Destined For The D-Med?

One of the events that typically goes unmentioned in the early portion of the indoor track season is the DMR. It's so early that most teams are focused on getting their individuals NCAA qualifying times in open events while other programs aren't even sure who would make it onto their "A" relay.

There are plenty of teams that we can already assume will pursue the DMR. Oregon, Indiana, Stanford, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech will act as the usual suspects in this event, especially with a heavy portion of their relays returning from last year (although VT may field a "B" relay that is still capable of finishing towards the top like last year).

Yet, for other programs, there is a bit of uncertainty. Whether they realize it or not, some of these teams may have the necessary pieces needed to put together a strong Distance Medley Relay. Still, there are plenty of other factors (such as open events) that they'll also have to consider.

If you're looking for a sleeper pick to emerge in the DMR, you might want to look at the Texas Longhorns. At first glance, they may not seem like a team that could do a lot of damage. The overall squad is young and they haven't really pursued the DMR since Leo Manzano was on the team. Of course, there is a lot of upside about this program that people seem to forget about. First off, Alex Rogers is a stud. The Texas veteran has eligibility as a junior this indoor season and owns personal bests of 3:40 in the 1500 and 1:48 in the 800. He has enough speed to contend with some of the best runners in the nation which gives him the potential to be one of the best 1200 legs in the NCAA this year. At same time, he could also end up as the anchor and hammer it home if the race becomes tactical. What makes Rogers so dangerous is that he and Sam Worley are interchangeable at the 1200 and Mile legs. A 4-flat miler in high school with a 1:48 PR, Worley could leave the Longhorns with the flexibility to experiment in certain legs of the relay.

We also have to remember that Worley finished his cross country season as a DNF at the South Central Regional Championships and DNS at Nationals. His health may be the biggest factor to consider in all of this.

The Longhorns may not have a star 800 leg capable of clipping off 1:48's or faster, but they would realistically need someone who can hit around 1:50 to stay competitive. This is where things become a little iffy for Texas as Jake McConnell's 1:52 and 2:26 (1k) PR's seem to be the Longhorn's greatest highlights in the mid distances. Those times are by no means bad, but McConnell will need to improve his reliability as a legitimate 800 leg if Texas wants a qualifying spot to NCAA's.

There are plenty of other teams like Texas that have strong potential in the 1200 and mile legs, but may hit a barrier when it comes to the 800. One of those teams is the Iona Gaels, who boasts a strong power duo of Chartt Miller and Liam Dee. With personal bests of 3:43 and 4:01 mile (4:00.99), Chartt Miller may seem like the perfect candidate for the 1500. In the past few years, Miller has thrived off of tactical races and is very familiar with racing some of the best in the nation. In a crowded 1200 field that is constantly jockeying for position, his big-race experience and ability to adjust mid-race may prove to be incredibly value. Naturally, that would leave the door open for 3:58 man Liam Dee who qualified for NCAA's in the final meet of last year's season and ended up becoming an All-American. With a history of consistency padding his resume, Dee would be a sneaky good choice to anchor Iona's DMR.

However, the issue of the 800 (and even the 400) is something that should still be considered. Throughout the entirety of the 2017 track seasons (both indoor and outdoor), the Gaels had no one break 51 seconds in the 400 or 1:53 in the 800. Those times, at the very least, need to be 48 and 1:50 if Iona wants a shot to make it to Nationals. The good news is that guys like Edward Hayfron and Danny Galvin are no longer freshmen and could see a significant jump in their overall performances with a year of collegiate competition under their belt. We could also see more from Robert Kirsty, a rising senior who may be able to dip closer to the 50 second barrier.

If the Gaels are able to focus and refine those areas in the middle distances, then this is a squad that could have a very legitimate shot at making it to NCAA's. Unfortunately, the emphasis on long distance within this group could push the possibility of a DMR out of the picture for Iona as events like the Mile, 3k, and 5k begin to take priority.

As we transition from Texas and Iona, a team like the Washington Huskies may spark your interest. The dynamic of this roster is unconventional, but it could set up for a surprisingly strong D-Med. Colby Gilbert is a true stud and is arguably one of the best distance runners in the nation when it comes to indoor track. Maybe that's because he gets so many opportunities to run on his home track (which is 300m instead of 200m). Nonetheless, his 3:58 doesn't do him justice. If needed, I'm a believer that Gilbert could hit 3:57 or maybe even faster under perfect circumstances. The Huskies tried to put him on the 1200 of the DMR last year and ended up with a time of 9:51. I'm not sold on Gilbert being placed anywhere other than the mile leg. A good day for him and an average day for Andrew Gardner could mean as much as a 10 to 12 second difference for the overall relay.

This is not to say that Andrew Gardner is a poor runner. If anything, his PR of 4:06 could make him a strong candidate for the 1200 leg. However, a better option might be Jonathan Stevens who boats personal bests of 3:43 in the 1500 and 2:27 in the 1k.

Meanwhile, the 800 is probably in good hands. Connor Morello ran 1:50 (twice) as a freshman last year which means that it wouldn't be surprising if he dipped into the 1:48-1:49 range this season. Is that optimistic? Yes. Is it unrealistic? Hardly. In addition to Morello, don't forget that Mason Fletcher is also returning for his senior season. Fletcher was able to add a PR of 1:50 to resume last spring and could be a potential factor in their relay formula.

The veterans on this Washington squad are, without a doubt, some of the more reliable and consistent collegiate distance runners on the west coast. What really captures my interest, however, is the recruiting class that Coach Metcalf has brought in. Isaac Green owns personal bests of 1:52 and 4:05 while Talon Hull is close behind with times of 1:53 and 4:08. Devan Kirk is a key addition as well with PR's of 49 and 1:51. Together, the potential these recruits bring to the Huskies is huge. Sure, maybe they'll end up redshirting, but if they get to use a season of eligibility this winter, then don't be surprised if at least one of them plays a key role in the success of the DMR.

I'll admit, aside from Colby Gilbert, the rest of Washington's DMR legs lacks the same wicked speed and star-power status that other teams may have. However, the sheer depth of this team at all different levels of experience may be enough to produce something dangerous. There is too much talent on this squad for Coach Metcalf to not be thinking about a stacked relay.

Unlike Washington, however, the Michigan Wolverines are a team that may be a little easier to predict. The loss of 3:57 miler Ned Willig is certainly not easy to overcome, but having a 3:59 guy like Connor Mora returning to the squad is probably the next best thing. Not only does Mora have the all-important sub four mark on his resume, but he's also been quite consistent and was on a DMR last year that ran 9:32 at Alex Wilson.

But for every great miler, there is an 800 runner that is just as great. Brennan Munley will be key to the Wolverines success this season and although a breakthrough into the 1:47 range would be huge for this squad, his reliability will prove to be an even greater asset. In his four completed seasons of indoor and outdoor track, the Michigan junior (with a PR of 1:48) has broken the 1:50 barrier 20 TIMES! Even some of the most established collegiate half-milers in the nation have failed to accomplish a feat such as that.

The only question mark on this squad lies with Aaron Baumgarten. The senior Wolverine will be the make-or-break piece that determines whether or not Big Blue can get into the Big Dance. With a mile PR of 4:03, it is very possible that we could see Baumgarten dip under that four minute barrier this season. He also has a PR of 1:52 in the 800 which could be the perfect combination for a quick 1200 leg. Still, that is all speculation and with the lure of longer distance events like the 3k and 5k, we may not get to see Baumgarten pursue the DMR or open mile all that often this season.

Another team with a similar relay structure may be the Southern Utah Thunderbirds who seem to have all of the necessary pieces for a respectable DMR. As we begin this conversation, we can't mention one name without mentioning the other. Kasey Knevelbaard and Mike Tate will likely be the duo that leads this DMR initiative should the Thunderbirds choose to pursue it. With a PR of 3:41 in the 1500 and a kick that is arguably the best in the NCAA, it may be easy to assume that Knevelbaard would find himself in the anchor position of this theoretical relay. Yet, with a personal best of 1:49 in the 800, he seems like he may have the perfect mix of strength and speed to be one of the top lead-off legs in the nation this year. On the flip side, Mike Tate's personal bests of 3:42 and 4:00 paired with his 5k PR of 13:34 indicates that he could thrive in the mile leg. That, of course, is not to say that he couldn't hold his own in the 1200. With an 800 of 1:51 and a 1000 of 2:29, this man can seemingly do it all. Together, Knevelbaard and Tate could help shock the nation just like they did last year.

Southern Utah's 800 leg, which can often be a point of weakness for many distance-oriented programs, has a bit of flexibility. George Espino is returning to complete his final season of eligibility and will do so with a personal best of 1:49 from last indoor season. The next best option at the 800 position will most likely stay in the family as Bryan Espino enters his second season with a personal best of 1:52 as just a freshman. The experience of the elder brother or the untapped potential of the younger brother will decide who is able to secure the 800 spot for this team...right?

I usually don't research the 400 legs all that often because their overall impact is typically not that big (although tell that to Iona). With that in mind, Justin Lewis is a guy that could be someone to watch out for if Southern Utah decides to construct a legit DMR. After running a 46.88 last season, it wouldn't be a wild idea to build up his endurance and see what he can do in the 800. It's a transition that happens a lot more often in high school than it does in college, but if this is someone who can run 1:48 or faster, than why not give it a shot? The T-birds would still have Brandan Harley who has a personal best of 47.76.

The final squad of this DMR conversation is a bit unique when you compare their situation to others. Just like they did this past November when they placed 7th at NCAA's, the Iowa State Cyclones are a team that could really surprise this season with a solid amount of depth and a superstar leading the way.

As we evaluate the weapons that this team has, it might be best to start off with the strongest portion of their relay: the 800. Jaymes Dennison and Roshon Roomes are coming off of breakout spring track seasons where they each ran 1:47.6. Dennison is entering this season as a senior while Roomes will only be a sophomore. Iowa State should be feeling very comfortable at the 800 position with two studs that are capable of hanging with some of the top athletes in the nation.

The best part about the Dennison/Roomes combo is that whoever doesn't win the job for the 800 could still go on to contend for the 1200, something that Roomes could be a candidate for when you consider that his personal best in the 1k is 2:26.

Although Roomes and Dennison could find an opening in the 1200, the more likely scenario is that we would see either Dan Curts or Zach Black leading off for the Cyclones. Curts is coming off of one of his better cross country seasons and enters indoor track with strong mid-distance PR's of 1:52, 2:24 (1k), and 3:43. As he enters the later portion of his collegiate racing career, Curts' speed joined by his improved endurance from cross country could definitely yield exciting results for the Cardinal and Gold this February and March. However, he'll have to battle with sophomore Zach Black who produced some respectable times of his own as a freshman. With personal bests of 1:52, 2:23, and 3:48/4:06, Black has shown that the 1200 could be an event that perfectly utilizes his middle distance abilities. It's tough to say who would be taking the lead-off leg for Iowa State, but having either Black or Curts should give Coach Smith a sense of comfort.

However, while the 800 and 1200 legs seem to be relatively safe in terms of what we can predict, the anchor leg leaves a bit of uncertainty. Naturally, the best option for this spot would be Cyclone distance star Andrew Jordan who recently had a breakout cross country season where he placed 15th at NCAA's this past fall. The only "problem" is that we don't really know what Jordan could do at the mile distance since he has yet to record a time in an open event shorter than the 3000. The sophomore does have PR's of 4:10 and 1:53 from high school, but until we see what he can do on the college scene, the mile leg of this DMR will remain shrouded in speculation and theoretical splits.

With that said, is it a smart idea to doubt or even question the ability of what this kid could do? Absolutely not. After such a huge cross country season, you have to imagine his fitness is at a different level than what it was in 2016 and that the idea of sub four minutes is well within reason.

Iowa State placed 7th at Nationals this past fall and probably surprised everyone but themselves. With a long-distance superstar and a variety of options at the 1200 and 800 legs, the Cyclones are in a healthy position. If they can find some security in the mile, then Iowa State could hit that coveted 9:30 mark by March.

#analysis #indoortrack #ncaa #gzatlin