INDIANAPOLIS – Another NCAA nationals, another trip to the awards podium for Annika Esvelt.
 
The Seattle Pacific distance running star had a strong start and came through with an All-American seventh-place finish in the women's 5000 meters on Thursday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships.
 
Esvelt finished her 25 laps around Fall Creek Pavilion's red 200-meter oval  in 16 minutes, 20.55 seconds. That was the fastest of her three NCAA indoor races in that event, beating the 16:31.12 she ran as a sophomore in 2022 for eighth place and the 16:29.98 she clocked last year when she bounced back up after a fall and came on to get 10th.
 
She now has eight career All-American awards, with three of those for indoor track.
 
Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge from Colorado School of Mines surged into the lead at about 2500, stayed in front for all but a few meters the rest of the way and ultimately won by a massive margin of seven seconds. She stopped the watch in 16:03.45.Ramsey-Rutledge was the pre-meet favorite with her entry time of 15:40.98 from way back on Dec. 7.
 
Tristian Spence of Adams State (Colorado) was second in 16:10.60 after running right on Ramsey-Rutledge's heels most of the way, briefly taking the lead at 4400 before Ramsey-Rutledge quickly took it back.
 
 

Esvelt herself was in narrowly in front for a stretch of six laps in the early going. She edged ahead of Spence by the 1600 mark and stayed up there through 2400 until the time when Ramsey-Rutledge made her move. Esvelt was splitting in the 38s most of that time.
 
She was back as far as eighth for four laps, then moved back up to seventh with four to go and solidly kept control of that position the rest of the way.
 
"I was trying to just go off the other racers. I was prepared for pretty much anything," Esvelt said. "We went out fast and settled in slow pretty quickly I felt pretty comfortable for the first mile, and then it felt really hard.
 
"Nothing went horribly wrong. I just didn't do what I wish I had done," she continued. "I'm just super-grateful for the opportunity. I wish I had more, but it's not the end of the world and I'm still excited for the 3K on Saturday."
 
Falcons assistant coach / distance coach Eric Hansen also took a big-picture view.
 
 

"I think we had a good plan going into it, and seemed like it was setting up the way we wanted it to," he said. "It was a really good field and we thought there were a number of girls who would be in the mix.
 
"When Ramsey-Rutledge made that move, I think Annika had a hard time gong with it. But she still ran really hard and gave it her all. That's what she had today, and you can't be too upset at coming away with another All-American performance."
 
Esvelt picked up two team points. That makes it the 20th time in 40 NCAA indoor meets that the Falcons have scored.
 
UP NEXT
Esvelt returns to the Fall Creek Pavilion track on Saturday for the 3000 meters, in which she is seeded No. 9 among the 18 entries. That race begins at 1:40 p.m. Pacific time. Tristian Spence is the favorite at 9:07.95. Esvelt's entry mark is 9:24.80.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Fall Creek Pavilion / Indianapolis, Ind.
 
SPU EVENTS ONLY
5000 – 1, Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge (Colorado Mines) 16:03.45.  SPU – 7, Annika Esvelt 16:20.55.


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