Bullet Points: Brandon Miller's Rise, the Orton-Wayment 5k & More Crazy Steeple Times

We already spoke yesterday about all of the incredible action that we saw on Thursday and Friday. Now, we're diving into all of the main results from Saturday and Sunday.

Let's jump right into it...

• We have to talk about Brandon Miller. This youngster ran 1:46.06 in the prelims at the SEC Championships, but came back in the finals to take down a loaded field en route to a personal best of 1:45.95. This Texas A&M rookie is looking beyond dangerous right now. My biggest concern with him was that his youth would make him a liability during the rounds (wrong) and that he wouldn't have a fast enough time to truly contend for an All-American finish (also wrong). I don't like heavily investing myself in young guys on championship stages, but the 800 is a bit of a different story and frankly, I can't help but like everything that we're seeing out of Miller.

• Speaking of fast 800 times, Clemson's Kameron Jones has been a name that we've been watching since the winter months. He has broken onto the scene in a major way, never failing to have a poor performance in the half-mile. Jones has consistently posted marks of 1:46 to 1:47 and he has been unafraid to challenge pretty much anyone who toes the line against him. Sure enough, he took home the ACC title this past weekend over All-American standout Sam Voelz. Jones recorded a time of 1:45 which now sits at NCAA #2 on the national leaderboard. He's not the most experienced veteran in this event, but he can seemingly do no wrong when he races this distance. The Clemson product is going to be a problem for his competitors in the postseason as he can seemingly run with almost anyone in the NCAA right now.

• Nice race for Voelz as well at the ACC Championships. He ran a new personal best of 1:46 which much more on par with his All-American finish from the NCAA Indoor Championships. His experience in this event and clear uptick in fitness makes him more and more of a lock (in my eyes) to become an All-American yet again come June.

• Sticking with the ACC Championships, we saw yet another thrilling battle in the women's 800 meters as Laurie Barton continues to emerge as one of the nation's most elite half-milers. In yet another battle with Virginia Tech's Lindsey Butler, we saw Barton run a jaw-dropping time of 2:00.70 to win the title over Butler who ran 2:01.32 for runner-up.

• If Athing Mu doesn't run the 800 meters at the NCAA Championships, then is it safe to say that Barton could contend with Miller for the national title? She clearly has the raw fitness to contend with the Baylor star and Barton now knows what to expect from Miller on the national stage. With a strong array of different tactical tools, Barton could be a favorite for NCAA gold, especially after taking down Butler.

• As for Butler, her 2:01 validates the idea that she'll probably pursue the 800 meters at the NCAA Championships later this year. She had been relatively quiet in the event this spring, mainly focusing on (and thriving in) the 1500 meters, but it looks like she was aiming to peak for the 800 meters right around this time. And based on what we just saw, she seems to have accomplished exactly that.

• Also, Virginia's Michaela Meyer ran yet another 2:01 mark for 3rd place at the ACC Championships. That's just mind-blowing consistency when you realize that she has run just as fast this spring on numerous occasions. Plus, she was doubling from the 1500! Meyer continues to impress in a major way this season.

• Speaking of the 1500 meters at the ACC Championships, the women were MOVING in this race. In total, seven women ran 4:13 or faster with Meyer taking home the victory in a wicked fast time of 4:09. She narrowly edged Florida State's Maudie Skyring who ran 4:09.99 for 2nd place.

• Yes, those times were faster than I was expecting, but these two veterans are tactically strong enough to be posting marks around the 4:09 range. However, we now have to wonder what event Meyer will pursue at the regional and national meets. I would suggest the 1500, but her 800 consistency is unbelievable.

• But how about Elly Henes? The NC State star is surely going to be focusing on the 5k at the NCAA Championships, but she just displayed some incredible speed with a 4:10 personal best. She also took down Notre Dame Katie Wasserman (4:10) in the process, and this has (historically) been Wasserman's best racing distance. That kind of middle distance speed from Henes could come in handy if the NCAA Championships turn tactical in the 5000 meters. Although, given the women in that field, the pace may be fairly honest.

• Also, Virginia Tech's Lauren Berman running 4:10 came a little bit out of nowhere. She's been a pivotal name for the Hokies for a while now, but she hasn't proven to be on the same level as Edwards and Butler...until now. Kudos to her on a breakout performance which matches her true ceiling of talent.

• Staying with the ACC Championships, we saw Wildschutt do his thing and run 13:29 to take home the win. However, we have to give props to Facioni who kept things tight with a 13:30 effort of his own. Notre Dame's Dylan Jacobs also seems to be converting his success from cross country to the track with a 3rd place finish in 13:37. Overall, there were a lot of impressive performances, but none that were going to dramatically alter the NCAA hierarchy.

• Let's briefly go back to the 1500 meters and talk about the BIG Sky Championships. Naturally, you can understand that any race with Northern Arizona in it will likely be fast and that was exactly the case in the 1500 meters. Luis Grijalva ran 3:41 at 4700 feet of altitude to earn a conversion of 3:37. However, maybe more impressively was Duncan Hamilton who ran 3:42 to get a 3:37 conversion of his own. The Montana State senior applied the pressure to Grijalva and helped create a race where Nico Young ran a converted 3:39.

• Do those performances change our understanding of what these men will run at the NCAA Championships? For NAU, probably not. Grijalva and Young are so clearly primed for the 5k while Hamilton may be better suited for the steeplechase after running a converted 8:41. Even so, a 3:37 conversion for 1500 could be enough of an incentive for Hamilton to drop the barriers and water pits from his postseason schedule.

• Speaking of 5k runners, Air Force's Mahala Norris just had one heck of a weekend. After getting a steeplechase win over Adva Cohen in a time of 9:44, Norris came back to take down Charlotte Prouse in the 5000 meters with a time of 15:39. Is it safe to say that Norris will be running the steeple/5k double at the NCAA Championships? In my mind, that seems to make the most sense.

• Sticking with the 5k, we need to talk about the performances that we saw from Whittni Orton and Courtney Wayment at the Sound Running meet this past weekend. I am in complete awe of what these two women have accomplished. Orton has returned to her elite superstar form after running 15:12 this past weekend while Wayment is continuing her reign of dominance with a mark of 15:17.

• I've said it once and I'll say it again. Orton is the last person anyone should want to face at the NCAA Championships. She's peaking better than any other woman in the nation right now and just ran faster than TSR #2 runner Courtney Wayment who was in a separate heat. Orton now has a tough decision to make when it comes to whether or not she runs the 1500 or the 5k at the regional meet, although I imagine that she'll run the latter.

• As for Wayment, I want to make a big deal about this performance for her, but this was very much in the realm of possibility for her. Not only that, but I see her going for the steeplechase/5k double at the outdoor national meet. Trying to double back from the steeplechase seems like a challenge that Wayment can overcome, but winning the national title in the 5k seems a bit aggressive, even if she just ran 15:17. Still, Wayment has improved her stock even more this past weekend and I didn't even think that was possible at this point in the season.

• If we're going to stay on the topic of the 5k, I want to briefly address how the NC State women went 1-2-3-4 in this event at the ACC Championships. Henes, Steelman, Tuohy and Shaw swept the field, running 15:34, 15:39, 15:50 and 15:52, respectively. Talk about depth...

• Moving to the PAC-12, Isaiah Jewett just ran a nation-leading time of 1:45.17 to give the Oregon trio of Hunter (1:46), Hocker (1:46) and Peralta (1:48) three losses. However, it should be noted that Peralta ran 1:46 in the prelims.

• Simply put, this is a major win for Jewett. I had questioned how he would handle top-tier competition, but he has passed the test with flying colors. Running the fastest time in the country while taking down the indoor champion, who seems to be peaking at the right time, is outstanding. I truly believe that Jewett can win gold at the NCAA Championships in June.

• As for Hunter, he may not have gotten the win or run a new PR, but he's trending upwards and doing so at the right time. 1:46 is no joke and it keeps him in contention for NCAA gold, but only if he can continue this progression towards his top form from this past winter.

• If we're sticking with the 800, then we need to chat about Yusuf Bizimana running 1:46 to win the BIG 12 crown. He took down Iowa State's Alex Lomong and Daniel Nixon who ran 1:47 and 1:48, respectively. He also fended off Festus Lagat who was DQ'd for some contact on the final straightaway.

• On paper, there's nothing to really emphasize here, although Bizimana seems like a clear favorite to contest the 800 at the regional meet. We should also mention that Lomong looks like he's back in top form. Running 1:47 is really strong for someone of his caliber and if he continues to peak, then he can potentially get into the 1:46 range a few weeks from now.

• Let's talk about marks that we did not at all expect. Wesley Kiptoo has been great in the 5k, 10k and cross country....and now also the steeplechase. That's right, the Iowa State star can do it all, completing the event in a massive time of 8:31 in what was largely a solo effort. Kiptoo soundly defeated Ryan Smeeton by 14 seconds and took over the NCAA #2 in the event.

• I want to make some massive proclamation about what this result means in the grand scheme of things, but in reality, I don't think it means all that much. After all, Kiptoo is probably not going to race the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships...right? Honestly, now that I have to ask that question, I'm less confident in my answer.

• Oh, and Kiptoo also ran 13:29 (5k) and 28:22 (10k) this past weekend...but that's just business as usual for him at this point in the season.

• If we're sticking with the steeplechase, then we need to transition to the PAC-12 where Jackson Mestler ran 8:35 to barely fend off Washington's Joe Waskom who also ran 8:35. For both of these men, their results are massive validation of their overall talent. Mestler has been a great steeplechaser for years, but has now reached the next tier. He seems like a legitimate All-American contender who can be competitive in any race scenario he's put in.

• Similarly, we've known that Waskom was going to have a bright future with the Huskies, but this performance really legitimizes all of the incredible fitness that we've seen from him over the past year. He has been electric since coming into this program and has been thriving under Coach Powell. Despite his youth, he has been unafraid to challenge some of the biggest and best names in the country and this past weekend was an excellent example of that. I like his consistency and I think that will help him in the postseason.

• Also, we saw a nice 8:41 result for Stanford's Ky Robinson. He continues to be a major player in the steeplechase. He's another name where, despite his youth, he could be in the national qualifying conversation a week and a half from now.

• And on the women's side? Well, Oregon's Aneta Konieczek and Washington's Katie Rainsberger put on a show. The Oregon star just ran 9:36 to earn the NCAA #2 time on the national leaderboard, five seconds off of Wayment's mark, while Rainsberger ran 9:39, validating the idea that running the steeplechase this spring was a brilliant move for her. Kaylee Mitchell also ran 9:48 this past weekend.

• If women like Konieczek and Rainsberger are going to continue to peak like this, then Wayment's near-lock on NCAA gold in this event may not be as strong as we once thought it was. Sure, no one is within five seconds of her, but we now have four other women also under the 9:40 barrier with the potential for a few others to dip under that mark. With the exception of Orton, no one in the NCAA has more momentum than Rainsberger right now and Konieczek has proven that she can have random moments of brilliance like this past weekend.

• Do I actually see Wayment losing this event at the NCAA Championships? No, not really, but I don't think she's necessarily untouchable like I previously suspected.

• Also, shoutout to Summer Allen. The Weber State star just ran a converted 9:44 in the steeplechase at the BIG Sky Championships. She's been a beast this entire year and continues to translate her cross country success to the oval.

• The BIG 10 Championships also gave us a very deep field of results in the steeplechase as Alec Basten continues his rise as a versatile distance weapon for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He ran 8:33 to secure a win over Iowa veteran Nathan Mylenenk who ran 8:35 for runner-up. Michigan's Joost Plaetinck ran 8:39 for 3rd place.

• Basten was incredible at the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning two All-American honors and earning two personal bests in the process. Based on that, it looks like he has found the perfect formula to peak in the postseason. After running 8:33, I'm almost inclined to put him down as an All-American lock as it seems like he has the perfect mix of fitness for postseason success once again.

• Nathan Mylenek didn't win the BIG 10 title, but running 8:35 is a huge time and it pairs perfectly with the experience and range that he has in other events. This is another name who peaks perfectly for the postseason and we saw that in 2019 as he continued to get better as he went into the national meet. Right now, the Iowa veteran seems to be on track to do the same exact thing this year.

• As for Michigan's Joost Platenick, he's been a talented name who has made steady progress this year, but this was the first performance where he really blew me out of the water. Running 8:39 is a next-level result and it validates his incremental improvements throughout this spring and over the last few seasons. Is this another example of someone peaking perfectly for the postseason? It may be, but at the very least, this is a classic example of a veteran who has a breakout performance after a few weeks of improvements. On paper, that holds a lot of positive weight heading into the regional meets.

• Sticking with the BIG 10, we saw Minnesota's Abby Kohut-Jackson (9:47) edge out Wisconsin's Alissa Niggemann (9:48) for the win. This was a big breakout performance for Niggemann, but we've seen her have steeplechase success before and sooner or later, she was due for this kind of result. But for Kohut-Jackson, this was a monster result.

• The Golden Gopher veteran has slowly but surely made significant improvements this year. She was great in cross country, held her own on the indoor oval and had a few decent performances this spring. However, to see her run 9:47 gives a sense of her comfort that her 45th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships weren't a fluke. If she can carry this momentum into the postseason, then she might be able to qualify for the national meet.

• At the PAC-12 Championships, Oregon's Cooper Teare ran a 3:39/13:32 double this past weekend, taking down an underrated 1500 field and finishing runner-up to Hocker (barely) against a VERY elite 5k field which featured names like Charles Hicks (13:35), Eduardo Herrera (13:36), Colton Johnsen (13:39), John Dressel (13:40) and others.

• Colorado's Sage Hurta put together a 2:01 effort to win the PAC-12 title. This isn't much of a surprise and frankly, it was probably the most predictable result of the weekend. However, seeing Julia Heymach rise up to run 2:02 for silver was impressive. She also ran 15:40 to win the 5000 meters. She's always had exceptional range, but I love what we just saw out of her this past weekend. Heymach may be a better 800 runner, but I think she should pursue the 5k at the regional and national meets. Her speed makes her SUPER dangerous in a tactical setting.

• It was one helluva weekend for Harvard at the Sound Running meet. They had Abbe Goldstein run 4:10 (1500), Graham Blanks run 13:35 (5k), Acer Iverson run 13:42 (5k) and Mathew Pereria run 28:22 (10k). Coach Gibby is continuing to produce some big-time distance talents in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• In the same race as Mathew Pereria, we saw Gonzaga's James Mwaura run 28:27 for 10,000 meters. That's a nice result, but it's partially expected from someone of his caliber. Mwaura does well in fast races, but we'll see need to how he handles tactical settings before I put him in the All-American conversation.

• Most of the conversation about the Sound Running meet will be about the BYU duo of Orton and Wayment. However, Olivia Hoj also ran a personal best of 4:10 and that deserves some major kudos. She's been showing off a lot of consistency and versatility this year, but running 4:10 puts her in the same tier as Anna Camp right now. On paper, that is a TON of firepower that the Cougars from Provo now boast on their roster. I could realistically see Orton, Wayment, Camp, Hoj and Ellsworth all qualifying for the national meet a week and a half from now.