First Thoughts: Zarate's 3:39 Effort, Giesing's Promising 2:04 & Underrated Performances

Usually, when I sit down to write these in-depth analytical pieces, I find myself overwhelmed with the mass number of elite-level performances that we typically see over the span of a weekend. That, however, wasn't the case during these last few days. With our analysis on the Oregon Twilight meet already complete, this week's First Thoughts article will admittedly be a bit more thin.

That, however, doesn't mean that there weren't some great results to review...

36 men have now run under 3:40 for 1500 meters this season.

36!

Does anyone realize how insane that is? During a normal indoor track season, we typically see 32 to 40ish athletes run under the four minute barrier in the mile. That's why it's wild to see 36 men run under 3:40 for 1500 meters in a single season. That's a mark that roughly converts to a 3:58 mile.

Either way, the amount of depth in the 1500 this year shouldn't take away from what Virginia Tech's Diego Zarate recently accomplished. The Hokie veteran, who ran a huge 3:57 mile (unattached) this past winter, has effectively translated that fitness to the outdoor oval, running 3:39 this past weekend to take down a few Under Armour athletes.

Zarate has been slowly attacking the middle distances this year, but has also run the 5000 meters where he dipped under 14 minutes. However, based on his progression, it's obvious that he has been working to peak for the postseason and that seems to be exactly what is happening as of late.
 

The Virginia Tech runner is quietly dynamic, boasting a great skillset in both the middle distances and longer distances. We saw him run 2:19 for 1000 meters this past winter, so we know that his ideal racing distance is somewhere between the 800 and the 5k.

I would've thought that Zarate would more seriously pursue the 800 meters this year given how deep the men's 1500 is, but it's also tough to ignore the fact that his best event is the metric mile. Maybe we see him run something in the 1:47 or 1:48 range at the ACC Championships which ultimately sways him to chase the half-mile at the regional meet.

Also, really nice run from Liberty's Ryan Drew. His 3:43 may not have garner a bunch of attention, but it's a solid mark and he has been making steady progress this year. If you're looking for a deep sleeper pick at the regional meet, be sure to keep him in mind.

Virginia Tech's Lindsey Butler is probably best known for her accomplishments in the half-mile this past winter. She ran 2:01 to narrowly win the ACC crown over Laurie Barton and later placed 4th at the NCAA Championships.

This Hokie standout is truly one of the nation's best middle distance talents, but she has admittedly been a bit quieter this spring when it comes to the 800 meters. Her fastest mark in the event is only 2:04 this season, a respectable time, but not one that will put her in the national contender conversation.

However, instead of aggressively pursuing the 800 meters, Butler has instead shifted her focus to the 1500, a distance where she has made substantial improvements. The Virginia Tech runner has posted times of 4:17 and (most recently) 4:14 this spring, leading us to believe that the 1500 may be her best option. She's making notable progress in the event and the women's 1500 isn't quite as intense as the 800 meters is this year.

Butler's experience better suits the half-mile, but she hasn't built up any momentum in that event this season. That, of course, could very easily change at the ACC Championships which are rapidly approaching. That is, after all, where Butler began to peak this past winter and it would make sense for her to take that same approach.

Were there any super electric results in the men's 800 meters this past weekend? No, not quite, but the event continues to grow in depth as we saw seven men dip under the 1:50 barrier and improve their spots on the national leaderboard for the event, not counting those who we saw at the Oregon Twilight meet.

Santa Clara's Alex Scales, a transfer from Colorado, is beginning to find some significant success at the college level with his new team by running 1:49. He'll probably get into the regional meet, assuming a mass number of athletes don't suddenly crowd the leaderboard next weekend, but it looks like he'll be extending his postseason racing.

That's a promising sign for someone who was fairly quiet during his time with the Buffaloes. Hopefully he can build upon this result and carry his success into next year.

How about Dartmouth's Tim Zepf? He once again ran 1:49, giving his resume a bit of a spark after staying absent from competition for so long. He'll be attending Notre Dame next year and will be teaming up with Jackson Storey and Samuel Voelz. The current Ivy League runner clearly has more in the tank than his 1:49, but now it's just a matter of whether or not he can realize his full potential with the Fighting Irish.

Nice display of range for Arkansas' Amon Kemboi. Running 1:49 isn't anything new or surprising, but I like that he's working on his speed before going into the postseason. He hasn't always been amazing in tactical races, so it's good that he's working to refine his turnover before the SEC Championships.

We also had a massive 800 meter battle at West Point this past weekend as Luke Coulter (Stony Brook), Peter Smith (Army), Denis Gallagher (Boston College) and Luke Griner (Army) all ran under 1:50 in the same race. Coulter was the big winner, posting a very strong time of 1:48 while everyone else settled for marks of 1:49.

For the Stony Brook standout, this was a clear breakout performance. The America East champion at 800 meters was already an accomplished athlete, running 1:49 earlier this season. However, posting a mark of 1:48.21 is something that really separates him from the other fringe contenders. Coulter now has some very real momentum and seems to be peaking perfectly as we approach the mid-to-late portions of May.

Isabella Giesing is a middle distance talent from UMass Lowell who has been on my radar since the beginning of the season. After seeing all of the success that teammate Kaley Richards had during the winter months, it's been less of a surprise to see Giesing follow a similar trend of peaking near / in the postseason.

After running a huge personal best of 2:05 earlier this spring, and later earning the America East title in the 800 meters, Giesing was able to prove that her recent jump in fitness was no fluke this past weekend. The RiverHawk standout just ran a personal best of 2:04, making her an increasingly realistic threat at the half-mile distance.

The women's 800 meters is beyond stacked this year, but that's something that you already knew if you're reading this article. However, because there is so much talent in this event, I'm led to believe that some top-tier names will be ending their seasons early, whether that be to a crowded prelim or tactical errors.

Giesing may not be at the same level as a few other East region stars like Amber Tanner, Laurie Barton, Sarah Hendrick, Gabrielle Wilkinson and Michaela Meyer, but I think she could sneak her way into the national meet. I like her progress and how she has trended in the right direction this spring.

As for Simiuc, the Toldeo standout has been running really great times, but I can't help feeling like she still has more in the tank. Running 4:13 (1500) and recently 2:05 (800) are very solid marks. In fact, I'm led to believe that someone of her caliber is aiming to peak in the postseason. Maybe that's why I think she still hasn't hit her ceiling yet. If my suspicion is correct, then it's possible that she'll end up as an All-American come June.