Our TSR staff is previewing each athlete in each distance event for the Indoor National Championships. Below, we offer analysis and evaluate how each of these athletes will fare at the National Championships. Names are ordered by seed time.
Benoit Campion (American International)
Other Events: DMR + 3k
Analysis: The senior from American International is the favorite to win the race. He comes in with a seed time and PR of 4:02. He has set personal bests in the 800 meters, the mile and th 3k this season. Times of 1:51.10, 4:02.54, and 8:09.54 are super impressive and his 3k time earned him a spot on the starting line in that event as well. Campion was 5th in this event last year at Indoor Nationals, but his dynamic range and variety of race tactics has grown since then, making him a title contender this weekend.
Luc Hagen (Colorado Mines)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Hagen is seeded second with his converted time of 4:03.41. He’s a versatile runner with strong times from the 800 meters to 5k and All-American performances in cross country. His endurance should come in handy for a race where multiple men can push the pace.
Calahan Warren (Embry-Riddle)
Other Events: DMR + 3k
Analysis: The senior from Embry-Riddle comes in as the third ranked runner in this event with his time of 4:03.48. He has tons of experience in this event and has qualified for both indoor and outdoor nationals in the 800 meters and the 1500/mile. However, he has struggled with making it to the finals. That said, he’s had steady progression and a consistent season, setting new personal bests in the mile and 3k over the past few months. Warren should earn his first All-American honors this weekend if he can navigate through the prelims.
James Young (Academy of Art)
Other Events: DMR
Analysis: This will be Young’s first time at a national meet and he is going in as the #4 seed which is extremely impressive. Young has found success in the mile as an individual this season and was also the anchor to his team’s DMR. Young won the mile at the GVSU Big Meet against some exceptional distance talents, so we know that he be competitive on this stage.
Leakey Kipkosgei (American Int’l)
Other Events: DMR + 3k
Analysis: Kipkosgei joins his teammate (Campion) in the mile with his seed time of 4:04.61. He’s a jack of all trades and a master of all. He has been All-American in the 800 meters, the 3000 meters, the 3000 meter steeplechase, the 5000 meters, and the DMR. His “worst” finish at a national cross country meet is 15th. With his experience and elite range, he should be adding to his collection with an All-American performances this weekend.
Vincent Workman (Colorado Mines)
Other Events: DM + 3k
Workman joins his Colorado Mines teammate in the event with a 4:05 performance from earlier this season (altitude converted time). He has set PR's in the mile and 3k this season and has aided his team’s DMR in qualifying for Nationals. While this isn’t his first mile race on the national stage, it feels like Workman has elevated himself into the national conversation more than once this season.
Benjamin Allen (Concordia-St. Paul)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Allen has one All-American performance to his name and should be adding another this weekend. His seed time of 4:05 is the seventh best in the field. So far this season, he has set a new mile PR and won two NSIC titles. His experience in a variety of races will aid him this weekend. He'll be a sleeper pick capable of making some noise given the consistency that we've seen from him this season.
Ryan Riddle (Missouri Southern)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Riddle is attending his first NCAA meet which could be seen as a huge disadvantage. However, his personal bets of 4:05 and 8:19 are respectable and he has been wildly consistent this season, earning top three finishes in his last eight races (on a relay and individually). He won the MIAA Championship mile title and has shown a lot of potential. He should be able to make the finals if he continues to run the way he has been.
Felix Wammetsberger (Queens (N.C.))
Other Events: DMR
Analysis: The senior from Queens is the returning champion in the event, but he still seems like an underdog. He ran a solid 4:06 at the GVSU Big Meet, but hasn't run faster than 4:14 in any other attempts. He won last year's national title with a time of 4:11, so the idea of this race turning tactical could favor the 2019 gold medalist.
Paddy Robb (Adams State)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Robb was able to qualify with a converted 4:06, but his other races in the mile this season were over 4:30 which makes his resume difficult to gauge heading into the national meet. Still, we've seen that Robb can be competitive outside of just this season and his experience will likely benefit him against this field.
Jonathan Specht (Western Colorado)
Other Events: N/A
Similar to Robb, the Western Colorado senior was able to qualify for Nationals, but his 15th place performance at the RMAC Indoor Championships two weeks ago has us feeling a little uneasy. Even so, if Specht can translate his converted PR of 4:07 to the tactics of championship racing, then he'll be competitive.
Joseph Humes (Hillsdale)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Humes won the 3k at the GMAC Indoor Championships and has a PR of 4:06, but his fastest race this year was a 4:08. In a way, that may be a good thing. The Hillsdale ace still has some upside and his conference title shows us that he knows how to race for placement. Watch out for Humes in the prelims this weekend.
Evan Sutherland (Western Colorado)
Other Events: DMR
Analysis: Sutherland joins his teammate in the event with a converted 4:08. He is in a similar situation as Specht in that his times haven’t been close to 4:08 most the season. He may not have the fastest time in the field, but he'll be in a prelim that is expected to be VERY tactical, so positioning will be everything for Sutherland.
Zach Lundberg (Sioux Falls)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Lundberg comes in with a seed time of 4:08. He’s run the 1500 meters, the 3000 meters, and the DMR at Nationals in the past, so he has some experience. He’s also been more consistent through the season than some of the other runners in the field which is a positive sign moving forward.
Shane Bracken (Saint Leo)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Bracken is one the younger runners in the field, but he has shown plenty of promise. He was 8th in the 1500 meters at the Outdoor National Championships last spring, so he has some experience in the middle distance events. With 1:51 800 meter speed, Bracken may have the middle distance speed that surprises his competitors in a tactical race.
Connar Southard (Pittsburg State)
Other Events: N/A
Analysis: Southward is the last seeded runner in the field with a time of 4:09. He consistently ran around 4:10 this year and was runner-up at the MIAA Indoor Championships two weeks ago. That consistency is a positive takeaway as it indicates that his 4:09 wasn't a complete fluke. Like Sutherland, he's in a very tactical prelim, so positioning will matter more than his PR.