BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Haverford College seniors Jamie Moreland and Ryan Kredell took to the track at the Birmingham CrossPlex for the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships on Friday afternoon. Moreland finished 20th in the preliminary heats of the mile, while Ryan Kredell finished 13th in the final of the 5,000 meters.
The first of two heats in the mile was a strategic one. Automatic qualifying spots for the top four finishers of the heat were up for grabs but athletes were certainly saving their legs for the final if they were confident enough to do so. Moreland found himself in a good position nearly halfway through the race as he ran 1:34.92 through 600 meters. However, Moreland was tripped up from behind, throwing the Los Angeles native off balance and out of rhythm. Moreland never fully recovered as the lead back started to get away from him as he eventually finished in 4:20.98.
Moreland's indoor campaign came to an end but the senior certainly left his mark this season. Moreland finished the season 11th all-time in the mile for Division III and fourth-best time all-time for Haverford with his 4:03.66 from January. Look for Moreland to take some of that performance outdoors in the 1500 meters where the senior finished sixth at NCAAs in 2022, earning All-America status.
Kredell lined up with some of Division III's best distance runners in the 5,000 meters. The top three finishers broke the 14-minute barrier on Friday night. The senior placed himself firmly in the top eight positions through the first part of the race as the runners blazed to a 4:32 first mile. However, Kredell would gradually fall off the pace that many of the athletes decided to sustain. For the rest of the race, Kredell was battling for a top-15 spot and would eventually finish 13th with a time of 14:39.64.
Christian Patzka of Wisconsin-Whitewater was the eventual winner of the event, running an impressive 13:47.01. Alex Phillip of John Carroll (13:52.29) and Ethan Gregg of Wis.-La Crosse (13:53.93) rounded out the top three finishers.
Kredell finished the season with one of the best indoor seasons from a Haverford athlete in school history. His 14:02.37 in the 5,000 meters from January broke Haverford's and the Centennial Conference's all-time record. With a well-deserved rest on the horizon, Kredell will now look towards the outdoor season for another crack at All-American honors as he wraps up one of the most decorated collegiate campaigns in recent memory.