What should we make of BYU's overall performance? The BYU men made headlines when they were able to put six men in the top 12 of the West Region 10k and then four men in the top 12 for the steeplechase. Along with a handful of other entries in the 5000 and 1500, the sheer dominance of BYU in the West Region set high expectations for when they toed the line at the national meet. The end results? Mixed. After such an abysmal performance that the 2018 Outdoor National Championships, the BYU men had the opportunity to make a statement in the 10k...and they did just that. Clayton Young out-kicked Alabama's Gilbert Kigen in the final 200 meters of the race to take home gold. Meanwhile, teammates Conner Mantz and Connor McMillan were close behind in 3rd and 4th. It was a wildly successful race for the men from Provo, Utah who were able to give Ed Eyestone yet another national champion. Even the 5k produced some encouraging performances as Young and Mantz bounced back two nights later to finish 6th and 7th, respectively. But while the long distance crew thrived, the steeplechasers struggled...mightily. The prelims started out great as all four of BYU's men were able to qualify for the finals. That, in and of itself, was a win. Unfortunately, Friday failed to yield the same success. Despite making up a third of the entire field, the Cougars only produced one All-American (Matt Owens) who finished in the last All-American spot available (8th). The final three finishing spots all went to BYU. For a team that boasts the fact that they are, without question, the collegiate standard for producing elite steeplechasers, they have failed to make any significant on the national stage as of late. Did BYU do enough to avenge last year's performance? Truthfully, I don't know the answer to that question as it depends on how much emphasis you put on events like the steeplechase and 1500. Still, we would be lying if we said that the 10k and 5k weren't the main focal points for the Cougars this weekend. In what is arguably one of the deepest distance rosters we have seen, Coach Eyestone's group finally capitalized on their depth and overall firepower. Where do Dani Jones and Allie Ostrander go from here? Both Dani Jones and Allie Ostrander did something incredibly special this past weekend. For Ostrander, she became the only woman in NCAA history to win three straight steeplechase titles. No one on the face of the Earth can say that. For Jones, she has cemented her greatness by winning what was arguably the most important national title of her collegiate career. Despite battling numerous injuries throughout the winter and only racing three times before the National Championships, Jones still emerged as the 5k champion in an event that most would say isn't even her best racing distance. If no one could beat Jones now, they certainly aren't beating her when she has an entire block of uninterrupted winter training under her legs. So...what else is left? What else do these two women have left to accomplish in the NCAA? Jones still has indoor and outdoor track eligibility left while Ostrander is only junior. Both of these women could very easily return to the NCAA next year and continue building their trophy collection. But is that a good enough reason to return? Could it possibly be time to see these women go pro? Outside of Jessica Hull (someone who is strongly considered by many to forgo her last year of eligibility), there are very few graduating women who can dictate the sponsorship market like Jones and Ostrander could. With the 2020 Olympics fast approaching, top brands are likely eager to sign the NCAA's most elite women in hopes that they can make it onto Team USA. There may not be a better time to sign on the dotted line than now... Is Bryce Hoppel a Bowerman candidate now? Two national titles. 1:44.41 personal best. Undefeated with 19 straight wins. What more does Bryce Hoppel need to do to get on the Bowerman Watchlist? Entering this weekend, you could find Devin Dixon listed among the Bowerman nominees while Hoppel was not. The sole difference at the time was that Dixon had a faster mark this season. That, however, all changed this past weekend when Hoppel beat Dixon twice - once in the prelims and once in the finals - en route to a time of 1:44.41 and his second national title of the year. Of course, the real x-factor in this entire discussion is the undefeated streak that the Kansas ace has been able to maintain since the beginning of indoor track. The past few years have been headlined by superstar 800 runners like Isaiah Harris, Michael Saruni, Emmanuel Korir, Donavan Brazier, and Brandon McBride. All of those men were named to the Bowerman Watchlist at some point during their collegiate careers. Now, it should be Hoppel's turn as he has crafted a resume that rivals even those all-time greats, especially when you factor in the winning streak. If we're being brutally honest, I've never been a fan of The Bowerman award. The award is understandably subjective, but the inconsistencies with some of their criteria is an issue in my eyes (i.e. Cheserek). While I am certainly not proposing that Hoppel should win The Bowerman (which should likely go to Holloway), he should at least be considered as a nominee after being robbed of a spot in their latest Bowerman Watchlist release. Bigger deal: Johnson's 1500 win or Nuguse's 1500 win? In my eyes, Jessica Hull seemed like the undeniable favorite to win the national title. I even suggested that she was the heaviest favorite to take home a title on the distance side in our championship preview. However, some of my fellow writers told me otherwise, suggesting that Oklahoma State's Sinclaire Johnson was a legitimate contender to the Oregon superstar in our predictions . On paper, it was a difficult argument to make. Johnson had fewer wins, less pronounced range, a slower personal best, and no national title. It was understandable why everyone had Hull taking home gold before this past weekend. Yet, the reason why Johnson was a threat to Hull in the eyes of many is because of her intangibles. She had defeated numerous top talents before and had displayed underrated consistency while quietly progressing over the past two seasons. But what really made her so dangerous was her ability to compete in any kind or race. Whether it be tactical or all-out from the gun, Johnson was a serious contender whenever she toed the line. So when Johnson hung onto Hull's shoulder while whipping around the final curve and into the lead, it became a moment of clarity for everyone who picked against her (myself included). The Oklahoma State superstar was for real and her NCAA #2 All-Time mark of 4:05.98 further confirmed that. For Johnson, this win was her introduction into the upper-echelon of elite collegiate talents. Funny enough, the story is oddly similar for Notre Dame sophomore Yared Nuguse who won his second national title (first individual title) of the year. The Fighting Irish youngster has rapidly evolved into a superstar this year. After out-kicking Grant Fisher to win the DMR national title during indoors, Nuguse would go on to run 3:38 at Bryan Clay where he finished 3rd overall. Much like Johnson, he wasn't the favorite to take home NCAA gold, but he was also viewed by many as someone good enough to do just that. While it may not have been as beautifully executed as Johnson, Nuguse's final kick was enough to will him across the line barely in front of Justine Kiprotich by .003 seconds. I will maintain that it is the greatest finish to a race that I have ever seen. For Nuguse, his win is monumentally huge from a legacy standpoint. Capturing the outdoor crown validates his DMR win from indoors and makes him the undeniable king of the 1500 in the fastest year ever recorded for the event. But for Johnson, her win carries nearly an equal amount of weight. The win has put her in a class of her own and it helps that she was able to defeat one of the best collegiate distance runners of this millennium in the process. Much like the BYU question, I don't know which performance is a "bigger deal". Regardless, the point of this is to emphasize just how incredibly valuable each of these wins are to the respective champions. One day, we will look back at this championship meet and recognize it as the weekend that put both Johnson and Nuguse on the track towards becoming all-time greats.

What were your biggest takeaways from the NCAA Championships? Garrett: Way too many to mention, but there were plenty that I discussed in my Aftermath article that was posted yesterday. For me, I quickly came to the realization that if you couldn’t beat Dani Jones this past weekend, you aren’t going to beat her when she actually has a full block of training under her. She moved up in distance from the 1500 and still knocked down a very solid field. Ben: Sinclaire Johnson’s stunning win over Jessica Hull. The performance wasn’t stunning because she beat Hull (although that did come as a surprise), but because of the time she ran. To run 4:05 in the Texas heat is no joke and we might have one of America’s best young middle distance runners blossoming before our eyes. Michael: Bryce Hoppel’s win in the 800 stood out to me because it solidifies an undefeated year for him, staking a claim for him as a strong candidate for the Bowerman Award. Not only did he take down Devin Dixon again, but he ran 1:44.41 which was a big personal best for him. To pull that off in the heat is no small accomplishment. Ben: One overall takeaway I had for the meet is that doubling in Texas is extremely hard. Not even Allie Ostrander could score in both the steeple and 5k (although we should give a major shoutout to Hannah Steelman for doing so). I wonder if less people will attempt the double at regionals next year after seeing how difficult it was for so many runners. Quenten: I have to agree with Michael on this one, Bryce Hoppel’s win this weekend was historical. Hoppel is now 19-0 in his last nineteen races, this also includes all the preliminary rounds. That is just a very amazing stat to me and as a Texas native it’s awesome seeing a Texas guy tear it up at the collegiate level. Maura: I agree with Garrett about Jones. After overcoming injury, she showed she is someone to look out for in either the 1500 or 5k. As for a takeaway on the men’s side, I’d have to say BYU is crazy good in the distance races. They seem to have guys on reserve who are able to still make an impact when one guy may have a bad day. Their performance in the steeplechase was rough, but look at the way their 10k and 5k men performed (i.e. Clayton Young and Conner Mantz). Sam: One outcome that probably isn’t apparently obvious is that I think after struggling a bit on the track this season, Rory Linkletter may be moving to the marathon now that he has graduated. When I interviewed him he made mention of possibly jumping right into the event and in his latest Instagram post he emphasized starting his career on the road . While there’s no guarantee he actually does go right for the marathon, I think there’s a good chance he will jump into it pretty quickly. Also, I’d like to think the NCAA will consider championships in warmer settings moving forward. After the number of sprint records set this weekend, it only seems logical to have an environment that favors them rather than only host in Oregon. What was the best race of the season? Garrett: There is absolutely no question in my mind that the men’s 1500 was by far the best distance race of the season. It was an absolutely incredible finish and you truly had no idea who won the race when they crossed the line. They could have shown me a picture and I still wouldn’t have known who won. It was a thrilling race where the favorite got upset and just when you thought you knew what was going to happen, Yared Nuguse surprises you with a thrilling last second kick. Sam: Assuming I’m not allowed to pick Grant Holloway running 12.98 in the 110 hurdles, I’d have to go with the men’s steeple at NCAA's. It was an interesting race the entire time, but when we saw two falls with only 150 meters to go AND on different barriers, it looked like it could be almost anyone’s race. Plus, seeing Fahy win was nice as it would have been devastating to watch him run so well and then lose it all with 50 meters to go. Michael: I am tempted to say the women’s 10k just for Carmela Cardama Baez’s finish where she almost almost took down Weini Kelati. My other pick would be Allie O’s dominant win in the steeple. That race cemented her legacy as one of the best steeplechasers in NCAA history. Three straight national titles is no joke, and her post-race interview was great as well. Ben: Michael, I might agree with you just because of the post-race interview. I’ve listened to that far too many times. But for me, the best race I watched all year has to be the men’s 1500. The race had so many twists and turns which led to what looked like a sure win for Kiprotich only for it to be ripped out his hands by Nuguse. Letting Nuguse pass on the inside only makes the results that much more bittersweet for the Spartan senior. Quenten: Like my colleagues said, the men’s 1500 was pure entertainment from start to finish. You had many top favorites like, Reed Brown, Waleed Suliman, and Carlos Villarreal not qualify for the final. We had no clear cut favorite besides Oliver Hoare, but as the end result showed, a lot of things can change from a year ago. Maura: The women’s 10k and the men’s 1500 were the two races that stood out to me. Carmela Cardama Baez’s performance was gutsy. In most races, the one behind is able to make the pass because the one in front cannot match the surprise move, but Kelati showed that she had an extra gear that most people were probably not expecting. As for the men’s 1500, it really came down to that last 100 meters to determine who would be crowned not only the champion, but also First-Team All-American. Which runner was the biggest surprise performer this season? Sam: Normally, I would object to highlighting an NCAA champion, but I think Jazmine Fray winning the 800 at NCAA's was a huge surprise. She had consistently put up good times, but seemed to struggle in championship settings up until this weekend. Going wire-to-wire and running an NCAA leading time earlier in the season was something I would not have expected entering outdoors. Ben: For me, it has to be Thomas Ratcliffe. We knew he had the talent to compete with anyone in the country and this year he finally put together a healthy and successful season. To finish 3rd in a stacked 5k field was a perfect way to finish out his breakout season. Stanford, even with the loss of Fisher, is quietly set up to have a very nice cross country team especially with Steven Fahy announcing that he will likely be back assuming that NCAA grants him additional eligibility. Garrett: Oregon’s Cardama Baez was a name that I truthfully didn’t have much faith in prior to this past weekend. She had a handful of strong performances, but there wasn’t a ton on her resume that told me that she was going to threaten Weini Kelati in a massive final kick for the national title. She completely elevated her game at the right time and produced an extremely clutch performance. Quenten: It has to be Hannah Steelman from Wofford. She ran a great race in the steeplechase earning her a bronze medal. Then, just 75 minutes later, she toed the line for the 5000 and finished 8th! That’s two All-American performances in arguably the hardest races in distance running. Michael: I have to agree with Ben that Thomas Ratcliffe had one of the most surprising seasons. We have seen a couple great races from him prior to this season, but never at a championship meet. He ran 13:32 at the Cardinal Classic and then had an underwhelming performance at PAC-12’s which did not give me a whole lot of faith in his championship racing ability. For him to come back and finish 3rd in the 5k at NCAA's was huge. Maura: I’m going to have to agree with Quenten. Steelman had a great double in the steeple and 5k. I had never heard of Steelman before this season, but she made it clear that she will be a title contender in years to come. In the 5k, she beat the two women ahead of her from the steeplechase, which speaks to how well she recovered and believed in her fitness. Which runner was the most underwhelming? Maura: Danae Rivers not qualifying for the NCAA final surprised me. She didn’t have the strongest of seasons, never really dropping a standout performance. Quenten: For me personally, it has to be Grant Fisher. Fisher had a huge PR in the 5000 at the Cardinal Classic in April with a 13:29.52, but it never really translated at NCAA’s. He seems to be mentally beat by Morgan McDonald before the race even begins. The one national title to his name does stain his resume just a tad. Ben: Ooh, I was wondering if anyone was going to say Fisher. For all of Fisher’s accomplishments, of which there are many, it was tough to watch him lose to McDonald again this weekend. Garrett: I would say Fisher’s loss was the most frustrating (because it was literally the same race that we’ve seen 100 different times), but I would have to agree with Maura that Danae Rivers not making it to the finals was absolutely shocking. This is a woman who was considered by most of us to be the national title favorite. Not winning is one thing, but failing to get out the prelims is another. Imagine if Jessica Hull or Bryce Hoppel didn’t make their final...the world would have fallen apart. Sam : Rivers was by far the most underwhelming in my opinion. Back at the Wanamaker mile this past winter, she ran 4:29 which was an NCAA leading mark. However, she then opted to run the 800 at the indoor national meet which she narrowly won. I thought she would be dominant again outdoors, but she was somewhat under the radar all year. Not making the NCAA finals was the nail in the coffin for her outdoor season. Part of me wanted to say Fisher, but I think getting 2nd to an incredible athlete like McDonald, is more frustrating than underwhelming. Michael: Karisa Nelson is a name that comes to mind for me here. The 2017 indoor mile champion was 2nd in the mile at the Indoor National Championships this year, but failed to make the final in the 1500 outdoors. There was a considerable amount of hype around her return during indoors, but she did not deliver outdoors. Danae Rivers’ performance at NCAA’s was also very unexpected. Maura: Nelson rarely made headlines this season. Her performances were similar to most women in the NCAA. I feel that even if she had a good day, she would not have been the champion. Nelson never produced a time that turned heads. Ben: Does it count if I say NAU’s men's team? While Day threw down a spectacular 5k at Payton Jordan to run 13:25, it was tough to watch the rest of the team fail to score a single point. The Lumberjacks certainly won the battle against their rivals at BYU in cross country, but the Cougars turned the table during indoor and outdoor track. It will be an interesting matchup to watch again next cross country season. Michael: That is a good point, Ben. NAU has always seemed to be a cross country focused program, but they had a lot of potential on the track this outdoor season and did not deliver. Tyler Day’s 6th place finish in the 10k was impressive, but in my mind he should have been top two. What was the biggest overall surprise of the season? Garrett: For me, the biggest surprises were the ones that have nothing to do with actual running. After we saw a ton of transfers and coaching changes last summer, I thought this year would be a little quieter. That, however, has not been the case as we have seen a handful of big-name talents switch programs and shakeup the balance of power in the NCAA...and that wasn’t even during the official off-season. Sam: I definitely agree with Garrett about the transfer of power. As for my biggest surprise, I would say that it seemed like there were a lot more athletes from non-traditional NCAA powerhouses at the National Championships this year. Notable names like Hannah Steelman, Nia Atkins, and Jack Anstey were all prominent in their respective finals this year despite coming from schools like Wofford, Penn, and Illinois State. Maura: Sam, I’m not at all surprised about Anstey, but that’s just because I know him well. His racing all season proved he could compete alongside the best in the NCAA. Besides that point, the biggest overall surprise of the season for me had to be how many women decided to focus on an event where they weren’t exactly the favorite. For example, Paige Stoner was highly ranked in the steeplechase, but decided to focus on the 10k where she ultimately finished 7th. Erica Birk went all in for the steeple, but also walked away 5th. Rachel Pocratsky attempted the 1500, but didn’t even make the finals. How would NCAA’s have turned out if these women opted for different events? Quenten: I’m sorry, but I have to go back to Grant Fisher for me. If you told me that he would come up empty of a National Championship win in his senior year I would call you crazy. After racing McDonald so many times and being defeated so many times, often the same way, you would think he would capture just one more title during his senior year at Stanford. Michael: Jessica Hull losing the 1500 at NCAA’s was surprising based on how dominant she was all year. In our predictions, I did pick Sinclaire Johnson 1st and Jessica Hull 2nd, but I was not confident that Johnson would be able to beat Hull. Sinclaire Johnson also had a great season, so this may not have been the biggest surprise, but I do not think most people imagined Hull losing. Ben: I was surprised and a little disappointed in Oliver Hoare’s season. After such a dominant start to the indoor season, it seemed like he was destined to win two more titles this year. Instead, he was upset in both the mile and the 1500. I hope we see a stellar revenge season from him next year...if he decides not to go pro. Which athletes are you most excited to watch in 2020? Sam: Christina Aragon. We didn’t see her in cross country or track, but she was one of the best in the NCAA. Assuming she comes into next fall/spring healthy, she should be a lot of fun to watch and will add to an already strong Stanford squad. Quenten: It will be interesting to see if Jessica Hull returns to Oregon or turn pro. If she does stay in Eugene for her senior year, I would love to see how she rebounds from her loss to Sinclaire Johnson. Johnson is also a junior, meaning we could have a huge rivalry taking form. Of course, all of this is assuming that the two women stay in the collegiate system. Garrett: 2020 will be the year of Erica Birk. She has already showed off tremendous range and incredible times. If she doesn’t fall on that final water pit, she is likely finishing higher than 5th at NCAA’s. With Ostrander and a handful of other women no longer in her way, she can enter any event and be an immediate national title contender next year. As for the men, Joe Klecker will have a very good chance of winning a national title next year - something he very much deserves if everything goes right. He’s been incredibly patient and by 2020 that patience will most likely have paid off. Michael: I am excited to see what Thomas Ratcliffe can do in cross country (as well as on the track). As a freshman he won the Stanford XC Invitational in a time that stacked up with performances by All Americans and athletes who have gone on to have very successful pro careers. His 3rd place finish in the 5k shows that he has what it takes to run with the top dogs and I think he can have a huge career if he stays healthy. Maura: For the women, I’m going to have to say Adva Cohen. Cohen had a decent showing this past weekend, but I think there’s a chance she could have pushed Ostrander further in the steeplechase. For her first season in D1, she walks away with plenty of experience. Cohen didn’t even qualify for the indoor national meet this past season so imagine what she can do next year with the way she performed outdoors. As for the men, like Michael, I’m going to say Ratcliffe. His 3rd place finish hopefully means he has found a way to stay healthy throughout a season. If he keeps the momentum going, he could fill the shoes of Fisher. Ben: On the men’s side I am really excited to see what Bryce Hoppel can do as an encore to his historic season. Will he make it through the season undefeated again? How fast will he be able to run? Add him to the list of 800 meter studs who have come through the NCAA in the past few years. For the women, I am looking forward to watching Weini Kelati try to win her first cross country title. With the distance being only 6k, will she be able to distance herself from the rest of the field to win? She certainly would benefit the most from moving the distance up to 8k. Any way too early thoughts on the upcoming cross country season? Sam: My first thought - it sucks that Dani Jones is out of eligibility. I would have loved to see her and Weini Kelati face off again this fall. Garrett: I am absolutely amped for cross country. So many of the top teams from last year graduated their top runners, so the balance of power is completely up in the air for both the men and the women. Washington’s addition of Andrew Jordan makes things extremely interesting while NAU and BYU will need to bounce back after losing a number of low-sticks. Colorado loses a ton of All-Americans from last year’s title team, but they gain McArthur and Venters as consolation prizes. Maura: Notably absent during NCAA’s was Wisconsin’s Alicia Monson. I think she will be one to once again look at during the cross country season. 4th at last years cross country national meet and winning the 5k indoors gives her some confidence, but now she has to bounce back from a tough outdoor season. Ben: Like Garrett, I am stoked for cross country because anything could happen. This is the first time in a few years where there isn’t a clear favorite going into the season. We could see a handful of teams compete for the top spot which just was not the case this past year where two teams were clearly head and shoulders above the rest. In addition, this coming season will give plenty of teams and athletes a chance to build their legacies. If NAU can win yet another title after the loss of Baxter, Day, and Lomong, then their dynasty might be considered the best ever. Like the team title, the individual title is wide open. Both defending champions have run out of eligibility so we will see two brand new NCAA XC champions. Sam : Colorado also gains a phenomenal freshman in Minnesota’s Emily Covert who finished top five at NXN and Foot Locker this past fall. Michael: I have absolutely nothing against NAU, but I am ready to see another team win. My prediction is Washington comes up big to break into the top three and threaten for the win. The Huskies finished 6th last fall after being ranked much worse all season so they have already proven their ability to mix it up with some of the top teams. I think they can make a huge statement this year. NAU and BYU will be weaker than what we saw from this past fall, so there is no better time for a new team to break onto the scene. Quenten: Truthfully, I am ready to see a different champion on the men’s side which coincides with Michael’s thoughts. A great analogy I like to think of is NAU as the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have dominated for years now, but everyone seems to be rooting for them to lose during this year's NBA Finals. I think fans would love to see a different champion, just like the world is cheering for the Toronto Raptors to pull off the upset. NAU is losing huge pieces due to eligibility and this could be the year a different team rises to knocked them off. Maura: For the men, I’m looking forward to seeing the NAU/BYU rivalry come alive again. It doesn’t really seem to be present during the track season, but come cross country, it will likely be reignited. As for a potential surprise, Oregon rebuilt their program after losing Coach Powell to Washington and they just got a superb transfer in Noah Affolder. With this addition, it will be interesting to see what the men of Oregon can do in September, October, and November.

1500 Finals Sean: Woah. In 90+ degree heat, this race went out fast!It was 3:03 at the bell, these ladies ran one hell of a race. We all should have known Johnson had the ability to beat Hull, but it was just incredible to see that race. Jessica Harris and Whitni Orton deserve credit for making sure people ran that fast. Johnson is NCAA #7 All-Time I believe with that 4:05.98 which is just incredible and Hull moves to NCAA # 9. Those are #2 and #4 respectively if you count only in-season times. Imagine if this race had been in 70 degree temperatures. Sam : WOW…what a race. Johnson ran a great tactile race. Surprise to see Hull look so tight that last 150 meters. Does anyone know if it was windy? I will say that I figured OK State would do well given they train in similar heat all the time. Maura: You have to give credit to Jessica Harris for pushing the pace with 800 meters remaining. That move really set up how the rest of the race would play out for Hull and Johnson. Maura: What do you think of the Indoor Mile champion, Julia Rizk, fading to 12th? She seemed to not have much confidence heading into this final as she was never in the mix upfront. Sam : Personally, I’m not surprised. I originally predicted she either wouldn’t make finals or wouldn’t make NCAA's (don’t remember which), but I think her winning indoors was a combination of her being fit and the field not being terribly strong. Plus, indoors can have weird tactics that may or may not impact top athletes more than others. Sean: I have to think that the heat and pace really hurt her and a number of other athletes too. So many people had to run hard in the prelims that I expected a few to struggle today anyway. Then with such a quick pace, it’s tough to be too disappointed in anyone who didn’t have it today. Sam : Do you guys think that Hull is regretting not running the 5000 as well? Maura: I don’t think she will regret not running the 5k. She has shown remarkable closing speed this season in the 1500. Hull looked comfortable until the final 150 meters, Johnson just had that extra gear and timed her final kick perfectly. 3000 Steeplechase Finals Sean: We should never doubt Allie O. That’s all. Sam : She’s still not going to win the 5000. Sean: If you watched Ostrander’s interview, she makes it super clear that the heat really hurts. Probably the funniest quote I’ve ever seen after a race, but yes she’s going to really struggle to double back. Maura: Prouse the runner-up again. She closed well after leading early in the race. I was hoping Erica Birk-Jarvis would’ve finished 2nd, but that fall on the water jump hurt her. I wonder if Birk-Jarvis will regret focusing on the steeple rather than the 5k. Sam : In my opinion, Birk made the right choice. Had she not fallen, I think she would have been runner-up. Sam : I think my livestream is behind because I watched you type that and then heard the quote about 30 seconds later… Also Ostrander, Cohen, and Prouse are all coming back for the 5000 I believe. Do any of them make the podium? Sean: I really think no one is going to survive the double. You just can’t cool down and then warm-up easily enough especially since there’s still a trophy celebration. Sean: I want to give huge props to Rebekah Topham of Wichita State. She was off the back by 15-20 meters in the first two laps and she managed to pull back four runners to get 8th. It’s awesome to see people run their own race and not be persuaded into trying to rush a game plan that won’t work for them. Maura: Agreed about Topham. I didn’t think she would work her way up after that, but she is a patient runner. Topham redshirted last year to focus on improving in the steeplechase and it looks to have paid off for her. Sam: Topham might have had the most impressive performance of anyone in the race. Ostrander ran great, but that was about what we expected. Sean: I’d probably pick Hannah Steelman for the best race above projection in this one, but Topham and Prouse definitely deserve honorable mentions there. Wofford track and field is pretty much unheard of outside of Steelman so it’s awesome to see them get some success. Sam : That’s one thing I enjoy about these conversations. Many of the athletes who don’t win tend to get overlooked and it’s great to mention their performances since they ran great races. Maura: Let’s just take a look to next year real quick: Does Allie O. win a 4th steeple title? Sam : I picked Cohen this year and was way off… so yes - Ostrander fourpeats. Sprints Appreciation Section 110 Hurdles Sean: 12.40!!! Janeek Brown runs what I think is a world lead. Clearly this track environment is wonderful for the sprints and it’s great to see that this stadium is allowing the times that we would expect in the sprints here. The rest of the times were smoking fast too as Brissett goes 12.52 for 2nd which is still an NCAA All-Time Top 10 performance. Sam : On that note, I’m glad they finally moved the meet from Eugene. While the atmosphere and weather of Oregon is certainly much better for distance events, it isn’t usually ideal for sprinters. The meet in Austin has seen many times close or better than collegiate records which is incredible. Moreover, even when distance conditions are good, how often do you see an honest race at Nationals? Maura: One thing that draws me to watching the sprinters is the way they appear to recover quickly from one race, where they run extremely fast times, and do it all over again. 100 Sean: Add another “Wow” to what is becoming a stellar NCAA Championships. Sha’Carri Richardson just absolutely crushed it. Absolutely amazing. Maura: 10.75! How does someone even move their legs that fast? And Richardson is only a freshman. Just wait, she is coming back for the 200. Sam : And she threw her arms up the last 5-10 meters… Can we have NCAA's in warm weather every year? Or at least alternate between two places... Sean: It’s tough to explain exactly how sprinters can 1) celebrate and still maintain their speed and 2) come back and run so quickly in a second event, but it’s all about race management. Sha’Carri can celebrate with her arms because she still actively applies force into the ground efficiently and in the correct positions. On the second, since 100's and 200's never force you to enter the aerobic energy system, as long as you can control your body heat throughout your warm-up/cool down and then work to eliminate the lactic acid from your legs, you’re in great shape to recover for a 2nd or 3rd race. Sam : My comment on the arms was mainly to point out she might have been able to run a little faster... 400 Sean: Wadeline Jonathas has to be one of the best Division I/III stories of the year. Jonathas transferred to South Carolina last year after setting a number of sprint records at the Division III levels. For her to transfer into the SEC and make such an impact is a great reminder of the quality of NCAA athletics across all divisions, her talent, and the coaches at South Carolina Sam: According to the internet, the wind at the stadium right now is 3 to 4 mph. Seems like fairly ideal conditions for multi-lap events. 400 Hurdles Sean: Seeing Cockrell come back after what was certainly a lackluster hurdles race for her is awesome. Her form is very good as you could see with her ability to switch legs smoothly and not stutter. In the grand scheme of things, this race isn’t the most impressive result we’ve seen in comparison to some world leading performances from earlier, but she dominated the race. Sam: Getting the win is going to be key in the team race as well. Arkansas has Taylor Werner and Devin Clark in the 5000. This could come down to the 4 x 4... 200 Sean: That was such a close race and very fast! Annelus got a huge lean at the tape to get the win. Richardson leaned just a little bit too early, but couldn’t keep the lean quite as forward. Plus a World Junior Record for Richardson?! That’s a great race. Maura: A World Lead for Annelus and she picks up some crucial points for USC. This run came after she finished 7th in the 100m, quite the comeback. Sean: And according to USTFCCCA, Janeek Brown runs the fastest 100 hurdles/200 single day double in the history of the world. Sam : At this point, they have to start having NCAA's in hotter places… As a distance runner at heart, these sprints have been beyond exciting. Maura: I think a fitting place could be Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa). At this time of year in the Midwest, it can be hot during the day and cools off nicely at night. Humidity could be an issue, but Austin has ridiculous humidity levels as well. 800 Finals Sam : Fray. Is. Back. Maura: Fray’s move to the right really kept Nia Akins from passing in the final 50 meters. Fray dictated that race from the beginning and she never looked stressed. Sean: Yeah, as a Penn alum, that move out to the edge of lane two seems really close to impeding, but that’s still a huge race from Fray and Akins. Pretty incredible racing. PR's from Allie Wilson and Susan Ejore too which are easy to miss with the two breaking 2:02 up front. Sam : When they hit 400 meters, Ejore looked really strong and I thought she was maybe going to pull out the win. Maura: With just shy of 200 meters to go, Avi’ Tal Wilson-Perteete tried to make a pass on the inside, but Fray shut her down, which was smart. Wilson-Perteete still finished 3rd, but I think that if she had been on the outside, her pass may have been successful. 5000 Final Sean: It’s tough not to root for Taylor Werner after hearing her story. She puts absolutely everything on the line for her team and you can just see the heart that she races with. Proud to see her get 2nd and score a total of 13 points for the Razorbacks over the championships. Sam : Jones looked like she was cruising the entire time, even in that last 100 meters. Huge race by Werner. Not surprised with Kelati fading - the 10,000 can do some damage in the heat. Maura: You really have to watch out for Jones and that kick. She had herself in good positioning that entire race, patiently waiting for when she wanted to make her move. Werner bounced back from the 10k well to really make Jones work in the final lap. Sam : Jones made a key move to avoid being boxed in by Werner with right around a lap to go. Smart tactics by Werner, smart cover by Jones. Overall it was a great race and Werner arguably had the most impressive performance in the field given she way outperformed her projection and bounced back in the heat. Sean: It’s tough to find fault in any of the race tactics from this one. Smith probably thought she could divide the field enough to earn herself a medal. It worked, but she just couldn’t hold off the field as they came back to her. Maura: Besides Steelman finishing 8th, look at the other four women who ran the steeple: Prouse finished 15th, Ostrander 16th, and Cohen and Clark DNF. The 5k/10k double doesn’t seem as tough now... Sean: Race of the day has to go to Hannah Steelman! Just like Maura said, everyone fell apart from the steeple but her. For Steelman to grab two First-Team All-American finishes is so impressive. When Allie Ostrander struggles to make the double, you know that it’s tough. Maura : Esther Gitahi was a surprise finish in 3rd and walks away with a five second PR. Plus, you’ve got Josette Norris in 4th place. Two women who were not considered favorites, but both ended up beating Kelati.

1500 Finals Garrett: Wow...what a race. That may have been the best finish I have ever seen. Yared Nuguse showed that he may the gutsiest (and the best) finisher in the NCAA. Also, props to Kiprotich who had me absolutely convinced that he was going to win this race with 150 meters to go. The Michigan State veteran was one of many names who were willing to make this race exciting. It would have been nice to see him finish his collegiate career with a national title, but Yared Nuguse is a young talent who will be a major problem for his competitors in the future (and he already is). Maura: Literally sitting on the edge of my seat while watching that finish. When Nuguse fell back, I didn’t think he had a final kick in him, but boy was I wrong. Garrett: Also, how about Oliver Hoare? He just completely faded and in the eyes of many, he was the favorite to win the national title. As it turns out, he may not be a super great tactical runner like we initially thought. Maura: Even though Hoare made a move at 200 meters, I just didn’t see it being the winning move. Throughout the course of the season, Hoare didn’t exactly look the greatest, especially after losing to Kiprotich at BIG 10's. Maura: Overall, this race came down to who had the best position heading into the final 100 meters. Look at the way Cameron Griffith and Jack Anstey were able to slide their way into the top seven ahead of Casey Comber and Sam Worley. Sam: Jumping in a bit late here, but that was a great race. I’m not surprised to see Hoare lose. He seems great when the field gets strung out but when it becomes tactile (i.e indoors) he has struggled a bit. Sean: This race had a ton of movement and it was nice to see so many people go to the front. Nuguse and Hoare obviously took a lot of the pace early on but then Kiprotich, Comber, and Paulson all went to the front at some point. Knevelbaard finished strong too which was awesome to watch as he sat at the back all race. 3000 Steeplechase Finals Garrett: So many emotions from this final. The fall from Michalski was heartbreaking and although he likely would have been passed by Fahy anyways, I felt bad that he went down on the final water pit. As for Fahy, his fall on the final hurdle followed by his celebration less than 100 meters later was rather comical. The near tragedy followed by immediate elation is always a funny contrast. Maura: The fact that Fahy was able to get back up and still wins shows his willingness to win. He was also lucky to have a decent lead heading into the final barrier. A championship is a great way to go out after a strong career at Stanford. Garrett: Also, what a rough day for the BYU men in this event. They had four men in the race, but took the last three spots (in addition to Matt Owens finishing 8th). This is a talented group, but they just sat in the back of the pack and couldn’t seem to rally when the main group began to surge. Maura: I was expecting more from the BYU men in that steeplechase final. Having four men in the final should have built some confidence for the men because it could be run similar to a workout. Owens was really the only man who put himself in the race early while the other three fell to the back fairly quickly after the start. Sean: Really, what was Matt Owens doing? If his teammates weren’t feeling great, why would you take the lead and push the pace? I just don’t understand the purpose of that move, especially since he couldn’t hold on for a high placing himself. I definitely want to give props to Steven Fahy though. Fahy often gets overlooked behind the Fisher and the other Stanford guys so it’s awesome to see him get a championship. Maura: What a finish by Ryan Smeeton though. The Oklahoma State sophomore was near the front the entire race and came into the final straightaway well to finish 2nd. His 8:27 PR from earlier this season was not a fluke, he is the real deal and should be one to watch for next year. Sprints Appreciation Section Garrett: My roommate verbatim said “he’ll run 12.98” before the 110 hurdles went off. Holloway is a freak of nature and his athleticism is absolutely mind-boggling. And for Daniel Roberts to run 13.00 and STILL not win a national title? That’s just crazy. Those two paired with Noah Lyles and Michael Norman on the pro circuit equates to a very bright future for the United States sprints/hurdles group. Sam: Prior to the race I texted my friend saying that Holloway was the best athlete in the NCAA. Does this confirm that? Also, Divine Oruduru running 9.86 is crazy. Only 0.8 m/s wind and he was only 0.04 seconds off the collegiate record. Also, that 400 meter…man, this meet is wild. Sean: As a sprinter/multi athlete, this meet has been wonderful. The hurdle battle for the ages is a great way to end Roberts career and I’d have to assume Holloway’s. 12.98 is absolutely no joke and those two times are world #1 and #2 if I’m not wrong. In the 100, Oduduru taking the world lead shows why coming to Austin is a great choice for the sport. A Japanese record for Hakim Sani Brown in 9.97 is awesome as well; a great reminder of the global nature of the NCAA with Oduduru and Sani Brown representing Nigeria and Japan, respectively. In the 400, I thought this might be NC A&T’s opportunity to grab a title as Trevor Stewart ran a huge 44.25, but Kahmari Montgomery just got him at the line. The 200 was another fun one as Oduduru hit times that were only really touched at NCAA's by De Grasse when it was wind-aided in Oregon. His presence was great for this meet. And not to be outdone by all of this, 37.97 for a collegiate record by Florida is mighty impressive. Now, I’m going to go off on the 400 hurdles for a bit. Quincy Hall is clearly the fastest individual in this field, but watching his form was almost embarrassing. The statement the announcers made about Hall wanting to go sub 48 seconds is totally possible, but he needs to really work his pattern. Hall’s struggles this year were due to the fact that he split time between the open 400 and the 400 hurdles. Rhythm in the 400 hurdles can be mimicked in practice, but there is no substitute for racing and Hall just didn’t do quite enough racing before this meet for him to be smooth. It’s still an awesome victory for him, but Grimes and the rest of the field had much better races in my opinion. If Hall continues to run deep into the summer, he could pull together his form to challenge for a World Final. 800 Finals Ben: Boy was that a weird race. Hoppel is un-beat-able! Garrett: That race was the true test of Hoppel’s talent. He had everything thrown at him with the hard pace, although he got a little bit lucky by having the inside lane open up on the final curve. Brilliant race by him and it validates Hoppel as an all-time great in an era that has been headlined by elites like Saruni, Brazier, Korir, McBride, and Harris. Maura: The race was over after Dixon left that door open for Hoppel on the inside lane. A championship, a PR, and a continued streak for Hoppel were the end result. Festus Lagat made a good effort in trying to catch Dixon for 2nd, but ran out of track. Lagat was still able to run a PR. Garrett: Big performance for Festus Lagat. He’s been a solid, middle-of-the-road 800 runner, but that performance really put him in the next tier. The top two finishers may have run 1:44, but don’t overlook Lagat’s two second PR of 1:45.05. Ben: I honestly thought that Lagat was going to catch Hoppel in the last 50 meters, but Hoppel showed why he has been undefeated all year. Sean: Not much to saw beyond what you all noted, but tough to see the Texas Tech guys really struggle in the final. They’re still going to probably win the team title, but you have to imagine a team loss falls on their shoulders based on points. 5000 Final Garrett: Literally the same race we’ve seen a handful of times before. No surprise at all. Ben: Can someone crop McDonald’s face onto Thanos? He is inevitable. Ben: As I wrote earlier in the season , McDonald had a chance to join some elite company if he won a title outdoors. He just did and now becomes the fourth runner ever to win at least three titles and a cross country title in the same year. Maura: Besides the top two we all predicted, what about Thomas Ratcliffe finishing 3rd? For someone who can be so up and down, he was definitely on his game tonight. Garrett: Agreed, Ratcliffe was huge! Great to see him rebound and earn a bronze medal to complete a phenomenal comeback season for him. With Fisher and Ratcliffe finishing 2-3 and Fahy winning the steeplechase, the Stanford men had a great day. Ben: Another impressive run by Clayton Young to put himself into contention again, but a disappointing national meet for NAU. I really thought Beamish would give McDonald and Fisher a run for their money. Maura: I agree with you there, Ben. Beamish never seemed to be in the race, whereas Brodey Hasty at least gave himself a chance. You have to wonder what happened to Cooper Teare though. He came in seeded #3 and ended up finishing 22nd. Garrett: Yeah, NAU really underperformed this weekend. That roster has so much talent, but they just couldn’t put it together. Granted, there were plenty of others who failed to meet expectations, but after dominating cross country you thought the Lumberjacks would be able to play a little bit more of a role. Maura: BYU seems to dominate more come outdoor track, but NAU currently owns the cross country scene. Aside from that point, Young and Mantz recovered well after a successful 10k. Mantz’s race will carry over some valuable experience into next year. Ben: Seeing Kigen, Mantz, Brandt, and Young run well after the 10k seems to bode well for the women who are doubling tomorrow. We will see if Kelati can repeat her performance from the 10k in the 5k tomorrow and if Ostrander can recover quick enough after the steeple to contend for a 5k national title.

1500 Prelims Maura: The NCAA Leader vs. The Defending Champion. As expected, Jessica Hull and Sinclaire Johnson made it out safely from their preliminary heats. I’m looking forward to what these two can do in the final when they meet for the first time this outdoor season. Even though we saw most of the favorites qualify, there were some shocking finishes...and not in a good way. Rachel Pocratsky, Karisa Nelson, Alexis Fuller, and Carina Viljoen all failed to qualify for the finals. Garrett: Wow, that was...ugly. No Pocratsky. No Nelson. No Fuller. I really thought that a tactical race would favor Pocratsky given her speed, but that’s what happens when you lead a slow tactical race. Without a Pocratsky-Fuller-Nelson trio, this women’s 1500 final loses a ton of firepower. Ben: That just ruined my projections. I had all four of those women finishing in the top eight. Really surprised to see Pocratsky out. She was, in my opinion, the biggest challenger to Hull besides Sinclaire Johnson. Maura: Like Ben, I too just saw my women’s 1500 projections fall apart. Garrett: Branching off of Sinclaire Johnson, the Oklahoma State women continue to produce quietly strong results as three women qualified for the finals. It’s a wildly impressive result. Ben: It seems like this is the year for dominant team performances. Oklahoma State is picking up where BYU left off last night. 3000 Steeplechase Prelims Garrett: Allie Ostrander is so. flipping. good. She just cruised a 9:44 like it was nothing and then turned around handing water out to her competitors who were pretty much gassed. Ostrander looks completely untouchable. Ben: Does that change your thoughts on Ostrander’s chances at winning the steeple and 5k? Garrett: A little bit, but not much. It’s still a brutal double without much rest in the scorching heat. Although I will say that if the race is tactical...you never know what could happen. Ben: I agree. For me, it depends on how hard she gets pushed in the steeple. With Cohen, Prouse, and Birk in the race I think she will have to dig deep to win, but if she cruises again then she has a shot. Garrett: Outside of the Boise State star, Cierra Simmons and Rachel King not qualifying for the finals is tough. These were two women who showed enough potential to be All-Americans during the regular season. I was also a little bummed about McKenzie Andrews not qualifying as I thought she would have been a great sleeper pick for the podium. Unfortunately, heat two didn’t play out in her favor. Maura: Wichita State’s Rebekah Topham qualifying for the finals was a surprise for me. She has been quietly moving up in the NCAA this season and she appears to be a tactical runner. If Topham remains patient in the finals, she could find herself in the top eight. Maura: Val Constien is also living up to the Colorado steeplechase legacy of All-Americans. Don’t count her out of a potential top four finish. Garrett: Agreed, Constien is a great pick to get into an All-American position. She is someone who could find herself in the top eight if she gets into a good position on Saturday. Maura: Quick note with regards to those doing the steeple/5k double, there are five women (Ostrander, Cohen, Prouse, Clark, and Steelman) who will make an attempt to be named double First-Team All-American. With the short time period between the two finals on Saturday, it will be interesting to see which of these five recover the fastest. 800 Prelims Ben: The defending indoor 800 meter champ is OUT! Shocking from Danae Rivers. Garrett: Just at a complete loss for words. She just did not look great at all. It was all so bad. The trip on Egbeniyi, the failure to get around the wall of women in front of her, the clear discomfort on her face with 300 meters to go...it was all such a shock. Ben: Surprising to also see Susan Aneno, Martha Bissah, Abike Egbeniyi out as well. My predictions, again, are not looking great. Garrett: Very happy to see BYU’s Anna Camp advance. She has done so well this season and has made tremendous progression over the past few months. On the flip side, I would have loved to see Aneno in the final. She got dealt with a brutal heat and I feel like she would’ve been better off in a different race. Ben: I know that Rivers not making it to finals is crazy, but should we have seen this coming a little bit? While she won indoors, it was a very close race where she misplayed her tactics. With so many athletes running top 800 times outdoors, it was always going to be tough just to qualify for Nationals. Maura: I agree with Ben. Rivers did not put herself in good positioning at any point during that race. After watching those prelims, Nia Akins looks to be in prime championship form. Akins has proved that her runner-up finish at Indoors was not a fluke. Ben: Additionally, we got to see a strong race from Jazmine Fray who has struggled at Nationals in the past. You have to imagine that this race will give her confidence as she heads into the finals. Garrett: These are all good points. Still, I just thought that a woman who was the collegiate indoor record holder for the 1000 meters and then owns a 4:29 mile would at least be able to get onto the podium in her best event... Ben: Agreed! I think we put too much weight on her indoor performance instead of what she did outdoors which was not nearly as impressive. Maura: Someone a little overlooked right now is Kristie Schoffield. Although she qualified on time, Schoffield has been in the mix with the top runners in recent races. 10,000 Finals Maura: What a finish! If Carmela Cardama Baez had made the pass on Weini Kelati, there would have been a major upset. Even though Kelati found one more gear, Cardama Baez has shown she is not a sleeper pick anymore. Garrett: What? Of course, I’ve always been a fan of *looks at results* Carmela Cardama Baez. Ben: I guess I should know this, but who? Garrett: Kelati was so far ahead in the final lap that even when Cardama Baez threw down a heavy kick on the final lap, you just never thought she would really make it interesting...looks like I was wrong. Truthfully, I wasn’t sold on the Oregon junior before this race, but my opinion has clearly changed. Ben: Kelati showed me she was the favorite. The race served as a microcosm of who she is as a runner. The New Mexico Lobo led nearly the entire race (or at least the important parts of it) and showed all her strengths and her biggest weakness. Luckily for Kelati, her strengths made up for her lack of a kick. My big takeaway from this race is that Kelati is about to have a really hard time winning the 5k. Dani Jones and company will throw down some hard kick like Cardema Baez did, and it will be fascinating to see if Kelati can hang on again. Maura: Another strong result out of this race has to be Isobel Batt-Doyle taking the bronze. Batt-Doyle has come out fighting this outdoor season, producing some solid results. I really wish I had made some different choices with my predictions. Garrett: Agreed. Batt-Doyle has done a phenomenal job this season. She was consistently at the top of her game over the past three months and raced at a very high level. Josette Norris may have some competition for breakout runner of the year after all... Ben: Anyone else a little disappointed in Paige Stoner? I thought she was one of the safe bets to finish in the top three and push Kelati, but she wasn’t able to hang with the pack after the big surge. Garrett: After a shaky regionals performance, I wasn’t too blown away. Races like these are unpredictable. Maura: What about Ednah Kurgat? She ended up 9th, which is not where you would expect someone of her talent. Ben: Ever since her sensational indoor 5k in December, she has had a downward trajectory, but because of her talent she has hung around the national picture. I’m not sure what has happened to her since that December race, but something has just been a little off for her this season. All this to say, I’m not very surprised to see her finish 9th. Garrett: Also, shoutout to Anna Rohrer for setting the pace and making the field work for it. Maura: Agreed. Rohrer really helped open this race up early on. After coming back from an injury and only racing twice before tonight, Rohrer still proved that she belongs with the top women in the NCAA.

1500 Prelims Garrett: Heat two wasn’t really full of many surprises. The heavy favorites and veterans got into the final round as expected. It was pretty cool to see Colorado’s Eduardo Herrera advance after being seeded #43 in the West Region. However, seeing that both Carlos Villarreal and Waleed Suliman did not qualify for the finals is a shock. They were elite talents that were expected to move on and, depending on who you asked, were deep sleeper picks to take home NCAA gold. Maura: As Garrett pointed out, heat two went just as planned, the favorites survived and advanced. Heat one, on the other hand, left me guessing after many pre-race favorites struggled. Illinois State’s Jack Anstey qualifying for the finals was not at all surprising for me. Anstey has shown his strength and speed all season. Garrett: Maura brings up a good point. Seeing Jack Anstey advance is interesting and when you look at the other qualifiers around him (such as Kiprotich and Knevelbaard), it’s clear that the tactical runners with better overall speed thrived in this prelim. Maura: Another surprise has to be Oregon’s Reed Brown finishing in last place overall after coming in as the #12 seed. Maybe the heat and humidity started to take its toll early, only leaving those questioning how the 5k and 10k runners will do. Ben: As Matt pointed out in our GroupMe, it was surprising to see Brown miss out on finals because he is from Texas and should be prepared for the conditions more than anyone in the field (with the exception of Sam Worley). One runner I have been impressed by is Knevelbaard who, after a disappointing during the Indoor National Championships, has run extremely well at regionals and is now through the first round. I think he is a sleeper to win the title on Friday. 3000 Steeplechase Prelims Maura: BYU men are set up for a historic championship after qualifying all four steeplechasers to the final. Whatever Coach Eyestone is doing in Provo seems to be working for his distance runners. Garrett: This will be overlooked, but BYU sending all four men to the finals in the steeplechase may be just as impressive as sending six men to Nationals in the 10k (maybe even more impressive). Ben: I think it probably is more impressive in an event that has a lot more variables than the 10k. Maura: Besides the BYU dominance, many of the favorites qualified for the finals (Ali, Fahy, Smeeton, and Michalski). Fahy looks to be in good position to vie for the national title after winning his heat. However, Ed Trippas, the #1 seed from the regional championship, failed to qualify for the finals, as did Alec Basten. After Trippas ran 8:33 at regionals, I was looking forward to a fast steeplechase that would most likely be determined at the finish line. Garrett: There were a handful of big names with fast PR’s that were going to be left out. Unsurprisingly, the men who were less experienced on the national stage (like Trippas and Basten) didn’t move on, although that should speak volumes to freshman Kenneth Rooks who is moving on the finals. After him, the rest of the field is about what I expected... Ben: I was surprised to see Emmanuel Rotich from Tulane to miss out on the final, but like Garrett said, there were going to be some big names left out. I feel even better about Steven Fahy’s chances after running another very solid race. Between Fahy, Smeeton, Ali, and Michalski the steeple final is going to be an all out brawl. 800 Prelims Maura: If you’re not already on the Bryce Hoppel bandwagon, you should be hopping on after he continued his winning streak. Winning the prelim in a personal best has to give Hoppel a lot of confidence heading into the final. At this point, how could you bet against Hoppel? As for the rest of the field, some of the favorites did not advance through the finals: Isaiah Jewett, Roshon Roomes, Dejon Devroe, and Myles Marshall. Jewett appeared to let up just before the finish line, ultimately costing a chance to race for a title. Garrett: I agree that Hoppel is still the favorite, but I’m interested to see how he’ll rebound after running a personal best in the prelims. That may have been Dixon’s goal - to make Hoppel work harder in the earlier rounds and make him do it again on Friday. Regardless, I’m not too overly shocked about the men who didn’t move on. They weren’t quite established veterans and weren’t really known for their experience...although Jewett was a bit surprising in my mind. Ben: It is really hard to imagine Hoppel not winning at this point. Between his fitness (which seems like it is at an all-time best) and smarts, the Jayhawk ace knows how to get it done. His only challenger, Dixon, has the talent, but he hasn’t been able to run a smart tactical race at Nationals. Maybe he will be able to do it for the first time on Friday, but I’ll bet on Hoppel continuing his streak. 10,000 Final Ben: Oh my goodness!! So BYU is good I guess. Garrett: *breathing intensifies* Garrett: But in all seriousness, what an absolutely dominant performance from BYU. They had such an awful performance at the national meet last year and they were heavily criticized for it. But after tonight, I think it's fair to say that they have redeemed themselves. To have Clayton Young out-kick Gilbert Kigen to take home the title in a 55 second last lap was pretty magical. Plus, he had McMillen and Mantz finish 3rd and 4th behind him. What an epic night for the BYU Cougars. Ben: And Linkletter (my pick to win) came in 15th, and they still had three guys score! Ben: Kigen looked like he was going to fly by Young at 250 meters. Garrett: How pissed are you if you’re Alabama right now? It’s now the second year in a row where you have a guy in the lead in a position to win and you are out-kicked by someone who really isn’t known for their finishing speed. Ben: Lol. Didn’t even think about the same thing happening last year. I mean I think before the meet, we all knew that *checks notes* Clayton Young had the best kick in the field. Maura: With Young winning tonight, I begin to wonder how well he will recover for the 5k on Friday. If he has some of that kick left, he could surprise some of the race favorites. Ben: I mean, if he has another 55 last lap in him, then he should have a great chance at finishing top five in the 5k. Maura: Aside from BYU, I was hoping to see Tyler Day have a stronger performance. I thought he could have run with a vengeance after not qualifying in the 5k, but 6th is still respectable in a relatively tactical race. His Nationals resume is still something he should be proud of. Garrett: Tyler Day is a phenomenal talent who will thrive on the roads and in the pro circuit. However, tactics haven’t always been his strong suit. I kept waiting for him to make his move to the front and push the pace with a few laps to go but he never did. Granted, that’s FAR easier said than done, but I thought it would have given him a chance.

In December, I wrote about the dominance of Edward Cheserek and how we haven’t seen anyone like him since. I don’t know if I jinxed it, but as it turns out, Morgan McDonald has become that iconic collegiate star that King Ches once was. When I wrote about the former Oregon Duck, no one would have guessed that McDonald was on track for Ches-like superiority. Sure, he had just won the national title in cross country, but it was a close race, and he had the advantage of competing on his home course. Plus, it seemed like Grant Fisher was primed to beat him once they hit the track. This past winter, there was a wide range of expectations for the Badger senior. He was the favorite to win the 5k, and probably the 3k, but had lost to Grant Fisher at the Millrose Games in the 3000 meters, 7:42.62 to 7:42.76. Was the rivalry between these two domineering distance runners closer than we thought? Without Fisher in the 5000 meters at Indoor Nationals, McDonald cruised to the win with all-too-familiar finishing speed that Cheserek had honed (and mastered) during his time in the NCAA. Yet, what the crowd really wanted was a rematch between McDonald and Fisher - a rematch that would come at the 3000 meter distance. After all, Fisher was the only man who had defeated McDonald the entire year. However, not even the Stanford ace could keep up with the Aussie’s potent kick. McDonald controlled the race from the front, dictating the pace and implementing surges that shook off some of the nation's top talents. The end result was a convincing win for McDonald which completed the first 5k/3k double gold since Cheserek did it back in 2017 (a meet where he also finished 2nd in the mile). * * * As he approaches the tail-end of his college career, McDonald has amassed three national titles this year (cross country, 3000, and 5000), but no one seems to understand just how impressive that is. With one more national title left to secure, the Wisconsin veteran has a chance to put together one of the greatest years from a distance runner that the NCAA has ever seen. A few weeks ago, I asked TSR stats expert Sean Collins to look up how many times an individual has won a cross country title, and then three track titles, in the same year. The answer: six times by three men. Sulemian Nyambui completed this four-title accomplishment during the 1980/1981 academic year by winning the cross country title, the indoor mile, and then winning both the 10k and 5k outdoors. And Gerry Lindgren? He achieved this feat two years in a row! In the seasons of 1965/1966 and 1966/1967, Lindgren won the cross country national title, two indoor mile titles, and then the six mile and three mile titles during outdoors (yes, those were the exact distances). But recently? It's been a different story. The only one to accomplish this amazing feat in the last 25 years is Edward Cheserek who did this an astounding three times in his first three years as a collegiate. If McDonald can manage to win one final title at the Outdoor National Championships, then he will join this exclusive club of men who have won three track titles and a cross country title in the same academic year. But what if McDonald had decided to run and win both the 5k and 10k at Outdoor Nationals? Having completed this double, he would have joined very rare company. Lawi Lalang almost pulled off this historic accomplishment during the 2012/13 season when he won the mile and the 3k indoors followed by victories in the 5k and 10k during outdoors. Unfortunately, he finished 3rd in cross country that year. Only Cheserek has won four track titles and a cross country title in the same year. The former Oregon Duck won the cross country title, the 3k and 5k indoor titles, and then the 10k and 5k outdoor titles during the 2015/2016 academic calendar. It was a stunning display of dominance from Cheserek and one that we came close to seeing this year. * * * This season has been a strange one for our top contenders in the 5k and 10k. McDonald has yet to run anything notably fast. Instead, he has quietly earned his regional spot by running 13:50 at Bryan Clay in the second heat which was followed by him winning the 10k at the BIG 10 Championships in 29:26. Fisher, on the other hand, ran a blistering 13:29 at the Cardinal Classic, but just lost in both the 1500 and the 5k at the PAC-12 Championships. To make matters even more perplexing, top distance running challengers like Joe Klecker and Amon Kemboi will be absent in the postseason as Klecker deals with an injury while Kemboi is redshirting. Regardless of the irregularities, there's nothing to say that the final battle won't be exciting. McDonald may have approached this season with more caution than usual, but I believe we will still see some version of the runner who dominated the indoor national meet in the coming weeks. While the dream of Morgan winning the 10k/5k double and becoming the second person to ever win a cross country title along with four track titles is over, the Badger still has a golden opportunity to put his name (and his season) in the record books.

Which would be the better storyline? Grant Fisher winning a national title or Dani Jones winning a national title? Garrett: The answer to this question depends on what you value more. Comeback story from injury, or solidifying your legacy . Personally, I like the idea of Fisher winning more. Dani Jones may return to the NCAA (for track) after this season while Fisher is likely off to the pro circuit. After all of the legendary names Fisher has had to go through, it would be nice to see him walk away with a win (although I also like the idea of McDonald putting together the three-season distance sweep as well). Ben: Maybe I am biased, but this was an easy one for me. The clear answer is Grant Fisher. While it would be very cool to see Dani Jones rebound from injury, I don’t think a national track title will ever mean more to her legacy than her cross country title. When we look back at this year for Jones we will remember the cross country title first and foremost. We will think of the track title, but we will assume that was a given after her cross country title. For Fisher to beat McDonald in his final race would give his legacy so much more juice. Garrett: That’s a great point Ben. While I think many of us see Jones as a track runner, it’s her XC title that really validates her incredible overall talent. Maura: I agree with both of you regarding Grant Fisher. I want to see him finish what he started when he won his first title in the 5k. Fisher seems to have a new spring in his step this outdoor season and that will to win another title will hopefully be accomplished this season. Fisher has run PR's from the 800 to 5k this season. Jones, on the other hand, has not yet raced enough this season for me to feel fully confident in her winning the 5K. Matt: I completely agree with all of you. While Jones grabbing a national title, in an event she has never won after being out all indoor season would be a great feat (one that I do not think happens) the easy answer for me is Fisher. He has been so close so many times, it feels like he should have more than just one national title. After having his rivalry with Justyn Knight, and getting the better of him once, it would be a great ending to his collegiate career to finally take down McDonald and be a national champion once again. Sam: I’m a bit torn on this one. Fisher winning would certainly boost where he currently stands, but at the same time he’s always been and will be a big name. Sure he hasn’t had the success that many people expected, but think about others like Austin Tamagno and Cooper Teare who also ran very close to sub-4 as high schoolers and will never win NCAA's? I think I personally would rather see Jones win because it would cap off a stellar year and potentially help vault her onto bigger things post-NCAA. Plus, this is the first time we’ve seen her at a longer distance on the track and she hardly even raced this NCAA season. Sean: There’s really not too much more I can say on this one. I agree with Matt and Ben that Fisher taking down McDonald is more of a storyline than Fisher actually winning. For Jones, there isn’t really a clear favorite in that race, and if there is, you could argue it’s her. There just isn’t enough there for Jones winning to be a bigger storyline. If Hull and Jones had been racing together at 5k or 1500, I think a Dani Jones storyline takes the cake. But since that didn’t happen, Fisher gets the honor on this one. Elliott: I have to go with the general consensus here. In my opinion, Fisher winning a national title would carry slightly more intrigue. In no way am I discrediting Dani Jones, as I believe she is a phenomenal talent and her race should be exciting and memorable. It’s just that these championships do a lot more for Fisher’s reputation than they do for Jones. Everybody knew that Fisher was going to be a unique talent out of high school. However, he never had the consistent success that guys like Edward Cheserek had for sustained amounts of time. Winning a title this weekend would do a ton to help bolster his name as he prepares to enter the professional circuit. Which heavy favorite is the least likely to win this weekend? Maura: I’m just going to say it: Oliver Hoare in the 1500. After not getting the win in the mile during indoors, I just haven’t seen the same outdoor performances that got him the 1500 title last year. That’s not saying Hoare won’t go down without a fight, but there are other men out there who are also deserving of a title, say Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse. Garrett: I really wanted to go with Maura on this one (and I almost did). But on the men’s side, I think I’ll actually go with the steeplechase and say Ryan Smeeton. It’s painful to say this after he absolutely dominated the steeplechase at Payton Jordan with an 8:27. Still, guys like Obsa Ali and Matt Owens aren’t far behind him. The race will likely be fast (which benefits Smeeton), but I just feel like there are too many veterans and established superstars who could potentially take him down. I’ll probably get ripped for this (and rightfully so), but I’m always a little cautious of breakout runners who are new to the top-tier of distance running. Ben: While I agree with you Garrett, I don’t really see Smeeton as a heavy favorite. I think he should be considered the favorite, but with so many other guys, it is hard to point him out as the favorite. I am going to go out on a limb and say that the heaviest of favorites, Morgan McDonald, is least likely to win. I worry about his overall fitness after a unique season. I think among the big favorites on the men’s side (Hoppel, Hoare, McDonald), he will face the stiffest competition in Grant Fisher as well as other guys like Kyle Mau, Cooper Teare, and Geordie Beamish. Matt: Everyone knows I am on the Obsa Ali train, so I agree with Garrett on Ryan Smeeton. He is a newcomer to this national scene, and we already saw him make a mistake that almost cost him at regionals. With veterans in the event like Ali, Owens, Shumway and others, it is going to be very difficult for him to run them into the ground like he has with others so far this season. Sean: I’m troubled by the claim that there are any heavy favorites on the men’s side beyond McDonald and Hoppel. Maybe Hoare, but I don’t think I could say heavy favorite. But a favorite? Yes. So out of McDonald and Hoppel, I’d have to pick McDonald. The McDonald vs. Fisher buzz has to be weighing on him and there’s sure to be some other guys using that buzz to try to surprise that duo. Garrett: As for the women, this is a tricky answer. Weini Kelati is a heavy favorite for the 10,000 meters, but I worry about the names that she will have to battle in the 5000. Dani Jones will be fresh and could give her some trouble if the race is tactical. Plus Ostrander will be doubling back to join a handful of other top talents who aren’t racing the 10k like her and Kelati are. Maura: Women wise, Ostrander in the steeplechase will be interesting. Cohen seems to be the stronger steeplechase runner this season even though she lost to Ostrander earlier. Ostrander will easily qualify for the finals, but Cohen and Birk will not let Ostrander walk away with the title for a third year in a row. Ben: For the women, it pains me to say Ostrander as well. I think Allie O is running incredibly well right now, but I think she has some stiff competition in Cohen and Birk. Plus, it is the steeple, so anything could happen. Sam: Dang…I thought I was about to be original by saying Ostrander but now everyone is going that route. Regardless, Ostrander is going to have her hands full with Cohen. Matt: I think all of you are crazy for picking Ostrander, I think she has looked as good as ever. With that said, as much as I am a fan of hers, I am going to go with Danae Rivers. As consistent as she has been over the years, this year especially, the 800 is so deep that it really is up in the air. It is most likely going to be very similar to indoors, a very tactical race that comes down to a homestretch kick, and that usually does not bode well for favorites. Maura: I do see where you’re coming from Matt regarding the deep field in the 800, but I think Rivers has shown her experience on the national level and has what it takes to win her second title of the year in the 800. Sean: What about Jessica Hull? I think she’s the easiest answer here. She has to navigate two rounds which is always difficult. Then she has to handle Sinclaire Johnson who has shown she can succeed at this distance after setting the NCAA lead at Regionals. There’s also some great competition from Jessica Harris, Rachel Pocratsky, and Karisa Nelson from the East region. Who is the biggest guarantee to win a national title? Sam: Jessica Hull. She has not lost a race in ages and at this point there’s no reason to think she will. There are a lot of arguments to be made as to why she might - heat could hurt her, the 1500 is unpredictable, lots of good competition - but at the end of the day she’s the reigning champ and isn’t going to lose. If she was double entered in the 5000, I still think she would end the season undefeated. Maura: Hull is a very good option, but I’m going to have to choose Weini Kelati in the 10k. Kelati has the ability to take a slower start in the 10k and pick up the pace quickly. It is surprising that Kelati has yet to win a title given her record at New Mexico. Even though the 10k is later at night, the heat and humidity could still be an issue. Matt: Like Maura, I am going with Kelati. She is the prohibitive favorite in both the 5k and 10k, and with how she has been running, I think she takes not just one of them, but both. As much as some of you think the heat is going to have an impact on her, it is going to have an even larger impact on the women chasing her. Ben: I completely agree with Maura and Matt. Kelati has to be the pick because she could very easily win a title in both the 10k and 5k. If she misses out on the 10k (I don’t think she will), then she will have a great chance to avenge that loss and win the 5k. Garrett: Wow, really? Ben: I just feel like she is at the top of her game right now and peaking at the perfect time. Maybe I’m overrating her a bit, but I think she is running at her peak right now. Garrett: I can totally understand where the Kelati pick comes from (and would agree that she is peaking at the right time), I just figured this section would be entirely about Jessica Hull. She is just so overwhelming good and the 1500 is one of the weaker distance events of the weekend. I feel extremely confident about the Oregon Duck. Sam : I’m with Garrett on the shock of the Kelati pick. She’s good for sure, but she thrives on taking the race out honestly and that could be difficult in Austin where it’s hotter than…hot Sean: I’m with Garrett and Sam here too. I don’t think Kelati is the biggest favorite. And if she does not win the 10K, her shots at beating Jones in the 5k have to go down drastically. I guess I have to pick Ostrander. She definitely has competition with Cohen and Birk, but her losing in the steeple seems unimaginable. Ben: For the men, I think Bryce Hoppel has to be the answer. I mean the guy hasn’t lost on the track this year, and I don’t think that streak is going to end. Plus, some of the preseason favorites (White, Arop, Heppenstall) failed to qualify for Nationals which weaken the field further. Garrett: On the men’s side, I’m going with Morgan McDonald. It feels crazy even typing that because of the threat Grant Fisher brings to the table. Still, the 10k and steeplechase are super wide-open in my mind and the 800 is too short for me to feel comfortable when trying to make accurate predictions. Plus, the 1500 is the deepest it has ever been this year. So, by the process of elimination, I’m going with McDonald. Maura: As much as I wanted to go with Morgan McDonald in the 5k, I just don’t think he has it in him against Fisher. I do agree with Ben though on Bryce Hoppel being a title guarantee in the 800. He has had an incredible year not losing a single race. I was able to watch Hoppel race at the West Regional meet and he is prepped for any type of race, be that taking it from the gun or letting the race play out until he makes his kick. Matt: Yeah I am with Ben in choosing Bryce Hoppel. He has not lost a race this season and after the debacle by some of the top contenders at regionals, the only person at this point that I would have a concern with him losing to is Devin Dixon. He has been too consistent to have a let down now. Sean: It feels ridiculous not to pick Bryce Hoppel, but sometimes it’s fun to be ridiculous. This is not one of those times. There’s just no other men’s favorite worth picking here. What was the most difficult event to predict? Sam: The 800 for men because it’s arguably the most unpredictable event in the sport. Plus, while Hoppel should be the favorite, this year doesn’t bring an athlete like Donovan Brazier or Michael Saruni who has run substantially faster than everyone else. Ben: Predicting the 10k on the men’s side was excruciating. There is no clear favorite, and I feel like I could have picked about six different guys to win the title. Trying to pick a winner and then pick a top eight with about twelve deserving candidates was next to impossible. Garrett: Completely agree with Ben. There is no real favorite in this one. If you would have asked me how many men I think will be in contention to win a title, I probably would have said six as well. If picking a champion was that hard, just envision how much time I spent on the rest of the All-American spots. Sean: Men’s 1500. Trying to figure out who gets through the heats was a challenge in its own right and then trying to figure out who to leave out of the medals was excruciating. For the women, the 800 was also unbelievably hard. Jazmine Fray presents a challenge since you never know which version you’re going to get. Plus, all of the medalists are essentially determined in the heats. Garrett: I’m with Sean when it came to women’s predictions. Rivers is the favorite, but after her I don’t feel confident about my order at all. I’ve said this all season, but the women’s 800 is super deep and Jazmine Fray’s new NCAA #1 time from regionals only complicates the picture even more. Maura: I have a very different opinion than the rest of you regarding the women. It was difficult for me to predict the women’s 5k. There seem to be such strong talents in the women’s race and there are plenty of women who have what it takes to win. Come on, you’ve got the three New Mexico women, Dani Jones, Fiona O’Keefe, Allie Ostrander, and the list goes on. As for the men, the 1500 stressed me out. With some of the top men not qualifying, I had to look at who had the most experience and who is strongest in a sit and kick race. Ben: Yet again, I very much agree with Maura. I felt like I was throwing darts picking the women’s 5k. What makes it so hard, besides all of the talented runners, is that so many athletes will have already run a race that weekend (or in Ostrander’s case, two races). I don’t think there is any clear favorite AND we don’t know how strong runners will bounce back after racing in the heat during during the 10k. Those two variables made predictions very difficult. Maura: Don’t forget about the toll the heat could take on the women doubling back. Matt: For the men’s side, the answer is extremely easy when picking the 10k. Just put a bunch of names in a hat and draw them out...that is how tightly bunched this field is. It is likely going to be an extremely tactical race, so there may be 20 or so men in contention with 400 meters left. Sean: I think BYU makes it too fast for there to be that many men still in contention that late. One member of that group is going to end up sacrificing their chances to push the pace if it helps the team. Matt: The women’s 800 is so deep that there are some huge names that are not even going to make the finals. When making my predictions, I was shocked at some of the names I had to leave out of the top eight. Though I think Rivers is going to take it. Still, it is also likely that she does not even finish in the top five. How many All-Americans will BYU have in the 10k? Sean: I think the over/under should be 2.5 and I would have to pick over. With six entries out of the 24 total, and assuming equal odds for every athlete, then there will be two BYU Cougars on the medal stand. Based on who they have and the ability to run as a group, two seems very reasonable. Still, three seems like the most realistic prediction. It’s just too tough to pick against Mantz, Young, and Linkletter. Sam: I 100% agree with Sean. He spelled it out more logically than I would have but Linkletter, Young, and Mantz are a great trio that can run together if tactics get interesting. Plus, BYU tends to close well during races which benefits them in a setting like Austin. Ben: I predicted two so I guess I have to go under, but man it really hurt not to include Mantz or McMillan in the top eight. I think it is very likely that one of those two sneaks into the top eight to join Linkletter and Young, but they are going to have to beat some absolute studs to make it. Garrett: I had three Cougars on the podium and I feel pretty confident in that answer. Still, I think Connor McMillan is a good candidate to get inside the top eight as well. But I would also have to agree with Sean that Mantz, Young, and Linkletter are the big three to watch. Maura: Similar to Garrett, I have three BYU men on the podium. I see Linkletter, McMillan, and Mantz placing in the top 8. Linkletter will be out for blood, especially with Tyler Day of NAU in the race. Mantz has shown his strength all year long and there is no slowing him down. As for the three other Cougars, they should most likely finish in the top 14 as the BYU men will dictate how the race plays out. Matt: Like Garrett, I had three Cougars also on the podium in McMillan, Young, and Linkletter, but you never really know which of the six are going to be major players. Any combo of them could be All-Americans, and while I have three of them in the top eight, I am leaning towards it being more. Elliott: I got a lot of flack for picking Dallin Farnsworth way back in our indoor draft. I’m happy to say that his performances have semi-redeemed the quality of that pick. With that being said, I can’t say that I believe he will be in contention for an all-American position as an individual racer, but given the unique position him and his teammates are in, anything is possible. We’ve never seen this many people from one squad in a National Championship 10k. If hot conditions create a tactical pace, and the BYU men can employ some strong cross country tactics, it could be feasible to see maybe three or more men achieve All-American status. We are treading into unknown water a bit here, and I for one am excited to see just which strategy the Cougars employ, especially considering guys like Linkletter and McMillan have solid chances of being on the podium. What percent chance do you give Weini Kelati to be double champion this weekend? What about Allie Ostrander? Matt: I would say Kelati has about an 70% chance to be a double champion this weekend. In my opinion, it is all but a guarantee that she takes the 10k title and she is a heavy favorite in the 5k as well. With Allie Ostrander, her winning the steeplechase is extremely likely, but she is going to have to take down Kelati in the 5k to get her double. One of these two women are going to win the 5k, whichever one that does will be a double champion. Sam: As a data science and statistics major, my expert opinion gives Kelati a 23% chance and Ostrander a 7% chance to pull off the national title double. Kelati could easily win either or both, but I think she falters in at least one. Dani Jones is a huge threat in the 5000 as she’s fresh and can close substantially faster in a kicker’s race. I’d give Kelati a 59% chance of winning the 10,000, but a lot lower in the 5,000. As for Ostrander, I don’t think winning the steeple is a guarantee. Adva Cohen is a major threat and she owns a faster personal best than Ostrander in the event. Plus, the steeple can be unpredictable so the risk of a fall lowers her odds. Ostrander has also never been a strong back-to-back racer at NCAA's. She’s good, but not good enough to win it all. I think Ostrander pulls off the steeple but not even top five in the 5,000. Garrett: Sam explained that better than I ever could have. Ostrander doesn’t have a super great history when it comes to doubling and the heat is not going to help, especially with a small turnaround between her events. However, I will say that Ostrander is at a completely different level this season, so I’ll nudge her up to 11%. As for Kelati, the threat of facing Dani Jones in a tactical 5k after already having run the 10k is a big concern for me. Still, I’m a little more lenient about her overall talent just like I am with Ostrander. I’ll go with 29% for Kelati. Ben: Matt, you are making me feel a lot better about picking Kelati as the most likely champion on the women’s side. While I don’t think she has a 70% chance at the double, I do like her chances. I predicted a Kelati double so I think there is a good chance, maybe 40%. For Ostrander, it is going to be so tough bouncing back from the steeple final and then running the 5k finals a few hours late in the heat . I give her a 10% chance. Maura: I have to say that Kelati has an 80% chance of winning the 5k and 10k this weekend. I have Kelati winning the 10k, but finishing 2nd in the 5k. I think the heat will be a factor in recovering. As for Ostrander, she has a 20% of being a double champion this weekend. She will have already raced two steeple races before toeing the line for the 5k against women who are fresh. Sean: I’ll make mine quick. Kelati has 45% chance in 10k, but a 35% percent chance of winning the 5k if she wins the 10k before. That gives her a 15.75% chance. Ostrander is a 40% chance to win the steeple. If she wins the steeple, I’m confident she will feel good for the 5k which gives her a 15% chance to win that race. The heat, Jones, Kelati, the double, and others still make that too hard. This gives her a 6% shot. It’d be mighty impressive for either to make this double. What was the prediction you were too afraid to make? Sam: Since I posted my predictions too late to make it in the article - Minnesota boys Obsa Ali and Alec Basten go 1-2 in the steeplechase. For the women, the Oklahoma State 1500 trio of Molly Sughroe, Sinclaire Johnson, and Jenny Celis go 2-3-4 behind Hull. Sean: Sam, those would be utterly ridiculous. As I went through my predictions I would have to say I was terrified to pick Cohen or Birk in the 3000 steeple, but I think Birk might surprise them both. As I look back though, I realize that I should have picked Paige Stoner to win the 10k. I didn’t even consider it at the time and I think that speaks to how scared I am to have made that pick. Matt: I really wanted to pick Casey Comber to take down Hoare, had it typed out and everything, and then thought better of it. I love the way Comber races, but I just could not go against Hoare. On the women’s side, I always want to pick Jazmine Fray, every single year it crosses my mind and I have done it multiple times, and as much as I wanted to do it again, I went with the past results and thought wiser not to. I am going to be real disappointed in myself if this is the year she does it and I did not go with her. Ben: Like Sam, I wanted to go against conventional wisdom in the steeple and pick Steven Fahy to win the title. He just hasn’t run enough for me to make the jump. For the women, I wanted to pick against Hull in the 1500 and go with Pocratsky, but I just couldn’t predict Hull to ever lose a collegiate 1500. Garrett: Cooper Teare winning the 5000. I don’t think anyone realizes how wildly strong he has been this season. Beating Fisher at PAC-12’s was a big deal and he’s been running at a consistently high level all season. On the women’s side, I really wanted to have Erica Birk winning the steeplechase, but with Ostrander, Cohen, and Prouse on the line, I struggled to find the odds in my favor. Ben: I agree with you on Teare. The hot streak he is on has been relatively unnoticed, but there are just too many studs ahead of him to predict another Oregon Duck winning the 5000. Elliott: I also have to jump on Garrett’s Cooper Teare prediction. The kid has been absolutely stunning this season. The win over Fisher at PAC-12’s really validates the hot streak he’s been on. That being said, I believe he needs one more year to truly come into his own and be a solid contender for a national title. We forget that this guy is only a sophomore. Give him another year to mature and improve and I believe there will be no doubt to this guy tearing up the track. On the women’s side, this will come as a bit of a shock, but Erin Finn has been pretty average overall this season. However, I believe that there is always a bit of championship magic that can occur. For an experienced athlete like Finn, this might be enough to propel her to another All-American finish or potentially even a podium grab if everything plays into her hands. Maura: I agree with Ben, I think Fahy has what it takes to win the steeple title. Not racing enough this season also makes me question his placing this weekend, but I still think he is primed to be in the top three. As for the women, Ohio State’s Julia Rizk, the indoor mile champion, has left me puzzled this season. She was somewhat of an underdog indoors, but hasn’t shown much of that same dominance this outdoor season. Quick! Who will win the draft(s) and why... Maura: I think most of us want to say, “I will win the draft.” Garrett: Maura can read the future because I will absolutely suggest that I can win this draft. I have multiple guys who can be national champions. Plus a few of them are doubling. As for the women, I really like Ben’s team. He had a few big misses with Lokedi and Robinson, but the women on his team are all capable of doing some serious damage. Ben: I will resist the temptation to pick myself and say Sam will win the women’s draft, barely beating Garrett, because he has three women who will likely medal this weekend with Hull, Cohen, and O’Keefe. Bissah and Ilarda should also provide points. Sean: Yeah, I’m taking myself. I could see Ratcliffe getting triple points followed by help from Hoppel and Dixon in the 800. Mantz on the double and two high class steeplechasers, including a hometown favorite make me tough to beat. I’ll give the women’s draft to Garrett, Sam, and Ben. I’d like to think I can get onto the podium, but those three have very strong teams with some serious point potential. Matt: Maura is actually a great person to have pick because she was not with us when we drafted. Maura: After taking a quick glance at the draft, I think Sean has the win on the men’s side because he has six men still alive and they cover the three different races. As for the women, Garrett looks to have some good odds with Birk, Prouse, Morley, and Stoner. Matt: REMEMBER THE EXTRA POINTS FOR THE LAST ROUND…..I believe Sean and myself are the only ones who have them for the men’s side and John is the only one with one on the women’s side. Ben: For the men, I think it will be a close race between Garrett and John. I’ll go with John because he has five guys I expect to score in Fisher, Mau, Brandt, Suliman, and Nuguse. I predicted medals for Fisher, Mau, and Nuguse, so I think John has the slight edge. Although, like Matt said, I think Matt and Sean could pull an upset if Ratcliffe or Girjalva manages to finish in the top five in either of their events. Elliott: I’m really liking John’s team as well. Fisher and Nuguse are a couple guys that could be potentially lethal. I also think James West not qualifying might put a little bit of a ding on Garrett’s team, as that was a guy that I believe had at least some potential to score with a good weekend. For the women, I think Garrett can swing a win if Prouse and Stoner perform up to standards. They might even get some help if Erin Finn rounds into form! Ben: Finn would not earn any extra points right? Since she had qualified and scored at Nationals before. Matt: Yup Ben, you are correct! Elliott: Point conceded… Maura: Now if we were talking about the predictions we just made earlier this week, I’d have to say I made some pretty good choices about who finishes in the top 8 and in what order.

Click here to view the All-American picks from each of the TSR staff writers...

KEY (Unranked) Was not ranked the week before (#/#) First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from week prior Second number indicates where the runner was ranked last week 20. Christian Noble, Lee (Tenn.) (-3 / 17) Noble finished 5th in the steeplechase at the national meet in what now seems like forever ago. The sophomore made a strong bid with three laps to go as he took the lead, but he ultimately suffered for it. The rest of the field sat on him and when it was time to go, he just didn’t have enough to stick with the leaders and ended with an 8:58. Still, it’s an improvement from his freshman year when he finished 7th. The performance sets up Noble for a strong future. 19. Wesley Kirui, Alaska Anchorage (Unranked) Kirui had only raced three times before the national meet, but it didn't seem to phase him. Kirui crossed the line in 3rd place in the steeplechase final. He finished with a time of 8:56 and was just a second ahead of his teammate. He's just a sophomore and has set himself up for more success in the future. 18. Victor Moreau, Academy of Art (-4 / 14) Moreau only came away with one solid race this weekend as he finished 7th in the 1500. He closed in 55 seconds, but it wasn’t enough given the tactical strategy that usually rears its head in championship settings. He ran 3:59.65 on the day and took home All-American honors, the first of his outdoor career. He came back for the 5000 later that day and finished 17th in a time of 15:08. 17. Benjamin Allen, Concordia St. Paul (Unranked) Allen enters our rankings for the first time this season after a 4th place finish at the NCAA's. He was the last qualifier into the final and entered with a seed time of 3:45. He was able to close the final lap in 54.29 to help him move up three spots and take home his first ever All-American honor. 16. Tanner Chada, Grand Valley State (Unranked) Chada is a freshman at Grand Valley and after his 3rd place finish in the 5000, it looks as if the program will continue to be in good hands. Chada ran 14:27 and almost replicated what the Lakers did last year in this event. After finishing 10th during the indoor season, it’s a huge improvement for Chada that will likely set him up for greater performances in the future. 15. Devundrick Walker, CSU-Pueblo (+1 / 16) Walker capped off his career with yet another All-American honor. The senior finished in 6th place in the final race of his career with CSU-Pueblo. It’s the second straight national meet that he’s finished 6th and it gives him a total of seven All-American awards. 14. Charlie Sweeney, Western Colorado (Unranked) The freshman Mountaineer attempted the 10k/5k double and didn’t succumb to the potential devastation that loomed with it. Sweeney finished 6th in the 10,000 on Thursday evening with a time of 31:13. He then came back on Saturday night and finished 5th in the 5,000. He ran 14:29 for the distance and has made himself a key component of the Western Colorado distance squad that will now turn their attention to cross country. 13. Jonah Theisen, Black Hills State (Unranked) Theisen also enters our rankings for the first, and only time this season after an outstanding showing in the steeplechase. The senior finished 2nd in a time of 8:55 which is the fastest time he has run this year. It’s a strong bounce back for the guy who won this event as a freshman back in 2016, but hadn’t lived up to those expectations the last few years. 12. Luke Julian, Colorado Mines (+1 / 13) Julian was the finisher just in front of Moreau in the 1500 (6th). He ran 3:59.55 and ran nine-tenths of a second faster on the last 400. It’s a strong showing for the freshman, but seeing how he came in with the #2 fastest seed time, It may be seen as a disappointing race. He also came back for the 5000 later in the night and ran 14:53 to finish 13th. Julian was just a freshman this past year so be on the lookout as he’ll be a household name. 11. Daniel Wallis, Queens (N.C.) (-6 / 5) Wallis was considered one of the 1500 favorites, along with his teammate Wammetsberger, coming into the weekend. After making the final, Wallis didn’t have quite the success his teammate did as he failed to finish as an All-American and fell to 11th. However, just like he did during indoors, Wallis was able to come back later in the day and snag a 6th place finish in the 5,000 with a time of 14:29. 10. Dennis Mbuta, Grand Valley State (-2 / 8) Mbuta opted to focus on the 800 and in doing so, came away with a 4th place finish. It’s a downgrade from where he finished during the indoor season, but when you look at the names that are in front of him it’s hard to argue that he’s not in elite territory. He ran 1:51.34 and finished just over half a second behind 3rd place. It’s the fourth All-American award that Mbuta has garnered in his short career as well. 9. Marcelo Laguera, CSU-Pueblo (0 / 9) Laguera also attempted the 10k/5k double and saw himself have a strong national meet. After he upset Zach Panning earlier in the year during cross country, we weren’t sure what to think as he didn’t race during indoors. Well, he showed up during outdoors to the tune of a 2nd place finish in the 10,000 running 30:59 and then came back and finished 8th in the 5,000 with a time of 14:34. It’s a strong bookend to Laguera’s final season as he takes home two more All-American awards. 8. Ayman Zahafi, TAMU-Kingsville (+7 / 15) Zahafi improved upon his 3rd place finish from the indoor season as he moved up to a 2nd place finish this time around. Zahafi ran 1:50.17 and was well ahead of the 3rd place finisher, but just ran out of room as he tried to chase down Thomas Staines. For Zahafi, it’s the end to a spectacular season that saw him set personal bests five different times on the season. He’s definitely going to be a contender for his remaining two years of his eligibility. 7. Taylor Stack, Western Colorado (0 / 7) Stack entered the weekend with top marks in both of his events. The sophomore continued to build on a strong indoor season and he ultimately ended with a sixth-place finish in the steeplechase. He ran 8:58 and was just behind Christian Noble. Stack improved his placing in the 5,000 the next night as he finished fourth and ran 14:29. It’s the fourth All-American award for Stack this year. Expect more of the same in the future. 6. Felix Wammetsberger, Queens (N.C.) (0 / 6) The reigning indoor mile champ was looking to defend his crown in the 1500. He came up short, but ended with a strong 3rd place finish after closing hard in 53 seconds. Wammetsberger was in last place entering the final lap and likely waited just a tad too long before making his final move. He still has a year to go with his eligibility and there’s no doubt that we’ll see his name near the top again next year. 5. Brett Meyer, Fort Hays State (+7 / 12) It’s about damn time for Meyer. He’s been trying to take home the middle-distance title for the last four years and has come up short until now. The senior played his cards right and bided his time entering the final lap in 8th place. He closed in 53 seconds and moved up seven spots as he caught Elias Gedyon in the last 50 meters and won by half a second. It was one of the strongest performances of the weekend and it sent the Fort Hays athlete home with his first ever national title. 4. Leakey Kipkosgei, American International (+7 / 11) We knew coming in that Kipkosgei was the favorite in the steeplechase. Going into the final lap, he held a lead that was under a second. When he crossed the finish line, he had run 8:52 and put three seconds on the field, walking away with his first national title. Kipkosgei has been an All-American in numerous races, but it might be safe to say that the steeple is his best event and with a year left of eligibility, we could see bigger things from him in 2020. 3. Elias Gedyon, Adams State (+1 / 4) Gedyon capped off his two-year career at Adams State with two 2nd place finishes. He ran 3:58.74 in the 1500 where he was just out-kicked by Brett Meyer. It was an improvement from where he finished in the mile during indoors. A few hours later, he ran 14:24 to hang onto a silver medal after battling with Zach Panning for a bit in the 5000 meters. 2. Thomas Staines, CSU-Pueblo (+1 / 3) Staines continued to dominate his event. He won his fourth straight NCAA title in the 800 and looked smooth while doing it. An easy prelim translated into a relatively easy final. He ran 1:50.03 and pulled up near the end. He's taken a hold of the half-mile and he doesn’t seem to be letting go of it any time soon. With his win, he’s etched his name into the record books as one of the greatest D2 athletes. 1. Zach Panning, Grand Valley State (0 / 1) What’s better than two national titles? How about winning both in dominating fashion? In the 10k, Panning wasted no time and after the second lap had a five second lead over the rest of the field and never looked back en route to a 47-second victory. He came back and ran the 5000 and won that race by 14 seconds with a time of 14:10. This race was over after six laps as Panning continued to increase his lead and eventually moved it to 14 seconds by the end. 800 1. Thomas Staines (CSU-Pueblo) 2. Ayman Zahafi (TAMU-Kingsville) 3. Shaquille Dill (St. Augustines) 4. Dennis Mbuta (Grand Valley State) 5. Joshua Ajiero (Albany State) 1500 1. Brett Meyer (Fort Hays State) 2. Elias Gedyon (Adams State) 3. Felix Wammetsberger (Queens (N.C.)) 4. Benjamin Allen (Concordia-St. Paul) 5. Josh Evans (Colorado Mines) 3000 Steeplechase 1. Leakey Kipkosgei (American International) 2. Jonah Theisen (Black Hills State) 3. Wesley Kirui (Alaska Anchorage) 4. Edwin Kangogo (Alaska Anchorage) 5. Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.)) 5000 1. Zach Panning (Grand Valley State) 2. Elias Gedyon (Adams State) 3. Tanner Chada (Grand Valley State) 4. Taylor Stack (Western Colorado) 5. Charlie Sweeney (Western Colorado) 10,000 1. Zach Panning (Grand Valley State) 2. Marcelo Laguera (CSU-Pueblo) 3. George McCartney (Malone) 4. Jack Mastandrea (Charleston (W.V.)) 5. Luke Greer (Carson Newman)