Ben Weisel
Feb 27, 20204 min
We have not seen much from the Texas A&M star this year. He debuted in his main event at the Tiger Paw Invitational, but faltered to 3rd in a likely tactical race en route to a time of 1:52.
It was a bit concerning to see that kind of result from a runner who was the overwhelming favorite to win the 800 meter national title coming into this indoor season. Fortunately, we saw him bounce back in a big way last weekend as he soloed a 1:47 at the Texas A&M Invitational. Still, it is only one race.
The SEC Indoor Championships gives Dixon a great opportunity to prove that he deserves to be the title favorite once again as he goes up against a strong field. He will have teammate Carlton Orange as well as Justin Pacifico (Florida), John Rivera (Ole Miss) and Dejon Devroe of (Mississippi State). Aside from Orange, no one is a lock to finish as an All-American at NCAA’s, but beating a field like this would be huge as Dixon attempts to reassert himself as the guy to be beat.
The senior from Georgia is no stranger to NCAA Championships, but this is the first time that she will enter an NCAA Championships as a true All-American contender. Her 2:03 performance from two weeks ago is currently the second fastest time of the season and it instantly made her a top contender in a crowded 800 field this year.
Tanner wasn’t able to qualify for the finals at last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships, but her time indicates that she should be an All-American lock...right?
Last year at SEC’s, Tanner finished 3rd. With Jazmine Fray now graduated, Tanner has a chance to prove that she can translate her brand new PR into a career-defining win. She will, however, have some tough competition in Katy-Ann McDonald (LSU) who has run 2:05 this year. A loss to McDonald wouldn’t be shocking, but a win would really solidify Tanner’s odds as an All-American.
We will likely see a Razorback sweep of the top three spots in the 5000 meters with Emmanuel Cheboson, Gilbert Boit and Matt Young leading the way. While one of these three men will likely take home the conference title, they could be more focused on earning an NCAA qualifying time.
Cheboson currently sits at NCAA #16 with his 13:41 mark while Boit and Young are right behind him at 13:44 and 13:49, respectively. Will the three work together to run a quick time and qualify more Razorbacks in the 5k? Or will they be content to sweep the top three and prepare themselves for the 3000 meters the next day?
If those three men do attempt to execute an all-out assault on the 5k national qualifying times, then Missouri's Thomas George may join them. He has run 13:51 for the 5000 meters this season to complement what has been a breakout year for the Tiger senior. George has also run 8:00 for 3000 meters this winter and even qualified for the NCAA XC Championships this past fall. He's a great sleeper pick who has been picking up some serious momentum in his last few races.
Both Jessica and Samantha Drop ran the 5k at the Husky Classic two weeks ago and turned in times of 16:04 and 16:18, respectively. Right now a sub-16:00 would likely qualify them for Nationals in the 5000 meters (although it's tough to say if anyone else will add their name to the top 16 after this weekend).
With Katie Izzo, Mercy Chelangat and Joyce Kimeli all assumedly going to be in the SEC 5k field (that's just speculation), then the Drop sisters would have plenty of top athletes to run with if they decide to go out hard.
I’m not sure how likely it is that they would be able run quick enough just two weeks after running over 16 minutes. However, if they want to give NCAA qualifying another go, then I think the 5k is their best bet.
One of the top DMR teams over the past few years have been the men of Ole Miss, but this year we have yet to see them race in this event. With Waleed Suliman, Parker Scott and Everett Smulders, the Rebels have three men who have run 4:03 or faster this year. Throw in John Rivera who has run 1:48 this season (multiple times) and Ole Miss should be able to run at least 9:35 which is the NCAA #12 time currently.
Even if Suliman doesn’t run the DMR at NCAA’s, why not let Smulders and Scott give the relay their best shot? Much like Indiana, the Ole Miss men have (on paper) the perfect roster for a top-tier DMR lineup.
The Rebels would likely have to run the DMR on their own at SEC’s as Arkansas already has their qualifying time while other teams aren't capable of running with them. Perhaps Ole Miss will be more focused on scoring points at their conference meet, but it would be fun to see the Rebels back in the DMR a few weeks from now.