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.

While most of Division One's conference meets take place next weekend, the Ivy League Outdoor Track & Field Championships will instead be held this weekend. More specifically, the meet will be held on Saturday and Sunday. It's only fitting that, among Division One programs, that the Ivy League has a weekend (mostly) to themselves as far as conference championships are concerned. While this contingent of academic powerhouses may not be quite as deep as a few Power Five counterparts, few conference meets boast the same kind of prestige and bragging rights that the Ivy League Championships do. Below, your TSR admin dissected all of the entrants in the men's and women's distance races in an effort to give you top-five predictions for the meet. Let's dive in, 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 Samuel Rodman (Princeton) - 1:49 Collin Boler (Princeton) - 1:49 Thomas Cirrito (Yale) - 1:50 Harrison Witt (Princeton)* - 1:50 Titus Bretzke (Penn) - 1:51 Analysis: I really like Harrison Witt in this race as he has clearly been the best half-miler of anyone in this field this season. However, given that he'll presumably be coming off of the 1500-meter finals the same day, trying to envision a scenario where he outruns guys with fresher legs is a challenge. Rodman is the most complete half-miler in this field, especially when you factor-in his experience, and Collin Boler showed during the winter months that he is a major problem in the rounds. Both Cirrito has been VERY consistent this year and Bretzke is too proven to not be a top-five finisher. Women’s 800 Meters Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard) - 2:01 Bronwyn Patterson (Penn) - 2:03 Mena Scatchard (Princeton)* - 2:05 Katja Jackson (Cornell) - 2:06 Olivia Schmitt (Columbia) - 2:06 Analysis: 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. Mena Scatchard is having a breakout season, although she's doubling back from the 1500-meter finals. Some people may point out that I left Victoria Guerrier out of our predictions. That's because I'll be curious to see how the inexperienced rookie handles racing against stronger competition after running a 2:04 (800) PR that came out of nowhere the other week. Men’s 1500 Meters Damian Hackett (Cornell) - 3:44 Harrison Witt (Princeton)* - 3:44 Joe Ewing (Harvard) - 3:45 Ferenc Kovas (Harvard)* - 3:45 Owen Karas (Yale) - 3:47 Analysis: Gosh, there are so many men who could win this race. Harrison Witt has arguably been the best runner out of all of these men this spring. Joe Ewing is seemingly the best pure miler in the field and is seemingly due for a conference title. Ferenc Kovas has been the electric rookie who has defied expectations and Owen Karas has been incredibly reliable over the metric mile distance this season. However, Damian Hackett seems like the safest pick. He won the Ivy League mile title this past winter, he's run fast enough to compete with any kind of time that these men are capable of producing, his experience is plentiful and his tactics are subtly great. In the grand scheme of things, I see him as the most complete miler in this field. Women’s 1500 Meters Maia Ramsden (Harvard)* - 4:16 Nicole Vanasse (Columbia) - 4:20 Mena Scatchard (Princeton)* - 4:22 Margaret Liebich (Princeton) - 4:23 Augustine Haquet (Cornell) - 4:23 Analysis: This is the Maia Ramsden show and I shouldn't need to explain why. Behind her will be Nicole Vanasse and Mena Scatchard who have decisively split themselves from the rest of the field (minus Ramsden). As for everyone else, they've been really solid, but the first three spots in this race are going to be fairly chalk depending on how Scatchard bounces back from her two prelim races on Saturday. Men’s 5000 Meters Graham Blanks (Harvard) - 13:48 Nicholas Bendtsen (Princeton)* - 13:54 Talha Syed (Columbia)* - 13:55 Rhys Hammond (Cornell) - 13:55 Charlie Siebert (Columbia) - 14:01 Analysis: Yes, Graham Blanks has only raced once since early December, but his 13:37 mark for 5000 meters a few weeks ago still puts him in a tier above everyone else. Plus, the Harvard star has had even more time to further build his fitness, making him arguably even more dangerous than the last time that he toed the line in April. Behind him, I legitimately believe that Nicholas Bendtsen and Talha Syed could win this race. However, they'll likely want a tactical affair in hopes that Blanks' finishing speed isn't near it's prior peak levels. Women’s 5000 Meters Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)* - 15:51 Maia Ramsden (Harvard)* - 15:58 Olivia Morganti (Penn)* - 16:08 Lily Murphy (Penn)* - 16:11 Ella Gilson (Harvard)* - 16:15 Analysis: How you think this race unfolds will largely determine who you are choosing to win the women's 5k title. Maia Ramsden is going to be coming back from the 1500-meter finals to contest the 5k. There, she'll face Phoebe Anderson who is also entered in the 10k, although that race takes place on Saturday night. Anderson already defeated Ramsden over 5000 meters earlier this season after the latter had run the 1500 meters earlier in that same day. However, this weekend will be a very different setting and it will be up to Anderson to keep things honest. If she can run fast enough to take advantage of Ramsden on tired legs, then she'll likely win. But if Anderson let's the Harvard superstar hang around for too long, then the Crimson veteran may take home the dub. Men’s 10,000 Meters Ben Rosa (Harvard)* - 29:32 Talha Syed (Columbia)* - 29:37 Nicholas Bendtsen (Princeton)* - 29:37 Acer Iverson (Harvard) - 29:42 Shane Brosnan (Harvard)* - 29:44 Analysis: I think both Ben Rosa, Talha Syed and Nicholas Bendtsen are all very underrated. The former had a fantastic fall campaign, Syed could have won an Ivy League title this past winter had it not been for a debatable DQ and Bendtsen has proven that he can win Ivy League titles in the past. However, as the distance rises, I think that will benefit Rosa's aerobic strength enough to give him gold. Women’s 10,000 Meters Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)* - 33:59 Lily Murphy (Penn)* - 34:06 Maeve Stiles (Penn)* - 34:19 Mary Caroline Heinen (Columbia) - 34:30 Ella Gilson (Harvard)* - 34:31 Analysis: Lily Murphy is a really solid talent who is not easy to shake, but Phoebe Anderson is the class of the field and it's not close. Sure, she doesn't have an entered seed time, but that doesn't really matter over 10,000 meters when your 5k PR is 15:29 and was run just a couple of weeks ago. Even so, both Murphy and Maeve Stiles could make this a big opportunity for Penn to score big points in the team standings. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Reed Pryor (Harvard) - 8:48 Jackson Shorten (Columbia) - 8:49 Winslow Atkeson (Yale) - 8:50 Ferenc Kovas (Harvard) - 8:56 Gavin White (Columbia) - 9:05 Analysis: I don't know if there's one true favorite, but Reed Pryor is primed to earn gold in my opinion. The Harvard runner was the runner-up finisher in this race at the same meet last year and has run two personal bests this season. With momentum and prior experience on his side, I think most signs are pointing to the Crimson coming out with the win. Jackson Shorten has built fantastic momentum in the steeplechase this season, stacking personal best after personal best. If that continues, then he'll be a contender for the title. Meanwhile, Winslow Atkeson and Ferenc Kovas are both dynamic and well-rounded steeplechasers, but the latter is still very young which, on championship stages involving barriers, leaves him more on the cautious side of my predictions. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Olivia Morganti (Penn)* - 10:10 Molly Malague (Princeton) - 10:20 Marge Dalseth (Cornell) - 10:25 Alexis Allen (Princeton) - 10:27 Katherine Strong (Dartmouth) - 10:28 Analysis: I would be absolutely stunned if Olivia Morganti lost this race. She is easily the best steeplechaser in this field and no one else is in the same stratosphere are her. I like Molly Malague grabbing runner-up given how good her overall resume has been, but everyone leaves me shrugging my shoulders with uncertainty. Men’s 4x800-Meter Relay Penn Quakers - 7:22 Princeton Tigers - 7:23 Columbia Lions - 7:27 Yale Bulldogs - 7:32 Brown Bears - 7:33 Analysis: Penn is probably favored to win this race, but Princeton is going to be a real problem for the Quakers. The former likely has the most complete lineup, but the latter arguably has more firepower. Columbia, meanwhile, seemingly has a little bit of both. Women’s 4x800-Meter Relay Penn Quakers - 8:42 Columbia Lions - 8:43 Princeton Tigers - 8:46 Cornell Big Red - 8:50 Dartmouth Big Green - 8:51 Analysis: Much like their men's team, Penn has the most complete lineup in this field and they probably have the best anchor as well in Bronwyn Patterson. There isn't necessarily a glaring deficiency within their projected quartet, but a few of them will be doubling back from the 800-meter finals. Columbia, meanwhile, may not have the depth of half-milers that the Quakers do, but Olivia Schmitt and Nicole Vanasse on the latter-end of this relay makes the Lions very dangerous.

It's that time of the year when the NCAA kicks-off their preparations for the postseason. However, before we get into all of that action, we wanted to get you caught up some key names who have hit the transfer portal and those who have already committed to new homes. NOTE: Graduate transfer scenarios can often be anticipated by certain schools/coaches. Those moves are not always a reflection of a program's ability to retain (or not retain) talent. Emma Heckel (New Mexico to Louisville) Last week, Louisville announced that Emma Heckel would be joining the team as a graduate transfer. According to TFRRS, the future Cardinal runner is expected to hold at least one year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition. Heckel, at her best, is a star-caliber talent. With personal bests of 15:41 (5k) and 32:31 (10k), the soon-to-be-former Lobo is a legitimate three-season threat who has made multiple appearances on the national stage and has twice been an All-American on the grass. Unfortunately, injuries have plagued Heckel over the last year or so, leaving her sidelined for extended periods of time. Thankfully, Heckel will be getting a fresh start while retaining some familiarity during her future move to Louisville. That's because Heckel's former coach, Joe Franklin, left the Lobos last summer to become the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the Kentucky-based university. Reuniting with her former coach can only help Heckel who has yet to race once throughout this entire academic calendar. And while there's no guarantee that all will be remedied simply by joining her former coach, the German distance ace will at least be able to "start at square one" in an effort to make the most of her final year of eligibility. When it comes to Louisville as a whole, Heckel certainly makes this team better...but there is still a lot of work to be done. While the Cardinals have quietly added a few fairly decent pieces to their distance roster over the last year, the team's rise to be a competitive program in the ACC will require much more. Namely, they'll need Emma Heckel at full health and a stronger supporting cast that can offer impact scoring. Luckily for Louisville, five of their top-seven women from last fall's Southeast regional squad (which placed 9th overall) are expected to return (losing their first and seventh runners). And if Heckel is available, then this team, on paper, should only get better. Kenzie Doyle (Transfer Portal) The Stride Report has recently learned that UMass Lowell standout, Kenzie Doyle, has entered the transfer portal as a future graduate student. According to TFRRS, the River Hawk star is expected to have one season of cross country eligibility remaining and at least one season of outdoor track eligibility remaining. Doyle is not expected to have any remaining indoor track eligibility. Doyle has been a solid and competitive name for the last few years. Prior to 2024, Doyle had qualified for the outdoor national meet over 10,000 meters and finished a quietly great 85th place at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships. However, no one could have predicted what Doyle would throw down at the Boston U. Season Opener this past December. In her first race of the academic calendar, the UMass Lowell veteran posted a monster 5k PR of 15:27. The River Hawk standout would go on to run personal bests of 4:41 (mile) and 9:11 (3k) before ending her season with a 14th place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. So far this spring, she has only raced once, producing a 10k personal best of 33:21. In terms of value, Doyle is a big-time entrant in the transfer portal. Given her top-100 finish at the cross country national meet and clear evidence that she has only improved since then, it's reasonable to think that Doyle could be an All-American low-stick on the grass come November. Admittedly, Doyle's consistency will need to improve as we have yet to see her emulate the caliber of her 15:27 (5k) PR. Even so, her ceiling is seemingly higher than other veterans on the portal and she is simply more proven as well. Her resume during the fall months didn't necessarily hold any true "off" days, either. When thinking about potential landing spots for Doyle, one school jumps off the page: Providence. The Lady Friars have quietly emerged as one of the top cross country teams in the nation, placing 16th at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships before returning to the same meet in 2023 where they admittedly struggled. However, with six of their top-seven women from last year's lineup set to return, adding a potential low-stick to this squad would make Providence a much stronger team than some may realize. If she joins the Providence women, then Doyle, a Massachusetts native, would be able to stay local to the northeast region and be part of a nationally competitive distance program should she venture to Rhode Island. Pairing Doyle with Kimberley May and a key veteran in Shannon Flockhart would give the Friars far greater stability and more of an up-top scoring edge that would allow them to be more competitive with Georgetown in top-heavy fields like the BIG East XC Championships. Syracuse would be another strong fit for Doyle, especially as the Orange attempt to remain competitive within the fast-rising ACC. The ladies from upstate New York are more long distance oriented, making them a perfect landing spot for someone like Doyle who is more aerobic-centric. I would be surprised if Georgetown didn't make a run at trying to sign Doyle. After all, ensuring that she doesn't sign with conference rival Providence would be almost as important as the Hoyas actually landing the UMass Lowell star. Not only that, but with key support scorers such as Kelsey Swenson and Maggie Donahue expected to be out of cross country eligibility, there will very clearly be a need for more veteran scoring later this fall. Plus, Coach Mitchell Baker has proven in the past that he is not afraid to utilize the transfer portal to fill out his projected lineups. Abby Loveys (NC State to Boston College) On Friday, Boston College announced that Abby Loveys was joining the Golden Eagles as a graduate transfer. The soon-to-be-former NC State runner is expected to have one full year of eligibility remaining across all three seasons of competition. Loveys is a solid runner with respectable marks of 4:28 (1500), 9:22 (3k) and 16:05 (5k). However, her value is arguably at it's highest on the grass. In the fall of 2022, Loveys placed 18th at Paul Short, 34th at Nuttycombe, 8th at the Ivy League XC Championships and then 3rd at the Mid-Atlantic XC Regional Championships. Unfortunately, since leaving Princeton for NC State last summer, Loveys hasn't competed, making it challenging to properly gauge what she'll be able to bring to the Golden Eagles during the 2024-2025 academic calendar. Of course, if Loveys is able to produce results at a similar level to what we saw from her in 2022, then the Boston College women are in store for a big-time cross country season. This team is expected to return five of their top-seven women who advanced to the NCAA XC Championships this past fall. And more importantly, the BC women will soon introduce a standout distance star in Alexandra Millard as well. With a handful of returning women now holding greater experience, Millard offering more up-top firepower and Loveys potentially acting as a stabilizing scorer (if she's near peak form), then there is a real argument for the Golden Eagles to be listed as a top-20 team in our cross country summer rankings...and maybe even top-15. Ava Nuttall (Transfer Portal) The Stride Report has confirmed that Miami (OH) runner, Ava Nuttall, has entered the transfer portal as a standard transfer. According to TFRRS, the RedHawk talent is expected have one full year of eligibility remaining across all three seasons of competition. Nuttall now joins fellow teammate Carmen Riano as top women from Miami (OH) who have entered the transfer portal this year. On the grass, Nuttall has been plenty solid, finishing 16th at the Louisville Classic and 14th at Pre-Nationals this past fall. She has also been a two-time top-30 finisher at the Great Lakes Regional XC Championships. However, despite what this academic year has shown, Nuttall is at her best on the track. The Miami (OH) veteran was a national qualifier over 10,000 meters last spring and finished 11th overall in that event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. With multiple 10k clockings under 34 minutes and a 33:10 PR in the event, Nuttall is clearly an strength-based talent who can provide very strong three-season value. When it comes to predicting which schools would be in contention to land Nuttall, there doesn't seem to be any obvious options like there was for Emma Heckel or could be for Kenzie Doyle. However, it should be noted that Nuttall is a Minnesota native. And if she wants to return to her home state, then she could opt to join the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Admittedly, the BIG 10 distance program has struggled lately ever since the departure of the Hasz twins who brought this team to a 5th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships in the winter of 2021. However, that multi-season stretch of success shows us that Coach Sarah Hopkins is more than capable of developing and producing nationally competitive long distance runners from the midwest. On paper, that makes Nuttall an ideal candidate to join the team later this fall. Other schools such as Michigan and Michigan State would be strong options for Nuttall, especially the latter. The Spartans are a proven long distance power that boasts great depth and they have been contending for BIG 10 titles as of late. And with Wisconsin only getting stronger via a few additions of their own, the ladies in green and white will likely need to add more upfront scoring given that they are expected to lose a few key contributors from last fall. But if the Badgers do have extra room on their roster (and more room within their scholarship allocation), then they could absolutely make a run at landing Nuttall. Like many of the schools that we have mentioned, Wisconsin matches the aerobic-centric skillset that Nuttall boasts. And if you were to pair her with graduate transfer Lindsay Cunningham as well as a handful of high-impact returners, then you get a team that may be favored to win the BIG 10 title come October. Max Murphy (Iowa to North Carolina) On Saturday, Iowa's Max Murphy announced that he would be joining the North Carolina men as a graduate transfer starting next year. The incoming Tar Heel runner is expected to have two seasons of eligibility remaining across all three seasons of competition (each). Murphy was quietly one of the more valuable prospects listed in the transfer portal over the last few months. The current Hawkeye talent has showcased impressive dynamism with strong times of 3:40 (1500), 7:59 (3k), 13:39 (5k) and 28:57 (10k). However, on the grass, Murphy is just as good -- and maybe even better. This past fall, the future UNC talent was 20th at Joe Piane, 9th at the Midwest regional meet and 69th place at the NCAA XC Championships! Landing Murphy is a massive win for the North Carolina men, specifically for cross country. The Tar Heels have been slowly building towards podium contention for the last few years. And although they got close in 2023, they have yet to reach the top-four spots on the national stage under the direction of Coach Chris Miltenberg. That goal will only become even more challenging to achieve as two crucial scorers, Alex Phillip and Jake Gebhardt, are seemingly out of eligibility, per TFRRS. That leaves the Tar Heels with one less top-half All-American and one crucial stabilizing scorer. And for a team that severely lacked depth after their top-four men throughout last fall, that is simply not good news. Thankfully, Murphy should be able to provide some stability to this lineup. He won't be able to plug every scoring hole on UNC's varsity group, but he does give Coach Chris Miltenberg one less slot to worry about. Plus, if Murphy continues to develop and refine his talent, then there's a possibility that he'll emerge as an All-American in November. Now, the only question for UNC is, who among their slowly developing youngsters is going to step up big next year and help the Tar Heels make a push towards the podium? Evan Guzman (Transfer Portal) The Stride Report has confirmed that East Tennessee State's Evan Guzman has entered the transfer portal as a standard transfer. While there is conflicting information regarding his eligibility, The Stride Report (after reviewing his TFRRS profile) is expecting the ETSU talent to have one season of cross country eligibility remaining, two seasons of indoor track eligibility remaining and one season of outdoor track eligibility remaining. It should be noted that, this past summer, East Tennessee State announced that they would be "discontinuing" their men's indoor track program. For the most part, Guzman is a respectable all-around talent who does a little bit of everything on the track. With personal best times of 1:52 (800), 3:48 (1500), 4:04 (mile), 8:06 (3k), 14:19 (5k) and 29:06 (10k) -- many of which were run unattached -- Guzman can be viewed as a nice utility piece for a handful of conference meet lineups and entries. However, it's the grass where Guzman has largely been at his best. During the fall months, the current ETSU runner has earned two top-25 finishes at the South regional meet and two top-10 finishes at the Southern Conference XC Championships (which is dominated by Furman). Not only that, but Guzman placed 11th at the Louisville XC Classic last fall, taking down a large handful of D2 All-Americans as well as strong scorers such as Micah Gilpatric from Charleston Southern. Sure, Guzman's resume on the oval doesn't stand out in any dramatic way, but his value on the grass is sneaky-good. This is someone who could be the fourth or fifth scorer on a national qualifying team, offering great stability to programs with tons of youth or limited depth. The most obvious landing spot for Guzman is Tennessee...and it's pretty easy to see why. Coach Sean Carlson has been one of the most active coaches in the transfer portal. He consistently pursues older transfers who can be contributors on the grass while also acting as developmental names on the track. And on paper, everything that I just mentioned matches what Guzman would/could bring to Knoxville should he be recruited by the Volunteers. Schools such as NC State and Ole Miss would also be strong choices for Guzman. Both of those southern-based programs haven't been adverse to adding transfers in recent years and both teams have proven to be competitive during cross country, but not overwhelmingly so. Plus, with multiple key names set to depart from both the Wolfpack and the Rebels, Guzman could be an instant plug-and-play kind of talent who limits at least some of their lost scoring. Gustav Bendsen (Cumberlands to Louisville) On Friday, Louisville announced that NAIA standout, Gustav Bendsen, would be joining the Cardinals as a transfer, presumably starting next fall. Per TFRRS, the Danish distance runner is expected to have three years of eligibility remaining across all three seasons of competition. Bendsen is a sneaky-good talent who has produced some great marks despite his youth. The rookie from Cumberlands has posted times of 3:45 (1500), 4:07 (mile), 8:12 (3k) and 14:12 (5k) over the last four-ish months of racing. He was a two-time All-American at the NAIA Indoor Championships this past winter and he proved to be a respectable name on the grass (although the oval is his clear forte). From a long-term perspective, this is a great pick-up by Coach Joe Franklin. Bendsen is someone who is making rapid improvements and clearly projects to be a competitive name within the ACC in a year or two. He has very solid range, has tons of eligibility remaining and currently sits at TSR #4 in our 2024 NAIA outdoor track rankings. There will certainly be a need for greater reinforcements and more support beyond Bendsen. However, after landing a handful of solid transfers, it seems safe to say that Coach Joe Franklin will continue to attack the transfer portal in an effort to further build out his team. Vasileia Spyrou (Transfer Portal) The Stride Report has confirmed that Florida veteran, Vasileia Spyrou, has entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. The soon-to-be former Gator is expected to have one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition as well as a second season of indoor track eligibility remaining. Truthfully, the last year of racing hasn't been kind to Vasileia Spyrou who hasn't competed since the 2023 SEC XC Championships. However, when firing all cylinders, this long-time Florida runner has quietly been very solid. With personal best times of 2:06 (800), 4:18 (1500) and 9:17 (3k), Spyrou's resume won't jump off the page, but it will provide legitimate value to most NCAA distance programs. That's especially true when you remember that, during the 2022 cross country season, she finished 6th at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, 20th at the SEC XC Championships and then 26th at the South Regional XC Championships. In fact, if you go all the way back to the fall of 2020, Spyrou placed 8th at both the Blazer Classic and the Florida State Invitational before placing 17th at the SEC XC Championships. Given that she's a native from Greece, it's hard to know if there any direct ties to certain parts of the United States that could appeal to Spyrou during her graduate transfer search. Of course, there are plenty of programs that will welcome an experienced runner who has had great conference meet success and who can also flex respectable range as well. A team like Florida State would certainly be a good fit for Spyrou. The Seminoles aren't direct conference rivals with Florida, have added plenty of transfers in the past and are in need of greater reinforcements after an uneventful 2023 fall campaign. By joining FSU, Spyrou would be able to stay within the state of Florida and provide strong three-season utility that the 'Noles have historically valued. Could Louisville be an option for Spyrou? The Cardinals have shown over the last year that they're willing to add a handful of transfers to their roster. And if they can get their newest transfer committee, Emma Heckel, at full strength, then one or two more pieces could put this Joe Franklin-led group in a strong position heading into this fall. If staying within the SEC isn't an issue, then programs such as Tennessee, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Missouri could all be contenders to sign the Greek Gator. Each of those programs have shown that they'll go into the transfer portal in efforts to fill out their roster. Keep an eye on Texas as well, a school that likes three-season value and has a new distance coach who just signed Sophia Jacobs-Townsley, a graduate transfer from Syracuse. Will Kelly (St. Olaf to Montana State) Earlier this week, Montana State announced that they have signed Division Three standout, Will Kelly, as a presumed graduate transfer. Based on his TFRRS resume, Kelly is expected to join the Division One ranks with one full year of eligibility across all three seasons of competition. While not necessarily a Division Three superstar, Will Kelly has proven over the years that he is one of the nation's best all-around distance runners at that level. With personal bests of 8:13 (3k) and 14:15 (5k), as well as five national meet appearances and two All-American honors on the grass, this Saint Olaf ace has gained tons of valuable experience while simultaneously showcasing tremendous reliability. However, maybe more importantly, Kelly boasts an eyebrow-raising 8:52 PR in the steeplechase. At the moment, that mark sits at NCAA #6 on the current D3 national leaderboard this season. That time also sits just outside of the top-25 all-time marks in the men's D3 steeplechase. Under the direction of Coach Lyle Weese, the Montana State men have developed one of the most formidable contingents of steeplechase stars in the NCAA, rivaling the likes of BYU and Portland in recent years. And given how strong Kelly has been at St. Olaf in that exact event, it’s reasonable to think that his ceiling with reach even higher, potentially to a national qualifying level. However, the value that Kelly can provide in the steeplechase can also be replicated in the value that he will provide on the grass. Remember, this is a guy who has placed 26th and 13th at the NCAA D3 XC Championships. When he is at his best, he can be a legitimate impact scorer for a Montana State cross country team that has oftentimes needed depth after their fourth or fifth runner. That's going to be especially important in the fall of 2024 as Montana State is expected to lose their top scorer from the national meet, All-American Matthew Richtman. Thankfully, TFRRS is suggesting that everyone else in this lineup is set to return. And while Kelly isn't expected to make up for all of the lost scoring that Richtman will leave behind, he'll at least plug a key gap and limit the bleeding of points. Other Known / Notable Transfers Emily Little (Furman to SMU) Housem Hrabi (Iowa Central CC to Adams State) Sophia McNerney (Tulane to Tulsa) Sophia Jacobs-Townsley (Syracuse to Texas) Bailey Wilk (St. Francis (IL) to Northern Illinois)

Predictions & analysis by Conor Daly Additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve With the Division Three and Division Two conference championships officially beginning last weekend and finishing next weekend, we opted to focus on a handful of meets taking place later this week (at least for the ones that we were able to acquire performance lists for). The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is one of Division Three's most competitive distance running conferences despite all of its member institutions and athletes residing in one state. Here's how D3 writer Conor Daly foresees the distance races playing out at the WIAC Outdoor Championships in Platteville, Wisconsin 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). Men's 800 Meters Cael Schoemann (UW-La Crosse) - 1:50 Sam Verkerke (UW-Eau Claire) - 1:50 Braedon Gilles (UW-Stevens Point) - 1:51 Steven Potter (UW-Oshkosh)* - 1:52 Michael Madoch (UW-La Crosse)* - 1:52 Analysis: This one is going to be a treat as this race features a rematch between the indoor national champion and indoor national runner-up finisher in Cael Schoemann and Sam Verkerke, respectively. And let’s not forget that the man who was in 6th place in that postseason showdown, Braedon Gilles, is set to race here as well. Schoemann has run considerably faster than the others so far on the outdoor oval, but every time these guys race, it’s been stunningly close. The rest of the field is no slouch either thanks to a pair of 1500-meter specialists. Steven Potter did not race this past winter due to being out of eligibility, but he’s a name who has flown under the radar so far this outdoor track season. Potter is a 3:46 (1500) runner at his best and finished just over a second behind Gilles in an 800-meter race just a few weeks back. Michael Madoch looks as sharp as ever over 1500 meters which should only mean good things for him for the two-lapper. Other men with a good chance at cracking the top-five include Parker Heintz and Dwight Hosni who both did so at the 2024 indoor edition of this meet. Women’s 800 Meters Cyna Madigan (UW-Oshkosh) - 2:10 Maddie Hannan (UW-La Crosse) - 2:11 Greta Koehler (UW-La Crosse)* - 2:11 Libby Geisness (UW-Oshkosh) - 2:14 Anna Schueth (UW-Eau Claire) - 2:15 Analysis: Cyna Madigan and Maddie Hannan are no strangers to battling each other at the conference meet. However, Madigan has gotten the better of Hannan in this event at the last two conference championships on the track. The UW-Oshkosh talent has run 2:11 in her last three attempts at the half-mile distance. Greta Koehler will be looking to join that front duo. She’s usually a better runner on the outdoor oval than during the indoor track season and is ahead of where she was at this point last year which culminated in a 2:09 (800) personal best. The hunt for bronze also includes Libby Geisness who’s arguably the most underrated name in the field. She’s a national qualifier over 800 meters and is coming off of personal bests in the 400 meters and the metric mile. We can’t forget about UW-Eau Claire talent Anna Schueth who is a very consistent name hoping to crack the top-five. Men’s 1500 Meters Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)* - 3:49 Justin Krause (UW-Whitewater)* - 3:50 Derek Penzkover (UW-Stevens Point) - 3:50 Michael Madoch (UW-La Crosse)* - 3:51 Steven Potter (UW-Oshkosh)* - 3:51 Analysis: While several different men are in the hunt for the win, Christian Patzka seems to have a resume that is just a bit more impressive than the rest of this field. The UW-Whitewater ace was the mile champion at the 2024 WIAC Indoor Championships and holds the fastest 1500-meter personal best in the field. His teammate, Justin Krause, has not been his 3:46 (1500) self in 2024, but has been looking closer to that form in the spring. Although Derek Penzkover is a lesser-known name, he’s been having a breakout outdoor track campaign so far this spring. This race also features national-caliber names like Michael Madoch and Steven Potter who are veterans on the WIAC scene. Madoch won the mile title at the indoor conference meet in 2022. And between the 1500 meters and the mile, Potter has won three WIAC titles. Realistically, they are just as likely as any to come out on top as anyone else. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the 9th-place mile finisher from the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, Aidan Manning, will be running this event fresh. He’s struggled so far on the outdoor oval, but he has the upside to be (almost) as good as anyone in this field. Women’s 1500 Meters Amelia Lehman (UW-Oshkosh)* - 4:37 Mikayla Hady (UW-Eau Claire)* - 4:38 Ari De La Cerda (UW-Whitewater)* - 4:38 Greta Koehler (UW-La Crosse)* - 4:40 Sierra Rabe (UW-La Crosse)* - 4:40 Analysis: Amelia Lehman should take the win here pretty easily, presumably. The 7th-place mile finisher from the 2024 indoor national meet could conceivably find success by either running hard from the gun or waiting for a kick. One name who is due for a big performance thanks to her recent momentum is Mikayla Hady of UW-Eau Claire. She’s a speed-based miler which makes her dangerous in a tactical affair. Another woman to look out for in a potential kick finish is Greta Koehler who has run as fast as 2:09 for 800 meters. Ari De La Cerda of UW-Whitewater was a recent national qualifier in the mile and could be in contention for silver if she is able to rebound from racing the steeplechase a day before this final. Let’s not forget about UW-La Crosse teammates Sierra Rabe and Gwen Hinz who will both look to be in the lead pack. Men’s 5000 Meters Joey Sullivan (UW-La Crosse) - 14:26 Adam Loenser (UW-La Crosse)* - 14:29 Mason Shea (UW-Eau Claire)* - 14:31 Aidan Matthai (UW-La Crosse)* - 14:37 Matthew Thomas (UW-Stout)* - 14:37 Analysis: It’s going to be a race of tired legs by the time the last distance event comes around. With a steeplechase or 10k in the books for many of these competitors, Joey Sullivan’s fresh legs could prove enough to give him the edge. He is, after all, a 14:14 (5k) man at his best. Adam Loenser and Mason Shea are a pair of steeplechasers who should be present at the front of this race, each capable of winning on a good day. Aidan Matthai hasn’t looked all that much like himself this outdoor track season which leaves us a bit concerned about how capably he will be able to score for his team. Even still, throughout the academic year, he’s shown us that he’s so aerobically strong that he shouldn’t be counted out. Fresh off of significant 5k and 10k personal bests, UW-Stout junior Matthew Thomas is a name who's new to the scene as of this month. Women’s 5000 Meters Amelia Lehman (UW-Oshkosh)* - 17:28 Madelynn McIntyre (UW-La Crosse)* - 17:58 Morgan Dahl (UW-Eau Claire)* - 18:06 Ari De La Cerda (UW-Whitewater)* - 18:08 Olivia Donohue (UW-Stout)* - 18:14 Analysis: As we discussed with Amelia Lehman in our 1500-meter analysis, she’s just significantly better than the rest of the field. She should have no problem claiming her second WIAC title on the day. Behind her, it’s anyone’s race. Madelynn McIntyre is destined to thrive considering that she doubled to a pair of top-five finishes at the 2024 WIAC Indoor Championships. Another runner who is accustomed to doubling is UW-Eau Claire veteran Morgan Dahl who is fresh off of 5k and 10k personal bests. Ari De La Cerda will likely be in her third event of the weekend here, but is talented enough to remain in the mix. Olivia Donohue is another strong name, although she is scheduled to attempt her first-ever 10k the previous night. Men’s 10,000 Meters Gunner Schlender (UW-Whitewater)* - 30:39 Corey Fairchild (UW-La Crosse)* - 30:41 Isaac Wegner (UW-La Crosse)* - 30:41 Matthew Thomas (UW-Stout)* - 30:45 Dan Anderson (UW-Whitewater)* - 30:50 Analysis: While most conference 10k races are tactical affairs, this one may not be since 29:05 (10k) man Gunner Schlender sits outside of a national qualifying position. Even so, I don't feel that it’s likely enough that Schlender (and potentially his teammates) will make this race fast to predict times befitting of a time-trial-style race. Schlender is the class of the field, particularly after he showed us during the winter that he has more speed than ever. Of course, that’s not to say that UW-La Crosse teammates Corey Fairchild and Isaac Wegner won’t give him a handful to deal with. That duo went comfortably under the 30:00 barrier for this event just two weeks back. It will be exciting to see all three national-level talents facing off in their main event. As we mentioned in the 5k analysis, Matthew Thomas has had a huge month which makes him one of the more exciting, but variable, racers in the field. There’s also underclassman Dan Anderson, who has run a PR in his last four races and could be due to match or improve upon his 4th-place finish in this event from the 2023 WIAC Outdoor Championships. Aidan Matthai’s cross country resume suggests he could be in contention, but his last two 10k outings were a 30:30 mark and a "DNF" result which leaves some concern. Women’s 10,000 Meters Madelynn McIntyre (UW-La Crosse)* - 36:10 Ava Matejcek (UW-Eau Claire)* - 36:29 Mallory Reiser (UW-La Crosse)* - 36:34 Morgan Dahl (UW-Eau Claire)* - 36:41 Arely Jaime Luevano (UW-Stout)* - 36:42 Analysis: It’s not all that often that the top-nine seeds in a race all go head-to-head over the same distance twice in a few weeks. That, however, is exactly the case in the WIAC women’s 10k thanks to UW-La Crosse's Phil Esten Challenge. There was a clear top-five in that race, but the 2nd place through 5th place finishers were all very close. The top WIAC finisher in that setting was Madelyn McIntyre by a good margin. With a runner-up conference meet finish in this event a year ago (behind now-graduated Rachel Krouse), she enters as the title favorite. Mallory Reiser and Ava Matejcek are two runners who have had prolonged absences, but are back and seemingly in form to score. The former has raced twice since the cross country season and the latter has only raced once this spring. That leaves a lot of upside for both, but they also hold some risk since they've produced fewer data points to be analyzed. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Christian Patzka (UW-Whitewater)* - 8:48 Adam Loenser (UW-La Crosse)* - 8:50 Mason Shea (UW-Eau Claire)* - 8:58 Mason Brown (UW-La Crosse)* - 8:58 Jayden Zywicki (UW-La Crosse)* - 9:02 Analysis: Featuring six men who hold personal bests under 9:00, the WIAC men’s steeplechase is arguably the most competitive event at this meet. At the front, we’ll keep an eye on the battle between arguably the two best steeplechasers in Division Three right now. We’re talking about defending national champion Christian Patzka and Adam Loenser, the latter of whom recently posted a breakthrough 8:44 mark. Behind that duo, there’s a long list of men fighting for the bronze medal. Mason Shea has been a national-level steeplechaser in the past, although he didn’t look overly sharp in his one attempt at the event this season. But if his indoor track season indicates anything, it’s that he’s as fit as ever. It’s the same story with Jake Krause who hasn’t looked to be in peak form in his two steeplechase races this outdoor track season. Conversely, in just his first collegiate outdoor track season and second-ever attempt at the event, Mason Brown ran a huge 8:56 mark two weeks ago. His teammate, Jayden Zywicki, also had a very impressive recent race in which he eclipsed the 9:00 barrier at that same meet. Also, keep an eye on Elias Ritzke and Luke Chaffin, a pair of men who ran under 9:10 last year. Caden Schneider is another interesting name who ran 9:16 in his first-ever attempt at the steeplechase a few weeks ago and could be full of upside when he gets used to the event. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase Katelyn Chadwick (UW-La Crosse) - 10:40 Brekkyn Lammert (UW-Stout)* - 11:05 Mckayla Felton (UW-Stout) - 11:07 Gracie Buchinger (UW-Oshkosh)* - 11:07 Ari De La Cerda (UW-Whitewater)* - 11:12 Analysis: It’s no secret that Katelyn Chadwick (UW-La Crosse) is the clear favorite in the field. Truthfully, it would take a heroic effort to upset her. Both of her steeplechase races this spring are well ahead of anything the rest of the field has posted this year. Mckayla Felton (UW-Stout) has only contested the steeplechase three times before, but with sub-4:40 (1500) and sub-17:00 (5k) credentials, she is presumably racing at her ideal distance. The fact that she hasn't tackled the barriers and water pits this year certainly concerns us a bit, but she employed the same strategy at last year's WIAC meet to place 5th in this event. Similar to Felton, Ari De La Cerda has not run the 3000-meter steeplechase this year, but looks to improve upon a 4th-place finish from the 2023 WIAC Outdoor Championships. National finalist Maddy Vantassel is another name with a rich history in this event, but has not been close to matching that level of performance since. Brekkyn Lammert is a wildcard of sorts, having contested her first steeplechase two weeks ago when she beat most of the field that she will face this weekend. Will she be able to replicate that performance in a championship setting? Will she improve drastically?

Predictions & analysis by Gavin Struve, additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin NOTE: The Stride Report is aware that the OAC Outdoor Championships have already kicked-off. However, we were able to post these predictions just before the first distance events began. Please note that some of these results (mainly the steeplechase and 10k) will have already been finalized by the time you read them. With the Division Three and Division Two conference championships officially beginning last weekend and finishing next weekend, we opted to focus on a handful of meets taking place later this week (at least for the ones that we were able to acquire performance lists for). The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships -- with distance events running from Thursday, May 2nd evening through Friday, May 3rd -- look quietly competitive and feature a small handful of national-caliber stars. Here's how our D2/D3 editor Gavin Struve envisions the distance races playing out in Tiffin, Ohio. *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 1. Caleb Correia (John Carroll) - 1:51 2. Trey Myers (Ohio Northern) - 1:52 3. Curtis Joppeck (Mount Union) - 1:52 4. Ian Paul (John Carroll)* - 1:53 5. Vova Herdman (Heidelberg) - 1:54 Analysis: Caleb Correia is the only 800-meter All-American listed in this field, but he also didn't seem far from that form before he slipped to a 5th-place finish in last year's OAC Outdoor Championship half-mile race. Defending outdoor conference champion Trey Myers is back and could push Correia as a 1:51 man, but he hasn't quite exhibited that level of fitness in 2024. Curtis Joppeck took silver behind Correia at the 2024 OAC Indoor Championships and ran 1:52 (800) twice in the month of April. However, John Carroll's Ian Paul ran even faster last week with a 1:52.39 mark. Women’s 800 Meters 1. Hope Murphy (Baldwin Wallace)* - 2:13 2. Mary Mason (Mount Union) - 2:13 3. Ellie Kitsmiller (John Carroll) - 2:14 4. Claire Eberhardt (John Carroll)* - 2:15 5. Kenadee Wayt (Mount Union)* - 2:16 Analysis: Like Correia on the men's side, Hope Murphy is the class of the OAC women's 800-meter scene, but to an even larger extent. She's won the past six OAC Championship half-mile races that she has contested and was the indoor national meet runner-up over that distance this past winter. Mount Union's Mary Mason joined Murphy at the 2024 indoor national meet after finishing as the OAC indoor half-mile runner-up. Ellie Kitsmiller held that status last May before settling for OAC bronze back in March. This particular race, with a top heat comprised of all juniors, has quite a bit of carryover of the top 800-meter finishers from the past couple of conference meets. Men’s 1500 Meters 1. Vincent Giumenti (Mount Union)* - 3:51 2. Mason Kutz (Mount Union)* - 3:53 3. Jack Root (John Carroll) - 3:55 4. Gehrig Stanley (Baldwin Wallace) - 3:55 5. Ian Paul (John Carroll)* - 3:55 Analysis: Vincent Giumenti is an experienced veteran, the top returner from this race in 2023 and the OAC indoor mile champion from this past March. He also has a level of range that should allow him to win his first OAC 1500-meter title in a variety of different race scenarios. The Mount Union runner could be in line to near his 3:49 PR, but it's unclear who will push him to that. Mason Kutz, Giumenti's teammate, may be capable of that push given he has run as fast as 3:51 in the metric mile and was the bronze medalist at the 2024 OAC indoor mile final. John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace each have a couple of men capable of running 3:55 or faster and nabbing the bronze medal or a top-five finish. Women’s 1500 Meters 1. Hope Murphy (Baldwin Wallace)* - 4:34 2. Gianini Venuto (Mount Union)* - 4:41 3. Claire Eberhardt (John Carroll)* - 4:42 4. Abby Matthews (Ohio Northern)* - 4:48 5. Erin Smith (Mount Union)* - 4:49 Analysis: Believe it or not, Hope Murphy is arguably an even bigger favorite for the metric mile title than she is for the half-mile crown. The Baldwin Wallace ace has 4:26 (1500) chops and will dictate how she wins this race. With Faith Duncan focusing on the longer distances, Gianini Venuto is the top returner (beyond Murphy) from both the 2023 OAC Outdoor Championships 1500 (4th) and the 2024 OAC indoor mile (3rd). However, Claire Eberhardt has the second-fastest PR in this field after running 4:36 to win on this very track a few weeks ago. Abby Matthews, Annie Higgins and Erin Smith, all equipped with experience, seem poised to battle for the final top-five spots. Men’s 5000 Meters 1. Simon Heys (Wilmington (OH))* - 14:15 2. Ethan Domitrovich (John Carroll) - 14:26 3. Tommy Naiman (John Carroll)* - 14:37 4. Dominic Delmoro (John Carroll)* - 14:39 5. John Nice (Otterbein)* - 14:42 Analysis: Beyondthe expected winner Simon Heys of Wilmington (OH), this could wind up looking like an OAC cross country meet with John Carroll dominating the front of the race. The most accomplished of those Blue Streaks runners, Ethan Domitrovich, is more proven over the middle distances, but is placing his sole focus on the 5k this week and thus could be rewarded with an improvement on his 14:35 PR. Women’s 5000 Meters 1. Faith Duncan (Wilmington (OH))* - 17:12 2. Kennedy Rader (Ohio Northern)* - 17:41 3. AnnaSophia Gower (Ohio Northern)* - 17:43 4. Gianini Venuto (Mount Union)* - 18:01 5. Samantha Roth (Ohio Northern) - 18:03 Analysis: This race is less wide-open than one might expect given the top-four finishers from last year's OAC Outdoor Championships 5k are all gone. In a departure from the norm in other OAC distance races, Ohio Northern has the top duo in the women's 5000 meters. Unfortunately for those Polar Bears, they'll likely be relegated to 2nd and 3rd place because Faith Duncan (Wilmington (OH)) is the heavy favorite just as her teammate Simon Heys is on the men's side. The recent 3k All-American holds the NCAA #9 mark over 5000 meters this spring and should run away from Ohio Northern's Kennedy Rader and AnnaSophia Gower. The aforementioned Gianini Venuto's speed should put her in the podium mix here, too. Men’s 10,000 Meters 1. Simon Heys (Wilmington (OH))* - 30:03 2. Ryan Champa (John Carroll)* - 30:14 3. John Nice (Otterbein)* - 30:41 4. Dominic Delmoro (John Carroll)* - 31:31 5. Tommy Naiman (John Carroll)* - 31:39 Analysis: This race should be the first half of Simon Heys' double-gold medal week and will feature some other usual suspects already detailed in the above 5k analysis. Ryan Champa is my expected runner-up after a strong fall 2023 campaign in which he took bronze at the OAC XC Championships and finished as an individual All-American. He gets better as the distance increases and could improve upon his 30:18 (10k) PR if Heys keeps this pace somewhat honest. Women’s 10,000 Meters 1. Faith Duncan (Wilmington (OH))* - 35:58 2. Kennedy Rader (Ohio Northern)* - 36:23 3. Ashley Hockstok (Ohio Northern)* - 36:24 4. Sarah Weldon (John Carroll)* - 37:58 5. Megan Vapenik (Ohio Northern)* - 38:49 Analysis: Similar to the women's 5k, the top-three finishers from the 2023 OAC Outdoor Championships 10k have departed. That leaves Ashley Hockstok as the top returner. Her teammate, Kennedy Rader, was one spot behind her in that race last yea, but ran faster than Hockstok this season in a 10k race. However, Faith Duncan is entered to make her 10k debut this weekend and is thus the presumptive favorite. Exactly half of the 10k entrants don't have a seed time. Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase 1. Cormac Peppard-Kramer (John Carroll) - 9:14 2. Braden Schaser (Ohio Northern)* - 9:23 3. Jeff Joseph (Mount Union)* - 9:29 4. Donovan Slattery (Capital) - 9:32 5. Garrett Miller (Otterbein)* - 9:33 Analysis: This looks like the most wide-open distance race at this year's OAC Outdoor Championships. Mount Union's Jeff Joseph is one of the most accomplished individuals in this field as well as the top returner from last year. However, he has raced the 3000-meter steeplechase just once this spring and was over 30 seconds off of his best mark in the event. Cormac Peppard-Kramer is not quite two years removed from earning a bronze medal in this event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and has posted respectable, but modest, results this spring after racing just once in the past two academic years leading up to this season. Braden Schaser of Ohio Northern holds the field's fastest seasonal best with a 9:29 mark. Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase 1. Natalie Armbruster (Ohio Northern) - 11:36 2. Grace McKoon (John Carroll) - 11:43 3. Elizabeth Mak (Capital) - 11:56 4. Kelsey Sheridan (John Carroll) - 12:08 5. Sydney Wingler (John Carroll) - 12:19 Analysis: This is another event without the top few finishers returning from the 2023 OAC Outdoor Championships. John Carroll's Sydney Wingler, a freshman last year, is the top returnee, but hasn't come close to her personal best in two steeplechase races in 2024. Natalie Armbruster enters this meet as the favorite given she has the fastest seed time as the only OAC woman to dip under 12 minutes this spring which she did en route to winning the D3 All-Ohio Championships. John Carroll freshman Grace McKoon holds the second-fastest mark.