East Region 1500 Stars Fall Out of National Qualifying The 1500 has always been one of the more concerning races for me in terms of predictions. In a way, the tactical nature of the 1500 equalizes the regional fields as athletes who have relied on their raw fitness may not have the same finishing speed as other athletes with slower PR's. Sure enough, that was the main story in the women's 1500. Yes, Notre Dame's Jessica Harris did secure the top spot in a time of 4:12, but the final six qualifiers were no faster than 4:19. The most notable casualties were the Villanova duo of Nicole Hutchinson and Rachel McArthur who failed to qualify for Nationals. McArthur settled near the bottom of the results while Hutchinson, who ran 4:14 earlier this season, was four spots out from Nationals. For two women who have thrived by utilizing their middle distance speed, it's surprising to see neither of them make it to Austin. On the men's side, Columbia's 3:59 indoor miler Sam Ritz (who will be running for Washington next year) was unable to advance despite making it to the indoor national meet this past winter. He was joined by Georgetown's Spencer Brown who was a heavy favorite to make it to the national meet after running 3:39 at Bryan Clay. Brown, like the Villanova women, is a specialist in the middle distances and owns a PR in the 800 of 1:49. It's surprising to see someone with his speed not make it to the next round. Tyler Day, Ednah Kurgat Fail To Advance in 5k After putting together a pair of phenomenal performances in the west region 10k, the distance stars took their talents to the 5000 meters where the found a very different result. Although he hung around with the top group for the most of the race, Day was simply not in a good enough position to respond to a surge being made in the final portion of the race. The one knock on Day has been that he's never had the finishing speed to stick with the leaders in tactical racing. Sure enough, this race favors that theory quite a bit. The top 5k runner in the country by time will not be toeing the line for the 12.5 lap affair at NCAA's. As for Ednah Kurgat, it's yet another performance for her where she simply hasn't found her rhythm. The New Mexico veteran finished 8th in heat one of the 5k which eventually pushed her into the dreaded 13th spot after the results from heat two were recorded. She still qualified for the 10k, but the woman who was once dominating the NCAA has been slowly fading in the power rankings... West Gets DQ'd From 1500 After False Start For the past few seasons, the Oregon men have dominated the 1500 and mile distances. Leading part of that charge was James West, the UK native who owns a PR of 3:37 from the 2018 outdoor season. He has been an integral part of the Ducks success and was one of the few veterans who stayed in Eugene when Powell left for Washington. Unfortunately, West had to end his season short before the gun even went off for the 1500 finals. A false start forced the officials to have a discussion and the end result was that West would be disqualified from racing. The decision sparked notable debate and frustration from top athletes on Twitter who eventually started the hashtag #FreeWest. While the disqualification may appear to be black and white, there is an additional layer to this story. Back in March, during the Indoor National Championships, New Mexico's Weini Kelati had a blatant false start before the gun went off in the women's 5000 meters. However, the officials opted not to disqualify her from that race. Instead, she was allowed to stay in the field where she eventually finished 2nd overall. So why was West not given the same leniency? Was it because it was a shorter race? Was it because it was a regional race instead of a national race? Was it because Kelati was a superstar who was favored to win a national title? All of these are extremely fair questions to ask. While I don't necessarily have an issue with disqualification for false starts, there is clearly no consistency in how these calls are being made. The decision not to DQ Kelati set a precedent that was unfortunately not followed for West. Final Thoughts From Day Three Michael Wilson (New Mexico) + Zack Penrod (Wichita State) I really thought that these were two great sleeper picks for the national meet. They had underrated speed and had proven themselves in the 1500 meters. They weren't superstars, but not seeing them in Austin is tough. Penrod was the First Man Out after finishing 13th in the region. Lauren Gregory (Arkansas) + Weronika Pyzik (Oregon) + Cailie Logue (Iowa State) + Kaitlyn Benner (Colorado) All of these women were popular picks to make it to NCAA's in the 5000 meters, but they were unable to deliver on that expectation. In fact, Gregory was a DNF while Pyzik didn't even toe the line. Meanwhile, Benner struggled to stick with the pace, falling to 29th overall. As for Logue, she had a valiant effort, but finished 16th overall. Despite owning the #10 time in the country this season, the Iowa State sophomore will not be making the trip to Texas. Cole Rockhold (Colorado State) We knew entering the weekend that the west region 5k was going to leave out a number of top names from the national qualifying field. Sure enough, that was the case as guys like Gilbert Boit (Arkansas) and Alex Ostberg (Stanford) were unable find themselves in the top 12. However, the most impactful miss came from Colorado State's Cole Rockhold whose Cinderella comeback season has come to a close after failing to qualify for Nationals. He may not be going to Austin, but this Ram senior will leave behind a legacy where he is remembered as one of the first superstars who helped jump-start this Colorado State program. Allie Ostrander (Boise State) She won't get a ton of attention for what she did at regionals, but my goodness that was an impressive double. Ostrander ran the NCAA #1 time of 9:40 to take down a loaded steeplechase field (which was likely more focused on just getting a national qualifier) and came back the next day to run the top time in the 5000 meters (15:30). This Boise State ace is on fire and could very easily win a national title in two weeks.

800 Champs Continue Dominant Run CSU-Pueblo’s Thomas Staines and Skylyn Webb of UCCS have dominated the 800 the past couple of years, winning multiple NCAA titles and both holding the Division II 800 meter records. That dominance continued this past weekend as both athletes added yet another 800 title to their respective résumés. Staines, coming in with the nation’s leading time, took over with 300 meters left and held off Ayman Zahafi of TAMU-Kingsville and Shaquille Dill of St. Augustine’s in the final stretch, to take the win in 1:50.03. Webb, on the other hand, led from the gun, and just controlled the entire race, as she took home the win in 2:06.96. Collectively, it was a combined display of poise, control, and mastery that we have grown accustomed to seeing from these two. With the wins by Staines and Webb, they have now combined to win the last seven Division II 800 meter championships, two outdoor and two indoor for Staines, and two outdoor and one indoor for Webb. Some fans of the sport may have grown tired of the overwhelming dominance by these two, but we will likely look back at this time as an era headlined by two legends. Steeplechase Favorites Reign Supreme Speaking of dominance in an event over the past few years, there is no way that I could leave out the legendary career of Western Colorado’s Alicja Konieczek. The Division II record holder in the steeplechase added to that status this weekend as she claimed the win, running a 10:23.89, hammering the last 400 and pulling away from Adams State’s Eilish Flanagan and Simon Fraser’s Julia Howley (who rounded out the top three). After adding a runner-up finish in the 1500, Konieczek ends her collegiate career as a nine-time national champion and a 15-time All-American. On the men’s side, there was not as much of a history of past excellence as with Konieczek, but Leakey Kipkosgei of American International was definitely the favorite going in and he did not disappoint. Coming in with the leading time in Division II, he led pretty much from the gun and controlled the entire race, taking the win in 8:52.86 and claiming his first individual NCAA Championship win. Former champion Jonah Theisen of Black Hills State had a great kick to finish 2nd and was followed by the Alaska Anchorage duo of Wesley Kirui and Edwin Kangogo. The favorite may have won, but knowing that there was some openness for who could have won the individual crown kept the race entertaining. First-Time Winners Sit Atop 1500 Podium Unlike the 800 podium, the 1500 produced two athletes who grabbed their first NCAA Outdoor title. On the men’s side, Brett Meyer of Fort Hays State came in with the #4 leading time in Division II, and with a furious kick the last 100 meters, ran down Adams State’s Elias Gedyon to take the win in 3:58.24. In retrospect, the tactical nature of this race played perfectly into Meyer's hands as unleashed his patented finishing kick. The win gives Meyer his first NCAA title and his sixth All-American trophy, which is a fantastic way for him to end his collegiate career. Meyer ended his career with a win, but on the women’s side, Stephanie Cotter of Adams State took home her first 1500 meter title in just her freshman season. Much like the men’s race, it took a kick in the last 100 meters and Cotter had the strength to run down the aforementioned Konieczek, taking it with a time of 4:36.91. She has now captured the indoor mile title and outdoor 1500 title this season so we could be seeing the start of a very dominant athlete. The top athletes on the Adams State roster are nearing (or are at) graduation, meaning that Cotter has entered the scene at the perfect time. Kurgat & Panning End Careers With Dominant Performances The careers for Caroline Kurgat of Alaska Anchorage and Grand Valley State’s Zach Panning ended in extremely similar ways, with dominant victories in both the 5k and 10k. Both 10k races looked the exact same, Panning and Kurgat led from the gun, built a huge lead and coasted in for the win. Kurgat won by over a minute and Panning won his race by over 45 seconds. In the 5k, Kurgat sat in the pack until 1200 to go, took to the lead and never looked back, taking a comfortable win in 17:10.10. Panning on the other hand, hammered it from the start, building a huge lead much like he did for the 10k, and coasted in for the victory. No matter how the race played out, both ended atop the podium once again, making Kurgat a seven-time National Champion and Panning a three-time national champion. For Panning, his pair of victories helped solidify himself a key player in a distance running era that may be one of the best that Division II has ever seen (i.e. Ribich, Gidabuday, Staines, etc). For Kurgat, she leaves as the undeniable G.O.A.T. of women's D2 distance running. Other Notable Results Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) Flanagan grabbed two runner-up finishes this weekend in the steeplechase and the 5k. With both ladies who finished ahead of her now graduating, the now eight-time All-American should be the favorite in both events come next spring. Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) Hanle, as her seed times would have predicted, grabbed a runner-up finish in the 10k and a 3rd place finish in the 5k. If it was not for Caroline Kurgat, Hanle may be a multiple-time champion right now, so with Kurgat graduating, it may open up an opportunity for Hanle next year. Julia Howley (Simon Fraser) Howley grabbed a 3rd place finish in the steeplechase and returned to finish 4th in the 5k. After not competing for a year and a half, Howley finished her collegiate career off right. Rachael Walters (Grand Valley State) Once again, it was heartbreak for Walters as she took home a runner-up finish in the 800. Walters has now had a runner-up finish the last five NCAA 800 meter races. Kristen Metcalfe (Embry-Riddle) Metcalfe finishes her career as a six-time All-American, as she took 3rd place finishes in the 800 and 1500. After a late start to the season, she performed her best when she needed to. HaLeigh Hunter-Galvan (Adams State) In only her second ever steeplechase, Hunter-Galvan had a great finish to grab a 4th place overall. She then returned and claimed another All-American trophy, finishing 8th in the 5k. Elias Gedyon (Adams State) Gedyon capped off his career by grabbing two runner-up finishes in the 1500 and 5k. He ends his Adams State career as a nine-time All-American and an indoor 3k national champion. Marcelo Laguera (CSU-Pueblo) Laguera had a great start to the meet, as he had a runner-up finish in the 10k. He then grabbed another All-American spot as he finished 8th in the 5k. With Panning graduating, Laguera should be the favorite in the 10k next year. Taylor Stack (Western Colorado) Stack added two more All-American trophies to his collection as he finished 4th in the 5k and 6th in the steeplechase. He is now a five-time All-American through only half of his collegiate career, leading me to believe that there is much more to come.

Top Men Miss Qualifying Spots in East Region 800 The 800 meters has been the most predictable event of the regional championship meets so far. The results in the women's 800 (for both regions) surprised no one, although I'm sure a few people thought that PAC-12 champion Elissa Mann (Colorado) would make it through as well as Kansas State's Kassidy Johnson. Yet, for the most part, there haven't been a ton of surprises....except for the men's 800 in the east region. The preliminary rounds knocked out Indiana veteran Daniel Kuhn while Georgetown's Joe White, who was reportedly seen with a knee brace before the race, failed to toe the line. The finals held plenty of thrill as well. Mississippi State's Marco Arop was someone who many viewed as a title contender, but after potentially sustaining an injury in the prelims, Arop was unable to keep up with the leaders in the final portion of last night's race. A 1:45 man who could've secured a national title will not make it to Austin, Texas. However, Arop was not the only casualty from the regional rounds. Domenic Perretta, the BIG 10 indoor champion who finished 9th at the indoor national meet failed to make it out of the regional rounds while fellow PA-native Matt Wisner (Duke) was also unable to make it to the national meet. Indiana freshman Jalen Royal, who was a popular pick for many of our writers, finished last in the finals. Instead, we will see a handful of surprise names make it to Nationals such as Leon Atkins (Buffalo), Miles Owens (William & Mary), and Abbas Abbkar (Savannah State). Steeplechase Takeaways Here are a few quick thoughts after seeing the steeplechase results Fast Times & PR's Secure National Qualifiers It happens every year. A few of the nation's best steeplechase talents separate themselves during the regular season before everyone rips off monster times during regionals. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened last night. Prior to yesterday, only seven men in the country had run under 8:40 this season. But during the regional rounds, that number was 15 between both regions. Heck, even the women have shown a similar trend. 12 women ran under the 10 minute barrier during the regular season, but a total of 17 women replicated that feat at the regional championships. More so, five women in the west region all ran under 9:50 last night, something that only Prouse, Ostrander, and Cohen had accomplished before championship season began. But what really caught my attention were the number of clutch PR's that were run in order to qualify for the national meet. Athletes like Ed Trippas (Princeton), Lisa Voegelgesang (Ole Miss), Felix Kandie (Liberty), Anna McDonald (Texas), Stephen Jones (Mississippi State), Kenneth Rooks (BYU), Devin Clark (Arkansas), Alec Basten (Minnesota), and countless others dropped massive personal bests to secure themselves a spot on the line in Austin. It's performances like those that make these regional meets so unpredictable. BYU Continues To Dominate As if sending six men to Nationals in the 10k wasn't impressive enough, the Cougars were also able to put four individuals in the top 12 spots for the steeplechase. It was no surprise seeing Matt Owens and Clayson Shumway find their way into the national meet, and to some extent, Jacob Heslington wasn't too surprising either. But seeing true freshman Kenneth Rooks drop a 10 second PR to run 8:36 and get into the national meet is wildly impressive. What is in the water in Provo, Utah? Erica Birk Proved Me Wrong...Big Time I'll admit, I was very much against the idea of Birk going all-in on the steeplechase. Ostrander, Prouse, and Cohen were the overwhelming favorites entering the regional meet and although Birk had done incredibly well, I simply felt that her chances were better off in a different event like the 5000 or 1500. I was so, so wrong. The BYU ace ran 9:42 to finish 2nd overall in the west region steeplechase behind Ostrander who dropped a 9:40 to take the top spot. Birk's time is now the #2 mark in the NCAA this year and it suddenly thrusts her into the national title conversation. Just when you thought she couldn't do anything more, the BYU Super Mom (we're going to trademark that) continues to impress.

Day one of the regional championships is now complete and my goodness was it exciting. While there were certainly some predictable outcomes, there were also plenty of headlines that we need to discuss. Let's get started and see how much we can discuss as I type this during my lunch break... BYU Sends Six (!!!) Men to Nationals Twitter went absolutely insane when the Cougars put six men in the top 12 of the west region 10k last night. Even for a team that was known for their depth, it was an absolutely mind-boggling display of control and poise and their ability to orchestrate the pacing was masterful. In my eyes, it may have been the best display of team running we have ever seen on a track. If you decided to take the over from our article earlier in the week - and not many did - you would've walked away far wealthier than you were before (you know, in theory). The six men who qualified for Nationals - Linkletter, Mantz, Young, McMillan, Farnsworth, and Weaver - will now enter the national meet with high expectations. After a miserable performance at last year's outdoor national meet, there is no doubt in my mind that the Cougs will want to put on a show less than two weeks from now. This is the year where it feels like anyone could win the 10k national title and the BYU men are looking to take full advantage of that opportunity. Notre Dame Qualifies Three Women for the NCAA 10k Most of the attention after Day One will (rightfully) fall on the BYU men after their legendary performance. However, what most people don't realize is that the Notre Dame women had a big Thursday night of their own. In retrospect, none of this should have been exceptionally surprising. Rohrer was an overwhelming favorite to earn a national qualifier and teammate Jacqueline Gaughan seemed like an easy pick as well. Yet, even outside of those two, there were still great choices for the Irish women who were simply overlooked on our end. Maddy Denner, the high school star who initially committed to Michigan before opting for Notre Dame, quietly finished 10th overall in last night's 10k to give the Irish a trio of representatives at the national meet. Looking back, it wasn't completely unrealistic to think that the Notre Dame women could've qualified up to four athletes. Annie Heffernan didn't have her best day, but the junior was certainly someone who was capable of putting herself in contention for a national spot. All in all, this was an outstanding performance from the Irish women. Coach Sparks has a lot to be proud of with this group. What Happened? Quick takes on top names who were absent, failed to finish, or struggled in the prelims Alfred Chelanga (Alabama) Gilbert Kigen gave the Crimson Tide a win in the east region 10k, but teammate Alfred Chelanga struggled to stick with the aggressive pace set by the Wildschutt brothers of Coastal Carolina. It was odd to see such a strong top name - who usually thrives in fast-paced fields - struggle to hang with the pace. Unfortunately for Chelanga, he was unable able to stick around and had to drop out of the 10k. He is one of (if not the) biggest misses from Day One. Millie Howard (Temple) + Maddie Villalba (Penn) The Philly-based distance studs first came on to our radar after posting a pair of strong 1500's at Bucknell. Since then, they put together a handful of strong results which eventually made them favorites to qualify for the national meet (based on our writer's predictions). Unfortunately, neither women will be going to NCAA's this year as Howard was the second athlete out of the finals while Villalba dropped to near last. Joe White (Georgetown) What happened to the Georgetown superstar? White was a heavy favorite to not only qualify for Nationals, but to also earn another All-American honor. Instead, he was absent from the starting line. Was he derailed by an injury? If so, it would explain why we didn't see him at the BIG East Championships. For the first time in what feels like forever, we will not have Heppenstall nor White at the national meet...crazy. Nevada Moreno (NC State) After a quick one-year stop at Stanford, Moreno opted to come back home to the east coast. Since she arrived at NC State, she has made notable improvements upwards in her fitness. Moreno's progression while posting consistent performances and placing well in high-level meets made her a big name to watch entering the regional meet. Unfortunately, the rising star was a DNS for the east region 1500. She may not have a been lock to qualify for Nationals, but she was a popular pick for many of our writers. Theo Quax (Northern Arizona) + Cade Bethmann (Ole Miss) Look, there had to be at least one top name in the 1500 who was going to go home early. Granted, I didn't think it would happen in the preliminary round of the regional meet, but there are always a few names who simply don't have it on the day they need it the most. For the men, those guys were Quax and Bethmann. The 1500 is a tricky race due to how insanely tactical it often becomes in championship settings. That's why it's not surprising to see inexperienced youngsters like Quax and Bethmann struggle to adjust to the fluctuating pacing. Of course, this isn't the first time that something like this has happened. After all, Waleed Suliman failed to qualify for the national meet as a freshman in 2018 despite running 3:39 that season... Everything Else Was...Kinda Predictable I mean, sure, I wasn't perfect with my predictions, but I don't think there were any other overwhelmingly elite talents who failed to advance. The 800, especially, was easy to predict. Outside of the Joe White and Matt Manternach selections, everything was pretty straightforward. Even the women's west region 10k, the race where so much can happen, was probably the most accurately predicted event for our writers after Day One. What about the west region 1500? Yes, Theo Quax had an early exit, but I don't think there is anyone else in that preliminary who you can point at and get mad about in regards to their failure to advance (especially in a race as stacked as the 1500).

You can find all of TSR's regional predictions by following this link here... Both the men’s and women’s 5k fields in the West are incredibly deep, meaning that with only 12 qualifying spots, accomplished athletes will miss NCAA's. Beyond the “locks”, how did you make your selections? Michael: I had a tough time making picks for both West 5k fields. On both the men’s and women’s side some people got left out, and ultimately for me, it came down to experience. Especially with the 5k on the last day of regionals after many entrants have run the 10k, the races will likely be tactical. Teams like the BYU and NAU men, as well as the New Mexico women, will have the serious advantage of being able to come up with a team strategy to get as many athletes through as possible. Younger/less experienced athletes might not have the skills to change gears in a large championship race like this, especially if they’re coming back from another race. Even beyond age and experience, I looked at conference performances as indicators of late-season fitness. Some of the highly seeded individuals ran crazy fast early in the season and did not really show up for conference championships. Sean: This was definitely a very difficult region and event to pick and experience definitely played a factor in my decision, but coaching and team success was a larger portion of my choices. I trust teams like Stanford, Colorado, Arkansas, Northern Arizona, Boise State, and New Mexico - the latter two on the women’s side in particular and NAU for the men’s - to perform well on Saturday night. Even if athletes aren’t doubling back from the 1500, 10k, or steeple, regionals is still a three-day championship meet and being able to draw on coaching experience as well as past team success can be a huge calming factor in preparing for the race. So when in doubt, I had to look to those teams to take the top slots. Maura: The west 5k fields were the hardest for me to choose because so many of the athletes deserve to run at Nationals. When selecting my top 12, I too had to look at experience and how well the athlete had performed at their respective conferences. I am assuming the 5k will become a tactical race because so many athletes will be doubling back from another race, specifically the 10K or even the steeplechase. One cannot go wrong with choosing an athlete from BYU or NAU on the men’s side or Colorado and New Mexico on the women’s side. Sean: Did either of you try to predict the 10k first and then see who might not go all out in the 5k after having already qualified? Or do you all think that everyone is going to try to qualify in the 5k regardless? Michael: I picked the 5k first out of habit, but then I went back and changed some picks after choosing the 10k. I think some athletes might be pretty cooked after the 10k and ease their way through the 5k, but I could also see some people letting up in the second half of the 10k if their chances of finishing top 12 don’t look good in order to put more energy towards the 5k. Either way, I think a considerable amount of top athletes entered in both won’t have enough to qualify in two races. It’s just that deep. Maura: I did the opposite. I started with the 10k since that race has to be run before the 5k. At least on the men’s side, since so many of the BYU guys are only entered in one race, it made it easier to choose based on who would be fresher. Sean: I went more with Michael’s method, but you probably had the better way, Maura. Just a note on how deep this field is: I’m realizing how I’ve accidentally missed people in these fields. I was so starstruck by Day, Rockhold, Boit, Forsyth, Rogers, Dressel, and Kurgat in heat one of the men's west region, that I completely missed that Clayton Young was in the same heat. For the record, I would still not pick him for top five in that heat, but I’m now much less confident in my choices. Maura: I too missed individuals, but they were more so on the women’s side. The amount of women under 15:45 in the west made it difficult to determine who could make it out safely. As I have noticed the previous years, the women are not as tactical as the men in their races. Dani Jones, Weini Kelati, and Taylor Werner are in heat two and should keep the race honest from the gun. Multiple high profile athletes scratched from events that they were viable All-American picks in, such as Morgan McDonald in the 10k, Paige Stoner in the steeplechase, and Geordie Beamish in the 1500. Why do you think these decisions were made and what effect will they have at the regional meets? Michael: I was most shocked by Paige Stoner not entering the steeplechase. She was 3rd at NCAA's last year! I am also surprised to see Rachel Pocratsky choose just the 1500 rather than go for the 800/1500 double after executing it so well at ACC's and placing 3rd in the 800 during indoor this past winter. Maura: Stoner’s decision to focus on the 10k left me surprised as well. For someone who had a season’s best of 9:51 in the steeplechase, how could she pass up a chance to race for a title? But I guess Stoner believes her chances of taking down the New Mexico duo of Kelati and Kurgat are high. Geordie Beamish, on the other hand, left me speechless when he dropped a 13:31 5k, which definitely puts him in the running for a top five finish at Nationals. Michael: I agree that Beamish’s decision seems like an easy one. I like his chances in the 5k better despite his indoor mile title. He will have a solid group of teammates to run with in the 5k with Tyler Day and Brodey Hasty, and that seems preferable over what may be a tactical 1500. Sean: Just a note on the Morgan McDonald 10k, McDonald choosing to scratch should not have actually made an effect. McDonald’s 10k from BIG 10's would have placed him at #49 after scratches, but there was a medical scratch by Ryan Murphy of Arkansas which could’ve put McDonald in the field. Still, choosing to scratch signals that McDonald is not risking his summer season on two back-to-back doubles. The only effect of his scratch is that there’s an extra spot in the 10k. Had it been in the 5k, I think it could’ve played a much larger factor, but in a 48-person race, I don’t think the presence of one more (or less) big star changes the race. Michael: I was just a little surprised that McDonald didn’t focus on the 10k more this season as his competition might not be as tough (since there's no Grant Fisher) if he were to chase a national title in that distance. He has a reason to be confident though given how he has performed on the national stage in cross country and indoors this year. Was there a bold prediction you were too afraid to make? Michael : Part of me really wanted to pick Brodey Hasty in the 5k. Going back to the depth in that field, I’m just not sure he is ready to take on some of the studs in the west in a championship setting. Sean: Not that this is a particularly bold pick, but I was afraid to pick anyone outside the top 20 seeds in the steeplechase. Of all the events, I feel like the steeplechase runs closest to seeds and picking any upsets there was just too scary. Maura: I agree with Sean about the steeplechase because those athletes do not want to get stuck in any traffic. I was afraid to pick Jaci Smith in the 5k. Even though she finished as an All-American during indoors, she has only raced once this event once this season. I can't gauge where she is based off of her MW performance. Any big names you left out? Why? Maura: As successful as she has been this season, I left out Nevada Mareno in the 1500. I know she has the potential to be an All-American, but I'm not sure that this is the season. Mareno only finished 7th at the ACC Championships behind some women who are entered in the east 1500. Mareno needs a little more experience, in my opinion, before she qualifies for Nationals. Sean: If you found a way not to leave out any big names, I’m jealous. Clayton Young and John Dressel were two of the toughest people to leave out and I just could not find a way to get them in the meet. Michael: You didn’t pick Clayton Young in the 5k OR 10k?? I think he’s bound to qualify in one. Sean: Sorry. I had both qualifying in the 10k. Was thinking mainly about the 5k. Had to leave off Cameron Griffith there too, but I have him in the 1500. I left Pocratsky out of the 1500 too for the women’s east region which in retrospect feels really stupid, but I just have a feeling that the rounds could end up not going her way. Michael: I may regret it, but I passed on Thomas Ratcliffe. Way back in the beginning of the season when we did the draft, Sean used his last pick on Thomas Ratcliffe with the possibility of bonus points. I think Ratcliffe will either miss NCAA's entirely or make it and get on the podium. It seems like Ratcliffe gets one good race per season, and I’m worried he already had it. He ran 13:32 early in the season and then had an underwhelming performance in the 1500 at PAC-12's. I also left out John Dressel and Ryan Forsyth, not because they don’t have what it takes, but because the 5k and 10k races are just so deep. I also left out Sarah Edwards of Virginia Tech in the 1500, which was honestly an oversight on my part. I think she has a good shot. Maura: Looking back at my picks, Ratcliffe is the 13th man in the 5k for me. His 3:55 1500 at PAC-12s was not promising, but I could always be wrong come Saturday. Switching over to a shorter distance race, I left off Ersula Farrow in the east women’s 800. That race has so much depth and I feel like she hasn’t been in a loaded race besides SEC's. Sean: I’m pro-Farrow, but she’s definitely risky with her front-running style and how fast she goes out normally. I think she stays far enough to the front of her 2nd round at regionals and she pulls them to the time qualifiers. A few questions relating to our Over/Under article Did you pick an bottom-half (#25 - #48) seeds to advance? Maura: I think Ben Veatch of Indiana will slide into the top 12 in the east 10k. The 10k is a long race and anything can happen. Veatch is seeded at #29, so he will need to work for a spot, but it is doable. At BIG 10's, Veatch finished two-tenths behind McDonald. Michael: I didn’t pick any bottom half seeds in the 10k, which was probably not my smartest move as there could likely be some. In reality, I overlooked Veatch. I picked Matthew Novak of Virginia in the steeplechase (#28) because I like his 1500 meter speed which could come into play in a tactical race. I actually picked Dylan Jacobs of Notre Dame in the 1500, and he was the last guy in. Maura: I considered Jacobs, but I don’t think he has enough experience, seeing that he is a true freshman. If he ends up making it through, you found a true underdog. Sean: Veatch is in my rankings too. I also picked Sam Ritz of Columbia in the 1500 at #37 in the east. My only women’s 25+ was Tabor Scholl of Colorado in the 10k where she sits at #30 Over/Under 5.5 BYU men making the 10k and 2.5 New Mexico women making the 5k? Sean: BYU under. New Mexico over. The four Lobo women are split three and one in the heats and I think Cohen and Kurgat get through together with Kelati through in the second heat. Getting six in the same 10k race just seems like too much. Michael: I say the same as you, Sean. Six guys making it for BYU seems optimistic (I picked four), but it is definitely not impossible. Kelati, Kurgat, and Cohen making it for New Mexico was an easy pick for me to make. Maura: BYU and New Mexico will both be under. Regionals will be similar to a typical workout for BYU considering how many men they have entered, but I predict only four men qualifying. New Mexico, on the other hand, will only see Kelati and Kurgat advancing. I may regret this decision by leaving out Cohen. Which team (over entire NCAA) has the greatest potential in a single event? Sean: Obviously BYU has great potential in the west men’s 10k, but I think the Ole Miss men in the 1500 are highly underrated. Cade Bethman and Waleed Suliman should be considered locks to qualify in most predictions with Dalton Hengst sitting as a strong contender. Additionally, Derek Gutierrez and Mario Garcia Romo are outsiders, but should be expected to make the second round of regionals. They are clearly good enough runners to qualify from there. Should all five athletes get through, I would consider that a greater team feat than four or five BYU 10k men qualifying since there are more BYU men entered. 100% qualifying > 75% even if BYU qualifies more men. Michael: Ole Miss in the 1500 is a good choice, they have been under the radar with their depth and it could pay off big for them. The New Mexico women have a lot of potential in the 5k, although I think Adva Cohen and Charlotte Prouse’s abilities will be limited because of the steeple/5k double. I think they all have top five potential at NCAA's (crazy considering there are four of them) if they are all fresh. If Cohen and Prouse can effectively come off the double, look out for New Mexico doing big things. Maura: The BYU men in 10k are at the top of my list. These men have the benefit of racing with teammates, men they train with every day. I think the BYU men will dictate the race from the beginning. But just like cross country, I think the NAU men will be tough to beat in the 5k with Day and Beamish leading the way. Sean: I wouldn’t put the Indiana 800 men at the level of BYU 10k or Ole Miss 1500, but they deserve an honorable mention here since they could realistically qualify four guys. Which #1 seed (any event, any region, men or women) do you think has the most challenging path to NCAA's? Sean: I’m thinking Yared Nuguse could have some trouble in the men’s 1500 as could Gilbert Kigen in the 5k (but not the 10k). Nuguse and Kigen struggled in these races last year which is never a great sign. Nuguse fell last year so his struggles are going to be more about mentality and staying out of trouble. If Nuguse wants to run from the front in both rounds, I think he can do it and still qualify which makes him much less vulnerable than Kigen. Kigen will come down to the 5k after a hard 10k two days before and will be without Chelanga. His teammate Noel Rotich could help him a bit, but that heat has a number of people who could challenge Kigen especially if it comes down to a kick. And if the race goes out fast, Kigen might struggle with heat or recovery from the 10k. Michael: I was thinking the same thing about Kigen in the 5k. That double is brutal and sometimes you only have one good race in your legs on a given weekend. I think both Nuguse and Oliver Hoare will have their work cut out for them in the 1500. I think they will both qualify without too much trouble, but their competitors won’t make it easy. Maura: I agree with both of you regarding the men’s 1500. Positioning is very important in this race and if one finds himself boxed in, more energy is wasted trying to find an opening. Hoare and Nuguse will easily qualify for the quarterfinals, but once they find themselves racing against the likes of Carlos Villarreal (west) and the Ole Miss men (east), it will all come down to who has the clearest path to the finish line with 100 meters to go.

MEN We have four men that sit underneath the 14:00 mark for 5000 meters this year. That’s the fewest since 2015 when only three men broke the barrier. Two of these athletes have been household names in the event the last three years while two new athletes enter the fold. Behind that top contingent, we have a very deep field with numerous contenders who will be in play for an All-American spot. Leading this top group is Grand Valley State’s Zach Panning. Panning is the reigning champion from last year where he held off the likes of James Ngandu and others. Coming into the weekend, Panning has to be the favorite. He has a mark of 13:37 this season and is eight seconds ahead of the second seeded athlete (Elias Gedyon). Panning will be doubling back from the 10,000 which is contested on Thursday night. He did it last year and came away with the title in the 5000 so this appear to be a major issue. The biggest question everyone is likely wondering is what will Panning’s strategy be? The duo of Elias Gedyon and Sydney Gidabuday, both from Adams State, likely pose the biggest threats to Panning. Gidabuday won the 5000 title during indoor season while Gedyon was able to take home the 3000 meter title this past winter. Both used the same strategy of allowing Panning to do all the work up front and then, with a lap left, went around to out-kick him in the homestretch. Gidabuday holds a personal best of 13:29, but has run "only" 13:59 this season, granted it’s the only time he’s run one this season. As for Gedyon, he has run 13:45 this season and it’s the only time he’s ever run the 5000 on the track (not bad for a debut). Both are entered in the 1500 as well, meaning they’ll have two races under their belts unless there is a failure to make the final. The other duo that is at the top of the TFRRS list is Western Colorado’s Taylor Stack and Charlie Sweeney. They ran their best races at the Oxy Invitational just a couple of weekends ago. Stack won the event in a strong time of 13:58. Sweeney was right behind him in 3rd place as he ran 14:00. The Mountaineers were All-Americans during the indoor season as Stack took home 8th place in the 5000 and then came back for 6th in the 3000. Sweeney was the 7th place finisher in the 5000. In addition to the 5k, Stack is running the steeplechase as well which would mean he could be racing for three straight days while Sweeney will be attempting the 10k/5k double (like Panning). Ruben Dominguez from Cal Poly Pomona had the fastest time in the country for most of the season when he ran 14:01 early on at the Mike Fanelli Classic. It was a big mark from Dominguez (despite his best being 14:04 from 2017) as it felt we had another athlete who could compete for a top spot. Dominguez was recently apart of a fantastic conference race that saw him finish runner-up. Eddie King from Chico State is the athlete who held Dominguez off from the top podium spot and his time of 14:06 from Mt. SAC was a seven second improvement. The two CCAA athletes are in a prime position to finish in the top five this weekend as they’re both only entered in the 5000 and will have fresh legs. Marcelo Laguera is a name that gets forgotten because he didn’t race during the indoor season. The senior Thunderwolf outlasted Panning at the Cross Country National Championship in the fall en route to a surprise title victory. He’s run 14:08 this season and has the #10 fastest time in the country. He will also be doubling back from the 10,000 from Thursday, but could Laguera pull off the same national meet magic that we saw in the fall? Josh Hoskinson is yet another RMAC athlete who is making the trip to Texas for the 5000 meters. The 3rd place finisher from the indoor season will be coming back to try and improve upon that mark this weekend. He’s solely attempting the 5000 this time around meaning he can run with the lead pack from the gun on fresh legs. Another name who should be vying for All-American spots are Victor Moreau from Academy of Art. He’s improved in every single race this season and has shown strong, consistent performances over the past few months. Mount Olive’s Tai Smith has run 14:08 this season which was a 16 second improvement and with fresh legs, he should be able to replicate that. Others like Tanner Chada, Tom Goforth, and Luke Julian all hold nearly identical marks of 14:10 this season. Chada is the only athlete who will be fresh going in as Goforth will be running the 10,000 and Julian will have run the 1500. The last name to keep an eye on is Daniel Wallis from Queens (N.C.). He will also be running the 1500, but proved during indoors that he has the ability to double after he finished 2nd in the mile and then 8th in the 3000. This race is going to be fast from the get-go. After seeing what happened during the indoor season, there is no chance that Panning is going to let this get slow. He wants to run his race hard and he’s going to force everyone else to do the same. We mentioned that Gidabuday and Gedyon stalked him during indoors, and they’ll likely do the same this time. How will Stack and Sweeney respond to a quick pace? There will be a chase pack, but the question is how many will decide to break away from that group and how early. You’ll likely see a five to six man race turn into a three-man race fairly quickly. Final Predictions Zach Panning, Grand Valley State Sydney Gidabuday, Adams State Taylor Stack, Western Colorado Josh Hoskinson, Colorado Mines Elias Gedyon, Adams State Marcelo Laguera, CSU-Pueblo Daniel Wallis, Queens (N.C.) Victor Moreau, Academy of Art WOMEN There is an overwhelming favorite and it’s Caroline Kurgat. The Alaska Anchorage senior has been rewriting record books this season and has already won the 5000 and 3000 titles during the indoor season. She’s been able to separate herself from most of her competition and has done it in convincing fashion. She’s coming back as the reigning champion in the 10,000 and 5000 and there doesn’t really seem to be anyone who can challenge her in the late stages of a race. She’s run 15:40 this season and it’s 20 seconds faster than the second seed. I don’t think that there is anyone that can knock her off the top spot. The challengers will likely put up a strong fight until the very end. Eilish Flanagan from Adams State has run 16:00 this season, Leah Hanle has run 16:02, and Julia Howley has run 16:10. After that, no one has run faster than 16:30 this season, making it tough to see anyone else being apart of that lead group. Flanagan will be doubling back from the steeplechase, Hanle will be coming back from the 10k, and Howley will also be coming back from the steeple. Will any of these ladies be able to have fresh enough legs to run with Kurgat long enough to give themselves a chance at the end? Looking at the rest of the field, it’s led by Haleigh Hunter-Galvan from Adams State. She’s run 16:30 this season and she’ll likely be apart of the steeplechase final the day before. Allie Ludge from Grand Valley State has also run 16:30 this season and she will also be coming back from another race in the 1500. Two names who have shown some definite range are Chloe Cook from Colorado Mines and Casey Monoszlay from Cal Poly Pomona. Cook was a mile and 3000 meter qualifier during the indoor season. She was an All-American in the mile, but didn’t have the greatest double back in the 3000. Meanwhile, Monoszlay has posted a top 25 mark in three events this outdoor season (800, 1500, 5000). She’s chosen the longer events as her strongest ones and if she can stick around the pack long enough, her leg speed should give her a shot at an All-American bid. Eileen Stressling of Azusa Pacific and Gina Patterson of Grand Valley State both have personal bests better than their marks from this season. They’ve run 16:32 and 16:36 respectively this season, but have marks in the 16:20's for their personal bests. They’ll likely need to return to this form to have a chance at an All-American bid. Both women will be doubling with the 10,000 as their first race and that might be their best race. The rest of the field is pretty similar in their times. However, Hanna Groeber of Grand Valley State was an All-American during the indoor season. Despite her having the #13 fastest time this season, she has the experience to be successful. Also, be sure to keep an eye on Ida Narbuvoll of U-Mary who was 9th during indoors. She’s another name who should be considered to have success on the big stage. Other names to watch for include Lauren Bailey from Indianapolis, Alexa Shindruk from Central Washington, and Malena Grover from Adams State. This is Kurgat’s race to lose. I’m not entirely sure how she will win it, but there’s the obvious two options. Bide her time and then strike late (causing everyone to fall off) or go straight from the gun. If I had to guess, she will bide her time. It’s going to be a strong race for 2nd place and it’s probably going to be a group of four to five women chasing silver. Final Predictions Caroline Kurgat, Alaska Anchorage Leah Hanle, Mount Olive Eilish Flanagan, Adams State Julia Howley, Simon Fraser Gina Patterson, Grand Valley State HaLeigh Hunter-Galvan, Adams State Allie Ludge, Grand Valley State Ida Narbuvoll, U-Mary

With NCAA Division II Nationals coming up this weekend, it is time to take a look at who could potentially stake a claim to the 1500 meter national title. A strong contingency of Colorado-based veterans on both the men’s and women’s sides look to have a strong chance, while some outside competitors and dark horses from the indoor season could cause chaos as well. There is potential for the 1500 to be the most compelling event at this year’s championship meet. Anything is possible, and I expect at least one or two surprises to come out of the metric mile this weekend in Texas. WOMEN On the women’s side, the top three seed times coming in all come from RMAC schools. Adams State junior Roisin Flanagan’s 4:16.42, which she ran at Bryan Clay, leads the field. The mark is three seconds clear of Roisin’s freshman teammate, Stephanie Cotter, who ran an impressive 4:19.84 at Payton Jordan. These two are the only ones that have broken 4:20 this season, with Western State’s Alicja Konieczek seeded third in 4:22. Neither Flanagan nor Cotter appear to be doubling, so the pair should be relatively fresh with a day of rest between prelims and finals. I expect these two to work well together much like they did in the mile final at the indoor national meet when they finished 1-2. The 3rd place finisher from that race, Allie Ludge of Grand Valley State, comes into these championships seeded fourth with a 4:22.33. She is also entered in the 5000 meters later that evening, so it will be interesting to see how that plays a role in how she runs her 1500 earlier in the day (given she makes finals). Walsh junior Andra Lehotay ran her personal best of 4:23.16 back in March coming off a 5th place finish during indoors. She hasn’t run quite that fast since, but she could be a formidable opponent in the right circumstances. Also returning from the indoor final is Edinboro freshman Stefanie Parsons. She ran 4:25.91 back in mid-April and has found a way to integrate herself into the All-American conversation. She has some respectable range which could come in handy for this weekend. On the flip side of things, Cal Poly Pomona senior Casey Monoszlay is an athlete who has been on fire when you look at her recent performances. She ran her personal best to qualify for Nationals only a few weeks ago when she had a phenomenal race to upset the field at the CCAA Championships in a time of 4:26.43. A dark horse, Monoszlay could potentially use this momentum from strong races late in the season to snag an All-American position or maybe even a top spot on the podium. Like Ludge, she is also entered in the 5k on Saturday evening. Monoszlay, as well as others in the field, must look to peak at the right time in order to usurp what could be a repeat of Adam’s indoor dominance. Final Predictions Roisin Flanagan (Adams State) Stephanie Cotter (Adams State) Alicja Konieczek (Western Colorado) Andra Lehotay (Walsh) Stefanie Parsons (Edinboro) Allie Ludge (Grand Valley State) Liz Bloch (Michigan Tech) Casey Monoszlay (Cal Poly Pomona) MEN The men’s side of things doesn’t appear to be as one-sided as the women’s. One interesting storyline has to be if the Queens duo of Daniel Wallis and Felix Wammetsberger can replicate their phenomenal 1-2 performance from Indoor Nationals back in March. They will face some stiff competition, as six men are coming into these championships packed closer together with seed times under 3:45. As usual, the Grizzlies of Adams State are represented well with Elias Gedyon owning the top seed time of 3:42.5. Behind him, Colorado Mines’ Luke Julian comes in seeded second with a 3:42.98. Julian is coming off of a victory at the RMAC Outdoor Championships over teammate Josh Evans, who is also entered in the 1500 field with a time of 3:44.94. Julian has been one of the better rising stars this season and a strong performance at Nationals could validate his breakout 2019. One of the biggest surprise entries in the field has to be Adams State’s Sydney Gidabuday. We are used to seeing Gidabuday running the 10k/5k double, but he’s opted for the shorter 1500/5k double this year. It will be interesting to see how his speed holds up against other more established speedsters such as Shane Bracken of Saint Leo or Brett Meyer of Fort Hays State. What we often forget after seeing Gidabuday’s successful transition to the longer distances is that he sports a 4:09 1600 meter PR from high school and finished 3rd at the California State Championships as a senior. He is no slouch in the middle distances and should be in contention for a title going into the final. Beyond him, there are a handful of others in the field, such as Academy of Art’s Victor Moreau, Sioux Falls’ Zach Lundberg, and Western Colorado’s Ross Husch who could make some noise and potentially snag All-American honors. Each of these men boast a specific racing weapon of either pure fitness, exceptional range, or veteran-like consistency. They'll be serious contenders in this race should they make the final. In terms of doubles and other races throughout the weekend, only one athlete, Embry-Riddle’s Calahan Warren, appears to be attempting the 800/1500 double. He comes in with one of the slower times in the 1500, so it is yet to be seen whether or not he can sneak through to the finals for that. If he can, he will have a busy weekend ahead of him. A handful of athletes, including Gedyon, Gidabuday, Husch, Moreau, and Julian are also scheduled to run the 5k final on Saturday night. Assuming a majority of these individuals make the 1500 final, it will be interesting to see if they decide to slow the early pace in order to save some energy. In this case, the advantage will go to those with the best finishing speed. At this level though, everyone has some sort of finishing ability. I expect nothing less than a dogfight with 400 meters to go come race-time in Texas. Final Predictions Daniel Wallis (Queens) Elias Gedyon (Adams State) Felix Wammetsberger (Queens) Luke Julian (Colorado Mines) Josh Evans (Colorado Mines) Brett Meyer (Fort Hays State) Sydney Gidabuday (Adams State) Shane Bracken (Saint Leo)

WOMEN If your name isn’t Caroline Kurgat, then winning the 10,000 will be a very difficult task at the National Championships. Kurgat, the senior from Alaska Anchorage, has been on an absolute tear the last couple of seasons. She is near unbeatable in championship races, winning 11 out of the last 12. The UAA veteran is the defending national champion in this event, and she even owns the DII national record of 32:08.09 which is also the NCAA’s #1 fastest time. These accomplishments may have you betting on her like MJ’s Bulls in the ’90s, but in sports, we all know that anything is possible. Let’s take, for example, the New York Giants upsetting the undefeated 18-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. All season long, New England had the better players, coaches, and statistics. Of course, on a single day, anything can happen. In this field of women, there can be multiple “Giants” who are capable of taking down the ultra-favorite (Kurgat). Leah Hanle of Mount Olive was the runner-up to Kurgat last year at the 2018 outdoor national meet. Hanle is a heavy hitter and a consistent All-American. She has some very strong recent success by adding a bronze medal to her name at the Indoor Championships last winter. This season, Hanle has posted the NCAA’s #2 time of 34:09.11 (which is also her PR). Another great threat to Kurgat is Alexa Shindruk of Central Washington. The senior finished just 13th last year in this event last year, but is looking for a different result in 2019. So far, the added motivation is paying off as she owns the #3 fastest time in the NCAA with a 34:25.41. She has a huge chip on her shoulder with a shot of redemption on the line. Could the woman with the most to prove beat what some are calling the greatest of all-time? While looking at the rest of the field, Gina Patterson of Grand Valley State, Ida Narbuvoll of U-Mary, Eileen Stressling of Azusa Pacific, and Malena Grover from Adams State are the other athletes to break the 35:00 barrier. Jessica Gockley of Grand Valley State has also run 35:00 this season. All of those marks are their personal bests and give them a chance to run for an All-American spot this weekend. The GVSU women, like always, will have the advantage of being able to work off of each other in this race. Patterson and Gockley are experienced on the championship stage and are more than capable of finding themselves on the podium. It would also be a poor idea to overlook women like Grover and Stressling who have always kept themselves relevant on a national stage that is stacked and headlined by a few select stars. While they may not threaten for a national title, they are more than capable of sticking with a fast pace. That should benefit them should Kurgat decide to keep the race honest. However, on the flip side, this is a race that will likely be slowed down due to the humidity. It’ll be interesting to see who can stick around long enough to potentially scare Kurgat. So sure, Caroline Kurgat does have the accomplishments to back it up, but with great competition from these women, anything is possible on race day. Final Predictions Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) Alexa Shindruk (Central Washington) Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) Gina Patterson (Grand Valley St.) Malena Grover (Adams State) Eileen Stressling (Azusa Pacific) Jessica Gockley (Grand Valley St.) Ida Narbuvoll (U-Mary) MEN With four out of the top five finishers in last year’s championship race graduating or not competing, there will be a new winner wearing gold. The one man that is returning out of top five? The runner-up, Zach Panning of Grand Valley State. Panning is looking to win his first ever individual title in this event. With star Sydney Gidabuday of Adams State opting to run the 5k/1500 double instead, Panning is the clear favorite. Not to mention his time (28:30) is almost a minute faster than the next competitor. With all this being said, there are new and hungry challengers who want exactly what Panning is chasing. The teammates from Colorado Mines, Ben Schneiderman and Ricardo Ocampo, have had terrific seasons - posting the #3 and #4 times in the NCAA of 29:25.71 & 29:30.04. They will look to work together during the 25 laps in order to make a title run. The other big name in the event who has a chance at gold is Marcelo Laguera of CSU-Pueblo. Marcelo had an All-American outing last year as he finished 7th with a time of 30:19.15. Since then, he has made huge improvements, dropping his time all the way down to 29:25.15. The 2018 cross country national champion has the next fastest time after Panning, and may benefit from the heat which will slow things down over the 6.2 mile affair. Some other names that should be looked at and watched throughout the race include Tom Goforth and Ryan Talbott, both from Saginaw Valley State. They come in with the #5 and #7 fastest times this year. They both had killer performances at Bucknell earlier this season, and Goforth looks like a steady senior capable of producing on the big stage. I think this is going to be the perfect field for him to compete in. Stetson Rayas from Dallas Baptist has put together a strong season of his own and has continued to improve this year. He has the #6 fastest time coming in this year and has been a fresh face at the top of the collegiate ranks in recent seasons. Jack Mastandrea (Charleston (W.V.)) and George McCartney (Malone) come in with the #8 and #9 fastest times this year. McCartney will be competing in his first ever national meet while Mastandrea will look to improve upon his 13th place finish in the 5000 from this past indoor season. If you're looking for sleeper picks that haven't always dominated headlines, these are two good names to watch out for... Zach Panning could run away with this title, but do not be shocked if it is someone completely different in this exciting race. There are a handful of strong talents in this field that deserve plenty of respect. Final Predictions Zach Panning (Grand Valley State) Marcelo Laguera (CSU-Pueblo) Tom Goforth (Saginaw Valley) Ben Schneiderman (Colorado Mines) Ricardo Ocampo (Colorado Mines) Jack Mastandrea (Charleston (W.V.)) Ryan Talbott (Saginaw Valley) George McCartney (Malone)

Seven TSR writers assembled all of their predictions for who they think will qualify for the National Championships in June. Check out all of 1,820 projected qualifiers (which includes First Out runners) on our predictions page by clicking the link or the above picture.

MEN The depth of the men’s 800 has continued to increase as the season has gone on. We saw Thomas Staines post the fastest time early on the season, but was quickly followed by Ayman Zahafi who came along and usurped Staines of that top spot. As of now, we have eight athletes that sit under the 1:50 threshold and they certainly qualify as contenders who will want to knock Staines off the throne. Staines ran another 800 at the end of the season and clocked a 1:47.53. While looking at the raw time, it’s a second faster than Zahafi’s 1:48.54 (converted down to 1:48.13). I think it’s safe to say that Staines is the clear favorite that was during the indoor season. He’s got the best championship racing ability of the group and also has the most experience of the group outside of maybe his own teammate Devundrick Walker. The two biggest threats to Staines this time around are Zahafi and then Grand Valley State’s Dennis Mbuta. Mbuta was the 2nd place finisher during the indoor season, while Zahafi took home 3rd place honors. Mbuta ran 1:49.03 at Bryan Clay earlier this year which is his personal best. Meanwhile, Zahafi set a new best three different times during the outdoor season. Both have the ability to stay on Staines the entire time and try and out-kick him in the final stretch. The question, however, is whether or not they have the foot speed to do so. Something worth watching is that Staines is apart of the CSU-Pueblo 4x4 team that has prelims just two hours later while Mbuta and Zahafi are only entered in the 800. We have three freshmen that are under the 1:50 mark as well. Queens’ (N.C.) Seb Anthony ran 1:49.10 at the end of April and has the fourth fastest seed time. Butare Regenerwa of West Texas A&M waited until last weekend to run 1:49.78 (converts down to 1:49.41) and TAMU-Commerce’s Timon Kemboi was 2nd to Regenerwa in that same race, running 1:49.99 (converts down to 1:49.62). Anthony was an All-American during the indoor season as he finished 8th at the national meet. Since then, he’s built up some momentum and has amassed quite a bit success. As for Rugenerwa and Kemboi, we’re not sure what to expect from them at their first national meet. They’re both in tough preliminary heats, so obviously their first priority is just to make the final. We have some names in the field who have plenty of experience and are also probably being overlooked as we near Friday. The first name being the aforementioned Thunderwolf, Devundrick Walker. He ran 1:49.47 earlier this year and should be in good enough shape to improve upon that if need be. The senior is entering his eighth National Championship and the multiple time All-American will certainly be looking to make a mark in his last national meet. Along with Walker is St. Augustine’s Shaquille Dill. Dill won this event back in 2016 as a freshman and then followed that up with another win during the 2017 indoor season. He’s run 1:49.95 this year and should be considered as a legitimate threat given his past results. Other names that are worth noting include Hugo Arlabosse of Franklin Pierce (5th during indoors), John Partee of Lewis (who recently ran a personal best of 1:50.15 at the GLVC Championships), Notre Dame de Namur’s Jason Gomez (who is just a freshman, but won the 1500 at PacWest’s and just ran 1:50.11 at the Oxy Invitational), and Joshua Ajiero from Albany State (who was the 3rd place finisher during last year’s outdoor national meet en route to a pair of 1:48's in the prelims and finals). Given the draws of each heat, it’s hard to say how each one will work itself out, but Anthony, Mbuta, and Ajiero are all in the first heat. That heat likely signals a slow race with the best kickers coming out on top. In the second heat, we have Dill, Zahafi, and Rugenerwa. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dill or Zahafi push the pace in an attempt to make this the fastest race of the afternoon. Meanwhile, the third heat is comprised of Staines, Walker, and Kemboi. I can almost guarantee you’ll see this as the slowest heat as Staines and Walker will work together to ensure they both make the final. Final Predictions Thomas Staines, CSU-Pueblo Devundrick Walker, CSU-Pueblo Ayman Zahafi, TAMU-Kingsville Dennis Mbuta, Grand Valley State Shaquille Dill, St. Augustines Seb Anthony, Queens (N.C.) Joshua Ajiero, Albany State Butare Rugenerwa, West Texas A&M WOMEN On the women’s side of things, there is a ton of depth as well as a name that everyone is looking to knock off. I am, of course, referring to another RMAC athlete in Skylyn Webb from UCCS who has finished the last two seasons atop the 800 meter ranks. Webb comes in with a seasonal best mark 2:04.70 which was run at the Mt. SAC Relays. It’s the #2 time in the country as well. Webb ran her personal best of 2:02.47 at the outdoor national meet last year and I fully expect Webb to run the same type of race this year as she did then. She loves to run from the front, and if she is in shape, we’ll likely see a time somewhere in the same range as last year. Her challengers, however, have been very close when it matters, but not always good enough. Rachael Walters of Grand Valley State and Danielle McCormick have both set personal bests in the event this year. They both ran those at the Bryan Clay Invitational as Walters ran 2:04.15 (NCAA #1) and McCormick ran 2:05.00 (NCAA #3). I believe both are legitimate threats to take home the title this upcoming weekend. Walters was the 2nd place finisher behind Webb during indoors - only .15 seconds behind. McCormick was a second and a half back and finished as the 3rd place finisher. Both have opted for just the 800 instead of two events like indoor (Walters ran three) and should be fresher this time around. Also, for what it’s worth, McCormick was the indoor champion back in 2018 while Walters has finished 2nd the last four times she’s competed at Nationals. Carsyn Koch-Johnson used to be the dominant force in this event just a few years ago. She’s now a senior and she looks to be getting close to her old form when she set the collegiate record. Koch-Johnson is a four-time champion in the 800 and has run just a hair faster than Webb has in her career as she holds a best of 2:02.39. She’s run 2:06.94 this season which is the #4 fastest time in the country and gives us an idea that she is continuing to track back towards where she was a few years ago. Her experience alone should put her in a place of contention as she can get through the prelims with relative ease. Sophie Dodd and Alanna Mussatto are two of the three athletes from Simon Fraser competing in the 800 this weekend. Dodd and Mussatto have run 2:07.44 and 2:07.83 this year which happen to be the #5 and #6 fastest times. Dodd ran her personal best at the Mike Fanelli Classic earlier this year and has since posted a personal best in the 1500 (4:29). Mussatto ran her personal best at the Bryan Clay Invitational which was a full second improvement. Both ladies have consistently improved throughout the season and have the foot speed to keep pace with their competition. Kristen Metcalfe from Embry-Riddle is an athlete that can be considered a dark horse this weekend. She had run the second fastest time during preliminaries during indoors, but didn’t toe the line the next day as an apparent injury forced her to make a decision in regards to racing. She didn’t debut during the outdoor season until five weeks later at the Peach Belt Conference Championships. Since then, she’s run 4:25.56 and 2:08.15 which are good enough to get her into both events at the national meet. Western Oregon’s Olivia Woods is attending the sixth National Championship of her career. Her highest finish is a 3rd place finish which came in 2017 at the outdoor national meet. She owns a personal best of 2:05.91 and has been an All-American at every single national meet. She’s another athlete who has slid under the radar and is someone who could potentially find herself at (or near) the top of the podium in the right type of race. Currently, she has the seventh fastest seed time this year with a time of 2:07.93. I also think Bailey Sharon of Western Colorado could be in the mix of things as she’s run 2:09.26 this season and has been an All-American in her two times competing at a national meet. This is the first time she’s made the outdoor meet and I think she can replicate an All-American effort. Now to the heat draws. Skylyn Webb is in the first heat, and it’s likely that she’ll lead them to the fastest race of the day. With her should be Sophie Dodd and Kristen Metcalfe. Webb runs from the front and she’ll make it as fast as she thinks it needs to be. My guess is the time qualifiers come from this heat as well. In the second heat, we have Woods, Mussatto, and Walters as the top runners. I think Walters will take the heat win with Woods behind her. Much like the men's field, I think the third heat will be the slowest as McCormick and Koch-Johnson will likely play the clock and see what happens. It also helps that McCormick has a teammate in Ruth Cvancara who will also be looking to make the final. A team effort from Alaska Anchorage is a very real possibility. Final Predictions Rachael Walters, Grand Valley State Skylyn Webb, UCCS Danielle McCormick, Alaska Anchorage Kristen Metcalfe, Embry-Riddle Sophie Dodd, Simon Fraser Bailey Sharon, Western Colorado Carsyn Koch-Johnson, Cedarville Alanna Mussatto, Simon Fraser