One Sentence Previews: 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships Men's 1500 Meters (D1)

Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin

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

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1. Luke Houser (Washington)

Despite this being his first NCAA Championship appearance in an individual race, Houser’s impressive credentials -- which include the fastest time at the preliminary meets, a 3:37 PR and strong finishes at the 2021 cross country national meet -- imply that he should have enough raw talent to counterbalance some of his inexperience.

2. Adam Spencer (Wisconsin)

The Aussie rookie has quickly made a name for himself this academic year, running a blistering fast 3:37 mark in a top-heavy field and winning the BIG 10 title in the 1500 meters just a few weeks ago, making him one of the most well-equipped runners in this field despite his relative youth.

3. George Kusche (Northern Arizona)

The veteran miler has improved his 1500 meter PR to 3:37 this season and has flashed elite long distance prowess ever since leaving Nebraska for Northern Arizona, but he's still searching for a long overdue All-American finish on the track following an indoor track season where wasn't at his best.

4. Elliott Cook (Oregon)

Cook was one of the more surprising qualifiers in the 1500 meters, mostly because he seemed to be better at the 800 meters (having won the PAC-12 title in the event back in May), but a considerable 1500 meter PR at his regional meet suggested that the Oregon youngster has enough tactical savvy to hold his own against this high-level field.

5. Jacob Brueckman (Colorado State)

Seemingly the consummate Colorado State Ram, Brueckman has turned his steady, year-over-year improvement into an individual NCAA Outdoor Championship appearance, and it would be foolish to discount him now given his season-long momentum and the pedigree of CSU’s distance program.

6. Anass Essayi (South Carolina)

During his short time in the NCAA, this Moroccan superstar has yet to match the lofty credentials of his 3:34 mark for 1500 meters from last summer, but he’s undefeated against collegiate competition outside of prelims and this weekend could be his true coming out party as he may have a realistic chance to take down Garcia Romo.

7. Nehemia Too (Iowa State)

While he has been competitive at a high level dating back to his JUCO 1500 meter title in 2019, Too’s 3:39 PR at the West Regional Championships was still a breakout performance and his quietly impressive range could, in theory, allow him to be prepared for most race scenarios this weekend.

8. Eliud Kipsang (Alabama)

Kipsang has been relatively quiet since running his NCAA record of 3:33 in April, but he has racked up three All-American finishes in the 1500 meters and the mile since 2021 and he has the most top-end firepower of anyone in this fairly wide-open field, as well as a solid chance at his first title if the race unfolds in his favor (i.e. very fast).

9. John Petruno (Michigan State)

While this is his first time racing at the NCAA Championships on the track, Petruno has shown an underrated ability to navigate deep fields, not only in qualifying out of the regional meets, but also in earning a bronze medal at the BIG 10 Outdoor Championships in the 1500 meters in back-to-back years in tactical races, a trend that should be favorable for this Michigan State ace as he aims to make it out of the prelims and into the finals.

10. Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State)

Few young runners had as big of a breakout year as Schoppe who quietly emerged as one of, if not the, best milers in the BIG 12 thanks to his stunning mixture of speed, strategy, raw firepower and rapid progression, all of which could point to a massive performance this weekend if his inexperience doesn't get in the way.

11. Nick Dahl (Duke)

While he hasn’t quite been amongst the best of the best this season, it’s important to keep in mind that Dahl confidently staked his claim as one of the very best milers on the east coast this past winter when he ran a 3:55 mile, won the ACC mile title and finished 6th at the NCAA Indoor Championships, something he could ultimately mimic later this weekend.

12. Sean Peterson (Youngstown State)

To the uninitiated, Peterson qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships may appear a surprise, but his massive progression in recent months, including a finish ahead of Oregon's Elliott Cook on the exact Hayward track that he’ll be racing on in the next few days, pointed towards Peterson being good enough to be here.

13. AJ Ernst (Providence)

Ernst was having a quiet season until he began peaking just in time for the East Regional Championships (just like he did last year) and he’ll be expecting to get back to the 1500 meter finals after doing exactly that at last year's outdoor national meet.

14. Jesse Hunt (North Carolina)

Seasoned fans should have expected Hunt, who has a similar resume to Ernst, to begin peaking by the end of the outdoor season despite a lackluster indoor campaign, and he did just that, becoming very competitive at the loaded Duke Invitational meet and doing just enough to extend his postseason during his regional meet.

15. Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss)

While his 1500 meter personal best of 3:36 doesn't come all that close to matching Kipsang’s collegiate record of 3:33, Garcia Romo has to be considered the odds-on favorite after winning the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships and then defeating Kipsang at the SEC Outdoor Championships, two races in which he showed elite tactical savvy with varied racing approaches.

16. Sam Ellis (Princeton)

Ellis is deservedly racing at his first NCAA Championship as an individual after missing out on the indoor national meet despite running a 3:56 mile (but medaling in the DMR), and while he may be inexperienced in these national meet scenarios, Ellis is probably one of the reliable first-time national qualifiers throughout most of these distance fields.

17. Thomas Vanoppen (Wake Forest)

The blue chip Belgian recruit has taken the 1500 meter landscape by storm in his first NCAA outdoor season, going undefeated in his primary event until the regional meet and emerging as an outside contender for the title, especially if this race turns tactical and favors his elite positioning skills.

18. Rhys Hammond (Cornell)

The greatest unknown entity in this field, the sophomore improved in every race this year, culminating in a 3:41 mark for 1500 meters and a berth to the national meet, but he’ll likely have to extend his postseason momentum in order to have a chance of finishing in the top-half of this field.

19. Nathan Henderson (Syracuse)

Henderson certainly belongs in this field with a sub-4:00 mile mark to his name, but his more distance-oriented resume prior to this season would theoretically imply that he wants an honest pace which, on paper, would seem to be too fast for his comparably modest 1500 meter PR.

20. Jonathan Davis (Illinois)

Potentially the most experienced man in this field, Davis seems like as clear of a lock as anyone in this field, outside of Mario Garcia Romo, to finish as an All-American and with his outstanding 3:36 PR, he'll likely want a quicker race where he can utilize his aerobic strength.

21. Joe Waskom (Washington)

Waskom only finished his first-ever 1500 meter race in May, but the accomplished steeplechaser has already won a 1500 title in perhaps the nation’s top distance running conference (the PAC-12) and qualified for the event at the outdoor national meet where he should be hunting All-American honors if his sneaky-good tactical tendencies continue.

22. Cathal Doyle (Portland)

The Irish Portland Pilot star qualified for the outdoor national meet last year, but an early-season 3:38 mark this spring, in which he somehow finished just 14th overall, implied that Doyle is very much in shape to improve upon his 2021 performance by making the 1500 final this year, all while potentially acting as the biggest wildcard in this field.

23. Isaac Basten (Drake)

Basten has qualified for three-straight national meets in the 1500 meters or the mile and when you pair that extensive national meet experience with an indoor All-American accolade and a brilliant display of tactical awareness, it's hard not to like Basten this weekend.

24. Nathan Green (Washington)

One of the few freshmen in this field has proven to be a quick learner, dipping under 3:40 twice this year and thriving in highly competitive fields, something that, on paper, would theoretically benefit Green this weekend despite his youth.

Final Predictions:

1. Anass Essayi (South Carolina)

2. Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss)

3. Thomas Vanoppen (Wake Forest)

4. Eliud Kipsang (Alabama)

5. Jonathan Davis (Illinois)

6. Adam Spencer (Wisconsin)

7. Isaac Basten (Drake)

8. George Kusche (Northern Arizona)