2017 DI NCAA Outdoor ChampionshipsJun 5, 2017 by Taylor Dutch
NCAA 5K Preview: A New Era In Men's Distance And A Stacked Women's Showdown
NCAA 5K Preview: A New Era In Men's Distance And A Stacked Women's Showdown
Study up on the top storylines heading into the 5K at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, OR.
Study up on the top storylines heading into the men's and women's 5K at the NCAA Outdoor Championships next week in Eugene, OR.
Men's 5K
In the absence of 17-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek, a new men's 5K winner will emerge for the first time in two years. Cheserek scratched from the NCAA preliminary round due to a lower back strain and recently announced that he signed with Total Sports Management. The former Oregon Duck won the NCAA outdoor 5K in 2015 and 2016 and most recently the indoor 5K and 3K. He will be missed in Eugene, but the scratch also presents an opportunity for a new star to emerge.
Justyn Knight has a strong chance of finally adding NCAA champion to his resume. With the exception of last year's NCAA outdoor 5K, the Syracuse All-American has finished second or third at every NCAA championship he's competed in during the last year and a half. Knight finally beat his Oregon rival at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships when he and Patrick Tiernan outpaced Cheserek for the top two spots. Knight recently beat Cheserek again at the Payton Jordan Invitational when the SU junior broke away in the final two laps to win the race in a new personal best of 13:17.
The Payton Jordan performance also earned an IAAF World Championship qualifying standard for the Canadian, who chased the mark during the entire 2016 Olympic year. Knight has the fastest season's best heading into NCAAs this weekend but will face several formidable opponents in his title pursuit.
Grant Fisher will be one of the opponents to watch. The Stanford All-American is heading into the championship with a season's best of 13:37 from the Cardinal Invitational, where he took down Joe Klecker, Abdi Hassan, and John Dressel. Last year, Fisher finished fifth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, which helped guide Stanford to a runner-up team finish. Prior to the fall, Fisher competed in the Olympic Trials 5K semifinal and finished 10th overall. He was a true freshman at the time and the youngest competitor in the field. He was sixth in the 5K at last year's NCAA championships and has only gotten stronger since then.
Marc Scott has been a consistent competitor each time he's raced in an NCAA final. The Tulsa All-American is currently in the middle of a breakthrough season that has seen him register personal bests of 28:07 in the 10K and 7:47 in the 3K. He had two of the highest finishes of his career at the NCAA Indoor Championships last March. He finished third in the 3K and second in the 5K, right behind Cheserek. He also notched a 5K season's best of 13:37 at the Mt. SAC Relays, which earned him the fifth-fastest mark heading into the championship. Scott will be one of the few competitors also running the 10K at NCAAs.
A trio of Colorado Buffaloes has been working together all season long and should present a challenge up front. Joe Klecker, John Dressel, and Zach Perrin made a statement at the Pac-12 Championships after they swept the top three spots. As far as season's bests go, Klecker leads the three with a mark of 13:42 from the Cardinal Classic. Dressel has run 13:44, and Perrin has run 13:46.
With a highly anticipated front battle between Knight, Fisher, and Scott, and the opportunity for up-and-coming stars to break out, the men's 5K should deliver as the beginning of a new era for men's NCAA distance running.
Full Field:
1. Amon Terer, SR, Campbell
2. Jacob Choge, FR, Mid. Tenn. St
3. Euan Makepeace, SO, Butler
4. Emmanuel Rotich, SO, Tulane
5. Azaria Kirwa, SO, Liberty
6. Jason Crist, SR, Indiana
7. Bryce Stroede, JR, Oakland
8. Grant Fisher, SO, Stanford
9. Justyn Knight, JR, Syracuse
10. Clayton Young, SO, BYU
11. Chartt Miller, JR, Iona
12. Joe Klecker, SO, Colorado
13. John Dressel, SO, Colorado
14. Jack Bruce, JR, Arkansas
15. Zach Long, SO, Tennessee
16. Peter Seufer, SO, Virginia Tech
17. Julian Oakley, SR, Providence
18. Craig Lautenslager, SR, UT-Arlington
19. Daniel De La Torre, JR, UCLA
20. Marc Scott, SR, Tulsa
21. Zach Perrin, JR, Colorado
22. Jonathan Davis, FR, Illinois
23. Cole Rockhold, SO, Colo State
24. Joe Hardy, JR, Wisconsin
Women's 5K
In my opinion, the women's 5K is going to be one of the most interesting races to watch at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The interest lies in the fact that there is no clear favorite. There is so much talent in the field that the race has no obvious winner, which always makes for an exciting showdown.
The first competitor we must address is Karissa Schweizer of Missouri. Schweizer leads the field in victories based on her most recent NCAA championship performances. She started to emerge in the spring of 2016 when she finished third in the 5K at the NCAA championships. The momentum continued in cross country when she outkicked race favorites Anna Rohrer and Erin Finn on the final 100m stretch to win the NCAA championship. Schweizer backed up the cross country performance by winning the 5K at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a new personal best of 15:19, well under the IAAF world championship standard of 15:22. As seen from each of her NCAA titles, Schweizer's kick is lethal and can put an end to almost any competitor near her.
An athlete who should give Schweizer a serious challenge is Allie Ostrander. The Boise State All-American competed in her first full outdoor season this year, which was highlighted by a stellar steeplechase debut of 9:55, a 1500m debut of 4:18, and a 5K season's best of 16:09. Last year, Ostrander stunned the crowd at Oregon's Hayward Field with an eighth-place finish in the 5K final at the Olympic Trials. Ostrander, a true freshman at the time, was the only collegiate in the race and finished in an outdoor personal best of 15:24, three seconds slower than her indoor best of 15:21. Unfortunately, Ostrander was plagued by injury for the entire 2016 fall season. She didn't compete until March when she emerged as a talent in the steeplechase. Her 9:55 debut was faster than every debut made by the women in the Olympic Trials final. Ostrander will be doubling in the steeplechase and 5K in Eugene, which means that (assuming she qualifies for the final) she will have two steeplechase races in her legs when she toes the line of the 5K on Saturday night. It's arguably the toughest distance double, and it takes an extremely tough athlete to do it successfully.
Allie Buchalski of Furman is an athlete to keep an eye on next week. Buchalski has seen steady improvement over the past four years and the consistency has paid off in the form of a stunning senior year. During the indoor season, Buchalski notched a 3K personal best of 9:06 and a 5K personal best of 15:41. She competed in both events at the NCAA Indoor Championships, where she finished seventh and fourth, respectively. Two weeks after NCAAs, Buchalski started the outdoor season with another personal best in the outdoor 5K, where she ran a then-world lead of 15:35 at Raleigh Relays. By the end of the regular outdoor season, Buchalski was ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.
All-Americans Katherine Receveur of Indiana, Tessa Barrett of Penn State, and Erika Kemp of NC State will be in the mix after all notching personal bests under 15:41 this year. Receveur and Barrett were part of the jaw-dropping Big Ten indoor 5K showdown in which both athletes ran 15:28. And Kemp just claimed an outdoor personal best of 15:41 at the Virginia Challenge, where she beat All-American Anna Rohrer.
An athlete who should not be overlooked is Sarah Disanza. While the Wisconsin standout doesn't have the fastest time heading into the meet, she did finish second at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Disanza has struggled with injury ever since but managed to notch an outdoor personal best of 15:55 this season and a spot on the line in Eugene.
A dark horse for a top five spot could be Stanford freshman Fiona O'Keeffe. In her first college cross country season, O'Keeffe finished as an All-American and helped the Cardinal capture a fifth-place team finish. She competed unattached during the indoor season but still ran a blazing 3K personal best of 9:15, the first step in bigger things to come for the spring. She notched a 15:56 5K personal best at the Stanford Invitational and showed her speed at the NCAA West Preliminary round with a kick to win section one of the 5K. She hasn't been in a truly competitive 5K race yet, which will make the NCAA final even more exciting to witness.
There are also several notable 5K/10K doubles taking place from five athletes. All-Americans Erin Clark of Colorado, Regan Rome of William & Mary, Veronica Eder of Auburn, Natalie Tanner of Columbia, and Caroline Sang of Charlotte will all be taking on the tough distance double.
With top national-caliber talents, several athletes with stunning kicks, and the uncertainty of doubling, the women's 5K should deliver an exciting battle.
Full Field:
1. Tessa Barrett, SO, Penn State
2. Charlotte Imer, JR, East Kentucky
3. Caroline Sang, JR, Charlotte
4. Allie Buchalski, JR, Furman
5. Natalie Tanner, SR, Columbia
6. Katherine Receveur, SO, Indiana
7. Ann Asipan, SR, Tenn-Martin
8. Karissa Schweizer, JR, Missouri
9. Allie Ostrander, FR, Boise State
10. Gina Sereno, SR, Michigan
11. Alsu Bogdanova, JR, East Michigan
12. Regan Rome, JR, William and Mary
13. Veronica Eder, SR, Auburn
14. Erika Kemp, JR, NC State
15. Taylor Werner, FR, Arkansas
16. Danielle Shanahan, SR, Loyola Marymount
17. Sarah Disanza, JR, Wisconsin
18. Fiona O'Keeffe, FR, Stanford
19. Abby Gray, FR, Arkansas
20. Clare O'Brien, FR, Boise State
21. Samantha Nadel, SR, Oregon
22. Lilli Burdon, SO, Oregon
23. Erin Clark, JR, Colorado
24. Peyton Bilo, SO, Cal Poly
Men's 5K
In the absence of 17-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek, a new men's 5K winner will emerge for the first time in two years. Cheserek scratched from the NCAA preliminary round due to a lower back strain and recently announced that he signed with Total Sports Management. The former Oregon Duck won the NCAA outdoor 5K in 2015 and 2016 and most recently the indoor 5K and 3K. He will be missed in Eugene, but the scratch also presents an opportunity for a new star to emerge.
Justyn Knight has a strong chance of finally adding NCAA champion to his resume. With the exception of last year's NCAA outdoor 5K, the Syracuse All-American has finished second or third at every NCAA championship he's competed in during the last year and a half. Knight finally beat his Oregon rival at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships when he and Patrick Tiernan outpaced Cheserek for the top two spots. Knight recently beat Cheserek again at the Payton Jordan Invitational when the SU junior broke away in the final two laps to win the race in a new personal best of 13:17.
The Payton Jordan performance also earned an IAAF World Championship qualifying standard for the Canadian, who chased the mark during the entire 2016 Olympic year. Knight has the fastest season's best heading into NCAAs this weekend but will face several formidable opponents in his title pursuit.
Grant Fisher will be one of the opponents to watch. The Stanford All-American is heading into the championship with a season's best of 13:37 from the Cardinal Invitational, where he took down Joe Klecker, Abdi Hassan, and John Dressel. Last year, Fisher finished fifth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, which helped guide Stanford to a runner-up team finish. Prior to the fall, Fisher competed in the Olympic Trials 5K semifinal and finished 10th overall. He was a true freshman at the time and the youngest competitor in the field. He was sixth in the 5K at last year's NCAA championships and has only gotten stronger since then.
Marc Scott has been a consistent competitor each time he's raced in an NCAA final. The Tulsa All-American is currently in the middle of a breakthrough season that has seen him register personal bests of 28:07 in the 10K and 7:47 in the 3K. He had two of the highest finishes of his career at the NCAA Indoor Championships last March. He finished third in the 3K and second in the 5K, right behind Cheserek. He also notched a 5K season's best of 13:37 at the Mt. SAC Relays, which earned him the fifth-fastest mark heading into the championship. Scott will be one of the few competitors also running the 10K at NCAAs.
A trio of Colorado Buffaloes has been working together all season long and should present a challenge up front. Joe Klecker, John Dressel, and Zach Perrin made a statement at the Pac-12 Championships after they swept the top three spots. As far as season's bests go, Klecker leads the three with a mark of 13:42 from the Cardinal Classic. Dressel has run 13:44, and Perrin has run 13:46.
With a highly anticipated front battle between Knight, Fisher, and Scott, and the opportunity for up-and-coming stars to break out, the men's 5K should deliver as the beginning of a new era for men's NCAA distance running.
Full Field:
1. Amon Terer, SR, Campbell
2. Jacob Choge, FR, Mid. Tenn. St
3. Euan Makepeace, SO, Butler
4. Emmanuel Rotich, SO, Tulane
5. Azaria Kirwa, SO, Liberty
6. Jason Crist, SR, Indiana
7. Bryce Stroede, JR, Oakland
8. Grant Fisher, SO, Stanford
9. Justyn Knight, JR, Syracuse
10. Clayton Young, SO, BYU
11. Chartt Miller, JR, Iona
12. Joe Klecker, SO, Colorado
13. John Dressel, SO, Colorado
14. Jack Bruce, JR, Arkansas
15. Zach Long, SO, Tennessee
16. Peter Seufer, SO, Virginia Tech
17. Julian Oakley, SR, Providence
18. Craig Lautenslager, SR, UT-Arlington
19. Daniel De La Torre, JR, UCLA
20. Marc Scott, SR, Tulsa
21. Zach Perrin, JR, Colorado
22. Jonathan Davis, FR, Illinois
23. Cole Rockhold, SO, Colo State
24. Joe Hardy, JR, Wisconsin
Women's 5K
In my opinion, the women's 5K is going to be one of the most interesting races to watch at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The interest lies in the fact that there is no clear favorite. There is so much talent in the field that the race has no obvious winner, which always makes for an exciting showdown.
The first competitor we must address is Karissa Schweizer of Missouri. Schweizer leads the field in victories based on her most recent NCAA championship performances. She started to emerge in the spring of 2016 when she finished third in the 5K at the NCAA championships. The momentum continued in cross country when she outkicked race favorites Anna Rohrer and Erin Finn on the final 100m stretch to win the NCAA championship. Schweizer backed up the cross country performance by winning the 5K at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a new personal best of 15:19, well under the IAAF world championship standard of 15:22. As seen from each of her NCAA titles, Schweizer's kick is lethal and can put an end to almost any competitor near her.
An athlete who should give Schweizer a serious challenge is Allie Ostrander. The Boise State All-American competed in her first full outdoor season this year, which was highlighted by a stellar steeplechase debut of 9:55, a 1500m debut of 4:18, and a 5K season's best of 16:09. Last year, Ostrander stunned the crowd at Oregon's Hayward Field with an eighth-place finish in the 5K final at the Olympic Trials. Ostrander, a true freshman at the time, was the only collegiate in the race and finished in an outdoor personal best of 15:24, three seconds slower than her indoor best of 15:21. Unfortunately, Ostrander was plagued by injury for the entire 2016 fall season. She didn't compete until March when she emerged as a talent in the steeplechase. Her 9:55 debut was faster than every debut made by the women in the Olympic Trials final. Ostrander will be doubling in the steeplechase and 5K in Eugene, which means that (assuming she qualifies for the final) she will have two steeplechase races in her legs when she toes the line of the 5K on Saturday night. It's arguably the toughest distance double, and it takes an extremely tough athlete to do it successfully.
Allie Buchalski of Furman is an athlete to keep an eye on next week. Buchalski has seen steady improvement over the past four years and the consistency has paid off in the form of a stunning senior year. During the indoor season, Buchalski notched a 3K personal best of 9:06 and a 5K personal best of 15:41. She competed in both events at the NCAA Indoor Championships, where she finished seventh and fourth, respectively. Two weeks after NCAAs, Buchalski started the outdoor season with another personal best in the outdoor 5K, where she ran a then-world lead of 15:35 at Raleigh Relays. By the end of the regular outdoor season, Buchalski was ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.
All-Americans Katherine Receveur of Indiana, Tessa Barrett of Penn State, and Erika Kemp of NC State will be in the mix after all notching personal bests under 15:41 this year. Receveur and Barrett were part of the jaw-dropping Big Ten indoor 5K showdown in which both athletes ran 15:28. And Kemp just claimed an outdoor personal best of 15:41 at the Virginia Challenge, where she beat All-American Anna Rohrer.
An athlete who should not be overlooked is Sarah Disanza. While the Wisconsin standout doesn't have the fastest time heading into the meet, she did finish second at the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Disanza has struggled with injury ever since but managed to notch an outdoor personal best of 15:55 this season and a spot on the line in Eugene.
A dark horse for a top five spot could be Stanford freshman Fiona O'Keeffe. In her first college cross country season, O'Keeffe finished as an All-American and helped the Cardinal capture a fifth-place team finish. She competed unattached during the indoor season but still ran a blazing 3K personal best of 9:15, the first step in bigger things to come for the spring. She notched a 15:56 5K personal best at the Stanford Invitational and showed her speed at the NCAA West Preliminary round with a kick to win section one of the 5K. She hasn't been in a truly competitive 5K race yet, which will make the NCAA final even more exciting to witness.
There are also several notable 5K/10K doubles taking place from five athletes. All-Americans Erin Clark of Colorado, Regan Rome of William & Mary, Veronica Eder of Auburn, Natalie Tanner of Columbia, and Caroline Sang of Charlotte will all be taking on the tough distance double.
With top national-caliber talents, several athletes with stunning kicks, and the uncertainty of doubling, the women's 5K should deliver an exciting battle.
Full Field:
1. Tessa Barrett, SO, Penn State
2. Charlotte Imer, JR, East Kentucky
3. Caroline Sang, JR, Charlotte
4. Allie Buchalski, JR, Furman
5. Natalie Tanner, SR, Columbia
6. Katherine Receveur, SO, Indiana
7. Ann Asipan, SR, Tenn-Martin
8. Karissa Schweizer, JR, Missouri
9. Allie Ostrander, FR, Boise State
10. Gina Sereno, SR, Michigan
11. Alsu Bogdanova, JR, East Michigan
12. Regan Rome, JR, William and Mary
13. Veronica Eder, SR, Auburn
14. Erika Kemp, JR, NC State
15. Taylor Werner, FR, Arkansas
16. Danielle Shanahan, SR, Loyola Marymount
17. Sarah Disanza, JR, Wisconsin
18. Fiona O'Keeffe, FR, Stanford
19. Abby Gray, FR, Arkansas
20. Clare O'Brien, FR, Boise State
21. Samantha Nadel, SR, Oregon
22. Lilli Burdon, SO, Oregon
23. Erin Clark, JR, Colorado
24. Peyton Bilo, SO, Cal Poly