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One Sentence Previews: 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships Men's 5k (D1)
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- Jun 8, 2022
- 4 min read
NOTE: Athletes are listed in the order that they are shown on the official qualifiers list.
1. Brian Fay (Washington)
On paper, Fay is a title favorite who is probably the most complete distance runner in this field, boasting elite versatility, flat-out great times and a lethal kick that took down title contender Morgan Beadlescomb earlier this year.
2. Casey Clinger (BYU)
Even though he's one of the more nationally recognized names in this field, Clinger feels like an underappreciated talent despite his outstanding consistency, frequent exposure to top-level competition and his ability to thrive an aggressively paced setting, the latter of which we might see happen in this 5k.
3. Nico Young (Northern Arizona)
One could argue that there isn't anyone more naturally talented than Young in this field, especially after he ran 13:11 earlier this season, although it's abundantly clear that his best shot at winning NCAA gold is if this race becomes fast from the gun.
4. Cole Sprout (Stanford)
After earning double All-American honors on the indoor oval and qualifying for two events at this year's NCAA Outdoor Championships, Sprout feels like one of the most reliable names in this field, a rarity for someone who is still fairly young.
5. Michael Power (Tulsa)
The breakout star from Tulsa has run 13:29 this year and has shown some promising consistency, although it's not entirely clear what race scenario would best favor his racing style or skillset.
6. Aaron Bienenfeld (Oregon)
A quick pace would theoretically benefit this Oregon graduate student who has run some exceptionally fast times over the past two years, but he has sometimes been hit-or-miss at national meets, making him a bit of a wild card for this weekend.
7. Ryan Ford (Iowa State)
Ford is a very solid name who has held his own surprisingly well in select fields and in theory, a slightly faster 5k race would favor his still-rising upside that we saw at the West Regional Championships a few weeks ago.
8. Dylan Jacobs (Notre Dame)
Jacobs has excellent strength, outstanding turnover, some of the faster distance marks in the NCAA this year and championship experience, although his surprising non-All-American result from the indoor national meet is admittedly hard to forget about.
9. Sam Gilman (Air Force)
Gilman has taken down Wesley Kiptoo twice this year in two different events, although a pair of losses at the Mountain West Championships make it challenging to know what kind of momentum this Air Force ace has coming into the national meet.
10. Olin Hacker (Wisconsin)
A legitimate challenger for the national title, Hacker has run 13:19 this season and has looked sharper than ever, so much so that he may be able to contend for NCAA gold regardless of how this race plays out.
11. Athanas Kioko (Campbell)
With a 13:13 personal best, a 3rd place finish from the 2021 outdoor national meet and a clear improvement upon his racing tactics, Kioko should be a title contender, although he'll be doubling back from the 10k which is something he didn't do last year.
12. Amon Kemboi (Arkansas)
Cole Sprout may be one of the most reliable names in this field, but Kemboi is the most reliable name, even if he isn't in contention to win a national title this weekend.
13. Matthew Pereira (Harvard)
Based on his stunning sub-28 personal best in the 10k, Pereira is probably due for a new PR if this race becomes as fast as we expect it to be, ultimately giving him some of the better upside in this field.
14. Ky Robinson (Stanford)
Robinson has been excellent this spring and could very realistically win a national title, showing all-around great poise, patience and positioning in some of his higher-profile 5k races since the winter months.
15. Vincent Mauri (Arizona State)
Arguably someone who is more of a middle distance runner, Mauri was a surprise national qualifier in this event, although if this race somehow turns tactical, then his 1:49 speed could make him a legitimate threat.
16. Eric Van Der Els (UConn)
Easily one of the more underrated names in this field, Van Der Els is a true veteran and an excellent tactician who has a good chance of exceeding expectations in a field where many men, on paper, are simply better.
17. Adriaan Wildschutt (Florida State)
It feels almost like a given that, at some point in this 5k race, Wildschutt will be near the front and he will press the pace, but will that approach allow him to outrun the other high-aerobic stars in this field?
18. Dan Schaffer (Binghamton)
Schaffer has faced many more national-caliber distance fields this spring than some people realize, specifically in the 5k, and when you look at the growth that we saw from him during the winter months, there is a lot more to like than dislike about his resume going into this race.
19. Morgan Beadlescomb (Michigan State)
There may not be a name in this field with better middle distance accolades than Beadlescomb, although the Michigan State veteran has thrived in multiple all-out long distance settings, leaving us to wonder what the ideal race scenario may be for this Spartan star.
20. Acer Iverson (Harvard)
His super fast personal bests have been encouraging, but Iverson's outstanding consistency and elite control of his fitness has been shown in almost every race he has toed the line for, making it challenging to see a scenario where he doesn't run well.
21. Cole Bullock (Ole Miss)
Bullock was the last man to qualify for this 5k field out of the East region, but he earned two personal bests in three meets leading up to his regional meet, giving the Ole Miss product some promising momentum that he could capitalize on this weekend.
22. Zach Facioni (Wake Forest)
Facioni is a true veteran who has thrived in numerous nationally competitive races, but we've seen a bit of inconsistency from the Wake Forest star this spring, putting us in a position where we aren't quite sure what to expect from him this weekend.
23. Ahmed Muhumed (Florida State)
In theory, the presumably fast pace that we'll see from the rest of this field should favor the aerobic prowess of Muhumed, but is his talent refined enough to effectively match the surges and tactics from the other top-ranked men in this field?
24. Alex Ostberg (North Carolina)
Ostberg may not be one of the main names in this field, but he has tons of experience and plenty of raw talent, something that should be kept in mind when you also realize that he has run three personal bests in three different events this spring.
Final Predictions:
Brian Fay (Washington)
Nico Young (Northern Arizona)
Ky Robinson (Stanford)
Morgan Beadlescomb (Michigan State)
Olin Hacker (Wisconsin)
Amon Kemboi (Arkansas)
Athanas Kioko (Campbell)
Cole Sprout (Stanford)
