimate All-American threat in both the 10k and the 5k. In fact, you could potentially call him a lock to earn at least one All-American honor come late May. 17. Aziz Mohamed, Sophomore, West Texas A&M (Unranked) Sure, Aziz Mohamed was a fine D2 middle distance runner coming into this spring, but he hadn't really wowed us with a performance which suggested that he was a top-25 name. Of course, that has since changed after he ran 3:44 (1500) and 1:49 (800) in his last two races, settling for runner-up finishes both times. Not only that, but those times were run at altitude and he took down fellow teammate Prince Mcabelo in the process! With converted marks of 1:49 and 3:41 now putting Mohamed in the top-seven on the D2 national leaderboard in both events, we have no choice but to admit that this West Texas A&M sophomore is peaking beautifully. 16. Tyler Nord, Sophomore, Western Colorado (-2 / 14) Gosh, it's so hard to get a proper gauge on Tyler Nord this spring. The Western Colorado star may not have had the indoor track season that he wanted, but he was still plenty competitive. And after running a 13:46 (5k) PR at the Bryan Clay Invitational, we have good reason to believe that he's near peak form. The RMAC Championships didn't make analyzing Nord any easier. A runner-up finish to Logan Bocovich is not at all a poor result and the same thing can be said about his bronze medal effort in the 1500-meter finals behind teammate Simon Kelati and UCCS runner, Jagger Zlotoff. However, if Nord wants a top-half All-American honor on the national stage, then he'll need to be able to defeat guys just like them. 15. Titouan Le Grix, Junior, Wingate (+4 / 19) If you're a consistent reader of The Stride Report, then you know that we are very big fans of Titouan Le Grix. His range is fantastic, his improvements have been borderline dramatic and he has proven to be plenty competitive with top-tier men in Division Two. Well, after running a 13:49 (5k) PR at the Raleigh Relays back in late March and producing a "just ok" 3:47 mark for 1500 meters, this Wingate star ventured to the Charlotte Invite. There, he dropped a monster steeplechase PR of 8:40! For perspective, his prior PR in that event was 9:05, meaning that he dropped 25 seconds in a single race. On paper, you would think that the SAC Championships weren't too kind to Le Grix. The Wingate ace did win the 1500-meter title by matching his 3:47 PR, but he also settled for an underwhelming 5th place finish in the steeplechase with a time of 9:25. However, the top-six men in that race were all Wingate runners and that no one ran faster than 9:21. In other words, we're not looking into that series of results all that seriously. 14. Jagger Zlotoff, Rs. Sophomore, UC-Colorado Springs (+1 / 15) Sure, Jagger Zlotoff didn't win the the RMAC 1500-meter title the other weekend, but he still had a great race. This UC-Colorado Springs miler narrowly lost to Simon Kelati in 1500-meter finals of their conference meet, 3:48.15 to 3:48.23. Those marks converted 3:43 efforts and it should also be noted that Zlotoff defeated a talented name in Tyler Nord as well. This redshirt sophomore has quietly become one of the most complete milers in all of Division Two. He is tactically really solid, his times continue to improve, he has defeated top-tier names and he barely lost to a guy who may win another national title later this month. This may sound like an aggressive take, but it feels like Jagger Zlotoff could realistically compete for the 1500-meter national title in a few weeks' time. 13. Matthew Storer, Rs. Sophomore, Colorado Christian (0 / 13) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 12. Ricardo Barbosa, Junior, Wingate (0 / 12) Ricardo Barbosa has been solid following the steeplechase fireworks he produced at the Bryan Clay Invite, but we haven't learned much from his recent performances, whether that's for better or for worse. A 5k personal best at Charlotte Relays (13:59) was a solid development. But then Barbosa ventured to the South Atlantic Conference Championships and produced modest finishes of 4th (3k steeplechase) and 5th (1500). Given the way that we’ve seen Wingate's stars race at conference meets this year, it seems they don't put much emphasis on these performances or their order of finishes in races in which they have little competition outside of their teammates. We know what Barbosa is capable of, and at this point, it’s just a matter of how he’ll stack up with the nation's other fantastic steeplechase talents when they go head-to-head in the near future. 11. Soheil Boufrizi, Junior, Wingate (0 / 11) Here we have another great Wingate steeplechaser in Soheil Boufrizi. Pretty much all that we said about Ricardo Barbosa applies to Boufrizi who produced a 13:53 (5k) PR at the Charlotte Relays and finished a couple of places behind Barbosa (who he beat at the Bryan Clay Invite) in the 1500 meters and the steeplechase at their conference meet. That's to say our understanding of Boufrizi hasn't changed much in recent weeks. 10. Jan Lukas Becker, Senior, Mississippi College (0 / 10) In an encouraging display of fitness at the Georgia Tech Invitational two weeks ago, Jan Lukas Becker took a victory by a considerable margin in the 5k. The time (14:09) was nothing to write home about, but we’ve already seen this Mississippi College senior run 13:50 (5k) and 28:40 (10k) this season, so we didn’t need to see monster time from him. With the abundance of names ahead of him on the national leaderboard, Becker may be flying under the radar right now, but let’s not forget that he is the reigning 10k national champion. He knows how to dismantle elite talent on the national stage and will undoubtedly remain a threat. 9. Juan Diego Castro, Junior, Azusa Pacific (0 / 9) Juan Diego Castro was a bit of an enigmatic athlete for a while this year. But now that he has established more of a consistent seasonal resume, we feel safe keeping him in our top-10. Talent-wise, we may even be underselling his standing in the Division Two distance ranks. An honest 3:46 effort for a 1500-meter title at the PacWest conference meet shows us that he’s ready to reach top form over the coming month and, along with a 3:40 mark in March, suggests that he should be in the winning mix in one of the most wide-open D2 distance events. 8. Reece Smith, Senior, NW Missouri (-2 / 6) While Reece Smith hasn’t quite shown the national title-winning, 8:33-PR type of steeplechase form that he has displayed in the past, the last month and a half have displayed some decent momentum on his side following nearly a year off from NCAA racing. The D2 men's steeplechase field is full of dynamic athletes who will put up a demanding fight for the defending champion. Of course, Smith still has arguably the highest ceiling of anyone. Regardless, the event is shaping up to be especially hard to predict now that Smith is looking closer to his old self with three efforts of 8:52 or better in the past month. 7. Harry Ross-Hughes, Sophomore, Lake Erie (+1 / 8) We’ve said in the past that Harry Ross-Hughes could position himself as D2's next focal star in the 800 meters once Wes Ferguson graduates this spring. However, this Lake Erie sophomore has gone above and beyond to prove that potential. In a huge win at the G-MAC Outdoor Championships, Ross-Hughes cracked the 1:47 (800) barrier for the first time to win by just over two seconds. Frankly, the current half-mile picture is rather fragmented with Ferguson so far ahead of his competition and Ross-Hughes seemingly another few echelons above the rest. Regardless, this standout Brit is one of the best young D2 talents we have seen in a while. 6. William Amponsah, Junior, West Texas A&M (+1 / 7) It's been a mostly quiet few weeks for William Amponsah. But in what appears to be characteristic fashion for the first-year collegiate talent, he still managed to throw down a very impressive 14:00 (5k) solo effort at altitude in a race with only four other athletes, none of whom broke 16:00. Depending on who runs which events at the outdoor national meet, Amponsah could have a relatively straightforward path to a national title as he appears head and shoulders above anyone else in the 10k...well, depending on how you feel about Romain Legendre. It feels short-sighted to rule the reigning D2 cross country champion out of the 5k mix as well. 5. Hamza Chahid, Sophomore, Wingate (-1 / 4) To begin this star-studded top-five, we have Hamza Chahid. However, some of his contemporaries may have displayed slightly better form in the last couple of weeks. Chahid recorded a pair of "DNF" results at the Charlotte Relays and, like his teammates, didn't appear to put much emphasis on his conference meet performance. Nonetheless, we know that has hardly taken him out of his national title-contending position after winning 5k gold this past winter. Expect things to ramp back up for Chahid as we enter the postseason. 4. Caleb Futter, Senior, Grand Valley State (+1 / 5) There may not be a D2 distance athlete with a more unique skillset than Caleb Futter. Coming off of victories in both the steeplechase and the 1500 meters at the GLIAC Championships, the Grand Valley State senior continues to show rather singular range. Now boasting a new PR of 3:43 in the 1500 meters, Futter can really have his pick at what events to contest moving forward, if he didn’t already. With the extraordinary success he’s experienced between the steeplechase and the metric mile, we hope he sticks with both rather than focusing his talent in only one of them. 3. Simon Kelati, Rs. Junior, Western Colorado (0 / 3) Our main question for Simon Kelati all season long has been whether he will be more of a force over 1500 meters at the national meet like he was last season, or if he will shine more in the distance events like his fall and winter performances indicated. To be honest, we still don’t know. It’s likely that he will run both the 1500 meters and the 5k at the outdoor national meet. However, with the way the next man in our rankings has been running, the latter event will be exceedingly difficult to win. But against a more unpredictable 1500-meter field, Kelati's racing acumen could lead to his second national title in as many seasons. 2. Romain Legendre, Junior, Adams State (0 / 2) Romain Legendre is a man on fire. After experiencing a more tumultuous indoor track season, the first-year Adams State runner has left few questions about his ability this spring. All that's left is to succeed in the postseason. With a recent 28:28 run in the 10k, Legendre is now NCAA #1 in two events (5k and 1500) this season and NCAA #2 in another (10k). Despite the brimming talent pool in Division Two right now, it’s hard to imagine Legendre not earning his first NCAA title if he races the way he has as of late. 1. Wes Ferguson, Rs. Senior, Nebraska-Kearney (0 / 1) Once again, there’s not much new to be said about our perennial TSR #1 runner, Wes Ferguson. With almost the exact same outdoor track schedule as he had last season, he has continued to show out and prove that he is one of the best middle distance runners (and perhaps the best half-miler) in the NCAA regardless of division. Recently, that materialized into a 1:46.08 (800) win over an elite field of Division One talents and pros at Drake Relays and a 1:47 effort for an MIAA conference title. Having already run as fast as 1:45.85 this season, the question remains: Will Ferguson claim the Division Two 800-meter record? ADDED Aziz Mohamed (West Texas A&M) Roberto Fajardo (Lee (Tenn.)) Logan Bocovich (Colorado Mines) KICKED OFF James Dunne (Adams State) Albert Hesse (Western Colorado) Maxime Touron (NW Missouri) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Kaleb Tipton (CSU-Pueblo) Josphat Meli (Harding) Daylen Madison (Ashland) Ryan Hartman (Augustana (SD)) Harry Louradour (West Texas A&M) Josh Pierantoni (Colorado Christian) Duncan Fuehne (Colorado Mines) Dominic Suliman (Saginaw Valley State) Mason Strader (Pittsburg State) Dillan Haviland (Northwood) Braxton Bruer (MSU-Moorhead) Benjamin Sumner (Azusa Pacific) Hudson Majeski (Colorado Christian) Nicolas Melendres (Azusa Pacific) Dawson Gunn (Colorado Mines) Maxime Touron (NW Missouri) Dylan Sprecker (Pittsburg State) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Jacob Hatcher (Lee (Tenn.)) Koby Fraaza (Grand Valley State) Cas Kopmels (Wingate) Ramen Felumlee (Cedarville) Warren Thiel (Charleston (WV)) Brock Drengenberg (Colorado Mines) John O'Malley (Colorado Mines) Lewis Cotterill (Tiffin) Noah Bernarding (California (PA)) Patrick Lyell (Grand Valley State) Enrico Oddone (West Texas A&M) Aris Houston (Cal Poly Humboldt) Trever Medina (Fort Hays State) Titus Lagat (Lee (Tenn.)) Drew Weber (Western Washington) Trent Cochran (Colorado Christian) Elliot Dotson (Anderson (SC)) Noah Fisher (Findlay) JP Rutledge (Colorado Mines) Ero Doce (Stanislaus State) Evan Horgan (Lewis) Kidus Begashaw (Adams State) Emil Bezecny (Adams State) Lars Laros (Wingate) Grant Bradley (Fort Hays State) Nixon Korir (Azusa Pacific) Peter Kipkemboi (East Central) Aspel Kiprob (East Central) Ben Surratt (Wingate) Will Aitken (Wingate) Jared Gregoire (MSU-Moorhead) Awet Beraki (Adams State) Scott Spaanstra (Grand Valley State) Paul Knight (Colorado Mines) Kevin McDermott (Western Washington) Alberto Campa (Colorado Mines) Tanner Chada (Grand Valley State) Johan Correa (Central Washington) Samuel Idiens (Charleston (WV)) Ethan Anthony (Oklahoma Christian) Isaiah Rodriguez (Western Oregon) Paul Korir (East Central) Jeret Gillingham (Western Washington) Notes - James Dunne is no longer listed on Adams State's roster and has yet to race this spring, so we have opted to remove him from our rankings. - Albert Hesse has yet to race this spring despite being listed on Western Colorado's roster. As such, we have removed him from our rankings as well.

Written by Marissa Kuik & Gavin Struve Additional edits & commentary by Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve Click here to see our Just Missed and Honorable Mention names. Listed eligibility takes redshirts and Covid-related extensions into consideration. TFRRS is used as a general, but not strict, guide when determining eligibility. 25. Sarah Koomson, Freshman, West Texas A&M (-2 / 23) Even while racing just once since our last rankings update and doing so in a tertiary event, Sarah Koomson impressed. The star rookie produced a 1500-meter PR and a comfortable victory at her home meet with an altitude-converted 4:23 mark. The only reason she moves down is due to some significant efforts by women who moved into our rankings. That 1500-meter result, seemingly achieved in a time-trial scenario, likely doesn't mean a ton for someone who has been better over longer distances. However, it shows that Koomson -- who has yet to race a 10k and earned her indoor All-American laurels in the 3k rather than the 5k -- has more speed than we initially gave her credit for. 24. Zoe Baker, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines (0 / 24) Zoe Baker's stock didn't change a whole lot after a runner-up performance over 10,000 meters at the RMAC Championships. She was probably favored to win the race, but it's hardly concerning to see her lose to teammate Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge by four-hundredths of a second. After all, that effort came one week after Baker beat Ramsey-Rutledge for an altitude-converted seasonal best at their home meet. Baker still looks like an All-American favorite in the 10k and perhaps the 5k. 23. Leah Taylor, Sophomore, Western Colorado (-7 / 16) Leah Taylor was one of a few women's distance stars who didn't run up to their full potential at the RMAC Championships. For this Western Colorado ace, that meant a 6th-place finish in the 1500 meters and an 8th place result in the 5k. Consider Taylor placed 3rd in the metric mile (and 5th in the 5k) at the 2023 RMAC Outdoor Championships before matching that 1500-meter finish at the outdoor national meet. We're not going to panic over one weekend, particularly when Taylor just ran 4:26 for a PR in the RMAC 1500-meter prelims. However, considering that she ran just one second slower than that in the RMAC finals the same weekend and wasn't in the mix for the win, Taylor will be hard-pressed to replicate her bronze medal finish from the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships. While we still view her as an All-American favorite, it may behoove Taylor to double back in the 5k (rather than focusing solely on the 1500 meters as she did last season) to maximize her chances. 22. Vienna Lahner, Rs. Freshman, Adams State (-2 / 20) As she sat out of her primary event, Vienna Lahner was overshadowed by several of her teammates at the RMAC Outdoor Championships. While she ran a 2:11 PR over 800 meters, Lahner did not advance to the finals in that event. However, she opened this month with an altitude-converted 4:20 metric-mile mark, outclassing strong competition en route to victory at the CSU-Pueblo Last Chance meet. So yes, Lahner moves down to make room for a pair of teammates (who recently thrived in events other than the 1500 meters), but she didn't hurt her big-picture standing in our eyes. 21. Aryelle Wright, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines (-6 / 15) Like Leah Taylor, Aryelle Wright didn't look her best at the top distance running conference's annual spring showcase. This Oredigger ace was squarely among the favorites to take the half-mile conference crown, but faltered to a 2:22 effort that placed her dead last in the 800-meter finals. More likely than not, that race was a one-off and it doesn't necessarily give us pause about Wright's postseason trajectory as a proven multi-time All-American. Even so, we have little choice but to move her down a bit in our rankings after a less-than-ideal defense of the RMAC half-mile crown that she won this past winter. 20. Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge, Rs. Junior, Colorado Mines (Unranked) A 10,000-meter victory placed Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge among the biggest winners of an RMAC conference meet filled with noisy results. She also earned bronze in the 5k, beating women like Anna Fauske, Leah Taylor, and teammates Molly Maksin, Holly Moser, Margaux Basart and Grace Strongman. A strong postseason double appears to be in store considering Ramsey-Rutledge produced a 16:23 (5k) PR at Bryan Clay last month as well. After finishing one spot away from All-American placement at the 2024 indoor national meet, it seems unlikely Ramsey-Rutledge will be left out of those honors later this month. 19. Morgan Hykes, Junior, Adams State (-2 / 17) Like her above-listed teammate, Vienna Lahner, Morgan Hykes did not contest her primary race at the RMAC Championships. Instead, she produced a 1500-meter PR before falling to the back of the field in the finals of that event. Perhaps more concerningly, Hykes recorded a "DNF" in her secondary event, the 5k. All things considered, her conference meet showing was hardly catastrophic. Plus, any potential bad taste in her mouth should have been washed out by a 10:06 steeplechase effort this past Saturday, placing her at NCAA #4 this season behind a troika of teammates. 18. Katie Heck (née Fankhouser), Senior, Fort Lewis (-9 / 9) Katie Heck represents the last of a group of women who received slight demotions in our rankings after faltering a bit at the RMAC Outdoor Championships. The same Fort Lewis star who won the conference title in the 1500 meters last spring (before finishing 2nd on the national stage) just placed 5th in an ultra-competitive 2024 RMAC metric mile final. The Fort Lewis veteran didn't fare much better over 800 meters either, finishing 6th after emerging as the half-mile runner-up finisher at the 2024 RMAC Indoor Championships a couple of months ago. Heck has some of the best middle distance chops in the country, but we're not entirely sure what to expect from her later this month after faltering at the 2024 indoor national meet and producing these latest results. 17. Jessica Simon, Senior, Adams State (+8 / 25) Jessica Simon didn't win the RMAC 800-meter title, but she did produce the fastest time at the meet with a 2:07.16 PR in the prelims (all at altitude). The Grizzly veteran went on to produce a strong 2:08 effort in the half-mile finals to finish as the conference meet runner-up finisher behind a teammate. Simon has contested the half-mile on the national stage four different times, including at the past three NCAA Championships, and has yet to reach the finals. Doing so, and securing her first All-American honors, seems less and less like an "if" than a "when" after her recent triumphs. 16. Lieke Hoogsteen, Sophomore, Adams State (Unranked) It was Lieke Hoogsteen -- not Jessica Simon, Katie Heck or Aryelle Wright -- who emerged victorious in the RMAC 800-meter final. Hoogsteen rode her momentum to a 2:08.28 PR (before conversions) to earn conference gold, mirroring the 2:08.42 effort she produced in the preliminaries. That kind of consistency between rounds against top-flight competition bodes well entering the postseason for this underclassman who has been quietly excellent this year. After becoming a first-time All-American with a 7th-place effort at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, Hoogsteen only seems to be gaining momentum with each passing month of this calendar year. And with prior experience already under her belt, we're feeling increasingly more confident about what kind of noise she could make later this month. 15. Ava O'Connor, Junior, Adams State (Unranked) While her aforementioned teammate (Morgan Hykes) enjoyed a strong personal-best steeplechase effort at the Portland Twilight meet, Ava O'Connor was even more impressive in that setting as she dipped under 10:00 for the first time. That marked a pretty strong two-week stretch for this Ireland native who also earned top-five finishes in the 800 meters and the metric mile at the RMAC Championships. She now has top-four national marks this season in both the 1500 meters and the 3000-meter steeplechase, providing some postseason optionality. 14. Elizabeth Acheson, Rs. Junior, U-Mary (+5 / 19) Nothing we saw from Elizabeth Acheson over the past couple of weeks dramatically helped or hurt her stock. Yes, she ran PRs in both the 400 meters and the 1500 meters in that span, but we know by now that Acheson makes her hay in the 800 meters. And while others impressed more than her since our last rankings update, we didn't think fellow 800-meter specialists like Lieke Hoogsteen and Jessica Simon should surpass Acheson after she was better than both (and everyone save for Alaysia Brooks) in that event at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships. Let's not forget she's been racing at this level (off and on) for three years. 13. Marissa D'Atri, Senior, Chico State (+5 / 18) While the 3000-meter steeplechase scene looks less wide open (behind Gracie Hyde) after the recent exploits of the Adams State women, Marissa D'Atri appears primed to return to the All-American form that she displayed throughout the 2022 calendar year. No, she didn't produce a sub-10:00 steeplechase effort like some of her star contemporaries, but D'atri won double gold between the steeplechase and the 5000 meters at her conference meet. She seems likely to attempt the same double on the national stage (as she did last spring) after recently running a respectable 16:26 seasonal best in the 5k at the Payton Jordan Invitational. Not only that, but with prior experience on her side and zero concerning developments on her seasonal resume, there is way more to like about D'Atri than not. 12. Natalie Graber, Junior, Grand Valley State (0 / 12) Has not competed since our last rankings update. 11. Emily Schoellkopf, Junior, Adams State (+11 / 22) As always, the RMAC Championships were an incredibly competitive affair. However, what made the meet even more challenging this year was Adams State racing more of their athletes there than usual. That decision by Coach Damon Martin made earning an RMAC individual title in the distance events that much more special. On that stage, Emily Schoellkopf further proved that she can hold her own with the best women in Division Two, taking home a conference title in the 5k and a 2nd-place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase. While her times may not be as fast as some of the other top women on this list, we value the way this Grizzly veteran competed in that championship setting and in other recent postseason affairs. 10. Taryn Chapko, Junior, Grand Valley State (+1 / 11) The half-mile distance is pretty saturated this year with a plethora of 2:08 to 2:09 times, making Taryn Chapko’s 2:08.98 performance from a few weeks ago feel lost in the crowd. Nonetheless, Chapko has always been a name to rely on in the 800 meters come time for the national meet. She has experience, tactical savvy and a penchant for navigating the rounds of a postseason meet. By and large, we know what to expect from her at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in a few weeks' time. 9. Tristian Spence, Rs. Freshman, Adams State (+4 / 13) For someone considered more of a long distance runner (with a PR of 15:58 in the 5k this season), Tristian Spence is proving that she can compete just as well when she drops down in distance. Spence came away with a runner-up result over 1500- meters at the RMAC Championships, beating out names like Leah Taylor, Katie Heck and Riley McGrath who have shown more of an affinity for (and boast more experience in) the middle distance events. With top-four national marks in both races this season, Spence is a legitimate name to watch for in the 5k and the 1500 meters. Her recent conference silver medal was encouraging in that it showed that she is adaptable, suited for the postseason in spite of her youth, and has better anaerobic reserves than we expected. 8. Elena Carey, Junior, Adams State (+2 / 10) The growth of Elena Carey has been one of our favorite subplots to follow in 2024. She has gone from someone who ran decent times, but lacked postseason experience, to becoming an All-American in the mile and running ridiculously fast times in the 1500 meters...and now the steeplechase. First, Carey beat out stiff competition to win the RMAC title in the metric mile. Then, the following weekend, she ran an incredible time of 9:54 in the steeplechase to beat her teammates at the Portland Twilight meet. Not only does Carey boast fast times, but she also knows how to win, setting her up to be exceedingly dangerous at the national meet in whatever race or combination of races she chooses. 7. Allison Beasley, Sophomore, Western Colorado (+1 / 8) Allison Beasley flip-flopped with Emily Schoellkopf at the RMAC Championships, winning the individual title in the steeplechase and finishing runner-up in the 5k. And just like Schoellkopf, she may not have the fastest times out of all of the women atop our rankings, but she has emerged as a reliably elite postseason name. Beasley was the 2023 outdoor national meet runner-up in the steeplechase, running a slower seasonal best in that setting than what she's produced this spring. She'll have to fight off a strong horde of competitors to match or improve upon that finish this year, but it seems more likely than not that she's on pace for top finishes in both that event and the 5k. 6. Klaudia O'Malley, Senior, Grand Valley State (+1 / 7) After some big marks at Bryan Clay in the 1500 meters and the 5k, Klaudia O’Malley backed both of those performances up over the past couple of weekends. First, she ran 4:21 in the metric mile at the GVSU Extra Weekend Meet. The time was only one second off of her Bryan Clay mark and it looks even more competitive given it came in a lower-stimulus environment. Then, she went on to win two GLIAC titles between the 800 meters and the 5k, running an impressive time of 2:09 in the former event. O'Malley, who could be argued as Division Two's most versatile distance star this side of Gracie Hyde, appears to be in store for her best postseason finish yet in what could be her collegiate send-off. 5. Florance Uwajeneza, Senior, West Texas A&M (0 / 5) While a "DNF" result in the 1500 meters this past weekend was not ideal (perhaps she was pacing), Florence Uwajeneza maintains her spot from our past rankings update despite that being her only result since then. It's hard to compete with her 32:52 (10k) mark or the 16:00 (5k) mark that she produced earlier this season, let alone both. The reigning 5k indoor national champion is very much a threat to win a national title in consecutive seasons and may be favored to do so over 10,000 meters for the first time. 4. Alaysia Brooks, Junior, Ursuline (OH) (+2 / 6) As expected, Alaysia Brooks is peaking at just the right time for the championship meets. At the G-MAC Championships, she crossed the finish line in 1st place over 800 meters, running a PR of 2:05 to top the 2:06 effort that she put forth in the preliminary rounds. Remember, Brooks employed the same strategy at the indoor national meet two months ago, running hard from the gun in both rounds en route to gold. All of that serves as an indication that she should be the heavy favorite to repeat as the half-mile national champion. 3. Brianna Robles, Senior, Adams State (+1 / 4) By this point of the season, Brianna Robles usually has a top mark in the 10k to her name. However, we were beginning to think that she was prioritizing other events this year until she dropped a 33:03 effort at the Payton Jordan Invitational for what's comfortably the NCAA #2 effort this season. In doing so, Robles reaffirmed her status as one of the names who everyone has to go through in order to win one of the true long distance events. Robles' year-over-year and race-over-race consistency is virtually unmatched. And even if she doesn't emerge with one of the titles she has put herself in the mix for, she's a near-lock to finish toward the front of any race she contests. 2. Kaylee Beyer, Senior, Winona State (+1 / 3) The past couple of weekends, Kaylee Beyer replicated her exact times from the beginning of the season, running 16:09 for the 5k and 4:19 over 1500 meters. Talk about consistency. Maybe some would look at those results as sub-optimal because she has seemingly not improved from the earlier portions of the season. However, we see it as representative of high-level consistency, something that we put a lot of value in for our rankings. With the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters looking as competitive as ever, Beyer will have her hands full trying to earn her first NCAA title. However, she often performs at her best on the national stage, so we anticipate more resonant results in the weeks to come. 1. Gracie Hyde, Rs. Senior, Adams State (0 / 1) There really is no distance event in which Gracie Hyde can't thrive in. Each weekend she has toed the line this spring, Hyde has competed in a different event. And with each performance, she has further solidified her status as one of the best runners in the nation regardless of divisions. Most recently, Hyde crossed the finish line at the Payton Jordan Invitational in 15:43 over 5000 meters, and the only surprising thing about that result was that it was not another NCAA record. She now holds the season's fastest D2 mark in the 800 meters, the 1500 meters, the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 5000 meters. Deciding which combination of events to race at the national meet may be harder than any challenge that awaits her once she arrives at that postseason setting. ADDED Lieke Hoogsteen (Adams State) Ava O'Connor (Adams State) Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge (Colorado Mines) KICKED OFF Stephanie Cotter (Adams State) Precious Robinson (Adams State) Ana Tucker (Grand Valley State) JUST MISSED (in no particular order) Stephanie Cotter (Adams State) Precious Robinson (Adams State) Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser) Katherine Marsh (Adelphi) MaKenna Thurston (Minnesota State) Anna Fauske (UC-Colorado Springs) Kate Hedlund (UC-Colorado Springs) Kate Dawson (Pittsburg State) Kaylee Harp (NW Missouri) Marian Ledesma (Western Washington) Molly Maksin (Colorado Mines) Riley McGrath (Colorado Mines) Maggie McCleskey (Adams State) Mckenna Cavanaugh (Lee (Tenn.)) Margaux Basart (Colorado Mines) Holly Moser (Colorado Mines) Maria Mitchell (Grand Valley State) Kylie Anicic (Edinboro) Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific) HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order) Kayce Rypma (Grand Valley State) Ines Macadam (Tiffin) Najwa Chouati (Stanislaus State) Erin Dorn (Davenport) Taylor Stone (Flagler) Emma Kjellsen (Western Colorado) Isabel Marsh (Adelphi) Shannon King (Colorado Christian) Elizabeth Wamsley (Hillsdale) Khot Juac (Sioux Falls) Caroline Fuehren (Lenoir-Rhyne) Alexa Keiser (Saginaw Valley State) Lina Hanich (Academy of Art) Abby VanderKooi (Grand Valley State) Bailey Blake (NW Missouri) Maggie Williams (Biola) Aria Hawkins (Lee (Tenn.)) Nicole Lawrence (Adams State) Ila Davis (Western Washington) Margot Thomas (CSU-Pueblo) Ellie Frye (Dallas Baptist) Betty Bajika (West Texas A&M) Hannah Hartwell (Fort Lewis) Madison Clay (Catawba) Notes - Ana Tucker has yet to race this season despite being listed on Grand Valley State's roster. As such, she has been removed from our rankings.

It was another one of those weekends that produced some interesting headlines, but also didn't leave your writers at The Stride Report drowning in a tidal wave of results. Even so, the Northern Arizona men, a few Ivy League races and a handful of half-mile efforts left us with plenty to analyze. Let's dive in and chat about a few of these performances, shall we? Nico Young & Colin Sahlman Run 3:34 (1500), Young Doubles Back to Run Sub-13:40 (5k) Later That Day After a long-awaited return to racing a discipline above 800 meters, Nico Young toed the line with superstar teammate Colin Sahlman on Saturday night to attack a fast 1500-meter effort. And in case it wasn't obvious from the results, it seemed fairly clear that these two NAU stars were gunning for the NCAA metric mile record of 3:33.74. Ultimately, that didn't happen as both men ended up just shy of the record. Nico Young produced a time of 3:34.56 while teammate Colin Sahlman ran a time of 3:34.64. Of course, just because they didn't run an NCAA record doesn't mean that these weren't wildly impressive times. For Nico Young, I have to admit, I'm not surprised in the slightest. This is a guy who ran an altitude converted 3:48 mark in the mile this past winter. He's also shattered NCAA records left and right. Based strictly on his raw fitness and strength, seeing him run under 3:35 for the metric mile is hardly a shocker. And again, that doesn't mean that it's not an incredible performance. While this may seem like a silly question, I can't help but ask it: Would Nico Young potentially defer the 5000 meters (and presumably the 10,000 meters given that he doesn't technically have a qualifying time yet) in favor of the 1500 meters at the West Regional Championships? With the Olympic Trials likely holding greater emphasis than the NCAA Outdoor Championships, could Young possibly go all-in for the 1500 meters in an effort to preserve his legs for late June? I doubt that's going to happen, especially since Young doubled back after the 1500 meters to produce a sub-13:40 mark over 5000 meters, a clear sign that he wanted a regional qualifying time. Even so, Young would still be viewed as a national title contender in that event. And assuming that he makes the finals, the NAU star would have avoided a total of 4000 meters of extra racing (between the regional and national rounds) if he chose the 1500 meters over the 5000 meters. As for Colin Sahlman, I would argue that his result was more important than what we saw from Nico Young. After running 3:33.96 to win the men's 1500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, he further validated his talent with a 1:45 (800) win over Rivaldo Marshall. And since then, there hasn't really been a need for Sahlman to attack another fast 1500-meter race. And yet, he did so anyway. With a second sub-3:35 (1500) performance now on his seasonal resume, Sahlman just showed us that there was nothing flukey about his Bryan Clay race. If he really needs to, he can throw down an all-time elite mark on seemingly any weekend in the right setting. Sure, the outdoor national meet will still be tactical, but there's no denying that in terms of raw fitness, Sahlman can match any legitimate national title contender in this year's 1500-meter field. After all, Sahlman just took down Matthew Centrowitz, Abdi Nur and Craig Engels in that same race! Between his youth and still-developing tactical savvy, Sahlman may still not be viewed as the one and only national title favorite this spring. However, he has largely done enough to show us that the need for intangibles may not apply to him as much as they would for a few others. Salt Lake CC's JaQuavious Harris ran 3:39 for 1500 meters while Cal Poly's Davis Bove ran 3:40 at the same distance as well. Harris, at least to our knowledge, is shockingly not signed by any non-JUCO program yet. That's pretty surprising given how incredible he has been throughout this year. The current JUCO star has been rewriting the NJCAA record books and has shown incredible range as well. Keep an eye on him as the next few months unfold. Penn Duo of Lily Murphy & Maeve Stiles Headline Fast 10k Race & Upset Columbia Star Phoebe Anderson Alright, hand up. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong about this race. Going into the women's 10k at the Ivy League Outdoor Championships, I was convinced that Columbia star Phoebe Anderson would win. The Lion star was incredible over 5000 meters during the winter and had run a 15:29 (5k) PR less than a month ago. Sure, she didn't enter Saturday's 10k race with a seed time, but it was seemingly clear to me that this aerobic-centric Ivy League ace was a perfect runner for the 10k. Yes, I did acknowledge how good Penn's Lily Murphy and Maeve Stiles were. However, Murphy was still in the midst of a breakout season and had only contested one 10k race before this past weekend. And while Stiles had proven to be plenty talented in her own right, the Quaker standout hadn't been quite in top form over the last year or so...that is, until now. Anderson led a group of five other women for a while and nothing really happened until the lead pack was 8000 meters into the race. There, Murphy took control of the race after sitting on Anderson's shoulder up and to that point. The Penn sophomore would then crank up the pace, giving herself a surprisingly large gap on her conference rival. That move also seemed to benefit Stiles who was also able to establish a gap on Anderson. In the end, Murphy cruised to the line looking unbelievably smooth. Her winning mark of 32:45 (10k) was just a touch off from her PR of 32:40 while Stiles ran 32:51 for a new 10k personal best. Anderson would finish 3rd overall in 32:54 while Harvard's Ella Gilson admirably ran 32:59 for 4th place. Saturday felt like a career-defining race for Murphy. The Penn ace showed tremendous promise with her 32:40 (10k) effort at the Raleigh Relays, but a win over Phoebe Anderson and a validating 32:45 mark truly shows us that this Quaker talent is the real deal. I can't stress enough how calm, relaxed and poised Murphy was throughout the entirety of her race. I wouldn't at all be surprised if she was able to run under 32:30 (10k) on the national stage (assuming she qualifies). As for Stiles, this is also a fantastic performance. The Penn veteran (who only has sophomore eligibility) proved to be nationally competitive during her early days in the NCAA. However, a few setbacks have seemingly left her at 80% of what her top-tier form truly is. Thankfully, after running a 33:15 (10k) PR at the Raleigh Relays earlier this spring, Stiles is beginning to catch fire at just the right time. A 32:51 personal best over 10,000 meters is a major step in the right direction. And given her pedigree, I wouldn't at all be shocked if she advanced to the outdoor national meet in this event. However, the party who is maybe the most excited about Stiles' result is actually the University of Washington. That's because Stiles will be a graduate transfer for the Huskies starting next fall. And with all but one woman set to return from last year's cross country lineup, a fully fit Maeve Stiles could further elevate an already-great top-seven come October and November. As for Anderson, I'll admit, I was expecting more from her, but I can't be too upset about a sub-33:00 performance in her first-ever 10k. The 5k has always been her bread-and-butter, although it will be interesting to see if she'll attack the 10k/5k double at the East Regional Championships after Saturday's race. Also, great run for Ella Gilson who has sometimes been overlooked by how good the Harvard women have been in the middle distance events. However, she continues to quietly piece together a few excellent runs. Don't forget, this Crimson veteran placed 65th at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall. Virginia Tech's Nick Plant Runs 1:46 (800) PR to Secure Win If you're a regular reader of The Stride Report, then you know that I am a very big fan of the Hokies. That, of course, is because I am a Virginia Tech alum. Is that partially why I am such a big fan of Nick Plant? Absolutely. But is that the only reason why I'm such a big fan of Nick Plant? No, definitely not. Plant was a national-caliber superstar over 800 meters during his time in high school. And once he graduated, the Ohio native ventured to Virginia Tech where he showed early success, even winning the ACC title last spring as a rookie, running 1:47 (800) multiple times and advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. However, the VT sophomore has only grown over the last year. He has displayed incredible poise, a strong understanding of positioning, is tactically strong and has proven to be effective at distances over 800 meters. And after securing a massive 4th place All-American finish at the 2024 indoor national meet, Plant feels like one of the more complete half-milers that the NCAA has to offer. The only catch? He didn't have an 800-meter PR that truly stood out. Sure, Plant's 1:47 mark was more than admirable, but many of the nation's top half-milers held personal bests of 1:46, 1:45 and, in the current case of Sam Whitmarsh, 1:44. That, of course, all changed this past weekend when Plant dropped a fantastic time of 1:46.35 for an 800-meter win. In the process, he positioned himself to run under 1:46 in the near future, rounded-out his resume in a major way, began to show that he's peaking for the postseason and was able to take down a quietly deep field in the process. No, I'm not saying that Plant is ready to be a national title contender (yet). However, it's incredibly hard to see a scenario where he's not an All-American over 800 meters in June. Of course, before then, he'll need to take down 1:45 man Rynard Swanepoel, 1:46 man Tarees Rhoden and strong contingent of UVA middle distance talents to defend his ACC title from last spring. Lindsey Butler & Billah Jepkirui Produce 2:02 (800) Marks at Separate Meets We're assuming that Virginia Tech's Lindsey Butler was paced by SOVA's Rachel McArthur (who was listed as a DNF) en route to her 2:02 win over 800 meters. And while I'd like to be stunned or tell you that this result changes the NCAA landscape, it doesn't. With a 2:01 (800) PR in this event, a 2022 indoor national title, a recent 4:07 (1500) PR and a 7th place All-American honor in the half-mile finals at the NCAA Indoor Championships, seeing Butler run 2:02 is right on par with our expectations. That was, however, an important rebound race for someone who struggled in her last outing, running 2:05 in a loss to teammate Star Price (who ran 2:03). As for Jepkirui, we knew that she was capable of dropping down in distance and being a legitimate threat over 800 meters. Even so, a 2:02 PR is definitely on the better end of what we thought she could produce. Admittedly, the women's 1500-meter national title is seemingly going to be locked up by Harvard's Maia Ramsden. But in terms of skillset, national-caliber times, upside and growing experience, Jepkirui is almost definitely going to win a national title before she leaves the NCAA. Having 2:02 (800) speed to pair with being a top-10 talent on the grass should allow her to be competitive with almost anyone in the country. Also, really great run from Arkansas' Tiana LoStracco who ran 2:03 (800) in the same race. She continues to be a really solid and underrated talent for the Razorbacks. However, despite her strong showing, I think she'll still pursue the 1500 meters come the postseason. Penn's Bronwyn Patterson Upsets Harvard's Sophia Gorriaran for Ivy League 800-Meter Title In our predictions/preview article, here is what I said about the women's 800-meter field for this past weekend's Ivy League Outdoor Championships: "Yes, Sophia Gorriaran may be in this field, but this will not be a stroll in the park. Bronwyn Patterson has been great in the postseason throughout her career and she is looking as strong as she ever has." *Sigh* Now if only I had reflected that in my actual predictions... On Sunday, Harvard rookie Sophia Gorriaran took to the lead, coming through 400 meters in a blistering 59 seconds. Right on her shoulder was Penn's Bronwyn Patterson and Yale's Victoria Guerrier who would eventually fade. In the final 200 meters, Patterson would make a convincing move to the front, overtaking Gorriaran in an effort to gain separation. And for the most part, it worked! Gorriaran responded, but Patterson simply had too much momentum and too many strides on her Ivy League counterpart to be caught. And in the end, it was Patterson securing the 800-meter win, 2:04.12 to 2:04.96. Video via X.com/@PennTrack Even before this past weekend, I have said previously that Bronwyn Patterson is really good in the postseason. In fact, that's usually when she's at her best. Over this past winter and throughout these spring months, the Penn veteran has posted three different personal bests in three different events. She just ran her 2:03 (800) PR the other weekend and was plenty familiar with Gorriaran from the Ivy League Indoor Championships. Of course, make no mistake, the Crimson freshman was still the clear favorite going into Sunday. Her times were notably faster than Patterson's and she had made it to the national meet this past winter. But if there was going to be an upset, it was going to come from an experienced veteran who has never been more fit and always peaks for the postseason. A victory like that will do wonders for Patterson as she goes deeper into the postseason. And given how tactical the East Regional Championships can usually be, I can't help but wonder if the Quaker middle distance runner will be favored to advance to the outdoor national meet. As for Gorriaran, I'll admit, this isn't the most encouraging result, especially as she preps for the East Regional Championships. Even so, this is someone who ran 2:01 (800) less a month ago and was able to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. She owns a 2:00 PR and boasts really impressive mile strength. On paper, there are way more reasons to like Gorriaran's chances at qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships than not. Quick Hits Really impressive weekend for Harvard's Maia Ramsden who put together a 4:09/15:47 (1500/5k) double on Sunday to earn two Ivy League titles. Taking down Phoebe Anderson in her primary event despite racing on tired legs (while Anderson had a night of rest) is applause-worthy. Strong 1:47 (800) efforts from Butler's William Cuthbertson, Indiana's Nico Colchico and Oklahoma State's DeJuana McArthur. That's a new personal best for all three of those men. Navy's Sam Keeny just had a huge steeplechase effort, running 8:41 to win the Patriot League title. Watch out for the Midshipmen runner who has posted new PRs in this event in his last two attempts at this discipline. Army's Nathan Davis (8:43) also posted a fairly significant personal best as well.