.png)
2023 Alex Wilson Invite (DMR) Preview
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Feb 17, 2023
- 9 min read
The Alex Wilson Invitational is one of the NCAA's single-best indoor track meets of the year when it comes to producing elite DMR times. And sure enough, 2023 is set to be no different. Below, we listed all of the DMR entries for the men's and women's races, offering a few lines of analysis for all of the entered teams.
Yes, there are individual/open events which feature strong talents, but the priority for this weekend is the distance medley relay.
So let's not waste anymore time. Let's jump right into it...
Men's DMR (Heat One)
Tennessee Volunteers
The Stride Report has been informed that Stanford is not running Charles Hicks on their anchor leg and that Tennessee is not running Dylan Jacobs, either. This, in turn, likely leaves Yaseen Abdalla on the anchor while Canaan Anderson moves to the 1200 meter leg.
For the most part, this is a fairly complete lineup even without Jacobs. However, almost all of the firepower is coming from Abdalla. And for as good as he is, having him anchor this team to a national qualifying mark is a big ask...but it's not impossible, either.
North Carolina Tar Heel
Between Ethan Strand, Jesse Hunt and Kyle Reinheimer, this Tar Heel DMR squad has the potential to be really dangerous. Hunt and Reinheimer perfectly fit into the 1200 meter and 800 meter legs. Strand has also run 3:55 in the mile this year.
The only knock on this relay is that Strand is still pretty young. And on a high-pressure stage, this could be a major breakout race for him or a key learning moment...or both.
Clemson Tigers
Between 800 meter talents such as Aman Thornton and Tarees Rhoden, the Clemson men have a lot of theoretical firepower in the middle of their lineup. But Rhoden isn't listed in the entries and the Tigers' best miler this winter has run 4:05. It will admittedly be challenging for this group to remain competitive in this field.
Stanford Cardinal
With Charles Hicks not expected to anchor this relay, it's tough to know what we should expect from the Cardinal's DMR lineup. Rookie Zane Bergen on the lead-off leg is an interesting choice, but John Lester on the 800 meter leg is a really solid option. My guess is that 3:57 miler Thomas Boyden would be the best man to complete that lineup.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State men have been very quietly thriving in the middle distances this winter. Their 800 meter crew is one of the deepest contingents in the country for that event and Brandon Hontz just ran a sub-four mile.
There aren't any true weak points within this lineup, but there's also a question of whether or not the Nittany Lions simply have enough firepower to secure themselves a spot to the indoor national meet.
Georgetown Hoyas
I am admittedly a little surprised that Matthew Rizzo, a 3:56 miler, isn't on this relay, at least not according to the entries. It feels like it would make much more sense if Matthew Payamps went to the lead-off leg while Rizzo anchored home this group.
Even so, Gilmore is a great option for the 1200 meter role and Payamps can put this team in the national qualifying conversation, but only if he's running at his absolute best.
New Mexico Lobos
Abdirizak Ibrahim is a 3:57 miler who had a nice rebound race the other week. The Lobos also have Ethan Bruow who ran 1:47 for 800 meters last week. Mathew Larkin is another middle distance talent who has run 3:43 (1500) and 1:48 (800) before. I'm not necessarily saying that the New Mexico men could contend for a spot to the NCAA Indoor Championships...but I'm also not NOT saying that, either.
Michigan Wolverines
Nick Foster may end up being the best anchor in this heat behind Yaseen Abdalla (and maybe Ethan Strand). You could also argue that Cole Johnson will be the best 800 meter leg in this heat after running 1:47 the other weekend. But Arjun Jha as Michigan's 1200 meter leg is not something I ever thought I would see despite him being a 3:59 miler. I'll be interested to see how he fares on the lead-off spot.
BYU Cougars
Sebastian Fernandez and Casey Clinger automatically make the BYU men contenders. However, Kenneth Rooks on the 1200 meter leg is what really captures my interest. He just ran a 3:59 mile PR a few weeks back and his overall indoor track resume has been improving quite a bit. But as someone who is traditionally a 3000 meter steeplechaser, how will he fare when dropping down even further in distance?
Men's DMR (Heat Two)
Princeton Tigers
Gosh, I gotta say, I really like this Princeton lineup -- a lot. Sure, they don't have quite as much star power on this relay as they did last year (now that Sam Ellis is gone), but this is a really complete lineup. Sam Rodman feels like one of the most reliable middle distance runners in this field. Duncan Miller continues to run comfortably under 4:00 and Ethan Reese is due for a breakout race.
Villanova Wildcats
Between Sean Dolan, Liam Murphy and Charlie O'Donovan, the Wildcats seem to have the absolute perfect personnel to attack the DMR. All three of those men have been running well as of late, they each have varying levels of experience and they all perfectly fit their presumed DMR legs. I like this group quite a bit!
Texas Longhorns
Washington and Oklahoma State were incredible an hour ago, but their biggest threat in the DMR is probably a fresh Texas squad. Crayton Carrozza on the anchor leg, Yusuf Bizimana on the 1200 meter leg, Jonathan Jones on the 800 meter leg and whoever else on the 400 meter leg feels like a borderline unstoppable lineup.
But the entries suggest that Cruz Gomez will be the lead-off for this team. And while I have absolutely zero issues with Gomez on the 1200 meter spot (they could still win), I do wonder if this is the most optimal order.
Texas A&M Aggies
Seeing the Texas A&M men run 9:29 in the DMR earlier this season was super impressive. But this is a different and far more loaded field. They'll also need to run significantly faster if they want any shot of making it to the indoor national meet. This is going to be a massive "prove it" race for the Aggies.
LSU Tigers
At first glance, it feels weird to see the LSU men listed in the top section of the DMR...but when you look at their potential lineup, it makes sense! Alex Selles has been a very pleasant surprise this winter, running 1:47 for 800 meters. And when you pair him with Davis Bove who has run 3:56 in the mile, there's a lot to like about this group.
However, we don't know for sure which version of Davis Bove we'll get tomorrow and we don't know how Selles will handle a move up to the 1200 meters if that's the leg that he ends up running.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
I feel like the Notre Dame men could finish dead last or finish runner-up in a time of 9:21. I have zero clue. Sure, Carter Solomon ran 3:57 in the mile earlier this season, but I have major questions for pretty much everyone else in this lineup. They aren't necessarily bad questions, I just don't know what to expect from them.
Indiana Hoosiers
I heavily doubted Indiana's DMR last winter and I got burned as a result. I don't want to bet against them again, especially since I really like Camden Marshall on this relay. But without a true superstar like they had in Ben Veatch last year, I'm wondering who is going to offer the overwhelming firepower to keep them in contention.
Ole Miss Rebels
The lineup order that you see in the entries for Ole Miss is almost certainly not going to be what the final results show. Camerieri, Bracken and Crorken are perfect fits for the DMR. But after running 1:55 for 800 meters at the Millrose Games and coming off of a significant injury, I would be surprised if Cade Flatt actually toed the line for this race.
Wisconsin Badgers
I would put the Wisconsin men in same the category as Texas and Villanova. They have a complete lineup with tons of firepower on each distance leg. Between Jackson Sharp, Abdullahi Hassan and Adam Spencer, there's a very real chance that the Badgers win this race.
Yes, Sharp is coming down a good bit in distance, but for someone who has run 3:57 in the mile this winter, I don't think we should expect any legitimate issues with him over 1200 meters this weekend.
Women's DMR
New Mexico Lobos
I'm pretty surprised that Elise Thorner and Stefanie Parsons aren't listed in these entries. Sure, Samree Dishon has had a nice season, but this is a roster that has been heavily lacking middle distance speed. To not have either of those first two milers in this lineup is surprising. It should also be noted that the listed order for this relay will almost certainly be different than what they actually run.
Georgetown Hoyas
The Hoyas actually have two different relays entered in this field, but there is one that stands out above the rest. With Katy-Ann McDonald on the 1200 meter leg, Melissa Riggins on the 800 meter leg and Grace Jensen on the anchor, I legitimately believe that the Hoyas are favored to win this race. I don't see any other relay in this field that has as much firepower on all three of their distance legs.
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan women have a sneaky-good DMR. Samantha Tran ran 4:34 in the mile last weekend and Aurora Rynda, after running 2:02 (800) a few weeks ago, was the hero of this DMR last year.
But Anna Juul in the lead-off position is interesting. On paper, she's a perfect fit for that leg, but her times this winter have been a bit more modest than in year's past. She'll be a major x-factor for this team on Saturday.
Ole Miss Rebels
I don't entirely understand this lineup. Don't get me wrong, Sophie Baumann and Krystal van den Berg are really solid distance talents, but I'm not sure why the Rebels would leave out their top mile/1k runner (Loral Winn) as well as their top 800 meter runner (Madison Hulsey) from the lineup entries. That could definitely change, but I'm still trying to figure that part out.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
I don't know if I would say that they are favored, but this Notre Dame lineup may have a shot at snagging the win if everything goes perfectly for them.
Graduate transfer Katie Thronson has been really, really solid this winter, running 4:37 in the mile on this same track two weeks ago. And with Kaitlin Ryan posting a 2:05 (800) mark last week, there's potential for Olivia Markezich to have the baton near the leaders. And if that happens, then the Irish could secure a victory.
Wisconsin Badgers
There are a handful of underappreciated distance talents on this roster, specifically Madison Mooney who has run 4:37 in the mile this season. But outside of her, I just don't know if I see the Wisconsin women having enough middle distance prowess to put Mooney in a spot where she's contending with top teams. Of course, I've been wrong before.
Indiana Hoosiers
I like Sarah Schmitt quite a bit as I think she has been fairly underrated in recent years. But there isn't a ton of middle distance firepower on this roster and it's tough to see how the Hoosiers will match their counterparts on a handful of legs.
Clemson Tigers
Brynne Sumner is a strong middle distance talent who has posted some fairly solid times. But she can't run all four legs of this relay and there simply needs to be more help from her teammates. When it comes to matching their competitors, I'm not sure how Clemson will stay in the top-half of this field.
Michigan State Spartans
If everyone on this relay runs to their full potential, then the Michigan State women can absolutely qualify for the indoor national meet. Katie Osika, Lauren Freeland and Katelyn Stewart-Barnett are all highly respectable distance talents. But their fastest 800 meter runner this winter has gone 2:08 and that will need to improve quite a bit if they are to finish among the top-three.
LSU Tigers
Much like the Michigan women last year, the LSU women are going to lean heavily on their middle distance runners. The Tigers will likely have best the 400/800 combo in this field (largely thanks to Michaela Rose). If Cindy Bourdier (who has run 2:05 for 800 meters) and Lorena Rangel Batres (who has run a 4:40 mile) can just hold their own, then LSU may have a shot of putting a DMR on the national stage.
FINAL PREDICTIONS
*Predictions only list "A" lineups
*Predictions are made under the assumption that the listed entries for each team are correct unless otherwise specified in the article.
DMR (Men)
Texas Longhorns (H2) - 9:18
Villanova Wildcats (H2) - 9:19
Wisconsin Badgers (H2) - 9:20
Ole Miss Rebels (H2) - 9:21
Princeton Tigers (H2) - 9:21
North Carolina Tar Heels (H1) - 9:23
Tennessee Volunteers (H1) - 9:23
Michigan Wolverines (H1) - 9:24
Georgetown Hoyas (H1) - 9:25
BYU Cougars (H1) - 9:25
Indiana Hoosiers (H2) - 9:26
New Mexico Lobos (H1) - 9:27
Penn State Nittany Lions (H1) - 9:27
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (H2) - 9:29
Texas A&M Aggies (H2) - 9:29
LSU Tigers (H2) - 9:30
Stanford Cardinal (H1) - 9:32
Clemson Tigers (H1) - 9:38
DMR (Women)
Georgetown Hoyas - 10:53
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 10:54
LSU Tigers - 10:55
Michigan Wolverines - 10:57
Michigan State Spartans - 10:58
Wisconsin Badgers - 10:59
Ole Miss Rebels - 11:01
New Mexico Lobos - 11:01
Indiana Hoosiers - 11:04
Clemson Tigers - 11:09
