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PREDICTIONS: 2024 Boston College Eagle Elite Invitational

  • Finn Birnie
  • Feb 8, 2024
  • 6 min read

Updated: Feb 9, 2024

Predictions & Analysis by Finn Birnie, editing via Garrett Zatlin

It's a very busy week here at The Stride Report!


My fellow colleague, Maura Beattie, has already crafted her predictions for the UW Husky Classic while Garrett is working on our Boston U. preview (which also features plenty of predictions).


This, in turn, has left me with the third high-profile meet of the weekend: The 2024 Boston College Eagle Elite Invitational. The augural athletic showcase will give Boston it's second attention-grabbing invitational of not just the season, but of the weekend as well.


With "The TRACK" at New Balance looking like a premiere venue to produce ultra-fast marks, we should expect to see exactly that from plenty of NCAA stars on Friday and Saturday. Here are my top-five picks for each of the middle and long distance events...

NOTE: These predictions were made prior to the release of the heat sheets.

Boston College Eagle Elite Invitational (collegiates only)

*Denotes that a collegiate is also entered in another individual event. In these predictions, TSR is assuming that each runner is contesting an event fresh (i.e. not doubling back). At time of publishing, the entries for this meet were not split into heats yet.


Women's 800 Meters

  1. Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard) - 2:01

  • NOTE: Entered in same event at Boston U.

  1. Makayla Paige (North Carolina) - 2:03

  2. Victoria Bossong (Harvard) - 2:03

  3. Rose Pitman (UCLA) - 2:04

  4. Madison Martinez (Villanova) - 2:04


ANALYSIS: After clocking an impressive mark over 500 meters and some equally as strong 4x400-meter relay splits, it seems that Harvard’s Sophia Gorriaran is ready to take on her primary distance, the 800 meters. It’s no secret that the Crimson star is sharp, so expect to see her at least go after that 2:00 barrier. Luckily for her, she will have former Michigan talent, Aurora Rydna, for company. Also, keep an eye out for North Carolina’s Makayla Paige. The Tar Heel athlete enters this meet with some serious momentum after earning PRs in both the 600 meters and the 800 meters (2:04) at the Penn State National Open two weeks ago. 


Men's 800 Meters

  1. Olivier Desmeules (Penn State) - 1:46

  • NOTE: Entered in same event at Boston U.

  1. Handal Roban (Penn State) - 1:46

  • NOTE: Entered in same event at Boston U.

  1. Elliott Cook (Oregon)* - 1:46

  2. Matthew Erickson (Oregon) - 1:47

  3. Cole Lindhorst (Texas) - 1:47


ANALYSIS: This race is going to be extremely difficult to predict and that's because eight men in this field own 800-meter PRs under 1:47! One thing that we can predict, however, is that this race is going to be FAST. The Penn State duo of Olivier Desmeules and Handal Roban are certainly the headliners, but are they as consistent as the Oregon pair of Elliott Cook and Matthew Erickson? If Cook chooses to contest this event, then his mile strength is going to be a true test for the Nittany Lions from the gun. That being said, with a field as deep as this, it's truly anyone's race. 


Women's Mile

  1. Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon) - 4:29

  2. Billah Jepkirui (Oklahoma State) - 4:30

  3. Olivia Howell (Texas) - 4:31

  4. Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State)* - 4:32

  5. Maddy Elmore (Oregon) - 4:32


ANALYSIS: After her 3:15 split on the 1200-meter leg of the DMR at the Razorback Invitational, it's clear that Oregon’s Klaudia Kazimierska is in fine form. A performance of that caliber suggests that she is in sub-4:30 shape. And with a field as stacked as this, Friday afternoon could be the perfect opportunity for the Polish Duck star to crack that barrier. Of course, she will be surrounded by some outstanding company as reigning indoor mile national champion, Olivia Howell, as well as Cowgirl stars Billah Jepkirui and Taylor Roe, will also be looking to etch closer to that 4:30 barrier. As for the rest of the field, expect there to be plenty of women under 4:35, further expanding the unreal depth of the women's mile this season.


Men’s Mile

  1. Ethan Strand (North Carolina) - 3:53

  2. Conor Murphy (Virginia) - 3:53

  • NOTE: Entered in two events at Boston U.

  1. Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State) - 3:54

  2. Brian Musau (Oklahoma State) - 3:54

  3. Elliott Cook (Oregon)* - 3:54


ANALYSIS: With the final automatic national qualifying mark already at 3:55.53 for the mile, there is certainly an urgency to run fast. And with a field as top-heavy as this, that should be no problem. Predicting a winner in this field, however, was particularly difficult. That being said, we feel that Ethan Strand’s blend of speed and tactical expertise is going to make him a tough competitor to beat. 


Women's 3000 Meters

  1. Dalia Frias (Oregon) - 9:03

  2. Brooke Wilson (Wake Forest) - 9:09

  3. Katie Clute (Oregon) - 9:10

  4. Emma McGill (Villanova)* - 9:12

  5. Emma Tavella (Boston College) - 9:13


ANALYSIS: There may be a pretty decent argument that Dalia Frias is the top collegiate in this 3k field. The former Duke and UCLA runner has greatly improved under Coach Shalane Flanagan and her recent 4:37 mile effort (two seconds off of her high school PR) speaks to that. However, assessing how high her ceiling is in this race is more difficult.


Men's 3000 Meters

  1. Fouad Messaoudi (Oklahoma State) - 7:38

  2. Alex Maier (Oklahoma State) - 7:40

  3. Denis Kipngetich (Oklahoma State)* - 7:42

  4. Laban Kipkemboi (Oklahoma State)* - 7:43

  5. Jesse Hamlin (Bulter)* - 7:45


ANALYSIS: It very much looks like it's going to be the Oklahoma State show in the men's 3000 meters in Boston. This quartet is spearheaded by the defending NCAA 3000-meter national champion, Fouad Messaoudi, who will be looking to run something in the region of 7:40 or faster. With teammates Brian Musau and Ryan Schoppe running 7:38 earlier this season, it would be no surprise to see Messaoudi run something similar and lead a host of other Cowboys to NCAA qualifying marks.


Women's 5000 Meters

  1. Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State)* - 15:35

  2. Fatima Alanis (North Carolina) - 15:55

  3. Ava Dobson (North Carolina) - 16:05

  4. Anika Thompson (Oregon) - 16:07

  5. Molly Malague (Harvard) - 16:10


ANALYSIS: This field is, without a doubt, one of the smallest at the meet, and it could get even smaller if Taylor Roe decides to opt for the mile. However, if Roe tackles the 5000 meters, then she will be the overwhelming favorite. While she may not be pushed in the latter stages of the race, it would be no surprise to see her pick up an NCAA qualifying mark which, as of writing this, would require her to go under 15:38 (5k).


Men's 5000 Meters

  1. Denis Kipngetich (Oklahoma State) - 13:31

  2. Haftu Knight (Texas) - 13:42

  3. Ben Rosa (Harvard) - 13:44

  4. Josh Edwards (Oregon) - 13:52

  5. Colton Sands (North Carolina) - 13:55


ANALYSIS: Much like the women's race, this field's standout star is also entered in another event. However, unlike Taylor Roe, Denis Kipngetich already has a mark that (as of right now) would qualify him for the NCAA Championships in the 5k. With this field being less top-heavy, we suspect that Kipngetich won't run quite as quick. However, after watching him on the grass, we know that the Cowboy star is not afraid to take the race by the horns. As for the rest of the field, this could be the first opportunity for some athletes to break 14 minutes for 5000 meters. Harvard’s Ben Rosa and North Carolina’s Colton Sands are two athletes who are certainly ready to rewrite their PRs.


Women's Distance Medley Relay 

  1. Oregon Ducks - 10:45

  2. Oklahoma State Cowgirls - 10:47

  3. NC State Wolfpack - 10:49

  4. Virginia Cavaliers - 10:54

  5. Penn State Nittany Lions - 10:55

  • NOTE: Entered in same event at Boston U.


ANALYSIS: After a blistering performance at the Razorback Invitational, the Oregon Ducks enter this meet as the favorites. And if they field their strongest lineup, then the collegiate record could well be under fire once more. With many of the NCAA's heavy-hitters in attendance, this could well be a preview of the NCAA Championships in March. 


Men's Distance Medley Relay

  1. Oregon Ducks - 9:22

  2. Texas Longhorns - 9:22

  3. Boston College Eagles  - 9:36

  4. Connecticut Huskies - 9:39


ANALYSIS: Oregon and Texas enter this meet as clear-cut favorites. And with each team offering similar strengths, we could be in for quite the showdown, one that may lead to fringe national qualifying marks. As for Boston College and Connecticut, we'll be excited to see how these relays look with Steven Jackson and Travis Martin on the anchor legs, respectively.

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