2021 SEC Outdoor Championship Preview

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Kipsang Takes on the Triple

Alabama freshman star and indoor mile All-American Eluid Kipsang is entered in the 800, 1500 and 5k this weekend. He will be taking on the top talents from Arkansas and Ole Miss in each event, meaning that no race will be a cakewalk for Kipsang.

The 800 is crowded up front. Waleed Suliman (Ole Miss), Brandon Miller (Texas A&M) and Baylor Franklin (Ole Miss) have all gone 1:47 (as has Kipsang), but following closely behind are at least nine men who have run 1:48 this season. Kipsang and Suliman have the upper-hand in this race given their 3:36 1500 marks from earlier this outdoor season, but don’t count out Aggie freshman Brandon Miller, the SEC indoor 800 meter champion, nor Arkansas' Kieran Taylor, an All-American in the 800 at the indoor national meet.

Kipsang will once again face Suliman in the 1500, but this time, two more of Suliman’s teammates will be entered in the race and near the front. Mario Garcia Romo and Cade Bathmann are coming into the SEC Championships with seasonal bests of 3:37 and 3:41, respectively. Kipsang’s 3:36 PR was a solo effort at the Crimson Tide Invitational as he won the race by 10 seconds.

With a nice mix of speed (from his 1:47 800) and endurance (from his 13:39 5k), Kipsang has the advantage. However, Garcia Romo has been on a roll during the 2020-2021 year, running strong during cross country and during the indoor season. The Ole Miss Rebel matched Kipsang with a 1:47 mark of his own. From the gun, this could turn into a three-man race between Kipsang, Suliman and Garcia Romo.

Things don’t end there for Kipsang as he has the 5k at the end of the meet.

The Alabama freshman’s 5k PR of 13:39 will be put to the test against a slew of Arkansas men. Luke Meade and Amon Kemboi have both run faster this season, posting marks of 13:34 and 13:35, respectively. Gilbert Boit has had plenty of years of experience competing in the NCAA and has a 13:37 PR. Meanwhile, Alabama’s Vincent Kiprop has also gone 13:37 during his career and has competed at the top ranks of the NCAA on numerous occasions.

It’s hard to pick a favorite in this race given the star talent, but if this race turns tactical, then be on the lookout for what Kipsang can do with his middle distance speed.

Women's 5k: Alabama vs Auburn vs Arkansas

This looks to be Mercy Chelangat’s race to lose based on her results this season. Chelangat is coming off of a dominating 15:17 (5k) effort from the John McDonnell Invitational which was a 16-second victory over teammate Amaris Tyynismaa.

Chelangat will be going up against Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli for the first time since the SEC Indoor Championships. Kimeli has a PR of 15:37 which could be considered modest compared to Chelangat’s, but she only recently ran 16:17 at the Trials of Miles Kansas City Qualifier.

This performance shows us that Kimeli is in fact human and that she does have off days like the rest of us. However, Kimeli is the reigning indoor SEC and NCAA champion in the 5k. With recent finishes of 4:13 (1500) and 9:37 (steeplechase), there is still the possibility that Kimeli will be at her best and will take down Chelangat, especially if the race turns tactical.

Tyynismaa will be racing her second track 5k of her career at the SEC Championships in a tough field. The Alabama sophomore has a set of wheels with her 4:12 1500 PR and has plenty of momentum heading into this race with her recent successes during cross country and indoor track. Having teammates like Chelangat and Esther Gitahi in this race to work with could lead to another top-three finish for this Crimson Tide youngster. Who knows? If the race is tactical, her mile speed may give her enough of an edge for the overall win.

The Razorbacks of Arkansas will also be fielding a strong quartet with Katie Izzo, Lauren Gregory, Abby Gray and Krissy Gear.

Izzo has the fastest 5k PR in the field with her 15:13 from the 2020 indoor season, but she hasn’t been close to matching that since. She will need a big performance to take down Chelangat and Kimeli this weekend, but that could happen if she works alongside her teammates.

Gregory will only be toeing the line for her second race of the outdoor season after a respectable 4:18 1500 last weekend. She has run 15:36 on the track for 5k and will be in search of an NCAA regional qualifying time. When Gregory is at her best, she's a threat for the win, but her absence this season has left us scratching our heads a bit.

As for Gray and Gear, these two have been posting strong performances in their primary events this spring. Either one of these ladies could lead the charge for a top-three finish given their recent upward swings in momentum.

Elite Steele Talents to Clash

The women’s steeplechase has a solid lineup entered between Joyce Kimeli (Auburn), Krissy Gear (Arkansas) and Gracie Hyde (Arkansas). Kimeli has the fastest seed time with her 9:37 win from the War Eagle Invitational in mid-April. She dominated the field, winning by a solid 37 seconds. She has a lot going for her heading into this SEC meet after winning the 5k and placing 3rd in the 3k at the NCAA Indoor Championships. However, she will be looking for redemption after fading to a mark of 17:17 (5k) a few weeks ago.

Gear ran a stellar 9:45 steeplechase performance at the UF Tom Jones Invitational and after running 4:09 for the win at the West Coast Relays and a recent 2:04 800, could Gear take down Kimeli and break the 9:40 barrier? It certainly seems possible as Gear has a ton of firepower and range which should make her a major threat in whichever event she toes the line for.

Joining Gear is teammate Gracie Hyde, a 9:57 performer in the steeplechase. When she ran her PR, she chopped off 22 seconds from her prior best, validating the breakout year that she has been having. Hyde will be looking for a faster PR if Kimeli and Gear go after a fast pace from the start.

Kimeli and Gear are the obvious favorites up-front with Hyde close behind, but there are plenty of underrated talents who could potentially mix it up with Hyde.

Leah Hanle (Alabama) is right on the cusp of breaking 10:00. Meanwhile, Logan Morris (Arkansas), Melissa Menghini (Missouri) and Perri Bockrath (Kentucky) are right there with their respective 10:07, 10:07 and 10:08 PRs. Any one of the four ladies could challenge Hyde for bronze if they run just a hare faster than their current personal bests.

Unlike the women’s steeplechase, the men’s steeplechase should be a close race for the title. Alex Crigger (Tennessee) leads the field with his 8:51 season best and 8:47 PR. Crigger is the reigning SEC steeplechase champion from the 2019 season and has a lot of momentum heading into this race after running some respectable marks lately. His experience also makes him a major stalwart in this field.

Looking to challenge Crigger will be the Arkansas trio of Andrew Kibet, Carter Persyn and Emmanuel Cheboson.

Kibet and Persyn have the best chance of taking the win when you consider that they have run 8:53 and 8:55. Kibet hasn’t raced since taking down his teammates in the steeplechase in mid-April, but as long as he's healthy, he has the potential to win. Persyn and Cheboson have been running some respectable races, but will need to match their personal bests to take down Crigger.

Two names who could find their way into the top-two amongst Crigger and the Razorbacks are Trevor Foley (Florida) and Silas Kipngetich (Auburn). The Florida Gator has run 8:53 this season to win the Pepsi Relays by 21 seconds. If Foley can match that result, he could see an improvement from his 6th place finish in the event at the 2019 SEC Outdoor Championships.

Auburn’s Kipngetich has raced quite a few times this season across multiple distances. He has competed in the steeplechase twice this outdoor season, but has only run modest times of 9:08 and 9:09. However, he does own a PR of 8:58 from the 2019 season. He will need a big performance to compete for a top-three finish, but what’s really on the line for him is a regional qualifying mark.

Looking for Dominance in the 1500

The women’s 1500 will be highlighted by the Amaris Tyynismaa (Alabama) vs Kennedy Thomson (Arkansas) duel. Both of these ladies have run 4:12 this outdoor season, but aside from that, they have also chosen to move up and drop down for other distances as Tyynismaa has pursued the 5k and Thomson has pursued the 800.

Tyynismaa has been on a tear since the beginning of the 2021 calendar year, running 4:33 in the mile and finishing 3rd at the NCAA XC Championships. When the Alabama sophomore competed in the 1500 at the Crimson Tide Invitational, she won the race by six seconds. After recording a 15:33 (5k) a few weeks ago, could Tyynismaa improve upon her 4:13? It’s very possible, especially with Thomson toeing the line next to her.

Thomson, on the other hand, has recorded strong times in both the 800 and 1500. Her 2:05/4:12 double at the UF Tom Jones Invitational prepares Thomson well for taking on Tyynismaa head-to-head. Her speed could play in her favor if this race turns into a tactical one.

Carina Viljoen (Arkansas) has been very consistent these past few weeks, running three 4:14 marks in the 1500 this season. Viljoen has a current PR of 4:13 and knows what it takes to compete against the top women in the NCAA. If she is on her game, there is no reason to count out Viljoen. Her experience likely gives her an edge in a field such as this.

The Florida duo of Gabrielle Wilkinson and Imogen Barrett will be doubling up in the 800 and 1500 this weekend. The two have gone 4:14 and 4:15, respectively, and have been studs in the 800 with their low-2:00 performances. We like the momentum that the Gator aces have heading into the championship portion of the season and this will be the first time we see them take on a strong field in the 1500.

Two final women to watch for will be Presley Weems (Auburn) and Esther Gitahi (Alabama). Weems popped onto the scene when she ran 4:14 at the Pepsi Relays in early-April. This result was a 16 second PR for the Auburn Tiger.

Weems has similar 800 speed as her competitors, running 2:03 a few weeks ago, and could easily challenge Tyynismaa or Thomson for the win on the right day. A good performance for her this weekend against this kind of field will do wonders for her confidence heading into the postseason.

And as for Gitahi, the Alabama runner has been putting a lot of focus on the 1500 this season and it seems to be paying off with her 4:15 PR. Gitahi may not have the same leg speed as others in this field, but her endurance over the longer distances could aid in her success if the pace becomes aggressive.

Quiet, But Star-Studded 10k Fields

With the NCAA Preliminary rounds quickly approaching, it is likely that many of the 10k competitors will be going for team points rather than a fast time. Luckily, the Arkansas women and men are fielding some of their best runners to continue their legacy of winning conference titles.

Mercy Chelangat (Alabama) is the clear favorite in the 10k given her solo and dominating 15:17 and 32:31 performances from previous races this outdoor season. Even though Katie Izzo (Arkansas) has faster personal bests with her 15:13 and 32:28 marks, the Razorback ace just hasn’t been performing as well as we had expected her to this spring.

Chelangat appears to have no problem racing by herself up-front and has proven that she is on a different level this year in the longer distances.

The race will most likely come down to a battle for 2nd between Izzo and Arkansas teammate Devin Clark, a 33:20 (10k) runner. Like Izzo, Clark hasn’t matched nor bettered her 10k PR this outdoor season, but she will be out for team points this week and doesn’t need to run out of her mind as she already has a regional qualifying time.

On the men’s side, the 10k will probably be a tactical one given the fact that of the top six men, four of them hail from Arkansas.

Matt Young, Gilbert Boit, Myles Richter and Jacob McLeod could pick up a heavy amount of team points in this race for the Razorbacks. Of these men, McLeod has the most riding on this race as he is currently sitting just on the outside of the top-48 when looking at the East region descending order list. Although he would probably qualify via scratches, he might need a sub-29:10 mark to guarantee himself a spot in College Station, Texas in a few weeks.

Alabama’s Vincent Kiprop leads this field with his 28:19 PR and a current 28:23 season best. The Crimson Tide redshirt senior was 2nd in the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships back in 2018 and has the talent to continue proving himself against the top names this weekend.

Quick Hits

• Athing Mu (Texas A&M) is not entered in the 800 this weekend. The Aggie freshman is the favorite to win the 800 at the NCAA Championships based on her dominance in the event and 1:57 collegiate record. Mu is choosing to focus on the 400 at the SEC Outdoor Championships.

• Despite Mu not being listed, the women's 800 will still see a very strong battle between numerous half-mile elites. Amber Tanner (Georgia) and Gabrielle Wilkinson (Florida) have both gone 2:01 this season while Shafiqua Maloney (Arkansas) and Imogen Barrett (Florida) have gone 2:02 and 2:03, respectively (Maloney owns a 2:01 PR). In mid-April, Tanner, Wilkinson, and Maloney competed against one another at the UF Tom Jones Invitational with Tanner just out-leaning her competitors. Could we see a repeat of that this weekend?