KEY (Unranked) Was not ranked the week before (#/#) First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from week priorSecond number indicates where the runner was ranked last week 20. HaLeigh Hunter-Galvan | Adams State (JR) (Unranked) Hunter-Galvan appears in the rankings for the first time this season off the strength of her 5k at Bryan Clay and two enormous PR's. She ran a PR and provisional time of 16:30.12 (which puts her at #6 in D2) while also running a provisional time and PR of 4:33.18 in the 1500. With her previous PR's in the 5k and 1500 being 17:28.85 and 4:39.14 respectively, this Adams State junior has quickly popped onto the scene as a national contender. 19. Liz Bloch | Michigan Tech (SR) (-1 / 18) Idle 18. Alexa Shindruk | Central Washington (SR) (-3 / 15) Shindruk did not have a great performance last weekend. She ran a 17:18.99 in the 5k at Bryan Clay, which is actually slower than her 10k pace she ran earlier this season. She did, however, pick up a PR in the 1500 with a time of 4:36.00. With Shindruk sitting at #3 in the D2 10k rankings, I am going to guess that this 5k was just a bad day for her. 17. Bailey Sharon | Western Colorado (SO) (0 / 17) There was no time improvement from Sharon this weekend. She ran a 2:09.87 800 at Bryan Clay and a 56.74 400 at Long Beach, both of which were about a second off of her season’s best. 16. Alana Mussatto | Simon Fraser (SR) (Unranked) Mussatto appears in the rankings for the first time this season after her 800 meter performance at Bryan Clay this weekend. She ran a PR and provisional time of 2:07.83 which puts her at #6 in D2. Mussatto has ran the 800 three times this season, and has improved each time she has run it, so she could be a strong contender come the end of the year. 15. Gina Patterson | Grand Valley State (JR) (+5 / 20) With already having a provisional time in the 5k, Patterson hopped up to the 10k at Bryan Clay. She added another provisional time and PR of 34:45.25, which currently sits at #4 in D2. 14. Sophie Dodd | Simon Fraser (SR) (0 / 14) Dodd moved up in distance this week, running a 1500 at Bryan Clay. She ran a provisional time and PR of 4:29.63, finishing 2nd in her heat. It's another steady performance that won't capture many headlines, but it's a nice mark to have this season. 13. Andra Lehotay | Walsh (JR) (0 / 13) Lehotay had a pretty disappointing 1500 meter race last weekend at Bryan Clay as she ran a 4:30.97. That time is far off her PR of 4:23.16, which she ran earlier this season. She does still currently sit at #6 in the D2 rankings, but she needs to get her mojo back. 12. Stephanie Cotter | Adams State (FR) (-7 / 5) Cotter appeared in her first 1500 of the season at Bryan Clay. She ran a provisional time of 4:25.21, which puts her at #10 in D2. She also ran a season best 800 of 2:13.34 at Long Beach. We are still waiting to see the breakout performance like she had during indoors that made her the national champion. 11. Allie Ludge | Grand Valley State (JR) (+1 / 12) Ludge added her name to another qualifying list this weekend. In addition to her being near the top of the D2 800 and 1500 meter rankings already this season, she now adds the 5k, as she ran a provisional time of 16:30.18 at Bryan Clay. She now sits at #9 in the 800, #5 in the 1500, and #7 in the 5k. 10. Carsyn Koch-Johnson | Cedarville (SR) (+1 / 11) Koch-Johnson looks to be back at her top form. She appeared in the 800 at Bryan Clay and ran an auto qualifying time and season best of 2:06.94, which puts her at #4 in the D2 rankings. 9. Julia Howley | Simon Fraser (SR) (+1 / 10) Howley was out to show that she is not just a steeplechaser this year as she ran her first 1500 and 5k of the season at Bryan Clay in impressive fashion. She ran a PR of 16:10.89, which puts her at #4 in D2 in the 5k and a very solid 4:26.01 1500, which puts her at #12 in D2. Howley just continues to impress in her last outdoor season. 8. Danielle McCormick | Alaska Anchorage (SR) (0 / 8) McCormick had another impressive showing in the 800 this weekend at Bryan Clay. She ran another PR, her 2nd of the year in the event, of 2:05.00, finishing 6th overall and as the 2nd D2 athlete. She currently ranks #3 in D2 and will definitely be a contender when Nationals comes around. 7. Leah Hanle | Mount Olive (JR) (0 / 7) Idle 6. Roisin Flanagan | Adams State (JR) (+3 / 9) Flanagan split her time at two different meets this weekend - Bryan Clay and the Beach Invitational. At Bryan Clay, she ran a PR of 4:16.42, which currently tops the D2 rankings by more than three seconds. She then went to Long Beach and ran a PR (as well as a provisional time) of 2:08.34 in the 800, which currently ranks her #7 in D2 on time. 5. Rachael Walters | Grand Valley State (SR) (+1 / 6) Walters continues to impress this outdoor season as she grabbed another PR at Bryan Clay this weekend. She ran a D2 leading time of 2:04.15 in the 800, placing 3rd overall and as the top D2 athlete. She came back and ran her first 1500 of the season, running a 4:31.10. She looks to be tired of finishing runner-up behind Webb and is out to prove a point this season. 4. Alicja Konieczek | Western Colorado (SR) (-2 / 2) Konieczek had kind of a disappointing weekend, especially for her expectations. She ran a 5k of 16:15.97 at Mt. SAC, which is a provisional time and the #5 time in D2, but well off of her PR. She then went to Long Beach and ran a 4:31.52 1500, which is well off what she ran two weeks prior. It was just one of those weeks for her, but I am sure she will bounce back. 3. Skylyn Webb | UC Colorado-Springs (SR) (0 / 3) Webb broke out this weekend with the race all of us were waiting for at Mt. SAC. After only running a 2:08.17 earlier this season, the reigning outdoor/indoor 800 meter champion broke out with a 2:04.70, which is more of what we expect from her. That time puts her at #2 in D2, only behind her 800 rival Rachael Walters. 2. Eilish Flanagan | Adams State (JR) (+2 / 4) Flanagan gave me no choice but to move her up after her performances at Bryan Clay last weekend. She picked up PR's in both the 1500 and 5k, running 4:23.59 and 16:00.39, respectively. She currently sits at #3 in D2 in the 1500 and #2 in D2 for the 5k. She has yet to run a steeplechase this year, but was the runner-up at last year’s National Championship. Flanagan is a scary contender no matter what event she runs. 1. Caroline Kurgat | Alaska Anchorage (SR) (0 / 1) Kurgat had an impressive weekend at the Bryan Clay Invitational. She placed 3rd in the 5k running a 15:40.45, finishing only behind Weini Kelati and Adva Cohen, who ran the top two times in the NCAA. She also picked up a PR in the 1500 with a time of 4:19.48. Kurgat’s 5k time puts her at the top of the D2 rankings and her 1500 puts her as the second-leading time in D2. Odds are she will focus more on the 5k/10k double, but it would be interesting to see her try to triple at Nationals. 800 1. Skylyn Webb (UC Colorado Springs) 2. Rachael Walters (Grand Valley State) 3. Danielle McCormick (Alaska Anchorage) 4. Carsyn Koch-Johnson (Cedarville) 5. Sophie Dodd (Simon Fraser) 1500 1. Roisin Flanagan (Adams State) 2. Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) 3. Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) 4. Alijca Konieczek (Western Colorado) 5. Allie Ludge (Grand Valley State) 3000 Steeplechase 1. Alijca Konieczek (Western Colorado) 2. Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) 3. Julia Howley (Simon Fraser) 4. Hanna Groeber (Grand Valley State) 5. Zita Molnar (Point Loma) 5000 1. Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) 2. Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) 3. Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) 4. Alijca Konieczek (Western Colorado) 5. Julia Howley (Grand Valley State) 10,000 1. Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) 2. Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) 3. Alexa Shindruk (Central Washington) 4. Gina Patterson (Grand Valley State) 5. Eileen Stressling (Azusa Pacific)

KEY (Unranked) Was not ranked the week before (#/#) First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from week prior Second number indicates where the runner was ranked last week 20. Jake Mitchem, Colorado Mines (0 / 20) Mitchem still hasn’t raced this year since his 8:56 steeplechase debut at the Mike Fanelli Classic. It’s the #2 fastest time in the NCAA so far this season and he should still be in that shape, if not faster. 19. Pierre-Louis Detourbe, Simon Fraser (0 / 19) Detourbe didn’t quite have the weekend either of us were likely expecting. He ran 9:23 in the steeple at Bryan Clay and finished as the 51st overall finisher. It’s a far cry from his 9:02 that he ran earlier in the season. I’m not entirely concerned with the performance as steeple is one of those events where you have it, or you don’t. I still think he’ll be in contention in May. 18. Christian Noble, Lee (Tenn.) (Unranked) We finally saw Noble get back on the track in a big way last weekend. After a stellar opener where he ran 9:00, Noble had some races that were just considered average. We thought he was going to be apart of the Bryan Clay meet, but he opted to stay close to home. That was indeed a good choice as he 8:55 in the steeple. That’s the fastest time in the country and immediately moves him up into a contender spot with no real favorites. Noble was an All-American in this event as a freshman he could take the next step in May. 17. Luke Julian, Colorado Mines (-1 / 16) Julian didn’t make the trip out to California either. He’s a lock to go in the 1500, but it would have been nice to see where he stood in terms of his fitness. 16. Rowan Doherty, Simon Fraser (-4 / 12) This was a tough decision to move Doherty back after he ran a personal best of 3:48 in the 1500 at Bryan Clay. Normally, we’d be talking about how great this is, but as of right now he is currently #18 in the country and is in the cusp of not making it to the national meet. He’ll give it another shot, I’m sure of it and there are others that will scratch from this race when the time comes. 15. Leakey Kipkosgei, American International (-1 / 14) After a PR at UCONN, Kipkosgei went to the 2019 Larry Ellis Invitational where he posted another PR in the 1500. Albeit was only three-tenths of a second better than his performance the weekend before. He didn’t improve his positioning, but by racing the same event two times in a row, it’s safe to say that he’s decided on racing the 1500 at Nationals. 14. Ayman Zahafi, TAMU-Kingsville (+3 / 17) Zahafi continues his dominant racing in the last few weeks. This time, it comes with the NCAA #1 time in the 800 and usurping Thomas Staines’ top mark of 1:48.96. Zahafi ran 1:48.85 at the Fred J. Duckett Invitational. I love that Zahafi has run another PR in the event and that he’s coming off of a strong 3rd place finish at the NCAA indoor meet. That postseason momentum from indoors has led to a big outdoor regular season so far. The real question, however, is whether or not he can repeat his performance at the national level. 13. Devundrick Walker, CSU-Pueblo (+2 / 15) We saw Walker run at Bryan Clay on Friday and in typical fashion, he led most of the race. While it is not a personal best for Walker, it is the first time he’s gone under 1:50 this year and that should bode well for him in the coming weeks. He’s still ahead of Zahafi this week due to his experience in big races. However, it’s getting much closer as each week passes. 12. Victor Moreau, Academy of Art (+1 / 13) This dude doesn’t stop. After personal bests in the 1500 and 800 a few weeks ago, Moreau came back and ran 14:09 for 5000 meters this past weekend. That gives him two top 18 marks on the season and lines him up to run the 1500/5000 double at NCAA's. Moreau has continued to impress as the season has gone on and while he’s not a strong contender to win the title in the 5000, I think a case could be made that he can position himself well enough in the 1500 to make a run at a title bid. 11. Brett Meyer, Fort Hays State (0 / 11) Meyer has been stuck in the #11 position for the last three weeks now...and it’s not really his fault. He ran the 1500 this weekend at Bryan Clay where he ran 3:44 which is equivalent to what his altitude conversion from the Colorado Invitational said he could run. I’m sure he was looking to better his mark of 3:43 in the event, but nonetheless, he still stands as a legitimate contender in the 1500 this May. Meyer is one of the most consistent runners that we have in D2 and when you’re consistent, good things are bound to happen. 10. Marcelo Laguera, CSU-Pueblo (0 / 10) We saw two personal bests from Laguera this weekend. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to move him up in our rankings. First, he ran 14:08 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. That’s a 10 second improvement from last year. While that is great and all, it’s essentially what his altitude converted mark from his home meet earlier this year said he could do. It’s still a top 10 mark in the NCAA, but I don’t think he’s in the title contender status for the event. Secondly, he came back the next day and ran 3:52 for 1500 meters. That’s a two second PR and on par for his racing schedule the last three years. I still think his best chance for success is in the 10,000. 9. Josh Hoskinson, Colorado Mines (-1 / 8) Hoskinson ran the #4 fastest 5000 meter time this season at Bryan Clay this past weekend. Along with that, it was a one second improvement for the Oredigger senior. I am not sure if Hoskinson is going to run the 1500/5000 double that he’s qualified for so far this season. I’ll lean toward just the 5000 and if that’s the case, he has a strong chance to be a top five finisher again. 8. Taylor Stack, Western Colorado (+1 / 9) A name that was somewhat forgotten in the 3000 steeple is Taylor Stack. After this weekend, he’s put his name back into the conversation with his 8:56 race at Mt. SAC. Had he not fallen twice during the race, we likely would have seen him run faster than that. It’s also a three-second personal best. In a race that feels so wide open, there’s no reason to believe that Stack shouldn’t be apart of the contenders. He came back and ran 3:54 the next day at the Beach Invitational in an effort to get some speed work in. There’s the possibility of him running the steeple/5000 double if he decides to give the 5000 one more strong effort. 7. Dennis Mbuta, Grand Valley State (0 / 7) Mbuta ran a personal best in the 800 last weekend and barely missed breaking the 1:49 barrier as he finished last in the fast section at Bryan Clay. However, he was pulled along to a quarter second PR with his time of 1:49.03. He now has the #3 fastest time in the NCAA and will be looking to find a way under 1:49 in an effort to replicate his runner-up finish from the national meet last season. He also was entered in the 1500, but looked to just be pacing other athletes in his heat. 6. Felix Wammetsberger, Queens (N.C.) (-1 / 5) It was conference weekend for the Queens athletes. There were no fast times here, but Wammetsberger came away with a 2nd place finish in the 1500 and then a 3rd place finish in the 800. 5. Daniel Wallis, Queens (N.C.) (-2 / 3) Like Wammetesberger, Wallis was at his conference meet this weekend. He took home SAC title honors in the 1500 and then bounced back with a 2nd place finish in the 800. 4. Elias Gedyon, Adams State (+2 / 6) I mentioned a move up for Gedyon earlier in the year and sure enough, Gedyon moved up. Truthfully, I did not expect him to run 13:45 over 5000 meters. I thought he’d run well, but not this well. With this effort, he’s now in the conversation for a top three finish in both the 1500 and the 5000. The team will likely need both of those predictions to come true as they’ll be looking for as many points as possible in the team scoring. Meanwhile, Gedyon will be looking for his second title and potentially even a third. 3. Thomas Staines, CSU-Pueblo (-1 / 2) There’s not much to talk about with Staines from this weekend. He only ran the 400 and was on the 4x4 this past weekend. I was sure we’d see him try and run something fast, but clearly there is another plan in place. For good measure, Staines ran 47.57 which is good enough for #21 in the NCAA and he helped his 4x4 team run 3:12 which will likely get them into the NCAA meet. 2. Sydney Gidabuday, Adams State (-1 / 1) Gidabuday opted for only one race this weekend and it wasn’t either of the races he’s competed in at NCAA's for the last two years. Instead, it was the 1500. He ran 3:46 and it was a personal best, but it’s oddly curious that he has not run a 5000 or a 10,000 once this year. I know that there are a few weeks left in the season and while the 10,000 may not be in his future, we have to see him run a 5000 at some point...right? 1. Zach Panning, Grand Valley State (+3 / 4) Oh boy, I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for this. Yes, after a mark of 13:37 and a nine second personal best, you're bound to get some props. Panning is the defending champion at 5000 meters for the outdoor season and he’s got a really good chance at defending that in May. Add this to his 28:30 for 10,000 meters and he’s the top distance guy in the field this year. I do not think he’ll run either of these times at the NCAA meet for obvious tactical reasons, but it’s hard to ignore how good Panning has been for the last 365 days or so. 800 1. Thomas Staines (CSU-Pueblo) 2. Dennis Mbuta (Grand Valley State) 3. Devundrick Walker (CSU-Pueblo) 4. Ayman Zahafi (TAMU-Kingsville) 5. Shaquille Dill (St. Augustines) 1500 1. Daniel Wallis (Queens (N.C.)) 2. Felix Wammetsberger (Queens (N.C.)) 3. Elias Gedyon (Adams State) 4. Brett Meyer (Fort Hays State) 5. Victor Moreau (Academy of Art) 3000 Steeplechase 1. Taylor Stack (Western Colorado) 2. Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.)) 3. Pierre-Louis Detourbe (Simon Fraser) 4. Jake Mitchem (Colorado Mines) 5. Edwin Kangogo (Alaska Anchorage) 5000 1. Zach Panning (Grand Valley State) 2. Sydney Gidabuday (Adams State) 3. Elias Gedyon (Adams State) 4. Josh Hoskinson (Colorado Mines) 5. Ruben Dominguez (Cal Poly Pomona) 10,000 1. Zach Panning (Grand Valley State) 2. Marcelo Laguera (CSU-Pueblo) 3. Tom Goforth (Saginaw Valley State) 4. Stetson Rayas (Dallas Baptist 5. Jack Mastrandrea (Charleston W.V.)

*Honorable mentions below* KEY (Unranked) Was not ranked during the last update. (#/#) First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from the prior update. Second number indicates where the runner was ranked during the last update. 25. Julia Rizk, Senior, Ohio State (-8 / 17) I just couldn't find enough of a reason to take the indoor mile national champ out of our rankings. Her 2:05/4:15 season bests show off some impressive range, but there are so many talented women that it's hard to put her ahead of certain athletes. 24. Lauren Ellsworth, Sophomore, BYU (Unranked) She ran 2:02 at the Sun Angel Classic which was enough to defeat Oregon's Susan Ejore and briefly hold the top time in the country for a few weeks (until this past weekend). Her 4:18 1500 is surprising strength for someone who has displayed elite middle distance speed. 23. Whittni Orton, Junior, BYU (0 / 23) Her 2:06/4:14 seasonal bests are about as impressive as what we've seen from Rizk so far, but she has displayed a lot more consistency this season compared to indoors. She was the 2nd best collegiate at Bryan Clay and was the top collegiate at Stanford. For that reason, she secures the #23 spot. 22. Avi Tal Wilson-Perteete, Sophomore, UNLV (Unranked) We saw a huge breakout performance from Wilson-Perteete at Bryan Clay where she ran a monster NCAA #1 time of 2:02. She's been a top mid-distance talent, but this is the first time she's entered the "elite" conversation. 21. Paige Stoner, Senior, Syracuse (+1 / 22) A 10:01 steeplechaser with a time of 32:07 in the 10,000 meters is a strong pair of results for one of the most slept on runners in the country. We may not be giving her enough respect in these rankings, but after a quiet indoor season, I'm looking to see what else she can do. 20. Sarah Feeny, Junior, Utah (Unranked) 4:13 (NCAA #3) and 15:41 (NCAA #7) is one of the best 1500/5k time pairings that we've seen all season. She was a key sleeper pick during the indoor season, but she has emerged as a legitimate ace for Utah and a true national contender. Feeny's progress is exciting and makes her a big name to watch in the postseason. 19. Chalotte Prouse, Junior, New Mexico (-9 / 10) Her 16:16 5k at Bryan Clay was admittedly underwhelming, but she is entered in the steeplechase for Payton Jordan. She'll be a key name to watch in that event as she is one of the few women capable of challenging Ostrander. 18. Makena Morley, Junior, Colorado (+2 / 20) Her 15:43 at Stanford was solid (and something we expected), but her 4:19 1500 at the Cardinal Classic was a bit underwhelming. That said, if you're familiar with Morley, then you know that she thrives in championship races. Come mid-May, she'll be peaking at the right time. 17. Sinclaire Johnson, Junior, Oklahoma State (+4 / 21) She's only finished one race this season, but her 4:13 at the Cardinal Classic where she took home the victory makes Johnson a very legitimate threat to win the national title in the 1500 if Hull opts to move up to the 5000 meters. Do not underestimate this Oklahoma State junior. 16. Josette Norris, Senior, Georgetown (Unranked) Her 15:46 at the Stanford Invite was a huge breakout performance for the Hoya veteran, but the real stunner was seeing her drop a 10 second personal best in the 1500 meters where she ran a time of 4:13 (NCAA #5). There may not be any woman in the NCAA with as much momentum as her. 15. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Freshman, Arkansas (-1 / 14) Gregory is in a similar boat as Morley with a respectable 5k time of 15:42, but a very average 1500 of 4:20. However, after such a phenomenal indoor season, it's hard to push her out of the top 15. That said, I'll be looking for a big performance from her as she enters the postseason. 14. Jessica Harris, Senior, Notre Dame (Unranked) Prior to this outdoor season, Harris was one of the more underrated athletes. Despite personal bests of 4:11 and 2:03, she didn't gain much attention from the TSR crew until now. She's back where she left off with an NCAA #1 time of 4:13 as well as a season best of 2:04. Harris is yet another name who could contend for gold in a wide-open 1500 field. 13. Martha Bissah, Junior, Norfolk State (+6 / 19) We know Bissah as more of an 800 runner, but a 4:18 personal best is wildly impressive for someone like herself. It's one of her better displays of strength and it should likely benefit her in the next month and a half. 12. Adva Cohen, Sophomore, New Mexico (Unranked) Like Harris, we failed to acknowledge someone as talented as Cohen. She finished runner-up to teammate Weini Kelati at Bryan Clay with an NCAA #2 time of 15:31 and is set to toe the line at Payton Jordan for her best event (the steeplechase). With a personal best of 9:29, which was run in Germany last August, she is someone who can challenge Ostrander for the title at NCAA's. 11. Rachel Pocratsky, Senior, Virginia Tech (+1 / 12) Running 2:04 and 4:20 doesn't necessarily jump off the page, but she's still a top talent who will be in the national title conversation for 800 meters come June. As long as she doesn't fall off or get complacent, Pocratsky will keep her rank as one of the top women in the nation. 10. Taylor Werner, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas (-2 / 8) I love the range that we've seen from Taylor Werner so far this outdoor season. Admittedly, her 4:17 wasn't crazy impressive. However, when you pair that mark with an NCAA #4 time of 32:26 in the 10k, her range becomes far more valuable. I'll be interested to see how she fares in the 5000 meters later this season. 9. Nicole Hutchinson, Senior, Villanova (+2 / 11) I value consistency and Hutchinson has plenty of it. She was the top collegiate at the Sam Howell running a time of 4:14 and she later came back to finish 3rd in a time of 4:15 at the Cardinal Classic. Her massive success from indoors keeps in her in the top 10, but I would like to see her in the 5000 meters before the BIG East Championships role around. 8. Allie Wilson, Senior, Monmouth (+7 / 15) Wilson has one of the best 800/1500 times of the entire spring season so far. Her 2:03 at the Sam Howell Invite validated her breakout indoor season, but her 4:15 is what really caught my attention. That is some impressive range for a woman who likes to make strong surges and get to the front. While the middle distance attention may fall on Danae Rivers, Wilson is someone who is slowly developing into a national title threat. 7. Ednah Kurgat, Senior, New Mexico (+2 / 9) I wont lie. We've been a bit critical of Kurgat as of late which may be a bit unfair when you consider what she's done so far this season. Her 10k performance at Stanford now sits at #3 in the country (32:14) and her 1500 time of 4:18 shows us that she has some respectable speed. I'm not sure she's still a threat to win a national title, but she's a top-tier talent. 6. Alicia Monson, Senior, Wisconsin (-2 / 4) For someone of Monson's caliber, I think it's fair to say that her 33:02 10k (NCAA #12) from Stanford was underwhelming. Although it was less than ideal, there shouldn't be any urgency for her. She's likely focusing on the postseason and not concerned with running personal bests. We haven't seen her race since Stanford, but we can likely expect her back on the track in the near future. 5. Weini Kelati, Sophomore, New Mexico (+1 / 6) Kelati has only raced once this season, but it resulted in an NCAA #1 time of 15:23 and a convincing win. Everyone knows how talented she is and if Hull drops down to 1500 meters, she'll be in the conversation to win the national title...again. 4. Erica Birk, Rs. Junior, BYU (+3 / 7) It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Erica Birk, but it's for good reason. After challenging Hull in both the 3000 and DMR at the indoor national meet, Birk went on to run 15:38 at the Stanford (finishing runner-up to Hull again). Since then, she's run 4:13 in the 1500 and 9:55 in the steeplechase. Right now, Birk is flexing her fitness to the rest of the country and I love the range she's showing off. For that reason, I have her at #4 in our rankings. 3. Danae Rivers, Junior, Penn State (0 / 3) Rivers has kept her momentum going from the winter. After winning the Florida Relays in a time of 2:03, she moved back up to the 1500 distance and ran 4:15 at the Virginia Challenge. None of this is super surprising, but it's nice to know that she's staying consistent at such a high level. 2. Allie Ostrander, Rs. Junior, Boise State (+3 / 5) Something just seems different with Ostrander this spring. She soundly defeated her competition at the Stanford Invite, finishing as the top collegiate in an NCAA #1 time of 32:06 and easily cruised past Ednah Kurgat (who has had Ostrander's number for most of her career). After running a personal best of 4:14 (NCAA #9) at Bryan Clay, the Boise State star is displaying range and speed that we've never from her before. She'll race her best event (the steeplechase) at Payton Jordan where she could bolster her resume even more. 1. Jessica Hull, Rs. Junior, Oregon (0 / 1) She ran 15:34 at the Stanford Invite to easily take home the win over a slew of top-tier names. With still no sign of Dani Jones, Hull is now the undeniable #1 runner in the country...and there's not much of an argument against that. Honorable Mentions (no order) Carina Viljoen (Arkansas) Cailie Logue (Iowa State) Nia Akins (Penn) Susan Aneno (UCONN) Isobel Batt-Doyle (Washington) Susan Ejore (Oregon) Jazmine Fray (Texas A&M) Jessica Drop (Georgia) Hannah Steelman (Wofford)

*Honorable mentions below* KEY (Unranked) Was not ranked during the last update. (#/#) First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from the prior update. Second number indicates where the runner was ranked during the last update. 25. Amon Kemboi, Junior, Campbell (-11 / 14) Kemboi is still yet to race outdoors which is a little worrying, but we will give it a few more weeks before we ring the alarm bells. 24. John Dressel, Rs. Junior, Colorado (-8 / 16) Joe Klecker caught most of the headlines a few weeks ago, but like Garrett mentioned , Dressel’s 3:49 which converts to 3:43 is a very encouraging sign for a long distance specialist. This past weekend Dressel ran a solid 13:42, but during a weekend where so many people ran under 13:40, it forced him to be pushed back in the rankings. Something else to keep an eye on is whether Dressel runs the 10k this year. He hasn’t run one since the 2016 PAC 12 Championships, but the 10k might be his best opportunity to score points. 23. Cole Rockhold, Senior, Colorado State (Unranked) As Garrett predicted , Rockhold had a breakout race at Bryan Clay running 13:35 and finishing as the 2nd overall collegiate. It was good to see the Colorado State runner healthy again, and he will be in the mix at Nationals in the 5k (or maybe even in the 1500). 22. Aidan Tooker, Junior, Syracuse (-5 / 17) Given the opportunity to run fast, it was surprising to see Tooker only manage a 3:45 in the 1500 a few weeks ago. Still, it’s a solid run for one of the favorites in the steeple. All eyes will be on him when he debuts in his top event. 21. Waleed Suliman, Sophomore, Ole Miss (+4 / 25) Suliman backed up his strong indoor season by running 3:40 at the Joe Walker Invite and beating indoor mile runner-up Casey Comber. At Bryan Clay, he bettered that time by two seconds and finished 6th right behind Sam Worley. The Rebel keeps running fast times, but the final piece will be putting it together at a national championship meet. 20. Sam Worley, Sophomore, Texas (-9 / 11) The Longhorn sophomore's season debut in the 1500 was impressive. 3:38 and a 5th place finish in a deep field at Bryan Clay. While it is a very impressive time, Worley finishing 5th shows that he has a ways to go to be considered one of the favorites in the 1500 at Nationals. 19. Edwin Kurgat, Junior, Iowa State (+1 / 20) Kurgat opened up his outdoor season with a bang by running 13:34 at Stanford. After an underwhelming indoor championship meet, it was important for the Cyclone to come back strong outdoors (and he did just that). I still believe in his potential to score in the 5k and 10k. 18. Gilbert Kigen, Senior, Alabama (+6 / 24) I think we can now assuredly say that Kigen is "back" after his 13:34 at Bryan Clay. Finishing as the top collegiate overJoe Klecker, Cole Rockhold, and Rory Linkletter shows that Kigen needs to be taken seriously not only in the 10k, but also the 5k. 17. Daniel Michalski, Rs. Senior, Indiana (+2 / 19) After running the fastest steeple time in the country, Michalski has worked on his speed by running a few 1500's. The Hoosier ran a PR in the 1500 at Tennessee Relays and then ran 3:46 in at the Cardinal Classic. His 3:44 time shows that he has some wheels for a fast finish, and further cements his place among the steeplechase favorites. 16. Conner Mantz, Rs. Sophomore, BYU (+2 / 18) Mantz worked on his speed this weekend by running the 1500 at Bryan Clay. 3:45 for one of the top 10k runners in the country is solid and shows that the Cougar has some finishing speed. 15. Kyle Mau, Junior, Indiana (-6 / 9) In what looks to have been a tactical 1500 at the Cardinal Classic, Mau ran 3:45 to finish 6th. The time isn’t too concerning considering the way the race was run, but for the Hoosier to finish behind so many people is worrying. I predicted at the beginning of the year that Mau could be one of the favorites in the 1500, but I’m not feeling too sure of that anymore. 14. Tyler Day, Senior, NAU (+1 / 15) Like Clayton Young, Day dropped down in distance to run the 1500. 3:46 isn’t a sparkling time, but it's solid for one of the top 10k favorites. Look for him to run a quick 5k in the next few weeks. 13. Yared Nuguse, Sophomore, Notre Dame (+9 / 22) Nuguse continues to impress this outdoor season. After running 1:48 at Stanford, the DMR star from Notre Dame ran an impressive race at Bryan Clay to finish 3rd in the 1500 and run a time of 3:38. With no relay to keep him out of the individual title race, Nuguse will be one to watch as he continues to get better every time he toes the line. 12. Cooper Teare, Sophomore, Oregon (Unranked) Teare had a breakout race at the Cardinal Classic to run a huge PR in the 5k with a time of 13:32, finishing 2nd to Grant Fisher. Beating Edwin Kurgat is also a good sign for the Duck who now owns the #2 fastest time in the country. 11. Robert Brandt, Junior, UCLA (+2 / 13) As we mentioned here , Brandt ran a quiet 13:36 at Mt. SAC to finish as the top collegiate. After running 13:36 and 28:55, the Bruin is set up well to score in two events like he did at the Indoor National Championships. Despite the fast times, he may continue to be one of the more underrated names in the country. 10. Rory Linkletter, Rs. Senior, BYU (+2 / 12) In Linkletter’s first race back since the World Cross Country Championships, he ran a blistering 13:36 at Bryan Clay. To run a PR in the 5k after training for a 10k cross country championship is impressive and leads me to believe that he could have a very fast 10k in him come Payton Jordan. With last weekend’s performance in the books, it is safe to call Linkletter one of the 10k favorites. 9. Clayton Young, Senior, BYU (-2 / 7) A 3:48 1500 at Bryan Clay is certainly not the performance the Cougar wanted, but we shouldn’t put too much stock in it as he has run well in his main event (the 10k). I’m sure we will see him bounce back in the 5k soon. 8. Carlos Villarreal, Junior, Arizona (+15 / 23) Boy oh boy, what a race for Villarreal at Bryan Clay. Taking the defending 1500 champion all the way to the line would have been impressive even if the race was slow. For the Wildcat to compete with Hoare AND run 3:37 is a very encouraging sign for Villarreal’s title hopes. We know that he has the 800 speed and a potent finishing kick, so if he can hang with any pace, then he could pull off the upset at Nationals. 7. Obsa Ali, Senior, Minnesota (-1 / 6) Ali's outdoor debut was in the 5k at the Duke Invitational where he ran 13:48 to finish as the 2nd best collegiate. It's a solid time, but all eyes will be on the Golden Gopher when he steps on the track to race the steeplechase. 6. Marco Arop, Sophomore, Mississippi State (+2 / 8) Arop reasserted his dominance by running 1:45 and dragging his teammates along to fast times in the process. Over the beginning of this outdoor season, it seems like Arop and Hoppel are putting themselves into a different class than everyone else in the 800. 5. Bryce Hoppel, Senior, Kansas (0 / 5) It feels like Hoppel is trying to replicate his indoor season which is probably a good call since he finished the winter with a national title. The Jayhawk still hasn’t lost a race this year on the track after he won the 800 and 1500 at both the LSU Battle of the Bayou and the Kansas Relays. Although he hasn’t run under 1:48 yet, Hoppel has proven that he can run as fast as he needs to in order to win. 4. Joe Klecker, Rs. Junior, Colorado (0 / 4) Klecker continues to prove that he was one of the best distance runners across any distance. His converted 3:39 is one of the top times in the country in the 1500. With this type of speed, it isn’t hard to imagine Klecker beating either Fisher or McDonald in a tactical 5k or 10k. On the other hand, he just ran 13:35 at Bryan Clay to finish as the 3rd collegiate behind Gilbert Kigen and Cole Rockhold. While this is a blazing fast time, it is (a little) worrying that Klecker was beat by two college runners who aren’t necessarily top five favorites in the 5k. I am still extremely confident in Klecker, but there's just a kernel of concern. 3. Oliver Hoare, Junior, Wisconsin (0 / 3) Michael and I said Hoare needed to make a statement this weekend...mission accomplished. Running 3:37 and holding off Carlos Villarreal for the win at Bryan Clay certainly counts as a statement. Beating indoor champ Geordie Beamish probably felt pretty good as well. If he wasn’t already the favorite in the 1500, this weekend proved that he is. There will be plenty of people chasing him, but I think Hoare is in good shape to repeat as the 1500 champion. 2. Grant Fisher, Senior, Stanford (0 / 2) In his first 5k of the outdoor season, Fisher dropped a PR of 13:29 at the Cardinal Classic. As we already knew, Fisher is a boss. What we don’t know is if Fisher can take down the favorite in the 5k, Morgan McDonald. This race doesn’t answer that question, but it certainly makes me feel better about his chances. 1. Morgan McDonald, Rs. Senior, Wisconsin (0 / 1) Entered in the second heat of the 5k at Bryan Clay, McDonald picked up a regional time running 13:50. Not sure why we didn’t see him put in a hard effort like Fisher, but I’m sure he will be ready to throw down a big time in the next few weeks. Honorable Mentions (no order) Devin Dixon (Texas A&M) William Paulson (Arizona State) Thomas Ratcliffe (Stanford) Steven Fahy (Stanford) Cade Bethmann (Ole Miss) Isaiah Jewett (USC) Geordie Beamish (Northern Arizona) Alex Rogers (Texas) Aaron Templeton (Furman) Ryan Forsyth (Colorado)

Who are two men and two women who capture your interest for the Penn Relays 5k/10k? Why? Garrett: In both events, between the men and women, there are 327 entries in total...that’s a lot of names to keep track of. On the men’s side, I can’t help but think that Wisconsin’s Olin Hacker is the favorite to take home the W after a strong indoor season where he ran 7:53 and had a sub-four mile split in a DMR. He’s one of the better rising stars in the NCAA right now. My other name to watch is Fordham’s Ryan Kutch. He has slowly progressed towards the 14 minute mark for a while now and I think this could be the race where he breaks that barrier. He’s entered in both the 5k and 10k this weekend, which means he’ll likely scratch one event in favor of the other. Ben: For the men, I want to see what Bryce Millar from Indiana does in the 5k. My interest lies in the fact that Indiana’s cross country team is looking pretty solid for next year. Between Veatch and Mau, the Hoosiers have a potent one-two punch. If Millar can make a jump, Indiana will be that much harder to beat. He’s run a PR in the 10k this year and 14:10 in the 5k. The real question is if he can go under 14 minutes and continue his PR momentum. In the 10k, I’m keeping an eye on Georgetown’s Jack Van Scoter. This past cross country season was a breakout one for Scoter who finished 64th at Nationals. He wasn't quite as exciting during indoors with his best performance being an 8:10 in the 3k. In his first 10k on the track, I think the Georgetown runner will find his best event and punch himself a ticket to regionals. Michael: On the men’s side, Hofstra’s Alex Masai stands out to me in the 5k. He ran 13:53 indoors which puts him in a spot to join the elite caliber of athletes in the NCAA. This field is not overly strong, and he could have a breakout race if the pace is hot from the start. Also in the 5k is Providence’s Marcelo Rocha. The freshman ran 14:22 at the Raleigh Relays which does not exactly put him in contention to win the race, but he has a lot of talent and I think he can go a lot faster than 14:22. I may be a bit biased as I watched Rocha compete as a high schooler in Massachusetts, but he is not afraid to go after it from the gun. Garrett: I am super amped for the 5000 meters if all of these women end up running it. I think a lot of people will be interested to see how Georgetown’s Josette Norris performs after her breakout 1500 performance last weekend where she ran 4:13 (a 10 second improvement). If she can carry her momentum from that race into Thursday night, then she may be unstoppable. Speaking of breakout performances, how about Notre Dame’s Jacqueline Gaughan? She ran 16:01 last weekend and seems to be one of the favorites in the 10k tomorrow night (despite being just a freshman). Michael: For the women, I have to go with Josette Norris as well. Aside from her 4:13 1500m last weekend, she has run 15:46 this season as well. The Georgetown fifth year is on fire and I think she has the capability to take down this 5k field. In the 10k, I can’t pick just one. Notre Dame’s Annie Heffernan and Jacqueline Gaughan are the class of the field, with Heffernan holding a PR of 33:48 and Gaughan’s 15:52 5k. These two will likely battle it out up front to throw down a crazy time, and I’m excited to see what it is because the 10k has been rather quiet so far this year. Ben: My first choice for the women is Abbey Wheeler of Providence. The Lady Friar owns a 15:57 PR in the 5k from Raleigh last year. This track season, she has only run twice, running 9:39 in the 3k and 4:46 in the mile. In what will be her first 5k since cross country, it will be interesting to see what type of shape she is in. My second choice is another Georgetown Hoya: Madeline Perez. Like Wheeler, she hasn’t raced much this track season. In fact, she hasn’t run since the BIG East Indoor Championships where she ran 16:38 in the 5k. This is a big race for her to show where her fitness is at and for her to earn a spot to regionals. Who has the best chance of upsetting Indiana’s Daniel Michalski in the steeplechase? Ben: I’m going with Kigen Chemadi from MTSU. The Blue Raider has always been super talented, but seems to really putting it together this season. So far, he has run PR's in both the 5k and steeple, and he is coming off a win in the steeple at the Virginia Challenge where he ran 8:49. His PR is a far cry from Michalski, but I think Chemadi has the speed to stick with the Hoosier if it comes down to a kick. Garrett: There are a lot of underrated names in this field, but the biggest threat to Michalski might be his own teammate. Joseph Murphy has a sneaky good personal best of 8:47 in the steeplechase which is complemented by his 3:42 1500 PR. He’s never run an individual event at Penn Relays before, but the senior could be a big name to watch at Franklin Field. Michael: Christopher Torpy of Miami Ohio stands out to me as a bit of a wild card in this field. He is definitely a more middle distance focused athlete with PR's of 1:49 and 3:44, but his 8:56 steeple shows promise. He has only run the event four times and has improved each time. Michalski has run 8:35 which may be a bit out of reach, but I don’t think the race will go out that fast this weekend. If Torpy is there with a lap to go, I think his mid-distance instincts could take over. As long as he doesn’t lose form over the barriers, he could come away with a surprise win and a big PR. Who has the best chance of upsetting Providence’s Brianna Ilarda in the steeplechase? Ben: On the women’s side, I think NC State’s Nell Crosby has the best shot at taking down Ilarda who has had a great season so far. Ilarda has run 18 seconds faster than Crosby this year, but the transfer from Columbia ran 9:54 last year. If Crosby can get back into the form she was in during 2018, then she will push Ilarda for at least most of the race. Garrett: I hate to have the same answer as Ben, but Nell Crosby is a pretty solid choice. She has the resume to contend with anyone in this race and her experience in the Ivy League likely has her familiar with the large turns at Franklin Field. Ilarda will be tough to take down, but Crosby has a good shot at doing just that. Michael: She may not have the fastest PR in the field, but Cornell’s Briar Brumley is not too far off Ilarda’s mark. She holds a PR of 10:09 and is familiar with competing against Nell Crosby in the Ivy League, so she may know how to take her down as well. If Brumley can hang with Crosby, they may both have a shot at beating Ilarda. Are we finally going to see a sub-16 4xMile? If so, by who? Garrett: As much as I want to see a relay average sub-four for each leg, I just don’t see it happening. The 2015 4xMile battle between Oregon and Villanova had the potential to dip under the barrier, but turned far too tactical (which is what will likely happen this weekend). That said, the Wisconsin men have the potential to run under that mark if they go all-in with McDonald, Hoare, Hacker, and one other. Still, it seems improbable that the race situation will push them to hit 15:59 or faster. Georgetown and Indiana could produce something pretty quick, but half of their relay lineups likely aren’t capable of having a split under 4:00. Ben: Like Garrett, I don’t see anyone going under 16 minutes. Wisconsin definitely has the best chance, but I think it will be a tight race with Indiana who could field Veatch, Mau, Cooper Williams and Michalski on their relay team. All of these guys can run somewhere between 3:57 and 4:03. No one will run sub 16, but I think it’ll be close. Michael: I would love to be the optimist that says it’s going to happen, but I just don’t think this is the year. If Wisconsin stacks their relay, they could do it with Hoare (3:54 PR) and McDonald (3:55 PR) and then potentially have room to spare on their other two legs. Still, expecting these guys to even toe the line could be a stretch. The race could easily turn tactical as it has in previous years while others may simply not hit their best times. If Oregon was showing up this year, I would say that they should be able to do it without too much trouble, but they aren’t entered. Who is the bigger favorite in the 4x1500? Villanova, Virginia Tech, Indiana, or the field? Garrett: At first, I thought Villanova was the overwhelming favorite. Yet, the more I thought about it, I realized that Virginia Tech may have better firepower while Indiana may own better depth. The Villanova Wildcats have the luxury of driving just 10 minutes down the road to Franklin Field to toe the line for a race that they have historically dominated. However, the VT duo of Rachel Pocratsky and Sarah Edwards might be the best 1-2 punch in the field while Indiana’s lineup of Receuver, Allen, and the Harris sisters could pose as a real challenge. When all is said and done, I think I’ll take Villanova. I like experience and their lineup is filled with veterans and dynamic young talents. That’s enough for me to say that they will be the favorites. Ben: I think Virginia Tech is the favorite. So often these relays come down to who has the best finishers. Between Pocratsky and Edwards, the Hokies have two of the best finishers in the field. As long as they can keep it close with Villanova going into the last leg (which is a big ask, I know), then I think they will win. Michael: I have to go with Villanova for this one as well. Villanova has a rich history of success at Penn Relays and history seems to matter at meets like this. Villanova has come away with four of the last five, and the last three consecutive 4x1500m titles at Penn. Their potential lineup this year has the firepower to do it again, so I will say they get the job done. Both Virginia Tech and Indiana will be tough to take down, but when it comes down to it I think Villanova puts more emphasis on winning this meet as it is (more or less) a home competition for them. Do these historic relay-focused meets still mean anything? Michael: I don’t think the relay-focused meets mean nearly as much as they used to. Coaches and athletes alike simply don’t care as much about the bragging rights that come with winning these races, because that’s all that comes out of it: bragging rights. Races like the 4xmile are rarely contested anywhere else and never at national championships. Teams would rather go to meets with stronger individual fields to chase times that will get them spots at regionals or good seeds at their conference meets. I wish I had a plan to revitalize these types of meets, but the trend seems to be to move away from them. As an athlete, I have always enjoyed running on relays and I know I am not alone in that feeling. As divisive as its implementation was, the National Relay Championship hosted by Arkansas shows a potential rebirth of the relay meet on a large scale. Ben: I really wish they would mean something because these meets were a great opportunity for the running world to see who had the best distance/middle-distance team. It was a nice snapshot of the teams that mattered in the NCAA. Now (*sigh*) I just don’t think they mean much. In an era where championships mean so much to coaches, media, and athletes, it is hard for coaches to convince themselves that going to a meet like the Penn Relays is worth a week of their time. Teams want to keep their top athletes fresh and to help the rest of their team earn regional marks. It is hard to fit a relay race into the schedule when it has no bearing on how well a team will do at Nationals. Garrett: I’ll be honest, the distance relays just don’t mean much. Sure, the individual events can you qualify you for the regional meet, but you can find countless other meets where the open races are simply more competitive. Maybe this is a good argument to bring a DMR to the Outdoor National Championships. That said, the thrill and excitement of these legendary meets is unmatched. I’ve been lucky enough to go to Penn Relays on numerous occasions and the atmosphere is always electric. If you’re a fan of track and field, you should put this meet on your bucket list.

Trying to figure out which runner is going to run which event at NCAA's is often a relatively easy task, especially during outdoors where distance relays don't play a role. Rarely do you see national title contenders stray from their dominant event that they have built their reputation upon for the past few years. In 2019, the men's national picture for the distance events looks pretty straight forward. Morgan McDonald and Grant Fisher will battle it out in the 5000 meters and may even pursue other events like the 10k or 1500 (but it is far more likely that they just settle 5k). In the meantime, Oliver Hoare will highlight the 1500 and will be flanked by a slew of elite milers such as Comber, Nuguse, Suliman, Villarreal, Worley, and Paulson (among others). Even the 800 will be flooded with a handful of familiar names despite Robert Heppenstall sitting out for the entirety of the spring season. NAU's Geordie Beamish may be the only big-name with an unclear path to Nationals given his ability to move in distance to the 5000 meters (although that may be a bit more unlikely now after running 3:39 this past weekend). In simple terms, they have it all figured out. The women, however, are an entirely different story. * * * The top female talents have left many fans of the NCAA scratching their heads and wondering what we can expect from these superstars in late May and early June. Many women have not yet debuted in their best event while others haven't debuted at all. Some national title favorites are showing off their dynamic fitness in a variety of events while others are content on sitting back and watching the NCAA leaderboard evolve with each passing week. With so many unknowns in play, it feels impossible to properly balance postseason expectations. Let's start with Jessica Hull, the Oregon Duck who has accomplished enough to potentially earn herself a spot on the Mount Rushmore of collegiate distance running. Her 1500 title win from last spring is what truly caught the attention of many result-stalking fans who realized that Hull could be a major threat to Dani Jones once both women were able to toe the same starting line on the track (which may never happen). After a spectacular cross country season, Hull moved up in distance to the 3000 meters at Indoor Nationals, voluntarily facing a far more difficult field than what the mile had to offer. That, however, didn't matter as she briskly pulled away for the win in a near-effortless last lap which came just one day after she kicked home for NCAA gold in the DMR. We have seen numerous runners pull off the DMR/3k double gold before, but Hull's ability to handle each race with such phenomenal ease was mind-boggling. Clearly, her fitness has reached another echelon that is almost unmatched by any other woman in the NCAA circuit. And if there was still any doubt about her level of talent, you can look back at her 5000 meter performance from the Stanford Invite where she ran away from BYU's Erica Birk to take home the win in a time of 15:34. Yet, as exciting's as Hull's display of fitness has been, it has also left significant questions about what the future holds for her at NCAA's. Will she return to the 1500 meter distance and defend her title? Or will she continue to stay at the longer distance (5k) in an effort to flex her aerobic superiority? Could she possibly event attempt the 1500/5k double? The event Hull chooses to run at Nationals may not seem like a big deal, but her final decision could have a ripple effect on the rest of the NCAA...especially for other key superstars. * * * What will BYU's Erica Birk choose to run at NCAA's? Will she attempt the 5000 or the steeplechase? Could she move up to the 10k? How confident does she feel after running 4:13 for 1500 meters? Your guess is as good as mine. The 5000 seems like the natural choice for Birk given her success in the longer distances, specifically in cross country and the 3000 meters. However, the BYU ace may be incentivized to try the steeplechase or 1500 this spring with so much talent crowding the longer distances and Hull flirting with the idea of running the 12.5 lap race at Nationals. To make matters even more complicated, Dani Jones is still absent. Are we really going to see the 2019 NCAA Cross Country champion sit out for two seasons in a row? The idea of her running at the World Championships later this summer may explain her delayed return, but it also forces me to question if injuries are involved. It's only a guess, and I'm not going to act like I know why she's been MIA, but it has certainly left me thinking of possible scenarios. In addition to Jones' absence, the Buffaloes have yet another title contender who may not even be running attached this spring track season. I am, of course, referring to Sage Hurta who just posted a jaw-dropping double of 4:09 and 2:03 this past weekend. Despite the pair of monster performances, Hurta was running unattached, meaning that she is likely redshirting the 2019 spring track season just like Dani Jones did last year. The point of mentioning these two name is that their lack of racing in a Colorado singlet could end up incentivizing a number of women to drop down in distance and pursue a wide-open 1500 distance (i.e. Birk). It could also motivate Jessica Hull to defend her 1500 title knowing that she will have a much easier path to NCAA gold and collegiate enshrinement. The crazy thing is that the openness of the 1500 may do more than just bring certain athletes down in distance. In fact, it might actually push athletes up... * * * Penn State's Danae Rivers was a 4:29 miler this past winter and saw a ton of success in that event as well as the 1000 meters (where she now owns the collegiate record). Her 2:03 from the Florida Relays earlier this season obviously keeps her in the mix to win the national title in the 800, but her 2019 outdoor campaign hasn't felt as convincing as what we saw during indoors. A close call at Indoor Nationals (where she barely snagged the win) along with a plethora of fast times from other women around the country may persuade the Penn State star to look into the 1500 a little more closely come late May. Rivers has the speed to out-kick anyone in a tactical setting and her Millrose mile showed us that she is more than capable of sticking with a fast pace. It may sound absurd, but crazier things have happened... But what IF Jones and/or Hurta raced later this spring? What if either of those women pursued a 1500 and did so while running for Colorado? It's safe to say that a move like that could shake things up quite a bit and could force many of the nation's best to reevaluate their options. Would Hull want to deal with a select few title contenders in the 1500? Or would she want to take her chances in the 5000 where she would have to fend off a much deeper field? These questions may seem like overkill, but I'd find it hard to believe that other top athletes aren't curious as to what their rivals are going to run at NCAA's. The decision of one athlete could have a domino effect on what others decide to do. * * * What about Erica Birk or Syracuse's Paige Stoner in the steeplechase? That could be an option for the veteran duo who are likely trying to find any avenue that leads to them crossing the line in 1st. Keep in mind none of the "Big Three" favorites for the steeplechase have made their debuts in this event yet. Neither Allie Ostrander, Charlotte Prouse, nor Adva Cohen* have toed the line to run the steeplechase yet this season which is extremely odd considering that they have always run at least one steeple race by now. *Cohen has run one steeplechase race this spring, but it was only for 2000 meters While I am sure that we will see at least one (probably two) of those women run the steeplechase later this season, it's hard not to look at your watch and say that "time is ticking". We are half a month out from conference championships following a weekend where all three of these women were racing non-steeplechase events (meaning that they could be scheduled for a rest week soon). Regardless, the steeplechase is another event that has become increasingly more attractive for numerous women who are trying to avoid the overwhelming elites that often dominate NCAA headlines. * * * At the end of the day, event choice is a balance. Sacrificing experience could yield easier competition and for many athletes, that's a benefit too good to pass up. On the other hand, others may opt to focus on what they're more comfortable with and take the security that comes with the familiarity. Yet, when all is said and done, it comes down to what you do on the track. When the gun goes off, the best of the best will emerge on top and there is no escaping that reality.

Panning Leads 5000 Meter Crew At Bryan Clay As if there needed to be another reason for people to remind me of how good Zach Panning is, he decided to set a nine second personal best this weekend at Bryan Clay and nearly got me fired ( ok, not really, but it makes for a good story ). The senior dipped under 13:40 for the first time in his career and ran 13:37. Panning was the 9th fastest finisher in the entire meet and was only behind the likes of Gilbert Kigen, Cole Rockhold, Joe Klecker, Rory Linkletter and Gilbert Boit (as well as three professional runners). Panning has been on another level this indoor and outdoor season and he is looking to defend his title at 5000 meters this May. Adams State ace Elias Gedyon moved up in distance from 1500 this weekend and competed in his first ever 5000 race. It’s safe to say that the move wasn’t a bad idea as he ran 13:45 and was the second D2 athlete across the finish line. Gedyon’s move up is likely an effort to bolster the team’s chances at Nationals given he only ran one race during outdoors last year. He’s got the potential to finish as a top five athlete in both the 1500 and 5000 in May. Colorado Mines' Josh Hoskinson lowered his personal best another four seconds running 14:04 in the second heat at Bryan Clay. CSU-Pubelo's Marcelo Laguera matched his altitude converted mark of 14:08 while American International's Victor Moreau continued his onslaught of personal bests by dropping 42 seconds with a time of 14:09. Ross Husch of Western Colorado ran 14:16 and Adam State’s Isaiah Rodarte returned to form as he ran 14:18. The marks set this weekend were all inside the top 20, and from the top of the paragraph to the bottom follows as so: Panning, 1st; Gedyon, 2nd; Hoskinson, 4th; Laguera, 7th; Moreau, 8th; Husch, 12th; and Rodarte, 15th. Women’s Mid-Distance Events Are DEEP Coming into this weekend, we were already in store for a strong championship racing schedule on the women’s side. Given what we saw this weekend, the level of competition from the middle distance portion of NCAA's is going to be worth the price of admission. At Bryan Clay, we saw the fastest and second fastest times run in D2 this season. Rachael Walters of Grand Valley State ran 2:04.15 to secure the fastest D2 finish in the section and good enough for 3rd in the section. The mark is three-tenths better than her previous best which was run at the NCAA meet last year. In the same section was Danielle McCormick who also bettered her mark from earlier this year. She ran 2:05.00 and was the 6th place finisher. Carsyn Koch-Johnson looks to be rounding into top shape as she ran her fastest time since the 2017 NCAA 800 final where she won the event. Skylyn Webb of UCCS competed at Mt. SAC the next day where she ran 2:04.70 in a runner-up place finish behind Sage Hurta of Colorado who was running unattached. It’s currently the #2 fastest time in the country and seems to be a good sign after her early 2:07 race the week after Indoor Nationals. It's a step in the right direction towards solidifying her role as the national title favorite. Not to go unnoticed, Alana Mussatto (Simon Fraser) jumped up to #6 on the list as she ran 2:07.83. Yasmine Hernandez (CSU-Pueblo) ran 2:08.72 to move into the #10 spot. Looking at the 1500, we see two familiar times sit atop the leaderboard after their performances at Bryan Clay. First, we have Roisin Flanagan of Adams State who ran 4:16.42 from the second section. In the next section, we saw Caroline Kurgat bounce back from a strong performance in the 5k the night before and run 4:19.48. Flanagan and Kurgat join Alicja Konieczek and Eilish Flanagan as the other athletes to secure an automatic mark on the season. Kurgat will likely opt for longer events such as the 10k and 5k leaving us with the Flanagan sisters and Konieczek as the early favorites this year. Other marks from the weekend include the indoor champion Stephanie Cotter who ran 4:25.21 for the 1500 distance while Julia Howley continues to make her name known as she ran 4:26.01. Right behind her is Elysia Burgos who ran 4:27.12. There are the favorites who are sitting at the top and it’s certainly easy to say that’s who will be in the running when it comes down to it. However, this weekend told us that the battle for an All-American spot is going to be grueling. Mt. SAC Produces Top Results Despite Lack of Depth I’m sure that there are those out there who believe that Mt. Sac is still the place to compete. That’s fair and everything, but since the beginning of the construction for their new track, athletes have taken their talents other places. Luckily, there are some races that still produce top results for those who are looking for it. And those looking for it are mainly the D2 athletes who are now able to sneak into races that were once not available for them. We mentioned earlier that Skylyn Webb opted for this meet instead of Bryan Clay and the Beach Invitational. Ultimately, wherever she ran she was likely to post a fast time and that’s what she did. She ran 2:04.15 which was good enough for 2nd place in the event. Bobbi Patrick of Minnesota State and Taylor Hestekin of U-Mary both dipped under the 2:12 mark and ran 2:11.88 and 2:11.91, respectively. Eddie King from Chico State moved into the top five after this weekend where he ran 14:06.79 from the slower of the two heats. Alicja Konieczek was also present at Mt. SAC as she tested her fitness at the 5000 discipline. She also moved into the top five running 16:15.97. We saw the most action at 10,000 meters this weekend and that’s been the case most years when we look back at results. Stetson Rayas of Dallas Baptist now sits at #6 on the list after running 29:33. Charlie Sweeney from Western Colorado ran 29:43 and is now #11. Derek Myers from U-Mary ran 29:47 and is #14 on TFRRS. Nadir Yusuf from MSU-Moorhead rounds out the top 18 as he ran 29:58. With Yusuf’s time, it’s now a certainty that you need to run under the 30:00 mark to go Nationals. Plus, with most of these athletes likely not scratching this event, it means at least one or two more 10,000 meter efforts will be needed to make the list without any expansion. On the women’s side, Ida Narbuvoll of U-Mary moved into the #5 spot by running 34:46. Alexandria Tucker sits #10 with her time of 35:11. Billie Hatch of Dixie State ran 35:47 to place her at #17 while Cassidy Ahrens of Western Colorado is sitting at #19 after her 35:48. Taylor Stack ran 8:56 (also fell twice) to move into the top five on the performance list in the 3000 steeplechase while Corbin Hansen of Nebraska-Kearney ran 9:02 to move into #11 on the list. Kale Adams of Adams State is currently sitting #17 after his performance of 9:06. Underappreciated Performances Lee (Tenn.) Performances Christian Noble highlights this list as he was expected to come to California and join in on the festivities, but ultimately stayed back home. He ran 8:55 in the steeple and is now the current leader in D2. His teammate Thomas Kelton ran 9:06 and currently sits at #16 on the TFRRS list. Charlee Boxall on the women’s side ran the #18 fastest time in the 1500 running 4:29.18 which is also a five second personal best. Boxall and Kelton likely have to run faster times to get themselves into NCAA's, but it’s worth noting that the Flames from Lee are putting together an exceptional season. Ayman Zahafi, TAMU-Kingsville Zahafi’s performance got lost in the weekend after all of the California ruckus, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. He ran the fastest 800 time in the country besting Thomas Staines mark of 1:48.96. The sophomore ran 1:48.85 at the Fred J. Duckett Invitational. It’s yet another personal best for the Javelina as he continues to improve upon his strong indoor season. Duke Invite 5k This was mentioned in the D1 portion of the weekend review, but it’s also worth mentioning here. Three athletes posted top 20 marks and all three came with personal bests. Tai Smith of Mount Olive moved into the #6 position on the TFRRS list as he ran 14:08. That time was better than his previous by 16 seconds. Jack Mastandrea from Charleston (W.V.) improved his personal best by a second and moved to #13. And lastly, freshman Emeric Arnaud ran 14:22 which is a 21 second improvement and moves him inside the top 18.

FULL RESULTS FROM THIS WEEKEND HERE Men and women are split into two sections for this recap Men: Garrett Zatlin Women: Sam Invanecky MEN Fisher Leads Cardinal Classic 5k w/ 13:29 While most of the 5k attention was put on the Bryan Clay Invite, the real headlines were produced at Stanford for the Cardinal Classic where we saw Grant Fisher make his season debut. The Stanford veteran posted a monster time of 13:29 to outrun the field and continue to establish himself as one of the few legitimate threats to Morgan McDonald. Behind him, we saw a number of fast performances. Oregon's Cooper Teare has continued to pick up where his indoor season left off, running a huge personal best of 13:32.73. However, the real story was seeing Stanford's Thomas Ratcliffe finally back to full health. The young Cardinal star posted a huge time of 13:32.81 to earn the #3 time in the country. If he can stay healthy, he will be the future of Stanford track & field when Fisher leaves... Meanwhile, Iowa State's Edwin Kurgat and Stanford's Steven Fahy rounded out the top five positions (both at the meet and in the country) with a pair of 13:34's. Colorado's Ryan Forsyth and Furman's Aaron Templeton rounded out the last finishers under the 13:40 barrier with times of 13:38 and 13:39, respectively. At the end of the day, the Cardinal Classic 5k gave us everything we were looking for. Fisher is still one of the best of this era, Teare is a legitimate All-American threat (again), Ratcliffe and Fahy are both healthy, Templeton's breakout cross country season wasn't a hoax, and neither was Forsyth's finish at the NCAA National Cross Country meet. If I'm a fan of distance running, I got everything I wanted out of this race. Hoare Narrowly Edges Villarreal In Exciting 1500 Battle Statement made. After a rough outing at Indoor Nationals, Hoare was able to bounce back this past weekend and remind everyone that he is still the man to beat at the 1500/mile distances. He posted a huge mark of 3:37 to barely hold off a hard-charging Carlos Villarreal who dived at the line, which also earned him a time of 3:37. For Hoare, this isn't much of a surprise, but it is encouraging to see him back at the top the NCAA leaderboard. As for Villarreal, this has to be a huge confidence booster as he may now feel like he can be a sleeper pick for the national title later this spring. After those two, we saw Yared Nuguse just nip William Paulson for the 3rd spot. Both of them finished with times of 3:38 and validated their breakout winter seasons where they wrecked havoc at the mile distance. Overlooked in 5th and 6th place were Sam Worley and Waleed Suliman who also posted times of 3:38. They aren't quite national title threats yet, but that could change within the next year or so. Just sophomores, they have become some of the most dangerous milers in the country. As they continue to grow their presence as All-American contenders, they will gain more experience and more confidence. Watch out for these two in 2020. The NAU trio of Geordie Beamish, Luis Grijalva, and true freshman Theo Quax each finished with times of 3:39 in what was an incredible display of depth. The 3:39 performance gave Quax the New Zealand U20 1500 record while also complementing his 13:49 from the Stanford Invite a few weeks ago. Just when you thought the Lumberjacks may falter with the graduation of key veterans, their young core rallied for one of the best collective performances of the weekend. The last few men to run under 3:40 were Arkansas' Cam Griffith and Georgetown's Spencer Brown. Each man ended the day with times of 3:39 and need to be very happy with how they performed. Brown had always been on the cusp of a performance like this, but wasn't able to put it altogether until now. As for Griffith, this has to be a comforting result for someone who barely missed the indoor national meet this past winter. Jewett Holds Off White at Mt. SAC Relays The 800 didn't gain as much attention as some of the other events around the country, but USC's Isaiah Jewett and Georgetown's Joe White still kept things interesting. Jewett got the best of White this past weekend, running 1:46.11 to White's 1:46.31. It's a pair of encouraging results that I think most knowledge fans expected out of these two men. For Jewett, this is a nice win over a key mid-distance veteran. Not to be overlooked was Michael Rhoads, the Air Force Indoor All-American from this past winter who was the 3rd overall collegiate this weekend in a time of 1:47. He'll make another go at the podium later this June. Steeplechase Continues To Gain Depth One of the more underrated steeplechasers last year, Nathan Mylenek (Iowa), has seemingly hit a new level of fitness in 2019 after running 8:38 at Mt. SAC this past weekend. He was the top collegiate in the race and also held off Arizona veteran Bailey Roth who also ran 8:38 in what was an encouraging performance for him. Together, these two seniors may be some of the most underrated distance runners in the country. Roth has unmatched experience while Mylenek is displaying impressive consistency and improvement. At Bryan Clay, we saw Iona veteran Johannes Motschmann make his return to the track. He took home the victory in a time of 8:44 to reassert himself as an All-American threat this spring. He is yet another older steeplechaser with key experience on a variety of big stages. He is not someone to underestimate in the postseason. Speaking of veterans, we should also note that UMKC's Bryce Miller also made his return to the track with a 4th place finish in a time of 8:57. After being absent for the entirety of 2018, the steeplechase ace is back on the outdoor oval. Let's not forget that he owns a personal best of 8:34 in this event and could be a major name to consider later this season if he's able to regain enough fitness. Underappreciated Performances Iowa's Matt Manternach Continues Hot Streak Nathan Mylenek may be capturing most of the attention for Iowa after his huge steeplechase performance, but teammate Matt Manternach needs some serious props. Just this season, the Iowa junior went from 1:48, to 1:47, to now 1:46 while winning the Bryan Clay 800. He currently ranks #4 in the NCAA and is showing tremendous improvement every time he steps on the track. He is a big name on my radar and someone who I absolutely believe could podium in the half-mile. Don't sleep... Robert Brandt Runs 13:36 We likely aren't talking about Brandt's 13:36 because he was lost among the pro finishers at Mt. SAC. The UCLA superstar was the 6th overall finisher behind a slew of foreign athletes who controlled the race upfront. Regardless, it's yet another solid time for Brandt who has yet to really have a poor race this year. Cole Rockhold Is BACK The Bryan Clay 5000 was filled with plenty of fast times. However, none were more meaningful than Rockhold's. In our Bryan Clay Preview, I told readers that I was looking at Cole Rockhold to make a statement this weekend a long process of returning from injury this past fall. Sure enough, he wowed me. Rockhold threw down a blistering time of 13:35 to secure the CSU school record and finish as the 2nd best collegiate over a handful of elite names. The performance sent a message to the rest of the NCAA that Rockhold's recovery process was over. He has regained serious fitness and is back to being an elite All-American threat. Quick Thoughts Duke Invite 5k After a quiet indoor season, Campbell's Lawrence Kipkoech returned to prominence by finishing as the top collegiate in a time of 13:42. Former EMU star Willy Fink was the winner in a time of 13:38. The Fink-Kipkoech duo was able to outrun Minnesota's Obsa Ali who finished 3rd overall in a time of 13:48. Virginia Tech's Peter Seufer was 4th in 13:51. Cade Bethmann Validates Last Week's Breakout 1500 Sticking with the 800, we saw Ole Miss sophomore Cade Bethmann continue to capitalize on his breakout season. After running 3:41 for 1500 meters last week, the Ole Miss Rebel was able to turn around and post a mark of 1:47 at Bryan Clay. Bethmann will now have the luxury of choosing between the 800 and 1500 at regionals where he'll be considered as a candidate to qualify for Nationals in both events. Cardinal Classic Steeplechase The Cardinal Classic quietly produced six sub-9:00 marks this past weekend. Gonzaga redshirt senior Andrew Gardner, who transferred from Washington to complete his eligibility with the Zags, sent a message to his old team with a winning time of 8:46. That was enough to fend off a strong run from Purdue's Brody Smith who ran 8:47 for 2nd. Keep an eye on Smith as he'll be a key name to watch during next cross country season. Behind those two, we saw a trio of Husky runners cross the line. Washington's Julius Diehr, Alex Slenning, and Nicholas Laccinole each ran times of 8:52, 8:53, and 8:55, respectively. Although they were trounced by their former teammate, you have to be impressed by the steeplechase depth the Huskies showed. Powell wasn't typically known for his ability to coach steeplechasers, so to see these performances has to exciting for Washington fans. WOMEN Wilson-Perteete Tops the Leaderboard A new NCAA leading time in the 800 was set at the Bryan Clay Invitational this weekend when Avi’ Tal Wilson-Perteete of UNLV finished runner-up to Adidas professional Nikki Hiltz in a time of 2:02.41. That performance narrowly edged out the previous leading-time of 2:02.49 set by Lauren Ellsworth of BYU back on April 5th. Wilson-Perteete’s time was just short of her personal best of 2:01.14, but was a big step in the right direction after struggling this past indoor season. The UNLV sophomore finished 9th in the prelims at the Outdoor National Championships in 2018, but missed qualifying for indoors this past winter. Her 2019 indoor mark of 2:08.05 was well off her indoor personal best of 2:04.71, so this weekend’s showing appears to indicate that she is on the rise this spring. With just under a month until NCAA regionals, it would be surprising if Wilson-Perteete is not running in Texas come June. Hurta Remains Unattached…But For How Long? Sage Hurta of Colorado had one of the best collegiate performances this weekend when she ran 4:09.48 to finish runner-up in the Invitational 1500. She also ran a blistering 2:03 at Mt. SAC to win the 800. Her 1500 performance would currently be an NCAA leading time by almost four seconds, except that Hurta was competing unattached (in both events). After redshirting this past indoor season will we finally see Hurta don the Colorado uniform again? Hurta normally specializes in the steeplechase where she owns a personal best of 9:57.28. She narrowly missed qualifying for NCAA's in 2018 and has been an All-American in cross country three different times. While Hurta could certainly come back to run the steeple this season, it seems much more likely that she would shoot for the 1500 if she does pull her redshirt. Right now, the favorite in the 1500 would be Hurta’s teammate Dani Jones but thus far, Jones has remained absent from the NCAA track scene. If her absence continues, Hurta would vault into the favorites for the title if she opts to race for Colorado this season. *Earlier, we incorrectly stated that Hurta had two XC All-American finishes when she actually had three. Thank you to a reader for the correction* Milers Make Themselves Known Four of the top five 1500 times in the country were set this past weekend when four different women ran 4:13.xx. The fastest of the four was Jessica Harris of Notre Dame who posted an NCAA-leading mark of 4:13.04 at the Virginia Challenge. Sinclaire Johnson ( OK State ), Sarah Feeny ( Utah ) and Josette Norris ( Georgetown ) were the other three women to break the 4:14 mark. The emergence of these women adds extra intrigue as championship season approaches. No one runner has asserted themselves as the favorite this season and the notable absence of Dani Jones could set up a very interesting NCAA final. Although reigning champion Jessica Hull has raced this season, she has yet to run a 1500 meter race yet. Danae Rivers was the fastest miler this indoor season, but she currently sits at #13 in the NCAA after running 4:15.17 this past weekend. With no clear favorite, the women’s 1500 stands to be one of the most interesting events come June. Will Jones return? Will Rivers regain her indoor form? What event will Hull run? We have plenty of questions that will hopefully be answered in the coming weeks. Kelati & Cohen Crush the 5000 The other distance event that saw a new NCAA-leading mark was the 5000 after Weini Kelati and Adva Cohen of New Mexico ran 15:23 and 15:31, respectively. Both times eclipsed the previous NCAA-lead of 15:34 by Jessica Hull which was run at Stanford back in March. This race was Cohen’s first outdoor 5k for New Mexico, smashing her previous outdoor best of 16:07 which she ran last season as a member of Iowa Central. Kelati narrowly missed her outdoor best of 15:22 which she set at Payton Jordan in 2018. It should be noted her fastest mark for 5000 meters was set this past December when she ran 15:15 during indoors at Boston University. With this performance, Kelati has asserted herself as the (arguable) favorite to win the 5000 meter title at NCAA's. With Alicia Monson having only raced the 10k and Jessica Hull’s final racing plan unknown, Kelati may be the fastest woman in this event by the time June rolls around. She also has quite a bit of experience at national meets which could give her an edge in a strategic setting. Underappreciated Performances Cardinal Classic Women’s Steeplechase This race did not generate much buzz on a national scene as the NCAA-leading marks were left unchallenged. That said, six of the top 13 fastest times in the country came from this race, including two sub-10 performances by Furman teammates Gabrielle Jennings and Kristlin Gear. Gregory Goes Up In her 5000 collegiate debut, Lauren Gregory of Arkansas ran an outstanding time of 15:42 to finish 3rd at Bryan Clay. The mark may have gotten lost in the excitement of the performances by Kelati and Cohen, but this time could very well put Gregory in the mix come NCAA's. While she is more known as a miler, 15:42 will easily get her into the regional meet and her speed should benefit her in more tactile race settings. Keep an eye on her as regionals approach. Quick Thoughts What Event Will Hull Run? Jessica Hull is one of the most dynamic racers in the NCAA right now and could be considered the favorite in either the 1500 or the 5000. Now that Weini Kelati has posted a new lead in the 5000, will Hull be inclined to lean one way or another? On one hand, she is the reigning NCAA champion in the 1500 and the absence of Dani Jones could certainly make that the more intriguing option. On the other hand, NCAA's are in Texas this year which means the distance races should be slower with a faster finish (due to the heat) which favors Hull over anyone else in the field. Running both is an option, although it would be a bit surprising. Steeplechase Showdown? Allie Ostrander and Adva Cohen should be considered the two biggest favorites for the women’s steeplechase title. Charlotte Prouse is certainly a contender, but she never beat Ostrander last season and Cohen has run substantially faster than either woman. As the end of April approaches, none of the three have raced a steeple this season. Certainly they will need to post a mark to make the regional meet and the likely venue for that race is the Payton Jordan Invitational. The meet attracts some of the best professionals from across the country and it would be shocking to see the NCAA's best three steeplechasers pass on a chance to run a fast time. Running a fast mark this season may hold extra incentive for the three as they also have a chance to qualify for the World Championships in Doha if they were to focus on such.

By: Quenten Lasseter & John Cusick With many of the nation's fastest meets just around the corner, we thought it would be nice to talk about some of the athletes who have made a names for themselves in 2019. We’re talking about some of the breakout performers who are having the best season of their careers...so far. Below, we’ve found three women and three men who have seemingly made a big enough splash based off of their races this season. Of course, by no means are these the only athletes who have taken a big leap in fitness, either. That’s the beauty of this sport, hard work does (eventually) pay off and you’re seeing it first hand with these six athletes... Casey Monoszlay, Cal Poly Pomona It is safe to say that Casey Monoszlay from Cal Poly Pomona has put herself back on the distance running map. Let me start by telling you that Monoszlay has not competed in a race since the 2017 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships. Yes, 2017. Her two-year hiatus, however, was no problem as she PR’d by four seconds in the 800 this past weekend, giving her a provisional time of 2:10.19 at the 2019 Triton Invitational (#11 in NCAA). Of course, that was not her only PR this season as she has dropped her 1500 time to the #8 fastest mark in the country with a 4:27.68 at the PLNU Track and Field Classic. Monoszlay can do it all. Prior to this season, her fastest 5k was 17:20.05 back in 2017, but her old PR is no more as she dropped almost 26 seconds off her time to break the 17 minute barrier in a mark of 16:54.12, the #6 time in the NCAA. Monoszlay is clearly a triple threat in terms of the events she can run. While she’ll likely just pick one or two events in May, make no doubt about it, she’ll be an All-American contender in whichever event she decides. Derek Noll, Indiana (PA) Entering this season, Noll had never broken the 1:53 barrier in his first three years of collegiate competition. That all changed three weeks ago at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational. Noll was the winner at the meet and dropped his personal best from 1:53.10 to 1:51.85. Looking back at his indoor season, there was no real indication that he would break out in his first meet of the outdoor season. Naturally, Noll didn't stopped there as just last week at the Bison Outdoor Classic, he was the 2nd overall finisher behind Buffalo’s Leon Atkins. In the process, Noll lowered his best by almost another full second to 1:50.90. Noll now has the #10 fastest time in Division 2 and is staring at his first-ever National Championship appearance right in the face. Mackenzie Kelly , Augustana (S.D.) Mackenzie Kelly from Augustana is off to a very hot start this outdoor track season by posting two huge PR’s in the 5000 and 3000 steeple. Having never broken 17 minutes in the 5000 during her career, Kelly had no problem doing just that at the UW-Platteville Invitational by winning the meet in 16:50.66. That win gives Kelly a provisional top five time in the NCAA. Let’s transition to Kelly’s 3000 steeplechase time of 10:44.66 which was run at the 2019 Jim Duncan Invitational. Her result is impressive because it was her first ever time running the event. For a first timer, running a provisional mark and posting the #11 time in the NCAA is wildly impressive. Kelly's outdoor success was prefaced by strong marks during the indoor season where she set personal bests in both the mile and 3000 meters. There's a strong possibility that you’ll see Kelly at her first national track meet later this May. She is rapidly picking up momentum at the right the time of the year which can be dangerous for whoever she ends up facing in the postseason. Kelly's versatility and notable progression makes her a big name to watch. Victor Moreau, Academy of Art We’ve mentioned Moreau throughout the entire season this year and for good reason. After all, the senior did earn his first All-American honor in the 3000 meters this past winter. However, there has been more to his breakout season than just the All-American bid. Dating back to the indoor season, Moreau posted personal bests in the mile and 3000 with times of 4:07.36 and 8:11.88. He qualified for Nationals in both events and was two seconds off of his PR when he finished 4th in the 3000 meters. Moving to outdoors, Moreau has only competed in one meet so far, but he’s made the most of it. He dropped his 1500 meter time by four seconds from 3:50.82 down to 3:46.65 on his way to a two second victory. It’s the #3 fastest raw time in the country right now and it locks him into his first-ever Outdoor National Championship. Later that day, Moreau continued to establish new personal bests as he ran the 800 in 1:53.38. That’s a two second improvement and a testament to the work that he has put in over the last few years. Emily Byrd, Michigan Tech Emily Byrd had never run the 10,000 meters during her three year career at Michigan Tech. That, however, changed just a couple of weeks ago at the Raleigh Relays where Byrd made her career debut in the event and crossed the line in an impressive time of 35:29.30. Not only is this time fast for it being her first 10,000 meter performance, but it also gives her a provisional mark and the #7 time in the NCAA. Not only that, but Byrd was able to post back-to-back PR's at the Bison Outdoor Classic this past weekend. Her marks of 5:09 (mile) and 17:05 (5000) are extremely encouraging marks. Right now, Byrd is making tremendous progress with three PR's in two meets. Frankly, it shows that she has yet to hit her true ceiling. With so much improvement in just a short timeframe, this may be just the beginning of Byrd's true potential. Those performances could make her an interesting name to watch come NCAA's. Tyler Jones, Western Oregon The Western Oregon product continues to help bring the university into the limelight. Beginning with the indoor season, Jones saw his 3000 meter time drop four seconds from 8:21.20 down to 8:17.20. That time put him at #23 in the country, but he missed the national meet by six spots. The week prior to Nationals, Jones was apart of the DMR team that ran 9:50 and snuck into the national meet at the #11 spot. Given what he had done during the winter months, it’s no surprise that we are talking about what Jones has done so far this outdoor season. In three meets, Jones has essentially matched or bettered his personal bests in three events. A month ago, he ran the 800 where he posted a time of 1:56.03, less than a second off of his personal best of 1:55.34. Jones then traveled to the Mike Fanelli Classic in Northern California where he dropped his 5k PR from 14:40 to 14:32 (which is the #20 time in the country so far). Just recently, he run at the John Knight Twilight meet where he posted a time of 3:55.82 in the 1500 which is just seven-tenths off of his personal best, signaling that bigger things should be coming from the senior in the second half of the season. While his times don't necessarily jump off the page like many of nation's most elite runners, Jones has proven that he can be a consistent, top-tier talent capable of producing results when it matters the most. It also helps that he has some respectable range. If all goes smoothly this spring, you should see Jones continue to build upon his recent success.

Who are you most excited to watch? Ben: I’m going to go off the radar and say Alabama’s Noel Rotich. The freshman had an uneventful indoor season, but has started the season strong by running 14:03 for 5000 meters. In his first race in his best event (the 3k steeple), I am excited to see if he can vault himself into the top class of steeplerchasers by running with guys like Matt Owens and Emmanuel Rotich. He owns a 8:52 PR in the steeplechase according to the IAAF which was likely run at altitude, so he definitely has the talent to compete with anyone in the NCAA. Additionally, Alabama's website says Rotich has run 8:32, but we can't find any results to support that. Garrett: On the men’s side, I’m super pumped to see Yared Nuguse racing his best event against top-caliber talent. We know he’s talented as evident by his 3:57 mile performance from indoors, but we haven’t seen him battle against elite competition...until now. Michael: I’m excited to see what Rory Linkletter can do in the 5k after racing World XC. After reading Sam Ivanecky’s interview with Rory , it’s clear that he has lofty goals for this outdoor season and I’m interested to see what he can do to kick it off. I’m excited to see what Cole Rockhold can do in the 5k as well. Garrett: As for the women, I'm watching Erica Birk as she makes her season debut in the steeplechase. How she does this weekend could drastically alter what she ends up running at Nationals. She’s an under-the-radar threat to win the national title in numerous events and could end up running the #1 time in the country when she finishes her business at Bryan Clay. Don’t be surprised if she runs 9:45 this week... Ben: I’m excited to see what Whittni Orton does in the 1500 racing against pros like Alexa Efraimson as well as top NCAA contenders like Alexis Fuller. She’s been off to a hot start running 4:15 and finishing 2nd at Stanford. She also recently ran a PR in the 800 of 2:06. This could cement her status as a favorite in the women’s 1500. Michael: I’m excited to see Allie Ostrander race in the 5k. She had a rather underwhelming performance at Indoor Nationals, placing 4th in the 3k and 8th in the 5k. Both events were incredibly deep, but I think she is capable of more. She’s an easy favorite when it comes to the steeplechase, but racing against Weini Kelati and Caroline Kurgat at 5000 meters won’t be an easy task. Finish the sentence: _____ will have a breakout race Ben: Yared Nuguse. We finally get a chance to watch the DMR star run in a 1500/mile against some of the best in the country. Racing against 1500 favorite Oliver Hoare, mile champion Geordie Beamish, Carlos Villarreal, Waleed Suliman, and Sam Worley, Nuguse will prove that he should be considered as a national title favorite in his best event. The field is incredibly stacked and should provide a national preview for the 1500. Like he rose to the big stage during indoors, Nuguse will shine at Bryan Clay. Michael: Paul Hogan of UMass Lowell. He’s a 13:46 guy which already puts him in the elite category, but I think he can go faster and put himself in the All-American conversation early in the season. Hogan has run PR's in every event he has contested this year (including the 5k) and I think he can keep this momentum going. Garrett: Elias Gedyon. I’ll make things interesting and say that he is going to run something very fast. We’ve already seen him post some strong times and record numerous wins, but this guy is due for a big performance. The Adams State veteran may be able to inch near (or under) the 3:40 mark this weekend. Michael: Charlotte Prouse is seeded in the second section of the 5k which seems a bit odd to me. I think she will dominate her race and prove that she is not only an elite steeplechaser, but that she has the ability to run with the nation’s best in the 5k as well. Ben: For the women, I am going with Lauren Gregory. The freshman has yet to run a 5k on the track for Arkansas, but that is set to change this weekend. She will have the perfect opportunity to run a quick time and mold herself into a national contender for the 5k if she chooses that event later this season. Garrett: I'll take Maudie Skyring on the women's side. The Florida State sophomore is one of the better distance runners in an already crowded conference of talent (the ACC). She just posted an impressive 4:18/2:10 double at Alabama and walked away with wins in both of those races. Don’t be surprised if you see her run something along the lines of 4:13 or 4:14. Over/Under 13:30 as the top collegiate time in the men’s 5k Ben: Under. Joe Klecker has to be the favorite in a loaded field, and I think he will be the one to dip under 13:30. The BYU boys of Clayton Young, Connor McMillan, and Rory Linkletter should all be competitive as well as Vincent Kiprop. A dark horse will be Gilbert Boit who just missed qualifying for Indoor Nationals, but ran well at SEC’s where he beat Kiprop. Lastly, I would feel more confident in my "under" pick if Morgan McDonald wasn’t in the second heat for some reason... Michael: Under. I agree with Ben that Klecker looks like the favorite, but it’s close. The BYU and Alabama squads will be hungry and won’t let him get an easy win. This should result in some pace-pushing throughout the race as the field chases the NCAA lead. Garrett: Over. Here comes the stats nerd. Not since 2014 have we seen a collegiate run under 13:30 in a meet other than Payton Jordan. Yes, I know this field is more than capable of producing something faster than that, but I’m not sure it’s going to happen at Bryan Clay. These guys are exceptionally talented, but I need to side with history on this one...I just hope history is wrong. Over/Under 15:20 as the top collegiate time in the women’s 5k Ben: Under. Two women in the field, Kelati and Ostrander, have run under 15:20 already this year, and I would be surprised if they didn’t push each other to another fast time. Plus, Caroline Kurgat will make her presence felt and could beat both of them on her way to a big PR. Michael: Under. The star power up front will make this one of the best 5k’s of the season and I don’t think these ladies will disappoint. Caroline Kurgat was the top collegiate at this meet last year, and I imagine the pace will be hot as she tries to establish herself as the best across all three divisions. Ostrander and Kelati won’t make it easy for her, though. Garrett: Under. When you have Kelati, Ostrander, and Caroline Kurgat in the same field, things are going to be quick. That said, 15:20 is a faster mark than I think some of us realize...maybe it’s because we saw four women break that barrier back in December. Regardless, if the pace is honest from the start, then at least one person will go under that mark. Who needs to make the biggest statement this weekend? Michael: Oliver Hoare. After faltering at Indoor Nationals, Hoare needs to prove that he should still be the favorite in the 1500 this spring and that he can defend his title. Ben: I definitely feel the same as Michael. Hoare is the favorite, but I would feel a lot better about his status if he took down this loaded field. Another person who needs to make a big statement in the 1500 is Geordie Beamish. You might ask, "Why does he need to make a statement after winning the mile national title during indoors?" and that would be a fair question. In my mind, he needs to make a statement to prove that the mile win wasn’t a fluke and that he should be considered as one of the favorites in the 1500 meters come June. Garrett: I’m looking at Cole Rockhold here. The Colorado State star sustained an injury during cross country and limped his way through the postseason during indoors. He’s improving with each passing week as he regains fitness, and his 13:53 from the Stanford Invite was an encouraging step in the right direction. That said, I want to see him return to top form this weekend. He’s talented enough to be back in the 13:40’s in a field that will surely make things fast. Ben: Another runner who could make a big statement this weekend is Ednah Kurgat who hasn’t been in the best form since she ran that fantastic indoor 5k in December. She was 7th at Stanford in the 10k which was underwhelming for someone like herself. Entered in the 1500, the lady Lobo could silence a lot of doubters by running well in her weaker event. Michael: I think Taryn Rawlings of Portland could make a big statement in the 1500. She has run 4:11 before which makes her one of the fastest women in the NCAA. She has the potential to go after a 1500 title in a couple months and this is a great chance for her to show that she belongs in that conversation. Garrett: I’m going to side with Ben on this one. Ednah Kurgat just hasn’t had the same spark that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from her throughout her collegiate career. That’s not to say that she’s been running poorly, but I’m not sure how many people still view Kurgat as a legitimate title threat nowadays. That said, I think the 1500 is a refreshing change in event choice and if she runs well enough, it could boost her confidence as we head into the second half of the season.