First Thoughts: Miller & Butler Impress, Oregon Men Run Dual 3:54 Miles, Women's Mile Becomes Deeper

And there you have it. That's a wrap on conference weekend...well, sorta.

There are actually a few additional conference meets that are still going on today, and even a couple that are extending into Monday (like the Missouri Valley Conference).

While there may be a few additional results that pop-up on our radar later today and on Monday, we couldn't just ignore all of the action that happened on Saturday! That would just be preposterous.

Now, as you can imagine, there was a TON of racing that happened this weekend. While there were certainly major improvements and career-defining wins, there was also so much that we couldn't talk about the sake of time and for the sake of our content schedule.

So, for today, we will largely be focusing on the results that had an impact on the national picture, specifically when it comes to title contention, All-American contention and national qualifying.

We apologize for those who we could not get to, but I think you'll understand how difficult it would have been to touch on EVERY semi-important result when you review this article.

Remember, we also recapped and analyzed some of the action that took place on Thursday and Friday, so be sure to check that out!

Alright, here we go...

Virginia Tech's Lindsey Butler Dominates Women's ACC 800 Meter Field, Runs NCAA-Lead of 2:01

This was one of the most impressive weekends I have ever seen from a singular women's 800 meter runner.

Virginia Tech's Lindsey Butler captured headlines on Thursday when she ran a jaw-dropping split of 4:29 to run away from NC State's Kelsey Chmiel in what had to be one of the most commanding anchor legs I have seen in the past couple of years.

However, Butler really made a statement when she was in the 800 meter finals at the ACC Indoor Championships. Despite an (overly) aggressive pace from Clemson's Andrea Foster, it was Butler who refused to let the gap stay so large for so long.

The aggressive pace by Foster ultimately forced (or maybe it is better phrased as "allowed") Butler to chase after someone early in the race. That move essentially led to Butler running away from the field and recording a huge time of 2:01 (which is an NCAA lead).

I think that most distance running fans (like myself) assume that 800 meter runners are speed-oriented and often lean on their quick-turnover to find success.

However, Butler showed us this past weekend that she can thrive in aggressive, hard-from-the-gun races. She ran away from a strength-based runner in Kelsey Chmiel on the mile anchor leg of the DMR and she replicated that strength by chasing after an aggressive front-runner in Foster.

This weekend proved to me that Butler has enough raw talent and aerobic superiority to challenge (and possibly even beat) Arkansas' Shafiqua Maloney at the indoor national meet. Maloney is no stranger to all-out efforts and has done fairly well in races that are hard from the gun.

I didn't think anyone in this year's national 800 meter field would be able to match Maloney in that kind of setting. However, Butler has shifted my thinking on that.

But now it's time to think about something entirely different: Will Butler will do the 800/DMR double at the indoor national meet? I think she will, but that's not a given.

Texas A&M's Brandon Miller Throws Down Monster 1:45 Effort at SEC Championships, Rivera Runs 1:46 for 2nd Place

I'll take, "Things Everyone Saw Coming" for 200, Alex.

Don't be confused, just because I'm not surprised that Miller ran 1:45 for 800 meters doesn't mean that it's not impressive. The Texas A&M superstar ran 1:47 earlier in the season and then didn't run the event again until this past weekend. Instead, he opted to enter a handful of relays and shorter middle distance events.

After running 1:44 last spring and seemingly preparing for an all-out postseason assault, it shouldn't be a surprise that Miller threw down a time of 1:45. That was maybe on the faster side of things, but that was still a realistic mark. The Texas A&M star has been wanting to make a statement this season and he did just that.

I don't see how Miller doesn't win NCAA gold. He's just too darn good. Texas Tech's Moad Zahafi is maybe the only one in the overall men's 800 meter field who can match some of Miller's raw fitness and firepower, but even then that seems like a stretch.

If Miller doesn't try to get too fancy with his tactics at the indoor national meet, then he should earn NCAA gold with relative ease.

Placing 2nd behind Miller this past weekend was Ole Miss star John Rivera. He has actually mimicked Miller in terms of his racing approach this season. Both men ran marks of 1:47.48 earlier this season and shared the collegiate lead for quite a while. Not only that, but neither man contested the 800 meters again until this past weekend.

Rivera has looked VERY sharp this season, earning great splits on relays and offering some outstanding pacing work for his teammates. He looked like a lethal middle distance star earlier in the season, but to now run a new personal best of 1:46.82 has us feeling encouraged.

Rivera is seemingly reaching his postseason peak at the perfect time. It would have been easy to look at his 1:47 from earlier in the season and assume that he wouldn't be able to replicate that later in the postseason.

However, Rivera just validated that 1:47 and now advances into the national meet with a top-level PR and momentum clearly on his side. Despite not having a personal best as fast as Miller, one could argue that Rivera has just as much momentum as him right now.

Also, really great weekend by Florida's Sam Austin who ran 1:47.76 for 3rd place in this race. The Gator freshman just validated an outstanding rookie season, but there is a VERY strong chance that he doesn't make it to the indoor national meet

Right now, Austin sits at NCAA #18 in the event, meaning that he'll need two scratches to get in. Certain men could scratch for relays, but trying to rationalize a scratch for more than one runner ahead of Austin is tricky.

I'm not saying that Austin can't/won't qualify for the national meet, but it's going to be tight.

Maloney Wins SEC 800 Title, Brings McDonald (2:02) and Barrett (2:03) to Comfortable National Qualifying Marks

Much like Brandon Miller winning the men's 800 meters at the SEC Indoor Championships, seeing Arkansas' Shafiqua Maloney secure the win in the same event wasn't a surprise (at all).

LSU's Katy-Ann McDonald was actually the aggressor in this race, but Maloney still thrived in the fast setting and was too powerful in the final lap, taking down McDonald who hung on for the runner-up spot. When it comes to Maloney, I don't have much to say here. Despite playing her tactics right, this was still very much a strength-based race and she executed to perfection. I don't know how she'll do in a true sit-and-kick style race that becomes slow, but she seems fairly well prepared for most race settings, making her even more dangerous than before. As for McDonald, I loved seeing her be the aggressor, even if she didn't hold on for the win. I think it would have made a bit more sense to let Maloney do the work up front, but if McDonald's goal was to go for a fast time, then she did exactly that, running 2:02 in the process.

McDonald, almost exactly like last spring, is peaking perfectly for the postseason. She's posting the best results of her career as we approach the national meet and is becoming increasingly more competitive in elite-level fields.

Last spring, McDonald was disqualified at the outdoor national meet, so I like to think that we'll finally get to see what her postseason peak looks like this winter.

As for Florida's Imogen Barrett, it was super encouraging to see her become a factor late in that race. She spent a lot of energy trying to get catch up with the leaders, but that was necessary if she was going to run the national qualifying time that she did.

I know Barrett as more of a miler, so seeing her run such a quick 800 meter time and making that event her postseason priority is a bit new to me. She has run never run at this high of a level before in the 800 meters, so honestly, I'm not entirely sure what to expect from her at the indoor national meet.

Texas Duo of Crayton Carrozza & Yusuf Biziman Run 1:47s to Go 1-2 at BIG 12 Championships

I'd like to say that I'm surprised, but I'm really not.

Crayton Carrozza ran 1:46 last spring and has been on absolute fire this winter. With his seed time in the NCAA mile becoming less and less impactful with each passing week, it was only a matter of time that Carrozza made a serious effort to cement his place amongst individual national qualifiers.

After running an NCAA #6 time of 1:47.22 this past weekend, he seems to have done just that.

However, Carrozza, and Texas as a whole, is an interesting position.

How will the Longhorns handle the DMR?

Carrozza, Bizimana and Lindhorst are all individually qualified for the indoor national meet in the men's 800 meters. Trying to have a DMR that is loaded with men who are doubling from an 800 meter prelim could weaken the Longhorn's chance of national-level success in the DMR.

Now, in their defense, Texas still has other guys like Yaseen Abdalla or Cruz Gomez who could be nationally competitive. Plus, Cole Lindhorst has proven that he can be an effective DMR/800 doubler before.

Even so, I would expect this Texas DMR to look a bit different than it did at the Alex Wilson Invite two weeks from now. That, of course, is just speculation.

I could also say something more about Bizimana, but seeing him run 1:47 is fairly unsurprising...and I think most people who are familiar with this year's 800 meter field would agree.

Texas' Brooke Jaworski Runs 2:03 to Win BIG 12 Title & Earn National Qualifying Bid, Oklahoma State's Gabija Galvydyte Runs 2:03 for Runner-Up Honors While Kansas State's Kassidy Johnson Runs 2:04 for 3rd Place

Brooke Jaworski has been on a tear this year, getting better and better with each passing week, specifically in the 800 meters. However, despite her ongoing improvements, trying to solidify her place amongst the top portion of the national 800 meter rankings was becoming a greater and greater challenge...until this past weekend.

Jaworski recently picked up a huge win at the BIG 12 Championships, running 2:03 to take down Oklahoma State standout Gabija Galvydyte and Kansas State veteran Kassidy Johnson.

For Jaworski, I suppose this result was a long-time coming given the way that she was progressing. However, Galvydyte had been running at a higher level a bit more consistently coming into this weekend while Johnson is a proven national-caliber runner who has been a top name in this event for the last few years.

Despite Jaworski's relative inexperience at the top-levels of this event, she just secured a win which seemingly legitimizes her recent rise. There are a lot of positives to takeaway from this race, but the biggest is that this up-and-coming Texas talent now has a ton of momentum and confidence heading into the national meet.

In an event that she is still relatively new to, that is a major positive.

As for Galvydyte, I don't have much to say here. When you include conversions, she's been running 2:03 and 2:04 marks all season long. The Oklahoma State runner has been a steady and consistent producer of top marks and for the most part, this latest result was on par with expectations.

And then we come to Johnson, the NCAA veteran from Kansas State who ran 2:04.00 and now sits at NCAA #15 in what had to be one of the most clutch performances of the weekend. She will almost definitely make it to the indoor national meet with that time which is huge!

I admittedly didn't think that Johnson would be able to keep up with the mass improvements that we were seeing around the NCAA. Her last few seasons have been fairly unexciting, so this latest result was a major (and somewhat sudden) turnaround from where she had been over the last year or two.

Villanova's Sean Dolan Fends Off Georgetown's Matthew Payamps, 1:47.53 to 1:47.78, at BIG East Championships

Entering this season, I was convinced that Dolan would be a major player in the men's mile. He was so incredible last winter, peaking at the right time, improving consistently, throwing down top-tier marks and showing off wildly impressive tactical prowess.

However, the men's mile has become oversaturated with talent. Even a 3:55 mile time isn't an automatic national qualifying mark nowadays. That's why, after running 1:46 in the 800 meters last summer, it made sense that Dolan reevaluated his national meet priorities and has instead attacked the half-mile distance as of late.

That decision turned out to be a good one as Dolan's middle distance prowess has translated incredibly well to an event that is only half the length of what he ran at the indoor national meet last winter.

Running a 1:47 mark this past weekend was huge. Not only because he ran a quick enough time to secure himself a spot to the indoor national meet, but because he also out-ran Georgetown's Matthew Payamps, a star middle distance talent in his own right.

This is one of the better career-defining wins on Dolan's resume, but...I'm not sure it really tells us anything new.

Dolan's win does give us confidence that he can outlast the nation's most elite half-milers on the national stage, but it's not necessarily a surprise that he was able to move down to the 800 meters and defeat someone like Payamps who, from a resume standpoint, is essentially a carbon copy of Dolan.

The same can be said for Payamps. He was a 1:47 runner coming into this race and his 3:55 mile mark from earlier in the year suggested that he would be able to run something quick in this event.

Payamps now sits at NCAA #19 in the 800 meters and NCAA #10 in the mile, so it's not like the 800 meters was ever going to be the event that he pursues at the national meet. After all, his 3:55 mile from earlier in the year resulted in a convincing win.

Amazingly, he may not have had his best mile race of the season yet.

Binghamton's Emily Mackay Runs 2:03 in the 800 Meters to Win America East Title

I once posed a question to fellow Blue Oval Podcast host Ben Weisel, asking whether or not it was an overreaction to say that Emily Mackay was the most versatile distance talent in the country. While we both agreed that it was not an overreaction to say that, we still felt that Mackay had a few women ahead of her in that category.

However, after this weekend, that argument may need to be revisited.

A huge 2:03 mark for 800 meters this past weekend puts Mackay at NCAA #9 in the event. While that time is super exciting and a great display of her range, especially for someone previously known as a 5k runner, Mackay's 2:03 mark likely won't be fast enough to entice her from scratching the event.

Mackay is likely locked into the mile/3k double at the national meet this year. That seems to make the most sense. Running the 800 meters, while fun to think about, is unlikely.

However, this recent 800 meter time does give me confidence about Mackay's turnover and middle distance speed that she may need in a tactical setting. Women in this year's NCAA mile field such as Vissa, Heymach, Camarena, Howell, Degenero and a few others, also have super quick 800 meter times of their own.

Given how certain prelims races play-out, it seems almost necessary that Mackay has the foot speed that she does. After all, Vissa just dropped a 28.6 split for the last 200 meters of her SEC mile victory this weekend.

Isabella Giesing Saves Season, Runs 2:03 in Boston U.

The middle distance star from UMass-Lowell has been so good and so underrated for the last few seasons. She has been a very reliable and nationally competitive 800 meter runner for a while, but has been unable to deliver a national qualifying mark despite some great opportunities this winter.

Luckily, just one day after racing Emily Mackay at the America East Championships, Giesing went to Boston University and recorded a time of 2:03.95. That mark puts her at NCAA #14 and will effectively save her season, allowing to qualify for the indoor national meet.

Despite her low seed, Giesing could find a way to be a factor on the national stage. She doesn't have the raw fitness or strength that a few of these other women do, but Giesing is great at positioning and is no stranger to facing top-tier talents.

If you're looking for a deep sleeper pick in March, take a look at Giesing.

Middle Tennessee State's Eusila Chepkemei Comes Out of Nowhere To Run 4:32 Mile Time at Boston University

This was, without question, the most shocking result that I saw this weekend, maybe even this entire season! At Boston University, MTSU's Eusila Chepkemei came out of nowhere to drop a mile time of 4:32 which will soon sit at NCAA #5 on the national leaderboard.

Chepkemei ran 4:18 for 1500 meters last spring, so I suppose there was a promising base of middle distance speed under her legs prior to this weekend. She also had a few strong cross country results, but nothing that would capture your attention in any dramatic way.

Despite all of that, there was nothing on her resume to suggest that Chepkemei was going to run anything close to this time. At the absolute max, I would have assumed that her ceiling was a 4:36 mark, and even that seemed generous.

Heck, this performance turned out to be a 16-second PR!

In the mile!

That doesn't just happen!

I'll admit, I don't know much about Chepkemei. While I could try to offer some analysis, I don't think I'd be doing anyone a service by talking about someone who I have zero context on.

She's now on our radar, but she is still a major unknown.

Oregon's Jack Yearian & Reed Brown Clock a Pair of 3:54 Mile Times in Last Chance National Qualifying Attempt

If you are reading this, then congrats. You now live in an era where a 3:55 mile time does not automatically qualify you for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

As I am typing this, the Oregon duo of Jack Yearian and Reed Brown dropped a pair of insanely fast 3:54 mile times in a world-class field at Boston University. The Duck veterans now sit at NCAA #6 and NCAA #8, respectively, this year.

With those marks set to be placed on the national leaderboard, Yearian and Brown have now shifted the automatic national qualifying time in the men's mile to a mark that I never one thought I would be alive to witness.

The NCAA #16 time in the men's mile, barring any additional changes, now sits at 3:55.89 from Duke's Nick Dahl. The NCAA #17 time in the men's mile now sits at 3:55.95, which was a flat-track converted mark from Texas' Crayton Carrozza.

I'll try to lose my mind about that fact in a separate article...

As for this Oregon duo, these are HUGE results.

Let's start with Yearian who has been working so hard to show that his jaw-dropping time of 3:37 for 1500 meters last spring was no fluke. He had run 7:51 and 7:47 in the 3000 meters this season, but unbelievably, that wasn't going to be enough to qualify him for the national meet.

I was curious as to why Yearian hadn't attempted to go after a serious mile effort earlier this season, but I suppose Coach Ben Thomas was waiting for the last possible moment for that to happen.

This is a result that validates Yearian's out-of-nowhere 1500 meter time from last summer. Not only that, but he has now strung together a series of results that validate his greatness and show us that he can consistently produce when called upon and in crunch time.

His experience at the Olympic Trials should prepare him for the NCAA Indoor Championships, but how he handles the uniqueness of that stage -- which he has never been on before -- still leaves us a little uncertain as to what we should expect from him in March.

Even so, it's getting harder and harder to doubt the talent of Yearian.

As for Reed Brown, this was also a massive result, although it was slightly less surprising. Ever since high school, Brown has built his reputation in the mile. He has run under the four minute barrier numerous times throughout his career and has qualified for countless national meets.

He's also a two-time All-American in the event and a three-time All-American when you include last year's distance medley relay.

Brown's personal best in the mile before this weekend was a time of 3:56. That was a very solid and a very respectable time, but in this incredible season of jaw-dropping performances, he needed to show us that he had more firepower to stay in the All-American conversation.

Luckily for Oregon fans, he did just that. His 3:54 mile time paired with his extensive championship experience makes a Brown a very dangerous name on the national stage. After a few preliminary and national meet shortcomings earlier in his career, Brown seemingly fixed those issues during last year's indoor national meet.

If Brown is able to translate and build-upon last year's success two weeks from now, then I wouldn't be surprised if we're talking about Brown being a top-three finisher at the indoor national meet.

Colorado Trio of Madison Boreman (4:33), Micaela Degenero (4:34) and Rachel McArthur (4:35) Go 1-2-3 in Women's Mile at PAC-12 Invite

Thanks to the pacing efforts from former Colorado runner and Tokyo Olympian Val Constien, the women from Boulder, Colorado were able to attack the national leaderboard in the mile this past weekend.

Madison Boreman, who is predominately known as a steeplechaser, has now reached the elite level of fitness that we've seen from her before. A recent 4:33 mile time puts her at NCAA #8 on the national leaderboard and it suddenly thrusts her into the All-American conversation.

Admittedly, I can't say that I watched the race or that I know Boreman's tendencies as a miler. I would think that a long distance-centric talent like herself would thrive with an aggressive pace (as evidenced by this past weekend), but the tactics of the national meet can always make things tricky.

Boreman has become an increasingly more reliable name over the last few seasons, although admittedly, a few of her recent national meet performances have left us wanting a bit more. Even so, back-to-back mile personal bests as we near the postseason should give you confidence about her chances of an All-American finish.

As for teammate Micaela Degenero, she caught plenty of attention last spring when she ran 4:09 for 1500 meters and earned All-American honors at the outdoor national meet. She was consistently outstanding last spring and got better as the season progressed.

And guess what? That's happening again!

After a few unexciting rust-busters a few weeks ago, Degenero locked-in on a fast mile time and cruised to a mark of 4:34, a time that now places her at NCAA #14.

Much like Boreman, I don't have much to say here, but I think I'm actually much higher Degenero than a lot of the women seeded ahead of her.

The Colorado ace already has one of the best overall marks in the nation when looking at both the 1500 meters and the mile. She has national meet experience, national meet success and is pretty strong, tactically.

As for Rachel McArthur, her time of 4:35 is super encouraging, mainly because I like to see that she is consistently running at a high level. However, McArthur actually ran faster than that earlier this season, posting a time of 4:34 at the University of Washington.

Right now, that 4:34 mark sits at NCAA #17 which should be good enough to get her into the national meet after scratches. The most obvious scratch that she can rely on is probably Courtney Wayment scratching in favor of the 5000 meters.

However, for as good and as experienced as McArthur is, her postseason success has been somewhat limited. She is typically one of the better distance talents in the country regardless of the season, but she has never been an individual All-American.

Despite her lower seed, McArthur is certainly talented enough to change that narrative in March. However, in such a top-heavy and deep mile field, this will certainly be one of the greater postseason challenges that she has ever faced.

Oklahoma State's Taylor Roe Runs 4:33 at BIG 12 Championships, Comfortably Defeats Cailie Logue (4:36)

Few women in the NCAA have been on the same hot streak as Taylor Roe.

The Oklahoma State star was electric in the 3000 meters earlier in the season. She later pulled off a fairly big upset win over Arkansas' Lauren Gregory and has now run a mile time of 4:33 to win the BIG 12 title, proving that her improved middle distance speed isn't a fluke.

With a DMR lineup no longer in a national qualifying position, Roe can now fully go after the mile and the 3000 meters at the indoor national meet.

Prior to this season, I would have said that Roe is, by far, a greater 3k runner than she is a miler. However, despite running 8:58 for 3000 meters earlier this season, running 4:34 and 4:33 in her latest two mile efforts has made me rethink that.

The good news is that Roe isn't dramatically so much better in the mile than she is in the 3000 meters (or vice versa). Running the double at the national meet seems to be like the obvious choice as Roe wouldn't have much to lose by coming back from the mile finals and then running the 3k finals on day two of the NCAA Indoor Championships

Also, Roe has finished 2nd and 5th at the NCAA XC Championships within the last year, but has never contested the 5000 meters once in her collegiate career...which is odd.

Northern Arizona's Nico Young Runs Converted 7:41 (3k) at BIG Sky Championships

If Brandon Miller's 1:45 time en route to a SEC title wasn't the most predictable performance of the weekend, then Nico Young soloing a heavily converted 7:41.97 (3k) mark for 3000 meters probably was.

At Montana State's flat 200 meter track, which sits at 4900 feet of altitude, Young ran a time of 7:59, beating Southern Utah's Nate Osterstock by nearly 13 seconds in the process.

This was so predictable that in a recent episode of the Blue Oval Podcast, I mentioned to my co-host Ben Weisel that I thought Young was eventually going to go after a top national qualifying time in the 3000 meters and I predicted that he would solo that time.

Sure enough, he did just that.

Coming into this weekend, Young had proven that he is one of the best runners in the country at altitude, maybe even the absolute best. It made complete sense for him to go all-out, essentially by himself, in the 3000 meters an earn his national qualifying time.

I don't have much more to say here. I thought low 7:40s was well within his range and I think most people would agree with that. His 3:56 mile time from earlier this season, which was run at sea level, is encouraging in terms of the speed that I think he needs to have to be nationally competitive in this race.

Even so, these 3k races are often super tactical and I'm not sure if Young has the same foot speed or turnover that some of these other guys do. I think he's better suited for the 5k meters, but if the 3k becomes an all-out affair at the national meet, then I think the NAU superstar will be in a good position to battle for gold.

Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell Upsets Stanford's Julia Heymach in 3k at PAC-12 Invite, 8:58 to 8:59, Oregon State's Grace Fetherstonhaugh Runs 9:00 for 3rd Place

I know some people, probably Oregon State fans, are going to give me the classic, "This wasn't an upset!" argument. However, for as good as Mitchell has been in her career, Heymach has just been better.

Heymach is a recent 4:31 miler who has also run 15:33 for 5000 meters. She's been nationally competitive for numerous seasons and I can't remember the last time that she had a truly poor performance on the track.

Yes, it's true, Heymach had never run a collegiate 3k before this weekend, but everything on her resume said that she would be one of the best 3k runners in the NCAA whenever she decide to contest the event.

And that turned out to be true!

However, it just so happened that Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell had the best race of her career and seems to be peaking at the perfect time of the season.

Mitchell has actually run 9:03 for 3000 meters this season. However, with that mark no longer in a national qualifying position, it was understandable that the Oregon State veteran needed to make things honest and go after something quick.

Sure enough, Mitchell thrived under the pressure and posted a huge mark of 8:58.

For Mitchell, this result is super encouraging, but it's not like a time as fast as this was out of reach for her. Her 9:03 mark paired with a recent 4:38 mile personal best signaled that she was in the best shape of her life.

Helping the Beavers run 10:57 in the DMR earlier this week was also a good sign of that.

However, now the question turns to Heymach, one of the more dynamic distance talents that the NCAA has to offer.

The Stanford star is now nationally qualified in the mile, the DMR and the 3000 meters. She could do the triple at the indoor national meet, but her best event is the mile and it would make sense if she didn't want an extra relay race under her legs heading into day two of the national meet.

I sincerely have zero clue what she will run at the indoor national meet, but I suppose we'll find out soon...

As for Oregon State's Grace Fetherstonhaugh, she has also been having an incredible indoor season, thriving in the longer distances just like her teammate. However, her recent time of 9:00, as good as it may be, only places her at NCAA #17.

Fetherstonhaugh will need to hope that a) no one new runs faster than her later today and tomorrow and that b) at least one person scratches from the 3000 meters.

That last part may be an issue as the 3000 meters, on paper, isn't an event that would make sense for a lot of people to scratch.

The only realistic reasons why someone would scratch out of that event is if a) someone is injured and can't race or b) they are running the DMR/mile double and don't want to contest a third race (which doesn't always make sense depending on who you're talking to).

Stanford's Charles Hicks and Cole Sprout Throw Down Pair of 7:43 Marks for 3000 Meters, Teammate Ky Robinson Finishes 3rd in a Time of 7:50

Stanford's "Big Three" has continued to be one of the most exciting trios of distance runners that the NCAA has to offer this year. Coming into this weekend, Sprout had run times of 7:49 (3k) and 13:24 (5k) while Robinson had a major 5k win under his belt with a mark of 13:21.

Hicks wasn't (and maybe isn't) having his best season ever, but a recent 5k time of 13:37 signaled that the Stanford superstar was still at (or near) the same level that we had seen from him this past fall and last spring.

Even so, I didn't think that Hicks' best chance for a national qualifying time would be in the 3000 meters. In my eyes, the longer the distance, the better Hicks was going to be. In fact, I even said that to my co-host Ben Weisel in a recent Blue Oval podcast episode.

However, Hicks doesn't exactly care about what I think is his best for him, and that turned out to be a good thing.

At the PAC-12 Invite, the Stanford star ran a jaw-dropping mark of 7:43, completely negating some of the not-so-great performances that we had seen from him this season.

In an all-out effort meant to test his aerobic capacity, it made sense that Hicks was able to find success in this race. Even so, his lack of recent momentum and his favoritism towards events like the 5000 meters and the 10,000 meters didn't leave me super confident about what he would do this weekend.

Of course, I was wrong.

But now I wonder what we should expect from Hicks at the national meet. He has an incredible time on his resume, but this is really the only 3k performance that has stood out.

The counter to that, however, is that Hicks will be one of the few men who could be / will be completely fresh for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 3000 meters. Others will likely be doubling back from the 5k, the DMR and/or the mile.

As for Sprout, I think it's fair to say that he was due for a faster 3000 meter time. His mark of 7:49 from earlier in the season was impressive, but after running 13:24 for 5000 meters, I figured that he was probably capable of running in the 7:45 range.

However, seeing Sprout move all the way down to 7:43 in the 3000 meters is wildly impressive. He is clearly unafraid to stick with fast paces and he's just such a great fighter. He has sneaky-good turnover and has a lot of aerobic strength for someone who is still fairly young.

I could see a scenario where Sprout emerges as a 5k/3k double All-American two weeks from now. He's a reliable talent who is clearly still peaking at this point in the season.

Of course, even if he doesn't earn any All-American honors, the experience of him racing at a national meet on the track will be super beneficial for his long-term aspirations.

Arkansas' Lauren Gregory Runs 8:59 to Win SEC Title, Brings Kentucky's Tori Herman to a Mark of 9:00 & a National Qualifying Bid

I won't spend much time on Arkansas' Lauren Gregory. She looked super strong in this 3000 meter race and seeing her run a time of 8:59 is hardly surprising. However, in the process of winning that 3k title, she was able to bring Kentucky's Tori Herman to an NCAA #16 time of 9:00 and a runner-up result.

Herman has been a really solid and really underrated distance talent as of late. She ran 4:14 for 1500 meters last spring, qualified for the outdoor national meet, placed 17th at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall and has consistently posted great marks this winter.

Even then, I wasn't sure that I saw Herman running 9:00 this weekend. I could have imagined her breaking 9:10 and running something along the lines of 9:08 or 9:09, but this is a next-level mark that truly validates her breakout year.

I love the idea of Herman being a major factor on the national stage, mainly because her cross country stamina and her 1500 meter speed theoretically meet in the middle for a race like the 3000 meters.

Either way, Herman also needs to hope that she isn't bumped for the final qualifying spot in the time that I'm writing this or at some point tomorrow (which is unlikely, but you never know).

Oregon's Aaron Bienenfeld Runs 13:21.99 For 5000 Meters, Iona' Ehab El-Sandali Runs 13:25 & Saves His Season

My goodness, Aaron Bienenfeld, what a run!

At Boston University, the graduate transfer from Cincinnati threw down a jaw-dropping time of 13:21.99 for 5000 meters. That time will soon place him at NCAA #5 ahead of superstar names like Nico Young, Abdi Nur, Brian Fay, Cole Sprout, Ky Robinson, Sam Gilman and many more.

We always knew that Bienenfeld was a national-caliber stud and easily one of the more elite distance runners in the NCAA. However, given the mass improvements that we had seen around the NCAA, I wasn't sure if Bienenfeld's own progress would be able to outpace the rest of the country.

Luckily, he did just that. His time of 13:21 validates his early-season effort in the 3000 meters of 7:46 which currently sits at NCAA #17.

Bienenfeld is going to be a major problem in this men's 5k on the national stage. Just like everyone else in that field, he thrives in super fast settings and isn't afraid to be a part of time trial affairs.

And yet, even then, Bienenfeld has also found a way to stay competitive in races that are slightly more measured and tactical.

I'm not saying that a speedy finish is better for Bienenfeld, but if the lead pack does try to pull off the "slow fade" maneuver on the rest of this national field, then this Oregon star has a good chance of sticking with that group.

As for Iona's El-Sandali, he just saved his season by running 13:25 for 5000 meters. The Gael veteran had run 13:28 back in December, and at the time, we thought that performance was going to be a national qualifying lock.

However, before the latest Boston University results are even tallied, El-Sandali sits at NCAA #18, out of national qualifying range.

But now, after his 13:25 time, he now sits at NCAA #10 and, with some help from Bienenfeld, instead pushes both Kioko and Carmody out of automatic national qualifying range...which is insane.

I don't know where El-Sandali will finish on the national stage, but throwing down two sub-13:30 marks this winter and boasting a 3k time of 7:48 this season makes this Iona star one of the more reliable and safer picks in March.

I don't know if he'll be an All-American, but he's probably the least likely to have a bad race.

Christian Noble Secures Two D2 Records in 90-Minute Span

The superstar from Lee (Tenn.) has been (slightly) overshadowed by Simon Fraser's Aaron Ahl this year. However, Noble clearly wanted to change that on Sunday. Within a 90-minute span, the active Flames' legend threw down a 3:56 mile time and a 7:50 mark for 3000 meters.

Both results are D2 records.

Noble is clearly fast and I don't think we needed to see him run two collegiate records to know that. However, his ability to effectively double within a 90-minute window is super encouraging. The idea that he'll run the DMR/mile/3k triple at the indoor national meet now seems somewhat realistic.

In fact, not only is it realistic, but Noble could actually win all three! He's proven that even after a tiring effort, he can turnaround in under a two-hour window and still be produce one of the fastest results ever seen at the D2 level.

The battle between him and Aaron Ahl (as well as pretty much half of the national field) is going to be an absolute thrill.