The Weekend Review: 2/11/18

800

With meets like Iowa State and the Husky Classic capturing most of the headlines this past weekend, it would have been easy to overlook some of the strong performances elsewhere in the nation.

The Tiger Paw 800 was one of the deepest 800 fields we have seen yet this season with a total of 7 men dipping under the 1:50 mark. Taking home the win was Texas A&M's Devin Dixon who improved his NCAA ranking this season to a 1:47.37. He was able to convincingly hold off Mississippi State's Dejon Devroe who was 2nd in 1:48.43. Otis Jones (South Carolina) rounded out the top three with a 1:48.96.

The other four men to dip under 1:50 were Robert Ford (USC), John Lewis (Clemson), Efrain Hernandez (Texas A&M), and Justin Pacifico (Florida). For Lewis, I've been expecting something a little faster from him ever since he popped off a monster 2:21 1k earlier this season.

Mile

One of the more pleasant surprises of this weekend was seeing Texas A&M's Alex Riba and Kentucky's Ben Young both dip under 4 minutes for the first time in their careers. Riba was the official winner while Ben Young was just a little behind. Both recorded times of 3:59. That won't be enough to qualify for NCAA's, but the results are still impressive nonetheless.

800

The winner of this one was Erik Martinsson (UT-Arlington) who was able to fend off 800 specialist Vincent Crisp (Texas Tech) and sophomore Michael Rhoads (Air Force). All three of these men recorded a time of 1:49.

800

The Virginia Tech men went to work this past weekend as Patrick Joseph and Neil Gourley went 1-2 in this event running 1:49.40 and 1:49.57, respectively.

5000

Peter Seufer (Virginia Tech) was able to fend off Michigan State's Clark Ruiz for the win. Seufer recorded a time of 14:15 while Ruiz was two seconds behind in 14:17.

800

In a field of professionals, Marc Reinas (Northeastern) was the collegiate who stood out the most with a finish of 1:48.60. Leakey Kipkosgei (American International) was also able to dip under the 1:50 barrier with a time of 1:49.41 while Harvard's Myles Marshall didn't have his best day and had to settle for a time of 1:50.47.

The good news for Reinas is that his time is a new PR and also moves him in the NCAA rankings. Unfortunately, that time moves him up only to the dreaded 17th spot, the first man out of Nationals. Luckily for Reinas, it appears that Kerr (NCAA #11) will most likely scratch this event in favor of the mile.

1000

Brown's Zach Lanigan continues to produce some solid times this season as he finished 2nd overall in this race with a huge time of 2:22.81. Princeton's Sam Ellis was the next closest collegiate finisher in a time of 2:24.

Mile

In what had to be one of the most underrated events of the weekend, the BU mile put together an excellent number of strong results.

The top three finishers in this one were all pros, but they did help Georgetown's Amos Bartelsmeyer return to the All-American conversation with a time of 3:57 (NCAA #13). That is a huge time for the Hoya veteran who really didn't have any exciting performances leading up to now.

Behind Bartelsmeyer was a pair of solid results from Michael Hall (Florida State) and Mark Martinez (Brown). Both individuals dipped under 4 minutes for the first time in their careers. Each individual recorded 3:59's.

For Martinez, this time wasn't out of the question after his 7:59 3k a few weeks ago. For Hall, this time was very unexpected. He had never run a full mile faster than 4:03 before.

Much like Riba and Young at Clemson, it's exciting to see these guys go under 4 minutes. Unfortunately, they are still a few seconds off from that NCAA qualifying spot.

5000

The UVA men took to the 5k this past weekend and were able to record some strong results. Brent Demarest was the top collegiate overall with an excellent time of 13:56. Teammate Chase Weaverling was next man in with a time of 14:05.

Mile

UTEP alum and Nike pro Anthony Rotich came back to the collegiate scene and helped pace UTEP's Jonah Koech to a FAST mile. Koech would end the day with a time of 4:01, but with altitude conversions, his time then became 3:55! That time now currently sits at NCAA #3. Koech and Coach Ereng must have known that his 3:58 from earlier in the season wasn't going to be enough to qualify for NCAA's. Now, Koech no longer needs to stress about racing for time. He can begin to shift his attention to Nationals.

Mile

There was plenty of attention on the 3k and 5k fields at this meet, but the mile entries were just as exciting.

The Oregon men went back to work this weekend as veteran Sam Prakel reestablished himself on the NCAA leaderboard with a winning time of 3:56.89! Incredibly, that time is only good enough for the 8th best ranking in the NCAA right now. Freshman Reed Brown (Oregon) was close behind in a 3:57 personal best for him. He currently sits at 10th in the NCAA rankings. Both Oregon men are most likely safe when it comes to qualifying for Nationals.

When it comes to the National qualifying picture, the 3rd overall finisher in this race is where things get a little blurry. Carlos Villareal (Arizona) had never broken 4 minute prior to this season. Now, the Arizona senior has worked his time down to a 3:57.64 (NCAA #14). If I had to guess, that time should hold up and be enough for him to qualify for NCAA's. However, with championship season around the corner, you can never be too sure...

Sam Worley (Texas) continued his impressive streak of mile performances, this time with a 3:58.04. He was able to get the best of Mick Stanovsek (Oregon) who finished the day with a 3:58.

Matthew Fayers (Oklahoma State) and Blake Haney (Oregon) were the final men to go under 4 minutes as Fayers recorded a time of 3:58.44 while Haney had to settle for a 3:59.01. With Haney now under 4 minutes, the Oregon men have FIVE individuals under the 4 minute barrier this season. Unfortunately for Haney, that time won't be enough to qualify for Nationals.

Yet, maybe the most heartbreaking performance of the day had to be Alex Rogers. Despite a PR of 3:40 in the 1500, the Texas senior had never broken 4 minutes in the mile. He finished the day as the 8th collegiate overall...with a time of 4:00.00. Expect Rogers to pursue the mile once more at SEC's next weekend.

3000

What a race by Colby Gilbert! After a season of average and unexciting performances, the Washington senior came out on his home track and threw down the hammer to take the win over one of the most elite fields the nation has seen this season. Gilbert recorded a time of 7:49.42 which was enough to fend off Arkansas' Cameron Griffith who was 2nd in a time of 7:49.78.

Not only is this a huge momentum shift for Gilbert, but it also gives validation to Griffith who has shown that he is very much the "real deal" this season and should be in the All-American conversation.

The 3rd collegiate to cross the line was Colorado State's Cole Rockhold who ended the day with a school record of 7:50! I have always thought of him as a miler, but after a performance like that, it's hard to think otherwise. This kid is for real and will be a favorite to grab All-American once again.

How about David Ribich (Western Oregon)? This guy just continues to impress with a 7:50 of his own. He was joined by Ben Saarel (Colorado) who also recorded a time of 7:50.

For Ribich, does this mean he tries mile/3k/DMR triple at Nationals? Probably not, but it's an interesting proposition...

As we continue to scroll down the results, we'll see Oregon's James West finishing 6th overall with a time of 7:51. That time currently puts him at NCAA #10 and should be enough for him to qualify for Nationals.

West was able to hold off Southern Utah's Mike Tate who ran 7:51 on tired legs after a huge performance in the 5k the night before (although we'll get to that later).

The Oregon men continued to shine as freshman Cooper Teare clicked off a time of 7:53 to outlast studs like Boise State's Addison DeHaven (7:54), Southern Utah's Kasey Knevelbaard (7:54), and Washington's Fred Hudham (7:56).

In total, 16 men went under the 8 minute barrier. Of those 16 men, 10 of them were at the Division One level.

5000

Let's rewind to Day One of this meet and talk about some of the monster performances we saw.

With Justyn Knight headlining the field at Iowa State, many were unsure if this field was going to be nearly as fast. If you made that assumption, you were wrong.

In a field with no clear-cut favorite, Southern Utah's Mike Tate came out of nowhere to not only earn a win, but dominate. He was the top overall finisher and best collegiate by over four seconds. With a time of 13:37, he now sits at NCAA #1 on the leaderboards.

Tate had a similar performance last spring where he soloed a 13:39 and came back to run 13:34. To run 13:37 on an indoor track just goes to show what kind of fitness he's in.

After a quiet season without seeing much of Oklahoma State, Hassan Abdi brought them back in the national spotlight with a huge 13:41 of his own. He was able to defeat long-distance studs like Arkansas' Jack Bruce (13:43), Colorado State's Grant Fischer (13:44), and Adam State's Sydney Gidabuday (13:50).

Yet, the one name we didn't mention was Oregon's Tanner Anderson who had the race of his life with a HUGE personal best of 13:43 for 5th overall. On an Oregon team with so much talent, it's easy to forget about a talented guy like this. For him to run an 8 second PR now puts him in another league in terms of fitness. With experience of racing at Nationals in his back pocket, Anderson should now be considered in the All-American conversation.

It's also important to note that Butler's Barry Keane was the only freshman in this race to dip under the 14 minute barrier with a time of 13:58. In an event that is often dominated by juniors and seniors, the younger guy ran incredibly well.

In total, 18 men in this race ended the day with sub-14 minute results.

800

With two heats of elite talent, the 800 was bound to be madness (and it definitely was). In the fastest heat of the day, we saw Isaiah Harris (Penn State) run 1:47.38 to outlast Indiana's Daniel Kuhn (1:47.89) and BYU's Abraham Alvarado (1:47.98). Harris has yet to lose an 800 yet this season after securing a win at the Penn State National meet and now securing a win at ISU.

However, despite Harris winning the "fast heat", he wasn't at the top of the results. In 2nd to last heat, we saw a deep field that included Robert Heppenstall (Wake Forest), Avery Bartlett (Georgia Tech), Roshon Roomes (Iowa State), Carter Lilly (Iowa), Clay Lambourne (Utah State), and Bryce Hoppel (Kansas).

The main battle in this heat would come down to Hoppel and Heppenstall. It wouldn't be until the final straightaway that Hoppel pulled away from Heppenstall and finished the day with a HUGE personal best time of 1:47.09. That time was enough to put Hoppel ahead of Harris in the overall results.

We have to start recognizing Hoppel as a legitimate threat to be on the podium this year. As of right now, no one looks like they're capable of touching Saruni. However, Harris appears to be vulnerable at times and Hoppel's ability to run well tactically has been impressive.

In total, 13 collegiates ended the day under the 1:50 barrier.

Mile

Admittedly, we didn't see a superstar field that the other events had, but there were still a slew of strong performances. Ole Miss freshman Waleed Suliman was the winner in this one with a time of 4:00. He was able to outlast Kigen Chemadi (MTSU), Daniel Gagne (Bradley), and Joseph Murphy (Indiana). All three ran 4:01.

3000

Upset alert! In a race that Stanford's Grant Fisher was favored to take, NAU's Andy Trouard had other plans. In the final lap, Fisher made an attempt to fend off a hard charging Trouard. Unfortunately for Fisher, his efforts weren't enough as Trouard made a move on the final straightaway to edge him at the line.

For Trouard, this has to be a massive confidence booster. He was the top collegiate miler at the UW Invite a few weeks ago and now he takes down Grant Fisher in an NCAA #2 time of 7:48. This man is on fire so far and now leaves us wondering whether or not he'll double at NCAA's.

Of the 14 finishers in this field, all but one were able to dip under the 8 minute barrier.

How about redshirt freshman Jonathan Davis (Illinois) running 7:49 for 3rd? There was skepticism regarding his flat-track conversion of 3:55 for the mile, but he is certainly in the best shape of his life after his performance in the 3k this past weekend.

Kyle Mau (Indiana) continues to impress me. He ran 3:59 earlier this season, split 3:58 to out run Grant Fisher in a DMR, and now finishes 4th with a 7:50 in a loaded ISU race. I thought this guy was more of a miler, but after a race like that, I'm beginning to think otherwise.

Oliver Hoare (Wisconsin) and Matthew Baxter (NAU) put up solid performances running 7:51 and 7:53 respectively. Hoare was a bit more patient in this one while Baxter had more of an aggressive front-running style. Tyler Day, who is running unattached this season, was only a second behind Baxter.

Finally, I think it's important to note that Edwin Kurgat is adjusting rather well to being at Iowa State. Since transferring from Tennessee-Martin to Iowa State, the XC All-American has improved his 3k PR from 8:29 to 8:15 to 7:56. Talk about progression...

5000 (Open)

In our Predictions & Previews article for the Iowa State Classic, I mentioned that the BYU men "could surprise a few people and help someone dip into the low 13:50's" or even "into the high 13:40's".

It appears that my hunch was correct.

Connor McMillan (BYU) the Open section winner with a huge time of 13:48.00. He was able to bring Ben Flanagan (Michigan) with him as he recorded a time of 13:48.58 for 2nd overall. Jaret Carpeter (Purdue) snuck under the 13:50 mark and finished the day with a time of 13:49.32.

As of right now, McMillan and Flanagan are currently ranked 17th and 18th in the NCAA, respectively. If they don't move back any further in the rankings, they may have a shot at qualifying for Nationals depending on who scratches.

5000 (Invite)

Justyn Knight (Syracuse) was expected to take the win and he did just that as he rolled to a huge time of 13:39 for the win. So far this season, Knight has slowly built his way up in the racing distances with a 3:55 mile, 7:45 3k, and now 13:39 5k.

Despite Knight throwing down a huge kick to gap the field, there were still plenty of talented individuals hot on his tail. Dillon Maggard (Utah State) and Vincent Kiprop (Alabama) had strong closes of their own and settled for times of 13:40. Rory Linkletter (BYU) was able to use a kick of his own and finish among the top five with a time of 13:41.

Lawrence Kipkoech (Campbell), Daniel Carney (BYU), and Jacob Thomson (Kentucky) all had huge personal bests of 13:41.

In total, 16 of the 18 men in this race finished under the 14 minute barrier. Giving everyone in that field a mention would be a little dry. However, here are a few quick takeaways...

- BYU is for real. Daniel Carney just had the breakout race of his life.

- Alabama put three men under 13:50. That is super impressive.

- NAU continues to build for the future. Redshirt freshman Blaise Ferro just ran 13:51. He is the future of this Lumberjacks program.

- Jacob Thomson (Kentucky) has really upped his fitness this season. He's put together a string of solid performances and has yet to have a "bad" race. Think of him as a potential All-American in March.