First Thoughts: North Carolina & Wisconsin Men Thrive in DMR, Notre Dame Women Make Statement

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Well that was entertaining, huh?

This past weekend was one for the record books as the men's and women's DMR fields, nationally, have never been this top-heavy or this deep. Below, we broke down each of the DMR performances that we saw at the Alex Wilson Invite in South Bend, Indiana on Saturday.

You'll notice that we have listed "known splits" for each of these relays. Some of these splits were found on certain school's websites. Other splits were found on social media. A few of these splits were given to us by coaches. A large handful of the anchor splits were found on the live results. And anything else were splits from my brother who is a graduate student at Notre Dame and attended the meet (he also got a few clips, check them out below).

For whatever reason, we had challenges getting full splits for the women's DMR race. We're not sure why that is, but we did make an effort to collect those...just to no avail.

Here we go...

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Men's DMR (Heat One)

1. North Carolina Tar Heels (9:19.99)

Known Splits: 2:52 (1200) / 47 (400) / 1:47 (800) / 3:53 (1600)

What an absolutely incredible race from the North Carolina men. They had a DMR lineup that, on paper, had the potential to run something super quick, but 9:19.99 is wildly impressive.

Everyone on this relay ran well. Jesse Hunt (1200) did enough to be competitive with the other lead-off legs while Kyle Reinheimer (800) looked like he was going to be the hero of this relay with his 1:47 split. But then second-year talent Ethan Strand got the baton and threw down one of the most impressive splits of the entire weekend.

The Tar Heel sophomore ran 3:59 in the mile back in January and then dropped a massive personal best of 3:55 in the same race last week. That mark admittedly came a bit out of nowhere, but a massive 3:53 anchor split this past weekend validated that recent PR.

Watch out, Ethan Strand is going to be a problem for years to come.

2. Michigan Wolverines (9:20.83)

Known Splits: 2:53 (1200) / 45 (400) / 1:47 (800) / 3:54 (1600)

There was a lot to like about this DMR lineup going into this weekend. Both Cole Johnson and Nick Foster have been running incredibly well as of late. In fact, it feels like they are peaking for the postseason at the perfect time.

I'll admit, I had questions about how Arjun Jha was going to fare on the lead-off leg. It's not that I necessarily doubted him, but even after running 3:58 (mile) earlier this winter, I still viewed him as more of an endurance-centric guy. I was curious to see what he would look like when he dropped down even further in distance.

But all Jha had to do was hold his own. He didn't need to blow this field away. And sure enough, he did just that, running 2:53 over 1200 meters which allowed the rest of his relay to deliver in a big way.

3. BYU Cougars (9:21.18)

Known Splits: 2:52 (1200) / 45 (400) / 1:46 (800) / 3:56 (1600)

Everything that I said about Michigan basically applies to BYU. The Cougars were fielding a lineup with an outstanding 800/1600 combo, but they also had a traditional long distance runner (Kenneth Rooks) dropping down to 1200 meters.

And just like Jha, all Rooks had to do was hold his own and pass off the baton to a group of excellent middle distance talents who were going to put Casey Clinger in a really solid position. That's exactly what happened, especially when Sebastian Fernandez got the baton and opened up a huge lead at one point.

4. Tennessee Volunteers (9:22.65)

Known Splits: 2:54 (1200) / 45 (400) / 1:47 (800) / 3:54 (1600)

Coach Sean Carlson does it again. The Volunteers didn't even field Dylan Jacobs in this lineup and it looks like they will still qualify for the indoor national meet in the DMR.

Putting an inexperienced (but promising) youngster in Canaan Anderson on the lead-off leg of this DMR felt a bit bold, but Tennessee also had limited options. For this second-year talent to run 2:54 over 1200 meters was huge.

Even so, Joe Hoots was the clear hero of this relay. Yes, Yaseen Abdalla was fantastic with his 3:54 anchor split, but Hoots has run 1:49, 1:49 and 1:51 over his last three 800 meter races dating back to last spring. Him splitting 1:47 (800) this weekend wasn't unrealistic, but it was also a big ask.

5. Georgetown Hoyas (9:29.73)

Known Splits: 4:00 (1600), per live results

Without full splits, it's hard to know what went wrong with the Hoyas' DMR lineup this past weekend. On paper, they had one of the more complete squads and Matt Rizzo made a valiant effort to close the gap. But in the end, there just wasn't enough support for the Hoyas to catch the leaders.

6. Stanford Cardinal (9:31.02)

Known Splits: 3:59 (1600), per live results

Seeing Charles Hicks on the opening leg of this relay was a bit surprising. There are a handful of scenarios where it made more sense for him to be on the anchor leg. But truthfully, without a powerhouse miler like Ky Robinson, there were always going to be questions about the middle distance speed of this lineup.

7. New Mexico Lobos (9:32.54)

Known Splits: 4:02 (1600), per live results

I do think that the New Mexico men could have run a little bit faster. On paper, they're much better than some people realize. But the Lobo men don't usually run in competitive DMR fields and it feels like they may still be a name away from actually being in contention with the top teams in these kinds of fields.

8. Clemson Tigers (9:32.82)

Known Splits: 3:58 (1600), per live results

Credit where credit is due, Victor Ndiwa's 3:58 split on the anchor leg was better than what I was expecting. But if I'm reading the results correctly, then I'm surprised that Aman Thornton (who has run 1:47 for 800 meters) was on the 400 meter leg and not the half-mile leg. I was then even more surprised that Tarees Rhoden (who has also run 1:47 for 800 meters) wasn't in the lineup at all.

9. Penn State Nittany Lions (9:47.52)

Known Splits: 4:14 (1600), per live results

The Nittany Lions just had a bad day. They were out of it from the start. Ignore the anchor split, that was probably Brandon Hontz just jogging it in given how far back Penn State was.

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Men's DMR (Heat Two)

1. Wisconsin Badgers (9:19.99)

Known Splits: 2:49 (1200) / 46 (400) / 1:46 (800) / 3:57 (1600)

Just a flat-out excellent performance from all four of these Wisconsin Badgers. If everyone ran at their absolute best, then they had a chance to win this race -- and they did (they tied with UNC who was in the first heat).

Adam Spencer on the lead-off leg was a brilliant choice and Abduhalli Hassan was the clear differentiator. Sure, Jackson Sharp's 3:57 anchor split was relatively slower than a few other team's anchors, but all he had to do was hold his own which is exactly what happened.

Can the Wisconsin men win the DMR national title? Possibly, but they would probably need a faster split from Sharp on the final spot of this relay (or move Adam Spencer to that position) if they want any shot of matching the firepower of Oklahoma State and Washington.

2. Villanova Wildcats (9:20.44)

Known Splits: 1:45 (800), per Instagram & 3:53 (1600), per live results

I was a really big fan of the Villanova men coming into this weekend. I believed that, on paper, they were capable of winning this race. I thought that the combination of Sean Dolan, Liam Murphy and Charlie O'Donovan was perfect for the DMR.

Luckily, I was right.

Murphy, despite his youth, held his own on the lead-off leg while Dolan turned out to be a massive difference maker over the half-mile distance. But a 3:53 anchor split from Charlie O'Donovan in what was probably the best race of his life was beyond phenomenal.

There are a lot of teams that often look good paper, but it's much harder to have them all run at their best on the same day. But when it comes to Villanova, they delivered on Saturday.

3. Ole Miss Rebels (9:21.81)

Known Splits: 3:54 (1600), per live results

I really don't know if anyone is too surprised about the Ole Miss men running this fast. In fact, I actually predicted them to post a time of exactly 9:21!

Much like Villanova, the combination of Baylor Franklin, Tiarnan Crorken and Anthony Camerieri was perfectly built for the DMR. In fact, it felt extremely unlikely that this relay was going to perform poorly.

Camerieri splitting 3:54 on the anchor leg is pretty huge. Yes, there were a handful of other runners on teams who split in the same range, but the Rebel graduate student needed to have a big race if Ole Miss was going to run this well -- and that's what happened.

4. Indiana Hoosiers (9:22.16)

Known Splits: 2:50 (1200) / 47 (400) / 1:49 (800) / 3:54 (1600)

C'mon, really? Again?

I severely underestimated Indiana last year and they burned me behind an unreal 3:53 anchor split from Ben Veatch. But the Hoosier's veteran ace is no longer with the team. And while Camden Marshall and Jake Gebhardt have been really solid this winter, the Indiana men just hadn't shown any truly elite firepower this season.

Sure, the middle portion of this lineup had room to be better, but Marshall delivered a 2:50 (1200) split that was on par with expectations. Then, Gebhardt dropped an insane 3:54 split on the anchor leg of Indiana's relay.

I certainly didn't doubt Indiana this winter as much as I did last year. I also think it was more than fair to ask where they were going to get the firepower to run this kind of time. But once again, they (more specifically, Gebhardt) peaked when it mattered the most -- and I'll happily be wrong every year if they're going to keep delivering these kinds of results.

5. Texas Longhorns (9:22.74)

Known Splits: 2:55 (1200) / 45 (400) / 1:45 (800) / 3:55 (1600)

Let's be clear, the Texas men ran incredibly well despite being viewed as the overall favorites by TSR coming into this weekend. However, I still don't think that this was the ideal lineup order. Moving Jonathan Jones to the 800 meter leg and Yusuf Bizimana to the 1200 meter leg (while keeping Carrozza on the anchor) theoretically makes more sense.

It's not that Cruz Gomez isn't talented enough to be on this relay. He's a veteran who has been to the national meet and he's fairly accomplished. In fact, I would still pick the Longhorns to earn All-American honors with this relay order.

But when it comes to optimizing splits, I think there are still a few seconds that could come off of Texas' overall time from Saturday.

6. LSU Tigers (9:22.83)

Known Splits: 3:54 (1600), per live results

Three years ago, if I had told you that the LSU men were going to run 9:22 in the DMR, would you have believed me? I doubt you would have.

The Tigers are one of the most successful track and field programs in the entire NCAA, both now and historically. But the distance events have been a complete afterthought for this team. The idea that this group could find a strong enough 1200 meter leg AND a nationally competitive anchor seemed unlikely.

But Alex Selles has been fantastic over 800 meters this winter (he seemingly ran the 1200 meter leg), Parker McBride is somewhat underrated and Davis Bove just put together an insanely clutch anchor performance despite having an up-and-down season.

Kudos to LSU. They're currently sitting at NCAA #13, meaning that they won't advance to the indoor national meet, but gosh, what an effort.

7. Princeton Tigers (9:23.37)

Known Splits: 3:56 (1600), per live results

It's hard to talk about this Princeton squad without having a good idea of what their splits were. However, it's important to recognize that a DMR time of 9:23 is still really, really good!

Sure, maybe they have could have been a second or two better on the anchor leg, but a 3:56 split is still pretty solid and I imagine that there were other areas where they could have cut off a second or two.

8. Texas A&M Aggies (9:34.00)

Known Splits: 2:57 (1200) / 45 (400) / 1:48 (800) / 4:02 (1600)

It just wasn't Texas A&M's day. They had a strong effort earlier in the season against Oklahoma State when they ran 9:29 (DMR). However, the Aggies were always going to need more firepower on the tail-ends of their lineup if they were going to be competitive against the top teams that they faced this past weekend.

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9:35.21)

Known Splits: N/A

Not a whole lot to say here. Notre Dame didn't run a top lineup and there are no listed splits from them anywhere. We can move on from this one.

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Women's DMR

1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10:50.41)

Known Splits: 4:30 (1600), per live results

I thought Notre Dame had a shot at winning. And if they did, it was going to be because the first three legs of this Irish lineup got Olivia Markezich close enough to the leaders to go after the win.

Sure enough, that was exactly what happened. Georgetown may have had the most complete relay in this field, but with Markezich splitting 4:30 on the anchor leg and the rest of this lineup running very well, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Fighting Irish secured the win.

But a time of 10:50 (DMR) is crazy fast. That also leads me to believe that Katie Thronson put together something outstanding on the lead-off leg. She continues to be one of the most valuable transfer pickups from the past year.

2. Georgetown Hoyas (10:54.18)

Known Splits: 3:18 (1200) / 54 (400) / 2:03 (800) / 4:37 (1600)* *Updated post publish

I felt confident that the Georgetown women were going to be viewed as the overall favorites to win this DMR race. And through three legs, that assumption held validity. Between Melissa Riggins, Katy-Ann McDonald and Grace Jensen, there wasn't another relay that had a more complete collection of middle distance runners.

Yes, Jensen did get caught by Olivia Markezich and sure, she could have maybe split slightly faster than 4:37 on the anchor leg. But there's no shame in falling behind Markezich when you realize that the Notre Dame ace split 4:30.

A time of 10:54 (DMR) is really solid and it should put the Hoyas in the All-American conversation. Not just based on this lone result, but because right now, they might be one of the few relays that will be completely fresh at the indoor national meet.

3. Ole Miss Rebels (10:55.04)

Known Splits: 4:34 (1600), per live results

I wondered why the Ole Miss women weren't fielding Loral Winn and Madison Hulsey in this lineup. But the initial entries were deceiving as those two women did run -- and what an impact they had.

Loral Winn has been a really underappreciated distance talent for the last year and a half. She is crazy versatile and is becoming increasingly more consistent. Her splitting 4:34 on the anchor leg of this DMR was huge. I figured Ole Miss could run something fast, but even with Winn running as well as she did, I didn't think they'd go 10:55.

4. LSU Tigers (10:56.41)

Known Splits: 4:37 (1600), per live results

It is insane to me that this group ran 10:56 in the DMR and isn't all that close to making it to the indoor national meet when looking at the national leaderboard. Still, they had all of the right pieces and they seemingly utilized them to the best of their ability.

Michaela Rose is easily the best runner on this relay, but Lorena Rangel Batres splitting 4:37 on the anchor leg is pretty huge for someone who has only ever run 4:40 in the mile before.

Without knowing the rest of these splits, it's hard to evaluate this DMR any further. Even so, distance coach Houston Franks has done an impressive job with his side of the roster, both on the men's and women's sides.

5. Michigan State Spartans (10:57.60)

Known Splits: 4:36 (1600), per live results

The Michigan State women had a bunch of really solid pieces, specifically over 1500 meters and the mile. The combination of Lauren Freeland and Katie Osika gave the Spartans a really strong presence at each of this DMR lineup.

Osika's 4:36 split on the anchor leg was solid, but the limited middle distance prowess on this roster leaves me curious as to how the rest of this relay unfolded. Even so, a time of 10:57 on the DMR is pretty darn good and it takes more than just a solid anchor leg to run that fast.

6. Michigan Wolverines (10:58.69)

Known Splits: 4:41 (1600), per live results

It's hard to really give this relay any analysis. It's easy to say that they could have had a faster anchor, but it's hard to know what led up to that point in the race. Last year, the middle portion of Michigan's lineup played a massive role in the Wolverines being competitive. I suspect that was the case this year, especially since 10:58 is still a fairly competitive time.

7. New Mexico Lobos (10:59.29)

Known Splits: 4:38 (1600), per live results

The original entries didn't list Stefanie Parsons on this relay, so I was happy to see that the Lobos put her on the lead-off leg. That seemed like the right decision, especially with Samree Dishon taking the anchor role and splitting 4:38.

But New Mexico is traditionally a long distance group and there was only so much middle distance prowess that they could lean on throughout this lineup. Still, running 10:59 in the DMR is a nice result.

8. Indiana Hoosiers (11:10.49)

Known Splits: 4:45 (1600), per live results

9. Wisconsin Badgers (11:20.74)

Known Splits: 4:51 (1600), per live results

10. Clemson Tigers (11:28.58)

Known Splits: 4:46 (1600), per live results

We're going to lump these three teams together as the analysis for each of these groups is largely the same. For the most part, these teams had individual bright spots at certain points in their lineup, but none were so bright that they could carry their entire relay. On paper, they just didn't have enough top-end talent and that unfortunately showed this past weekend.