Ben Weisel
Mar 10, 20205 min
Updated: Mar 12, 2020
Our TSR staff is previewing each athlete in each distance event for the Indoor National Championships. Below, we offer analysis and evaluate how each of these athletes will fare at the National Championships. Names are ordered by seed time.
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: A 46 second 400 meter runner who has experience on the NCAA stage, the Trojan has succeeded in every type of race this year. Whether it was tactical or quick, he has come out on top. This racing flexibility will be vital as he looks to take home his first NCAA title.
Other Events: DMR (not expected to run)
Analysis: One of the preseason favorites, the Cyclone ace had one sub-par race this year, but otherwise has been very impressive. A runner with great range going all the way up to cross country; Lagat might be one of the most versatile runners in the country. With his NCAA experience, he seems like a somewhat safe bet to finish within the top three.
Other Events: 4x400
Analysis: While he ran a quick time early in the season, the Aggie hasn’t been quite as sharp as of late. A 3rd place performance at the SEC Championships isn’t bad, but it does indicate that Orange might not be a title threat just yet. Still, this is an experienced runner who will very likely qualify for the finals. He's been a top finisher at the national meet before and is familiar with this competition.
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Like Orange, the Falcon ace did not have a successful conference weekend, finishing 5th in the 800 meters at Mountain West Championships. That's a worrisome result, especially since we hadn't seen him run since his 1:47 at Iowa State. He was 8th in this race last year 6th last spring (en route to a 1:46 PR). Rhoads will look to use that experience to earn himself a spot to the finals.
Other Events: DMR (not expected to run)
Analysis: The Cyclone middle distance stud is coming into NCAA’s hot after an impressive double that saw him win the 600 yards (yes, that's the actual distance) and the 800 meters at the BIG 12 Championships. With the exception of his race at Indiana, Roomes has consistently posted fast times this season. With his speed and current form, he is a very deep dark horse to win it all.
Other Events: DMR
Analysis: A fixture at NCAA races over the last two years, the Hoosier veteran started out the season on fire, but has faded as of late. A 5th place finish at the Meyo Invite and a 4th place at the BIG 10 Championships are not promising results. However, as he shown over the last two years that he knows how to compete at the highest level given his pair of 5th place finishes in his last two national meet appearances. Will he replicate that magic this weekend?
Other Events: 4x400
Analysis: The preseason favorite started out the season slow, but has been looking great as of late. A time of 1:47 the week before the conference championships followed by a win at SEC’s shows that Dixon is back and ready to win his first NCAA title. While he still is the favorite to win, it isn’t a lock like we originally thought he would be at the beginning of the season. Don't be surprised to see Dixon execute an aggressive race strategy like he has in year's past.
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: An emerging star with championship experience, the Gator ace looked strong on the way to his 2nd place finish at SEC’s behind Dixon. A strong tactical runner who has toppled a handful of the country's best middle distance runners, Pacifico will put himself in a good position to qualify for the finals and score points.
Other Events: DMR (Unlikely, but possible)
Analysis: The freshman has been on a roll over the last few weeks as he has run 1:48 in his last two meets while also taking home two wins. In his first taste of the National Championships, it would be a great sign to see the Duck reach the finals.
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: The Rebel started out the season strong, but we haven’t seen much of him in the last month. At SEC’s, he was 4th in the 800 meters behind some of the men listed ahead of him in this preview. While not the quickest runner in the field, he has the strength and tactical-sound race strategies which will give him a chance at making finals.
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: An impressive cross country runner, the new Red Raider has flashed his range this year. At the BIG 12 Championships, he was very impressive as he won both the mile and the 1000 meters. Although he just missed out on qualifying for Nationals in the mile, he should be prepared to be very competitive at NCAA's. You could argue that the 800 isn't his best race, but he has championship experience from his time racing in Algeria.
Other Events: DMR (not expected to run)
Analysis: In his first year as a Cyclone, he has been a consistent finisher running under 1:49 three times this season. Nixon might not have the top-end speed of his teammates, but he is strong runner who is capable of surprising some people and finishing within the top six.
Other Events: DMR (not expected to run)
Analysis: An experienced distance runner who has run 14:01 in the 5k, the Redhawk has great range. Whether or not he has the speed to keep up with the top 800 runners in the country will be interesting to watch, but he has proven to be tactically strong and a great prelim runner.
Other Events: DMR (not expected to run)
Analysis: The Blue Devil earned his qualifying times on a 200 meter flat-track, so it will be interesting to see how he competes on the banked track in Albuquerque. He was 3rd at ACC’s which isn’t a great sign, but he has experience at NCAA’s from last year which will surely help him.
Other Events: DMR (not expected to run)
Analysis: The Red Raider squeaked into NCAA’s with an altitude converted time (which is a good sign for Nationals which are held at altitude this year). Tactically, there are concerns as he was 7th at the BIG 12 Championships, but has been a big part of Texas Tech’s very strong 4x400. To qualify for finals, he will need to improve upon his recent performances.
Other Events: DMR (not expected to run)
Analysis: This year he has been dominant in every race he has run, finishing 1st or 2nd in the five individual races he has toed the line for this year. Abbkar doesn’t have one of the faster times in the field, so he will need to find a favorable position in the prelims to get to the finals.