NCAA Preview: Men's/Women's 5000m

Mar 11, 2015 by Lincoln Shryack

Eric Jenkins, Oregon

His teammate gets most of the attention, but a not-so-well kept secret is that Eric Jenkins has been Oregon’s best runner in 2015, outshining even King Cheserek. Sure, the best two collegiate distance runners haven’t faced off since they went 1-2 at NCAA XC back in November, but Jenkins is on a tear right now that would make even Cheserek proud. An easy-looking 13:31 kicked off Jenkins’ season in the 5k, and he paired that with a tidy 7:44 3k win at the Millrose Games three weeks later to further legitimize his shot at an individual title. With no Cheserek in this contest, Jenkins should cruise through these 25 laps on his way to victory.

Emily Sisson, Providence

Top-level NCAA stars usually race conference meets very conservatively to save as much energy for nationals as possible, but that clearly wasn’t Emily Sisson’s mindset when she crushed a 15:12 5k at the Big East Championships two weeks ago, a new NCAA record and the top time in 2015 by more than eight seconds. With Wisconsin’s Sarah Disanza not looking anything close to the same runner that ran 15:20 in December, the time is now for Sisson to win her first title. It will be interesting to see if she tries to just out-run the field knowing that she’s in tremendous shape, or if she plays it safe and trusts her kick. The former seems more likely, as the Friar’s margin of victory at Big East’s was 1:08.

Parker Stinson, Oregon

Stinson came up huge for the Ducks in this event last season, placing 3rd behind Cheserek and Lawi Lalang in 13:54 (13:28 w/ altitude conversion). With Lalang now running professionally and King Ches opting for the mile/DMR combo, Stinson is the top returner in the 5k this weekend. The 5th year senior ran an impressive 13:38 indoor PB in January, and should be very fresh in Fayetteville since he has only raced two other times in 2015. Stinson is a gritty racer and he’ll be all-in at this meet as his eligibility runs out after indoors.

Kemoy Campbell, Arkansas

The Jamaican 5k record holder doesn’t have a flashy time attached to his name in 2015, but his experience, closing speed, and home field advantage should give him a tremendous boost on Friday night. The SEC champ in the 3k and 5k has been trending up as the season has gone along, and the field can’t afford to sleep on the Razorback even though his 13:44 is just 12th best out of 16 men. Campbell has great history on this track, as he finished second in the NCAA 3k back in 2013.

Sarah Disanza, Wisconsin

The Sarah Disanza hype-train started back in November when the Badger came out of nowhere to finish second at NCAA XC. Riding that wave of confidence (and fitness), Disanza pulled another stunner in early December when she beat Emily Sisson and ran a 15:20.57 5k up in Boston, which was #4 in NCAA history at the time. The redshirt frosh looked unstoppable, but since then Disanza has been a bit of a mystery. Rumored to be dealing with an injury, she has only raced twice since December, with her last outing being a sub-par 9:16 3k at Big Ten’s where she finished nearly 15 seconds behind winner Rachele Schulist. We’re not confident that Disanza can get her act together in time for this race, but her incredible seed time makes her impossible to ignore.

Rachel Johnson, Baylor

The Baylor senior has been up-and-down in 2015, but she seems to have righted the ship by sweeping the 3k and 5k at the Big 12 Championships. Like Sisson and Disanza, Johnson knocked her 5k qualifier out of the way in December by running 15:40.45, NCAA #4 in 2015. The steepler doesn’t have great top-end speed, but what she lacks in quickness she more than makes up for in strength. A quick pace from the gun would play nicely into Johnson’s hands, as she can pick off the overly enthusiastic runners who may fall into Sisson’s trap. Johnson was 5th at NCAA XC, so this aerobic monster won’t fade when the grind of 25 laps starts to wear her competitors down.

Thomas Curtin, Virginia Tech

This was a tough choice. We haven’t even mentioned the Colorado trio of Pierce Murphy, Morgan Pearson, and Ammar Moussa or Texas’ Craig Lutz, but the dark horse of all dark horses is Virginia Tech’s Thomas Curtin, who has never qualified for an NCAA track final but ran the NCAA #2 5k of 2015 (13:38.56) in February. The Hokie junior out-kicked pros Maverick Darling and Reed Connor at the Iowa State Classic, and showed that he can close hard off a fast pace. Not only did Curtin make a massive leap in the 5k (his old PB was 13:58), but he also shaved nearly 15 seconds off his 3k by running 7:52.92 to win the ACC title. Experience is not on his side, but Curtin is on fire this season.

Sandie Raines, Texas

The former Razorback turned Longhorn returns to her old stomping grounds looking to score valuable points for Texas’ title hopes. The sophomore lowered her PB by 32 seconds at the Husky Classic by dropping a 15:50 (#8 NCAA) in Seattle, and should run inspired on Friday night in her return to Fayetteville. The Longhorns are very sprint heavy, so any extra points from Raines will be a welcome addition.