And just like that we’re at another national meet! We’ve seen it all happen this year and the excitement will continue into the national meet. The D3 Glory Days team wrote another massive preview covering each event.

A big thanks to Emily Richards, Cris Gutierrez, Cirrus Robinson, Scotty Wolter, Evan Hatton, Alex Predhome, and Joe Zack for contributing to the article. Make sure you’re following along on social media this weekend: @D3GloryDays.

Good luck to everyone competing!

100m

Men - Prelim 5:45pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

1. Sam Blaskowski 10.09

2. Davian Willems 10.14

12. Kevin Arthur 10.31

15. Landen Liu 10.34

16. Chris Taylor 10.35

19. Brady Fowler 10.37

You know D3 runners are getting fast when the biggest complaint from haters is the wind reading. In all seriousness, it’s more than just becoming the Goliath in the 100 meters for Sam Blaskowski.

Yes, the UW-La Crosse junior comes into this championship as the 2-time defending outdoor champion and the 60 meter indoor national champion, and he holds 4 of the top 5 all-time wind legal marks in the 100. However, it’s also about barriers: he’s the first D3 sprinter to produce a sub-10 100m in any conditions, and it’s currently something only a small number of athletes in the world have done so far this year. He’s pushed further and further on his official marks, setting a wind-legal national record of 10.09.

The crazy thing is Blaskowski is not the only generational talent in this field as he will be challenged by the second best all-time performer in this event, Davian Willems, who comes into this meet with a 10.14. Willems’s presence is key as he once defeated Blaskowski in a conference championship 60m dash. Willems mentioned he’s finally healthy for a full season and the rest of the nation gets to see what a healthy Willems can do.

You could look at these performances and say that these men have been incredibly lucky with the wind, but consider an alternative story: that the 100 meters is increasingly looking like a battle of the titans, and what we’re seeing is a redefinition of what it means to be a 100-meter sprinter in D3. It took 10.53 to simply make it in. Throw in other all-time performers like Brady Fowler, Landen Liu, Kevin Arthur, and Chris Taylor, and this will surely be a spicy race, spicy enough for the Instagram comment section to pay super close attention to wind readings

Women - Prelim 5:30pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

2. Gabri Meschino 11.53

3. Lauren Jarrett 11.54

4. Natashe Tate 11.63

16. Marcedes Jackson 11.77

22. Kenadee Wayt 11.79

22. Jasmine Wright 11.79

25. Tina Shelton

The women’s 100 has one of the best lineups in D3 history, and this marks the second time in D3 history that it took a sub-12 second performance to make the national meet.

At the front of this lineup will be a battle between the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 all-time 100m sprinters. La Crosse Sophomore Lauren Jarrett comes into this meet with an 11.44 (+3.1) and was 2nd in this event last year. U. Of Chicago senior Gabri Meschino comes in with a PB of 11.53 and finished 3rd last year. Virginia Wesleyan’s Natashe Tate is in her freshman season, but we expect her to be in contention as she comes in with a No. 4 all time mark of 11.63. Emory’s Audrey Johnson will be in the hunt for the title as she was 5th in last year’s final.

This lineup will also include contenders with heavy credentials in other events. One of them is Tina Shelton, who is coming off of an indoor season where she finished 3rd indoors in the 60, and 5th in the 200.

Mount Union’s Kenadee Wayt is the wild card in this field, coming in with a seed time of 11.79. Wayt returns to the open 100 in a national championship for the first time since 2022, in which she finished 10th in the prelims. However, her progression and range in the past 2 years have developed in such a way to suggest she’s a potential contender. Just this past indoor season alone, she’s collected a runner-up finish in the 60 meters and two national titles in the 200 and 400. She will have a lot on her plate with the 100, 200, 400, and 4x100, but she has shown she can juggle multiple events.

It’s tricky to predict exactly how the stacked credentials in other events will translate against the 100m specialists, but one thing is clear: this will be a clash of generational titans.

200m

Men - 6:55pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

3. Eric Gregory 20.60*

4. Sam Blaskowski 20.67*

5. Kevin Arthur 20.68 (+1.3 m/s)

6. Jacob Parent 20.76 (+1.4 m/s)

16. Kai Smith 20.89 (+0.0 m/s)

20. Tyler Thomas 20.94 (+0.8 m/s)

21. Londyn Little 20.97 (+1.9 m/s)

24. Jordon Brown 21.02 (+0.9 m/s)

*From last year

For the third year in a row, the men’s 200 is sure to be one of the highlights of the meet. This year’s edition features the deepest field in event history. How deep are we talking? Well the best qualifying mark was set in 2022, where a 20.33 was the last mark in. This year? 

21.18. 

It would not be hyperbole to say that this year has assembled the best field of 200m athletes in D3 history. Week after week the 200 all-time and all-conditions list are rewritten. In total, 12 athletes, more than half the field, have achieved a mark on the all-time/all-conditions list. This will be the hardest final to make in event history. A sub 21.00 athlete will not make the final. That’s the current state of the men’s 200m. 

Indoors we had a barnburner of a 200m final as it was a battle to the line between UW La Crosse’s Sam Blaskowski and Gallaudet’s Eric Gregory. It would take a No. 2 all-time for Blaskowski to take the indoor crown 20.93 to 20.96. Three men have run under 21.00 seconds indoor in D3 history.

Cheick Traore
Sam Blaskowski
Eric Gregory

Not bad company, we’d say. 

Our national leader, Saint John’s Kevin Arthur, will look to cap off a breakthrough season this weekend. The junior set a massive personal best to run 20.68 at the MIAC Outdoor Championships, good for No. 5 all-time. He has experience at the big stage and will see a familiar face with Bethel’s Jacob Parent. Parent’s MIAC performance was good for No. 6 AT with his 20.76 performance. 

This may be one of those events where the prelims could be just as exciting as the final. With such talent assembled, we’ll have multiple All-Americans that could be sitting out. We’ll have 7 of our 8 Indoor finalists battling it out for a spot in the final. You’re not gonna wanna miss this. 

Women - Prelims 6:40pm EST Thursday

All Time Performances:

3. Bella Hogue 23.56

15. Kenadee Wayt 23.95

17. Lauren Jarrett 23.97 (+1.2 m/s)

17. Megan Geraets 23.97 (+1.8 m/s)

23. Sara Schermerhorn 24.01 (+0.9 m/s)

23. Kate Carlson 24.01 (+1.8 m/s)

Get familiar with these names because you’ll be seeing a lot of them this weekend.

Mount Union star Kenadee Wayt enters the meet as the defending national champion, coming off one of the most impressive national championship stretches in recent memory. After doubling 200/400 outdoors (on top of an 8th place 4x100 and 3rd place 4x400), she set indoors ablaze with another pair of titles in the 200/400 on top of runner up in the 60m. She is currently second on the all-time list indoors behind U.S. Olympian Wadeline Jonathas. Wayt won’t have much time to catch her breath this weekend. She’ll face stiff competition across each of the four events she’s entered in this weekend. While she may not have the top seed heading into the weekend, this hasn’t stopped her before. If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that nationals always brings the best out of Wayt. This isn’t her first rodeo, expect her to fight to retain her title in what may be her 7th race of the weekend. She’s absolutely not one to be taken lightly.

She’ll have her hands full in her quest to retain her title.

Bella Hogue returns to her marquee event after focusing in on the 400 during the indoor season. The 2022 champ, who holds the No. 3 All-Time performance looks to go back to take what’s hers. She battled through a few injuries and looks to cap off her senior year with another title. Don’t count out Bella.

Four women added themselves to the all-time list this season. UW-La Crosse’s Lauren Jarrett has been on a tear this outdoor season. She followed up her top seed in the 100m with a 200m mark to match in one of the final days of qualifying, tying Gustavus Adolphus’s Megan Geraets. She’ll also be facing a tough weekend as she’s entered in the 4x100m, 100m, and 200m. The defending 60m national champion will look to add to her collection of titles this weekend. She’s had a historic season so far, so look for her to try to end it with an exclamation point.

The Gustavus Adolphus duo of Megan Geraets and Kate Carlson pushed themselves to new heights. How high? Well their battle at the MIAC Championships was enough to elevate them to No. 17 and No. 23 on the all-time list, respectively. Will they continue to bring the best out of each other at the biggest stage?

The MIAC Championship may have given us a taste of two more potential challengers as Hope’s Sara Schermerhorn and Albion’s Avery Campbell faced off. Schermerhorn would take the 400, 4x100, and 400 crowns while taking 2nd to Campbell in both the 100 and 200m. Schermerhorn holds the best mark of the two this season but look for them to be challengers to the throne come this weekend.

It’s hard to call it a sleeper pick, but look out for North Carolina Wesleyan’s Kamiyah Wooten. Prior to May 15th, she was No. 25 all-time The freshman made her presence known indoors, running the No. 4 all-time in February. She now has some national championship experience. Look for her to use that experience this week.

400m

Men - Prelims 5:15pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

3. Eric Gregory - 45.93*

6. Matt McBride - 46.04*

14. Alexander Rhodes - 46.32

18. Jordan Dean - 46.47

20. Basheer Alramahi - 46.50

24. Jahari Jones - 46.64*

*Indicates marks from previous years

Last year, in a battle for 400-meter gold, Gallaudet’s Eric Gregory and Mount Union’s Matt McBride stormed up the final straightaway en route to making NCAA championship history. Gregory’s winning time of 45.93 made him No. 3 all-time and only the fourth athlete in D3 history to dip under the 46-second barrier in this event. McBride, though only a tenth of a second away from the win, landed at the No. 6 fastest time in D3 history at 46.04.

Gregory narrowly missed Dwayne Stevens’s No. 2 mark of 45.90, a time he is sure to be gunning for this weekend. He enters as the favorite, having run a speedy 46.3 to qualify. In D3 history, only La Crosse legend Andrew Rock has dipped under 45 seconds in this event, setting the national record bar high at 44.66. Gregory, who always puts on a show at NCAAs, will certainly be fast. The question you will have to wait to be answered, however, is how close can he get to Rock’s record?

Gregory will not go unchallenged, however, as several others have come within striking distance of his 46.3 already this season. The closest to Gregory is currently Puget Sound freshman Alexander Rhodes, who not only made his debut on the national scene indoors in March, but turned many heads when he took national champion Lance Jensen to the line in an exhilarating final. Rhodes missed the national title as a freshman by just two hundredths of a second. Now, he is just three hundredths of a second off of Gregory’s season-best, meaning the outdoor 400 could have another nail-biting finish.

Another familiar face has climbed his way closer to the top in Ohio Northern’s Jordan Dean, who comes in with the No. 3 seed with his time of 46.47. Dean took eighth in this event last year to nab the final All-American slot and this year looks likely to climb his way up the podium this coming weekend. Dean ran his seed time of 46.47 at the OAC championship meet to beat Mount Union’s McBride as well as No. 4 seed and third-place indoor All-American Basheer Alramahi of John Carroll. If one thing is for certain, it’s that the OAC is stacked in the men’s 400. The trio of McBride, Dean, and Alramahi will likely lean on their experience racing each other at home to help propel them atop the NCAA podium (and perhaps even snap an OAC pic with their trophies when it’s all said and done).

Contrastingly, a not-so-familiar name that will be much more well-known after this weekend is Mason Fara. The west-coast star from Chapman posted a speedy time of 46.93, which not only qualified him to his first meet on the NCAA stage, but has him currently ranked sixth. Fara will line up with seasoned vets such as SUNY Delhi’s Josh Jeffes, Widener’s Samuel Knowles, Tufts’s Luke Botsford, and Rowan’s Amara Conte, all of whom are names to watch in the men’s 400-meter dash this coming weekend.

Women - Prelims 5:00pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

16. Emma Kelley - 54.18

16. Kenadee Wayt - 54.18*

*Indicates marks from previous years

A question the nation, or at least we at D3GD, have been posing all year will finally be answered this weekend: can WashU 800-meter sensation Emma Kelley beat defending national champion Kenadee Wayt of Mount Union to the finish in the women’s 400?

The pair are the only two athletes on the all-time list and, to sweeten the pot, they have run the exact same time down to the hundredth of a second: 54.18. This race could be one of the closest of the weekend, making it one you’re not going to want to miss.

Both Kelley and Wayt will have heavy loads throughout the weekend: Wayt, in her typical fashion, is loaded up in the sprints events, entered in the 100, 200, 400, and 4x400 relay, while Kelley will contest in the middle distance events, running the 400, 800, and 4x400 relay.

Wayt is no stranger to gold in the 400, having captured two national titles in this event–one indoor and one outdoor. She enters this weekend with the No. 5 seed at 55.08. If there’s anything we’ve learned from watching Wayt run at nationals, however, it’s that she knows how to run with the clutch factor. Her experience racing this event at this level could play to her favor this weekend.

Kelley, on the other hand, will line up in the national 400 for the first time in her career. No stranger to the spotlight, Kelley is a three-time national champion in the 800 meters and holds the third fastest 800 time in D3 history with her time of 2:02.70. She’s clearly been working on her speed this year, posting new PBs in the 800, 400, and even the 200-meter dash (24.72, which ranked her 29th in the country). Though typically sprinters like Wayt are able to get out explosively in an event like the 400, while middle distance runners more commonly shine with their kick, Kelley’s speed over the shorter distances makes her a threat from beginning to end in this event.

If Kelley can pull off the win in both open events in the same outdoor championship, she will be the first to do so in a long time. U-Mass Boston’s Genesia Eddins accomplished this feat in 1987, and Occidental’s Jacqui Dent followed with her own sweep in 1992. Dent appears to be the last athlete to capture both titles in the same outdoor meet, meaning Kelley could make some overdue history this weekend.

And while Wayt vs. Kelley is sure to have everyone talking, the women’s 400 field boasts a deep lineup overall, featuring Rochester’s Madeline O’Connell, who has also run under 55 seconds this year, Johns Hopkins’s Lauren Phillips, who is seeded right at 55.0, and RIT’s Sadie Schreiner, who enters hundredths of a second away from Phillips. These five athletes are the ones to watch up front, but don’t count out North Central’s Lindsey Novak, Occidental’s Elizabeth Hawley, or Belhaven’s Ashaunti Barnes to contest for a top position as well. Rutgers Newark’s Zrreyah Moore and Hope’s Sara Schermermerhorn are also ones to watch after their All-American finishes indoors.

800m

Men - Prelims 6:15pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

5. Bennett Booth-Genthe - 1:48.08

16. Michael Olson - 1:48.72

20. Julian Aske - 1:48.98

22. Joe Franke - 1:49.06

Wow, did we have movement in the men’s 800 these last two weeks! Fourteen athletes ran under 1:50 this season, and twelve athletes will enter this weekend with seed times under 1:50, a quantity that has to be a new record in itself. Last year was the first year that required athletes to run under 1:51 just to qualify, with the last time in at a speedy 1:50.57. The mark this year? 1:50.38. The men’s 800 is an event that is getting noticeably faster and deeper, making this year’s national competition one of the best in history.

The current leader is indoor mile national champion Bennett Booth-Genthe of Pomona-Pitzer, who currently sits No. 5 in D3 history with his time of 1:48.08. Booth-Genthe took fourth in this event outdoors last year, which was sure to have given him a hunger for victory as he heads into this weekend.

Similar to WashU’s Kelley, Booth-Genthe appears to be working on some speed-development, having posted some speedy times in the 400 (49.56) and the 200 (23.39), as well as having run more 4x400 relays. Booth-Genthe’s range from 23 seconds in the 200 to 24 minutes in the 8k not only makes his range impressive, but also makes him a double threat in this speed endurance event. As the fastest miler in the country, it will be hard to outlast Booth-Genthe’s stamina in the final lap.

His greatest challenger comes from Plymouth State’s Michael Olson, who dipped under 1:49 two weekends ago to run the No. 16 fastest time in D3 history. Olson has never made first-team All-American in the 800, making the battle for top 8 even more motivating. Another name to watch is NYU’s Julian Aske, who dipped under 1:49 at Middlebury last week to run what appears to be the fastest time run by a D3 freshman ever. Aske took 14th in his debut national meet indoors, but with a few more races under his belt and some more practice running in crowded fields, is on track for a big performance. Olson and Aske are the only other athletes to join Booth-Genthe under 1:49 so far this season.

Other athletes to watch include Loras’s Joe Franke, who ran nearly a two-second PB last week with his No. 22 all-time 1:49.06, MIT’s Ziyad Hassan, Emory duo Dawit Dean and Spencer Watry, and indoor defending 800-meter champion Cael Schoemann of UW-La Crosse.

Women - Prelims 6:00pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

3. Emma Kelley - 2:02.70

23. Julia Howarth - 2:08.08

WashU’s Emma Kelley has run her way into the D3 history books, and she’s not quite done yet. Coming off of a dazzling solo-effort 2:02.7 victory at the Billy Hayes Invitational in the beginning of May, Kelley has shown that she doesn’t need a heat of 2:02 women to pull her to new heights, she’s much capable of doing so on her own. Such sentiment is the perfect confidence-boost headed into this weekend, where, if Kelley wants to make more history, she may have to do it single-handed.

2:02.52 is Esther Seeland’s NCAA championship meet record. 2:00.62 is Emily Richards’s D3 national record. Both are numbers Kelley likely has etched in the back of her mind as she toes the line this weekend. She’s soloed 2:02 already, and she can likely solo the same or faster again. Perhaps at the forefront of her mind, however, is the battle her team is in for the national trophy. To help maximize points, Kelley is entered in the open 400 and the 800 as the top seed in both events. The finals of these events are just 40 minutes apart, but Kelley is no stranger to back-to-back championship races, having won the UAA conference championship 400 in 54.54 and the 800 in 2:08.49 under similar time constraints. Kelley will race what will likely be her more challenging race first, giving her some room for error (or in this case lactic acid-ridden legs) when she lines up for the 800, in which she holds a six-second lead.

Athletes looking to close in on Kelley should she wear out include Baldwin Wallace’s Hope Murphy, the indoor runner-up in this event, MIT’s Julia Howarth, who has run a No. 23 all-time 2:08.08, Goucher’s Tanise Thornton-Fillyaw, who just ran a new PR in a field of post-collegiates, and Kelley’s WashU teammates Alessia Sarussi and Danielle Shultz, who have both run under 2:10 this season (Shultz is under 2:09). The women’s field boasts an impressive depth overall this year with 13 total athletes having run under 2:10 this season. The battle for top eight will be a tight one, awarded to whoever can fade the least coming up the home stretch.

1500m

Men - Prelims 5:50pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

9. Sam Llaneza - 3:43.69

22. Ryan Harvey - 3:44.98

For the third year in a row, the men’s 1500 required athletes to run under 3:49 to punch their tickets to Myrtle Beach this weekend. This year, the last time in was 3:48.62, pointing to a deep competition, with the top 15 entrants sub-3:47. In a race that often runs tactically in the prelims, there is little room for error on Thursday. This season the 1500m is particularly intriguing, as it guarantees the crowning of a new champion. With no previous titleholders in the field, the competition is wide open, setting the stage for a can't miss event.

The men’s competition is led by Lynchburg star, 8-time track All-American Sam Llaneza, who holds the top seed time at 3:43.69 and is the top returner from last year’s race where he finished 4th. Llaneza was a part of Lynchburg’s national champion indoor DMR team earlier this year but looks to chase his elusive first individual national title. He has had a strong 2024 campaign, setting PRs in the 1500, 800 (1:49.13), and 5k (14:25.78). Such range from speed to strength makes Llaneza the perfect threat for the 1500-meter title this weekend.

He will be challenged by Loras’ Ryan Harvey, who holds the No. 22 all-time mark with his 3:44.98. Harvey took 15th in the prelim last year and likely has some lofty goals for 2024. Llaneza and Harvey are the only two seed times under 3:45, meaning if the race gets out honestly, we could see some fast times. The championship record is 3:44.50 from Kevin Foley of Haverford set in 1982.

Several other contenders hover at the cusp of the 3:45 mark, including Central College’s Noah Jorgenson, Brockport State’s Jonathan Zavala, Bates’s Ned Farrington, and Santa Cruz’s Eric Anderson. Anderson had his breakout race indoors when he sprinted to a national runner-up finish behind Pomona-Pitzer’s Booth-Genthe. Since then, he’s had a productive outdoor season, setting PRs of 3:45.77 in the 1500 and 1:50.14 in the 800. If Anderson is left in it with 100 meters to go, competitors may be in trouble.

Zavala who finished just behind Anderson in 3rd at this past season's indoor championship will certainly be one to watch. This will be Zavala's outdoor nationals debut. Third seeded Noah Jorgenson from Central boasts a 1:49 800m PR, so expect him to be ready with a kick at the end of the race as well. The Central Junior finished 4th in the mile this past indoor season and snagged an All-American in the 800 at the 2023 outdoor championships. Jorgenson is an individual with plenty of range, as he also has a 24th place finish from the last season’s cross country championships. This national meet shapes up to be an American Rivers Conference rematch for Harvey and Jorgenson, where Jorgenson most recently came out on top with a conference title.

Previously mentioned Ned Farrington, a senior from Bates, comes in as the 6th seed and makes his outdoor nationals debut. He helped anchor the Bates DMR in this past season's indoor championships to a 4th place finish. Joining one of two sophomores in the field, Gabe Nichols from Carleton is seeded 7th with a 3:46.18 PR. Other notable entrants include Steven Potter, the senior from UW Oshkosh who finished 7th at last year's national meet. He will look to cap off a career with four track All-Americans including a 2nd place finish in the 2022 indoor national meet. He has appeared at almost every national meet since 2019 excluding indoors of '21 and '24. Justin Krause, a junior from UW Whitewater made a late jump to qualify for the national meet. He finished 9th last year and his highest finish in this event is 4th place in the 2022 national meet. Of note, Pomona-Pitzer's Colin Kirkpatrick will move away from the steeple for the first time in his career. Kirkpatrick is seeded 9th.

Notable entrants who are not competing in the 1500m champs this season include Llaneza's teammate, 3:43 1500m PR holder, Chasen Hunt from Lynchburg, who looks to chase the 5k. Indoor mile national champion Bennett Booth-Genthe from Pomona-Pitzer will focus on the 800m to better his 4th place finish in last year's race

Women - Prelims 5:35pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

5. Grace Hadley - 4:17.61

16. Maddie Kelly - 4:22.97*

*Indicates mark from previous year

Indoors, the nation witnessed Grace Hadley solo an incredible 4:42 national-title-winning mile to narrowly miss the women’s mile national record. This spring, Hadley seems to have leveled up once more, having set new PRs in races from 800 to 10k. In April, she became the fourth woman in D3 history to dip under the 16-minute barrier in the outdoor 5k with her 15:56.26, and at the beginning of the month, she added her name to the 800-meter record book as well, her 2:06.65 No. 10 all-time.

Hadley will line up in this weekend’s women’s 1500 with the top seed at 4:17.61, the No 5 fastest time in D3 history. Though she will have the 5k two and a half hours after the 1500 final, one has to wonder: will she replicate her magnificent solo run from indoors and take down Emily Pomainville’s 4:13.69 national and NCAA championship record? Only time will tell.

Behind Hadley, the women’s 1500 field is impressively deep, with 17 of the top 22 all having run under 4:30. Watch out for returners to the national scene such as U Chicago’s Maddie Kelly, last year’s runner up and No. 16 all-time performer, and eighth place All-American Amelia Lehman of Oshkosh. Kelly and Lehman are the only two returners from last year’s outdoor final field, meaning the track is clear and ready for new stars to shine.

Perhaps one such star will be one of two freshman sensations in the field: Ramapo’s Dale Leonard, who took fourth in the indoor mile championship field, and Vassar’s Haley Schoenegge, who enters with the No. 3 seed at 4:25.40. Keep an eye also on CMS’s Laura Zimmer, who enters with the No. 2 seed at 4:25.36, cross country All-American Aurora’s Deyanneira Colon Maldonado, and George Fox’s Ellie Rising, who has mean speed over 800 meters with her 2:09.80 PR.

5000m

Men - Final 7:25pm EST Saturday

All-Time Performances:

2. Christian Patzka 13:51.23

4. Spencer Moon 13:51.65

6. Enrique Salazar 13:54.72

9. Christopher Collett 13:55.45

13. Max Svienty 13:57.03

14. Tyler Schermerhorn 13:57.09

19. Lucas Florsheim 13:59.24

23. Chasen Hunt 14:00.68

Every year, the qualifying line goes up (or down?). If you want to make this field, you essentially need to be making history. Eight athletes in this field are among the top 25 all-time athletes, and 4 are in the top 10 all-time, 7 of whom are under 14 minutes.

There are a few interesting things to note here. Many of these athletes will be doubling back, many are among the greatest distance runners in D3 history, and many have different advantages. This means the race will likely be quite unpredictable.

Let’s give credit where credit is due first. Christian Patzka returns as the favorite, having won 2 indoor 5000 titles, and sits currently at 2nd place on the all-time list. With Ethan Gregg out for injury, it’s fair to look at Patzka’s resume and say he’s got a very strong shot at a repeat. But taking Ethan Gregg out means Gregg’s signature move of leading from the front is also out.

Christian Patzka is also joined again by his teammate Gunner Schlender with a dynamic duo 13:51/14:01 punch. It’s possible they work together to break the field, but the field behind him might also smell opportunity. Many athletes like Spencer Moon, who will be doubling back, could run to an early lead, causing a gap on a field that doesn’t want to waste energy taking it out. And these athletes are ballers who could seize the opportunity. Moon is No. 4 all time. Enrique Salazar is No. 6 all time. Christopher Collett is the greatest steepler in D3 history. Max Svienty was 5th last year and is 13th all time. Chasen Hunt from Lynchburg was 5th in the 3k indoor and part of a national championship DMR. Lucas Florsheim was 9th in cross country nationals. Just to name a few.

Will Patzka repeat from indoors? Or will one of these historic challengers use the situation to their advantage? They run the race for a reason. We’ll have to watch and see.

Women - Final 7:00pm EST Saturday

All-Time Performances:

4. Fiona Smith 15:53.27

5. Grace Hadley 15:56.26

25. Aubrie Fisher 16:28.70

To say the women’s race is stacked would be an understatement. It’s simultaneously top-heavy and deep. In front, the top 2 seeds have broken 16 and the top 3 seeds have national titles.

Fiona Smith is becoming something of a Goliath figure in women’s distance running this year. What I mean is she’s undefeated in national championships this year, with an indoor 3k title, an indoor 5k title, and a cross country title. She’s also known for breaking barriers. This past winter, she became the second woman to break 16 minutes indoors and the fourth overall to do so, and she became the first woman in championship history to dip under 20 minutes in the 6k. She’ll be doubling back from a 10k, potentially going for another double victory.

Right behind her is Grace Hadley, indoor mile and DMR national champion. Hadley’s made a historic improvement in this event, dipping under 16 with a mark of 15:56.26. She’ll also come into this race with some 1500’s in the legs as she’s doubling back, but if we learned anything from Hadley’s championship resume, she can come in clutch even with fatigue in the legs. Aubrie Fisher comes into this meet with a previous 3rd place finish in the indoor mile championship and a title in the steeplechase. She’s also doubling back. Expect to see Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel in the hunt. Her resume includes two 3rd place finishes in the 3000 and a 13th place finish in cross country nationals.

In fact, behind the three seeds is a field full of cross country all-Americans. 14 of the 22 athletes in this field are All-Americans to be exact. This includes places 1–2-3-4-6-9-12-13-17-21-26-28-29-30.

Ultimately, this race will be a test of veteran experience, fatigue, and history. Will Fiona Smith go for another historic barrier? Can Hadley or Fisher take down the Goliath? Will one of these all-Americans be collecting their first title? You won’t want to miss this.

10000m

Men Final 9:15pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

7. Gunner Schlender 29:05.05*

8. Max Svienty 29:06.60

10. Simon Heys 29:12.62*

11. Enrique Salazar 29:12.93*

13. Chuckie Namiot 29:13.78

19. Vince Simonetti 29:18.13

20. Spencer Moon 29:18.21

*time from last year

Since 2021 cross country, only Alex Phillip and Ethan Gregg have won the national titles in races over 8000m of racing. Unfortunately, Ethan Gregg had to shut down his season due to injury. This opens up the field for a new champion to be crowned. And how appropriate is it that this was the toughest and fastest field in D3 History? Matthew Porter of Carnegie Mellon is the last one in running 29:52.80.

After last year’s historic race where it took 29:20 to be an All-American, fans are going to love this year’s version. There is no clear favorite with the heavyweights not entered, but there are many guys with impressive resumes that you can’t cut out.

The Number one seed goes to Max Svienty. Svienty ran an impressive 29:06 out at Stanford and surely makes up for a disappointing indoor season that results in not qualifying for indoor nationals. Svienty was third this cross country season and ninth last year in the 10k. With the power of their mustache and candy cane stripes, anything is possible.

When it comes to the national meet, experience can be vital. The field is filled with veterans that, should they find themselves in the lead pack with 1k to go, they believe they can win. Gunner Schlender trains everyday with Christian Patzka and made a hard move in the indoor 3k to finish fourth. He also finished third last year as he ran a perfectly executed race after Gregg and Phillip went off the front. While he comes in as the 11th seed, Schlender shouldn’t be overlooked.

Chucky Namiot is having a fantastic season, running 29:18 and 14:09 at his Last Chance meet. He finds himself in a unique position as the second seed. Despite qualifying individually for two track nationals, he has yet to earn an All-American award. He’s running his best at the right time and is poised to make a statement Thursday.

Vince Simonetti continues his breakthrough year after finishing eighth in cross country and fourth in the 5k. He ran his best race at last year’s 10k running 29:40 to finish 16th. With two All-American performances under his belt since then, Vince showed he has a kick to make things interesting with a few laps to go.

Simon Heys, Spencer Moon, and Enrique Salazar are all names to look out for. They’ve run impressive regular season times, have shown up at national meets, and could be ready for a breakthrough performance. Heys was fourth in 2023. He didn’t make indoors, so look for him to make a statement in his last college race. Salazar was fifth last year and missed on first team All-American during indoors. He’ll be hungry to show the nation what he can do. With the resume he has, can Spencer Moon claim a title? His PRs speak for themselves, but he has come up short in some national meets. He’s looked like a different runner this season. Could we see him make a similar move to last year’s 5k?

Without Ethan Gregg hammering the pace from the front, we could see a tight pack through 6-7k. Look for moves to be made late. The key for a late move is to be confident with it and hold on.

Women - Final 8:30pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

2. Fiona Smith 32.57.28

13. Grace Richardson 34:06.21

21. Shaelyn Hostager 34:21.21

22. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel 34:25.21

For the first time all season, Fiona Smith showed she was vulnerable. It was a crowded 5k field on a 200m track and she appeared to lose track of hard charging Grace Richardson. She recovered quickly and held on for the title. Those two will square off again this weekend.

Fiona has won five titles in the past two seasons and hasn’t finished worse than second. She ran the No. 2 all-time mark earlier this season and enters another championship as the clear favorite. It’ll be interesting to see how she handles this 10k. It’s the deepest the field has ever been with the final qualifier running 35:40. Plus, she’ll have to face off against Grace Hadley in the 5k on Saturday, who also broke 16 in the 5k this season.

If she goes off the front, look for similar tactics to the indoor 5k. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel, Grace Richardson, and Shaelyn Hostager are the next three seeds running under 35 minutes and should pack up if Fiona goes for it. Battleson-Gunkel did most of the work indoors in the 5k and doesn’t seem afraid to do the same outdoors.

The battle for an All-American spot is going to be intense. On paper, fifth through eighth is separated by just five seconds. Riley Buese of Lewis and Clark leads that battle coming in with a seed time of 35:05. She’s having a breakout season after finishing 17th in cross country and seventh in the indoor 5k. Plus, she just ran 16:34 in the 5k and should be filled with confidence heading into her fourth national meet.

Folks to look for outside of the top eight seeds are Genna Girard and Penelope Greene. Girard, when healthy, shows she can be up there with the best in the nation. She was an All-American in the event before and looks to be rounding into form at the right time. Greene was third in cross country and fifth indoors in the 5k. She’s coming off a new personal best in the 5k of 16:32. Look for her to be in that pack of Battleson-Gunkel, Richardson, and Hostager.

The field is the deepest it’s ever been filled with veterans and newcomers like the duo from Simpson, Lara Kallem and Teghan Booth. Sophie Porter is putting DePauw women’s distance running back on the map after she ran almost a three-minute personal best to qualify.

There’s nothing better than a 10k under the lights!

100mH - Prelims 4:10pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

6. Aniya Seward 13.76*

9. Laura Matthews 13.82*

11. Kelsie Sealock 13.84*

14. Natalia Sawyer 13.87

19. Hannah Zastrow 13.90

*Time from last year

The outdoor 100mH event is wide open now with former Gustavus Adolphus star Birgen Nelson gone after two years of dominance where she set the top 4 (all-conditions) times ever in D3 and won two national titles. But even without Nelson (or UWL’s Emma Lawrence) in the picture anymore, there is no shortage of D3 hurdling talent on the track.

The list of contenders is long but it starts with Laura Mathews from Stevens who has the fastest qualifying time of 13.61 and a seasoned resume with 7 All-American honors, including two top-4 finishes in this event the past 2 years. She has the best odds on paper, but many other women have an equal shot at ending up on the podium.

Natalia Sawyer from Buffalo State knows what it takes to be a national champion, having won the 400mH outdoors last year and the 60mH indoors this year. She will aim to meet those distances in the middle for this race and attempt to achieve the uncommon feat of being a 3x national champion in 3 different events.

The 2nd and 3rd fastest times coming into the weekend belong to Hannah Zastrow of UW- Stout and Aniya Seward of Lynchburg. Zastrow placed 2nd in the indoor 60mH and was the WIACs champion earlier this month, while Seward was 6th in this event last year.

U Chicago’s Ren Brown rocked the D3 hurdle world earlier this month when she ran 57.85 in the 400mH to set the D3 record by nearly 8 tenths of a second. That is her marquee event, but she is someone else we can’t count out making a statement in the much shorter hurdle race.

Kelsie Sealock is a 10x All-American and has finished 3rd, 2nd and 4th the past 3 outdoor national meets in this event. Can she end her career with a 4th top 4 finish and maybe even a national championship?

Other contenders are scattered throughout the qualifying list including UMass Boston’s Aryianna Garceau who has the 5th fastest time this season of 13.82, Susquehanna’s Chloe Yoder who finished 5th last year, and Whitworth’s Amelia Hewson who finished 9th in this event in 2022.

110mH - Prelims 4:30pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

14. Kawaku Nkrumah 14.00

15. Marquise Young 14.01

20. Blake Hardison 14.05

20. Kenneth Wei 14.05

23. Deyton Love 14.06

The 110mH will be more competitive than ever, as seven athletes have surpassed last year’s best qualifying time of 14.13. The preview for this event has to start up in New Jersey where the Rowan Profs qualified 4 individuals including 3 of the top 6 qualifying times. This elite hurdle squad includes last year’s 4th place finisher Kwaku Nkrumah, last year’s 400mH 7th place finisher Marquise Young, and the indoor 60mH 4th place finisher Jason Agyemang.

Not too far behind is the Bethel hurdle crew who bought 3 of their own athletes who are all seeded in the top 12 and include star Jayson Ekiyor who was the 110mH runner-up finisher in 2022 and 60mH runner-up in 2023.

Even if you took out the Rowan and Bethel teams, there would be plenty of other star-power and storylines which really make this one of the best events of the weekend.

Coming off a fantastic indoor national meet where he finished 3rd in the 60mH and top 6 in both the long and triple jump, Dontre Sinegal from McMurray leads the field after running 13.87 in early April. He will be plenty busy again this weekend as he is also seeded top 4 in both the jumps once again.

Jake Gladieux is seeded 8th coming into the weekend, but he might have the most impressive resume of anyone in the field. The 8x All-American won the 60mH national title this indoor season, was 2nd last year in this event, and won the 2021 400mH title as well.

Two other national champions are also competing in this event: Eli Etherton from Nebraskan Wesleyan was the 2023 indoor champion in the 60mH, and, despite coming in as the 17th seed, no one is overlooking MIT’s Kenneth Wei who was the 2022 national champ in this event and finished 3rd last year.

It is hard not to list a few other notable names that will be in contention. Desmond Gist of Bluffton and Deyton Love of Wartburg finished 4th and 5th in last year’s final while Dubuque’s Blake Hardison is seeded 4th and finished 2nd in the 60mH indoors. Throw in UWL’s Luke Schroeder who had one of the best indoor hurdle seasons in D3 history before falling in the 60mH prelims at nationals. He will be another one to watch for in this absolutely stacked field.

The list of contenders is so deep that the prelims heats will seem to be like a final themselves!

400mH

Men - Prelims 6:25pm EST Thursday

All Time Performances:

6. Lance Jensen 50.63* (2023)

9. Joel Smith 50.88* (2023)

18. Cameron Rodgers 51.14* (2023)

A men’s final so nice, we’re giving it to you twice. That’s right, we have a repeat of last year’s field, as your top 4 finishers return for what’s sure to be a memorable 400H rematch.

Headlining the field is SUNY Geneseo’s Lance Jensen. Following an impressive campaign that saw him post the No. 6 AT mark and take the 400H crown, Jensen would add another title indoors, winning the 400 in 46.95 good for No. 3 AT. When the only people ahead of you on the indoor 400 list are Andrew Rock and Cheick Traore, we’d say that there is potential for something ridiculous this weekend. Jensen does not head into this field as the top seed but he has put all his chips into defending his title, scratching from the open 400. We’ll have a laser-focused Knight on the line.

Consistency has been the name of the game for Bethel’s Joel Smith this outdoor season. He finished the season with the top 3 marks this season, all of which were under 51.40. In a tricky event like this, consistency could be the key to upgrade Smith’s silver to gold. If the average of your top 3 marks this season is good enough for 21 all-time, we’d have to be heading into this meet with some confidence. His personal best of 50.88 from last year probably helps too, we’d think.

UMass Dartmouth’s Cameron Rodgers will be another contender looking to upgrade his bronze from last year’s championship. He’s proved that he has the ability to perform when it counts, setting personal bests in both the prelim and final last year to lock down his second bronze of his career. He looks to be rounding into form, so keep an eye on him.

To add more intrigue to an already stacked lineup, how about another national champion. Enter Trine’s Jake Gladieux to the picture. The 2021 National Champion rode the wave of his indoor 60mH title by setting personal bests in both the 110h and 400h. He’s spent the rest of the season doubling, tripling, and even quintupling. He’s battle-tested this season, so expect him to be ready to rock come the final.

If you’re looking for someone looking to make their break in the top three this year, look out for Wartburg’s Deyton Love and Dubuque’s Jojo Frost. They had a battle at the American Rivers Conference Champs this season with victory separating them by fractions of a second: 51.65 to 51.66. If you’re capable of running 51-mid heading into nationals, you’re someone to watch for, plain and simple. Frost had been up there before. He’s got a silver from the 2022 Outdoor Championships.

The field is wide open, and we’re excited to see what’s sure to be a battle over the home stretch.

Women - Prelims 6:10pm EST Thursday

All Time Performances:

1. Ren Brown 57.85

4. Natalia Sawyer 58.61

The D3 National Record Holder vs The Defending National Champion.

You really couldn’t script it any better.

Let’s kick it off with our defending champion: Buffalo State’s own Natalia Sawyer. As a freshman, Sawyer made her presence known, putting down 4 marks on the all-time list. She would finish her freshman campaign on a high note, first with a personal best good for No. 3 all-time and then an exclamation point in the form of her first national championship. Not bad for your first collegiate season, we'd say.

Sophomore slumps? Who’s heard of them… After not making the final in the event last year, Sawyer claimed her second national championship, this time in the 60mH. She followed that up with a runner-up finish in the open 400. That weekend would add her name to two more all-time lists, 6th in the 60h and open 400. She may not be the top seed, but she’s won every race outside of an open 400 battle with Rochester’s Madeline O’Connell earlier this month.

Ren Brown seems to have gotten the handle of two turns. An All-American in 2023, Brown mentioned on our preview episode that she was still getting the handle of the 400H, specifically the second turn. She followed up All-American performances indoor with a streak of impressive marks just above 60 seconds before cracking 60 seconds at UAA Championships. Then, it happened. The UChicago Junior became the first D3 Athlete to break 58 seconds, running 57.85, as well as achieving the minimum standard for the Olympic Trials. While a national record would be enough for most, Brown is looking forward. She has her eyes set on higher this weekend as the 56.20 standard is the target.

The existing record may be on borrowed time. The question is how many could be under.

Steeple  

Men - Prelim 7:35pm EST Thursday

All Time Performances:

1. Christopher Collett 8:38.46 (2023)

2. Christian Patzka 8:38.55

7. Adam Loesner 8:44.88

12. Ethan Domitrovich 8:49.12

13. Joey Sulivan 8:49.37

This year's steeplechase is going to be different from previous seasons. Unlike prior years where the prelim was Thursday and final was Saturday, we see the prelim remain the same but the final moves to Friday. Gone is the Saturday final and gone is qualifying with a mark that is over 9 minutes. This year you had to run 8:59.61 to make it to Myrtle Beach.

The field is led by some fire power. Christian Patzka (UW - Whitewater) and Christopher Collet (Wartburg) are your top 2 all-time performers in the event. They also have each won a steeple national title. Collet took down Patzka at the line in 2022, and Patzka took no prisoners in 2023 making a hard move for the win to put 8 seconds on Collet. Colin Kirkpatrick (Pomona-Pitzer) chose to scratch the steeple this year and is going all in for the 1500. But have no fear, Adam Loenser (UW - La Crosse) also has a PR of 8:44 and is coming in ranked second. Patzka and Loenser’s marks would put them both in the top 35 of the D1 steeple list.

Ethan Domitrovich (John Carroll) and Joey Sullivan (UW - La Crosse) have also run under the 8:50 mark with Will Kelly (St. Olaf) putting down an 8:52.99. Seeds 7 to 22 are separated by just less than 3 seconds, which could make for an exciting prelim. Runners are going to want to stay out of trouble and hit their barriers efficiently to give themselves the best shot to make the final. The schools represented by the athletes in this field have all had their fair share of qualifiers over the years, UW - La Crosse has 5 of this year's qualifiers. A special shout out goes to Zeke Micheel (Wisconsin Lutheran College). Zeke is just the 4th qualifier for Warriors in program history.

Women - Prelims 7:10pm EST Thursday

All Time Performances:

10. Rachel Hirschkind 10:17.19

13. Megan Johnson 10:19.79

18. Caroline McMartin 10:21.45

75% of last year's final returns this year including your defending national champ, Aubrie Fisher (Wartburg). Rachel Hirschkind (SUNY Geneseo) leads the field coming in with a 10:17.19 from the Penn Relays followed closely behind by Megan Johnson (Central College) at 10:19.79. Joining Johson are 2 other Central College runners who are 3rd (Caroline Mcmartin) and 8th (Addy Parrott) respectively going into Thursday. Fisher will also be joined by her Wartburg teammate Ellie Meyer. Both are currently sitting within the top 6. The battle for Iowa might be underway!

Audrey Maclean (Middlebury) has the opportunity to spoil the party. The freshman finished 10th in the fall and is coming in with the 5th fastest time. She has won each of her 3 steeples this year and each one was faster than the previous. We will see if she can cut down some more time while she will be running in a field that can pull her along. The steeple is an event most do not run until they reach college and it’s common to drop time as you continue to learn the event. This race could be closely contested by 5-8 runners and could very well be inspiring for the men who will promptly compete after this race. Even if a runner or two breaks away from the field there will be a battle for those scoring spots.

4x100m

Men - Prelims 5:25pm EST Thursday

On May 16th, 2024, UW-La Crosse set a new D3 record of 39.72 at the Augie Last Chance Meet. The Eagles set a national record at this meet last year. Could they do it again? If so, they will surely start championship weekend off with a bang.

Based on which team they entered, Mount Union has the fastest seed going into this meet with a mark of 40.19, which puts them #6 all time. This team could be a threat to the title if all members have a good day.  Expect to see Oshkosh in the hunt for the title as well, as they have a seed of 40.25 and they will have the second best performer in D3 history, Davian Willems, as their anchor.

Bethel has been running well all year as a sprints program. They bring a strong squad to nationals and will rely on their stars to get a podium finish.

Can Texas make noise at the national meet? With four teams represented: McMurry, Texas Lutheran, Trinity (TX), and East Texas Baptist, the lone star state is ready to shine. Last year, Texas Lutheran finished sixth after having to run a 4x100m run-off.

Women - Prelims 5:15pm EST Thursday

Washington University comes into this meet as the favorite with a No. 5 all-time time mark of 45.84. Their team of Maya Davis, Jasmine Wright, Lauren Gay, and Nicole Stewart have a sizable lead over the field, but as we’ve seen time and time again, anything can happen in the relays. Expect to see a challenge from La Crosse, as they are the No. 2 seed with Lauren Jarrett, a challenger for the individual 100-meter title, at the anchor. Other teams to watch out for are the squad from Loras, Colby, and Wheaton. 

In an event where milliseconds matter, all teams will have to put forth their best for a chance at making the podium in this event, as the No. 1 seed and the No. 16 seed are separated by less than a second and a half.

4x400m

Men - Prelims 8:15pm EST Thursday

In antiquity, all roads led to Rome. In track and field, all roads lead to the 4x4.

Since the 4x4 is the final event of track meets, the overall team score implications from the event are often massive and that is no exception this weekend- the top five projected teams in the meet (based on entries) all have 4x4 squads seeded in the top 7. I have a feeling the overall team champion will be decided with the most exciting event in track and field!

Anytime we preview the men’s 4x4, we must start with the Purple Raiders from Ohio. Mount Union has qualified for 12 consecutive national 4x4s dating back to 2017, advancing to finals in 11 of them and winning 7. They come into this weekend seeded 4th with a 3:09.92 time and have already ran a sub-3:12 three times this season. No one would be surprised to see Mount Union cross the finish line first on Saturday afternoon with Matt McBride anchoring them to their 8th title since 2017.

Many other programs are determined to knock MU off their pedestal. We begin with gold medalist Andrew Rock’s Bethel squad who have been a mainstay in the event since 2017, qualifying for 11 of the last 12 national 4x4s and advancing to finals in 10. The big difference is Bethel has never been able to secure the gold. This year will be their best chance coming in with the nation-leading time of 3:09.27 and a surefire anchor in Jacob Parent.

Not far behind Bethel is Rowan who has the 2nd fastest qualifying time of 3:09.31. Rowan has been close to repeating their 2021 outdoor championship, placing 2nd and 3rd in the last 2 outdoors. They are determined to reclaim the title with their experienced lineup. Another contender are the John Carroll Blue Streaks, who finished 5th last year, were 3rd indoors, and have the second best anchor on paper this year in Basheer Alramahi after he went 46.50 in the open 400 earlier this month (the fastest anchor belongs to Jordan Dean, who will anchor the team from Ohio Northern).

At the Augustana Final Qualifier last week, we got a mini-national preview with 4 programs that broke 3:11 and secured a spot for this weekend. UW-La Crosse got the win running 3:09.33 and showing they are in great form to not only improve off their 4th place finish last year but also seek some redemption after being DQ’ed indoors. UW-Oshkosh, Dubuque, and UW-Eau Claire finished 2nd-4th at Augustana and each ran top 7 times so far this year. These programs are not strangers to national 4x4s and will be in the mix.

Women - Prelims 8:00pm EST Thursday

When a national title is on the line, you better have that 4x400m on the track Saturday night! And all the contenders have qualified a team to make that happen.

One of the most underrated parts of the nationals track meet is when the 3rd leg of the 4x4 comes down the homestretch and you see the line of anchors awaiting the baton. The women on the line are almost always “the big guns”. The ones who everyone in D3 track knows and though are undoubtedly tired with numerous events on their legs, they put on a show for the final and most exciting event of the meet.

One of the “big guns” is Alyssa Pfadenhauer. The star runner from Loras has anchored the Duhawks to victory in each of the previous 2 outdoor championships which included a new D3 championship meet record of 3:39.76 last year. They only come into the meet with the 7th fastest time of the season, but no doubt have their hopes set on a 3rd consecutive title.

Rochester and Wash U also don’t come in with top 5 qualifying times, but they are favorites in the event as they finished 1-2 indoors and each have a superstar leg they can lean on in Madeline O’Connell (Rochester) and Emma Kelley (Wash U). Another team with a pretty well-known 400m runner is Mount Union who has 18x All-American Kenadee Wayt slotted to anchor them to the finish. Mount Union has finished 3rd and 4th the past 2 outdoor championships and will be hungry to finish near the top again especially after failing to qualify indoors.

The 4x4 entries had a huge change at the Farley Inter Regional Extravaganza on May 10th, where the fastest three times of the year were recorded. Winning the race and running the D3 leading time of 3:41.26, MIT became the 6th fastest program ever in D3 history. They earned All-American honors in the last 2 outdoor championships and aspire to repeat the feat again this weekend. Finishing 2nd and 3rd at the meet were Williams and Colby, proving that their top 4 finishes indoors was no fluke and are back to more damage outdoors.

When Nebraska Wesleyan is in the 4x400, you can never count them out. Their rich history will be the driving the force to help propel them to an All-American position. Bella Hogue split a 53.xx at the Augie Last Chance meet and will be a big boost on their anchor.

As with the men, the women’s 4x4 final likely will have massive team score implications with 7 of the top 8 in projected overall team scores (based on entries) have crews running in the 4x4. The 4x4 is always exciting and this year will be no different!

High Jump

Women - Final 1:30pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances: 

22. Grace Alley - 5’8¾”

The outdoor All-American podium for women’s high jump is bound to look entirely different than it did in 2023. Not only did the previous national champion not return to competition, but neither did the second, third or fourth place winners. 

In contention to climb to the top, seniors Grace Alley and Elizabeth Barre will have their final jump-off this weekend. Alley followed up her indoor titles in high jump and the pentathlon with personal bests in the 100H, 400m and 200m dash. Though the defending champion has only three high jump marks on her outdoor sheet, her speed training will likely translate to power in the pit. Loras sophomore Sara Hoskins was a surprise silver at the indoor competition, and she has followed it with consistent marks above 5 '7 and the highest season average of any other qualifiers. Barre, seeded second at 5 '8, has yet to compete at the outdoor championships in high jump, but has had reliable composure at the national level that will likely earn her a trophy to finish her time at Carnegie Mellon. 

Another qualifier to keep in sight is Jaden Gatts, the freshman from Dubuque who finished 20th indoors and set a personal best only two weeks ago to climb to third in the rankings. There is also Cornell’s Hailey Corolon, who was fifth last year but did not compete at the indoor championships. She has proven to have clean bar attempts that should allow her into All-American territory. 

Men - Final 4:00pm EST Friday

After a series of upsets at the indoor championships, the men’s high jump remains a wildcard event for the weekend. While Baldwin Wallace’s Christian Pfeiffer followed up his indoor title with a leading mark of 6”11.5, his defending trophy is not guaranteed. He is challenged by John Caroll freshman Luke Frazier, who cleared the same height in his third-ever career performance! 

With four-way ties for third and seventh in the rankings, the podium lineup will come down to the cleanest sheets and experience in a nationals pit. We are on the lookout for Oshkosh’s Caleb Cornelius and Nebraska Wesleyan’s Eli Mackowski for that kind of consistency. The rest of the field sees younger jumpers who will contribute to an unpredictable series and perhaps follow Pfieffer’s method of a clean break to the top. 

Pole Vault

Women - Final 12:00pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

12. Madeline O’Connell - 4.07m

13. Peyton Proffitt - 4.06m*

14. Emma Rudolph - 4.05m*

19. Yasmin Ruff - 4.01m

*Indicates mark from previous year

Grab your popcorn, you’re in for a show in the 2024 outdoor women’s pole vault championship. Led by indoor national champion Madeline O’Connell, who holds the No. 12 highest clearance in D3 history, four women in the field have cleared over four meters outdoors, making this the most competitive women’s pole vault competition that D3 has seen in several years.

Last year, Otterbein’s Peyton Proffitt and Westminster’s Emma Rudolph cleared bars of 4.06 and 4.05 meters, respectively, putting them just behind O’Connell on the all-time list. The best part? Each of the trio’s clearances are within two centimeters of one another.

Ah, the national pole vault, where everyone finally comes together and goes through the same progression to see what difference a few centimeters really makes. Rudolph enters the weekend as the defending outdoor national champion and will have to vault at her best to ward off challengers O’Connell, Proffitt, and WashU’s Yasmin Ruff, the fourth athlete over four meters with her No. 19 all-time clearance of 4.01.

An athlete who may be flying slightly under the radar but is not to be forgotten is Whitewater’s Gracie Holland, the 2023 indoor national champion who holds an indoor PR of 4.08 meters, the highest in the field. An athlete like Holland is more than capable of nabbing another victory in this event, making her a dark horse pick for the weekend.

Other contenders to keep an eye on include Ohio Northern’s Claire Schweller, who comes off of a hot new PR of 3.93 meters, River Falls’s Annika Gunderson, who was cleared 3.90 this season, and MIT duo Katelyn Howard and Hailey Surace, who both enter as top-8 seeds.

Men - Final 4:00pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

20. Ben Drummey - 5.20m*

*Indicates mark from previous year

The men’s pole vault has seen four different national champions in the past four national championships. Three of these four athletes will take the runway this coming weekend, and several more will look to make the streak five.

The most consistently high-placing athlete in the field is Southern Maine’s Ben Drummey, who won the 2022 and 2023 indoor championship and placed no worse than fourth in the remaining three NCAA championships in which he competed. Drummey is also the only athlete on the all-time list at No. 20 with his clearance of 5.20 meters, a height he cleared in his freshman year. When it comes down to it, Drummey is the veteran in this field and will look to lean on his experience to make his way back to the top of the men’s pole vault podium.

Drummey is not the only athlete in the field to have experienced national success from early in his career, however. While Drummey finishes up an illustrious D3 career, Millikin’s Kyle Hensley begins his. Freshman Hensley exploded onto the scene at the national meet indoors when he captured the national title in his first NCAA meet after entering the meet seeded No. 13. Setting a new PR at the national meet of 5.18 meters, Hensley moved to the outdoor season holding his above-5-meter clearance. With his 5.05-meter season’s best, Hensley is one of eight athletes to have cleared five meters this season, a height that may be necessary to nab first-team All-American status. Should Hensley be able to lean on his experience from indoor season, he will bring steep competition against this weekend’s field.

Ithaca’s Dominic Mikula is the other returning national champion in the field. Mikula captured the 2023 outdoor title and returns in his final season of eligibility for one more stab at adding another title to his resume. With a PR of 5.13 meters and several All-Americans to his name, Mikula is certainly a threat to the 2024 outdoor crown.

Despite the impressive accomplishments of Drummey, Hensley, and Mikula, none of these athletes come into the weekend with the highest seed. Catholic’s Christian Di Nicolantonio is having the hottest 2024 season in the field, coming to the runway with a season’s best of 5.16 meters, the highest in the field. Di Nicolantonio has never won a national title, but could turn the streak he’s been on so far this season into his first. He holds an indoor PR of 5.20m to match Drummey’s outdoor best, making him more than comfortable raising the bar in the late phases of competition.

Other names to watch in this competition include WashU freshman Peter Lichtenberger, who enters as the No. 2 seed with his clearance of 5.10 meters, Centre’s Logan Isaacs, who placed fourth last year, Coast Guard’s Joshua Banks, who enters his first outdoor NCAA meet, and WPI’s Gavin Fleck and Texas Lutheran’s Ezra Acero, who have both cleared over five meters this season.

Long Jump

Women - Final 5:30pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances: 

2. Kadiri - 20”9’ 

24. Genevieve Arnold - 19”8 

In her first outdoor season as a Duhawk, Loras’s Emma Seipel has not let up. With a 20-foot mark in April, she has built herself up to frontrunner status over the course of the season. However, Johns Hopkins's Victoria Kadiri has been undefeated on an outdoor national pit for two straight seasons, and it will take some big leaps to change that. In seeking her ninth national title, Kadiri will be making Division 3 history in this weekend's competition. Though her entry mark of 19 '6 has her seeded fifth, her experience and level-headedness are guaranteed to keep her in the mix for champion. When these two hit the sand, there is likely to be an all-time mark to follow. 

Not to be left out is John Carrol’s Genevieve Arnold, who leapt to a shattering 19 '8 and improved her own best by a foot to shake up the seedings. Freshmen Kira Hawaaboo of Linfield and Ashley Heffernan from Rochester, sitting fourth and sixth respectively, also bring new names into the All-American race and the future of this event. 

Long Jump

Men - Final 2:30pm EST Thursday

All Time Performances: 

10. Joshua Rivers 25-5-1/4 

24. Dameco Walker - 24’11

25. Cole Goodman 24-10-1/2

The men’s long jump sees Oshkosh’s Joshua Rivers with a 6-inch lead over the rest of the competition, a mark set two weeks ago to give some good momentum to defending his indoor title. He is trailed by Dameco Walker of Ripon and Cole Goodman of Rochester, who also set new personal bests of 24 '11 and 24’10 this spring in order to bring their best to Myrtle Beach. These three are likely to trade-off positions throughout the competition, forcing even further marks for the title spot. 

McMurry’s Dontre Sinegal and Derek Bunten of Loras have also been over 24-feet more than once this spring, giving them a slight upper hand when contending for first-team All-American in a tight top 10.  

Triple Jump

Men - Final 1:00pm EST Saturday

All Time Performances:

20. Cole Goodman 15.46m

23. Shelvin Garrett II 15.34m (2023 mark)

This year’s triple jump has the opportunity to bring us one of the best matchups of the meet. We have 6 men with marks over 15 meters and the top 3 from the indoor national meet are the top 3 competitors going into the weekend. Cole Goodman (Rochester), Dontre Sinegal (McMurry), and Shelvin Garrett II (UW - Whitewater) might give us a show you don’t want to miss.

Davare Payne (Hardin-Simmons) finished 13th this indoor season is coming in 4th, and Matayo McGraw, who was 8th indoors, is coming in 6th on the descending order list. These freshmen are a few names you’ll want to remember. While Shelvin Garrett II has not jumped as far as Goodman and Sinegal this outdoor season, he has both beat on lifetime personal best when he jumped 15.97m on his final jump at the indoor national meet where he claimed victory. He will want to repeat that this outdoor season. This event is going to bring a lot of energy as it starts Saturday’s competition along with the women’s hammer throw.

Women - Final 3:45pm EST Saturday

All Time Performances:

1. Victoria Kadiri 13.43m

9. Ebun Opata 12.58m

14. Raniah Dunham 12.51m

The women’s field returns all 8 scorers from this year’s indoor national meet. Headlining this field is Johns Hopkins’s Victoria Kadiri who is the only one in the field to jump over 13 meters this season. But that’s not all! Kadiri is going for her fourth consecutive triple jump title including the 2023 championships and indoors 2024. It will have to take a big jump from one of the other competitors to dethrone her.

There are some more all-time performers in this field as well. Ebuno Opata (Wash U), Rainah Dunham (Ursinus), Samantha Barrett (UW - La Crosse), and Jasmine Claunch (Centre) have all put down top 25 all-time marks during this outdoor season. Barrett of UWL has had a nice progression this outdoor season jumping further in each meet until the final last chance meet prior to nationals. We will be on the outlook to see if that continues.

Shot Put

Men - Final 1:30pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances

8. Joseph White - 18.98m

24. Yakob Ekoue - 18.07m

One of D3’s hottest matchups in the past year is between shot put stars Joseph White of Carthage and Yakob Ekoue of Eau Claire. Both will take to the ring once more this weekend to decide who is the best shot put thrower of the 2024 outdoor season.

The men’s shot put rang out with excitement indoors when Eau Claire scored three athletes in the top eight, including national champion Ekoue, who upset favorite White, feeding the narrative that anything can happen at nationals. (Perhaps you can’t call it an upset, however, when Ekoue is the defending outdoor champion). Ekoue enters this outdoor championship as a top contender, his 17.76-meter mark the winning toss at the prestigious Drake Relays this year. With the right momentum and clutch throw, Ekoue could easily defend his shot put title.

He does, however, trail Carthage’s White by a significant margin. White threw a massive 18.98 meters at the CCIW Championships to jump to No. 8 all-time. His consistency has been his key this season, as he has posted series-bests over 18 meters in all six of the last shot put competitions he has competed in.

White tragically fouled out of the national competition in prelims last year, a mistake he will be sure not to replicate this weekend. Should White get on the board and throw to his potential, he will be tough to match. The best part about the national shot put competition, however, is how the field rises to challenge their leader. With a leading mark that could surpass 19 meters, the rest of the field is sure to drop some competitive throws.

Watch out for challenges from third-place indoor All-American Keegan Digby of Ohio Northern, fifth-place indoor All-American Gage Stankiewicz, and seventh-place indoor All-American Andrew Mott, all of whom hold top seeds headed into the competition. Veterans like Trinity’s Ethan Wilkie, Carroll’s Steven Hermsen, Dickinson’s Ethan Hart, and MIT’s Sam Engebretson are also names not to leave out, as they’ve all seen repeated success in this event at the nation’s highest level of competition.

Women - Final 4:00pm EST Friday

All-Time Performances:

7. Jessie Stenger - 15.53m*

10. Alexis Boykin - 15.36m

18. Aubrey Schoeneman - 15.17m

24. Kaitlyn Wilder - 15.09m*

*Indicates mark from previous year

If you don’t know the name Alexis Boykin, then you haven’t been paying enough attention in the world of D3 throwing. Boykin splashed onto the scene last outdoor season when she won the hammer throw, took runner-up in the discus, and placed fourth in the shot put. She followed this performance up with a sweep of the indoor throwing events in Virginia Beach and comes into this weekend ranked in the top three of the hammer, discus, and shot put.

If you asked her indoors, Boykin might have called the hammer her best event (an easy answer when this is the event you won your first national title in), but her highest ranking headed into this weekend is actually in the event she first qualified to a national meet in: the shot put.

With a PR mark of 15.36 meters, Boykin holds the tenth farthest toss in D3 history and currently leads the rest of the field by 19 centimeters. She will face tough competition, however, from four other athletes who have thrown over 15 meters in their outdoor careers.

Carthage’s Aubrey Schoeneman comes off a PR-ridden season, having set new bests in the hammer, discus, and shot put all in a span of just over a week, making her the athlete on a hot streak to watch when she faces Boykin in the ring this weekend. Her 15.17-meter shot put PR is the 18th farthest throw in D3 history.

Though these athletes haven’t thrown quite as far in the 2024 season, Hanover’s Jessie Stenger and Dubuque’s Kaitlyn Wilder are no strangers to the 15-meter zone, making the pair viable threats to the crown this weekend as well. Stenger holds the farthest PR in the field with her No. 7 all-time toss of 15.53 meters from last season, indicating she has the experience to out-toss Boykin. Similarly, Wilder threw a distance of 15.09 meters last year to rise to No. 24 all-time. While holding a PR over 15 doesn’t guarantee a top finish at the national meet, it certainly helps bring some confidence to the competition.

Other names to watch out for are indoor runner up Jane Fahy of Utica, indoor third-place All-American Vanessa Uitenbroek of Carroll, and returning indoor All-Americans Brenna Masloroff of Oshkosh, Molly Laumakis of U Chicago, and Jenae Bothe of WashU, all of whom enter the outdoor competition with top seeds.

Discus

Men - Final 11:00am EST Thursday

All-Time Performances

3. Yakob Ekoue 60.16m

9. Steven Hermsen 58.60m

10. Joseph White 58.54m

Throws fans are rejoicing everywhere for the field the D3 national meet has assembled. Yakob Ekoue, Joseph White, and Steven Hermsen are all in the same field. That doesn’t even account for the rest of the competitors. But between them, they have combined for nine national titles.

Ekoue is coming in after launching the third best throw in D3 history. However, he goes up against Hermsen who hasn’t lost a discus title since 2021. Hermsen has a chance to accomplish an unprecedented four-peat.

He’ll have to get through Ekoue and White if he wants a shot at history. Ekoue was the runner-up in the discus last year and is coming off an indoor title shot put title. Ekoue hasn’t lost a discus competition this season.

Hermsen lost the conference title to Joseph White and fouled out at the Augie Last Chance meet. That’s not the way you want to enter the competition, but with three titles behind him, we’re confident he’ll be ready this weekend.

Joseph White, for his standards, had a shaky outdoor championship last year where he finished eight in the discus, fourth in the hammer, and fouled out in the shot put. He’s coming off a weight throw title and a runner-up performance in the shot and will look to rebound from his eight place performance last year.

These three guys will put on a show but they could be challenged by Trent Beseth of St. Scholastica and Timaul Williams of Rutgers-Newark as they threw their personal bests just last week.

The competition kicks off first thing at 11am EST on Thursday. If you’re in Myrtle Beach, don’t miss this.

Women - Final 3:00pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

13. Vanessa Uitenbroek 50.88m

16. Alexis Boykin 50.53m

22. Charlotte Frere 50.02m

With the past two champions graduated, the discus competition will see a new champion. It’s going to be a battle up front with three athletes throwing top 25 all-time throws. Vanessa Uitenbroek of Carroll sits atop the national leaderboard with her 13th all-time throw. Not far behind her is Alexis Boykin from MIT sitting 16th all-time.

Boykin has been dominating the throwing events. In her last five national events, she’s won three titles, was runner-up and finished fourth. While she’ll be looking at Uitenbroek with the No. 1 seed, she’ll have confidence that she was runner-up in the event last year.

Uitenbroek won’t make it easy for Boykin as she carries her own national experience to the meet. She was fifth last year and runner-up in 2022.

Joining them will be Charlotte Frere of Augustana. Frere owns the 22nd best throw in D3 history and is currently the third seed. She’s had nearly a 3-meter personal best this season and after finishing 17th last year, she looks ready to contend for a title.

Two other All-Americans return from last year’s competition: Emily Ball from MIT and and Cate Gudaitis from Carroll.

The lone first-year in the competition is Nai'lah Anders from Dubuque. She currently sits eighth on the leaderboard.

Similar to the men, this competition is ready to be intense and provide great entertainment. It’s Thursday afternoon so don’t miss it.

Hammer Throw

Men - Final 3:45pm EST Saturday

All Time Performances:

2. Justin Eichler 67.32m

15. Nathan Williams 63.92m

18. Nathen Borgan 63.55m

22. Cade Collier 62.77m

Justin Eichler (UW-Platteville) has been on another level this season. After throwing the No. 2 All-Time throw, he has added five more marks that fall within the All-Time list.

After finishing seventh last season, he looks primed to move up the podium. However, he will be challenged by other all-time performers as well as big names in D3 throws.

Nathan Williams of Stevenson had a massive throw at the AARTFC to put him 15th all-time. He was 18th last year and now sees himself as the second seed.

Nathen Borgen and JJ Durr are the duo from Wilmington that have been making noise in the throws at the past national meets. They finished fifth and sixth last year in the hammer and seventh and eighth indoors in the weight throw.

Add in the experience from Cade Collier from Dubuque and Holden Murphy from Loras and this field is loaded.

This doesn’t even account for big names like Joseph White and Yakob Ekoue.

The throws are the place to be this weekend.

Women - Final 1:00pm EST Saturday

All-Time Performances:

8. Emma True 59.88m

9. Teagan Jones 59.73m

11. Alexis Boykin 59.63m

16. Kaitlyn Wilder 58.98m

20. Vanessa Uitenbroek 58.61m

22. Brenna Masloroff 58.34m

23. Lily Beneke 58.26m

Get ready. This field is loaded and they are ready to compete. Seven athletes find themselves on the Top 25 All-Time list.

Currently, Emma True of Wartburg sits atop the national leaderboard heading to Myrtle Beach. She’ll have to hold off a deep field and the defending champion, Alexis Boykin of MIT.

True has a ton of momentum heading into the championships. She’s coming off a third place finish indoors in the weight throw, and threw a 6-meter personal best in the hammer. She looks to improve greatly upon her 20th place performance last year.

As mentioned in the discus, Alexis Boykin has been dominant in the throws and will look to continue her winning streak. She’s entered in three of the four throwing events and despite not being the No. 1 seed, attention will turn to her when she steps into the ring.

Other names to keep an eye on this weekend all fall within the Top 25 all-time list: Teagan Jones, Kaitlyn Wilder, Vanessa Uitenbroek, Lily Beneke and Brenna Masloroff. Only Uitenbroek sits outside the top 10 currently.

A dark horse to take the title is Lily Beneke. She’s 23rd all-time, the sixth seed and finished third last season.

Seven all-time best throws, eight All-American spots, one national champion. Get ready for the women’s hammer.

Javelin

Men - Final 3:00pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

18. Cody Wheeler 68.21m

A fun storyline in the javelin will be the upperclassmen vs the underclassmen. According to TFFRS, it’s an even split between FR/SO and the JR/SR. Will experience play a factor or can an underclassmen walk away with the title? 

Cody Wheeler of Whitworth will make the long journey from Washington state to Myrtle Beach. He’ll have to travel 2,700 miles to earn his first national title. The sophomore is coming into the competition with the 18th best throw in D3 history and was eight last year. He does throw in other events but will only have the javelin at nationals.

With graduation and transfers, only one other All-American returns from last year’s competition. Liam Bourassa of Fitchburg State finished sixth last year and poses the biggest threat to Wheeler as he comes in as the second seed.

Justin Swavely of Utica returns after just missing an All-American spot last year finishing ninth. He’ll enter the competition as the fifth seed and look to earn an All-American finish.

Andrew D'Asaro of Denison and Corey Stalters finished 11th and 12th last year and both are in the top eight heading into the weekend. 

Wheeler looks to be the favorite but will have to fend off a deep field that’s filled with national meet experience.

Women - Final 11:00am EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

8. Avery Decker 48.43m

17. Isabelle Deal 47.24m

23. Chrissy Strickland 46.33m

Not every year you see the No. 1 seed scratched. Kayla Pelletier of Hartford cannot compete at the national meet as Hartford University is still transitioning to the D3 level. The former D1 team is able to compete at the conference level and can compete at Nationals starting in 2025.

Avery Decker from Nebraska Wesleyan will go to Myrtle Beach with the No. 1 seed next to her name. The two time All-American has a five-inch advantage over the second seed, Chrissy Strickland. Decker finished eight in 2022, and third in 2023 so she will bring great national experience to her senior season.

Decker will have a tough task on her hands as Chrissy Strickland from George Fox looks to defend her title. Strickland has been on the All-American podium for the past three years, improving each from sixth to second to atop of the podium last year. It took just her second throw to get the title wrapped up but she’ll face tough competition this year.

Other returners include last year’s runner up in Alexandra Snyder from Misericordia. Synder may be flying under the radar as she’s currently 14th. Fifth place from last year, Holly Ferrara of Gettysburg currently sits ninth. On paper, Decker and Strickland look far above the competition but danger is lurking behind them.

Isabelle Deal of Rowan was an All-American last year for Ursinus. She enters the competition at 17th and will look to make a jump to get back into the final.

A field with the returning champ, All-Americans, and rookies, the javelin should be a great competition.

Heptahlon - Competition starts 12:30pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

5. Grace Alley 5233

14. Nikki Boon 5107

All eyes will be on Grace Alley this weekend. Alley has been dominant in the mutli dating back to last outdoors. She became the fifth best performer in D3 history last year when she won her first title in the heptathlon. She got her qualifying mark out of the way earlier this season and was only 45 points off her winning mark from last season. She’ll have another packed national meet as she’s in the high jump, triple jump, 4x4 and the heptathlon. Loras will need another big weekend from her if they look to get back atop the podium.

Two other athletes eclipsed the 5,000 point barrier. Indoor runner-up from Emory, Nikki Boon and 2023 indoor pent champ Elizabeth Barre from Carnegie Mellon. Interestingly, Barre just hit her qualifying mark at the North Central Last Chance meet last week.

While Grace Alley has eyes on the national record, Nikki Boon appears to be the one to be the biggest threat to upset Alley. Boon, a Coastal Carolina transfer, will utilize her Myrtle Beach connection to her advantage. She’s coming off a new Hep personal best that was set back in April. It’ll be a fun battle between Alley and Boon this weekend.

Arielle Brunner of Chatham, who has multiple All-American awards in the jumps, hit her qualifying mark at Mount Union’s Last Chance Meet and will be making her national meet Multi debut.

Outside of the top eight is Lexi LeFever from UW-River Falls. She was an All-American last year and could be in the hunt for a top eight finish in her final collegiate season. 

Two first-years are in the field as well. Emma Burr from Thomas College and Lauryn Rustad of UW-Eau Claire make their national meet debuts. It will be fun to follow their performance this year and the seasons to come.

Decathlon - Competition starts 12:00pm EST Thursday

All-Time Performances:

21. Mitch Stegeman 7165

D3 Track and Field fans get one more battle between the two multi heavy-weights, Mitch Stegeman and Jackson Anderson. Dating back to the 2023 Indoor season, Stegeman or Anderson have stood atop the podium. Just two months ago, 15 points separated these two champions and we could be in store for another intense battle.

One thing we’ll keep an eye out for this weekend is: how fresh will Jackson Anderson be? He attempted his first Dec right after indoors but had to withdraw on Day 2 and just got his first score on May 10th. Stegeman got his mark back in April.

The two will have company though. There are three others that have scored over 6700 points. Charlie Nolan of UW-Oshkosh and Thomas Rich of Carnegie Mellon are within 41 and 48 points of Stegeman’s qualifying mark. Isaiah Clausen of Wheaton (Ill.) sits in fifth currently and was third indoors. These three plus Stegeman and Anderson will be the ones to watch. They all finished in the top five during indoors and all come in ranked in the top five.

We’ve seen that anything can happen over the course of 10 events. The key is maximizing your strong events like Stegeman did indoors in the pole vault.

Two true freshmen will be in the field competing in their first national meet. They represent the future of D3 multis. Look for Kale Hobart of Central College and Caleb Smith of Middlebury.

If you made it this far thanks for reading. Look for Noah and Will on the broadcast. Follow our social media for updates throughout the weekend.