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. Alexa Shindruk | Central Washingon (SR) (Unranked) Shindruk had a very up and down season, but it ended on a good note with two All-American trophies. She started off the meet with a 7th place finish in the 10k running 38:04.69. She ended the meet, and her collegiate career, with another 7th place finish, this time in the 5k, clocking a 17:27.70. Those are her first and only All-American finishes for a track season. 19. Jessica Gockley | Grand Valley State (SO) (Unranked) In her first outdoor championship meet, Gockley surprised quite a few people (myself included) with a 4th place finish in the 10k, running a 37:40.52. After only running four races this season, it will be interesting to see if she tries to discover more range over the next couple of years. 18. Kate Lilly | Seattle Pacific (JR) (Unranked) The surprise of the meet was probably Kate Lilly. She attempted the 1500/5k double, barely even making the field in the 5k. She did not make the finals in the 1500, but bounced back in extreme fashion, finishing 5th in the 5k with a time of 17:23.33. It is her first All-American spot in an individual event. 17. Allie Ludge | Grand Valley State (JR) (-5 / 12) Ludge came in as the #5 seed in the 1500 and she finished one spot behind her in 6th, running 4:37.80. She started the 1500 in an attempt to get two All-American finishes, but had to drop out near the end of the race. Ludge is now a seven-time All-American, and will come in as a contender next year, no matter what event she chooses to do. 16. Liz Bloch | Michigan Tech (SR) (+2 / 18) Bloch came in with a sort of surprising 800/1500 double. She did not make it out of the 800 prelims, but she did manage to make it to the finals of the 1500, where she clocked a 4:37.75, finishing 5th. That 5th place finish is Bloch’s first All-American trophy which is what a great way to end your senior season. 15. Carsyn Koch-Johnson | Cedarville (SR) (-4 / 11) Unfortunately, we barely got to see Koch-Johnson at Nationals as she had to pull up not even midway through her prelim. To that point, the senior had been having a great season, building off what she had done during indoors. It is a very unfortunate end to a very decorated career. 14. Gina Patterson | Grand Valley State (JR) (+2 / 16) In her first season running the 10k, Patterson did not disappoint. Coming in with the #4 seed in the event, she finished 3rd with a 37:33.19 behind the two perennial favorites in Caroline Kurgat and Leah Hanle. She just missed out on another All-American spot later in the meet as she finished 9th in the 5k. Patterson is now a 10-time All-American. 13. Hanna Groeber | Grand Valley State (JR) (Unranked) Groeber kept going from unranked to ranked, back and forth all season, but after what she did at Nationals, it is undeniable that she belongs on this list. She led the steeplechase for most of the way before finishing 5th with a 10:38.08. She came back and grabbed another All-American trophy in the 5k, finishing 6th with a time of 17:24.53. Groeber has now doubled her All-American trophy count to four. 12. HaLeigh Hunter-Galvan | Adams State (JR) (+7 / 19) Hunter-Galvan kept the momentum of her breakout season going at Nationals. She started it off right with a 4th place finish in the steeplechase with a PR of 10:33.49. She returned to grab another All-American spot, finishing 8th in the 5k with a time of 17:32.86. With two All-American trophies in her first ever individual events at a national meet, Hunter-Galvan has a lot to look forward to next year. 11. Danielle McCormick | Alaska Anchorage (SR) (-1 / 10) McCormick was facing sort of an uphill battle in the 800 as two of the best of this generation were seeded ahead of her in the form of Skylyn Webb and Rachael Walters. She managed to finish 4th in the race, running a 2:09.71 and later helped the Alaska Anchorage 4x4 to an 8th place finish. McCormick finishes her collegiate career as a seven-time All-American and a former indoor 800-meter champion. 10. Roisin Flanagan | Adams State (JR) (-4 / 6) Coming in with the top time in Division II in the 1500, it was a little bit of a letdown of sorts for Flanagan, as she ran a 4:37.68 to finish 4th. The tactical nature of the race may have come back to bite her, but Flanagan does go into next year as one of the favorites and an 11-time All-American. 9. Kristen Metcalfe | Embry-Riddle (SR) (+4 / 13) Metcalfe was one of the few athletes to grab a season best at this outdoor championship meet. She ran a 2:07.96 in prelims of the 800, her fastest of the season, to then return in the finals and clock a 2:09.04 and grab a 3rd place finish. She also grabbed a bronze medal in the 1500 running 4:37.37. Metcalfe has now finished 3rd in the 800 and 1500 in back-to-back outdoor seasons. 8. Julia Howley | Simon Fraser (SR) (+1 / 9) Howley added two All-American trophies to her collection after she secured a 3rd place finish in the steeplechase, running a 10:27.05, and returned to finish 4th in the 5k with a time of 17:22.23. The steeplechase finish for Howley is her first individual top-three finish at an NCAA Championship. Howley finishes her collegiate career as a five-time All-American. 7. Leah Hanle | Mount Olive (JR) (0 / 7) We had not seen Hanle in a while (since her last race was a 10k in early April) but there was never in question as to what kind of form she would be in as she was once again in contention in both the 5k and 10k. She picked up a runner-up finish in the 10k, running a 37:20.46 and a 3rd place finish in the 5k, running a 17:21.86. Hanle has now finished in the top three at all six of her races for the past three NCAA Track Championships. With athletes graduating, the now 12-time All-American should be the favorite in the 5k and 10k come next year. 6. Rachael Walters | Grand Valley State (SR) (-1 / 5) It was a familiar result for Walters, as she finished second in the 800, running a 2:08.18. That 2nd place finish marks the fifth straight NCAA 800-meter race in which Walters has finished as the runner-up. She did grab another All-American trophy, as she returned to help the Grand Valley State 4x4 to a 7th place finish. The now 14-time All-American will go down as one of the best Division II runners to never win an individual NCAA title. 5. Eilish Flanagan | Adams State (JR) (-3 / 2) Flanagan lived up to the her #2 seed times in both the steeplechase and 5k as she took runner-up finishes in both events, running a 10:26.41 in the steeplechase and a 17:18.66 in the 5k. The now eight-time All-American will go into next year as the favorite to win both events, and grab her first NCAA title. 4. Stephanie Cotter | Adams State (FR) (+4 / 8) What a freshman year for Cotter! After finishing 11th in cross country, and winning the DMR and mile during indoors, Cotter picked up another NCAA title after unleashing a great kick to run down Alicja Konieczek and take the 1500 in a 4:36.91. With about as good of a freshman year as any athlete could have, we may be seeing a legend in the making in the form of Stephanie Cotter. 3. Skylyn Webb | UC Colorado-Springs (SR) (+1 / 4) New year, same result as Webb once again takes the 800 meter title, hammering it from the gun and winning comfortably with a time of 2:06.96. Webb proves time and time again that in the biggest moments, she shines the brightest. We may look back on her career as one of the most dominant female 800 meter runs of all time, one that for some reason is currently not as appreciated as it should be. 2. Alicja Konieczek | Western Colorado (SR) (+1 / 3) I tried to go outside the box and pick against her in our predictions, but Konieczek proved that that was indeed a stupid decision, as she handily took home her third-straight steeplechase crown, pulling away from the field over the last 400 meters and running a 10:23.89. She then came back and just missed out on another title, getting nipped at the line in the 1500, taking 2nd with a 4:37.26. Konieczek ends her collegiate career as a nine-time national champion. 1. Caroline Kurgat | Alaska Anchorage (SR) (0 / 1) Two races, two more NCAA titles for Kurgat as she cruised to easy wins in both the 5k and 10k last weekend. She took home the win in the 10k with a time of 36:34.31 and earned another gold medal in the 5k with a time of 17:10.10. As expected, she was the best runner in the field. The now seven-time national champion ends her collegiate career with a résumé that makes her arguably the greatest female Division II runner of all-time. 800 1. Skylyn Webb (UC Colorado Springs) 2. Rachael Walters (Grand Valley State) 3. Kristen Metcalfe (Embry-Riddle) 4. Danielle McCormick (Alaska Anchorage) 5. Carsyn Koch-Johnson (Cedarville) 1500 1. Stephanie Cotter (Adams State) 2. Alijca Konieczek (Western Colorado) 3. Kristen Metcalfe (Embry-Riddle) 4. Roisin Flanagan (Adams State) 5. Liz Bloch (Michigan Tech) 3000 Steeplechase 1. Alijca Konieczek (Western Colorado) 2. Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) 3. Julia Howley (Simon Fraser) 4. HaLeigh Hunter-Galvan (Adams State) 5. Hanna Groeber (Grand Valley State) 5000 1. Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) 2. Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) 3. Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) 4. Julia Howley (Simon Fraser) 5. Kate Lilly (Seattle Pacific) 10,000 1. Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) 2. Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) 3. Gina Patterson (Grand Valley State) 4. Jessica Gockley (Grand Valley State) 5. Kaylee Bogina (Adams State)

*Following the publication of this article, TSR was informed that Andy Snyder will be transferring to San Francisco. Please disregard any mentions of Snyder in relation to UW* After a stellar year at Washington, Andy Powell has continued to use the transfer portal to improve his squad. The two most recent additions, Andrew Jordan and Jack Rowe, will immediately help the Huskies improve on their surprise 6th place finish from XC Nationals this past fall. Jordan in particular is a huge win for Washington. The current junior has run well at XC Nationals the last two years, finishing 15th and 46th in 2017 and 2018, respectively. He was one of the biggest reasons why I was so high on Iowa State’s chances to earn a podium finish last year. Jordan, much like Tanner Anderson this year, will provide the Huskies with a consistent top finisher and a proven All-American. Of course, for every gain there is typically a loss and that's exactly what this was for Iowa State. While the Cyclones still have Edwin Kurgat, they are graduating Dan Curts and needed Jordan in order to earn another top 10 finish at Nationals. Instead, the Cyclones will have to rely on Chad Johnson and Milo Greder to take a step forward to fill in for Jordan’s absence. One last note on Jordan: he ran well indoors, qualifying for Indoor Nationals in the 3000, but he did not run at all during outdoors. Was this due to injury or because he was transferring? Regardless, Jordan is now the star of Powell's Washington Huskies... The other star transfer, Jack Rowe, will also provide the team with stability and depth. Coming off the best season of his career, the former San Francisco star ran PR's in both the 5k and 10k, running 13:54 and 28:50, respectively. He should slide right into Washington’s top seven and give them another potential All-American. Looking forward to next year’s cross country season, earning a spot in Washington’s top seven will be very competitive. This is a look at one of the many potential permutations of the Huskies lineup for the 2019 season. Because Tanner Anderson has run four cross country seasons during his time at Oregon and Washington, the NCAA will not have him for the cross country season (but they might have him for track). Other additions who could make an immediate impact for Washington next season are incoming freshmen Sam Tanner from New Zealand – who has run 3:58 in the mile – and Sam Affolder. As Coach Powell looks to improve on his first season, he will have plenty of new options to put into his lineup in 2019. Another big transfer involves Sam Affolder’s older brother Noah who left Syracuse for Oregon. Affolder is coming off a disappointing season that saw him finish 190th at XC Nationals. Yet, it would be a mistake to judge him based off this past fall. The new Oregon Duck is one of the top runners in the country for the steeplechase and has run 8:01 in the 3000. Perhaps a change of scenery will be best for Affolder, as he still has three more years of eligibility. For Oregon, Affolder gives new coach Ben Thomas additional depth. With the exception of James West and Blake Haney, the Ducks brings back their entire top seven from last year’s 15th place team. As seen during indoors, Oregon has elite level talent that seems to be improving as it adapts to Coach Thomas’ training. I am confident that Cooper Teare, Jackson Mestler, Charlie Hunter, and Reed Brown will all be better next year. Moreover, with the addition of Affolder, Oregon has a good chance of finishing in the top 10 at Nationals. For Syracuse, Affolder's transfer is a big blow to first-year coach Brien Bell. After a disappointing season that saw the Orange finish 26th at Nationals, next year will be an important year for Syracuse. The program had some much momentum after winning Nationals, but after the loss of Justyn Knight and Coach Fox, the team has regressed. Losing one of the best runners in the NCAA will do that to almost any program, but it is important for the school to show that they can rebound and build the next podium-challenging team. Let's not forget, they still showed plenty of promise during the fall of 2018. However, inexperience in championship settings got the best of them. Of course, the men aren't the only ones with big-name transfers. The women, specifically the Colorado Buffaloes, are making just as much noise (if not more). Next fall, Colorado will lose 2018 Cross Country All-Americans Dani Jones, Makena Morley, Tayler Tuttle, and Val Constien from their lineup. However, the Buffaloes do return All-Americans Tabor Scholl and Sage Hurta (gosh, Colorado was so good last year), but they will need some help. To fill the gaps, Mark Wetmore has found some of the top transfers in the country. Bringing in Emily Venters of Boise State and Rachel McArthur of Villanova will give the Buffs a ton of stability as well as some additional firepower up front. Venters finished as an All-American last cross country season and ran 15:45 in the 5k during indoors this year. Rachel McArthur, one of the more surprising transfers this year, gives the Buffaloes more middle-distance speed. With PR's of 2:04 and 4:14, the former Wildcat has the speed to run with almost anyone. The hope is that Colorado can give her the Dani Jones script to help her improve from her 119th place finish at XC Nationals. Still, McArthur was the Mid-Atlantic Region champion this past fall and runner-up at the BIG East XC Championships. It would be entirely incorrect to say that she can't be a lethal scorer on the grass. The only question now is how she will handle living and training at altitude... Additionally, Colorado will look to get a boost from incoming freshman Emily Covert who finished 4th at NXN. Wetmore's group may lose a handful of stars, but they are not settled on rebuilding. Instead, they will reload. For Villanova, McArthur’s absence will hurt for a team that finished 2nd in the Mid-Atlantic region and 24th at Nationals. In addition, the team is losing top runner Nicole Hutchinson due to graduation. The Wildcats will need the rest of their squad to improve in a big way in order for the team to make it back to Nationals next year in a sneaky deep region.

11 Time All-American. Two-Time Foot Locker Champion. Seventh U.S. High Schooler to Break Four Minutes in the Mile. Olympic Trials Qualifier. One Time NCAA Champion. Grant Fisher is one of the most accomplished athletes in the country heading into the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Ironically, he may also have the most to prove in his final championship meet. As a high schooler in Michigan, Grant Fisher established himself as one of the best prep runners in American history. Winning multiple national titles and breaking the elusive four-minute mile barrier would surely set Fisher up to win a handful of national titles at Stanford and dominate the NCAA. Of course, life does not always go as planned and expectations are often difficult to match, especially when they are set so extraordinarily high. Fisher has only been crowned NCAA champion once in his career - the 2017 outdoor 5000 meters. Often overshadowed by other athletes such as Edward Cheserek, Justyn Knight, and most recently Morgan McDonald, Fisher has consistently had to settle for less than first place. As a result, there is seemingly a heavy amount of pressure on Grant Fisher to win this upcoming weekend and possibly close out his career on a high note*. *Fisher has a season of indoor eligibility left, but it is unclear if he will use it. The legacy of the Stanford superstar stands to gain a lot this weekend. It also has a lot to potentially lose. If he wins, Grant Fisher becomes a two-time champion and will have taken down an all-time great in Morgan McDonald while returning to the stage he put himself on two years ago. But if he doesn't win...what happens? Before diving too deep into the implications of Fisher’s legacy, there are a few points to keep in mind. * * * Even though Fisher has only won a single title in 11 tries, this is still more than most athletes will ever win. Many athletes have gone on to have successful professional careers and compete at Olympics and World Championships despite never having won a title. Even one NCAA gold puts Grant Fisher in an elite class of athletes. More so, the man is consistent. Fisher has only finished outside of the top six once at a national championship meet. During his freshman year, he finished 17th at the cross country national meet which is one of the highest finishes by a freshman in recent years. The fact that Grant Fisher has become an All-American every time he has had the opportunity is something we rarely see (with the possible exception of Robert Heppenstall). Winning an NCAA title as a sophomore puts an individual under an immense amount of pressure to repeat that performance. Even a runner-up finish can be seen as sub-par, when in reality, earning a silver medal is pretty darn good. Going into the upcoming championship without regard for the potential outcomes, Grant Fisher’s legacy is one of a well-rounded, fierce competitor. There has not been a single race that he has been entered in during his time at Stanford where he has not been in the conversation of potentially winning. Whether it is in cross country or a 1500 on the track, Fisher has been on everybody’s radar as a serious contender. Consistency is a characteristic that often goes unnoticed, but it molds our favorite runners into the champions that we know and love. Just ask Bryce Hoppel who has won 17 consecutive races this year which includes a national title. Maybe that's why we still view Fisher as such a phenomenal talent despite his lack of titles. Just think, when was the last time he had a substantially poor performance? His worst result is a 17th place finish in the PAC-12 1500 as a freshman, although that race hardly defined his season as he ran 13:39 for 5000 meters and finished 6th at NCAA's that year. Consistency is one of the most aspects of competition, and Grant Fisher has essentially made it his middle name. * * * The race at NCAA's this upcoming weekend will almost certainly come down to the final 200 meters. If Grant Fisher walks away with a win in the 5k, he will not only show that he is wildly consistent, but that he can take down the best of the best in the late stages of the race - a strength of his that has seemingly dissolved over the past year or two. Of course, if he loses, the discussion of where he stands among the all-time greats becomes less clear and likely complicates the overall picture even more from an objective point of view. In an era defined by the national titles of Edward Cheserek and Northern Arizona, arguments in favor of Fisher's spot on an all-time list becomes increasingly more challenging. Still, his personal best of 13:29 makes him one of the best in the field and his Millrose title over Morgan McDonald this past winter shows that he is at least capable of hanging with the Badger veteran in the final moments of the race. Saturday's race could end up being the most difficult challenge of Fisher's collegiate career. It could also end up as the most rewarding...

With Nationals coming up, we thought it would be interesting to put a spotlight on where NCAA's is being held before we get to the people running in it. Because Oregon is renovating their track to host the 2021 World Championships, the NCAA needed to find a new home for the outdoor national meet. Eugene has been the home to Nationals since 2012 when the event was hosted at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. For 2019 and 2020, the NCAA announced that the University of Texas would be hosting outdoor Nationals in Austin, Texas. Obviously, the weather that the athletes will be competing in will be different. How different is the weather actually and how will that affect the races? These questions and more were answered by some of our TSR staff writers... How different will the weather actually be? Ben : As you can see by these two charts, the scorching heat in Austin will force competitors to run a different kind of race than they would in Eugene. The low temperatures for every day in Austin would have eclipsed the high in Eugene for every day except June 6. On average, the high temperature in Austin will be almost 19°F warmer than in Eugene. This does not even include the difference in humidity between the two cities – 94°F in Austin feels like almost 100°F. Will moving the schedule back help? Ben : After looking at the startling difference in temperatures, one might point out that the races will be run later this year compared to last. That is true, but even with a few extra hours, Austin will still be significantly hotter than Eugene. As seen by the chart, Austin keeps its heat even at night. With sunset not occurring until 8:26 PM, runners will still have to deal with the sun and heat even with races being pushed back a few hours. The chart also shows that the humidity still plays a large factor at night, as it makes the weather feel at least four degrees warmer. What races will be most affected by the weather? Sean : The 10k will clearly be affected by the heat with temperatures likely to be hovering between 85 to 90° at 9 PM. Still, those conditions are not unheard of at a National Championship and 10k runners are accustomed to having water stations on the backstretch, as will surely be the case in Austin. If athletes can manage the heat through their warm-ups, the 10k should not be majorly affected. On the other hand, the 5k features a number of doublers from the steeplechase and the 10k. Controlling body temperature and fatigue on a second race presents a huge challenge to anyone doubling. With a few fresh faces entering the race, expect them to make the race hard from the gun. The heat can still wreak havoc on those who are fresh, especially if they overplay their hands, but its effect on those doubling back will be the difference in the race. Michael : I think that the 5k and 10k will be affected the most by the heat. The simple fact that these athletes will be running for longer than athletes in other races means that the heat will have more of an effect on them. While races like the 800 and the 1500 will still be affected by the heat, athletes running in such races won’t have as much time to overheat. In the 5k and 10k, the heat will cause people to become fatigued earlier in the races and this will likely result in them being very tactical. Sean makes a good point about athletes running both races, as the heat will be yet another factor that makes this double challenging. Ben : I do not have much to add to what Michael and Sean have said other than to emphasize the effect that the weather will have on people doubling. The heat will certainly make recovery much harder, which may impact Allie Ostrander as she tries to double in the steeple and the 5k. These two races are only separated by an hour and a half, so she will have to recover quickly. Of course, this is Ostrander were talking about, so she might be able to succeed despite the weather, but it is something to keep an eye on. Additionally, we might not be seeing Morgan McDonald in the 10k this year because of the weather. Would McDonald have tried the double in a cooler climate? Maybe. Perhaps this was not part of the calculus in his decision, but the 10k/5k double is certainly much more difficult this year in Austin. Who benefits from the hot conditions? Sean : The sprinters. But beyond that, there is definitely a home-field advantage for the Texas Longhorns and additionally a little bit of home-field advantage for all Texas teams. Michael: Teams that are coming from similar climatic areas will benefit, as they are more accustomed to competing in hot weather and have the opportunity to train in it to prepare themselves. Athletes from regions like the northeast and northwest may struggle a bit more, as the temperature will be a shock to many of them. Ben : I think athletes who competed in the East regional will benefit from running in Jacksonville last week. The high temperature throughout the competition was 96°F while the low was 64. The runners who were able to survive those conditions will be well-prepared for the conditions that they will face in Austin. Good or bad for the sport? Sean : Having the championships in Austin is not the best thing for distance running, but it’s definitely a plus for track and field as a whole. Rotating the NCAA Championships around the country builds the fan base to support the sport moving forward. Heading to a Top 30 US metropolis finally provides the opportunity for growth that the sport desperately needs. As wonderful as Eugene is, the US needs to diversify its major events across the country. The spectacles of the Penn Relays and Millrose come from the opportunity to bring thousands of fans and media in a way that is not present in Oregon. That does not mean that the US Championships should not stay in Eugene. They should stay – but moving the NCAA Championships will be great for the sport. Michael: I think that overall this is a good move for the sport. Eugene and Hayward Field are certainly special and deserve a spot in the rotation but I believe that changing up the venue is beneficial. Eugene is not particularly easy to access as direct flights are limited to nearby airports. Also, consistently holding the meet on the west coast means that east coast teams are always having to travel across the country. Longer travel days and the time zone difference are not exactly going to help athletes prepare for races. Continually moving the location around to other suitable venues levels the playing field. Home field advantage is real, and an argument could be made that Oregon and other nearby schools perform better at NCAA's when it is in Eugene. Fans from different areas of the country also get the opportunity to go watch when the meet is held in different locations. The weather in Austin might not be ideal, but I think it is a positive change from keeping the meet at Oregon every year. Ben: I have a slightly different opinion than Sean and Michael on this. I think it is good for the NCAA to rotate through different places, but I think Eugene should be in the rotation every other year or every three years at least. The knowledgeable fans, as well as the history of Hayward Field, enhances the National Championship experience for everyone involved. A system where Eugene alternates with other locations every year would give other cities the chance to grow the sport in their community and make sure that athletes still get to experience running at Historic Hayward Field. So, I do think hosting in a different place is good although hosting Nationals in Austin in June seems like a bad idea. Cities with more moderate climates would be more ideal substitutes for Eugene. Some extraneous stuff... Schedule Wednesday, June 5 (Weather: 94/74°F) 6:46 PM: 1500 Meters Semifinal Men 7:02 PM: 3000 Meter Steeplechase Semifinal Men 8:14 PM: 800 Meters Semifinal Men 9:08 PM: 10,000 Meters Final Men Thursday, June 6 (Weather 93/74) 7:16 PM: 1500 Meters Semifinal Women 7:32 PM: 3000 Meter Steeplechase Semifinal Women 8:44 PM: 800 Meters Semifinal Women 9:38 PM: 10,000 Meters Final Women Friday, June 7 (Weather 93/75) 7:41 PM: 1500 Meters Final Men 7:54 PM: 3000 Meter Steeplechase Final Men 8:44 PM: 800 Meters Final Men 9:25 PM: 5000 Meters Final Men Saturday, June 8 (Weather 93/74, chance of storms) 5:41 PM: 1500 Meters Final Women 5:54 PM: 3000 Meter Steeplechase Final Women 6:44 PM: 800 Meters Final Women 7:25 PM: 5000 Meters Final Women Weather in Austin today: High 89 low 76 5 PM: 89, feels like 95 6 PM: 89, feels like 95 7 PM: 87, feels like 93 8 PM: 84, feels like 89 9 PM: 83, feels like 87 Sunset: 8:26 PM Weather in Jacksonville during East regional May 23: 87/71 May 24: 91/64 May 25: 96/70 Weather in Sacramento during West regional May 23: 79/57 May 24: 76/55 May 25: 73/54 Weather in Eugene last year: June 6: 77/39 June 7: 71/48 June 8: 71/47 June 9: 59/47

This is the best era of women's distance running that we have ever seen. For anyone who has religiously read every word we've written over the last few months, you will know that this is not a new idea for me. Oddly enough, no one has challenged me on this (yet), although I'm sure that will change once this is published. Don't get me wrong. I understand that there were some pretty phenomenal women who have made their way through the NCAA system over the years. I also understand how much influence recency bias has in these kind of debates and that numbers are typically the best way to get an answer. But what I am arguing isn't necessarily about statics, record-breaking performances, or national titles. Instead, it's about how the dynamic of women's collegiate distance running has shifted entirely - mainly because of how good everyone has become. * * * When I look at the top women set to run at Nationals next week, I can't help but be overwhelmed by the amount of talent and firepower headlining the fields. With so many unique storylines to follow, it's easy to get lost in the entries and miss something. Maybe that's why no one has been talking about the fact that Alicia Monson won't be toeing the line next weekend. Admittedly, Monson's absence from competition this spring became apparent relatively early on. For most of us, we've had time to digest that she won't be at the national meet, although it is odd that she ran at the BIG 10 Championships and then not at the regional championships... So why isn't this a bigger deal? Shouldn't a woman who ran 8:45 for 3000 meters (NCAA #3 all-time) en route to a Millrose title - before also winning the indoor national title in the 5000 meters - be a much bigger talking point? What would the general dialogue be if Morgan McDonald or Grant Fisher were injured and not running at Nationals? It would be a bigger deal, right? That's because as long as there is uncertainty, fans will tune in to find out what happens next. That's why the McDonald vs Fisher rivalry is so important for men's distance running this year. Not having either McDonald or Fisher would mean there is no one to challenge the heavy favorite for the national title, especially with Amon Kemboi and Joe Klecker not racing. No challengers means less excitement and for the women, there are plenty of challengers. New Mexico's Weini Kelati will enter the national meet as the favorite, but the appeal of Dani Jones returning from injury, moving up in distance, and going head-to-head with the woman who she upset during cross country is a storyline that will still capture the attention of distance running fans across the nation. Heck, we haven't mentioned Ostrander who has been at the absolute peak of her dominance this year and could be going for the 5000 meter national title after doubling back from the steeplechase. In other words, the rest of the field is so good that even the loss of a Millrose/NCAA champion won't damage our curiosity about who will win the national title next week...and that's a crazy thing to think about. However, the level of raw talent that we've witnessed from this year's top collegiate women has been more influential than we may have initially realized. They have done more than just sustain our interest in the absence of a superstar. Often times, they have overshadowed the once dominant names who controlled the narrative at championship meets. * * * Texas A&M's Jazmine Fray owns the indoor NCAA record for 800 meters with a 2:00.69, but has hardly been considered as a threat for the national title since last year despite running the NCAA #1 time of 2:02.27 just five days ago. Instead, the attention has gone to women like Danae Rivers, Nia Akins, Allie Wilson, and Martha Bissah - women who have shown the range and consistency that Fray simply hasn't. In today's day and age, having a top-ranked performance isn't enough to guarantee you NCAA gold. The real value lies in consistency. That's why every All-American woman from the indoor 800 this past winter (which includes Fray) will be returning to Nationals next week. It's also why the top 10 seeds in the women's east region 800 will all be advancing to NCAA's. And what about Ednah Kurgat, the 2017 cross country champion from New Mexico who was essentially unmatched early in her career? It would be fair to say that she hasn't returned to that level, but it would be unfair to say that she's been running poorly. She did, after all, win one of the fastest indoor 5k's that the NCAA has ever seen five months ago. But Kurgat's sustained success has not been able to match her competitor's rapid improvement, most notably teammate Weini Kelati who (in the eyes of many) is the next heir to become Queen of the NCAA. Of course, it's not just Weini Kelati who has eclipsed the successes of Kurgat. Oregon's Jessica Hull has assembled a resume of her own that only legendary collegiates before her can match. Her potent mix of speed and endurance has made her nearly unstoppable in the 1500 meter distance and it even prompted many of us at TSR to question if she would pursue the 5000 at the National Championships. Even with indoor mile champions like Karissa Nelson and Julia Rizk toeing the line next weekend, there won't be anyone who is a bigger favorite than the Aussie native. * * * Although Hull is primed to win yet another collegiate crown, it is hard to not think about "what could have been" when looking at the rest of the field that she will be facing. What would have happened if Dani Jones was 100% healthy or if Sage Hurta wasn't running unattached this spring? What if we got to see these two women - at the peak of their fitness - clash with their PAC-12 rival in the final collegiate race of Hull's career? Would the Oregon Duck, who has put up stats that rival upper-echelon stars of this millennia , still be considered the favorite to take home the national title? It's a question we can only ask in theory, but the fact that I can even ask that and not get yelled at gives you a perspective of just how talented the 1500 field could have been in 2019... * * * The talking point are endless. Honestly, I didn't even get to them all. We haven't even discussed the story of Erica Birk, the BYU mother-student-athlete who has been dominating the NCAA this year after giving birth to her son Jack just 16 months ago. Or what about the elite women who are headlining the steeplechase? How about Sammy Watson's departure? What about Josette Norris' breakout season? The return of Erin Finn? All of these topics (and more) are what have helped shaped this era into one of the best ever in women's collegiate distance running. Often times, you get overwhelming dominance from one individual or one team. Other times, you never know who will walk away with NCAA gold. But in 2019? We have found a balance. A balance where the absence of one superstar woman doesn't crush interest in the sport. A balance where fast times and consistency is rewarded. A balance where all-time greats can still be challenged for their crowns. And who knows? Maybe this is just the beginning of even bigger (and better) things to come...

Written by Garrett Zatlin Research by Ben Weisel and Sean Collins After three days of wild performances, unique storylines, and shocking qualifiers, we have finally wrapped up the regional championships. The pair of meets gave us everything we were looking for and had a relatively decent balance between the amount of predictability and the amount of surprises (when it comes to qualifiers). Last week at TSR, seven members of the crew got together to give their full predictions for who they think would qualify for the national meet. Let's tally up the scores and review some of the more interesting trends that we saw in our predictions... FINAL PREDICTION SCORES Most Accurately Predicted Event by Region and Gender: West Women's Steeple The women's west region steeplechase was incredibly predictable as the elites truly showed off their fitness. In fact, that race produced a handful of the NCAA's fastest times in the country this season. With so many fast races, this forced most of the field to run to their fullest potential and fitness. As a result, tactical racing had a lesser role which allowed the top seeds to truly shine through and avoid upsets. In the end, 10 of the top 12 seeds (nine of the top 10) qualified for Nationals. The two national qualifiers who weren't seeded in the top 12 were Wichita State's Rebecca Topham (#17) and Texas' Anna McDonald (#21). For perspective, there were a total of 18 instances where one of our writers correctly predicted 10 of the possible 12 qualifiers. Of those 18 instances, five of them came in the west women's steeplechase. Only myself and Ben didn't score a 10 out of 12 in that event (we scored 9's). Least Accurately Predicted Event by Region and Gender: East Men's 1500 A lot of us were expecting the men's east region 800 to be the worst event from a predictions standpoint. Part of that can be attributed to the fact that heavy hitters like Daniel Kuhn, Joe White, and Marco Arop fell out of qualifying. Although our predictions for the men's east region 800 weren't great, the men's east region 1500 was worse. As I theorized in an article from last week, the men's races always seem to be more tactical than the women's races and that was certainly the case this past weekend (well, at least in the 1500). The preliminary rounds were super tactical as nearly everyone relied on their kick to ensure that they would advance. Notre Dame's Yared Nuguse was the only one who opted to assert some honest pacing into his two races this past weekend which resulted in a comfortable national qualifier for him and a handful of others. As a result, top men like Spencer Brown (who ran 3:39 at Bryan Clay) was unable to make it out of the finals. Even Ole Miss sophomore Cade Bethmann struggled in a slower race during the prelims. Others like Ben Young (Kentucky), Nate Sloan (Pittsburgh), Colin Abert (Penn State), and Sam Ritz (Columbia) were popular picks to make it to the national meet given their recent consistency and success. Unfortunately, none of them will be racing in Austin. For perspective, five of the top 12 seeds failed to qualify for NCAA's. If you go further down the list, 11 of the top 20 seeds still did not make Nationals. Villanova's Logan Wetzel (#21), William & Mary's Ryan McGorty (#24), and Furman's Ryan Adams (#31) were the three seeds outside of the top 20 who made it to the national meet. Worst Single Prediction: Ben Weisel (East Men's 1500) Yep, we're staying on this topic. Ben was the only one of our writer's to have a prediction under 50% (he went 5/12) which was likely the difference maker in his overall finish. The favorites like Yared Nuguse, Waleed Suliman, and Justine Kiprotich gave Ben some help. Even Chris Torpy and Teddy Browning were solid picks as well. Unfortunately, Ben got caught with some bad luck as none of the sleeper picks he chose worked out for him. Outside of guys like Brown and Bethmann, he also had Young, Sloan, Abert, Ritchie, and Leverenz. He was smart to pick a handful of sleeper picks, he just happened to choose the wrong ones. Correctly Picked "First Runners Out": Michael Weidenbruch, Sean Collins, & John Cusick (x2) Within each race, there is a 1/48 (roughly 2%) chance that you correctly pick the "First Runner Out". This is the athlete who will not be moving on to Nationals because they finished 13th in their respective race (one spot out of qualifying). In other words, it's very hard to do. Between men and women, east and west regions, five distance races, and seven writers making predictions, there were a total of 280 races where someone could have properly predicted a First Runner Out. In total, we had four correct predictions which equates to roughly 1.5% accuracy. In comparison to the overall odds of 2%, we were sub-par. Still, it's an impressive accomplishment to predict such a specific spot in a field that is filled with top talents who are often changing their racing tactics. Here were the correct picks... John Cusick: Paul Hogan, UMass Lowell (Men's East 5k) Michael Weidenbruch: Amanda Gehrich, Oregon (Women's West Steeplechase) Sean Collins: Julia Paternain, Penn State (Women's East 10k) John Cusick: Julia Paternain, Penn State (Women's East 10k) Did We Beat the "Market"? In the stock market, investors try to implement a variety of investment plans and financial analysis so that they could get the biggest return on their money. Often times, the S&P 500 Index is used as a benchmark for how someone's portfolio is performing. Sure, there are some stocks that will perform better than the S&P 500, but for the most part, the index is a good baseline to look at when you're investing (generally speaking, I'm not certified to give you investment advice, don't sue me). The same idea can be applied to the regional championships. Is it likely that the top 12 seeds are all going to qualify for Nationals? No, probably not. However, they are good indicators for how you should make your picks. Here is how the prediction results would look if you had simply selected the top 12 seeds in each event region for each event... West Men 800: 10/12 1500: 10/12 5k: 9/12 10k: 7/12 3k Steeple: 9/12 TOTAL (45/60 = 75%) West Women 800: 8/12 1500: 10/12 5k: 7/12 10k: 8/12 3k Steeple: 10/12 TOTAL (43/60 = 71.6%) Total West: 88/120 = 73.3% East Men 800: 8/12 1500: 7/12 5k: 5/12 10k: 6/12 3k Steeple: 8/12 TOTAL (34/60 = 56.6%) East Women 800: 11/12 1500: 6/12 5k: 8/12 10k: 7/12 3k Steeple: 9/12 TOTAL (41/60 = 68.3%) Total East: 75/120 = 62.5% OVERALL TOTAL: 163/240 = 67.91% And our final scores? They were... Overall Writer Average: 161.4 (67.25%) In other words, we failed to beat the "market"

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

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

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

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