Seeing Double

For the most part, running is a very objective sport. Did you run faster than the other guy? What place did you finish? The answers to these questions are quantitative and easy to measure.

Yet, there are other aspects of competition that often go unnoticed, specifically racing style and tactics. Not only do tactics help us predict who might win a race or pull off an upset, but they also allows us to make comparisons.

Below, we listed just a few of the top high school seniors in the nation. We analyzed their racing styles, tactics, and a few other factors to determine who their NCAA equivalent is, past or present (of this era).

Don't agree with our choices? Comment below and let us know your thoughts...

Brodey Hasty

Commitment: Oregon

Equivalents: Mike Tate (Southern Utah), Ben Saarel (Colorado), James West (Oregon)

Best Match: Mike Tate (Southern Utah)

Why:

I'll admit, the physical similarities between Brodey Hasty and Mike Tate are rather pronounced. Maybe it's the shorter, broader stature. Maybe it's the long, flowing mane of hair. Whatever the reason is, there are stronger comparisons between these two than just their physical make-up.

When looking at the racing styles of both Hasty and Tate, I couldn't help but notice that both individuals are runners who like to take the pace out hard and stay near the top of the lead pack. Rarely do you see Brodey Hasty executing a sit-and-kick race tactic or, at the very least, not leading from the front. Just think back to his 2017 NXN performance or Brooks PR two mile. He may not have come away with the win at NXN, but he still separated himself from other top athletes in the field who may have had better kicks than him. Mike Tate is usually more aggressive with his front running style that involve larger and more significant gaps, but the end result is usually the same and still pretty impressive.

One of the more underrated aspects about Hasty is his range. After casually running a 1:54 earlier this indoor season, Hasty followed that up with a barrage of attacks on the sub-4 minute barrier. He ended the season with PR's of 1:54, 2:27, and 4:00 to complement his personal bests of 8:13, 8:45, and 14:32 (XC). When we look to the collegiate ranks, guys like Ben Saarel and James West standout as guys with really solid range.

For many fans of the NCAA, James West is a bit of an unknown. When he transferred to Oregon, he came in with times of 1:49, 3:39, 7:58, and 14:01. That 3k personal best dropped to a 7:50 this past indoor season. Much like Hasty, people seem to forget what West can bring to the table. They may not have the same racing style, but they can stay competitive in just about any matchup.

Colorado's Ben Saarel may not have the 800 speed that James West does (1:51), but his focus on the long distance events makes him a great match to Hasty. Not only that, but Saarel has proven before that he is willing to take the pace out hard. Just think back to the US Olympic Trials in the 1500 when he ran away from his preliminary field (although he pulled his hamstring in the final 50 meters).

Chad Johnson

Commitment: Iowa State

Equivalents: Rory Linkletter (BYU), Andy Trouard (Northern Arizona)

Best Match: Rory Linkletter (BYU)

Why:

If you haven't already, make sure to watch the New Balance Indoor Nationals 5K from a couple of weeks ago. Johnson ran one of the smartest I've seen from a high schooler in a long time. He went out in front to establish the pace, kept it quick enough to drop the kickers, let the rest of the field do the work up front for a few laps, and unleashed a monster kick to win the title in 14:42.

It's rare to have a guy who can balance a fast pace and a big kick in the same race. That's why he could be just as valuable as Rory Linkletter one day. The BYU star secured a silver medal in the 2017 NCAA 10k with a HUGE kick over the final 400 meters. In other large races (mainly during cross country), Linkletter can be found at the front of the lead pack, matching surges and navigating through traffic. Admittedly, the comparison isn't perfect, but the similarities are there.

Andy Trouard is another guy who can seemingly race with anyone by using any race tactic. He was able to run a 7:48 and still use a huge kick to defeat Grant Fisher. Not only that, but he was able to earn his first NCAA title by out-kicking Justyn Knight. When you look at his efforts during cross country, you can see that he doesn't have a problem of running from the front. In short, he's a dynamic runner who brings a lot to the table.

Josh Hoey

Commitment: Oregon

Equivalents: Patrick Joseph (Virginia Tech), Clayton Murphy (Akron), John Lewis (Clemson)

Best Match: Clayton Murphy (Arkon)

Why:

When was the last time we saw a high schooler have this much success in the 800 and mile? It's hard to say for sure, but some would say Robby Andrews was the last guy who really displayed that type of racing.

Hoey's indoor national record of 1:47 is one of the most impressive performances we'll see from a high schooler in a very, very long time. I would argue that it is just as, if not more, impressive than Andrew Hunter's indoor mile record of 3:57.81.

Hoey may go down in history as one of the best high school 800 runners to ever step foot on the track, but he still has incredible success in the mile. His resume holds a personal best of 4:07, a Millrose title, and a New Balance Grand Prix title.

Even at the collegiate level, there aren't many athletes who have aggressive front-running styles quite like Hoey (especially in these events). Yet, if I had to choose, I would have to say that Clayton Murphy is the best comparison. Hoey and Murphy have an uncanny ability to execute race tactics and simply pull away from the field when you least expect it. Just when you think you might have them, they'll pull off another surge or throw down a kick that simply can't be matched. Murphy may be seen as a master half-miler, but his performances in the 1500 are just as impressive. Just think back to his 3:36 at the 2016 NCAA Championships where he hung on to the fast pace and out-ran the leaders on the final lap to win gold.

Patrick Joseph (or really any of Virginia Tech's Big 3) is another guy to consider. He has made a name for himself in both the 800 and the mile. With 1:45 800 PR and an All-American performance in the mile just a few weeks ago, it's hard to say that any other runner in the NCAA has his current level of dominance in both events.

Clemson's John Lewis is the last comparison for Hoey. Yes, Lewis is more oriented to run the 400 and 800, but there are very few NCAA half-milers who like to lead from the front like Lewis does. In fact, Lewis has been doing this since high school and it's how he set the Pennsylvania outdoor 800 record of 1:48.33. Lewis better be prepared to have another 800 front-runner joining him in the winter of 2019.

Dalton Hengst

Commitment: Ole Miss

Equivalents: Izaic Yorks (Washington), Lawrence Kipkoech (Campbell), Cristian Soratos (Montana State)

Best Match: Cristian Soratos (Montana State)

Why:

We talked about the explosive nature and exciting performances that we've seen from Josh Hoey, but the only high schooler to match that excitement is Dalton Hengst.

Outside of Hasty, Hengst may have the best range in the nation with personal bests of 1:54, 2:25, 3:52 (1500), 4:08, 8:56 (3200), and 14:57 (XC). His incredible fitness in nearly every event is even more impressive when you consider his racing style.

Hengst is not someone who is going to back down from a challenge. He likes to lead from the front and will continue to hang onto a fast pace against anyone, regardless of how good they are. Just think back the Virginia Showcase 800 where he battled with Brandon McGorty in the first few laps. Or how about this past indoor season when he stubbornly did not relinquish the lead at the Virginia Showcase 1000 against Hoey? Those are just a few examples of what makes this guy so special. He may not win every race he's in, but he'll make unconventional surges and moves to stay competitive.

Rarely do you see collegiate athletes run with such reckless abandon (which is actually a little disappointing). However, the now graduated Cristian Soratos is a name that instantly comes to mind when looking for comparison to Hengst. At the 2015 NCAA Indoor National Championsips, Soratos blew the race wide open by throwing down a monster 800 in the middle of the race. His split from 400 to 1200 was reportedly a 1:51. It was enough to throw off everyone but Cheserek. Soratos may not have won that race, but he'll go down in history as someone who at least gave himself a chance to beat the King.

One of the more electric athletes of 2016 was Izaic Yorks. He dominated the NCAA in his senior year with range that no one else could match (1:47, 2:22, 3:53, 7:50). He battled Cheserek on the anchor of the DMR at Nationals and tried to out run him (but to no avail). He later came back for the 1500 at NCAA's during outdoors where he once again attempted to run away from the field. Unfortunately for Yorks, he was caught by Murphy and had to settle for 2nd. Despite his lack of a title, we haven't seen such bold assaults against elite competition since Yorks graduated. Luckily for us, Dalton Hengst has shown a lot of signs of being able to replicate that electric racing style. If he can develop his fitness to the level that Yorks did, Hengst could be one of the most lethal distance runners of this era.

Lawrence Kipkoech, although he is more focused on the longer distances (i.e. 5000 and 10,000), is someone who still loves to take the pace out hard. He's not afraid to lead from the front, even if it means that there's greater risk for him later in the race. Just watch any championship race he's been in and you'll never find him utilizing a sit-and-kick racing style. That's not to say that Hengst doesn't try to sit-and-kick, but against top tier competition, Hengst isn't going to let the competition get away from him.

Dustin Horter

Commitment: Indiana

Equivalents: Jonathan Davis (Illinois), Sam Prakel (Oregon), Kyle Mau (Indiana)

Best Match: Sam Prakel (Oregon)

Why:

Dustin Horter is one of the best true milers we have seen in a long time. Unlike Hengst and Hoey, he doesn't make any outlandish moves. He likes to run hard from the front, but he's not someone who is going to decide the race early. He'll respond to moves that threaten his lead and he's willing to slowly pull away from the field. It may not be as exciting as a final kick or an all-out surge in the middle of the race, but it's a smart race tactic that established veterans will use all the time.

That's why I like to compare Horter to Sam Prakel. Not only are they experienced milers, but they have no problems with working from the front. Horter recently showed off his racing style at New Balance Indoor Nationals while Prakel used the same tactic at both the MPSF Championships and the NCAA mile prelims.

I liked adding Jonathan Davis and Kyle Mau into the equation. Both have had great success in the mile, but they are equally successful in the 3000. Horter may have built his reputation in the mile, but we can't forget that this guy was 6th at NXN this past fall and also owns personal bests of 8:56 and 14:36 (XC).

Josh Schumacher

Commitment: Stanford

Equivalents: Dillon Maggard (Utah State), Kemoy Campbell (Arkansas), Patrick Tiernan (Villanova)

Best Match: Dillon Maggard (Utah State)

Why:

I feel like Josh Schumacher doesn't get enough love. This guy is one of the best in the nation when you look at his times and his overall achievements. I would argue that he is the biggest addition in a very deep Stanford recruiting class.

If we're honest, we don't have a lot of race video on Schumacher. It's tough to compare a guy who we haven't seen race a whole lot. However, we do know enough about Schumacher to know that he sneaky good and capable of pulling off the "slow-fade".

Although the phrase is typically used in a different context, it applies perfectly to Schumacher's racing style. This is a guy who will go to the front (or at least near the front) and eventually pull away from the rest of the field. Before they realize it, Schumacher is ahead and unable to be caught. If you look back to the Brooks PR two mile, Schumacher hung around the middle of the pack for most of the race, but steadily moved up. When it was time for him to kick, he found himself in the top five and chasing the lead pack. We can also think back to last spring at the Oregon State Championship 3000 (6A). He was able to drop the hammer and pull away from the rest of the field in the later portion of the race... but not necessarily just sit-and-kick.

Dillon Maggard is an excellent example of this tactic. If you think back to his 3k win at the UW Invite this past indoor season, you'll notice that he executes the slow-fade to perfection. He led from the front, slowly increased the tempo, and opened up enough of a gap that by the time there was one lap to go, the rest of the field just wasn't going to catch him. We even saw Maggard do something similar in the Iowa State 5k. Yes, he may have been out-kicked by Knight to settle for 2nd, but he helped drop a heavy portion of the field who simply couldn't hang with the pace that he had established.

2016 NCAA Cross Country champion Patrick Tiernan is another easy example of the slow fade. Countless runners have tried to beat Cheserek by running hard from the gun or trying to kick at the end. Tiernan didn't need to try any fancy tactics. The moment he saw Cheserek a stride behind, he began to slowly increase his turnover and pull away from the King (and eventually Knight).

You could also add Kemoy Campbell to the list of comparisons. He may not have been able to beat the dynamic duo of Edward Cheserek and Eric Jenkins, but he rarely faltered from the fast pace and almost always gained some separation from his other competitors well before the end of the race.