Alex Wilson Invite Preview

The 2020 Alex Wilson Invitational will take place this Saturday at the University of Notre Dame. Although this meet features your typical track events that usually fill a meet schedule, the DMR seems to be the highlight of the meet year after year.

Bringing together some of the top teams across the country, the Alex Wilson Invitational gives teams an excellent opportunity to run an NCAA qualifying time and place themselves in the top 12 nationally before the meet happens in March (the top 12 DMR's go to Nationals). Alex Wilson serves as a great opportunity to qualify before teams buckle down for the often tactical racing that championship meets bring in late February and early March.

Below are a handful of teams that are competing for a top 12 spot in the nation...

For the lead-off leg, it seems as though Sami Corman will handle that distance. Corman held that spot three weeks ago on this relay and has season bests of 2:10 (800) and 4:40 (mile). The 1200 meters seems to be a great spot for her to balance out her two primary events.

The anchor leg will likely be taken by Alie Fordyce who was also a member of their squad three weeks ago in Penn State. Fordyce is a similar runner to Corman, but has slightly slower season best times in the 800 and mile (although she has run 2:50 for 1000 meters this season and owns a 2:48 PR from her time at Princeton). Look for her to fight at the end and use her finishing speed to pick off some anchor legs.

This DMR team will be rounded out at the 800 meter leg with Lexi Del Gizzo, an athlete who is more of a 600/800 runner rather than an 800/1000/mile runner. She runs down in distance more often than not which gives her an edge in the speed category. Her 800 season best is also pegged at 2:10, so either her or one of the other anchor legs will need to make some notable improvements if they are to put themselves in contention to qualify for Nationals.

The Irish have been a very interesting team this team. Not only have they not run a DMR at any meet this year, but they also haven’t had an athlete compete in the 400 meters. This does not automatically mean they should be written off for a chance to run a top 12 time nationally, but it is interesting to analyze their team up to this point.

What we do know is that they have a great leg in Mikayla Schneider. Schneider has a season best of 2:07 in the 800 meters, but look for her to possibly fill that lead-off leg thanks to the extensive depth of the Irish's middle distance corps. Erin Sullivan (season best of 2:09) may be the next best option to take that 800 leg. Because Schneider is slightly stronger over 800 meters, having her lead-off will give the Irish the chance to be in contention early in the race.

On the anchor spot, it could be Rachel DaDamio who will be the one to lead the Notre Dame women home. The senior has run 4:49 for the mile so far this year, but also has a 4:44 indoor PR. She does not seem to be in top mile form up to this point, but could replicate her personal best if she's in the mix with the top pack.

The Badgers are definitely one of the top relays for this weekend’s battle. They have star power on more than just one leg of their relay which should put them in contention to run an NCAA qualifying time.

It would be wrong to start with anyone other than Alicia Monson, an athlete who currently owns the NCAA #21 best mile time in the country (4:38.14). Monson has the necessary fitness to effectively bring any team into contention for the win. Having her, especially on the anchor leg, will give the Badgers a chance to completely pull away or fight their way back into this race (no matter how it unfolds).

However, Monson’s strength isn’t all that the Badgers have to offer this weekend.

Bianca Stubler looks to be the best option for the 800 meters given her 2:10 season best. She currently has the NCAA #28 time over 600 meters, hinting at some extra, untapped speed which could result in a faster than expected split.

As for the lead-off role, it seems to be slightly up in the air as to who can most effectively set the tone from the gun. The likely athlete will be Madison Mooney who has "only" run 2:12 in the 800 meters this season, but 2:47 in the 1000 meters, one of fastest 1k marks in the nation this year.

If Mooney can replicate that 1000 meter fitness to a distance that is 200 meters longer, then the Wisconsin women have some scary good potential. Depending on you who ask, they may end up having the best starting and ending legs out of any relay in this field.

Michigan is another team that will definitely be in contention for the overall win this weekend. They have some of the strongest middle distance depth in the entire country, especially in the 800 meters. In fact, there are almost too many options to choose from based off of what their athletes have run this season.

On the mile leg, the best choice will no doubt be Meg Darmofal, an underrated, rising talent who has flashed tremendous range and improvement this year. Darmofal has run 2:08 and 4:39 this season and could continue her progress this weekend against a talented, but not overwhelmingly so, field. Look for Darmofal to be a quieter anchor leg who can easily find herself in the top pack when she gets the baton.

On the 800 meter leg, definitely be on the lookout for Aurora Rynda who currently owns a season best of 2:05 for 800 meters. She debuted with that time a week ago and seems to be in great shape heading into the postseason meets.

For the leadoff leg, Alice Hill will likely be employed for that spot. Hill owns seasonal best times of 2:07 (800) and 4:40 (mile), making her one of the more ideal athletes to run on the 1200 meter leg. Her skill across the middle distance events makes her a prime piece for any NCAA-hopeful DMR. If Hill does lead-off, look for her to get into the mix early on and stay up front until the exchange.

The Wolverines are strong across the board and can even interchange some of their pieces throughout their relay. Look for them to stay consistent throughout the entire race.

The Hoosier women are another solid, all-around group, but they lack a big name leg to really influence the outcome of the race as a whole.

On the lead-off leg, look for Mallory Mulzer to handle the race from the gun. Mulzer has a season best of 2:09 for 800 meters, but owns a personal best of 2:07 from last spring. When you pair that with her 2:52 1000 meter performance from earlier in the year, then it seems fair to assume that she can likely be a useful lead-off leg.

The mile choice for the Hoosiers will likely be Jenna Barker who recently ran a new PR for the mile on Valentine’s Day in 4:43. It's clear that she is beginning to peak at the right time. Competing in a field like this should allow her to thrive off of her current momentum into (hopefully) another PR-caliber result. Barker also has the second fastest 800 meter season best for her team (2:09), so look for her to finish hard and perhaps unleash a strong kick down the home stretch.

The 800 meter leg is a bit up for grabs, but look for Joely Pinkston to be the eventual choice for this section of the relay. Pinkston has the fastest 800 meter time by a Hoosier this season, clocking in at 2:07, so she is definitely an athlete who can compete well when she gets the stick.

The Hoosiers are not on the top of many people’s radar this weekend, but they are more than capable of snagging a top-12 time for the NCAA meet if everything goes their way.

While many fans will be (rightfully) distracted by the star power of Alicia Monson and Wisconsin, the Texas women have a chance to do something special this weekend in the DMR.

Veteran Kathyrn Gillespie is the best anchor out of anyone in this field, owning a personal best of 4:34 in what has been a monumental breakout season for her. With her continually improving 800 meter speed, she can win this race with an all-out run or a sit-and-kick effort.

But this relay has more than just Gillespie. Sophomore Valery Tobias has run 2:07 for 800 meters this season and will likely run that same event on the Longhorns' DMR this weekend.

As for the opening leg, the Texas women have a few options, but the clear choice is Destiny Collins, the underrated mile runner who posted a 4:43 mile PR earlier this year. She has been slowly improving as a competitor over the past few years and now has the potential to be one of the best 1200 meter legs of this entire field on Saturday.

Together, Texas could scare some of the top marks in the country when it's all said and done.

In terms of the 800 meter leg, Matt Rizzo and Brandon McGorty seem to be the two men who could fill that spot. McGorty has slightly faster personal bests in both the 800 meters and 1000 meters, so he will likely get the nod.

You also can’t count out Alex Ostberg to possibly make an appearance on the mile or 1200 legs as he also has a PR of 3:58 from last winter (and has run 4:00 this season). Assuming Ostberg is responsible to anchor the Cardinal DMR, then it could be Thomas Ratcliffe acting as the lead-off leg given his 4:00 mile result from earlier in the season.

As a whole, Stanford seems to be a bit of a dark horse team in this event as they don't have a relay combination that is perfectly suited for the DMR (like Indiana does). If Stanford is in the race when Ratcliffe or Ostberg get the baton, look for them to attack the field and compete for an NCAA qualifying time.

The Hoosier middle distance contingent is having a very strong season thus far. They are perfectly suited for an event like the DMR and you could argue that they are the best team in the field when looking at each individual distance leg.

Cooper Williams has been Indiana's middle distance ace this winter with season bests of 1:47 in the 800 meters and 2:22 in the 1000 meters. Williams running anything other than the 800 meter leg would be considered a shock.

Matthew Schadler is another guy with an excellent resume and a handful of great times, but none better than his 3:58 mile result from last weekend in Boston. He has posted a handful of very quiet, but impressive performances in the mile and 1000 meters this season, making him the ideal 1200 meter leg for this relay.

And who could forget about Kyle Mau? Like Ostberg of Stanford, Mau seems to flourish much more in the 3000 meters and 5000 meters, but with a personal best of 3:57 in the mile, Mau could very easily bring this relay the victory.

Indiana seems to be one of the favorites - if not the favorite - for this race. They have countless weapons from the 800 meters to the mile and all of these guys have the capability to run from the front and set a hot pace.

Who can forget last year’s NCAA DMR race? Yared Nuguse flying down the home stretch to nab the title in the final moments from Stanford’s Grant Fisher. The man can do it all, no?

Nuguse has run just a single 3000 meter race so far this season, but when you run 7:46, it's safe to say that you could also run a fast mile time (he has a 3:57 PR). Look for Nuguse to run relaxed and right off the front of the lead pack, waiting for his time to strike. Because of his ability to close VERY hard in races, I am pegging Notre Dame as the overall favorite at this weekend’s meet.

Samuel Voelz will surely be back as the 800 meter leg from last season’s NCAA Championship winning team. He has already run 1:49 this season, an improvement off of where he was at last year. Look for him to replicate that or go even faster.

Dylan Jacobs will likely replicate his duties as the lead-off leg for the Fighting Irish on Saturday. Like Nuguse, his season has been quiet, but he did record an encouraging 8:05 3k result a few weeks back.

In other words, Notre Dame is ready to "run it back" with last year's title-winning DMR. And why not? If it worked once, it can surely work again.

Miami of Ohio has quietly risen to become an underrated challenger in the middle distances. They already ran 9:37 in the DMR three weeks ago, giving us reason to believe that they can be scary-good contenders this weekend.

Miami’s strongest leg seems to be 800 meter man Finley McLear who owns a season best of 1:48.27, one of the fastest in the entire field. To have a guy like him in the middle of a relay could possibly alter the race in favor of the RedHawks by a notable margin.

The trio of Sean Torpy, Anthony Camerieri and Andrew Schroff will fill out the 1200 and mile legs. Camerieri and Torpy handled those two legs three weeks ago in Indiana, but Schroff has now run faster than both men by at least a full second in the mile this season (4:08). However, Schroff is just a freshman, so he may still take the backseat on this relay depending on coaching philosophies and his situational fitness.

For a team that may be flying under a lot of people’s radars, Miami (OH) has a great chance to really make some noise and garner that coveted NCAA qualifying time.

Michigan is a team that, at least on paper, seems to lack a bit of star power. However, they still have a solid slew of middle distance guys who could surely put up a fight. As a collective whole, they could be just as good as some of these other relays.

The trio of Cole Johnson, Anthony Berry and Ben Hill will make up some combination of the 1200-800-mile legs. The order? We're not too sure.

The 800 leg will probably go to Cole Johnson who ran 1:50 earlier this season, but his 4:03 mile PR also makes him a great candidate for the lead-off leg. Anthony Berry has also run 1:50 for 800 meters, but his team-leading PR of 4:01 in the mile makes him the likely anchor.

As for Hill, he's a consistent mile veteran who has run 4:03 this season and owns a 4:01 PR. He will likely be running on the 1200 meter leg, but it's entirely possible that him and Berry switch roles.

Individually, these guys aren't superstars, but they have one of the more well-rounded relays in the country when it comes to talented 800 meter and mile runners.

Well to start, it never hurts to have Oliver Hoare as your anchor leg. Hoare’s current NCAA leading time of 3:56.47 from this season’s Millrose Games is something that you can’t miss. Like Nuguse, Hoare has the power to really control a race and never let it out of his hands. If the team is down, he will get them back into it. If they’re in the mix or leading, it will be hard to beat him.

Hoare was the lead-off leg at last year’s NCAA Championships, but look for him to take over that anchor spot because of his overwhelming mile fitness.

Having said that, the Badgers are still in good hands for their 1200 meter leg with Olin Hacker who can more than likely switch positions with Hoare and battle with the top pack. Hacker has run very well over 3000 meters this season (running a 7:52 PR recently) which indicates that he could likely match his 4:01 mile PR from last winter. While some may see him as a bigger threat in the longer distances, Hacker can certainly do some damage in the middle distances as well.

Lastly, Hudson Kugel will take the baton at the second exchange and hammer down an 800 meter split. His season best sits at 1:48.9 and he is more than capable of being right at the front if he gets the stick in a good spot.

Even without guys like Eric Brown and Morgan McDonald, the Wisconsin men can still boast one of the more well-rounded relays in the entire field.

It seems fair to say that Robert Brandt won't be racing this season, but the Bruins don't exactly need him to put together a respectable DMR lineup.

Admittedly, UCLA's lineup seems to be somewhat predictable. The 800 meter leg will very likely go to Riley Kelly, a respectable PAC-12 contender who has run 1:49 this season. The 1200 leg will go to 4:03 miler Chris Morzenti (who also run 3:46 for 1500 meters) and the mile will almost definitely be assigned to Arturo Sotomayor.

Sotomayor is our big "name to watch" this weekend. He has recorded two new personal bests this season which includes a 4:01 mile PR. That, paired with his 3:42 1500 meter personal best, makes him a key sleeper pick on the anchor leg.

The Gophers of Minnesota do not seem to be overwhelmingly strong compared to some of these other programs, at least not on paper. However, much like Michigan, they have a nice collection of pieces which could put together something promising.

Let's get this out of the way. Dawson LaRance will most likely be the 800 meter leg. He's an experienced half-miler with a 1:48 PR and a 1:49 seasonal best. He'll be one of the better 800 meter legs in the field.

Then we get to the lead-off and anchor legs. Shane Streich will likely be on the opening leg for Minnesota given his impressive middle distance accolades which includes a 1:48 PR (1:49 seasonal best) as well as a 4:03 mile PR (4:06 seasonal best). Between the 800 and mile, Streich becomes a great fit for the 1200 meter distance.

As for the mile leg, that will likely go to Owen Hoeft who has run 4:05 earlier this season. However, the Minnesota coaching staff could very easily see a switch where Hoeft is on the opening leg and Streich takes over on the anchor.

The thing that makes this whole thing tricky is that Alec Basten has run the second fastest mile time on the Minnesota roster this season with a 4:05. Given the options, we don't think he'll be on this relay, but it's hard to say for sure.