Breaking Barriers: How Aidan Ryan's and Ella Baran's D3 Mile Records Are Changing D3
A starter pistol sounded on Ashford Street in Boston, Massachusetts on February 9, 2019, at 6:24 pm. It was the sound that started section one of the men’s mile on the state-of-the-art Boston University indoor track facility. The track, with an impressive bank of 18.5 degrees, has hosted over 121 sub-4-minute miles for unique individuals. As the professional and Division 1 athletes of section one took off around its steeply sloped turns, their hope was that they might add their names to this elite list.
As one might imagine, athletes come from all over the world to experience the magic of BU’s track. Their meets are known for their colossal number of heats and efficiency in pulling athletes off the track and promptly replacing them with those next in line, anxiously waiting their turn to bring home a PR.
One such athlete was Williams’s Aidan Ryan, a wide-eyed sophomore taking in the sights and emotions of his first college track invitational of this caliber. As the competitors of the previous heat crossed the finish line and stumbled onto the infield, Ryan stepped up to the starting line of heat seven. The starter pistol sounded and Ryan took off, finding a comfortable spot in line second from the back. He crossed the halfway point in 2:05, giving him a shot to run under 4:10 if he could close, but he was separated from the lead group and faded to 4:20 pace, crossing the finish line in 4:14. He finished 78th in the final results. Though this time was a 5-second personal best, it wasn’t enough to place Ryan in even the top 50 D3 milers during the 2019 indoor season.
Three years later, Ryan would return to Ashford Street transformed. He was now attempting to break Jeremy Hernandez’s D3 record of 3:59.09 in the mile and become the second D3 athlete in history to dip under the 4-minute barrier. Nerves still crept in, sure, but this time his pre-race nervousness was not from inexperience, but the more complex kind one can only feel when they know they’re on the brink of something great.
Nerves coursed through his body making his legs feel lethargic and foreign, but reassurance from his coach, Dusty Lopez, who had not been to a track meet with Ryan since February 2020, was enough to jolt him awake.
“I'm not waiting any longer,” Ryan thought. “I'm making this the day."
He took his spot on the starting line in heat one rather than seven, now in the mix with elite and Division 1 athletes alike, with one thing to prove: that he belonged.
“I think my default has been to fall in line behind and not truly compete, but I wanted to change that,” Ryan told the D3GD team. “It's okay if I don't feel like I belong, but I can earn my spot by making moves and kicking hard—and that's what I did.”
As the gun sounded, Ryan shuffled in the mix with NIKE’s Vince Ciattei, Under Armour’s Casey Comber, Saucony’s James Randon, and Simon Fraser’s Aaron Ahl. He knew these names would pull him to a fast time. Comber was runner-up in this event in 2019, back when he still sported a Villanova jersey and Randon, the Ivy League D1 1500m All-American, is a seasoned pro with a mile PR of 3:56.51. Now, Ryan was running stride-for-stride with them.
Photo by: Johnny Zhang - Aidan Ryan at the start of the race
As the leaders crossed the halfway point in 1:59, Ryan was right behind them crossing in 2:00.32, perfectly on pace for a sub-4 attempt.
Perhaps it was adrenaline, or the sheer necessity to seize the day with his coach finally looking on, but what happened next shocked not only the nation but Ryan himself.
With the NCAA D3 record at the forefront of his mind, Ryan went for it. As the lead pack surged, he surged, moving around Randon and Ahl at lap five. Laps in 29-highs became laps in 29-lows As the field moved into the bell lap, Ryan managed to find just one more gear to close in 28.85. He finished fourth place behind Ciattei, Comber, and Randon. He was the first collegiate finisher in 3:56.88, setting a nine-second PR and new Division 3 record by almost three seconds.
Photo by: Johnny Zhang - Aidan Ryan after the race
“My teammates and coaches were over the moon,” Ryan said. “And to share the moment with Dusty is something I'll never forget. The record affirms the belief I have in myself and my coaches, and I've never felt such a reward as seeing how it made my friends and family feel. Wanting to give my teammates and coaches something to get fired up for was a big source of motivation.”
Ryan attributes much of his growth and success to his supportive team. He also credits them with his decision to attend Williams College. His decision had come down to Williams and Johns Hopkins, but the guys on the team are what ultimately sold him. He recalls meeting the team on an overnight visit when choosing a college at which to continue his running.
“Everyone was engaging and interesting,” Ryan said. “I was really impressed and wanted to be like them. I saw the depth of the team and knew it would be the best place for me to become a well-rounded runner. The mental side has been a big part of my progression as well—one of my teammates told me that I don't get more fit throughout a season, I just get more confident. Emotionally it's been a great place for me to grow, and I've had a phenomenal support system of true mentors. I also just really love it, that's why I've kept improving.”
One teammate in particular who had a profound impact on Ryan when he first started out was Tristan Colaizzi. The 3x-NCAA All-American boasts PRs that range from 23.9 in the 200m all the way to 8:25 in the 3k, the ultimate combination of speed and strength. Ryan admitted that early on Colaizzi sometimes felt more like a rival than a teammate.
“Luckily I matured, and by the end of sophomore year we were thriving off of each other,” Ryan said.
This unification eventually led to a No. 2 all-time DMR performance from the duo in 2020 in which Colaizzi led off and Ryan anchored after the valiant efforts of teammates Kevin LaFleche and Cole O’Flaherty. Since then, Ryan has anchored a new team to a heightened No. 2 performance of 9:42.29, less than a second off of No. 1 John Carroll, who finished ahead of them, and a full four seconds faster than the time set by the team with Colaizzi.
Although the protege, Ryan, has grown so much that he now outperforms the teacher, Colaizzi, he continues to receive support from his long-time mentor. Colaizzi met Ryan outside of the track after his mile record with his arms wide open for a heartfelt hug.
Teammates and coaches, however, are not the only ones who have helped Ryan elevate his performance. Although division 3 is reaching new levels this year, it was the greats who came before that have trailblazed the way for athletes like Ryan. Before anyone even knew the name “Aidan Ryan,” they knew Jeremy Hernandez, Coby Horowitz, Charlie Marquadt, and Isaac Garcia-Cassani. Before that, it was Ryan Bak, and even before that, it was Dan Mayer, Karl Paranya, and Kevin Foley.
Ryan recalls a few names in particular whose times he chased as a young athlete, including Garcia-Cassani, whose divisional dominance made a strong impression on Ryan during his first home cross country meet. Additionally, their rival school Middlebury boasted several names that Ryan looked up to.
“As an underclassman I really wanted to beat Middlebury's Jon Perlman, Nathan Hill, and Kevin Serrao,” Ryan said, “I'll never forget looking at their record board when they walked by and one said ‘Take notes.’”
Take notes he did, as Ryan not only leads Williams’ record boards but the entire nation’s, holding D3 national records in the 3k and the mile. He is also in the No. 2 spot in the DMR. Now, Ryan will carve the way for the athletes who come after him, prompting them to take notes of their own.
While Ryan recognizes how his records are changing the D3 landscape, his mission is even broader: to transcend the division. He hopes that his records will help to eliminate the stigma that a performance can be viewed as “good for D3” and to promote the stance that fast is fast no matter what is written across one’s jersey.
“I think the psychological effect of being D3 is a far greater hindrance than our lack of resources,” Ryan said. “Running is about seeing how far you can go, so I'm proud that it was a 9-second PR, and it backs up my belief that you can build the right environment to grow and improve no matter where you are.”
To further prove division doesn’t matter, Ryan has set goals for the season that he shares with pros like the ones he lined up with in Boston. His sights are set on the U.S. standard in the men’s 1500m with the hope of competing in the 2022 Outdoor U.S. Championship in Eugene, OR. Though he started the year with the intention of applying to Ph.D. programs in Physics upon graduation, Ryan has shifted his focus to his running. He wants to explore options for competing professionally, the dream of many a runner, albeit one only few, especially in D3, get the chance to pursue.
Ryan is forging his path, driven by a dream that is steadily becoming a reality. D3 records and national titles are just steps in the staircase Ryan is climbing to get to something bigger.
As his previous plans to pursue a Ph.D. fade like the smoke from the starter pistol on Ashford Street, a new vision comes into focus. Though his steps are uncertain, each one brings him closer to the prize. As he’s done time and time again this season, Aidan Ryan seizes his moment.
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One week later in New York City, Johns Hopkins junior Ella Baran toed the starting line of another historic track: the Armory, one of the biggest stages for indoor track and field in the world.
Flanking her left and right at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge was a string of professional runners seeking to improve their world rankings and hit national and world qualifying standard times. Baran was the only collegian in the heat and she had ambitious dreams of her own.
She was making an attempt at the D3 mile record and had been understandably jittery in the days and hours leading up to the race.
Her nerves quelled as she donned the Johns Hopkins light blue and brown.
“When I put on the singlet, I remembered that I wasn’t here to just set a record, but to represent more than that: teammates, coaches, family, and myself.”
With that, she crouched and waited for the gun to fire, knowing that she belonged and feeling proud and thankful for the opportunity.
As the gun sounded, Baran anticipated being out of her comfort zone. Running with the pros meant a faster start and positive splits, different from her usual racing tactics. A pacer set the tone for the first three laps, pulling the leaders through at 2:17 for the half-mile. Baran hung to the back, coming through at 2:19, well under the record-setting pace of 4:43. With two laps to go, Baran fought her way past two competitors to stay in touch with the lead pack. She closed in 34 seconds to finish seventh in the field.
Photo by: Johnny Zhang - Ella Baran during the race
She stepped off the track with a new PR of 4:40.53, breaking the D3 legend Missy Buttry’s (now Rock) 17-year old record of 4:43.92. Baran’s time was also a ten-second drop from her previous mile PR.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions and the Johns Hopkins team travel schedule, Baran’s primary coach and teammates were unable to witness the historic run in-person. Baran hadn’t planned to tell people that the race would be available via broadcast, not wanting to put unnecessary pressure on herself in case it went poorly. But her coach had mentioned it at practice a few days earlier and when Baran returned to her phone, she was flooded with congratulatory messages.
The third slide shows the team’s reaction to Ella’s record
“I felt my coach’s excitement through all the gifs he texted me after my race. I was completely blown away by the support. I received hundreds of messages from teammates past and present.”
How does one properly celebrate someone who has just broken a decades-old record?
“My housemates baked me a peanut butter chocolate cake (like most runners, I live off PB) and we had a mini celebration at one of my teammate's surprise birthday party,” Baran told the D3GD team in an email interview.
It’s hard to believe that Baran could only dream of running just a few months prior. A foot injury forced her to spend most of the fall cross-training on a stationary bike, where she would visualize cross country races to center her focus during the monotonous pedaling.
In those early days, where a fall season looked neither possible nor promising, Baran saw indoor track as more of a fallback plan than motivation.
Baran mitigated the potential for re-injury during the cross-country season by limiting how much she raced. She estimated that she swam and cycled more miles than she ran. When she was finally healthy enough to wear the Hopkins singlet, she represented the team well. In only her second race of the season, Baran placed 9th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, leading her team to a first-place team finish at the meet.
Now with her record-breaking mile run, Baran’s indoor “fallback season” is quickly becoming the season of most athletes’ dreams. She hopes her performances “inspire a belief that big jumps can still happen, despite setbacks.”
Baran’s setbacks trace back to her days as a high school runner. She struggled with PR plateaus during puberty and sought out ways to do more to accelerate fitness, like running too fast on easy days.
Eventually, Baran’s self-prescribed overtraining landed her in emergency femoral neck surgery. After a full year of consequent rehab, she arrived as a freshman at Johns Hopkins, a tough foundation off of which to launch a collegiate running career.
“I hoped that my stress fracture days were behind me, but I ended up with three others throughout my time at Hopkins,” Baran said.
Baran persevered, however, crediting her ability to succeed despite years of heartbreaking injuries to her commitment to cross-training.
“I continued cross-training most days to make the aerobic transition back to running easier. I didn’t put pressure on myself to exercise for a certain amount of time or hit a particular effort; I cross-trained more for sanity purposes than for staying in shape and didn’t want to apply any unnecessary pressure when my body healed.”
Balancing her physical health with her mental health has been crucial in holding Baran steady through the ups and downs of her collegiate career. When discussing her pre-race talk and routine, Baran told us that she reframes intimidating situations by channeling influential quotes from other runners. The day she broke the D3 mile record, Baran had been manifesting a sense of belonging, inspired by a podcast interview of steeplechaser Courtney Frerichs on cultivating confidence.
By reframing, manifesting, and remaining patient, Baran has learned to work with and not against the inevitable bumps in her journey.
“Though I haven’t been able to consistently run for the last five years, I focus on aspects of my training that I can control. I’ve exercised in one form or another for at least an hour over the past four years (barring the off-season). While this formula doesn’t always translate to immediate improvement, I’ve noticed great differences in the long run. To be cliche, consistency is key.”
Baran stayed consistent in her dominance, turning in a No. 3 D3 All-Time performance of 9:13.32 in the 3000m just a week later at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational.
It can be hard to find Baran at track meets, and it’s not only because she’s so fast. Baran is always one of the first ones to high-five a teammate on their performance or help them walk back to their shoes. When one of our writers went looking for Baran at the Valentine Invitational, Johns Hopkins runners helpfully suggested, “She’s probably somewhere around the track cheering on her teammates.”
When asked about her hopes for the rest of the season, Baran didn’t mention any other individual goals. As usual, she’s thinking about the team:
“I’d love for Johns Hopkins to podium at nationals.”
Keep your eye out for the Blue Jays this indoor season. With Baran leading the pack, the team is certain to go far.
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D3’s “for the love of the game” is quickly becoming a winning mantra. Ella Baran’s time not only leads D3 but also put her No. 7 on the All-College Descending Order List. She shares this intra-division dominance with Ryan, who was ranked No. 15 in the world following his mile record.
Both of these athletes share a common recipe for success: believing you belong alongside the best can make you one of the best, regardless of division. As each of these athletes carve their paths, they mark the trail for others to follow in their footsteps.
Ryan, aware of the brink he is on, has a prediction for what’s to come in D3 running.
“I bet the top 10 lists will have a lot of new entries pretty soon,” he said. “The goalposts are shifting and people will respond.”