eric.baranoski
Mar 12, 20206 min
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: 5k
Analysis: The favorite for much of the year, Noble proved that he could hang with the best of them when he ran an 8:00 (flat-track) converted 3k at Camel City against elite competitors such as Paul Chelimo, Peter Seufer (Virginia Tech) and Brian Barraza (Adidas). Noble is clearly no one-race wonder after winning not one, not two, not three, but four Gulf South Championship titles. Look for Noble to make an honest move early enough to avoid any kickers late in the race.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: The cross country national title winner from this past fall, Mutai will look to add two more titles to his name when he competes in the 3k and 5k this weekend. Only a freshman, Mutai has proved that he was born to run long distances as evidenced by times of 8:02 for 3000 meters and 14:02 for 5000 meters. Mutai will work with his teammate Leakey Kipkosgei to score as many points as possible for the Yellow Jackets. If it wasn't already obvious based on last fall, Mutai knows how to peak for championship races and would thrive in a race that is hard from the gun.
Other events: DMR
Analysis: Bix finished as the top division two athlete at this year’s Husky Classic in the 3k, losing only to pros or division one athletes such as Cooper Teare (Oregon), Alex Ostberg (Stanford) and Lopez Lomong (BTC). This proves that he can compete at a high level, but can he translate that success to a tactical race?
Other events: 5k
Analysis: This will be Ko’s first race at sea level as he has raced at over 5000 feet three times while the other time was at 3000 feet. While many may question his ability to race at sea level, it's important to remember that he was 7th at the NCAA XC Championships in Sacramento this past fall. With an army of teammates with him in this race, Ko can help execute a race plan where Colorado Mines dictates the pacing.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: Laguera shocked the nation when he opened up his season with a 13:53 converted 5k back in December. Many of us here at TSR were skeptical as to just how legit of a time that was until he ran 13:59 and then a converted 8:05. Laguera won the 2018 cross country national title back in 2018. Can he win NCAA gold yet again, this time on the track? He'll be one of the top names in the lead pack.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: Stack will be coming down from 7,700 feet of altitude, so he will have plenty of oxygen in Birmingham. Always an All-American finisher, Stack has proven to be the class of division two distance running with underrated consistency. Lacking a gold medal, these championships will help validate how much progress he has made since finishing 3rd at the NCAA XC Championships.
Other events: N/A
Analysis: Similar to teammate Dylan Ko, Jake Mitchem hasn’t raced at sea level at all this season. That, however, hasn’t stopped the junior from compiling a couple of impressive converted 3k and 5k marks this winter. Expect the Orediggers to employ some sort of team race strategy as they own a quarter of the field in this race alone.
Other events: N/A
Analysis: Talk about clutch. Connor Schwartz won the GLIAC Championship 3000 meter title in a time of 8:06 and earned himself a trip to Birmingham. That has to be a massive boost in confidence for someone who is seemingly peaking for championship season at just the right time.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: Racing this season for the first time since the 2018 indoor season, Woldemichael proved that he has not lost a step. He won the 5k at the GVSU “Big Meet” and took 2nd behind teammate Connor Schwartz at GLIAC's. Due to his lack of racing over the past year and a half, people aren’t considering him a contender, but he is competing almost as if he never took a hiatus.
Other events: Mile, DMR
Analysis: After running his 3k qualifying time of 8:08 way back in December, Kipkosgei has run only one 3k since (as he has focused more on the mile). This is a little concerning as he may be a little rusty in the event, but his range and speed is too good to ignore. The senior has plenty of experience and should be plenty competitive if the pace is slow or is taken out hard from the gun.
Other events: Mile, DMR
Analysis: Warren hasn’t raced since the JDL DMR Invite where his team took 2nd. Nonetheless, he is a senior who has raced at plenty of high-level races, so he should be prepared. A tactical race would be best for Warren as he is moving up in distance to run the 3k. Normally a miler, watch out for the Embry-Riddle senior when the bell rings. Warren has great tactical skills which should most certainly not be overlooked.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: If you search "range in Division Two" on Google, Winders’ name is the first to come up. He has comfortably PR'd in the mile, 3k and 5k this season. He kind of reminds me of Kyle Mau of Indiana because of how consistent he has been across all three events. I’d be surprised if he didn’t get an All-American honor this weekend as he is perfectly equipped for all race scenarios.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: A disappointing performance last year in the 5k at NCAA's must have stuck with Moran as he has qualified for not only the 5k, but also the 3k this winter. This year, Moran is a different runner, having run the mile, 3k and 5k in order to prepare for any way the race could unfold. It will be interesting to see how many points the men from Mines can accumulate between the 3k and 5k.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: Another runner competing in both the 3k and 5k, Chada qualified for twice the number of events as last year. Staying on his home track this indoor season, he hung on at the GLIAC Championships to set a new PR of 8:08. More of a strength-based runner, look for Chada to push the pace from the start to avoid the standard sit-and-kick championship-style race.
Other events: Mile + DMR
Analysis: Another runner who is considered more of a miler, Workman will be tasked with leading off the Mines DMR. Championship style racing should suit him well as long as he positions himself in the right spot. Workman has the speed to make race-defining passes on the final lap. The race doesn't have to be super slow and tactical for Workman to be in the title conversation, it just needs to be slow enough.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: Like his teammate, Sweeney has been racking up All-American honors left and right. My question is: when does getting top eight get tiresome? Based off of his cross country improvement and his recent 14:05 5k that he ran at the Husky Classic, Sweeney should be gunning for top four in both of his races. However, his inconsistencies this season essentially make him a wild card.
Other events: N/A
Analysis: Running just well enough to qualify for Nationals, Rodarte is due for a big race. He has run the 3k three times at altitude and this is his chance to finally break through since the race is at sea level. He had an underappreciated cross country season and has clearly transitioned that fitness to the oval.
Other events: 5k + DMR
Analysis: An experienced runner who has run at every National Championship across all three seasons, Colligan set a new PR in the 3k this season. A more distance-oriented runner, he will thrive in a fast race as he is used to doing workouts at over 5000 feet.
Other events: Mile + DMR
Analysis: The 3000 meters is the extent of Campion's range as he is normally an 800/mile runner. Campion has had a memorable senior year as he has run a 4:02 for the mile, 1:51 for the 800 and has won two Northeast-10 titles as well. In a tactical race, you could argue that Campion is in title consideration.
Other events: 5k
Analysis: Chepkesir took over the Mountain East conference by winning three titles (mile, 3k, 5k). He's a runner who isn't afraid to push the pace, although numerous men in this field would likely benefit from that. Chepkesir actually opened up his outdoor track season already with a 1500 meter performance, a race that was clearly a tune-up for Nationals.