First Thoughts: Sub-Four Miles & 3:39s, Rooks' Steeple, Gearing, Galvydyte & Hall + Bush's 4:13 Mark

Another Sunday, another day of analysis. While most of the NCAA's best weekend results were posted on Friday, many of which we broke down in yesterday's article, there were still a handful of other key results that were recorded earlier in the week and on Saturday.

Admittedly, there aren't a ton of results to highlight given that we already covered the Sound Running Track Meet, so today's article will admittedly not be as long or as in-depth as a standard First Thoughts article. Even so, we've still got plenty to discuss.

Let's dig into it...

Penn State's Rachel Gearing Runs 2:03 at Jim Thorpe

The Penn State women have been known for their excellence in the 800 meters and that has continued even after the departure of superstar Danae Rivers. While women like Victoria Tachinski, Victoria Vanriele and Allison Johnson have emerged as standout middle distance talents, it's Gearing who has gone underappreciated.

Gearing had an excellent indoor track season. Despite not qualifying for the indoor national meet, she ran 2:04 in the 800 meters during the regular season and then posted a 2:05 mark at BIG 10 Indoor Championships where she placed 4th overall behind two teammates and Ohio State's Aziza Ayoub.

This spring has admittedly been an underwhelming season for Gearing who, prior to this race, had run 2:08, 2:07 and 2:06 -- times that are well outside of a nationally competitive tier.

With a 2:03 mark Gearing returns back to the NCAA as a legitimate postseason. She joins a slew of women who have recently run 2:03 marks (such as Aaliyah Miller or Gabrielle Wilkinson) after a slower-than-expected regular seasons.

Gearing is still a bit of an unknown. According to TFRRS, this was her first year ever attempting the 800 meters at the collegiate level, making her somewhat inexperienced while also giving her a good amount of upside. That's an extremely rare combination of traits for someone who is listed as a junior.

How do we classify Gearing? Is she a deep All-American sleeper? Is she a national qualifying favorite? Is she a national qualifying contender? Will she get to the finals during the regional rounds?

I like Gearing a lot because when she's firing on all cylinders, she is one of the most challenging middle distance runners in the BIG 10 to defeat.

Coach Gondak and his staff continue to build their reputation as "800U" and Gearing is a key part of that in 2022.

Florida's Anna Hall Runs 2:03 During Heptathlon

I won't go too deep into this result, mainly because Hall isn't going to contest this event on the national stage, but Florida's Anna Hall just ran 2:03 for 800 meters as part of a heptathlon...and no, we shouldn't be surprised!

That's because Hall did something very similar to this earlier in the spring season, running a wicked-fast time of 2:04 also in a heptathlon.

People seem to forget that Hall has posted competitive 800 meter times before, running well under 2:10 on multiple occasions prior to this year and running 2:05 in the open 800 meters at the SEC Indoor Championships this past winter.

There's not really a whole lot more to say here, mainly because the half-mile isn't her priority for the NCAA Championships. Still, this result does make you wonder how fast she could run in this event if she truly focused on it and went all-in...

Oklahoma State's Gabija Galvydyte Runs 2:03

Galvydyte continues to deliver big-time 800 meter results.

At the Sound Running Track Meet, Galvydyte was moved to a different 800 meter race on Saturday night (rather than Friday).

That, however, largely didn't change our expectations.

The Oklahoma State star ran 2:03 on Saturday, building momentum which she'll surely carry with her into the postseason.

As strong as this result is, it largely didn't tell us anything new about Galvydyte. We knew that she was a nationally competitive middle distance talent. She proved during the winter months that she was one of the more consistent 800 meter runners in the nation and has continued to back up our theory since then.

Still, running one of her faster times of the spring as she heads into the championship portion of the season can only be encouraging. Galvydyte doesn't have a ton of flaws and she feels like a boarderline lock to qualify for the national meet.

I'm even willing to say that she'll be an All-American once we reach the month of June.

Fouad Messaoudi Posts 3:39 Mark, Kian Davis Runs 3:42

Oklahoma State's Fouad Messaoudi came to Stillwater with impressive credentials, owning a time of 3:38 for 1500 meters. While the newest Cowboy star didn't run faster than that this past weekend, his 3:39 mark is still plenty encouraging.

It's admittedly hard to get a read on Messaoudi, mainly because he's still somewhat new to the NCAA. And as impressive and as consistent as he has been, he has yet to firmly enter the All-American conversation.

And yet, at the same time, there's not really anything to dislike about him. He places highly in strong invitational fields, he's very consistent, he has (some) range and generally speaking, he's just flat-out fast.

I still think Messaoudi has another step upwards that he needs to take before being an All-American contender, but he's aa quietly great talent who delivers time and time again.

As for Kian Davis, he ran 3:42 behind Messaoudi, giving the Cowboys yet another promising young piece who they can eventually rally and build around in the future. Not only that, but his progression this spring has been very solid, running 4:00 in the mile at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships before progressing his 1500 meter PR from 3:46 to 3:43 to 3:42.

Watch out for him in the future.

Porter, Sado, Guerra & Teffra Go Sub-Four at UVA

The Virginia High Performance meet actually took place last Wednesday, although the unique mid-week scheduling of the meet didn't stop a handful of athletes from running fast times.

Virginia's Wes Porter is a problem. He has been incredible this year. A lot of people will probably remember him from his impressive 3:39 mark for 1500 meters en route to a win at the Raleigh Relays, but he has gone to do much more than that.

Porter has since run 13:36 for 5000 meters and now, he just ran 3:58, taking down three other sub-four milers for another win.

What can't this guy do? He's about a year ahead of my expected trajectory for him. He's flexing nationally competitive range, boasting incredible consistency and is taking home marquee wins over talented competition.

He may not have a crazy fast 1500 meter mark that would put him in the 3:36, 3:37 or 3:38 range, but he's probably one of the better all-around talents who currently resides in the 3:39 range.

From a value perspective, his stock is rapidly rising.

As for Yasin Sado, he's another Virginia talent who is quietly stepping up this spring. He also ran 3:58 in the mile on Wednesday, placing runner-up to Wes Porter in the process. However, while that result is very impressive and encouraging for the postseason, Sado is likely better off in the steeplechase.

Not only has Sado run 8:41 in the steeplechase, but he ran that time en route to the win at the Duke Invitational. He then ran 13:42 for 5000 meters at the Virginia Challenge before contesting a few relays at Penn Relays.

Sado is the steeplechase version of Porter. He has an ability to win, boasts strong range, he has great consistency and is a true standout name in one event. His youth, especially in the postseason, is a cautionary aspect to consider, but it's not like it's Sado's fault that he's young.

Finally, we have the Georgetown men. Freshmen Lucas Guerra (3:59) and Abel Teffra (3:59) both dipped under four minutes on Wednesday, bringing the Hoyas' total of sub-four milers in the 2022 calendar year to SEVEN men.

I was fairly confident that Guerra could run a time like this. He was a star miler in high school and has clearly gotten better since coming to Georgetown. Teffra, meanwhile, showed plenty of promising signs in his own right, but I would have expected him to be just on the line of doing so...something that his new 3:59.82 personal best seems to agree with.

Kudos to the Hoyas for putting together a young contingent that will seemingly transition out of the old era while allowing their distance group as a whole to stay competitive.

NC State's Sam Bush Runs 4:13 For 1500 Meters at Liberty

Is...Sam Bush a miler?

That may be the case after seeing the Wolfpack star run an outstanding mark of 4:13 for 1500 meters at the Liberty Twilight meet. In fact, I even sung Bush's praises during the winter season, saying that she was a much better miler than some people realized.

And for the most part, I think this 4:13 result for 1500 meters supports that assertion.

However, her 4:10 split on NC State's 4x1500 meter relay is probably the best evidence to show us that Bush can be a nationally competitive name in the metric mile.

So what will she even pursue in the postseason? She was a standout name in the 3k this past winter, but given NC State's history of long distance success and Bush's recent 5k success, I wasn't entirely positive that she would drop down in distance this spring.

But now I'm rethinking that take. The women's 1500 meter field certainly seems a bit more open at the top unlike a few other events (such as the 5k) and given the crazy momentum that we have seen from Bush in the 1500 meters this spring, I think I like her to give this event a go a few weeks from now.

Virginia Tech's Antonio Lopez Segura Runs 3:39 For 1500 Meters at Liberty Twilight Meet

Some distance running fans may not have known who Antonio Lopez Segura was until he brought home a DMR title for the Virginia Tech Hokies at the ACC Indoor Championships this past winter after Nuguse fell on the final curve.

However, this is someone who has been nationally competitive for a while now, finishing one spot out from All-American honors at the 2021 indoor national meet and then finishing 6th in the loaded 3k race at the 2022 indoor national meet.

With a flat-track converted 7:43 (3k) mark on his resume, as well as a 3:56 mile PR, Lopez Segura has proven that he is one of the most lethal middle distance runners in the NCAA. In fact, he has even extended his range up to the 5k this spring where he ran 13:38 at the Virginia Challenge earlier this season.

That's why it should hardly come as a surprise that he ran 3:39 for 1500 meters this past weekend, validating that he's still in top form.

Lopez is a dangerous talent when's in top form and for the most part, he has a history of peaking in the postseason -- or at least posting some of his better performances late in the season. He has a full arsenal of racing range and his turnover is really promising, especially in tactical championship affairs.

The Virginia Tech star will likely pursue the 1500 meters in the postseason if I had to guess, but I still think there's a 30% chance that he chooses the 5k instead.

Texas' Crayon Carrozza Runs 3:40 to Emerge as Top Collegiate in 1500 Meters at Oregon Twilight

TSR contributor Gavin Struve was smart enough to highlight Texas' Crayton Carrozza as the favorite (amongst collegiates) in the 1500 meters at the Oregon Twilight -- and he was right! Carrozza delivered on his placement expectations and came away with top collegiate honors.

However, in a race which featured Nike's Cooper Teare going all-out and running 3:34, I thought that that would have incentivized this men's field to go out and chase a faster time than what they actully recorded.

In the end, Carrozza produced a very strong mark of 3:40, but when you consider that this guy was a mile All-American and ran a converted 3:55 mile during the winter months, one had to think that a 3:38 or a 3:39 mark in a setting as fast as this would have been realistic.

Make no mistake, this result doesn't really hurt's Carrozza's stock at all. He still ran a respectable time and took down a VERY underrated field. He has shown on a handful of occasions that his speed is probably to be feared more than anything else.

Portland's Laura Pellicoro Defeats Oregon's Aneta Konieczek, 4:15 to 4:17

I can understand anyone saying that Oregon's Aneta Konieczek was the collegiate favorite in this race. She has been running incredibly well as of late, has a history of being a great miler and was racing on her home track.

What's not to like?

Yet, despite Pellicoro being nominated as one of our "Most Improved" candidates during the winter months, people continue to ignore the fact that she ran 4:37, 4:34 and 4:35 on the indoor oval a few month ago. Pellicoro proved during that stretch that she could consistently produce top-tier national-caliber times regardless of the setting.

No, Pellicoro isn't a perfect racer, but she is still incredibly dangerous, something that she proved (again) this past weekend after running 4:15 to defeat Konieczek (who ran 4:17) and finish runner-up overall.

Oh, and did we mention that Pellicoro ran 2:04 for 800 meters (a personal best) this past weekend as well? With a new personal best coming in both the 800 meters and the 1500 meters at this point in the year, Pellicoro may be peaking perfectly.

Jacob Klemz Upsets Yaseen Abdalla at Oregon Twilight

Just like with the men's 1500 meters, TSR contributor Gavin Struve was right to call Texas' Yaseen Abdalla the favorite in the men's 5k at the Oregon Twilight meet.

However, Struve was also correct in saying that Portland's Jacob Klemz was the best contender to Abdalla in this field.

Sure enough, Klemz took home the win, running a promising PR of 13:46 and earning a statement win. Abdalla finished runner-up with a mark of 13:51.

I admittedly don't have much to say here. This was a big victory and a great mark for Klemz, and I think it gives him enough confidence that he can potentially contend for a national qualifying spot this spring. However, I'm not sure it changes much more than that.

For Abdalla, a loss like this isn't ideal, but he was outstanding during the winter months and is still pretty darn good so far this spring.

BYU's Kenneth Rooks Runs 8:31 to Win Steeplechase at Oregon Twilight, Osen Runs 8:40 For Runner-up

BYU's Kenneth Rooks ran 8:32 earlier this season, defeating Montana State's Levi Taylor and Northwest Missouri's Reece Smith in the process.

Since then, both of those men have gone on to prove just how talented they really are -- and the same can be said for Rooks.

After running 8:32 and briefly holding the NCAA lead, Rooks toed the line this past weekend and ran 8:31 in the steeplechase -- a one-second improvement which gave him the win by nine seconds over Portland's Riley Osen.

Rooks is a true steeplechase stud who is already building on his excellent performances from the past. Running 8:32 to earn a key win was impressive, but now running 8:31 and getting another win over a strong field really catches our attention.

Elite times, multiple wins and a history of past success in this event are scattered throughout Rooks' resume...what's not to like?

In a year where (some) members of BYU's steeplechase core haven't been at their best, Rooks has been the one to really step up and really make a splash. He has now built upper-echelon steeplechase consistency that not a lot of other steeple standouts can boast this spring.

Not only that, but he just took down a really good field. Portland's Riley Osen is as experienced as they come and defeating him as soundly as Rooks did says quite a bit.

As for Osen, an 8:40 mark should give him and Coach Rob Conner plenty to be excited about. Throughout all of his time with the Portland men, Osen has contested the steeplechase 18 times and has recorded a result 16 times (the two others being DNF marks).

And of those 16 times, dating as far back as March 2018, Osen's top-two times ever in this event have come in his last two steeplechase races this spring -- 8:40.13 and now 8:40.12.

When you tack on a 3:45 personal best for 1500 meters this spring and a 7:57 personal best for 3000 meters this past winter, it's clear that Osen is just flat-out better than he ever has been. He's gaining promising momentum and more importantly, he's consistently racing at a high level right before championship season.

Osen, admittedly, isn't the same All-American threat that Rooks is, at least not this season. Osen still needs to crack the 8:30s (and stay in that range) if he wants to contend for a top-eight finish in June.

Still, that seems like the last and final requirement that we have for Osen before we can grant him the status as an All-American favorite.

But whose to say that he's not already an All-American contender?