The Group Chat: D1 Individuals Draft (Men)

A few members of the TSR crew got together to do a "fantasy draft" of sorts for the D1 NCAA XC Championships. The rules are pretty simple. Each writer drafts eight individuals, but their best five finishers at the national meet will be the only ones who contribute to their overall fantasy team score (like a regular cross country race). The writer with the lowest overall score wins the draft. The draft was done in snake order (left to right, right to left, etc).

Here are the results...

Round One Selections

Maura: ​Kurgat has remained undefeated this fall and has taken down big names at the John McNichols Invitational and Nuttycombe. He has won his races by three seconds or more and is in a good position heading into NCAA's. The Iowa State athlete is the top returner from the 2018 national meet. Kurgat will face tough competition, but if he races like he has all season, big things will happen in Terre Haute.

Ben: ​Kiprop seems like the favorite to take down Kurgat and is also the safest bet to finish within the top five. He might not win the race, but he has proven throughout the season that he is consistent. Based off of his performance at NCAA's two years ago, he will put himself in a good position to challenge for the win.

Sam: ​Kigen is a consistent force at the front of every race. He will certainly be in contention for the win on Saturday, but I feel like he is a relatively safe bet given his consistent performances this season. My team won’t be banking on Kigen to win, but a top five finish is certainly realistic and would be a good day for Kigen.

Brett: ​Conner Mantz has one of the best chances to upset Kurgat with his extremely aggressive racing strategy. It’s proven to have worked this year, taking wins in all of his races other than regionals, but he didn’t need to go all out last weekend (BYU knew they would qualify for Nationals). He will be an exciting name to watch near the front of the pack.

Garrett: I like Grijalva because of his consistency, his experience, and clear up-tick in fitness this year. I think a relatively aggressive race will play into his favor. I'm not sure he's going to finish inside the top five, but I feel pretty confident about his chances of being a top finisher.

Michael: ​Joe Klecker is one of the most experienced athletes in the NCAA. He has had success in many different race scenarios and has the tools to perform well in a slow, tactical race or a fast one. His convincing win at PAC-12's stands out to me as he was able to control one of the most competitive conferences in the nation for much of the race. His 11th place finish at the Mountain Regional Championships does not concern me, as he was likely holding back as the Buffaloes knew they were headed for NCAA's.

Brian: ​Oliver Hoare at 7th is a steal I think. I had him around 4th or 5th on my big board, so this is a great value pick. The Nuttycombe runner-up and winner of the BIG 10 conference, Hoare boasts the PR's to win this race and has the championship experience to place high in this meet. He placed 3rd at the Great Lakes regional meet, but he was mostly likely looking ahead to NCAA's.

Round One Discussion

Ben: ​Interesting to see Garrett go with Grijalva this early. I’m not sure that we will see any NAU runners within the top five, but maybe they will prove me wrong.

Maura: ​I think Mantz is a solid choice. Could he take down Kurgat and the Alabama duo en route to being the first American-born runner to win an NCAA title in a few years?

Michael: ​Overall, nothing really surprised me this round, although I agree with Ben that Grijalva might not be top five caliber, but he is almost guaranteed to secure a good finish either way.

Brett: ​I was also surprised by the Grijalva pick, but he’s certainly capable of a top 10 finish with a solid race.

Garrett: I'm taking a conservative approach here. I want to know that I'm going to get good points out of my selections and Grijalva had the most scoring security in my eyes.

Sam​: Statistics tell us that based on the last seven years of cross country, the worst that a top runner has placed (team scoring) for a winning team was 7th. This bodes well for Grijalva...

Brian: ​I like the Mantz pick at 4th. I had him at #2 on my big board. This kid has guts and has a shot to win NCAA's.

Round Two Selections

Brian: ​I’m going to be honest. I love NAU coming into NCAA's. They are going to have low-sticks and if Luis finishes in the top five or top 10, then Beamish shouldn’t be too far behind.

Michael: ​Thomas Ratcliffe has solidified himself as one of the nation’s best this past year. He took 3rd in the 5k during outdoors this past spring and has been running well all season. The expectations for Stanford will be high as always, and Ratcliffe is capable of leading them to a podium spot alongside teammate Alex Ostberg.

Garrett: The Ostberg pick is pretty much just Grijalva 2.0. Experience and proven success at the National Championships is an appealing quality to have in a veteran athlete. The somewhat aggressive racing styles that we could see may also benefit Ostberg as he isn't afraid to run near the front.

Brett: ​Dressel has been a solid #2 option for Colorado behind Joe Klecker this year. He’s been very consistent, and has shown to be a reliable backup #1 option if Klecker is having an off day. With three cross country All-American finishes under his belt, he should secure going four for four this year. The question is, how high up will he finish?

Sam: ​Beadlescomb has not finished outside the top 10 this season and while Saturday may break that streak, the Michigan State ace has a very good chance at top 20. Beadlescomb had a great day at BIG 10's where he finished 3rd behind Oliver Hoare and George Kusche, a performance that makes him a dark horse for a top 10 finish at NCAA's.

Ben:​ While Choge has been dominant all year, he hasn’t run against great competition. Still, he was right behind the Alabama duo at the South regional meet and it isn't hard to imagine him finishing near them once again at NCAA's.

Maura: ​Roudolff-Levisse of Portland led his team to somewhat of an upset victory at the West regional meet. Once regionals came around, he fought all the way to the line and came up one second short of victory. The Pilot was 21st at NCAA's in 2018, and is very capable of improving off of that performance.

Round Two Discussion

Ben: ​I was really hoping that Beadlescomb was going to fall to me. He has been such a consistent stud all year. I think he should be considered a lock for a top 15 finish which is extremely valuable in this context.

Maura: ​I wanted Beadlescomb as well, but I’m glad to see him get picked in the second round. His record this fall, finishing in the top seven on five occasions, definitely keeps him in contention for a top finish.

Michael: ​My big question for this round is how Beamish will perform. I think he is somewhat underrated as people may look at him as more of a middle distance guy after winning the mile during indoors at NCAA's. This may be a little early for him, but I don’t see him falling too far back in the results anyway.

Brett: ​Even though some may have held back at regionals, Beamish really looked impressive over the final mile in taking the Mountain region title. This was a really good pick, I think he’ll impress us this weekend.

Brian:​ I like the Dressel pick. Although he is seen more as Colorado’s #2, he seems to peak at the right time to place top 10 (it helps that he came in 9th last year).

Garrett:​ Honestly, I don't love the Dressel pick. Don't get me wrong, he's super talented and his performance at NCAA's last year was exceptional. Still, I'm cautious on the idea that he will replicate his 2018 championship performance on Saturday. He's had a good season, but hasn't exactly been jaw-dropping or filled with tons of exciting results.

Sam​: Until Brian pointed out that Dressel was 9th in 2018, I really felt like he was a reach this round. I take back those thoughts.

Round Three Selections

Maura: ​Washington’s Andrew Jordan is enjoying a solid season with the Huskies after transferring from Iowa State. It took him some time before getting his racing legs under him, but he is coming on strong at the right time. Jordan was 3rd at PAC-12’s and won the West Regional Championships by one second. If he can continue on this path, a top 20 finish is very possible.

Ben:​ Seufer has been unbelievable this postseason, winning ACC's and the Southeast region in convincing fashion. He is an experienced runner who knows how to run well at NCAA's. While he might have top 10 upside, he seems like a lock to finish within the top 20.

Sam: ​Cooper Teare could be a bit of a wildcard, but he has enough potential upswing where he’s worth taking in the third round. The Oregon junior is coming off a great PAC-12 Championships where he was runner-up to Joe Klecker. My only concern with Teare is that he’s never finished higher than 44th at NCAA's, but I believe this is the year he turns it around.

Brett: ​Kyle Mau has been a quiet name this year in cross country action, but he’s been consistently running well. He’s taken 4th at Joe Piane, 10th at Nuttycombe, 7th at BIG 10's, and 7th in the Great Lakes regional meet. He should be a solid lock to finish somewhere between 10th-20th.

Garrett: Kigen Chemadi presents a lot of upside. He's run well at the NCAA Championships before and typically runs well in the postseason. He's more consistent than teammate Jacob Choge and I think the fast pace that I am expecting will benefit him.

Michael: ​Brodey Hasty has nicely fit into NAU’s lineup this year and I think this team is peaking at the right time (as usual). He will have plenty of teammates to key off of and pull him to a strong finish.

Brian:​ I think Amon Kemboi is going to surprise people with a high place finish at NCAA's. He placed 2nd at Pre-Nats in an early season tester and has proven to be consistent during the

season. Also, I think people forgot that this is the same individual who placed 7th last year and I was able to STEAL him in the 3rd round.

Round Three Discussion

Ben: ​Amon Kemboi surprised me this early. I haven’t been very impressed with his season, but he does boast some top NCAA experience.

Maura: ​I disagree with Ben. Kemboi’s 2nd place finish at Pre-Nationals was pretty impressive. He beat some of the athletes we have chosen already.

Ben: ​Valid point, I forgot about Pre-Nationals. He may prove me very wrong.

Brian:​ Hasty surprised me in this round.

Garrett: I'm with Brian here. Inexperience and not racing at a big meet like Nuttycombe leaves me with concerns about Hasty racing in an overwhelmingly large championship meet.

Michael:​ Peter Seufer is a great pick this round. He could end up being a game-changer.

Sam​: I’m in the same boat as Ben. I don’t like the Kemboi pick this early, but I suppose he could do well...I just don’t think the forecast for Terre Haute bodes for a fast race which is what Kemboi thrives in.

Round Four Selections

Brian: ​George Kusche is my hit or miss pick.​ ​He has the credentials to be an All-American and his high place finishes in early season meets looks great, but I’m a little worried about his 7th place finish at the Midwest Regional Championships.

Michael: ​Ryan Adams has impressed me all year. He has made significant jumps from last year after just missing out on a spot to NCAA's in 2018. His worst race this year is arguably an 11th place finish at Nuttycombe, and that is impressive in and of itself. I think he could sneak into the top 20.

Garrett: Abdi Nur's inexperience on the national stage isn't ideal, but he has really held his own in every race that he has toed the line for this year. His progression is encouraging and he doesn't seem to be all that far behind guys like Beamish and Grijalva.

Brett: ​It’s been an up and down year for Notre Dame, but Yared Nuguse continues to impress. He has consistently been a reliable low-stick for the Fighting Irish, and should continue to do the same in Terre Haute. We’ve seen Nuguse show up in the postseason when it matters, and he will likely keep that trend going with a solid finish.

Sam: ​Kioko might be the ultimate “boom-or-bust” runner. The Campbell man has finished in the top two of every race except Pre-Nationals where he was a somewhat disappointing 22nd. Assuming that Pre-Nationals was a one-off, Kioko has the talent to be in the top 10 on Saturday if things play out right.

Ben: ​Mwaura has been very solid all year: 8th at Joe Piane, 15th at Nuttycombe, 4th at WCC's, and 3rd at the West Regional Championships. There isn’t a bad race in that bunch and I don’t expect him to start a new trend at NCAA's. He seems like a safe bet to be within the top 40 with the ability to finish much higher.

Maura: ​Heslington has been a consistent #2 for BYU this fall after the graduation of top runners. He missed out on All-American honors last fall after finishing 50th, but he is definitely stronger this time around. Heslington has yet to finish outside of the top eight and will look to help the Cougars land on the podium.

Round Four Discussion

Maura: ​I would have to say no surprises here. All of the men chosen here have the capability of finishing in the top 40.

Brian:​ Already four NAU men taken in the top 24.

Brett: ​With the way NAU has dismantled the competition this year, it makes sense that the Lumberjacks are getting selected so fast.

Garrett: Loving the Mwaura pick in this round. Honestly a steal. He isn't afraid to make a race fast and the preferred race tactics in this field should play into his favor. The difference between him last year and this year is that he understands how to handle the nuances of large, championship-style races.

Michael: ​I think George Kusche is going into NCAA's a bit underrated after a less-than-ideal finish at the Midwest Regional Championships. He’s a great pick here assuming he can bounce back a bit.

Sam​: Ryan Adams was the steal of this round. He could surprise some people at NCAA's. Really solid pick and like Maura said, this was a pretty straightforward round.

Ben: ​I, like Sam, think that Adams is a great pick. While he might not have the same upside as former Paladin Aaron Templeton, he should have an outside shot at a top 10 finish.

Round Five Selections

Maura: ​Herrera has been very consistent this fall and adds depth up-front for Colorado. He has experience on the national stage, finishing 33rd in 2017 and 43rd in 2018. Herrera is one to watch in the top 30 at NCAA's because he has proven he is one of the NCAA's best after beating notable athletes at Pre-Nationals, PAC-12’s, and the Mountain Regional Championships.

Ben: ​Like my previous picks (Mwaura and Seufer), Shanklin has been very good all year plus he has NCAA experience from last year when he finished 54th. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him significantly improve on that performance this year.

Sam: ​I think Ben Veatch is one of the most underrated guys in the NCAA. He’s been in the top 20 at every race this season, including 4th place finishes at BIG 10's and the Great Lakes Regional Championships. Veatch is rarely brought up given fellow Hoosier Kyle Mau is higher ranked, but Veatch might be the best runner from Indiana on Saturday. Realistically, Veatch finishes between 20th and 30th, but I wouldn’t rule out a top 20 finish.

Brett: ​With the exception of Nuttycombe, Dylan Jacobs has been right there with teammate Yared Nuguse most of the year as the Fighting Irish’s #2 man. It’ll be his first go at an NCAA cross country national meet this weekend. If he keeps up his good streak from ACC’s and regionals, he should be in the mix for a potential top 30 finish.

Garrett: With Herrera, Shanklin, and Veatch gone before my pick, I opted to settle for Suliman. Consistent, proven, and a previous All-American. What more could you ask for? Alex Masai was a great up-side pick, but I liked the certainty that I was getting with Suliman.

Michael: ​Alex Masai is a bit of a wildcard here. He is one of very few undefeated athletes in the NCAA, and this should give him confidence heading into Nationals. However, he has not faced competition anywhere near the level he will see at NCAA's. His win on the roads at the Northeast Regional Championships was convincing, regardless of the circumstances. He has a lot of upside and I think he could end up being quite a steal in the fifth round.

Brian: ​Drew Bosley is a risky pick considering he is a freshman on the biggest stage, but he has proved these doubts to be foolish so far this season. He was a little ambitious at Wisconsin, taking the early lead and then falling back to 21st, but winning BIG Sky’s over his fellow teammates eased my doubts.

Round Five Discussion

Maura: ​Dylan Jacobs being picked here was surprising for me. Jacobs has been a little inconsistent. He competed well at Joe Piane, finishing 15th, but then he faded pretty hard at

Nuttycombe, finishing 83rd. NCAA's will only be his second time on the national stage and only his second 10k.

Michael: ​Dylan Jacobs also surprised me a bit here. His lack of consistency and experience could be an issue for him, but I could also see him totally crushing it. 7th place in a deep Great Lakes region shows that he is ready to compete on a high level. Drew Bosley seems to be in a similar situation to me. He only has two races in a Lumberjack singlet under his belt and one of those didn’t go too well. Not having raced at the Mountain Regional Championships, my concern would be that he may get swallowed up in a big field over 10k.

Ben: ​I’ll go the other way Jacobs. I think some inconsistency is to be expected from a freshman, but I think he is peaking at the right time. Plus, he has teammate Yared Nuguse to pace him which will make the race considerably easier for him.

Garrett: Alex Masai will make or break Michael's team. I could see him being in the top 10 or outside of the top 60. You just don't really know with him, he hasn't really been tested this season.

Brian: ​I love the Alex Masai pick. I think he is someone going under the radar that could pop off at NCAA's. He has been consistent all season, but hasn’t been tested.

Sam​: I see Masai as a boom-or-bust kind of guy. Is he talented enough to be top 20?

Probably...but I don’t think it’s going to happen on Saturday. I could see him being a bit overly aggressive and fading in this one, but ya never know.

Brett: ​The Bosley pick is interesting to me. Will he make another ambitious move like he did at Nuttycombe? Or will he run more calculated like at BIG Sky's? He should be another All-American for the Lumberjacks.

Round Six Selections

Brian: ​If I am going to take Bosley, I might as well pick Quax as well. He placed well at Nuttycombe with stiff competition, but his 18th place finish at BIG Sky's is concerning. It will be interesting to see what NAU’s lineup consists of, but if Quax runs, I expect him to be up there with the rest of the guys.

Michael: ​Jaret Carpenter has a great group around him with teammates Curt Eckstein and Brody Smith. The Boilermakers will be gunning for a top 10 finish after a disappointing race last year, and Carpenter seems poised to lead them to this.

Garrett: I don't love that I took a freshman here, but Colorado has an incredible history of success with true freshmen at the National Championships. Harrison has made noticeable improvements this season and has been incredibly poised in the biggest moments of any race. He's been running close to (and sometimes ahead of) Dressel this season.

Brett: ​It was unfortunate to not see Robert Brandt running at the West Regional Championships, but teammate Garrett Reynolds will help represent UCLA well this weekend. Along with Colin Burke, Reynolds has looked solid this year, with 10th place at PAC 12’s and 11th place at regionals under his belt. With a good race, he could end up challenging for an All-American finish, alongside Burke.

Sam: ​Kibichii is one of the best freshman in the NCAA this season and has flown somewhat under-the-radar at Eastern Kentucky. Kibichii’s marquee performance this season might be his 13th place finish in a deep Nuttycombe field - a race that should be similar to NCAA's. If Kibichii was able to run well then, I think he’ll be a good bet to run well on Saturday.

Ben: ​Someone from Tulsa needed to be picked and Lynch seems like the logical choice. 14th at Nuttycombe solidified his place among the elites. He and the rest of the Tulsa pack will be knocking on the door for All-American finishes.

Maura: ​Purdue’s Smith could sneak into the top 40 at NCAA's if he brings his “A Game.” Smith struggled at NCAA's in 2018 and finished 108th, but that result shouldn’t haunt him this weekend. He placed 11th at BIG 10’s and 13th at the Great Lakes Regional Championships. Both of these races were individually deep and should give Smith confidence heading forward.

Round Six Discussion

Maura: ​I’m curious to see what UCLA’s Garrett Reynolds can do this weekend. If he and teammate Colin Burke work together, they could carry each other to solid performances.

Michael:​ I agree with Maura that it will be interesting to see what Reynolds is capable of. Losing Brandt is obviously a major hit and missing out on the team bid has to hurt, but the UCLA duo could still make a statement as to the program’s strength.

Garrett:​ Someone from Tulsa is going to be an All-American on Saturday, I just don't know who. There are too many unknowns with that team, so I'm staying away from them right now.

Brian: ​I like the Jaret Carpenter pick. He has been sneaky good throughout the season so it will be interesting to see if he can put it together at NCAA's.

Sam​: Both of the Purdue guys concern me, knowing that neither have ever run well at NCAA's. I like Carpenter over Smith, but it’s something to keep in mind. If I had to guess, Carpenter will be All-American and Smith will not.

Brett: ​After last year’s rough race for Purdue, it’s hard to forget about that heading into this year. However, I believe Carpenter and Smith could both change that with All-American finishes.

Ben: ​Like the Arkansas women, the Purdue men have last year’s performance hanging over their head, but I think they learned a lot from that experience and will be much improved this year.

Round Seven Selections

Maura: ​Olin Hacker of Wisconsin may not have raced at regionals, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. Him resting could have been for precautionary reasons, but I expect Hacker to toe the line in Terre Haute. Hacker’s 7th place finish at BIG 10’s is promising and proves that he is ready for an improvement off of his 56th place finish at NCAA's in 2018.

Ben:​ Colin Burke has just been so consistent. You know what to expect from him everytime he toes the line. For my seventh spot, Burke is a good safeguard in case someone falls apart.

Sam: ​While I don’t see El-Sandali being a big breakout guy this weekend, he does provide a reliable option in a situation where one of my “boom-or-bust” guys does, ya know...bust. El-Sandali has been a solid leader for Iona this season and I really liked how well he ran at Pre-Nats earlier this season.

Brett: ​We’ve seen Dallin Farnsworth run some aggressive races this year, seeing him at the front of many races, much like his former teammate Mantz. Now at Utah State, he helped the Utah State Aggies earn a trip as a team to Nationals. Will we see him at the front again?

Garrett: I really like Euan Makepeace. He won the BIG East title this year and ran very well in the Great Lakes region. He looks like he's returning to the same top-tier form that we saw from him a few years ago when he beat out of the MTSU duo at the Commodore Classic. I think the Butler ace will end up as an All-American this weekend.

Michael: ​The Wildschutt brothers of Coastal Carolina have been running well all year and have stayed somewhat under the radar. I think both of them have All-American potential. Adriaan has been beating Nadeel this season so I’ll take him.

Brian: ​I like picking Daniel Carney because he keeps getting better throughout the season. He started off slow at Bill Dellinger, but progressed nicely at Pre-Nats and the Mountain regional meet. The BYU men train for the national meet and I expect Carney to be a big reason why they place high this coming weekend.

Round Seven Discussion

Maura: ​I like Brett’s pick of Dallin Farnsworth. The MWC XC Champion and 16th place finisher at the Mountain Regional Championships is ready to rub elbows with some of the best.

Michael:​ I don’t think we even saw Farnsworth’s full potential at the Mountain Regional Championships. He has had a bit of a breakout year at Utah State and has great momentum heading in. He’s a great pick this late in the draft.

Garrett:​ I agree that Farnswoth is a great pick. Even if he's not an All-American, he could still post a respectable result. I needed a little more potential upside after taking safe picks throughout this draft, but Farnsworth would have been a good choice for my team.

Brian: ​I think Sam’s Ehab El-Sandali pick was strong this late in the draft. He has been one of Iona’s top guys and placed well at Pre-Nats. He will need to be top 50 for Iona to have a chance of placing top 10 in the meet.

Ben: ​It is so hard to rate Iona’s top runners because we haven’t seen them in a big race since Pre-Nats, and their regional race obviously didn’t make figuring them out any easier either. While they could both run very well, the lack of races against top competition scared me off.

Round Eight Selections

Brian: ​Connor Weaver’s selection has pretty much the same reasoning as Carney, they both are looking to peak at the right time after a slow start. Over 10k, I expect Weaver to an All-American.

Michael: ​Sam Worley covered the final 1500 meters at the South Central Regional Championships in 3:59...with 8500 meters of racing already in his legs. He’s a 3:38 guy on the track, and it shows. I actually heard that the World Wildlife Fund will add anybody who is ahead of Sam Worley in the last kilometer at NCAA's to the endangered species list. After finishing 4th at BIG 12's and winning his region, Worley is ready to go.

Garrett: Tuntivate is an aggressive front-runner who is simply too darn talented to not be an All-American. He looked a little rusty at a few points this season, but I am a really big fan of this guy and I think he is going to stun a lot of people with a potential top 20 finish (no, that's not a typo).

Brett: ​Adding a Stanford Cardinal to my list, I went with Alek Parsons for my last pick. To propel Stanford to a good team finish, Parsons will need to step it up this weekend as Stanford's #3 man. After taking 23rd at regionals last year, he ended up in 30th at the national meet. He was only three seconds behind Otsberg and Ratcliffe at regionals, so if he can keep a close gap to those two at Nationals, it will be a big help for Stanford, and he could walk away with another All-American finish.

Sam: ​Copy and paste my comments from El-Sandali down here. Seriously though, Johnjack provides another reliable guy for my team and it’s hard to pass over someone with such an awesome name.

Ben:​ Farah Abdulkarim seems like a perfect person to take a shot on. While he didn’t run well at NCAA's last year, he has looked strong this year, and I am betting that he learned a lot from his experience last year. He has potential to crash into the top 50 and that is why he gets my final pick.

Maura: ​Oregon’s West is not just a middle distance ace, but he has become a solid cross country scorer for the Ducks. As one of the best 1500 meters runners in the NCAA, West is not someone you want to be around with 200 meters to go. After his 9th place finish at PAC-12’s, the Oregon senior can compete for a top 40 finish in Terre Haute.

Round Eight Discussion

Maura: ​Does Harvard’s Kieran Tuntivate race in the Nike Vaporfly 4%’s that helped him qualify for NCAA's?

Brett: ​Keeping on the Tuntivate discussion, will he run as aggressively as he did at Nuttycombe? Maybe then will we be able to see if he wears those 4%’s.

Michael:​ All jokes aside, Tuntivate is good. Remember his 3k at indoor Heps? He ran about 2600 meters of it with one shoe, won the race, then later won the 5k the next day. He’s tough and could be difficult to shake from a pack in this race.

Garrett:​ If he runs to his full potential, he'll win me this draft.

Brian: ​I agree with Michael, Tuntivate is legit, he's just streaky. I do think Harvard’s race was not consistent with their regular season, but I’m curious to see if he puts it together because the talent is there.

Sam​: I like the discussion on Tuntivate’s shoe choices (or lack thereof). He either goes with nothing (barefoot) or everything (Vaporfly). He definitely is one of the toughest guys in the NCAA and the conditions on Saturday could suit him well.

Ben: ​The Alek Parsons pick leaves me conflicted. On one hand, I have been a strong believer that Fahy and Parsons would get their act together by NCAA's. But on the other hand, we haven’t seen much from them to convince me that they will run well this weekend. If they do, then it changes not only the team race, but Brett may have just gotten the steal of the draft.