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D1 Outdoor Entry Evals (Part Two)
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- May 23, 2021
- 5 min read
As we prep content for the upcoming NCAA postseason, we decided to take another look at the accepted entries and notable scratches that we may have missed in Part One. Let's dive into it and talk about a few more top distance athletes...
Bailey Hertenstein: Scratching 5k For 1500
Personally, this one doesn't make much sense to me. The Indiana star has historically been great in the longer distances. She has dominated during cross country and has easily been one of the most consistent talents in the BIG 10 over the last few seasons. Then, when she finally does run a 5k on the track, she posts a time of 15:38 and skyrockets to the top of the national leaderboard.
Now, don't get me wrong, her 4:14 PR for 1500 meters is strong and she has a ton of experience in the event. There's a very good chance that she can move on to the national meet next week in this very distance.
Even so, I struggle to believe that the 5k isn't her best event. She seems to be better in most aggressive race situations (in the longer distances) and this year's 5k is shaping up to be exactly like that. I do think Hertenstein is sneaky good in tactical 1500 races, but I feel like her resume shows that she's better suited for the 5000 meters.
Of course, I'm sure I'll be proven wrong in the near future.
Duncan Hamilton: Scratching 1500/5k For Steeple
Was there a right or wrong decision for this? I don't think so. Hamilton has been someone who has heavily leaned on altitude conversions dating back as far as the winter season of 2020. He has proven to be a more of a miler who can also move up in distance to the 3000 meters.
Despite that, the steeplechase is truthfully his better option despite owning a 3:37 conversion for 1500 meters. The steeplechase is far more variable and a lot more wide-open this year compared to the 1500. This year, the metric mile is insanely deep with a plethora of men who have run under 3:40.
In tactical races that require speed, I don't know if there is any guarantee that Hamilton will get out of the preliminary rounds. In fact, we already saw evidence of that at the NCAA Indoor Championships when his preliminary heat became absurdly slow and he finished last overall.
The steeplechase at least offers room for Hamilton to become an All-American and the steeplechase almost always becomes an honest effort in the postseason. There seems to be a lot more opportunity there compared to the 1500, so I like this move for him.
Anna Camp: 1500/800 Double
This is an ambitious double...and I love the decision. Camp has run 4:11 and 2:03 this season. She wasn't exactly overwhelmingly better in one event compared to the other, so why not balance her risks and go for both events? Camp is super consistent and can clearly find success in one of these races, so I'm not sure I see much of a downside.
Now, admittedly, there isn't a ton of rest at the regional meet between the 1500 and 800 in either the prelims or the finals, but it's also a very doable double. She'll have a day of rest in between her double duty and Camp could very easily find herself in a position where she is qualified for Nationals in both events.
The fact that she is ranked at West Region #6 in the 800 meters and will have two teammates in the preliminary rounds with her makes me feel a lot more confident about Camp's chances. When she's in races with her BYU teammates, she often runs incredibly well and I think that familiarity could play a role in some capacity later this week.
Mick Stanovsek: Scratching 800 For 1500
This may not seem like a big deal and most people familiar with Washington probably figured that Stanovsek would run the 1500 over the 800...but should he have scratched the 800 in favor of the 1500? Hear me out.
Stanovsek is ranked higher in the 1500 meters than the 800 meters and he has more experience in the event. However, a ton of men have run under 3:40 this year and 3:39 is Stanovsek's personal best. Meanwhile, his 1:48 could be enough to get him to the national meet. It's happened before.
Of course, most people would point to the fact that the regional rounds in the 1500 meters are often tactical -- and they would be right. However, after seeing Stanovsek finish 10th overall (and 9th amongst collegiates) in the 1500 meters against an elite field at Fresno State, I can't help but wonder if there was more potential for him in the 800 meters this postseason.
Yes, I know he finished last in the 800 meter finals at the PAC-12 Championships, but he may have been tripped up after running 2:00. I'm not going to pretend like I know what happened, but I think that result was simply a fluke.
At the same time, I don't want to make it seem like running the 1500 meters is a bad idea for Stanovsek. He has a ton of experience in the event and has made it to the national meet before in 2019. The 1500 is clearly his best distance (on paper).
Even so, I feel like this year is different for the 1500 and I don't trust as many of the top options in the men's 800 meters this year. Simply put, I think the 800 could have been a very unique (and beneficial) choice for this Husky veteran.
Katelyn Tuohy: 1500/5k Double
I certainly wasn't expecting this.
Tuohy has run 4:12 and 15:47 this season. Both of those marks are very solid and individually, they could get her to the national meet. However, for her to go after the double seemed unlikely, especially since she was coming back from a rumored injury from the fall.
Being a rookie also made me think that she wouldn't attempt the double.
However, Tuohy looked great doing the 1500/5k double at the ACC Championships and I'm sure that sparked the idea for Coach Henes to have her star freshman try the double once more.
And truthfully, I can't find a reason to dislike this choice.
The 1500 meters is clearly Tuohy's best event and the one that she has the most momentum in. If there was any risk of her not being fresh for this race, I would say that this double is a bad idea.
That, of course, is not the case.
Tuohy will be able to go through the 1500 prelims and finals during the regional meet without the interference of another race on her schedule. Plus, if something were to go wrong for her in one of those 1500 races, then the NC State frosh could always come back and attempt the 5k where she would still have a good chance of qualifying for Nationals.
Simply put, I like this move a lot and I think it's a much smarter move than some people may realize.
