Friday Frenzy: Redefining Greatness in the NCAA

It is said that when humans talk about outer space, we struggle to comprehend and fathom how extensive the universe truly is. The same can be said for this year's NCAA distance events as the mile, 3000 meters and 5000 meters continue to reach unprecedented levels of firepower and depth never once seen before.

As much as I'd like to spend my entire Saturday analyzing every. single. result. from Friday's night chaos of distance action, I can only do so much before I don't know of a life other than what is on my computer screen.

So, if a certain race or meet wasn't mentioned below, then don't fret!

We will likely analyze it in our Sunday article.

Let's begin...

Beadlescomb Runs NCAA #4 All-Time Mile Time of 3:52

Alright, let's just get this Morgan Beadlescomb performance out of the way. The Michigan State runner just posted a time of 3:52 in the mile after chasing Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare around an indoor oval in Chicago.

I mean, at this point, what can I really say? We knew that Beadlescomb had reached an entirely new level of fitness at the Millrose Games when he ran 7:43 for 3000 meters. However, for a guy who has predominately been a 5k and cross country runner, this level of speed was wildly unexpected from the Michigan State veteran.

Sure, you could have convinced me that he was going to run 3:55 or 3:56. Maybe even 3:54 if I was feeling generous. But 3:52? Well, that's just an unreal level of raw fitness that I didn't know he had in this event.

And yes, Beadlescomb has shown off some middle distance speed before with his 1:48 mark for 800 meters. However, even that result crossed with his longer distance performances didn't convince me that he would run 3:52 -- but hey, what do I know?

So, here's the deal. At the time of publication, Beadlescomb sits at NCAA #1 in the mile and NCAA #3 in the 3000 meters...does he pursue both events at the indoor national meet? Or just the 3000 meters?

Every distance event in the NCAA is stacked this year, but the mile is by far the best it has ever been, and it's not even close. Would Beadlescomb really want to contest an event as stacked as the mile and therefore make himself less fresh for the 3000 meters, a race that he is arguably favored more highly in?

I don't have the answer to that, but at the end of the day, these race scenarios are too fun not to think about.

Lauren Ryan Runs Jaw-Dropping 3k Mark of 8:47, Chelangat Runs Strong Time of 8:53

We should have seen something like this coming. Ok, maybe not a sub-8:50 mark, but a really fast time was certainly on tap for Florida State superstar Lauren Ryan.

At Boston University, the Seminole standout took to the 3000 meters where she followed a blistering pace to an unbelievable time of 8:47. The reason why I say that we should have seen this coming is because her prior performances and her improved personal bests suggested that Ryan was due for a major result.

During her time time in Australia while stepping away from FSU due to Covid, Ryan recorded outstanding marks of 4:34 (mile), 8:54 (3k) and 15:22 (5k), all on an outdoor track. Fast forward to this winter, and Ryan has run marks of 4:36 (mile) and 15:40 (5k).

Based on those prior two performances, it shouldn't have come as any surprise that Ryan would go after a fast 3k next. It also shouldn't be surprising that someone with strong times in both the mile and the 5000 meters would find a perfect racing medium in the 300 meters.

I've always loved Ryan's combination of speed, turnover and endurance and I really did think that the 3000 meters would be her best event. However, you could not have possibly convinced me that she would run under 8:50 this season. That just seemed like a stretch.

I could have seen a scenario where Ryan ran 8:52, but posting a time as fast as 8:47 is unreal.

So now, I have to ask the difficult question: Is Courtney Wayment still the national title favorite in this event? Given that she probably won't race the mile, and therefore won't have to race a mile final on day two of the indoor national meet, I still have the BYU runner as the favorite for NCAA gold over Ryan.

Wayment is simply more experienced at the highest levels of NCAA competition and is the defending champion in this event. She has the faster mile PR and has produced elite-level times on a much more consistent basis.

All of that being said, I would argue that Ryan is probably better suited for the 3000 meters than Wayment is. What does that mean exactly? Honestly, I don't know, but it sounded good in my head.

As for Chelangat, I REALLY like this result for her. The Alabama star has always struck me as someone who is at her best when she is contesting the 5000 meters and the 10,000 meters. That may still be true, but one could argue that her recent 8:53 time at Boston University is the best performance of her career.

For Chelangat, the 3000 meters is probably considered to be a speedier event for her. I'm not entirely sure how she'll translate that performance to the national stage, but it does give me confidence that her recent display of turnover will make her a greater factor in the 5000 meter title chase come March.

Ky Robinson Stuns w/ Upset 5k Victory, 11 Men Sub-13:40

Hold on, hold on. Before people get mad at me and say that this, "wasn't an upset", allow me to remind you that Stanford's Ky Robinson had a 5000 meter personal best of 13:51 coming into this race.

Now yes, it's true, Robinson has emerged as one of the NCAA's best cross country runners as of late (placing 14th at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall) and could be a title contender in the steeplechase this spring.

Even so, I don't think anyone, even Robinson, expected the Stanford star to run 13:21 on the 307 meter indoor oval and take down an elite field featuring numerous NCAA stars. It's one thing to run fast, it's another thing to run a 30-second personal best and it's another thing to take down a loaded field.

But to do all of those things at once?

Well, that ultimately leads to an upset win.

Of course, there is now so much uncertainty for Robinson moving forward. What could Robinson run in the 3000 meters? How would he handle a tactical race at the national meet should the 5k unfold as such? Would a faster pace established by Kiptoo actually benefit Robinson at the national meet?

Regardless of the answers to those questions, Ky Robinson is now the megastar that we thought he could be -- his arrival date was just much sooner than we expected.

As for Washington's Brian Fay, this was an outstanding race. The Husky star from Ireland ran 13:24 for 5000 meters to complement his 3:55 mile performance from the other weekend.

Yes, Fay's result was extremely fast, even faster than I expected. However, his 3:55 mile PR and his 8:29 steeplechase PR from last summer suggested that this Washington standout was on different tier of fitness than his competitors. He's beginning to peak at the perfect time of the season and his 5k personal best now matches the caliber of his mile time.

So...what does he race at the indoor national meet? With Lumb already owning a 3:55 mile time this season, it may make more sense for Fay to run the 5000 meters over the mile and have him attempt to qualify of the indoor national meet in the 3000 meters. Doing so would allow Fay to avoid any inter-team conflict with Lumb in the preliminary rounds of the mile.

Going back to Stanford, second-year talent Cole Sprout also ran 13:24 to complement his 7:49 mark for the 3000 meters.

It's a good thing that Sprout ran as fast as he did in the 5000 meters on Friday night. If he didn't, then he would be in a position where he potentially doesn't qualify for the indoor national meet in the 3000 meters.

That would have been robbery, especially for someone who is a sub-7:50 talent. Even so, it makes sense that Sprout was able to run as fast as he did in the 5000 meters. He has always struck me as someone who is better in the longer distances and his cross country results validate that.

A 7:49 mark for 3000 meters suggested that a better 5k result was coming was Sprout. Did I expect sub-13:25? No, maybe not, but everyone is blowing away my expectations this season and this is simply one of those instances.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State's Alex Maier ran 13:25 while Arkansas' Amon Kemboi ran 13:26.

For the most part, this is what I expected from Maier. If the pace was hot, he was likely going to stick with it and post a fast time. He's unafraid to be aggressive in these longer distances and his 7:46 mark for 3000 meters, paired with his top-20 finish at the NCAA Winter XC Championships, suggested that a big-time 5000 meter result was in his arsenal.

And honestly, 13:25, while maybe slightly faster than expected, is fairly on par with his 3k personal best. Maier's 5k performance is also massive validation of his fitness as we now have more than one elite-level track result to go off of when looking at his resume.

I'm a big fan of Maier right now and if he's able to sustain this level of success on the national stage, then I don't see why he can't be a double All-American.

As for Kemboi, this was a huge result for the Arkansas star, and I mean HUGE. The men's 3000 meters is getting faster and faster with each weekend. Right now, a 7:49 mark probably won't be good enough to make it into the indoor national meet.

After running 7:51 in the 3000 meters earlier in the season and not going under 7:50 since February of 2019, it was crucial that Kemboi found a national qualifying spot in a new event. Right now, that new event seems to be the 5000 meters.

Kemboi's mark of 13:26 currently puts him at NCAA #11 at the moment of publication. Putting that time and that national rank in the same sentence is not something I thought I would ever type.

In a slightly slower, more tactical race, Kemboi could find success and earn an All-American honor in the 5000 meters. His 3:58 mile speed should give him some of the better middle distance turnover in that 5k field.

I say that because last winter, Kemboi struggled in an aggressively-paced 5k race which was dictated by Wesley Kiptoo. Now, with an understanding of how his competition likes to operate, the future looks bright for this Razorback star.

Other sub-13:30 names include BYU's Brandon Garnica (13:34), Stanford's Charles Hicks (13:37), Colorado's Charlie Sweeney (13:37), Iowa State's Thomas Pollard (13:38), Colorado's Andrew Kent (13:39) and Montana State's Ben Perrin (13:39).

One last note: Charles Hicks, one of the nation's best long distance runners, isn't in a qualifying position for either the 3000 meters or the 5000 meters. With the clock ticking, a national qualifying spot may not be in the cards for the Stanford ace this winter.

Covert (15:35) Emerges As Top Collegiate in 5k, Smee (15:37) & Herberg (15:39) Round Out Top-Three Collegiates

Emily Covert has been a really solid talent for a while now. She was a stud in high school and has been a really steady scoring piece on Colorado's roster for a while now. However, there had been subtle signs of a true breakout race fast approaching when looking at her recent performances.

On the grass, Covert finished 31st at the NCAA XC Championships, earning All-American honors in the process. Then, at the Colorado Invitational, a meet held at 5300 feet of altitude, Covert ran 9:26 for 3000 meters. That mark ultimately gave her an altitude conversion of 9:10.

Much like we mentioned with Alex Maier, the 3k performance and cross country results that we saw from Covert told us that she was due for a major 5k race. A prediction in the 15:40's, maybe the high 15:30's, would have been accurate for this Colorado standout.

Instead, she ran 15:35, finished 2nd place overall, and beat expectations by a reasonable margin.

All in all, it's hard to dislike Covert right now. She seems to really thrive in the longer distances and is building a lot of momentum as we head into the postseason. Expect to see her in a few mile races as she refines her speed and turnover for a national meet race that could turn tactical.

As for Ruby Smee, I'll be honest, I wasn't totally sold on the San Francisco product being a major factor in this field despite being listed highly in my predictions. However, much like Covert, she was due for a big 5k performance for literally the exact same reasons.

Smee finished 34th at the NCAA XC Championships last fall to earn All-American honors and is coming off of a recent 9:06 effort for 3000 meters. The middle ground, just like it was for Covert, was the 5000 meters for Smee.

Sure enough, she ran 15:36 to finish as the second-best collegiate in this race.

I'd like to say more about this San Francisco star, but I think many of the thoughts that I had about Covert could apply to Smee, so...just read the above section.

The last name to go under 15:40 in this race was Washington's Haley Herberg who ran 15:39. Honestly, this was probably one the most predictable results of the weekend. In fact, I had Herberg finishing as the third-best collegiate in this field while Gavin had her finishing as the fourth-best collegiate, albeit just with a slower time.

However, our predicted time for Herberg wasn't that much slower than her 15:39. And honestly, that result seems to really suit her. The Washington runner is a true long distance talent who gets better the longer the race becomes. She is not at all afraid to be aggressive in competitive fields and seems to thrive in time-focused efforts.

Overall, I like this result a lot for Herberg, mainly because it fits her racing identity.

Other sub-15:50 times included Oklahoma State's Gabby Hentemann (15:45), Utah's Emily Venters (15:48) and New Mexico's Amelia Mazza-Downie (15:49).

Gregory Runs 8:53 For 3000 Meters, Fends Off Camarena For Top Collegiate Honors

The women's 3000 meters at Washington was a thriller with Arkansas' Lauren Gregory finishing as the top collegiate in a time of 8:53, a mark that places her at NCAA #5 in the event. In doing so, Gregory was able to take down one of the nation's best up-and-coming talents in Katie Camarena (Portland State) who ran 8:57.

This was a super encouraging result for Gregory. Not just because it was a super fast time or because it was a personal best, but because it quelled any doubts about whether or not she was at an elite level of fitness this winter. A loss to Taylor Roe in the mile back in late January, while certainly not a big deal, wasn't exactly encouraging, either.

Outside of that...I don't really have a whole lot to say. Gregory is already ranked very highly in our indoor rankings and her chances of winning a national title in the 3000 meters haven't dramatically changed in our eyes with this result (but maybe because of Lauren Ryan's result it has).

As for Camarena, this is such incredible validation. An 8:57 mark is truly top-tier, and it places her in a position where the Portland State star can try the double at the indoor national meet. And truthfully, unlike select names, I think Camarena should pursue the mile/3k double at the indoor national meet.

This PSU Viking has more high-level experience in the 1500 meters and the mile. That's why contesting that event, which seems more wide-open than other race disciplines, seems to make the most sense for Camarena. Then, once she finishes the finals (assuming she qualifies), she can lean on the 3000 meters as a second chance for All-American honors.

However, maybe more importantly, we now have validation that Camarena isn't a one-dimensional runner and that her recent rise coming into this race is legitimate. The extra display of range doesn't hurt her stock, either.

As for Grace Fetherstonhaugh, the Oregon State Beaver ran 9:01 for 3000 meters! That's a really solid time that will likely go unnoticed this weekend. In fact, that time will...probably?...qualify Fetherstonhaugh for the indoor national meet.

Fetherstonhaugh has been a really solid and consistent distance talent for a while now. She ran 9:06 earlier this season, has run 15:58 for 5000 meters before and has been competitive during cross country. Overall, she's been a really respectable distance talent, but she hasn't found a way to truly standout until now.

There may be another step that Fetherstonhaugh still has to take in order to be a key contender at the indoor national meet. Even so, this was a great result which feels almost rewarding when looking the resume of this Oregon State runner.

I also really like the 9:02 mark we saw from Southern Utah's Allison Pray. She is so experienced, so consistent and so underrated. The long distance ace has had a really nice season following her huge 20th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall.

That uptick in fitness on the grass, as well as her improved mile PR of 4:39, has since translated to a 9:02 personal best. I am, however, a bit surprised that we haven't seen Pray contest a 5k once this season. Not even once! For the 20th place finisher at the cross country national meet!

That last part doesn't make much sense to me, but that also shouldn't take away from Pray's performance.

We then come to Washington's Allie Schadler who ran 9:03 in this race, a result that is still a solid five seconds off of her 8:58 personal best.

After an underwhelming 3k performance and a solid, but expected, 4:35 mile result from earlier this season, Schadler now sits in a position where she isn't going to qualify for the indoor national meet in either the 3000 meters or the 5000 meters.

She is, however, likely going to qualify in the mile.

It's tough to properly analyze Schadler this season. She isn't necessarily running poorly. In fact, some would even say that she's having a good indoor track season. However, she just doesn't seem to have the same spark that she did earlier in her career.

And yet, despite that, she has still run 4:35 (mile) and 9:03 (3k) this winter.

Abdi Nur Unleashes 7:40 Mark for 3000 Meters, Eduardo Herrera's 7:42 Leads Five Other Collegiates Under 7:50

Hear me out on this one: Is Northern Arizona's Abdi Nur potentially the best distance runner in the NCAA right now? Beadlescomb fans would probably answer "no" to that question, but at the very least, Nur is now in that conversation.

A jaw-dropping 7:40 mark for 3000 meters on Friday night has left me utterly speechless. We even said in our meet preview that he could run the NCAA lead or somewhere in the 7:41 to 7:43 range.

But running 7:40? Well, with that kind of time, we're talking about breaking the collegiate record at some point in the future.

Nur has been electric this year and his numerous mile attempts, one of which resulted in a 3:55 mile personal best, have paired well with his 13:22 effort for 5000 meters. In theory, the lethal firepower between both of those events ultimately led to a grand slam race for Nur in the 3000 meters.

Of course, just like any major performance like this, I have multiple questions. How will this result translate to the postseason? How effective can Nur's mile speed be in a tactical 3k race? How would a potential 5k the day before impact Nur's 3k impact his chances of success? Could he theoretically run away from the field at the indoor national meet?

Whatever the answer to those questions are shouldn't matter at this exact moment. Instead, let's appreciate the greatness of this performance and move on.

As for Colorado's Eduardo Herrera, this was a HUGE performance. Running 7:42 is wildly elite and it is a time that places him at NCAA #2 over names who were previously in the "best NCAA distance runner" conversation just last week.

Herrera has been an established distance name in the NCAA for a while now. He's fairly consistent and knows how to deliver big-time results against big-time competition.

For instance, at the beginning of late spring, Herrera took down BYU's "Big Three" in the 5000 meters en route to a 13:24 mark. He later placed 24th at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall, finally earning All-American honors on the grass.

Herrera has seemingly had some bad luck at national meets over the last few years, consistently missing out on All-American honors or national qualifications during years where he had tremendously improved his stock.

Luckily, a 7:42 time for 3000 meters should solve those woes.

That 7:42 is also a time that forces us to reevaluate just how good Herrera actually us.

Herrera has always been a top-tier name, but seeing him run 7:42? That was never in his scope based on his past performances. Sure, I could have been convinced that a 7:45 was in the cards for this Colorado ace, but 7:42 is a level of fitness that completely redefines how we think of a certain runner.

As for the rest of this field, there were so many names to highlight, so allow me to do some quick bullet points...

• Montana State's Duncan Hamilton running 7:45 for 3000 meters has to have so many altitude critics incredibly frustrated. That mark validates everything that Hamilton has done this year, and then some.

• Washington State's Colton Johnsen just ran 7:45 for 3000 meters to pair with his other seasonal marks of 3:55 (mile) and 13:34 (5k). This guy continues to be one of the most dynamic and versatile distance talents in the country. He's been so much fun to cover and he was smart to go after another fast 3k time after falling short of his presumed sub-7:50 goal the other week.

• Oklahoma State's Ryan Schoppe has been on my radar all season long. He's been great in the longer distances, ran a 3:58 mile and now owns a 7:46 personal best for 3000 meters. That, however, seems to be on par for the Oklahoma State star. Given how fast everyone has run this year, that 3k time seems to perfectly mesh Schoppe's mile speed and cross country strength.

• Southern Utah's Nate Osterstock and New Mexico's Abdirizak Ibrahim each ran 7:48 for 3000 meters this past weekend. Truthfully, those were two very predictable results.

Mackay Runs 4:30 Mile in Boston, Heymach Runs 4:31 While Six Other Collegiates Go Sub-4:37

The women's mile doesn't get enough attention for how fast it has been this year thanks to the insane developments that we're seeing on the men's side. In Boston, we saw a slew of super fast marks -- some expected, some not.

Below, I opted to highlight all of the sub-4:37 marks and determine whether or not those performances were surprising...

Emily Mackay (Binghamton) Runs 4:30.94 Mile: Not Surprising

Of course, just because it's not surprising doesn't mean that it's not incredible. The Binghamton veteran has been a different runner this season, throwing down times that we never once thought she would hit. She's been dominating the NCAA this year and in a super fast Boston field, it's not a total shock that she ran 4:30.

Julia Heymach (Stanford) Runs 4:31.35 Mile: Not Surprising

At the Olympic Trials, Heymach thrived in a high-pressure field of elite superstars to run 4:04 in the 1500 meters. That time alone suggested that she could run this fast. Plus, it wasn't exactly a stretch to suggest that Heymach would be able to cut-off two seconds from her previous 4:33 PR. That seemed reasonable.

Berenice Cleyet-Merle (U. Indy) Runs 4:31.99 Mile: Sorta Surprising

The D2 superstar continues to dominate the division, running 4:31.99 to SHATTER the previous D2 record by nearly five and a half seconds. After running 2:03 for 800 meters, it isn't necessarily a surprise to see Cleyet-Merle also secure the D2 record in the mile. She did, after all, run 4:08 for 1500 meters last summer. But to run 4:31.99? Well, that is something I didn't see coming. At this point, she may be the best D2 middle distance runner ever.

Mia Barnett (Virginia) Runs 4:35.09 Mile: Not Surprising

Despite being a rookie, it's clear that this Virginia freshman is a stud. She ran 4:37 for 1600 meters in high school and has clearly transitioned her fitness to the collegiate level. Barnett ran 4:40 in her season debut, got a 4:37 flat-track conversion at Camel City and has let her momentum carry her to a new 4:35 personal best. Elite youngsters like Barnett can sometimes get on these hot streaks where they see significant improvements every time they toe line as they begin to tap into their full potential. When it comes to Mia Barnett, that was exactly the case.

Mia Nahom (UConn) Runs 4:35.27 Mile: Sorta Surprising

I really like Nahom. I think she's been a very underrated distance talent who doesn't get enough love for what she has done in the northeast region. Her 4:37 mile effort from earlier this year was really impressive and I think a great indicator of her true talent. In the right race, wouldn't have been surprised to see her capitalize on the best season of her career. However, running 4:35 is admittedly a bit faster than I expected out of her even after she ran 4:37 earlier this season.

Sami Corman (Georgetown) Runs 4:36.52 Mile: Sorta Surprising

Corman has been an excellent distance talent for Georgetown as of late. She has been SUPER underrated in terms of her cross country value and she has been very consistent in the mile and 1500 meter distances. Before this race, she had run 4:16 for 1500 meters and 4:39 twice in the mile. Corman was due for a breakout race, but trying to figure out when that was going to happen was the tricky part.

Anna Juul (Harvard) Run 4:36.66 Mile: Not Surprising

This was fairly predictable. Juul was a national qualifier in the mile during the 2020 indoor season before the national meet was cancelled. She owns a PR of 4:37 and already ran 4:38 a few weeks ago. It is not at all a surprise that she was going to give the mile another go in order for her to qualify for the indoor national meet.

Maia Ramsden (Harvard) Run 4:36.88 Mile: Surprising

While I did think that Ramsden could've been an overlooked name in this field, I'm not sure I saw her running 4:36 this weekend. She's been a solid 1500 meter talent before coming to Harvard and already ran 4:39 in the mile earlier this season. Even so, there wasn't anything on her resume to suggest that she would go under 4:37 this weekend.

Mario Garcia Romo Runs 3:53, Holds Off Kisang, Davis & Seven Other Sub-Four Milers For Win

When Mario Garcia Romo ran a 3:57 mile at the Millrose Games, everyone who was familiar with his level of talent knew that his result was not indicative of his actual fitness. Sure enough, that proved to be true on Friday night as Garcia Romo threw down a MONSTER time of 3:53 on Vanderbilt's 300 meter indoor track.

The Rebel superstar pulled away from a super-elite mile field, maintaining a hard pace at the tail-end of the race that no kicker would be able to respond to. Alabama's Eliud Kipsang maintained a hard late effort as well to run 3:54.

It should go without saying that those results are absolutely incredible. However, at the same time, these two results weren't totally out of the realm of possibility for Garcia Romo and Kipsang. A 3:53 mile time is admittedly one second faster than the most generous prediction I would have given Garcia Romo while Kipsang has a 1500 meter mark that suggested he could run this fast.

And honestly, as incredible as these two were / have been, I'm not sure it really changes the national title picture too much. Garcia Romo probably has a greater chance of contending for NCAA gold now compared to a few weeks ago, but in the grand scheme of things, not a TON has changed.

For Jonathan Davis, it's hard not to feel good about his result. The Illinois veteran was a superstar in the NCAA a few years ago, but has challenged with injury bugs, setbacks and the pandemic. Now, not only has he returned to his former elite fitness, but he has exceeded his previous peak form with a 3:54 mile PR.

Davis, much like Beadlescomb, boasted much better middle distance speed than some people realized coming into this weekend. While recent fans of the sport know Davis from his cross country credentials, those who have been around the NCAA for long enough know that Davis actually ran a 3:56 (maybe 3:55) flat-track converted mile a few years ago and owns a surprisingly fast time of 1:48 for 800 meters.

This Illinois veteran has all of the tools in his arsenal to be majorly successful in the postseason. He now has an elite-level mile mark which proves that he at least has a chance to be competitive in this NCAA mile field. Not only that, but he has extensive experience and a wide array of racing tools in his arsenal, whether that be speed, endurance or anything in between.

As for a few other results, Penn State's Evan Dorenkamp (3:55), Ole Miss' James Young (3:55) and Duke's Nick Dahl (3:55) each just had the best races of their careers, although Young has run 3:37 for 1500 meters, so his time was somewhat on par with his past results. Each of these men have been building momentum throughout the season which has now culminated in them peaking as we near the postseason.

I am so bumped for these three, but the craziest part is that their rate of improvement hasn't exactly outpaced the rest of the NCAA field in a dramatic way. Running a 3:55 mile, as of the time that I'm writing this, puts someone as low as NCAA #15 or NCAA #16 on the national leaderboard right now.

That is INSANE.

The NCAA men's mile has become so elite this year to point where 3:56 milers will be left out of the national meet and where multiple 3:55 milers won't be in the All-American conversation. That is such a crazy statement, but yet, here we are.

There were a few more sub-four results that we need to mention. Here's a quick bullet-point list...

• Davis Bove (LSU) continues to deliver on the biggest stages. He ran 3:57 in the mile last year against an Ole Miss-led field. He later ran 3:57 in the mile against a very strong field at the Razorback Invitational. Now, with a 3:56 mile PR, he held his own in one of the most competitive mile fields he's ever been in and salvaged a mark that could get him into the indoor national meet after scratches. If you put Bove in a big-time race, he's going to deliver.

• Sean Dolan (Villanova) has actually had a great season this year, running 3:57 and now 3:56. Yet, that latter mark now sits on outside looking in of automatic national qualifying. He could still get in with scratches, but gosh, it's insane that one of the nation's best up-and-coming milers is in this position.

• Shane Bracken (Ole Miss) and Charlie O'Donovan (Villanova) ran 3:57 and 3:58, respectively. Those are nice results, but they're also fairly expected.