Well we find ourselves at the end of the week once again, but I kinda like it. We look back at what happened last weekend and get ready for what’s happening this weekend.

What an incredible weekend for D3 Track and Field. BU Valentine, GVSU, and the Midwest Elite brought the heat. The leaderboards are looking like the week before Nationals, not the middle of February.

UWW Midwest Elite Meet

The purple oval strikes again as Friday night brought a plethora of 5k PRs and All-Time bests. With five guys running 14:01 or faster, the Top 20 list looks a whole lot different. Dan Mayer, Ian LaMere, and Dhruvil Patel are the only 3 guys left on the men’s 5k all-time top-20 list that ran their times before 2022. You now have to run under 14:02 to make the top 20.

14:06 is the eight fastest time ran in D3 this yet a 9:45 3200 high school runner won’t call a D3 coach back.

With Gunner Schlender going under 14min in the 5k, Christian Patzka and Gunner are now the first teammates to break 14 minutes indoors. They both broke the barrier on their home, flat track in little Whitewater, Wisconsin.

The rest of meet produced 43 Top 25 D3 leaderboard performances. It’s quickly becoming one of the top meets in the nation not at BU.

Check out some photos from Olivia Zinanni. Make sure you tag @livz_lens on instagram

BU Valentine

Grant Fisher set another world record but he’s never run a personal best to lead D3 before.

Emmanuel Leblond joins Dan Mayer and Alex Phillip in the sub 8 3k, sub 14 5k club!

The biggest meet of the indoor season produced 23 Top 5 performances, 33 Top 10 performances, and a whopping 64 top 20 performances on the D3 Leaderboard. While BU is a hectic meet from logistical standpoint, the ability to get yourself to the national meet makes it worth it.

The Women’s 3k has stood out all year and after BU, the depth in the event is crazy. 25 women have run 9:50 or faster

From the Athletes

After this wild weekend, we reached out to a few athletes to hear what they thought about their performances.

Here’s what they had to say:

Davian Willems - Sprints - UW-Oshkosh

“The game plan for that 6.68 was really just to go all out. Previous injuries have been making me try to race smarter to avoid injury, but the whole division has been popping off and I was tired of waiting around and was ready for my turn.

I’m excited for the rest of the season since I’ve been able to switch from survival state of mind back to being able to just compete, which was one of the strongest traits back in my freshman and sophomore years.”

Gunner Schlender - Distance - UW-Whitewater

“Racing in Whitewater is always an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience. Having the opportunity to represent a university, program and community who have done so much for jmy growth as a person and athlete is nothing short of a dream come true. Being able to perform at the level I did on Friday is a testament to my competitors, our pacer (shoutout former d3 competitor Enrique!) and most importantly the atmosphere that was created throughout the race. The purple oval is one magical place and I will forever cherish the memories created there.”

Adriana Catalano - Distance - Johns Hopkins

“This weekend was a shock in the best way. It’s exciting to see all the hard work we’ve been putting in begin to pay off, but we’re not done yet, and I’ll be cheering on my teammates as we go after some more national qualifying times this season.

I have so much love for this sport, my team, coaches, and everyone else who continues to support and inspire me.

It all still seems a little unreal, but moments like this are a great reminder that the big dreams I’ve had since I was a kid are meant for chasing. Go hop!”

Sara Schermehorn - Sprints - Hope

“Racing at Grand Valley is always fun and I am glad I am finally seeing work pay off. My hope is to keep building momentum for the rest of the season and am excited for what’s ahead!”

Emma Seipel - LJ/Sprints - Loras

“The season has been great! I have had to step outside my comfort zone this season for a few things but it has definitely been a big help in finding success! As for the jump, honestly I didn’t know, I didn’t have the “that’s the one!!” feeling. It was another field of amazing competition, which means all fear has to be set aside! I didn’t allow myself to think, once you start thinking it’s game over. I trusted myself more than anything. Moving into championship phase it’s about piecing together the puzzle, expressing the passion for the sport, supporting teammates/ friends, and just smiling and laughing! It’s an exciting time and I’m totally here for it!!”

Shane Anderson - Throws - Monmouth (ILL)

“The season started off really rocky at our only December meet where I had my worst meet since my sophomore year, but after coming back from winter break I’ve been able to throw consistent high 18m marks so I knew something big was there. Last year I had a fluke 19m throw and was stuck in the low 18 range at every other meet so I am very happy about the consistency I’ve been able to achieve this season.

I’m feeling very good about going into the NCAAs. I am extra motivated to do great since last year I got injured when I dislocated my knee in warmups on the day of the national meet, so coming in to this year knowing it’s my last chance to accomplish my goals, I just have much more drive to get there and perform like I know I can.”

Yasmin Ruff - Pole Vault - WashU

“This season has been going well! I have been building confidence and consistency, which has been a big focus for me. I moved to a further approach this year, and I think it is going to help take me to the next level. My coach, Lane Lohr, has been a crucial part of my success. His guidance and belief in me have made all the difference. We make such a good team and I’m grateful for the way he pushes me every day to be my best.

This past weekend was a lot of fun. I always look forward to competing against Gracie Holland from UW Whitewater because she is such a fierce competitor. We push each other so much and that just makes it all the more exciting. I am really happy with my 4.10m jump, but far from satisfied!

I have big goals for this season. Defending my national title is definitely one of them, but more than anything, I want to make the most of my senior year. It can be easy to get caught up in marks, but at the end of the day, I love this sport for the relationships I have built. I want to enjoy every moment.”

Top 20 additions

There were 30 newly added or newly improved athletes to the national-event top-20 all-time lists after this weekend:

No. 3 - Davian Willems (UW-Oshkosh) - Men’s 60m - 6.68
No. 7 - Caleb Beightol (UW-Whitewater) - Men’s 60m - 6.71
No. 17 - Maxim Rychkov (TCNJ) - Men’s 200m - 21.44
No. 6 - Alyssa Busker (Elmhurst) - Women’s 200m - 24.25
No. 4 - Sara Schermerhorn (Hope) - Women’s 400m - 54.58
No. 15 - Brynn Mooney (SUNYG) - Women’s 400m - 55.32
No. 10 - Julian Aske (NYU) - Men’s 800m - 1:49.52
No. 8 - Megan Bell (Rochester) - Women’s 800m - 2:07.95
No. 19 - Kelty Oaster (Elizabethtown) - Women’s 800m - 2:09.46
No. 15 - Haley Schoenegge (Vassar) - Women’s Mile - 4:48.18
No. 7 - Ziyad Hassan (MIT) - Men’s Mile - 4:01.13
No. 11 - Nicholas Lyndaker (St. Lawrence) - Men’s Mile - 4:03.36
No. 19 - Sam Coutts (MIT) - Men’s Mile - 4:04.51
No. 3 - Chasen Hunt (Lynchburg) - Men’s 3k - 7:56.92
No. 4 - Emmanuel Leblond (Johns Hopkins) - Men’s 5k - 7:57.85
No. 8 - Reza Eshghi (Haverford) - Men’s 3k - 8:03.39
No. 7 - Jules Bleskoski (RPI) - Women’s 5k - 16:21.84
No. 10 - Penelope Greene - (SUNYG) - Women’s 5k - 16:24.95
No. 13 - Kate Sanderson (MIT) - Women’s 5k - 16:27.28
No. 9 - Gunner Schlender (UW-Whitewater) - Men’s 5k - 13:59.81
No. 12 - Aidan Matthai (UW-La Crosse) - Men’s 5k - 14:00.30
No. 13 - Isaac vanWestrienen (Cornell College) - Men’s 5k - 14:00.49
No. 20 - Grant Matthai (UW-La Crosse) - Men’s 5k - 14:01.86
No. 7 - SUNY Cortland - Men’s 4x400m Relay - 3:12.87
No. 1 - UChicago - Women’s DMR - 11:31.24
No. 4 - MIT - Women’s DMR - 11:34.00
No. 19 - Connecticut College - Women’s DMR - 11:41.08
No. 9 - Yasmin Ruff (WashU) - Women’s PV - 4.10m
No. 20 - Logan Isaacs (Centre) - Men’s PV - 5.20m
No. 5 - Emma Seipel (Loras) - Women’s LJ - 6.11m

Leaderboard changes

The leaderboards are starting to heat up. Here are the names that rose to the top or bettered their national-leading marks this past weekend.

Sara Schermerhorn (Hope) - Women’s 400m - 54.58
Megan Bell (Rochester) - Women’s 800m - 2:07.95
Ziyad Hassan (MIT) - Men’s Mile - 4:01.13
Haley Schoenegge (Vassar) - Women’s Mile - 4:48.18
Chasen Hunt (Lynchburg) - Men’s 3k -
Gunner Schlender (UW-Whitewater) - Men’s 5k - 13:59.81
Lynchburg - Men’s DMR - 9:50.86
UChicago - Women’s DMR - 11:31.24
Yasmin Ruff (WashU) - Women’s PV - 4.10m
Emma Seipel (Loras) - Women’s LJ - 6.11m
Shane Anderson (Monmouth) - Men’s WT - 19.88m

Podcast

On the same day, at the same meet, Lauren Jarrett and Sam Blaskowski each broke their own 60m record. In back to back races

We bring them back on the podcast for a joint episode.

We talk about raising the bar for D3 athletes, winning titles vs setting records, and their up coming trip to NYC for USATF Indoors this weekend.

USATF Indoors

17 current and former athletes will compete at the USATF Indoor Championships at Ocean Breeze in New York. Seven current athletes will have an opportunity to compete against the best in the US, including the top 3 in the 60m. Here’s a list of those competing.