*Honorable mentions below* KEY (Unranked) Was not ranked during the last update. (#/#) First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from the prior update. Second number indicates where the runner was ranked during the last update. 25. Nia Akins, Junior, Penn (Unranked) There were a handful of women that this spot could've gone to, but after such a successful indoor season where she nearly won the national title, I think Akins deserves to be mentioned. Of course, it's not just because of her performance from Indoor Nationals. Her 2:03.76 from the Tennessee Relays currently has her ranked at #8 in the NCAA and it doesn't hurt that she added a 4:16 PR for 1500 meters to her resume either. After helping Penn to their first ever Penn Relays wheel in the DMR and securing two Ivy League titles, it's safe to say that Akins has brought an immense amount of value to the Quaker's roster. 24. Makena Morley, Junior, Colorado (-6 / 18) 23. Fiona O'Keeffe, Junior, Stanford (Unranked) The PAC 12 rivals haven't been making as many headlines like they were during indoors, but their spring seasons have still been strong. O'Keeffe ran 15:38 at Payton Jordan while Morley ran 15:43 earlier in the season at the Stanford Invite. After finishing 2nd (O'Keeffe) and 3rd (Morley) in the PAC 12 Championship 5k last weekend, it's clear that these two women are capable of finding a podium spot once again in the next few weeks. 22. Alexis Fuller, Senior, Boise State (Unranked) Fuller began to show signs of being a national title contender this past winter, but she barely missed an All-American finish by one spot in the mile. However, this spring track season has been where she has really turned on the jets. After running 2:05 at the Sun Angel Classic, she went to the Portland Twilight meet and threw down an NCAA #3 time of 4:13 seemingly out of nowhere. After winning the Mountain West title last weekend, Fuller has established herself as a very real threat to finish on the podium come June. 21. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Freshman, Arkansas (-6 / 15) 20. Taylor Werner, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas (-10 / 10) This pair of Arkansas women haven't been lighting up the track like they were during indoors, but they've quietly produced a handful of nice times and performances. Werner has marks of 15:38 (NCAA #7) and 32:26 (NCAA #6) while Gregory has run 4:15 (NCAA #17) and 15:42 (NCAA #14). It's clear that they are still some of the top talents in the country, but they've lacked the same consistency and tactical acumen (i.e. SEC Champs and Stanford Invite) that we saw from them in the winter. 19. Avi Tal Wilson-Perteete, Sophomore, UNLV (+3 / 22) I really liked the Mountain West title win we saw from Wilson-Perteete last weekend. A hard-charging Kristie Schoffield did not make things easy for the UNLV sophomore who was forced to run 2:03.56 in order to win. Wilson-Perteete didn't back down from the challenge and was rewarded by defeating a respectable middle distance talent in the process. 18. Brianna Ilarda, Senior, Providence (Unranked) The Providence senior has stolen the spotlight from teammate Millie Paladino with a total of four wins this season, three of which came in the steeplechase. Her personal best of 9:50 currently ranks #4 in the NCAA right now, and it's hard to imagine her not on the podium come NCAA's. We know she can be competitive, but how will she handle the elite competition from the West Region assuming that she makes it to Nationals? 17. Jessica Harris, Senior, Notre Dame (-3 / 14) The Notre Dame ace captured headlines with her 4:13 earlier this season, but her ACC Championship performances left something to be desired. A 4th place finish in the 800 and a 6th place finish in the 5000 meters isn't super exciting, but it's also clear that Harris was sharpening her speed and stamina in preparation for a postseason that will be dedicated to the 1500. 16. Isobel Batt-Doyle, Senior, Washington (Unranked) It took some time, but Batt-Doyle has finally secured a spot in our Top 25. The Washington veteran has played an underrated role in the 10k and 5k distances this spring. Her PAC 12 title in the 10,000 meters was an encouraging result and when you look at her season as a whole, she hasn't really had a bad race. Consistency and winning are two strong indicators of potential success in the postseason. 15. Sinclaire Johnson, Junior, Oklahoma State (+2 / 17) Fun fact: Johnson hasn't lost a race this season and that includes prelims as well as relays. The Oklahoma State ace popped off a monster 4:13 at the Cardinal Classic before she cruised through the Drake Relays en route to a BIG 12 title in the 800 in 2:04. I always thought Johnson was somewhat one dimensional when it came to her racing distances, but seeing her thrive in the 800 is a very encouraging sign for the postseason. 14. Dani Jones, Rs. Junior, Colorado (Unranked) The champ has returned! After battling injuries throughout the winter, Dani Jones made her outdoor debut at Colorado State where she quietly ran a converted 4:14. She later went on to run a 15:54 at the PAC 12 Championships to take home the conference crown. The fact that she was able to run so well after an extended period of recovery time leads me to believe that Jones is still regaining fitness and will be even better in the postseason. 13. Charlotte Prouse, Junior, New Mexico (+6 / 19) She struggled a bit in the Payton Jordan steeplechase, falling off of the pace set by the leaders and settled for a 9:55. Luckily, she was able to rebound at the Mountain West Championships to post a winning time of 9:47. Her first battle with Ostrander didn't go as planned, but she is still someone who is capable of pulling off the upset at Nationals. 12. Ednah Kurgat, Senior, New Mexico (-5 / 7) I've been pretty hard on Kurgat this season, but she just hasn't been the same national title contender that we've grown accustomed to seeing. Ostrander has had her number this season and I don't see any signs that say she can win gold come June. That said, she's still posting solid results. Just because she isn't racing at the level that she once was doesn't necessarily mean that she's racing poorly. 11. Martha Bissah, Junior, Norfolk State (+2 / 13) I don't think people realize just how good Bissah has been. She won the Virginia Grand Prix in a time of 2:04 before dominating the MEAC Championships with a pair of titles in the 800 and 1500. Her conference title in the 800 yielded a strong result of 2:03.13 (NCAA #3) further solidifying herself as a potential threat to Rivers at the national meet. 10. Josette Norris, Senior, Georgetown (+6 / 16) I was really surprised to see Norris pursue the 5000 meters over the 1500 when it came to declarations for the regional meet. Although I thought that she was better suited for the 1500 distance, that shouldn't take away from the fact that she continues to be one of the top distance running women in the country. Her 1500/4x800 double gold at the BIG East Championships proved that. 9. Adva Cohen, Sophomore, New Mexico (+3 / 12) Cohen has continued to put herself in the national title conversation for the steeplechase after narrowly losing to Ostrander at Payton Jordan with a 9:46. Her 15:31 from Bryan Clay isn't half bad either. The New Mexico sophomore has done more this season than most fans of the sport realize. 8. Allie Wilson, Senior, Monmouth (0 / 8) Three wins (800/1500/4x8) at the Metro Atlantic Championships isn't super surprising, but when you consider the awful racing conditions due to weather, it's an impressive triple. Wilson has seemingly become even stronger since indoors which is bad news for her competitors in the 800. 7. Rachel Pocratsky, Senior, Virginia Tech (+4 / 11) Her regular season was a bit quiet, but she flipped on the switch at ACC's with a pair of wins in the 800 and 1500. The Virginia Tech veteran has opted to pursue the 1500 at the regional meet and I like the decision. She has a high racing IQ and has enough speed to keep things interesting with Hull in the final moments of an NCAA final. 6. Paige Stoner, Senior, Syracuse (+15 / 21) I was super impressed by Stoner's 32:07 from the Stanford Invite, but I wanted to see what else she could do. Maybe she was reading because she went on an absolute tear since we last discussed her in these rankings. The Syracuse ace went on to run 15:28 (NCAA #2) at Payton Jordan before winning double gold at ACC's in the steeplechase (9:51) and 5k (16:05). She is only running the 10,000 meters at Nationals, but her winning a national title in that event isn't totally out of the question. 5. Weini Kelati, Sophomore, New Mexico (0 / 5) The New Mexico sophomore dominated the Mountain West 10k, running a meet record of 32:09 en route to the #3 time in the NCAA. With Monson out for the season with a suspected (but unconfirmed) injury, and Ostrander running the steeplechase before she doubles back in the 5k, Kelati has a chance to not only win her first national title, but to win two gold medals at the national meet. 4. Erica Birk, Rs. Junior, BYU (0 / 4) It was a bit of a surprising decision to see Birk drop the 1500 and 5k in favor of the steeplechase at Nationals, but there is no doubt that she'll be an All-American contender. She's had one of the best regular seasons of any woman in the NCAA and has earned her spot in the top five. 3. Danae Rivers, Junior, Penn State (0 / 3) She secured double gold at BIG 10's, defeating the indoor mile champ at 1500 meters in the process. Rivers has phenomenal middle distance range and that strength should be extremely beneficial come NCAA's where she'll face a loaded 800 meter field. 2. Allie Ostrander, Rs. Junior, Boise State (0 / 2) You could make an argument that the Boise State superstar has the been the best distance runner of the 2019 spring track season. She's has finally found a way to earn wins over her rivals from New Mexico and the times that Ostrander is producing are top notch. It will be interesting to see how she handles the steeplechase/5k double at NCAA's 1. Jessica Hull, Rs. Junior, Oregon (0 / 1) She just won the PAC 12 title in a blistering kick that left the competition in the dust. She hasn't shown the same level of versatility that Ostrander has, but Hull has simply been more dominant on a more consistent basis. She'll be the easy favorite to win the 1500 national title. Honorable Mentions (no order) Lauren Ellsworth (BYU) Whittni Orton (BYU) Cailie Logue (Iowa State) Susan Aneno (UCONN) Susan Ejore (Oregon) Jazmine Fray (Texas A&M) Jessica Drop (Georgia) Hannah Steelman (Wofford) Sarah Feeny (Utah) Cierra Simmons (Utah State) Rachel King (South Dakota State)

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. Shane Bracken, Saint Leo (0 / 20) Bracken was idle this weekend. 19. Jake Mitchem, Colorado Mines (0 / 19) Mitchem was idle this weekend. 18. Jacob Kernell, Walsh (0 / 18) Kernell was idle this weekend. 17. Christian Noble, Lee (Tenn.) (-1 / 16) Noble was idle this weekend. 16. Devundrick Walker, CSU-Pueblo (-1 / 15) Walker was a part of the 4x4 team that the Thunderwolves sent to the Azusa Twilight Pacific meet. While they were there, he helped them run an automatic qualifying mark of 3:08. That time is also good enough for the #6 fastest time in the country. 15. Ayman Zahafi, TAMU-Kingsville (-1 / 14) Zahafi was also on a 4x4 team this past weekend. He helped TAMU-Kingsville run 3:11 at the ACU Last Chance Meet. Unfortunately, the time was not fast enough to sneak into the national meet. 14. Victor Moreau, Academy of Art (-1 / 13) Moreau ran the 800 at the Oxy Invitational. It was the last of his PR's that he was chasing and, much like the rest of the season, he bettered that mark too. His previous best was 1:53.38 and after Oxy he now owns a personal best of 1:52.79. Moreau has continued to be successful in every event all year long. 13. Luke Julian, Colorado Mines (+4 / 17) The Oredigger freshman had the best weekend of his young career. He set two personal bests and did so in impressive fashion. The first personal best came in the 1500 where he ran 3:44. Sure, his altitude conversion says he can run 3:42, but the 3:44 is a four second improvement. He came back later in the day and ran 14:10 for 5000 meters. He had only run one other 5000 and it was during the indoor season which produced a time of 14:56. He was already a strong contender for the top spot in the 1500, but he only solidified that this past weekend while also jumping into the All-American conversation for 5000 meters. 12. Brett Meyer, Fort Hays State (0 / 12) Meyer was idle this weekend. 11. Leakey Kipkosgei, American International (-1 / 10) Kipkosegi was idle this weekend. 10. Josh Hoskinson, Colorado Mines (-1 / 9) Hoskinson was idle this weekend. 9. Marcelo Laguera, CSU-Pueblo (-1 / 8) Laguera was idle this weekend. 8. Dennis Mbuta, Grand Valley State (-1 / 7) Mbuta was idle this weekend. 7. Taylor Stack, Western Colorado (+4 / 11) Stack threw down the biggest time of the weekend as he took home the victory at the Oxy Invitational. He ran 13:58 and bettered his previous best by eight seconds. Stack is one of four men to break the 14:00 barrier this season and immediately enters the conversation of competing for a top three podium spot. 6. Felix Wammetsberger, Queens (N.C.) (0 / 6) Wammetsberger was idle this weekend. 5. Daniel Wallis, Queens (N.C.) (0 / 5) Wallis was idle this weekend. 4. Elias Gedyon, Adams State (0 / 4) Gedyon was idle this weekend. 3. Thomas Staines, CSU-Pueblo (0 / 3) Staines reclaimed the top of the leaderboard over the weekend. His time of 1:47.53 was nearly a second faster than that of 2nd place. I don’t think there was ever any worry about Staines’ ability to win his fourth straight title and after this performance, he ahs reminded us all that he’s the man to beat and that the 800 field will have to race on on his terms. Staines also helped his 4x4 team run 3:08 and clinch a spot to the NCAA meet. 2. Sydney Gidabuday, Adams State (0 / 2) Gidabuday was idle this weekend. 1. Zach Panning, Grand Valley State (0 / 1) Panning was idle this weekend. 800 1. Thomas Staines (CSU-Pueblo) 2. Dennis Mbuta (Grand Valley State) 3. Ayman Zahafi (TAMU-Kingsville) 4. Devundrick Walker (CSU-Pueblo) 5. Shaquille Dill (St. Augustines) 1500 1. Daniel Wallis (Queens (N.C.)) 2. Felix Wammetsberger (Queens (N.C.)) 3. Elias Gedyon (Adams State) 4. Brett Meyer (Fort Hays State) 5. Victor Moreau (Academy of Art) 3000 Steeplechase 1. Leakey Kipkosgei (American International) 2. Taylor Stack (Western Colorado) 3. Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.)) 4. Jacob Kernell (Walsh) 5. Jake Mitchem (Colorado Mines) 5000 1. Zach Panning (Grand Valley State) 2. Sydney Gidabuday (Adams State) 3. Elias Gedyon (Adams State) 4. Taylor Stack (Western Colorado) 5. Josh Hoskinson (Colorado Mines) 10,000 1. Zach Panning (Grand Valley State) 2. Marcelo Laguera (CSU-Pueblo) 3. Tom Goforth (Saginaw Valley State) 4. Stetson Rayas (Dallas Baptist) 5. Jack Mastandrea (Charleston (W.V.))

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. Olivia Woods | Western Oregon (SR) (-1 / 19) It was not a fantastic weekend for Woods as she finished 5th in the 800 at the GNAC Championships. She was also a part of the Western Oregon 4x4 which finished 3rd. Now, granted, all four women who finished ahead of her in the 800 will be appearing in the same race at Nationals, but she needs to be in peak form to be able to be a true contender in what is going to be a stacked 800. Entered in 800 at Nationals 19. HaLeigh Hunter-Galvan | Adams State (JR) (Unranked) In her first ever steeplechase this weekend at Oxy, Hunter-Galvan ran a 10:35.58 to finish 3rd (as the top D2 athlete) and punch her ticket to NCAA's. It has been a fantastic season for Hunter-Galvan as she has picked up four PR's in her last four races. She will make her first individual appearance at a track and field national meet later next week... Entered in steeplechase and 5k at Nationals 18. Liz Bloch | Michigan Tech (SR) (0 / 18) In her last race before Nationals, Bloch took home a 2nd place finish at North Central behind fellow Top 20 woman Danielle McCormick. She picked up a PR of 2:09.57, which may have been the deciding factor as to why she is deciding to double at Nationals. We will season what kind of finish she will have to what has been a breakout season for Bloch. Entered in 800 and 1500 at Nationals 17. Alana Mussatto | Simon Fraser (SR) (0 / 17) Mussatto had a solid showing this weekend, finishing 3rd in the 800 at the GNAC Championships, only behind Danielle McCormick and teammate Sophie Dodd. She also hopped on the Simon Fraser 4x4 to help them to a 2nd place finish. Mussatto has been running well as the season has started to wind down, so hopefully she carries that to Nationals. Entered in 800 at Nationals 16. Gina Patterson | Grand Valley State (JR) (0 / 16) Idle Entered in 5k and 10k at Nationals 15. Sophie Dodd | Simon Fraser (SR) (0 / 15) Despite being bested by fellow 800 meter contender Danielle McCormick, Dodd captured a 2nd place finish in the 800 this past weekend at the GNAC Championships. She was also on the Simon Fraser 4x4 that grabbed a 2nd place finish. She has still not bested her PR from her first 800 earlier in March, so it will be interesting to see what kind of form she is in at NCAA's. Entered in 800 at Nationals 14. Andra Lehotay | Walsh (JR) (0 / 14) Idle Entered in 1500 at Nationals 13. Kristen Metcalfe | Embry-Riddle (SR) (0 / 13) This is now the fourth straight week that Metcalfe has raced, which is extremely unusual this late in the season. With that said, she looked as good as she has all season, as she picked up easy wins in both the 800 and 1500, running a season best of 2:08.15 in the 800, to move up to #8 in D2. If she can get sharp in the next couple of weeks, she can be a real contender in both the 800 and 1500 at Nationals. Entered in the 800 and 1500 at Nationals 12. Allie Ludge | Grand Valley State (JR) (0 / 12) Idle Entered in 1500 and 5k at Nationals 11. Carsyn Koch-Johnson | Cedarville (SR) (0 / 11) Koch-Johnson continued her very consistent season this past weekend at North Central as she picked up the win, running a 2:08.03 to take down fellow Top 20 woman Liz Bloch. She has carried over her momentum from the indoor season and has shown that after a two-year layoff, she is a real contender to win another national title Entered in 800 at Nationals 10. Danielle McCormick | Alaska Anchorage (SR) (-1 / 9) McCormick had a busy schedule at the GNAC Championships last weekend. She took home the win in the 800, taking down four fellow Top 20 women and running a solid time of 2:08.67. She also picked up a PR in the 1500 (running a 4:27.74) to place 3rd in the race. McCorrmick finished up by helping the Alaska Anchorage 4x4 to a 4th place finish. It was an extremely successful weekend for McCormick, which is a good sign going into Nationals. Entered in 800 and 4x4 at Nationals 9. Julia Howley | Simon Fraser (SR) (+1 / 10) Another steeplechase, another race where Howley was not tested. She took home the easy win at the GNAC Championships, winning by more than 30 seconds. Yet, more impressively, she picked up a PR in the process, running a 10:02.45. She also picked up a 6th place finish in the 1500. Howley has now run four steeplechases this season and has picked up four wins, none by less than 15 seconds. It is going to be very interesting to see how fast she can run with the likes of Konieczek and Flanagan at NCAA's. Entered in steeplechase and 5k at Nationals 8. Stephanie Cotter | Adams State (FR) (0 / 8) Idle Entered in 1500 at Nationals 7. Leah Hanle | Mount Olive (JR) (0 / 7) Idle Entered in 5k and 10k at Nationals 6. Roisin Flanagan | Adams State (JR) (0 / 6) Idle Entered in 1500 at Nationals 5. Rachael Walters | Grand Valley State (SR) (0 / 5) Idle Entered in 800 and 4x4 at Nationals 4. Skylyn Webb | UC Colorado-Springs (SR) (0 / 4) Idle Entered in 800 at Nationals 3. Alicja Konieczek | Western Colorado (SR) (0 / 3) Idle Entered in 1500 and steeplechase at Nationals 2. Eilish Flanagan | Adams State (JR) (0 / 2) Idle Entered in steeplechase and 5k at Nationals 1. Caroline Kurgat | Alaska Anchorage (SR) (0 / 1) Three races, three wins! It was no surprise to see Kurgat dominate the GNAC Championships last weekend as she coasted to easy wins in the 1500, 5k, and 10k. I would have loved to see her try the triple at Nationals, but she will go in as the favorite to repeat in both the 5k and 10k. Entered in 5k and 10k at Nationals 800 1. Skylyn Webb (UC Colorado Springs) 2. Rachael Walters (Grand Valley State) 3. Danielle McCormick (Alaska Anchorage) 4. Carsyn Koch-Johnson (Cedarville) 5. Kristen Metcalfe (Embry-Riddle) 1500 1. Roisin Flanagan (Adams State) 2. Stephanie Cotter (Adams State) 3. Alijca Konieczek (Western Colorado) 4. Allie Ludge (Grand Valley State) 5. Kristen Metcalfe (Embry-Riddle) 3000 Steeplechase 1. Alijca Konieczek (Western Colorado) 2. Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) 3. Julia Howley (Simon Fraser) 4. Hanna Groeber (Grand Valley State) 5. Allysen Eads (Hillsdale) 5000 1. Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) 2. Eilish Flanagan (Adams State) 3. Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) 4. Julia Howley (Simon Fraser) 5. Allie Ludge (Grand Valley State) 10,000 1. Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage) 2. Leah Hanle (Mount Olive) 3. Gina Patterson (Grand Valley State) 4. Alexa Shindruk (Central Washington) 5. Eileen Stressling (Azusa Pacific)

We were told that the Regional Championship declarations and scratches were going to be posted on Thursday. We were lied to. The early release of the Regional Championship scratches takes out any predicting and analysis that we had in yesterday's article for the East Region. However, it does allow us to react to some of the key event decisions. Let's dive in... FIND REGIONAL ENTRIES HERE Dani Jones (Colorado): 5000 > 1500 The absence of Dani Jones during the indoor track season essentially allowed Oregon's Jessica Hull to dominate the NCAA distance events. However, the return of the Colorado ace stirred up plenty of conversation and it may have potentially influenced the decisions of others in regards to event choice. After running a converted 4:14 at Colorado State, all signs pointed to Jones pursuing the 1500 in the postseason. However, her ability to defeat O'Keffee and Morley en route to a PAC 12 title in the 5000 meters changed that narrative. With Jessica Hull likely entering the 1500 (which is what happened), the 5k suddenly made the most sense for Jones who may have been looking for lesser roadblocks towards a national title. She correctly guessed that Hull would enter the 1500 and got the added the benefit of having Erica Birk drop the event as well (but more on her later). The 5000 meters won't be easy, especially with women like Weini Kelati and Allie Ostrander headlining the field. Still, I couldn't agree more with this decision to move up in distance. Jones' middle distance speed could become incredibly useful in a championship setting and I think she recognizes that. She may not be the favorite for the national title, but she'll have a better shot at winning it all than if she had to face Jessica Hull in the 1500 who is firing on all cylinders right now. Geordie Beamish + Luis Grijalva (NAU): 5000 > 1500 This was another outstanding decision as the NAU men have opted to favor the 5000 meters over the 1500. Yes, I'm well aware that Beamish just won the national title in the mile this past winter and I know that he has the #8 fastest 1500 in the country right now (3:39.15). Still, the top men in the 1500 are not a group that I would want to face this season. It's the deepest group of 1500 runners we've ever seen and the top of the rankings make the idea of a repeat title look less and less likely. Instead, Beamish opted to move up to 5000 meters. His 13:31 from Payton Jordan is a mind-boggling time that was kept in the shadows thanks to performances from Tyler Day and BYU's Conner Mantz. With top distance runners like Joe Klecker and Rory Linkletter no longer entered in the 5000 meters, Beamish will have even more All-American opportunities available to him. Plus, his lethal finishing speed that we saw during indoors could put him in contention with McDonald and Fisher at the end of a tactical 5000 meter race. Believe it or not, the best event for the 2019 mile national champion is the 5000 meters. As for Luis Grijlava, I'm a bit indifferent. He is one of the few men in the NCAA who is just as good in the 1500 as he is in the 5000. Grijalva's move up in distance might have been influenced by Theo Quax's entry in the 1500. The true freshman has been lighting up the track this season, but inexperience in a championship setting isn't super comforting. With so much talent crowding the 1500, Quax will need as much room as possible in order to earn a national qualifying spot. Moving both Beamish and Grijalva up to the 5000 meters makes Quax's life just a little bit easier. Erica Birk (BYU): 3000 Steeple > 1500 & 5000 Gosh, I just don't agree with this decision at all. Don't get me wrong, Birk is super talented and she was likely going to be an All-American in whichever event she chose. The problem with this choice is that unlike the 1500 and 5000, nearly none of the top women scratched out of the steeplechase. Paige Stoner is the only top ranked steeplechaser who opted out of the event to pursue other races. Elite women like Ostrander, Cohen, and Prouse are still crowding the top tier of this event which makes it extremely difficult to imagine a scenario where Birk walks away with a national title. I'm not necessarily saying that Birk was going to win a national title in a different event, but I liked her chances far more in the 5000 meters which has shown a lot of vulnerability among it's top runners. As for the 1500, she's run 4:13 on two different occasions this season. Outside of Hull, I'm not sure how many women you could convince me would beat Birk in a 1500. Rory Linkletter + Conner McMillan (BYU): 10,000 > 5000 Earlier this season, Rory Linkletter was able to chat with TSR's Sam Ivanecky to discuss a variety of topics. In their conversation, Rory mentioned that he wanted to focus on only one event at NCAA's - preferably the 10,000 meters. I'll be honest, the decision to scratch out of the 5k in favor of the 10k always confused me a bit. At the regional and national meets, the 10k comes before the 5k. The gap between the two events is two nights of rest. If the 10k is your priority, why would it hurt to add the 5000 meters to your racing schedule? If anything, the 5k acts as a sort of insurance if something goes wrong in the 10k. If you need an example, let's go back to the 2016 West Regional Championships where Houston's Brian Barraza could've entered himself in both the 10k and 5k. However, he decided to focus on just the 10,000 meters. The end result was a 13th place finish, one spot outside of qualifying for Nationals. If he was entered in the 5000 meters, Barraza could have rallied for another race that could have potentially put him on the starting line at NCAA's. Instead, he ended his season early. I'm not going to sit behind my laptop and act like I know what the right decision is in these kind of scenarios. The 10k/5k double is doable, but the mental and physical strain of the double is likely not easy. I'm just someone who likes having options and a Plan B. Other Notable Decisions Allie Ostrander (Boise State): 3000 Steeple + 5000 > 10,000 I felt pretty confident that Ostrander was going to run a double at NCAA's and one of those events was going to be the steeplechase. The only thing I was unsure about was whether her second race would be the 10k or the 5k. As it turns out, she chose the latter. I like this decision to run the steeplechase/5k double. Unlike the steeplechase/10k double, the scheduling with the 5000 meters allows Ostrander to run the steeplechase completely fresh. The 10k would require Ostrander to put six miles of racing under her legs between rounds. Alex Rogers (Texas): 3000 Steeple + 5000 This is a great decision by Rogers. The steeplechase in the West Region is super deep, but it's also the best event for Rogers who has a ton of experience in that race. By the time he's finished with the prelims and finals of the steeplechase, Rogers will have the luxury of having the 5000 meters as a backup plan if he's unable to qualify for NCAA's in his primary event. Jessica Hull (Oregon): 1500 > 5000 With each passing week, it became more and more clear that this was the decision we were going to see. Hull is simply unmatched in the 1500 and with Dani Jones opting for the 5000 meters, I'm not sure there is really anyone capable of taking down the Oregon superstar. Michael Wilson (New Mexico): 1500 > 800 This was a really interesting choice. I always viewed Wilson as an 800 guy, but he may have some new-found confidence after he upset Cole Rockhold in the 1500 at the Mountain West Championships last weekend. I don't entirely dislike this decision as I think his middle speed will bode well for him in tactical rounds. East Region: Quick Thoughts (since they already got an entire article yesterday) Josette Norris (Georgetown): 5000 > 1500 Whoa! I would've bet everything I had on Norris running the 1500 over the 5000 meters. This is a surprising decision and I just can't find a way to justify it. She's only run the 5k once this season and although she posted a nice time (15:45), her 1500 PR of 4:13 is far superior in my eyes. Her performance at the BIG East Championships showed off a lot of impressive speed which left me thinking that the 1500 was going to be her main event for the next three to four weeks. Looks like I was wrong... Cade Bethmann (Ole Miss): 1500 > 800 Not a bad decision. Tactically, it'll favor him at the regional meet. However, he might end up stealing a national qualifying spot from one of his teammates. Rachel Pocratsky (Virginia Tech): 1500 > 800 This was another surprising choice, but I don't dislike it. The 800 is super deep this year and trying to battle through so many top-tier women is going to be exhausting. After seeing how tactical the mile was at the indoor national meet, you can't blame Pocratsky for wanting to see how she could manage this 1500 field. Kyle Mau (Indiana): 5000 > 1500 Yes! Such a great choice. Mau could have very easily chosen the 1500, but he made the right decision to move up to 5000 meters which is missing a few of the top men in the country this season. Paige Stoner (Syracuse): 10,000 > 3000 Steeple + 5000 Yep, no idea why. Pursuing the 10k over the steeplechase is completely understandable, but simply choosing not to run the 5000 meters is always a decision that will leave me scratching my head. Daniel Nixon (Mississippi State): Nothing > 800 Not sure why the #3 ranked 800 runner in the East Region is scratching out of the 800. Is he on the Mississippi State 4x400? Even if he is, the decision wouldn't make a ton of sense. I imagine an injury is likely the reason for his absence. Anyone who could have run 10k/5k double, but is just running the 10k and nothing else *see Linketter & McMillan section above*

Conference championships have finally finished up and regional rankings are now locked. However, there are some notable names who must make a decision as to which events they want to pursue at the National Championships. Below, we highlighted some of those names and gave our thoughts on what they will (and should) run at the regional meets... Cade Bethman (Ole Miss) Let's start with Cade Bethmann, the Ole Miss sophomore who has had a breakout spring track season. Much like teammate Waleed Suliman last year, Bethmann has the convenient conflict of being highly ranked in both the 1500 and 800. His 3:41 currently ranks him #5 in the East Region 1500 while his 1:47 ranks him at #7 in the East Region 800. This is a unique debate as there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut answer in regards to which event he should choose. At the national level, the men's 1500 is absolutely stacked with a total of 15 men having run under the 3:40 barrier this season. If Bethmann were to run that event at NCAA's, he would likely have to face one of the most talented 1500 fields that the NCAA has ever seen. However, only three of those 15 sub-3:40 runners can be found in the East Region. In other words, if Bethmann is more worried about qualifying, the 1500 may be the better choice. However, if he's more focused on a potential All-American finish, he may want to look into the 800, an event where experience plays less of a role on the national stage. The other factor that we need to consider is that Bethmann has a ton of other teammates who are expected to toe the line in the 1500 at Regionals. Suliman, Hengst, Garcia Romo, Smulders, and Gutierrez have all ended the regular season inside the East Region's top 48 spots for the 1500 (and none of them are qualified in any other event). With so many teammates crowding one event, the Ole Miss coaching staff may be incentivized to move Bethmann down in distance to the 800 in order to improve the national qualifying odds of their other athletes. In the end, there is no "right" answer for Bethmann. While most of our logic points to him running the 800, the 1500 seems like his sweet spot. What He Should Run: 800 meters What We Think He Will Run: 1500 meters Lotte Black (Rhode Island) One of the top middle distance runners in the East Region this year hasn't captured much attention despite running personal bests of 2:04 ad 4:17. The sophomore from Rhode Island has had a fantastic breakout season, but has an interesting dilemma on her hands as she is currently ranked #10 in the 800 and #15 in the 1500 (in the East Region). Deciding on which event she is going to run will be a delicate balance. Most would agree that Black is a better 800 runner, but the East Region field for the half-mile is absolutely stacked. Let's not forget that the top seven women in the 800 at Indoor Nationals this past winter were all from the East Region. Does Black really want to enter a field that is stacked with recent All-Americans who are still dominating the leaderboard? Although the 1500 may be a slight move up in distance, I don't think it's a terrible idea for Black to consider the event. Her 4:17 PR doesn't necessarily jump off the page, but in tactical racing, her 800 speed is huge. You can also make the assumption that top women like Rivers, Wilson, and Akins will be scratching the 1500 in favor of the 800. That could open up even more qualifying opportunities for Black. Much like Bethmann, I don't think there is a "wrong" answer here and it all depends on what Black and her coaches want to accomplish. The 1500 may not yield an All-American finish, but I don't totally dislike her chances of qualifying for the national meet in this event. Most may not agree with that and instead suggest that her strength in the 800 outweighs anything in the 1500. Still, I would take a second look at her options. What She Should Run: 1500 meters What We Think She Will Run: 800 meters Kyle Mau (Indiana) The Indiana star has a difficult decision on his hands. Should he run the 1500 or 5000 at the East Regional Championships? I think you could (maybe) make the argument that the 1500/mile distance is his best event, but his long distance accolades are still incredibly strong. With the 1500 being so stacked this year, I can't help but think that Mau should pursue the 5000 at the National Championships. Mau has the turnover and middle distance finishing speed that most distance-oriented athletes do not. In a championship race that often becomes tactical, that speed becomes immensely more valuable and it could very easily put him in an All-American spot. With a 13:44 personal best (which was run earlier this season at the Stanford Invite), I struggle to believe that Mau couldn't make it out of an East Region where only nine other men have broken 13:50. In fact, that number actually dwindles down to eight if you take out Aidan Tooker who was seen on crutches at the ACC Championships. From a qualifying standpoint, the 1500 may be the better option, but it isn't better by much. In the grand scheme of things, Mau is likely more concerned with finishing as an All-American than he is qualifying for another national meet. That said, Mau has only run the 5k a total of five times throughout his college career. One of those of times was during indoors. Will the Indiana ace enter the event that he is the most comfortable with? Or will he enter the 5000 which is best suited for his racing style? What He Should Run: 5000 meters What We Think He Will Run: 1500 meters Paige Stoner (Syracuse) In the East Region, Paige Stoner is currently ranked #1 in the 5000, #1 in the 10,000, and #2 in the 3000 steeplechase. Wow. The Syracuse star has dominated the East Region this year, throwing down performances that put her among the elites in the NCAA. Not knowing what you're going to run at Regionals because you're qualified in so many events is a good problem to have, but it's still a problem. I think it's fair to suggest that Stoner should attempt some sort of double. The combination of events, however, is where the uncertainty lies. To make matters even more complicated, each event combination between the 5k, 10k, and steeplechase are all somewhat realistic doubles so the scenarios are endless. The most common and reasonable double is the 10k/5k double due to the spacing between the events and the lack of prelims. However, if Stoner were to attempt that double, she would have to scratch out of the steeplechase - an event that she's had tons of success in. If we assume that Stoner decides to run the steeplechase, then we must now consider the fact that she will have to battle through prelims and finals at the national meet. That makes things tricky for the steeplechase/10k double. On the first day of competition for the women, Stoner would have to run the steeplechase prelims and then come back to run the 10k two hours later. In other words, Stoner wouldn't be fresh for the 10k and would have six extra miles of racing under her legs for the steeplechase final. From a scheduling perspective, it's not an ideal double. However, the steeplechase/5k double seems entirely more realistic and it actually seems to suit Stoner's strengths. If she were to qualify for both events, Stoner would finish the prelims and finals of her primary event (the steeplechase) and end her weekend with the 5000 meters which would come a little under two hours after her steeplechase final. The problem with all of these scenarios is that Stoner had the same opportunity to double last year, but opted to focus on just the steeplechase. Personally, I don't see a problem with tacking on the 5000 meters to her racing schedule since it comes after her preferred event. If anything, it would be another great opportunity to secure an All-American finish in addition to wherever she finishes in the steeplechase. What She Should Run: 3000 Steeple + 5000 meters What We Think She Will Run: 3000 Steeple Not Super Clear, But Still Relatively Predictable Zach Long (Tennessee) The Volunteer long distance star has had most of his success at the national level in the 5000 meters. However, his recent success in the 1500 this season (where he produced a personal best of 3:43) has me thinking that he could drop down in distance this year. The 1500 would be far stronger at the national meet, but Long can matchup very well at the regional level in this event. Still, I think he'll end up choosing the 5000 meters given his experience at that distance in championship settings. What He Should Run: 5000 What We Think He Will Run: 5000 Josette Norris (Georgetown) The breakout star of the year has been Josette Norris. The Georgetown stud has produced top times in both the 5000 meters (15:45) and 1500 meters (4:13). While some may see this as a difficult decision, it seems pretty clear that the 1500 is her best choice. Norris recently walked away from the BIG East Championships with a pair of titles in the 1500 and the 4x800, two middle distance events that suggest she will stay on the lower end of racing distance. Plus, inexperience in a long distance event where tactical racing is expected is not a great combination. What She Should Run: 1500 What We Think She Will Run: 1500 Torpy Twins (Miami (Ohio)) The Torpy twins did not make our lives easy when predicting regional qualifiers. Sean is qualified for the East Regional Championships in the 800 with a 1:48 (East #15), the 1500 with a 3:44 (East #16), and the 5k with a 14:01 (East #30). Teammate and brother Chris Torpy is qualified for the 1500 with a 3:44 (East #22) and the steeplechase with an 8:56 (East #28). It feels like Chris has a relatively easy decision. He qualified for Nationals in the 1500 last year, so it's fair to suggest that he may gravitate back towards the event that he is the most familiar and comfortable with. With Chris likely entered in the 1500, Sean may opt to stay away from that event to avoid taking up a qualifying spot from his brother. Instead, I could see Sean going all-in on the 800 meters. He barely missed qualifying for the indoor national meet in the 800 this past winter and has shown that he can consistently be a top performer at the half-mile distance. I like his chances in the two-lap affair where top seeds like Bethmann and Nuguse could scratch. What Chris Should Run: 1500 What We Think Chris Will Run: 1500 What Sean Should Run: 800 What We Think Sean Will Run: 800 Jessica Harris (Notre Dame) + Rachel Pocratsky (Virginia Tech) Harris really made a splash this outdoor season with seasonal bests of 2:04 (East #11) and 4:13 (East #1). Meanwhile, Pocratsky is coming off of double gold at ACC's and owns seasonal bests of 2:04 (East #8) and 4:18 (East #18). Either woman could enter either event and qualify for Nationals without too much trouble. Still, I think it's relatively clear that Harris will drop the 800 for the 1500 and that Pocratsky will opt out of the 1500 for the 800. However, if either of them were to pursue a potential double, I truly believe that Pocratsky could do it (don't worry, she probably won't). The Virginia Tech ace has shown time and time again that she can double better than any other woman in the country. The turnaround time between events isn't easy (roughly three hours for the prelims and a full day for the finals), but I think she could pull it off. I'm not saying she will do the double, I just think it's something to keep in the back of your mind. What Harris Should Run: 1500 What We Think Harris Will Run: 1500 What Pocratsky Should Run: 800 What We Think Pocratsky Will Run: 800 Other Quick Thoughts Euan Makepeace (Butler): 1500 vs 5000 What He Should Run: 5000 What We Think He Will Run: 1500 Savannah Carnahan (Furman): 1500 vs 5000 vs 10,000 What She Should Run: 5000 + 10,000 What We Think She Will Run: 5000 + 10,000 Bashir Mosavel-Lo (Virginia Tech): 800 vs 1500 What He Should Run: 800 What We Think He Will Run: 800 Hannah Steelman (Wofford): 1500 vs 5000 vs 3000 Steeple What She Should Run: 3000 Steeple + 5000 What We Think She Will Run: 3000 Steeple Kigen Chemadi (Middle Tennessee State): 5000 vs 3000 Steeple What He Should Run: 3000 Steeple What We Think He Will Run: 3000 Steeple Egle Morenaite (Iona): 1500 vs 5000 What She Should Run: 5000 What We Think She Will Run: 5000

Oxy Invitational Provides Deeper Fields, Fast Times Luke Julian of Colorado Mines already had the #2 fastest time in the country due to his conversion from the Colorado Invite. After his weekend at Oxy, it’s safe to say that he’s become one of the biggest threats for a potential national title. He ran 3:44 in the 1500 which is one of the four fastest raw times in the country this year. He then came back and doubled in the 5000 where he posted a time of 14:10. That’s good enough for #14 on the national leaderboard and it seem to indicate that he’ll be doubling at NCAA's. Paddy Robb of Adams State also went on over to the Oxy Invitational where he produced a personal best by two seconds in the 1500 meters. He ran 3:47.93 which is good enough to place him at the #19 position on the NCAA leaderboard. It would be Robb’s first appearance at a national track meet if he makes it in. The Oxy Invitational gave us six top 20 marks in the 5000 this past weekend. It began with Taylor Stack running the #3 fastest mark in the country. Stack won the race in a time of 13:58 (and took down some big names in the process). It’s the first time he’s broken 14:00 and it's also an eight second personal best. Sitting two spots behind him on the TFRRS list is his teammate Charlie Sweeney who ran 14:00. It’s a 12 second improvement upon his previous best and it also makes him the fastest freshman in the country this year. Jonah Theisen ran the #14 fastest time in the NCAA this year with a time of 14:11. For him, it’s a 47 second improvement from his previous personal best. The former NCAA champion looks to be back in the shape he needs to be in order to compete for a second title in the steeplechase. With this performance, it wouldn't be crazy to consider that Theisen may attempt a double at the National Championships... The last two names from the men’s side are Ross Husch (Western Colorado) and Stetson Rayas (Dallas Baptist). Husch dropped four seconds off his personal best of 14:16 down to 14:12. It’s good enough for #17 on the TFRRS list. Right underneath him sitting at #18 is Rayas who ran 14:15. For Rayas, it’s a 13 second improvement. Chloe Cook from Colorado Mines had a strong performance in the 5k with a time of 16:38. That’s a huge 48 second improvement for her in this event and it leaves you wondering whether she'll run the 5000 (NCAA #10) or 1500 (NCAA #9) at Nationals. Malena Grover (Adams State) ran 16:44 which is good enough for #15 on TFRRS. Meanwhile, Cook’s teammate Madeline Geesen ran 16:48 which is just inside the top 20 at #19. For Geesen, it’s a 10 second improvement. Trent Phelps helped his stock this weekend by running 8:56 at the Oxy Invitational. For Phelps, it’s only a second improvement, but it's his fastest time this year. It’s now the #9 fastest time in the NCAA this year. Haleigh Hunter-Galvan of Adams State ran the #11 best time this season as she ran 10:35 at the Oxy Invitational this past weekend. It was Hunter-Galvan’s first time ever running the event which means there is likely room to improve. How about Thomas Staines? After running 1:46 during indoors, the CSU-Pueblo superstar has been relatively quiet with numerous men nearing his seasonal best of 1:48 this spring. That, however, all changed at the Oxy Invite where Staines posted a time of 1:47 to regain the NCAA lead. It's a nice sign that he is peaking at the right time of the season. Last Chance Weekend Gives Hope In typical fashion, the weekend before declarations are due usually sees the most movement among the TFRRS board. With the qualifying positions already determined, moving into the top 20 is what every athlete is looking to do. 800 meters At the West Texas A&M Last Chance meet, we saw two marks enter the top 10 in the 800. Butare Rugenerwa (West Texas A&M) and Timon Kemboi (TAMU-Commerce) both ran under the 1:50 mark on the day. Rugenwerwa’s 1:49.78 converts down to 1:49.41 and now is the #5 fastest time in the country. Kemboi’s mark of 1:49.99 converted down to 1:49.62 and is now the #7 fastest time. The freshmen both jumped the 1:50 mark and have put themselves in the middle of the national conversation. Kristen Metcalfe has made up for lost time as she raced in her fourth meet since her conference championships. While there wasn’t an immediate concern about her making the national meet, she went to the Mount Olive Final Qualifier where she ran 2:08.15 to move up to the #8 spot on the performance list. At the NCC Dr. Keeler Track & Field meet, Michigan Tech’s Liz Bloch also improved her stock with a personal best of 2:09.57. The senior now sits at #15 on the performance list and will likely be attending her second national meet on the track. At the Hillsdale “Last Chance” Classic w/ Multi Hillsdale’s own Abbie Porter moved up to #17 on the TFRRS list with a strong performance of 2:10.00. That mark is also an improvement in the 800 by two-tenths of a second. 10,000 meters We saw only a few marks in the 10,000 this past weekend as most of the nation's best long are typically done running this event outside of the national meet this late in the season. At the NCC Dr. Keller Track and Field meet, Luke Greer from Carson Newman and Anthony Raftis of Queens (N.C.) ran to the #17 and #18 fastest times in the country. Greer ran 29:49 while Raftis ran 29:52. These two clutch performances should be good enough to get them into the national meet. On the women’s side, Kathryn Etemalki from Ferris State ran the #18 fastest time this year in 35:43. With declarations coming out this week, that mark should be good enough to get her into the national meet. 3000 steeple Wesley Kirui of Alaska Anchorage ran the fourth automatic qualifying time of the season with his time of 8:52 at the West Coast Invitational. For Kirui, it’s a 10 second improvement and is only the third time he’s raced all season. He’s now been inserted as a national contender in the steeplechase along with his teammate Edwin Kangogo. Nathan Hall of Southern Indiana ran the #15 fastest time this season and broke 9:00 for the first time in his career. His time of 8:59 came at the NCC Dr. Keeler Track and Field meet and is a 17 second improvement from his previous personal best. Nicole McMillen of Tusculum ran the #5 fastest time in the women’s steeplechase this year as she ran 10:25 at the NCC Dr. Keeler Track and Field meet. For McMillen, it’s a 24 second improvement and it cements her going to her first-ever national meet. Who knows? Some might see her as an All-American threat now... Holly McKinney of Grand Valley State ran 10:36 at the NCC Dr. Keeler Track and Field meet which is good enough for #14 on TFRRS. The senior ran a seven second personal best and gives Grand Valley another name as they look for a team title. GNAC Championships Recap We mentioned in our preview that we would see a rematch of Danielle McCormick of Alaska Anchorage and Alanna Mussatto of Simon Fraser. Sure enough, we saw that rematch, but it wasn’t just Mussatto that was trying to dethrone McCormick. McCormick fended off three Simon Fraser women to keep her crown as the GNAC’s best. She ran 2:08.67 and held off Sophie Dodd (2:09), Mussatto (2:10), and Paige Nock (2:10) in the process. All four times were provisional marks and it saw Nock move up on the TFRRS list to #20, which gives her a chance to make the national meet. McCormick came back and finished 3rd in the 1500 behind Kate Lilly of Seattle Pacific and winner Caroline Kurgat. Kurgat won by four seconds in a time of 4:23 while Lilly ran 4:27.13 and McCormick ran 4:27.74. Right behind her was Miryam Bassett of Simon Fraser who ran 4:27.85. For Lilly and McCormick, it’s the #17 and #18 fastest times and it likely gets them into the national meet (it would be Lilly’s only event while it’d be McCormick's second). We mentioned Kurgat winning the 1500, but that was only one of her three titles on the weekend. Kurgat won the 10,000 in a very slow time of 38:03 (record heat). She also won the 5000 meters in a time of 16:35 which was 12 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher Alexa Shindruk. In the 3000 steeple, Julia Howley improved upon her previous best of 10:03 by running 10:02 and solidifying that it’s likely a three-woman race when it comes to the NCAA steeplechase meet in just a few weeks. On the men’s side, Carlos Vargas and Rowan Doherty of Simon Fraser went 1-2 in the 1500 with times of 3:54. Doherty must have been confident that his time of 3:48 will make the NCAA meet as there wasn’t an attempt to run faster. In the 5000, Sean Miller of Simon Fraser upset Edwin Kangogo with a time of 14:46 to 14:51. Kangogo, however, did take home the 10,000 title the day before so he didn’t leave the meet without any hardware. In the 3000 steeplechase, we saw Wesley Kirui make his season debut in the steeple to a tune of 9:03 and a fivemsecond victory over Dylan Hayes of Western Washington. Interestingly enough, we only saw Aaron Ahl of Simon Fraser, but no Pierre-Louis Detourbe. Underappreciated Performances Hugo Arlabosse (Franklin Pierce) + Stephen Vercollone (Stonehill) Both men participated in their conference meet this weekend. The New England Outdoor Championship (also known as NEICAAA’s) saw Arlabosse take home the title in a time of 1:50.10 which is now good enough for #9 on the NCAA list. Behind him was Vercollone who ran 1:50.28. Both men were qualifiers during the indoor season so it’s good to see them back on the list during outdoors. Nancy Jeptoo (Alaska Anchorage) The sophomore Seawolf ran three personal bests this weekend (800, 1500, 5000). The event we’re talking about here though is the 1500. She ran 4:29 which was good enough for a 4th place finish in the 1500 at the GNAC Championships. It’s a seven second improvement for her and it now puts her on the outskirts (#23 on TFRRS) of making the national meet. Alexa Shindruk (Central Washington) Shindruk ran the #17 fastest time this season with her 2nd place finish at the GNAC Championships. Her time of 16:47.08 is the exact same time that she posted at the GNAC Indoor Championships earlier this season. Shindruk will be making another appearance at the NCAA meet and will be looking for All-American honors in the 5000 this time around. Hanna Groeber (Grand Valley State) Groeber ran at the NCC Dr. Keller Track and Field meet this past weekend and in doing so, ran the #14 fastest time in the NCAA. While her time of 16:44 is almost 20 seconds away from her personal best, it’s the fastest she has ever run during the outdoor season. It’s just another name for the Lakers to have at the national meet while chasing a team title.

TSR's Michael Weidenbruch was on site at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships and was able to snag over 600+ photos! Go check 'em out...

FULL RESULTS FROM THIS WEEKEND HERE Men by Garrett Zatlin Women by Maura Beattie BIG 12 & PAC 12 Championships are still in progress. We are waiting on results to be finalized. Four Sub-10 Steeplechase Performances Charlotte Prouse, Paige Stoner, Devin Clark, and Cierra Simmons all ran under 10 minutes at their respective conferences this past weekend. Prouse turned in a 9:47, putting her at #3 on the NCAA leaderboard, following only Allie Ostrander and Adva Cohen. Stoner won her race by 19 seconds and finished with a 9:51 while Clark ran 9:55 and Simmons finished with a 9:56. All four of these women are in the top 10 and potential All-Americans. Stoner of Syracuse was the 3rd place finisher last year at the NCAA Championships, but this season she looks like she could make a run for the championship. Stoner had an excellent weekend at the ACC Championships following her steeple performance because she also won the 5k in 16:05. Running a solo 9:51 is promising for Stoner. Arkansas' Clark ran her first steeple of the season, but it seems like she picked up right where she left off last season. Clark was accompanied up front by Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli at the SEC Championships, but came away with the win. Clark has been an All-American before in the steeplechase and could do so again in 2019. Simmons’s finished 2nd to Prouse at the Mountain West Championships in a seasonal best. The Utah State athlete should gain some confidence from her performance because she had yet to break 10 minutes this season. Last year’s 8th place finisher at NCAA's looks to have found her groove at the right time this season. Kiprotich Stuns Hoare, Wins 1500 at BIG 10 Championships Justine Kiprotich continues to be one of the most underrated 1500 runners in the country. Maybe it's because the BIG 10 is crowded with talent. Maybe it's because he's relatively quiet during indoors. Maybe it's because this is one of the fastest year's for the men's 1500 in recorded history. Whatever the reason is, it's time that we start giving the Michigan State ace some attention. He was runner-up at the 2017 Outdoor National Championships in the 1500 and came back last year to finish as an All-American (again). Now, the Spartan veteran has secured yet another BIG 10 title by upsetting one of the best distance runners in the country. Earlier today, Kiprotich pulled out a win over Wisconsin's Oliver Hoare, 3:42.69 to 3:43.08. What many people don't realize is that Kiprotich is one of the best tactical runners in the NCAA and he has been for a while. He may not throw down jaw-dropping sub-3:40 performances, but he is consistently in the low 3:40's and has shown that he can win in any reasonable race scenario. He will be a very big name to watch as we enter the postseason. As for Hoare, it's yet another reminder that the Wisconsin superstar is still human. Still, we shouldn't overreact to this loss. Hoare is still one the top talents in the country and I'm not sure people are going to view him as anything less than the favorite come Nationals. Arkansas Shows Depth in Distance Races Coach Harter’s Razorbacks took five of the top seven places in the 1500 at the SEC Championships. The Razorbacks were led by runner-up Carina Viljoen’s 4:17, who already sits at an NCAA #10 ranking with a 4:14. Alabama’s Esther Gitahi broke up the Razorback pack, but quickly following her were Taylor Werner, Lauren Gregory, Sydney Brown, and Megan Underwood. Gregory led much of the race, but it seems like her strength might be better suited in the 5k. Werner and Gregory later teamed up for the 5000 meters and ran a pair of 15:51’s to take down Georgia’s Jessica Drop. Although these women did not run PR's, they are still ranked in the top 15 in the nation and have their eyes set on All-American honors. It is very unlikely that Werner runs the 1500 at the regional meet based on her being ranked #7 in the 5k and #6 in the 10k. This depth in the distance events will come in handy for the Razorbacks at the West Regional Championships when you consider that they have six women in the 1500, five women in the 5k, one woman in the 10k, and one in the steeplechase. If Arkansas wants to keep their hopes of an NCAA team title alive, they will have to look to maximize points in the distance events. Syracuse's Iliass Aouani Secures 10k/5k Gold at ACC Championships Despite Fasting for Ramadan The Syracuse senior has come a long way since he transferred from Lamar two years ago. The Milan, Italy native has had an underrated role for the Orange since he's entered the program, posting strong times and often finding himself in a position to score points at conference championship meets. However, there have clearly been times when Aouani lacked consistency and failed to make an impact on the national stage. In 2019, that has changed. Iliass Aouani seems to be at an entirely new level this spring. Earlier this season, he broke the Syracuse school record in the 10,000 meters with an NCAA #9 time of 28:25 at the Stanford Invite. He later ran a personal best of 3:45 for 1500 meters at the Virginia Challenge to develop some of his mid-distance speed. This past weekend, Aouani pulled off two wins in both the 10k and 5k, defeating ACC powers like Peter Sefuer, Zach Facioni, and Brent Demarest in the process. It was a statement meet for Aouani who was out to prove that he is the real deal in 2019. Yet, maybe the most impressive piece of information that we need to consider is that Aouani is currently in the middle of Ramadan - a month-long period designated for religious observance which requires followers of Muslim faith to fast during the daylight hours. Yep, that's right. Aouani (likely) never ate anything during his waking hours this past weekend...and still won two gold medals in a Power Five conference. Since Ramadan lasts until June 4th, Aouani will continue fasting up until the NCAA Championships. It will be interesting to see how that fasting impacts the Syracuse ace as we move into late May and early June. Weini Kelati Has Her Choice of Races New Mexico’s Kelati ran 32:09 to finish 1st in the Mountain West Championship 10k. She won by an astounding two minutes and 11 seconds over Clare O’Brien of Boise State. With Kelati’s time, she jumps up to #3 in the nation, behind only Ostrander and Stoner. Kelati has the potential to win either the 5k or the 10k next month at the NCAA Championships, especially since Ostrander and Stoner may opt to focus on the steeplechase. Dixon Blows Away Arop & Field to Win SEC 800 in 1:44.76 The knock on Texas A&M's Devin Dixon for a while now has been the fact that he has struggled to perform on the national stage. Despite running 1:44 this past indoor season, the Aggie ace still struggled to match expectations at the national meet and had to settle for a 4th place finish. Although he will have to wait until early June to change that narrative, Dixon took a BIG step in the right direction this past weekend after staying relatively quiet for most of the spring. The Texas A&M superstar popped off a monster time of 1:44.76 to establish a new NCAA lead and win the SEC title. In the process of wining the title, Dixon was able to soundly defeat Mississippi State star Marco Arop (1:46) who has been in the national title conversation since the beginning of 2019. Despite Hoppel's indoor national title and active win streak, the 800 is still a race that Dixon, Arop, or a handful of others can win on the right day. Still, you have to wonder whether or not this Devin Dixon performance will lead to a different result at the national meet. While that criticism may be fair, keep in mind that most of Dixon's seasonal bests have often come early-on in the regular season. Never have we seen him run this fast during championship season. Could Dixon be peaking at the perfect time? It would explain why most of his spring track season has been relatively uneventful... Underappreciated Performances Kristie Schoffield’s Runner-up Performance Boise State’s Schoffield ran an impressive 2:03.94 to push NCAA leader Avi’ Tal Wilson-Perteete to the line at the Mountain West Conference. Although Wilson-Perteete got the win, Schoffield showed she is a potential All-American in the 800, currently sitting at #11 in the nation. Bryce Hoppel Keeps His Winning Streak Alive Dixon will gain most of the attention due to his NCAA leading time of 1:44, but Hoppel was able to secure his 15th straight win at the BIG 12 Championships. Not only that, but he validated his 1:45 from earlier in this season by throwing down yet another 1:45 performance and defeating Texas Tech's Jonah Koech in the process. Dixon may have run the faster time, but Hoppel will still be the favorite in the eyes of many. Ohio State’s Abby Nichols Earns Surprise Win in BIG 10 5k Nichols may have been considered an underdog in the BIG 10 5k this season as she was seeded with a 16:08. Nichols beat the likes of Margaret Allen (IU), Amy Davis (UW), the Hasz twins (UM), etc. The winning time of 15:56 was a 12 second PR for Nichols, which should catapult her from #61 in the nation to the top 30. Steeplechase Champions The steeplechase is filled with a handful of underrated talents this year. Virginia Tech's Fitsum Seyoum held off an underrated field to take home the ACC win in a time of 8:44. Meanwhile, Tennessee's Alex Crigger ran 8:47 to continue the best season of his career. What about Stanford's Steven Fahy who blew out an established PAC 12 field to win the conference title in a time of 8:43? Christian Liddel (Georgetown), Obsa Ali (Minnesota), Kigen Chemadi (MTSU), and Craig Huff (San Jose State) all posted winning marks under 8:50. Guys like Ryan Smeeton and Matt Owens may hold most of the nation's attention in the steeplechase, but all of these men are capable of becoming an All-Americans next month. Georgetown Freshman Wins BIG East 800 Cathilyn McIntosh stunned Rachel McArthur in the BIG East 800 as she won in 2:06.95 to McArthur’s 2:07.05. McIntosh’s time was a two second PR and puts her at #46 in the East region. The time isn't anything particularly spectacular, but beating McArthur is a promising result heading into the regional meet. Quick Thoughts Anna Rohrer (Notre Dame) After not racing since the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships, Rohrer made her outdoor debut in the 10k at the ACC Championships. Although her time was well off her PR of 31:58, Rohrer’s 33:30 shows that she has recovered from her injury and is ready for the regional meets. Michael Wilson (New Mexico) With Josh Kerr gone, the Lobos have been looking for someone new to lead their team in the middle distances. Luckily, they have Michael Wilson who just upset Colorado State's Cole Rockhold in a (somewhat) tactical 1500 at the Mountain West Championships. He's a sneaky good 800 runner and could be a strong pick to qualify for NCAA's. Rachel Pocratsky (Virginia Tech) Pocratsky was a double-winner at the ACC Championships in the 800 and 1500. Her double of 2:04/4:18 shows her strength and competitive nature as she took down quality runners en route to a pair of titles. Matt Manternach (Iowa) After three consecutive personal bests that resulted in him owning a 1:46 PR, I was curious to see how the Iowa mid-distance ace would handle championship racing. Truthfully, it wasn't great. He finished 4th overall in a time of 1:49, although the names he lost to are all very established half-milers in the BIG 10. It will be interesting to see how Manternach handles what will likely be a tactical regional meet. Angie Nickerson (Southern Utah) Nickerson won the 5k and 10k and the BIG Sky Championships in 16:38 and 36:03. Nickerson has been on a roll since cross country and if she keeps improving, she could find herself on the start line in Austin next month. Kyle Mau (Indiana) I'm not sure why we're just thinking about this, but what is Mau going to run at Regionals? A 5k/1500 double would be incredibly difficult, so it's likely that we only see him in one event. Will he choose the 5000 which is dominated at the front by guys like Fisher and McDonald? Or will he opt to enter a much deeper 1500 where the national title favorite is more vulnerable to an upset? It's an interesting question to ponder in the coming days... Erin Finn (Michigan) Finn raced for the second time this season at BIG 10’s, this time in the 10k. Finn finished in 33:23, but was 7th overall, even after leading for a few laps. Finn has been away from racing for a year, but it may take more than two races to help her find her racing confidence. Hassan Abdi (Oklahoma State) We talked about Iliass Aouani winning double gold while fasting through Ramadan, but Hassan Abdi is also fasting through Ramadan and he was able to defeat Edwin Kurgat this past Friday night in the BIG 12 10k. Abdi will actually race the 5000 meters soon after we publish this article, so there's a very good chance that he actually pulls off the same double as Aouani. Gabby Crank (Texas) Even with having a season best of 2:04 and being ranked #17 in the nation, Crank failed to make the finals of the 800 at the BIG 12 Championships this past weekend. Crank will need to regroup before the regional meet to ensure that she can qualify for NCAA's.

The PAC-12 is host to some of the top runners from across the NCAA. Some names include former NCAA champions such as Jessica Hull, Dani Jones, and Grant Fisher, along with notable All-Americans such as Carlos Villarreal and Katie Rainsberger. This weekend’s meet will be a chance for some athletes to build upon their long list of accolades, while others will be looking to prove themselves as the regional meet approaches. Below, we take a look at some of the biggest headlines and names to watch at the PAC-12 Championships this weekend. The Men’s 1500 is LOADED No event at the PAC-12 Championships can match the depth of talent that the men’s 1500 holds. Six of the top 20 runners in the country are slated to race one another, including Carlos Villareal of Arizona (#2) and Grant Fisher of Stanford (#11). Not only will these two superstars throwdown, but both William Paulson of Arizona State (#4) and Reed Brown of Oregon (#7) are also ranked in the top ten of the NCAA. Villareal will be the favorite heading into this week after running a mark of 3:37.22 and finishing only 0.02 behind Oliver Hoare at the Bryan Clay Invitational earlier this season. The Arizona junior is also entered in the 800 which could make for a challenging double this weekend. He may be someone who prefers a more tactical 1500... William Paulson has been one of the biggest surprises in the NCAA this season. The Arizona State senior (formerly of Princeton) had never broken 4:00 in the mile before the UW Invitational this past indoor season. Since that performance, Paulson has been one of the best in the country, finishing 5th at the NCAA Indoors Championships and currently ranking #4 in the NCAA for the 1500. With Villarreal looking to double down, this may be Paulson’s only chance to win a PAC-12 title. However, he'll have to battle Oregon's Reed Brown who finished ahead of Paulson at Payton Jordan with a blistering time of 3:38.76. One Duck that’s been flying under the radar this season is Blake Haney of Oregon. When he first entered the NCAA, Haney was one of the best milers in the country, finishing 3rd in the NCAA 1500 as a freshman and runner-up in the mile during his first indoor season. Since those performances, Haney has struggled to find his old form and was unable to qualify for the mile finals this past indoor season. He is the only athlete coming into this race without a time, but he will surely be looking to crack the top 48 in the West Region and earn a qualifying mark. Haney would need to run under 3:45.7, a time that should be relatively easy for a man whose personal best is 3:40.09. Jessica Hull vs Dani Jones in… the 5000? This showdown between two of the NCAA's best has been on our radar for a while now, but most people figured it would be in the 1500, not the 5000. Hull has been dominant on the track in 2019, having not lost a race during either indoors or outdoors. She currently ranks #1 in the 1500m and #5 in the 5000, and still boasts the title as the reigning NCAA 1500 meter champion. Before this indoor season, Dani Jones was the woman to beat. She came away with an upset victory in cross country and was runner-up in the NCAA mile in 2018. The indoor season came and with each passing week, Jones continued to remain absent from results. Eventually, it was discovered that she had been dealing with a stress-related injury and would not be competing during the indoor season. After 161 days, Jones finally stepped on the track again at the Jack Christiansen Invitational and ran a 4:14.68 (altitude converted) for 1500, ranking her #10 in the NCAA. With both women having safely secured regional marks, the two will face-off in the 5000 on Saturday. Jones has only raced the 5000 one other time in her career and it was at this same meet in 2017. She ran 16:12 to earn the victory that day, easily beating a much younger Jessica Hull who finished 12th as a freshman. T his weekend, however, will be a completely different story. Hull has come a long way since that race and should have no issues breaking the 16 minute barrier this weekend. Although Jones is incredibly talented, this will not be the weekend that Hull’s winning streak comes to an end. 10,000 Time Trial With this weekend acting as the last real competition before the regional meets, some athletes will be looking to post qualifying marks for events they have yet to run. The marquee example of this will be the 10,000 meter races at PAC-12's this weekend where a total of 17 athletes will be making their season debut in the event. In the West region, the 48th ranked time is currently listed at 29:25 for the men and 34:57 for the women. At least five of the men and three of the women should have no issues hitting these marks at PAC-12's. On the men’s side, the five athletes who should easily advance are John Dressel (Colorado), Tanner Anderson (Washington), Ryan Forsyth (Colorado), Alex Ostberg (Stanford), and Connor Lane (Stanford). The other four men without times all have credentials that put themselves in good standing to hit a qualifying mark if they can hang onto the pace. Both Anderson and Dressel will likely look to focus on the 10k at NCAA's, essentially guaranteeing that this race will go out fast enough to qualify. Notable names in the race who already have a qualifying time include Tibebu Proctor of Washington and Robert Brandt of UCLA. They may not have as much incentive to push the pace, but they are certainly capable of walking away with the win. On the women’s side, the three athletes who should easily secure regional qualifying marks are Makena Morley, Kaitlyn Benner, and Tabor Scholl (all of Colorado). All three of these women already have qualifying marks in the 5000, so running sub-34:57 this weekend will give them some leeway on deciding which event to focus on for regionals. Of the other women without marks this season, keep an eye on Poppy Tank of Utah and Holly Bent of Colorado. Both will be making their 10k debut and have 5k personal bests that indicate they could run qualifiers this weekend. Notable names who have already run a qualifying time include Isabel Batt-Doyle of Washington (NCAA #4) and Carmela Cardama Baez of Oregon (NCAA #10). Other Notable Mentions Keep an eye on the men’s 5000 meters this weekend. The race features three of the NCAA’s best in Grant Fisher, Cooper Teare, and Thomas Ratcliffe. If the race comes down to a kick, our bet is on Fisher. While neither 800 field is particularly deep, the top athletes for the men’s and women’s fields rank among the best in the country. Susan Ejore of Oregon and Isaiah Jewett of USC are both currently ranked #3 in the NCAA for 800 meters. Both Jessica Hull and Grant Fisher will be looking to pull off the 1500/5000 double this weekend. Hull has better odds of doing such as she has not lost since 2018 whereas Fisher currently sits at fourth in the field for 1500.

The Big 12 may be one of the most underrated conferences in track and field. While conferences such as the PAC-12 and BIG 10 may garnish a reputation for sending athletes to national meets, the teams in the BIG 12 often produce some of the best runners in the NCAA. The conference has produced recent stars such as Bryce Hoppel of Kansas and Sinclaire Johnson of Oklahoma State, as well as former national champions like Kaela Edwards and Sharon Lokedi. This three day meet kicks off the distance events this evening with a pair of 10,000 meter races and continues through Sunday where we will see top NCAA athletes face-off. Below, we break down some of the highlights heading into the action, along with which athletes to watch this weekend. Can anyone stop Bryce Hoppel? The Kansas senior has been a perennial star in the NCAA 800. In 2018, he finished 4th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships which highlighted his career until this past winter. In 2019, Hoppel has been on another level. The Jayhawk has not lost a race since last year's NCAA final and is coming off his first national title in the indoor 800. He currently ranks #2 in the NCAA with a mark of 1:45.87 and comes into this weekend as the top seed in the event by almost two full seconds. If anyone can beat him this weekend, it may be Texas Tech’s Jonah Koech. The UTEP transfer currently ranks #11 in the NCAA with a mark of 1:47.21 (at altitude). At the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Koech finished 6th overall, only two places behind Hoppel. However, this year has been a different story. While Koech has run a fast outdoor mark, he failed to make the finals at the Indoor National Championships while Hoppel came away with the victory. Although Koech is certainly a talented runner, this will not be the weekend Hoppel’s winning streak comes to an end. Will Oklahoma State sweep the women’s 1500 podium? Oklahoma State has a great reputation for producing talented 1500 runners. Two recent examples are Chad Noelle and Kaela Edwards, both NCAA champions in the event. This year, OK State will be looking to make the presence felt in the event by sweeping the podium on the women’s side. The team is lead by the only returning conference champion from 2018, Ariane Ballner. Right behind her is the 2018 runner-up Molly Sughroue, and to round out the trio is Jenny Celis. Only four women entered this weekend have broken the 4:20 barrier in the 1500 - three of them are listed above. The other? Destiny Collins of Texas. Keeping Collins off the podium will be no easy task for the Cowgirls, but the trio will benefit from the tactics of championship style racing this weekend. The rise of Ryan Smeeton Running 8:41 in the steeplechase is an impressive mark. Until a couple of weeks ago, that was Ryan Smeeton’s personal best and an 18 second improvement from his 2017 best. That mark would currently put him at #8 in the NCAA, a great ranking for an athlete who did not make the NCAA finals in 2017. Then Payton Jordan happened. The Oklahoma State steeplechaser put together the best race of his life last weekend and smashed his personal best (again) running 8:27 which ranks him at #1 in the NCAA. That mark is a 32 second improvement on his personal best from 2017 and now makes him the favorite to win the national title this June. The BIG 12 Championships will be his first stepping-stone in that process. Smeeton’s victory will not be easy this weekend. He faces two sub-9 competitors in Texas teammates John Rice and Alex Rogers. On paper, Smeeton should run away with the victory, but until last weekend, his personal best was only slightly better than Rogers’s mark of 8:46. This weekend will be a chance for Smeeton to prove his Payton Jordan performance was no fluke and validate his status as the new NCAA favorite. Distance debuts A handful of men and women will be making their season debuts in longer distance events this weekend which could impact the regional meets. On the women’s side, Callie Logue of Iowa State will be making her first appearance in the 10,000 for 2019 and will be the heavy favorite to win the event. After winning the BIG 12 XC title last fall, Logue had a disappointing national meet where she finished 53rd. She currently ranks #9 in the West region for the 5000 after running 15:40 at Stanford back in April. A solid performance in the 10,000 this weekend could present options for the regional meet, where she will be looking to qualify for her first NCAA Championship on the track. In the 5000, Oklahoma State teammates Molly Sughroue and Sinclaire Johnson will be making their 2019 debuts for this event. Sughroue is also entered in the 1500 this weekend wheres Johnson is entered in the 800. For Johnson, the race presents a great chance to earn a BIG 12 title, but likely will not impact her regional meet plans. She currently ranks #3 in the 1500 for the West Region and should easily move through to NCAA's barring any disaster. The plan for Sughroue is less clear. She currently sits at #20 in the West Region for 1500, but may have a better chance in the 5000. She would need to run sub 16:23 this weekend to move into a qualifying position for the regional meet, a mark that is certainly attainable for someone who has run 9:18 for 3000. On the men’s side, Edwin Kurgat of Iowa State will toe the line for his first 10k of the season. His current personal best of 30:56 should easily get smashed unless the races becomes extremely tactile. The event will pit the 3rd place NCAA XC finisher against Oklahoma State senior and 29:13 man, Hassan Abdi. Both athletes have a solid chance of moving through to NCAA's this season, but Kurgat will first need to run faster than 29:25 if he hopes to qualify for the regional meet. In a similar fashion, Abdi will be making his season debut in the 5000 this weekend. His personal best is 13:41. Other notable mentions: Sam Worley of Texas will be the favorite to win the men’s 1500. He currently sits at #5 in the NCAA with a mark of 3:38.64. The women’s 800 features 13 athletes who have run sub-2:10 this season. This might be the most competitive event at the meet.