One Sentence Previews: 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships Men's 10k (D1)

Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin

Click here to see performance list / live results

NOTE: Athletes are listed in the order that they are shown on the official qualifiers list.

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1. Athanas Kioko (Campbell)

Kioko might not compete at all of the NCAA's biggest meets during the regular season, but his raw fitness can match most men in this field and his tactical abilities have been refined quite a bit over the years as shown by his bronze medal finish in the 5k last spring.

2. Adriaan Wildschutt (Florida State)

Wildschutt will always been in the mix with the leaders, but can he fully channel his 27:38 PR and finally stand atop the podium in a field of men who could match his aerobic fitness?

3. Victor Kiprop (Alabama)

Kiprop hasn’t let his NCAA inexperience affect his performances this year and as the reigning SEC 10k champion, he has solidified himself as an All-American contender thanks to his outstanding, season-long consistency.

4. Acer Iverson (Harvard)

After not getting the chance to compete at the NCAA Championships last year, Iverson comes in this year not as an underdog, but rather as a high-momentum star who will shake things up no matter how the race plays out.

5. Barry Keane (Butler)

Barry Keane is a name who is always thrown around when an All-American honor is on the line based on his regular season performances, but can he finally get said honor in his fifth NCAA attempt after a career of outstanding consistency and gradually improved fitness?

6. Joshua Methner (Notre Dame)

He was only one second shy of his 28:40 PR at his regional meet a few weeks ago which means either, a) Methner truly ran to the best of his ability at the regional meet, or b) he has plenty more in the tank.

7. Haftu Strintzos (Villanova)

Strintzos is an accomplished 10k runner on the cross country course, but he will need to translate that success over to the track if he wants to make the top-eight, although this field does theoretically benefit his strengths as a racer.

8. Matthew Carmody (Notre Dame)

Carmody set a one second PR of 28:42 at the East Regional Championships two weeks ago and with an opportunity to race against the nation’s fastest 10k athletes, can Carmody fully translate his 13:27 (5k) PR to a racing distance that *may* be his best?

9. Dylan Jacobs (Notre Dame)

Of the four Notre Dame men entered in the field, Jacobs had the best shot at finishing amongst the All-Americans given his national experience, quick turnover and front-running confidence, all of which, in theory, could actually give him a chance to contend for a top-three spot.

10. Matthew Pereira (Harvard)

Pereira been having the year of his life, qualifying for his first outdoor national meet and running 27:45 earlier this season, although translating that fitness to a championship-style race will be the real challenge.

11. Andrew Alexander (Notre Dame)

Alexander has earned new personal bests in both the 5k and the 10k this season and with an ample amount of teammates to key off of at the NCAA Championships, there’s a chance that this field will favor the quick-pace tendencies that we've seen from him this season.

12. Abdihamid Nur (Northern Arizona)

You just can’t bet against the top 10k returner from 2021, the reigning indoor 3k/5k champion, a 3:36 guy for 1500 meters and recently, the NCAA 5k record holder with a mark 13:06.

13. Fearghal Curtin (Charleston Southern)

Curtin had somewhat modest times while competing for Arizona State, but he has become a national-caliber athlete and could put Charleston Southern on the map by finishing in the top-half of this field, something he's much more capable.

14. Cole Sprout (Stanford)

Sprout’s outstanding 27:42 PR shoots him up the national leaderboard this season and as a gutsy racer who latches onto the leaders, an All-American honor isn’t out of the question for him, especially after seeing how reliable he was at the indoor national meet.

15. Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas)

Kiprop will be competing at his first NCAA Championship at the Division One level and while few men in this field have the raw fitness that he does, it may be fair to question what role in his inexperience will have in this field.

16. Aaron Bienenfeld (Oregon)

Bienenfeld has NCAA Championship experience and will be racing with the home track advantage, but will the combination of those two factors be enough to propel Bienenfeld into the top-eight of an overwhelmingly strong field?

17. Alex Maier (Oklahoma State)

Alex Maier's range might be unmatched in this field as he can throw down a 3:56 mile and a 28:18 mark for 10k, so the field might not want to leave this race to a kick if Maier is still around.

18. Amon Kemboi (Arkansas)

Kemboi has one of the fastest PRs in this field with his 28:02 mark and competing on the national stage is nothing new for this Arkansas ace as he has earned numerous All-American honors before, effectively becoming one of the most reliable names in this field.

19. Charles Hicks (Stanford)

After not qualifying for the national meet for the 5k, Hicks will be channeling all of his energy into this 10k race and could give title favorite Abdi Nur a run for his money, especially when you consider how Hicks has thrived in numerous race scenarios since the tail-end of the indoor track season.

20. Bob Liking (Wisconsin)

Liking’s rise this year from the cross country season to the track hasn’t gone unnoticed and although he "only" has a 28:47 PR, he is someone who could see a low-28 on the right day despite his relative youth.

21. Casey Clinger (BYU)

Clinger is the main man for BYU and has opted to tackle the 10k this season, although an aggressive pace, either from him or the field, will likely be his best bet at overall success.

22. Brandon Garnica (BYU)

The 10k is debatably Garnica’s best event given his 28:16 PR, but he will need to match or improve upon that mark if he wants to contend for a medal against a slew of guys who have gone sub-28:15.

23. Kieran Lumb (Washington)

Lumb nearly took down Hicks at the PAC-12 Championships in the 10k and as someone who is plenty versatile, he should be able to utilize different tactics in order to thrive in a variety of race scenarios.

24. James Mwaura (Gonzaga)

Mwaura was the 9th place finisher last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10k and after running a shiny new 13:30 (5k) PR earlier this season, there is a chance that Mwaura could improve upon his 2021 placement if this race sees another all-out aerobic effort like we saw last year.

Final Predictions:

1. Abdihamid Nur (Northern Arizona)

2. Charles Hicks (Stanford)

3. Adriaan Wildschutt (Florida State)

4. Acer Iverson (Harvard)

5. Dylan Jacobs (Notre Dame)

6. Athanas Kioko (Campbell)

7. Cole Sprout (Stanford)

8. Amon Kemboi (Arkansas)