Mountain West Preview

The Mountain West boasts 10 runners all under the 1:52 mark. Two of those come in the form of altitude conversions. Josh Kerr of host team New Mexico leads the charge after his 1:48.26 in mid-January. Chasing him are Clay Lambourne (Utah State), Michael Wilson (New Mexico), and Michael Rhoads (Air Force) who all enter with sub 1:50 marks on the season.

New Mexico rounds out the top five with Kristian Hansen who has run under 1:51. Zac Petrie (Air Force), Bryce Alishie (Wyoming), Jordan Beutler (Utah State), Blake Yount (Colorado State) and Sam Coleman (Utah State) round out the top ten. Utah State has more depth as numbers 11-13 are all Aggies.

Josh Kerr may be the top ranked individual, but with the potential to race the mile/DMR double, it is more likely that Lambourne enters this event as the favorite.

Prediction: Clay Lambourne (Utah State)

We move to the mile where once again we find the aforementioned Kerr. His 3:54 not only leads the MWC, but it also leads the country. He’s the clear favorite coming into the weekend.

However, guys like Cole Rockhold (Colorado State, 3:58.12) and Dillon Maggard (Utah State, 4:00.03) post the next fastest times and certainly won’t go without a fight if given the chance to race Kerr. Maggard may be thinking about trying to qualify for Nationals in the mile just in case he gets pushed out of the 3000 later this week.

Ian Crowe-Wright (New Mexico) has run 4:01.05. He joins the other three as the only ones to go under 4:02.

Be sure to keep an eye out for Trent Powell (Colorado State), Brody Smith (Utah State), Jeff Lautenslager (Boise State), Wayde Hall (Colorado State), Andrew Rafla (Boise State) and Noah Riley (Air Force). Some of these guys are having very solid seasons and shouldn’t be counted out.

Prediction: Josh Kerr (New Mexico)

As we move to the 3000 meters, we see a lot of the same names towards the top. Rockhold (CSU), Maggard (USU), Addison DeHaven (Boise State), and Grant Fischer (Colorado State) are all contenders and all have run under 8:00 this season.

Colorado State adds three more in the top ten as Carson Hume (5th, 8:05.02), Wayde Hall (7th, 8:06.24), and Trent Powell (8th, 8:07.79) have all posted quality times throughout the year. With so many of them in one race, we may see this trifecta working together to execute their race plan.

Boise State’s Riley Campbell, Jeff Lautenslager, and Andrew Rafla join Addison DeHaven in the top ten and have essentially turned the race into a Bronco/Ram affair. DeHaven will be one of the few athletes in this field who can contend with Rockhold, Fischer, and Maggard after running a personal best of 7:54 at the Husky Classic. He currently sits at 19th in the NCAA standings so expect him to push the pace in an effort to earn a top 16 qualifying spot.

Prediction: Dillon Maggard (Utah State)

The 5000 meters might very well be the most interesting as Maggard, Fischer, and presumably Rockhold look to battle it out in one of the best races in the Mountain West. However, Maggard may already be focused on other events this weekend such as the DMR, mile, and maybe 3000 (he'll probably pursue two of those three events).

The Air Force men are dangerous as they could potentially send a lethal trio in Jacob Bilvado (13:56.89), Mickey Davey (13:59.38), and Andrew Johnston (14:09.21). They might very easily round out the top five and mix it up at front of this race.

The Falcons add a fourth runner in Jimmy Shipley (14:17.58) who has the seventh fastest time in the Mountain West. However, it will take a group effort in order to keep the Rams out of contention as the 6th, 8th, 9th, and 10th ranked runners in the conference are all taken by runners from Fort Collins (Colorado State).

Prediction: Cole Rockhold (Colorado State)

Although the 5000 meters may be the most interesting, the Distance Medley Relay may be the most entertaining. With only two Mountain West teams having recorded a DMR time so far this season, the race appears to be pretty open.

With rumblings of New Mexico trying to put together a fast time, and with Josh Kerr as the anchor, we can only imagine the endless possibilities for this relay. However, Utah State is sure to put a team together when you consider the fitness that Dillon Maggard has shown so far this season.

Expect Colorado State and the Air Force Academy to put together a team that will gun for the top spot. If Cole Rockhold anchors that DMR for the Rams, we could potentially see a Kerr vs Maggard vs Rockhold matchup.

Prediction: New Mexico Lobos