USC Power 5 Invite 800 In a field that was crowded with young talent, it was veteran Robert Ford (USC) emerging as the victor with an excellent time of 1:48.97 (NCAA #1). This is a great mark for Ford who was unable to get under that 1:49 mark this past winter. Ole Miss freshman Cade Bethmann was 2nd in a time of 1:51. He was able to hold off rising-star Alex Lomong from Ohio State. 1500 The Ole Miss men continued to stay at the top of the results as Trevor Gilley secured the win in a time of 3:47. After a non-existent indoor track season, this is a strong result for Gilley in his spring debut. 3000 Mississippi's Parker Scott and Trevor Gilley went 1-2 with times of 8:25 and 8:27. Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invite 800 The winner in this one was Butler's Johnny Leverenz who threw down an excellent time of 1:49.11 (NCAA #2) to take the win. The junior was ahead of the next finisher by almost three entire seconds. Oh and did I mention that this was his 2nd event and 2nd win of the weekend? 1500 Leverenz had a great 800 performance, but his 1500 was equally as impressive. The Butler Bulldog pulled away from the field and established a phenomenal time of 3:43.61. That time now leads the NCAA. This is one of the most impressive doubles I have seen in a long, long time. Is this guy a future breakout star? Based off of this weekend, it certainly seems that way. The runner-up in this one was Jack Anstey (Illinois State). He finished the day with a 3:45 to complement his 2nd place finish in the 800 (1:51.98). That's a nice pair of performances for the sophomore. 5000 MTSU graduate student Sampson Laari ran unattached and took the win with a time of 14:34. Illinois State's Cody Baele was 2nd with a 14:41. Weems Baskin Relays 800 Appalachian State's Ryan Hastings began his senior campaign with a winning time of 1:49.85. After a quiet winter track season where he failed to crack 1:50, Hastings appears to be ready for a strong spring. Settling for 2nd was Abbas Abbkar (Savannah State) who ran a time of 1:50.72. 1500 Alex Milligan (UNC) secured the win in a time of 3:54. 3000 Wesley Kirui (Hampton) was 3rd in the 1500 with a time of 3:55. That was one of his two events of the weekend after winning the 3000 in a time of 8:24. 5000 East Carolina's Dean Abushouk was the first to cross the line in 14:46. UNC's Mitch Resor and Matt Thornton rounded out the top three with times of 14:47 and 14:48. All three of these names are sophomores while the 4th and 5th place finishers are freshmen. Florida State Relays 800 Former Florida Gator Andres Arroyo was the winner with a time of 1:49.05. He was able to bring Georgia Tech's Andres Littig under the 1:50 mark with a time of 1:49.98. Florida's Jack Guyton rounded out the top three with a time of 1:50.44. 1500 He's typically seen racing the 800, but Georgia Tech's Avery Bartlett was still impressive as he moved up in distance. The junior was first to cross the line with a personal best time of 3:44.95. Bartlett was able to fend off Auburn's Wesley Curles who was 2nd with a time of 3:45.18. 5000 Dartmouth's Kyle Dotterer and Sean Laverty took the top two spots in this one with times of 14:51 and 14:58, respectively. PAC 12 + BIG 10 Invite 800 In one of the tightest races of the weekend, we saw Indiana's Cooper Williams emerge victorious. Williams' time of 1:50.19 was enough to fend off a trio that included Nebraska's Ty Moss (1:50.32), Michigan's Anthony Berry (1:50.43), LSU's Jack Wilkes (1:50.47). 1500 Indiana didn't stop their success with just the 800. Joseph Murphy and Teddy Browning were simply too much for the competition to handle as they grabbed the top two spots with times of 3:44.24 and 3:44.84, respectively. Rounding out the top three was Colorado freshman Eduardo Herrera who ran a great time of 3:45.10. Herrera appears to be a better long-distance guy, so you can't help but be impressed to see the freshman pull off a quick time in an off-distance event. Garrett Corcoran (California) and Connor Mora (Michigan) rounded out the top group with a pair of 3:45's. 3000 Colorado's Ryan Forsyth and Ethan Gonzales finished 1-2 with times of 8:14 and 8:17. Michigan freshman Andrew Lorant was 3rd in a time of 8:18. Arkansas Spring Invite 800 Christopher Conrad (Missouri) pulled away from NAIA National Champion Issac Clark (Friends University) and Grey Howard (Tulsa) to take the win. Conrad's time of 1:50 flat was enough to edge out Clark's 1:50.27 and Howard's 1:50.35. 1500 After a quiet, yet underrated, indoor track season, Luis Martinez (Oklahoma State) returned to the outdoor oval. He walked away with a win and time of 3:45.93. He was able to convincingly defeat Drake's Kevin Kelly who finished 2nd with a 3:49. 3000 Tulsa freshman Peter Lynch was able to defeat Utah State's Scott Beattie (running unattached), 8:26 to 8:33. Victor Lopez Classic 1500 On his home track, Rice's Matthew Murray ran away with the win (literally). He defeated Ryan Dohner (formerly of Hoka One One), 3:45 to 3:47. For Murray, this is a huge win but an even bigger time. The sophomore just dropped six seconds off of his personal best in his season debut. 3000 Steeple Should we really be surprised anymore? Ever since the 2016-2017 indoor track season, Brian Barraza has been on fire with times of 3:58, 7:53, 13:52, 29:04, and now an 8:41 steeplechase! The Houston senior dominated the field and won be nearly 40 seconds to secure an NCAA #1 time of 8:41.58. If he was trying to make a statement, he certainly did just that. UNF Spring Break Invite 1500 North Florida's Nick Morken was on his home track and made the most of it. The junior threw down a great time of 3:46 to defeat Clemson's John Lewis who was 2nd in 3:47. This is a nice win for Morken, but it's still four seconds off from his personal best. Don't sleep on this guy as the outdoor season progresses. 2000 Steeple James Quattlebaum (Clemson) is one of the more underrated steeplechasers in the nation with a personal best of 8:53. Sure enough, he walked away with a win in this meet with a time of 5:42 (a strong time for the awkward distance). The Princeton duo of Ed Trippas (freshman) and Perrin Hagge (sophomore) rounded out the top three with times of 5:58 and 5:59.

UCF Black & Gold Invite 800 After finishing the indoor season with a personal best time of 1:49.46 (flat-track converted), Ohio State's Alex Lomong continued to thrive in the half-mile distance. The Buckeye sophomore took the win this past weekend with a new personal best of 1:49.19, defeating the next best finisher in his section by over six seconds. However, it is important to note that in the prior section, Jonathan Moore (Bethune-Cookman) ran an excellent time of 1:50 to finish 1st in his section. Don't sleep on Moore this season. The senior has a personal best of 1:48 and is starting his season off with a strong time. 1500 The Kentucky men went back to work this weekend by taking the top three spots in this event. Ben Young was the winner in this one with a solid time of 3:45. He was followed by teammates Kendall Muhammad and Matthew Thomas who each ran 3:48. Young broke 4-minutes in the Mile this past indoor season and continues to appear at the top of the results. Watch out for him as the spring season progresses. How about Alex Lomong? He pulled off an impressive double of 3:48 and 1:49. That's a good sign in terms of consistency and overall strength. This Ohio State frosh is a young star in the making. 3000 Steeple David Too (Florida A&M) was the run-away winner in this one with a strong time of 9:09. He was 26 seconds ahead of the next finisher. 5000 Luke Landis (Ohio State) ran 14:47 to defeat the Florida A&M duo of Onesmus Kemboi and Festus Kemboi. Baldy Castillo Invite 800 The Texas A&M men wasted no time putting together performances on the outdoor oval. Junior JaQwae Ellison put together a winning time of 1:49.22. He was followed by teammate Efrain Hernandez who was runner-up in a time of 1:50.02. However, one of the more interesting performances was Minnesota freshman Lucas Trapp putting up a time of 1:50.18. This is a collegiate best by over two seconds. Watch out for him to gain momentum throughout the rest of this season. 1500 Alex Riba (Texas A&M) was the winner in this one as he was able to hold off Luis Grijalva (NAU), 3:45.29 to 3:45.75. We haven't seen Grijalva since the cross country season and although he is more of a longer distance guy, this performance is still pretty solid for his first collegiate 1500. Riba is a no-joke runner so to keep a race close like this is pretty impressive. Riba's teammate, Ian Cazares, put together a solid performance of his own with a time of 3:48 (a personal best). Willie Williams Classic 800 We saw a pair of solid results this past weekend from Arizona's Collins Kibet and Maksims Sincukovs as they went 1-2 in this event with a pair of 1:49's. Kibet is a half-miler veteran who has a personal best of 1:46. We may not see him hit a time like that again, but at he's least running well early in the season. On the flip side, Sincukovs is a freshman who just ran 1:49. Is he the future of the Arizona Wildcats? It's certainly a good starting point... Yellow Jacket Invite 1500 The race of the weekend was at the Yellow Jacket Invite. Fresh off his All-American performance from indoors and expired eligibility, Neil Gourley ran unattached and took the win with a time of 3:40. Middle Tennessee State miler Sampson Laari was also running unattached and put up a time of 3:43. The first attached runner to cross the line was Georgia's Bryan Kamau with a 3:43.96. He was able to beat out in-state rival Nahom Solomon (Georgia Tech) and teammate Henry Dwyer (Georgia) for the win. Solomon finished the day with a 3:44.28 and 3:44.62. Those finishes are now the top three times in the NCAA. 5000 Florida State's Steven Cross was the winner in this one with an NCAA #3 time of 14:28. The redshirt freshman Seminole was able to fend off Georgia's Jon Moses who was 2nd in 14:29. Rounding out the top three was Georgia's Eric Westog with a 14:35. We may not see him have a huge impact this season, but Steven Cross is a name to watch for the future. Give him enough time to develop and he could be an NCAA qualifier in the next two years. Maryland Invite 5000 New Balance sent one of their training groups to crowd this event, but Maryland's Patrick Hanley was able to break up the pack by finishing 2nd overall with a 14:35. Tulsa Relays 800 The top finisher in this one didn't even come from the NCAA. Wiley junior Marbeq Edgar of NAIA was the top attached finisher with an excellent time of 1:49.69. He was able to beat out Houston Baptist's Daniel Shelton who was the next finisher in a time of 1:50. Sacramento State Invite 800 Brayden Leach (Humboldt State) took the win in a time of 1:15.13. Chico State's Derek Morton was runner-up in 1:51.68. 1500 San Francisco's Jacob Allen was the winner in a time of 3:46.78 (NCAA #7). We may need to keep an eye on Allen throughout this season. He is pursuing his graduate degree at USF and is essentially an unknown right now. A solid win and decent time is a nice start to the season. Runner-up was BYU's Franco Talem with a time of 3:49. Keep an eye on this sophomore. He has some pretty decent Mile/1500 performances under his belt and we could see him take his fitness to the next level this spring. 5000 Elijah Changco (Sacramento State) was the winner on his home track with a time of 14:37.90. The UC Davis duo of Jordy Ceja and Jonathan Horvath rounded out the top three with times of 14:37.99 and 14:40.06. Oxy Distance Carnival Spring Break Classic 5000 Jack Polerecky (Loyola Marymount) not only secured the win, but he walked away with a personal best time of 14:15. That's a strong time for the senior and a good indicator of what he could do in the 10K later this season. With a PR of 29:43, don't sleep on the potential of Polerecky in April and May. Freshman McMarshall Hartzenburg (Cal Baptist) was took silver with a time of 14:17. Despite being in D2, that time would currently rank as the 2nd best time in the entire NCAA. Hartzenburg's teammate, Simon Bedard, was the next attached finisher to cross the line with a 14:19. Robert Santoyo (Army West Point) may have been 8th overall with a time of 14:25, but his time now has him ranked 2nd in the NCAA for Division One. 3000 Steeple Cade Perry, running unattached, was the winner in 9:08. However, Joey Berriatua (Santa Clara) was the first attached runner to cross the line with a time of 9:09. Noah McDermott (St. Mary's-Cal) secured bronze with a time of 9:12. Lewis & Clark Spring Break Open 5000 The Portland men are back and they put on a show this past weekend. However, none of the Pilots walked away with the win. Instead, it was Portland State standout Alejandro Cisneros walking away with gold in a great time of 14:28.96 (NCAA #4). Once Cisneros crossed the line, we saw a slew of Portland runners take the next three spots. Portland junior Noah Schutte was the first Pilot to cross the line in 14:32 while Reuben Kiprono and Michael Teran-Solano took the next two places with times of 14:40 and 14:47. 3000 Steeple Welcome to the NCAA Simon Grannetia! The Pilots were able to bring in Dutch steepler to their program and so far, the results have looked great. Grannetia was the first to cross the line in a fantastic time of 8:49.70 (NCAA #1), a huge improvement from his personal best. Coach Rob Conner has done a fantastic job of developing him into a true NCAA contender (at the moment). Of course, Grannetia wasn't the only one to impress in this race. Only two seconds behind him was Noah Schutte who threw down a time of 8:51. Although the time is impressive (especially this early in the season), we shouldn't be too surprised with his time. Schutte has an 8:42 personal best and qualified for Nationals last spring in this event. He'll come back with an even stronger time later this season. Still, this a really solid double when you consider his time in the 5000 meters. 49ers Classic 3000 Campbell sophomore Ronald Cheserek (no relation to Edward Cheserek) walked away as the victor with a time 8:23.90. He was able to take down the Charlotte duo of Zach Marchinko and Tom Nobles who each ran times of 8:25 and 8:27. 3000 Steeple Simeon Roberts (East Tennessee State) ran away from the rest of the field with a 9:05. Morehead State's Farah Abdulkarim was 2nd place in a time of 9:17. 5000 Will Norris, running attached, won the event in a time of 14:25. Tom Bains (Queens N.C.) was the first attached runner to cross the line with a 14:27 while Duquesne veteran Rico Galassi rounded out the top three with times of 14:32. UC Irvine Spring Break Classic 1500 Kegan Smith (Army West Point) is a Patriot League stud on the rise right now. He has secured a number of solid wins and has been consistent with his performances. He was the winner in this meet with a 3:49, the 9th win of his young career. He has the wins and he has the consistency, now he just needs the times to be a true national contender. 5000 Utah Valley freshman Anthony Ocegueda continues to be one of the more underrated athletes in the Mountain region. He was the top finisher in this event with a time of 14:37 to take the win. He edged out Pepperdine senior Kevin Maeda who finished 2nd with a 14:38. USC Trojan Invite 3000 Steeple In case you may have forgotten, BYU is really good...specifically in the distance events. Sophomore Clayson Shumway threw down a monster time of 8:50 to take the win at this event. He is currently ranked 2nd in the NCAA with that time. Behind Shumway was teammate Porter Reddish who matched his personal best time of 8:59 from the Stanford Invite last year. BYU didn't stop producing strong numbers after those two. Jacob Heslington, one of BYU's three steeplechase national qualifiers from last year's spring season, rounded out the top three with a time of 9:01. Teammate Alex Hedquist rounded out the top four with a time of 9:03. All four of those names that I just mentioned have sophomore eligibility.

The indoor season may have concluded, but the performances that we saw will live on forever. Virginia Tech won their first ever distance title, Andy Trouard pulled off a massive upset, and Saruni dominated the field with a phenomenal performance in the finals. These mind-blowing performances persuaded us to look into the history of the National Championships and see what trends we could find. We reviewed the past years of indoor National Championships and tried to identify some interesting trends. See our findings below... 800 - In the past 10 years, only three nationalities have won an NCAA title in this event... > Kenyan: 5 > American: 4 > Canadian: 1 - Saruni now has the fastest 800 meter time in an indoor NCAA Championship ever. - When looking over the past 10 years of results, Saruni now joins Tevan Everett (2009), Robby Andrews (2010), and Brandon McBride (2014) as NCAA Champions who did not win their prelim. Mile - Josh Kerr is the 2nd NCAA Champion to win back-to-back Mile titles in the past 10 years. The last champion to do that? New Mexico's Lee Emmanuel in 2009 and 2010. - Virginia Tech now joins the legendary 2015 Oregon squad as the only two teams to have three Mile All-Americans in the past 10 years. - Colorado State and Southern Utah secured their first All-American miler in (at least) the past 10 years. - This is the 5th straight year that Oregon has fielded an All-American miler. In three of the past five years, Oregon has had two or more All-American milers. 3000 - Oliver Hoare's 8th place finish at Nationals breaks Wisconsin's 8-year drought of having an All-American in the 3000 meters. - Trouard's time of 8:04 is the slowest winning time in the 3000 meters since Cheserek won the title in 2014 with an 8:11. 5000 - Knight's winning time 14:14 is the slowest time in (at least) the past 10 years. The nine championship meets before this season had results that were all under 14 minutes. - In fact, before this season, only three people (Tiernan, Reed, Lovell) had run over 14 minutes in this event and become an All-American (from 2009 to 2017). Tiernan. - 2018 now joins 2013 as the two championship years where the PAC-12 has not had an All-American in this event (in the past 10 years). That's right, no one from Oregon, Stanford, Colorado, etc. finished in the top eight of this event. DMR - Virginia Tech is the first ACC team to win the DMR in (at least) the past 10 years. Although Notre Dame won the title in 2012, they were in the BIG East when they did that. - Virginia Tech joins Oregon's 2009 DMR squad as the only two programs to win the DMR and have all three distance legs run an open event in the past 10 years. - However, Virginia Tech is the only DMR in (at least) the past 10 years to win the DMR and have all three distance legs finish as All-Americans in the open events. - Prior to 2018 and 2017, the highest finish an ACC team had finished in the DMR in the past 10 years was 6th place. Virginia Tech was 2nd in 2017. This year, the Hokies came back to win it all while Notre Dame finished 2nd. - Brown now joins Princeton (2013) and Columbia (2012) as the only Ivy League teams to qualify for Nationals in the DMR.

By: John Cusick Here at The Stride Report we try to give you articles that will either inform you, or at the very least, keep you entertained. We’ve done our best at the guessing game and it’s worked out relatively well, but what if you missed the big weekend? Surely, missing the two biggest track meets wasn’t in your plans, but it happened. Don’t worry. We have you covered. Remember how I told you the Division II meet wouldn’t disappoint? Go look at the races and tell me it was a disappointment. I’m not talking times like Division I (because it’s hard to compete with World, American, Collegiate Records), but I’m talking about times that got track fans standing on their feet, cheering for someone they are most likely not associated with. 800 Thomas Staines equaled his season best when he ran 1:47.23 and bested Decano Cronin by more than a second in the 800 meter final. It’s no surprise that Staines broke out this year after spending his freshman year somewhat struggling. After all, his parents are Gary and Linda who ran for the British Olympic team in Seoul during the 1988 Summer Olympics. Staines had already run 1:47 coming into the national meet and was a strong favorite to win the event. Sure enough, he laid down a dominant performance. He would have run sub-1:47 if he didn’t throw his hands out at the end, but I’d also have trouble containing my elation if I had just won a national title by more than a second. Fort Hays State’s Decano Cronin kicked hard to finish 2nd, but ran out of real estate as Staines’ gap was too much to make up in the last 150 meters. Mile I told you Dustin Nading was going to win the mile and he did. According to his teammate David Ribich, Nading was the clear favorite going into the event and he was certainly right. Nading notched his spot in the finals out of the first heat on time. He certainly made it pay off as he fought off Brett Meyer of Fort Hays State in the last 50 meters. Nading’s first national title has now allowed Western Oregon to claim both the true and metric Mile races. Although I can’t confirm, I’m sure that we will see both Nading and Ribich run the 1500 during the outdoor season. 3000 The 3000 meters may have been the most exciting race from start to finish as Sydney Gidabuday defended his crown with an exhilarating finish. Tiffin’s James Ngandu took the lead from the gun and tried to tire the legs of Gidabuday and Ribich early. Unfortunately for Ngandu, his place backfired as Ngandu ran out of steam and was overcome in the end. With 300 meters to go it was down to three athletes, Ribich, Gidabuday and Harding’s Nehemia Too. As they rounded the last turn, it looked as if Ribich was going to be in control down the homestretch. The Western Oregon star came out of the turn on the outside of lane one which gave Gidabuday just enough room to make a move on the inside. Ribich cited tactical errors on Facebook and it cost him two spots as Gidabuday crossed the line in 1st to defend his national title from last year. Less than a quarter of a second separated the three in the best race of the weekend. 5000 The 5000 meters was featured the night before and surely had something to do with how the athletes attacked the 3000 meter race the next day. Ngandu, Gidabuday, Zach Panning, and Enael Woldemichael quickly separated themselves from the rest of the group. With Ngandu somewhat playing with the field by utilizing inconsistent surges, he seemed to be very confident that he could outlast the other three. With 1200 meters to go, Ngandu had dropped Woldemichael and Panning and was starting to shake Gidabuday. With 600 meters to go it looked as if Ngandu was on his way to capturing his first track championship. Gidabuday must have sensed that he still had a chance as his pace quickened despite falling behind. With 200 meters to go, it was obvious that Ngandu had redlined and was struggling to keep his lead. Gidabuday caught the leader as they came out of the final turn and never looked back. He put four seconds between him and the Tiffin distance stud within the last 50 meters. Ngandu was left stunned as he crossed the finish line, giving Gidabuday what was the 5th individual title at the time (he won the 3000 meters giving him his 6th individual title the next day). DMR The last recap we have is of the Distance Medley Relay. The race ended up being very close as Western Oregon edged out CSU-Pueblo and Grand Valley State by less than half a second in what turned out to be a phenomenal race. Devundrick Walker ran a helluva 800 leg to give Pueblo the lead. Wuoi Mach of GVSU got the baton in second and stalked Derrick Williams (of CSU Pueblo) up front. Adams State’s Elias Gedyon tried to keep pace and did a really good job of it until 400(ish) meters to go. At this point, you’re probably wondering where Western Oregon was. David Ribich got the baton in 8th place. Outside of the Wolves, I don’t think anyone thought they had a chance...at all. Ribich broke the 4:00 barrier earlier in the year when he ran 3:59 but what he did in this relay was nothing short of spectacular. Western Oregon wasn’t even in the video feed until 300 meters to go. Ribich caught Williams and Mach by surprise which led to a frenzied finish that had a lot of people talking. Ribich’s split? 3:55. Defending their title? They did it. It’s up for debate, but I think this year’s win was better than last year’s where they eclipsed Adams State at the finish line. The Division II National Championships always gives us spectacular finishes that athletes and spectators will talk about for the rest of their lives. At the same time, it's a precursor to some of the biggest storylines we could see in the coming months. Western Oregon is building a program that wants to contend for team titles on the national level. Sidney Gidabuday became the most decorated individual in Adams State history (let that sink in for a moment). Not to mention, the RMAC came away with three of the four individual titles that were available this past weekend. We haven’t even gotten to outdoor season yet, but we can only predict that there will be more action just like this come the end of May.

What a week. NCAA's proved to be an exciting one with upsets, surprising performances, and flat-out dominance. We already gave our thoughts from Day One ( which you can find here ), so expect most of this article to be about Day Two... We're still unsure , but a D2 Recap may be coming as well... 800 As expected, Michael Saruni was the winner. After keeping the first two laps relatively conservative, the UTEP 800 star broke away from the field dropping everyone but Isaiah Harris. Despite Harris covering the move, Saruni was simply too strong and cruised to the line with a mind-boggling 1:45.15. That time barely edges out his 1:45.19 from Texas Tech earlier in the season. Harris threw down a strong indoor PR for himself with 1:46.08. His previous indoor best of 1:47.38 was from earlier this season at Iowa State. Some may say that Harris should have been better, but he has had a very underrated season and is still progressing incredibly well. Speaking of big improvements, how about Robert Heppenstall? The Wake Forest veteran was on the podium once again with a 1:46.88 indoor PR and bronze medal, his highest Nationals finish ever. You may be looking at the most consistent championship performer ever. Heppenstall now has five straight Nationals appearances (and he began that streak as a true freshman). He is now 5/5 in his attempts to make the podium. As for the rest of the field, I can't be too surprised. The stars like Saruni, Harris, and Heppenstall were expected to contend near the front and they did just like that. Kuhn, Alvarado, and Devroe all ran very well and showed a lot of poise. John Lewis finished 7th overall which isn't too surprising when you consider how the race played out. The Clemson junior is someone who thrives with a fast pace from the gun. The pace was still plenty of fast in that first 400, but when Saruni turned on the jets, Lewis didn't quite have the edge to hang. Still, this is his first All-American performance. He has come a long way. Finally, we have to mention Bryce Hoppel. After such an incredible regular season, expectations were high for the Kansas sophomore. He made the final relatively easily, but faltered in the later half of the race and finished in 8th. The end result was far from ideal, but you still have to applaud him for what he accomplished this season. Mile Josh Kerr is really good. Dominant in fact. He struggled in the DMR and then came back to win the title. Nothing new here, let's move on... We use the phrase "powerhouse programs" a lot on this site. Teams like Oregon, Stanford, and Colorado constantly enter that conversation. Northern Arizona, Ole Miss, and Syracuse are also in the argument. Yet, after this weekend, I can't help but think that Virginia Tech now belongs in the powerhouse conversation. Wait, scratch that. They don't just belong, they HEADLINE the powerhouse programs (at least in the past year). The Hokies put all three of their milers into the NCAA final, doubled back to win the DMR, and later came back to have all three men finish as All-Americans. That is incredible. Gourley, Ciattei, and Joseph may be the best distance trio to hit the track since Oregon had Cheserek, Jenkins, and Geoghegan... Speaking of Oregon, great racing from Prakel and Brown. Prakel showed so much consistency and composure throughout the entire season. He topped it off with a 3rd place performance. The same goes for Reed Brown who had some gutsy runs. He secured himself the 8th and final All-American spot. Not bad for the yougin'. As for Knevelbaard and Rockhold, I'm not surprised by their finishes. These guys are some of the best in the NCAA and the media needs to start recognizing what they've done for their respective programs. 5th and 6th isn't anything amazing, but it's just another bullet point on a long list of accomplishments for both of these guys. 3000 We called it and we're gonna make sure everyone knows...mainly to distract from the fact that we messed up a few other picks. But I digress... While everyone expected Justyn Knight to walk away with his 2nd title of the weekend, Andy Trouard had other plans. A race that became somewhat tactical eventually led to Trouard gaining the advantage on the rail and holding off Knight. It is Trouard's first ever NCAA title. Impressive? Yes. Surprising? A little bit. Shocking? Not quite... Throughout this season, Trouard had never lost to another collegiate before he attempted his triple at the BIG Sky Championships. He out-kicked Grant Fisher enroute to a 7:48 and even threw down a 3:58 Mile as well. After showing outstanding consistency and strength during a triple at BIG Sky's, we couldn't help but think that he had a shot of winning it all (and we were right). Outside of the top two, how about Cameron Griffith? The Arkansas junior had a huge breakout season and he was able to cap it all off with an incredible 3rd place finish to defeat Grant Fisher (who was 4th). The performances we've seen from Griffith this season remind me of Cristian Soratos when he came out of nowhere during his senior year to become a national contender. We kind of skipped over Grant Fisher, but something just isn't right. His finishing speed is lacking and he just simply hasn't looked as sharp since XC Nationals. Then again, this is his first season of collegiate indoor track so that's definitely something to consider. As for the rest of the finishers, there wasn't anything too exciting. Personally, I didn't have Gilbert or West on the podium, but it doesn't surprise me that they got on there. West has been one of the best transfer pick-ups of the 2017-2018 academic year. Unlike the 5000, the guys who are aggressive front runners didn't seem to prosper in this race. Kipkoech, Tate, and Baxter all fell out of All-American contention. That's what happens when the race is close and tactical. It was disappointing to see Mau and Davis fall out of the top eight (by a good bit), but they are still relatively young. They'll be back and most likely drop something big outdoors. 5000 & DMR - See our Day One Reactions Post here

Just as the title says...let's get into it. Mile Prelims - Southern Utah's Kasey Knevelbaard was in last by quite a bit, but he was incredibly patient as he began to make moves in the final 800. He secured an automatic qualifying spot to the finals. Smart running by him. - Sam Prakel and Cole Rockhold look scary good. They had such great control in that prelim. They should be great picks for the podium. - Really unfortunate fall for Mick Stanovsek. Obviously, that has to be frustrating. He would have been on the podium (I think), but he'll come back in the spring with revenge. - Smart call by Tobin to go hard from the gun and assert a fast(er) pace, but it nearly cost him a spot to the finals. - Wow, Virginia Tech looks really, really good. They ran so well together. The VT trio got out of each other's way, but still put themselves at the front. - Reed Brown is a true freshman who showed so much poise in a tactical prelim. He kicked hard to the line and finished alongside some veterans to make the final. Give this kid some props. - It was tough to see Bartelsmeyer out of the finals after such a close finish. I thought he nipped Tobin at the line, but apparently that wasn't the case. He would have been a great guy to watch out for in the finals. 800 Prelims - That was a bold move by Michael Rhoads (Air Force). He took out the first 200 in 24 seconds and the 400 out in 51 seconds. He may have been a little too aggressive, but unlike the ESPN announcers, I'm willing to give him some credit. Rhoads had nothing to lose and put it all out there in an effort to separate himself from the field. He may want to be a little more conservative next time, but it's a tactic I wish we saw more often. - Clemson's John Lewis is known for his hard from the gun racing style. The aggressive pace set by Rhoads favored Lewis and he made sure to take full advantage. Lewis led the chase pack for most of the race, but did not falter in his attempt to bring Rhoads back in. Lewis was rewarded with a 2nd place finish in his prelim and a spot to the finals. Smart running by the Clemson junior who has really come on quite strong in his past few races. - There was so much movement happening around Isaiah Harris during his prelim...he just didn't care. He kept his composure and cruised to the line. It may not seem like a lot, but that is how a veteran runs an 800. - Daniel Kuhn basically controlled that prelim from the gun. Mississippi State's Marco Arop briefly took over the lead, but this race was extremely well handled by Kuhn. He went to the front and determined how the prelim was going to play out on his terms. - Dixon fell off the pace set by Kuhn relatively early. That was a bit surprising, he seemed to be a podium favorite, especially when you consider that he was racing on his home track. - What on Earth was Michael Saruni doing? He was at the back of the pack for a good portion of the race. He did eventually move up, but he had to get in on a time qualifier instead of an automatic qualifier. It looked like his plan was to take the first two laps conservatively, but he didn't expect the pack to be so difficult to bring back in. He's still on to the finals, but that was an ugly prelim. - Robert Heppenstall was able to navigate through that prelim like it was nothing. His positioning was excellent and his move was timed perfectly. He's an All-American machine and this season looks to be no different. - Great finish by Abraham Alvarado. He made a huge move in the final 80 meters to get around a crowded turn and find a spot in the top three. If he can replicate that tomorrow, he could scare for a top three spot in the finals. 5000 Finals - They're jogging... - They're still jogging... - Is no one going to make this honest? - I can appreciate the effort by Linkletter, but even he knows that his pace wasn't anything fast. - The pace is still pretty slow... - Much like Linkletter, Fischer made a nice move to get to the front. It didn't have a huge impact on the field, but at least he kept it honest. - Smart surge to the front by Alabama's Vincent Kiprop. He knew he probably didn't have the speed to close with some of these other guys, so he was going to be the man to open up the field and assert a fast pace with 800(ish) to go. - Mike Tate quietly stuck with the top pack for most of the race and he made sure he was going to be in contention on that final lap. - The pace was slow and when that happens, it's Justyn Knight's race to lose. He was probably going to win regardless of the racing style, but after those first few laps, you couldn't help but shrug your shoulders and begin your guess as to who would place 2nd. - It was a very tactical race, but when you look at the results, most of the guys who were at the front walked away as All-Americans. Vincent Kiprop, Mike Tate, Rory Linkletter, and Jacob Thomson showed that they weren't afraid to go to the front of the pack. The race may not have played out in their favor, but they still made the best out of what they were given. DMR Finals - Oregon's Blake Haney ran a great race. He kept the Ducks near the front and contended with McGorty for a heavy portion of his leg. He is one of the key reasons why Oregon walked away with a top five finish despite not fielding their 'A' squad. - Interesting move by the Ducks to not race Cooper Teare. I have nothing against James West. He ran a great anchor leg (split 3:57) and kept the Ducks competitive. However, West has to run the 3000 on Day 2 and Teare is a sub-4 minute miler who would have been completely fresh. Why not put him on the anchor? Tough to say, but it paid off with a 3rd place finish for the Ducks. - That was a bold move by Ole Miss to put an inexperienced freshman on the lead-off leg. It probably cost them a podium spot. Still, it was a risk worth taking if they wanted to go all-in on another title run. If Suliman finishes near the front of the pack, the Rebels could have been fighting with Virginia Tech. If that happened, this conversation looks very different. - Virginia Tech did not win because of Neil Gourley (although he still did pretty darn well). They won because Patrick Joseph split a 1:46.23 on the 800 to give the Hokies a 10 to 15 meter cushion on the anchor leg. Joseph's surge in the final 200 was so incredibly decisive that it set the tone for the rest of the race. That move is the reason why they are the national champions. - Notre Dame has earned my respect. They were consistently strong across the board with solid splits at every leg. Yared Nuguse split 3:56.90 and kept the Fighting Irish in the hunt. This entire relay deserves a round of applause. - Stanford had Sean McGorty on their lead-off and Grant Fisher on their anchor, but they couldn't place in the top three. When you look at their splits, everyone ran a great race. Still, you can't help but want a little more from this superstar lineup. - Utah State ran incredibly well across all four legs. I'll admit, I doubted the Aggies' ability to put it together on the Big Stage. However, they proved me wrong. They fought to the front of the pack and put their anchor, Dillon Maggard, in a great position. It helps that Maggard had the best split of the entire field (3:56.53), but all of the pieces of this relay came together and put on a great performance. - I guess Josh Kerr is human after all. That mile prelim must have taken a lot more out of him than we expected it to. Of course, all three distance legs of Virginia Tech's DMR were doubling back from the mile prelims and they seemed to do just fine...

By: John Cusick This may come as an oddity seeing how most rankings on the site all have been about D1 athletes and their performances. However, we all know that it’s not just those athletes that are getting it done on the oval. The D2 National Championships always display courageous efforts that seem to catch even the biggest track fans off-guard. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and check out last year’s DMR race between Adams State and Western Oregon. How about Sydney Gidabuday’s effort to give Vincent Kiprop his only loss during his D2 track career? Bastion Grau denied Oliver Aitchison his third straight mile title and it was an electrifying environment that only looks to shine even more this coming weekend. 800 We’ll start, as per usual, with the 800 meters. Thomas Staines (CSU-Pueblo) comes into the meet with the fastest time with a 1:47.12. He sits over a second ahead of the field. Following Staines are American International’s Ackeen Colley (1:48.78) and Leakey Kipkosgei (1:49.41). We’ll also see key returners from last year’s championship such Shaquille Dill (St. Augustine’s, 1:49.67), William Mayhew (UCCS, 1:49.88) and Josh Barrows (Augustana S.D, 1:51.14). All eyes will be on Shaquille Dill as he attempts to defend his crown. The junior attempted the rare 400/800 double as a freshman at the national meet and suffered dearly. He came back last year and won the 800 in a thrilling victory over Luis Romero. He clocked a 1:49.67 earlier this season which is good for 6th in the country. He is joined by Decano Cronin (Fort Hayes St.) who is back after entering the last year’s championship with the second fastest time, but failed to make the final. He’ll be looking to avenge that disappointment in 2018. Buried at the bottom of the entry list is the RMAC Champion Devundrick Walker, who walked down Staines and Mayhew in the final last year and surpassed Patrick Weaver (Colorado School of Mines, 1:49.63) inches before the finish line just two weekends ago. After a performance like that, Walker was able to cement his name as a contender for the national crown. Overall, I think we have a really good race on our hands here. Mayhew of UCCS is most likely going to head straight to the front and try to lead wire to wire. It’s worked for him before in previous championship seasons, but I’m not sure it will work this time. I’ve got Cronin. I saw his race that got him to outdoor Nationals and believe that Cronin is going to have that kind of run in Kansas. Mile As we move to the mile, we have yet another RMAC runner ranked at the top of the leaderboard. And it’s not a common RMAC school as we’d come to expect. Evan Verbal of Colorado Christian University boasts a time of 3:59.20 (converted from 4:05.18) after a strong performance at the Colorado Invite. While some may scoff at the conversion, his 3000 meter of 8:00.80 shows that he is fit. Behind Verbal are Adams State’s Elias Gedyon (4:00.78, also a conversion) and George Kelly (4:00.99, another conversion). The Grizzlies have struggled in recent track championships and will look to shake that off this upcoming weekend as they’ll vie for an indoor team title. Josh Evans, Luke Julian and Vincent Workman will join their conference rivals as the other three representatives in the Mile. Grau is back for his senior year and will look to repeat as the champ. He ran 4:04.51 earlier this season (which currently ranks 8th), but he’ll most likely come in as the favorite. This guy is in great shape and already has one win under his belt at this discipline. Not to be forgotten is Western Oregon’s Dustin Nading (4:04.50), who has had a very successful college career, but seldom gets the recognition he’s deserved. Nading has competed in multiple national championships and has always been willing to chop it up at the front. Nading will look to add to the Wolves’ collection of individual titles as his teammate David Ribich has already taken home the 1500-meter title from the 2017 Outdoor National Championships. Brett Meyer of Fort Hays State has stepped up in distance this year and was able to clinch a spot in the Mile preliminaries after qualifying last year for the 800 meters. He’ll be joined by Mason Phillips of Sioux Falls, as well as the Queens N.C. duo of Daniel Wallis and Felix Wammetsberger. The Mile will most likely come down to a tactical race as it does every year, the question will be who has the better kick. If I had to put my money on this one, I’d like to put it down on Dustin Nading of Western Oregon. I think he rises to the challenge and helps bring WOU to the forefront of the distance world in D2. 3000 The 3000 meters might arguably be the best race of the championships. We have the aforementioned David Ribich who has run 7:50.81 and is nine seconds faster than Gidabuday who is looking to repeat as the 3K champion despite a rougher than usual cross country and indoor season. Behind those two sits previously mentioned Evan Verbal (Colorado Christian) who has taken full advantage of another season of eligibility. James Ngandu from Tiffin is coming off an individual national title during the cross country season and is more than likely to push the pace from the get go once again. After Ngandu, we have more RMAC competitors in Chandler Reid (Adams State), Grant Colligan (Colorado School of Mines), Kale Adams (Adams State), Josh Hoskinson (Colorado School of Mines), Derrick Williams (CSU-Pueblo), George Kelly (Adams State), and Taylor Stack (Western State). Sure, it seems like I’m favoring the RMAC (I did run for Colorado Mesa), but just for reference, in order to qualify for the top 18 in the RMAC, you needed at least a provisional time. It might be safe to say that the deepest distance conference is rearing its head this weekend. While the RMAC has nine of the sixteen competitors, it goes without saying that they’ll all be challenged by the likes of Wuoi Mach and Zach Panning, both from Grand Valley State. The GVSU duo will look to aid the Lakers’ in their team title run. Mach has seemingly been around forever and Panning is always in the mix of things to come during championship season. They’ll be ready for whatever comes their way. 5000 We move to the 5000 meters, we begin to see a lot of familiar faces. Hold on, let me just get this out of the way now… The RMAC is sending 12 of the 19 athletes that will toe the line in Pittsburg, Kansas come this Friday. Gidabuday headlines the field as the national leader with a time of 13:50.29. The Adams State star didn’t look great in cross country, but he has turned it around throughout this indoor season. Behind Gidabuday on the performance list is James Ngandu (Tiffin, 13:57.54) who is slated second while Panning (GVSU, 14:01.35) returns to double from the 3000 meters as well. Panning be joined by teammate Chris May (14:05.39). The next nine guys on the list are all RMAC competitors and boast times of 14:15 or faster. Grant Colligan (Colorado Mines), Nick Sevcik (Colorado Mines), Marcelo Laguero (CSU-Pueblo), Matthew Kade (Colorado Mines), Joshua Joseph (Adams State), Josh Hoskinson (Colorado Mines), Lucio Ramirez (Adams State), Chandler Reid (Adams State), and Taylor Stack (Western State) currently occupy the 5th spot all the way to the 13th spot. As we analyze the race and the potential racing strategies of each one, it’s hard for me to go against Gidabuday here. His combination of speed and strength, which seems to be back after cross country, might be too much for the competitors this year. Ngandu will be his toughest competitor for the sole reason that he will most likely try to take the legs out from under Gidabuday by setting an honest pace early. Gidabuday wins in a race that turns out to be a thriller. DMR Lastly, we have the distance medley relay. And if you watched last year, you’ve probably anticipated this race almost as much as the Adams State Grizzlies have. After losing last year by less than a hundredth of a second, the Grizzlies will certainly be looking to take home the title this year. Despite being the main conversation of this race, ASU enters with the seventh fastest time (entry list time, not TFRRS time) while WOU holds the fourth. The leaders? Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State-Pueblo. Black Hills State snuck into the race as the 12th team and another RMAC school to get into the Big Dance. Joining the field is Grand Valley State, Mount Olive, Sioux Falls, American International, Stonehill, Queens N.C. and Academy of Art. There are only six seconds between all of these teams. We understand that the RMAC schools enter in with converted times, but it’s well known that they are successful when it comes to competing at nationals. In what I think will be a four-team race, I believe that Western Oregon will prevail. Dustin Nading on the 1200 leg with Ribich closing the mile leg? I’ll take my money to the bank on that. If you guys get the chance to watch this meet this weekend, please do it. All of these races are going to be fantastic. You will see some of the best finishes that track has to offer. Division 2 track and field rapidly rising as more and more athletes are beginning to rise the ranks for multiple nationalities being represented. This meet will not disappoint you at any discipline.

By: John Cusick & Garrett Zatlin Ladies and gentlemen, the time we have all been waiting for has finally reached us. We gave you previews of all the distance events at the beginning of the year. Now, we have a special article where Garrett and I will banter back and forth about who we think will win these coveted events. We might even go back and check and see how many we got right. 800 Look, I’m not saying that everyone is racing for second place, but Michael Saruni of UTEP most likely will not be displaced as the top runner here. The sophomore has a three second lead (altitude conversion from 1:45) on the rest of the field. Despite his incredibly fast times, Saruni has a history of struggling in NCAA’s. He was DQ’d at last year’s indoor championship and was tripped up by his teammate in the 800 final during the spring. After Saruni, what does that leave us with? Kansas’ Bryce Hoppel has the next fastest time with his 1:47.09 and has been on fire this season with multiple wins and a consistent drop in time. After Hoppel, we still have 11 athletes who have dipped underneath the 1:48 barrier. The most notable names include Robert Heppenstall (Wake Forest), Devin Dixon (Texas A&M), Isaiah Harris (Penn State), Daniel Kuhn (Indiana), and Abraham Alvarado (Brigham Young University). Saruni is not a lock to win the whole thing but the time he has posted is nothing short of phenomenal. In order to unseat him from the top, it’s going to take an elite performance resulting in a personal best for a number of athletes this indoor season. As for the predictions from earlier in the year? Saruni, Heppenstall, Dixon, Harris, Crisp, Marshall, Kuhn, Alvarado, and Lambourne were all a part of that preview. Basically, we somewhat found a way to predict half the field without a single race being run. Who would have guessed? John’s Predictions: (we’re taking shots in the dark at times here, by the way) 1. Michael Saruni (UTEP) (1:46.87) 2. Devin Dixon (Texas A&M) 3. Isaiah Harris (Penn State) 4. Abraham Alvarado (BYU) 5. Daniel Kuhn (Indiana) 6. Robert Heppenstall (Wake Forest) 7. Clay Lambourne (Utah State) 8. John Lewis (Clemson) Ok, yes, Saruni is the overwhelming favorite. If he stays out of trouble, he should walk away with gold by a heavy margin. I will also agree that Bryce Hoppel is a big name to mention. He has yet to lose an open race this season and has the ability to double back (which bodes well for him in the prelims and finals). If this is a race for silver, then Hoppel is a personal favorite of mine. I’ll also agree that guys like Harris and Heppenstall are favorites to get back on the podium. These guys are post-season stars with multiple clutch performances to secure All-American spots. In fact, with Harris’ resume, I think he could legitimately contend with Saruni. He has a 1:44 personal best, a World Championship qualification, and the experience of racing on the national stage. He would need a big seasonal best, but if anyone is going to have that “elite performance” that you mentioned, it’s going to be Harris. The other names are strong options. Dixon is a good choice and Kuhn is one of the more underrated names in the field. Still, I’m not sure I going to opt out from my own choices. Dylan Capwell is a name I’m watching. He has great experience after fighting for a national title in 2015. Granted, he may not be at the same level of fitness as he was back then, but he is remerging as an All-American contender. He ran 1:48 three times, dropped a 1:47 in the final meet of the season, and secured six different wins in open events. So…yeah…podium favorite. There are a couple others that I think I could enter the All-American spots, but one of them has to be John Lewis. The Clemson junior ran 1:47.12 for a huge personal best and finish 2nd at ACC’s. He struggled to go under the 1:49 mark for the entire season but came it up big when it counted. I think he’ll ride that momentum into the finals of NCAA’s. Garrett’s Predictions: 1. Michael Saruni (UTEP) (1:46.11) 2. Isaiah Harris (Penn State) 3. Bryce Hoppel (Kansas) 4. Robert Heppenstall (Wake Forest) 5. Devin Dixon (Texas A&M) 6. Daniel Kuhn (Indiana) 7. Dylan Capwell (Monmouth) 8. John Lewis (Clemson) Mile Much like Saruni, Josh Kerr should be the favorite to win this one. He has the raw speed to sit-and-kick for the win and the pure fitness to take it from the gun. He has the experience of winning multiple national titles and is one of the few to defeat Edward Cheserek. Even though Kerr is one of the top names in the field, this Mile field has a lot of names that could pull off an upset. I really like Kasey Knevelbaard this season, mainly because he has a kick that very few others can match. If the race becomes tactical, he could very easily compete with Kerr in the final 200. Amos Bartelsmeyer is an interesting name. Although he has been up and down throughout the past few seasons, he’s begging to find his groove again with a 3:57 Mile and an anchor performance that qualified his relay for Nationals. He can handle most race scenarios which is something that I like in a field of dynamic talents. I’m also a fan of the trio’s that Virginia Tech and Oregon are fielding. The Virginia Tech men yield incredible range and experience with all three athletes having PR’s under 4 minutes AND 1:48. As for Oregon, they have a history of thriving when multiple teammates are in the same field. They work extremely well together in big meets like Nationals and I don’t think that will change this year. Finally, I have to give some love to Carlos Villareal. This guy has made tremendous progress this season dropping back-to-back-to-back personal bests in the Mile. That is HUGE momentum heading into the biggest meet of year and I’m not ready to doubt him quite yet. He has been able to maintain strong finishing speed while also improving his general mid-race strength. Don’t sleep on Villareal. Garrett’s Predictions: 1. Josh Kerr (New Mexico) (3:58.02) 2. Sam Prakel (Oregon) 3. Kasey Knevelbaard (Southern Utah) 4. Neil Gourley (Virginia Tech) 5. Amos Bartelsmeyer (Georgetown) 6. Carlos Villareal (Arizona) 7. Mick Stanovsek (Oregon) 8. Vincent Ciattei (Virginia Tech) I agree with you about Kerr. It seems like he’s almost a lock given the fact that he is one of the few to beat Cheserek. I think it’s safe to say that Kerr is the favorite. While I do think he will win this race, a few names strike my fancy. Carlos Villarreal is a name I love during this race. You mentioned his back-to-back-to-back PR’s and he’s come on to the national scene very nicely. He’s bumped up from the 800 and it has paid dividends. I highly expect him to be active in this race and see if he can snatch a win. I love what I saw from Sam Prakel at the Husky Invite as he took down a loaded field and helped multiple people under 4:00. He can push from the get go and I think compete with the likes of Kerr when it comes to pure fitness. He’s going to be one of the contenders when it comes to the final 300 meters. Jonah Koech has the next fastest time behind Kerr. Koech seems to be forgotten because of Saruni and Emmanuel Korir, but he’s just as big of a threat as those two are. He has the clear strength to get after it from the gun and is always up for a challenge. He’s going to give the field everything he’s got, and it might just be enough to give UTEP two national champions. Another name I like is Cole Rockhold. He went to conference and gave Kerr a fight until he pulled away with a two second win. He’s usually thought of as a 3000-meter run in my mind, but he has stepped down in distance and been very successful. I think that string of success will continue heading into the biggest race of the year. Plus, he probably has the most experience in facing Kerr and that’s pretty big. The last guy to get in was Sean Tobin. I think Tobin has a huge advantage because it seems like he’s been in almost every event at the national level. He knows how to race, and I bet he’s going to put himself in a position to take home a personal title. We know he has the speed as he’s run the 1200 and the 1600 leg of the DMR. Johns’s Predictions: 1. Josh Kerr (New Mexico) (4:04.87) 2. Sam Prakel (Oregon) 3. Jonah Koech (UTEP) 4. Sean Tobin (Ole Miss) 5. Carlos Villarreal (Arizona) 6. Patrick Joseph (Virginia Tech) 7. Kasey Knevelbard (Southern Utah) 8. Reed Brown (Oregon) 3000 Man, I absolutely the love the field that is entered for this 3000 meter race. You’ve got heavyweights throughout this entire race! Justyn Knight is still on fire since he won cross country. He tops the performance list with his 7:45.86 and is more than three seconds ahead of 2nd place. I’ve been riding the Knight wave since last year and I’m not going to stop now. That doesn’t mean the field won’t give him everything they’ve got. I think Grant Fisher and Andy Trouard will be shoe-in’s for All-American status. We saw them both race at Iowa State when Trouard came from behind to kick Fisher down, but both possess the wheels to keep up with Knight should it come down to that. Dillon Maggard is a name to watch throughout this. He gave everything he had as the anchor when Utah State made a run at New Mexico in the DMR. Maggard should be extremely fit and he’s going to showcase it on the biggest stage. Colby Gilbert took down another loaded field at his home track. I’m hesitant to add Gilbert to the list when his success during championship season is rather underwhelming, but he is also one of the few to take down Cheserek. I think Gilbert contends for the title this year and shows us what he’s really made of. The last name I want to talk about is Jonathan Davis. He’s a redshirt freshman from Illinois, but he had the 2nd fastest Mile time and the 6th fastest 3000 time coming into Nationals. Plus, he already has national experience from last outdoor season. He’s quietly built upon his success from cross country and it’s really translated to the track. John’s Predictions: 1. Justyn Knight (Syracuse) (8:03.56) 2. Grant Fisher (Stanford) 3. Colby Gilbert (Washington) 4. Dillon Maggard (Utah State) 5. Jonathan Davis (Illinois) 6. Andy Trouard (Northern Arizona) 7. Mike Tate (Southern Utah) 8. Cole Rockhold (Colorado State) I agree, this field is absolutely loaded with some of the best names in the nation. The long distance all-stars of Justyn Knight and Grant Fisher are the headlines of the field, but they will be pushed quite a bit. I’m a big fan of Andy Trouard in this race. He handled his 3K race at Iowa State so incredibly well. He had so much poise and out-kicked one of the best finishers in the nation (Fisher) to take the win. He also threw down a really solid triple at the BIG Sky Championships just a couple of weekends ago. That makes me feel a little more comfortable about doubling back from the 5000. If anyone is going to beat Knight, it might be Trouard. I’m not going to question the legitimacy of Gilbert’s talent, but he hasn’t always been the most consistent. He’s been very up-and-down during championship races and I’m not sure I’m ready to give him an All-American spot just yet. I like the Jonathan Davis and Cole Rockhold picks. However, I’ll admit that I have concerns about Rockhold’s ability to double and Davis’ youth. Still, these are strong, consistent performers. They bring a lot of excitement to this field and should be great x-factors in this race. I’m not convinced that both of them well end up on the podium, but they are names to watch. Right now, I’m very big on Oliver Hoare (Wisconsin). The Badger has been absolutely killing it with some big-time performances and two wins at BIG 10’s (over Jonathan Davis). He is super dangerous and is definitely a name you need to watch out for. The same goes for Cameron Griffith (Arkansas). This has been his breakout season with monster performances that have contended with some of the best in the nation. His combination of speed and endurance should give him an edge in this field. Finally, I really like the experience that Ben Saarel (Colorado) brings into this field. After struggling to finish up the Mile/3000 double at last year’s championship, he has opted to go all-in on the 3000. He’s a savy veteran who knows how to handle high-level fields such as this. I expect him to make a podium appearance. Garrett’s Predictions: 1. Andy Trouard (Northern Arizona) (8:06.34) 2. Justyn Knight (Syracuse) 3. Grant Fisher (Stanford) 4. Dillon Maggard (Utah State) 5. Oliver Hoare (Wisconsin) 6. Cameron Griffith (Arkansas) 7. Ben Saarel (Colorado) 8. Jonathan Davis (Illinois) 5000 Although the entries may be similar to the 3000, our picks for the podium differ quite a bit. Justyn Knight is the favorite and understandably so. He has been on fire all year and even though he doesn’t have the top time in the nation, he’ll still be able to handle anything that comes his way. The top time, however, belongs to Southern Utah’s Mike Tate who blasted a huge 13:37 at the Husky Classic a few weeks ago. He went out there looking to make a statement and did just that. If he is willing to push the pace, he’ll be able to eliminate a few kickers from this field and make it a race solely about fitness. I think that guarantees him a podium spot. Mike Tate isn’t the only Mountain region runner that I’m favoring in this race. Andy Trouard (NAU), Rory Linkletter (BYU), and Grant Fischer (Colorado State) look like legitimate threats this year. They’ve shown that they can handle practically any race scenario and I’m not going to sleep on them in this field. Whether the pace is fast or slow, expect this trio to close hard and secure a top eight finish. I’m also under the impression that this race will be fast which should bode well for the SEC men. The Alabama men have quietly put together strong performance after strong performance. They continue to prove me wrong and at this point I can’t pick against them. However, if I’m picking the Alabama men, that also means I’m choosing Jacob Thomson as well. Not only is he one of the more veteran and experienced distance runners in this field, but he has also ramped up his fitness this season. With personal bests of 4:01, 7:53, and 13:41 all during this winter, I can’t help but think that this is Thomson’s time to reappear on the podium. Garrett’s Predictions: 1. Justyn Knight (Syracuse) (13:52.99) 2. Andy Trouard (Northern Arizona) 3. Rory Linkletter (BYU) 4. Mike Tate (Southern Utah) 5. Jacob Thomson (Kentucky) 6. Vincent Kiprop (Alabama) 7. Grant Fischer (Colorado State) 8. Gilbert Kigen (Alabama) This field is also a field that I really enjoy and can’t wait to watch race each other. You mentioned the men from Alabama, and the name I really like is Vincent Kiprop. My guess is that he will use the same strategy he used last year when he took off from the gun and dropped two of the better D2 athletes in that field. However, I don’t think he will be dropping anyone in this race. In order for him and Kigen to have a chance at winning, they’ll have to push the pace. I also really like all the BYU men. I think Rory Linkletter has one of the best chances to claim the title. He had a horrible end to his cross country season and I believe that that has fueled him to come out even stronger during track season. His teammates Connor McMillan and Daniel Carney are very quietly having great seasons. Carney PR’d by 20 seconds this indoor season while McMillan PR’d twice this season and won the MPSF conference title this year. Your Mike Tate pick, however, is a very good one too. Tate has the wheels to compete with the likes of Knight and Trouard. The Southern Utah athletes have been productive as long as I can remember. The Thunderbirds are always ready to roll with the punches so I’ll be interested to see what they (Tate & Knevelbaard) can do towards the front. I could certainly see Tate running away from the others at the end here. Jack Bruce and Tanner Anderson are the last two names I think that are going to surprise some people. Bruce has a 13:38 PR in the 5k and has gone 2:25 for 1000 meters. He has the speed and combined with his strength (sub-30 10k). I think Bruce will make a push for at least a podium spot. Anderson is just a sophomore, but he is a part of that Oregon group that always seems to come through when it matters most during championship season. He’ll have a great day and surprise some people. John’s Predictions: 1. Justyn Knight (Syracuse) (14:02.93) 2. Rory Linkletter (BYU) 3. Vincent Kiprop (Alabama) 4. Connor McMillan (BYU) 5. Jack Bruce (BYU) 6. Tanner Anderson (Oregon) 7. Daniel Carney (BYU) 8. Mike Tate (Southern Utah) Distance Medley Relay Every single one of these teams is under the 9:30 mark. That’s right where it seems to be every year. New Mexico and Utah State dropped the number one and two times in the country at their conference meet and unseated Stanford from the top spot (thanks to altitude conversions). Going into this meet it feels like New Mexico is the top dog just because of Kerr, right? Their 1200 leg in Ian Crowe-Wright keeps them in contention and with Kerr’s track record (no pun intended) it feels as if they are even the slightest bit close to the leaders. If they aren’t already in the lead, then Kerr will somehow come out on top. Utah State fields a team that includes Lambourne and Maggard, both perennial athletes on the national stage. They gave New Mexico their best effort and still came up short. Does running with Stanford and Oregon give them more of a chance to come out on top? Stanford will surely bring their A game despite Brandon McGorty having a poor showing at conference. They’ll most likely hand off to Fisher to finish off the race and just like Kerr, Fisher is someone that seemingly can make up any deficit if found behind the leaders. The team that I really like, and you mentioned their athletes earlier, is Virginia Tech. All three of these guys have sub 1:48 and sub 4:00 marks. That’s huge in this race. There’s not real weakness at any given point. I expect Virginia Tech to make the biggest splash in this race and come out as either the champion, or at worst, top three. These are so hard to predict though. With team titles at hand as well, some schools may alter their lineups to better their chances in other events on Saturday. John’s Predictions: 1. Virginia Tech (9:32.45) 2. New Mexico 3. Stanford 4. Utah State 5. Oregon 6. Indiana 7. Wisconsin 8. Ole Miss Right off the bat, I’d have to agree with the Virginia Tech pick. They lack weaknesses and are all-around the best team in the field. They are definitely a lock for the podium, but do they have enough elite-firepower to win it all? They might, but it will be tough… Virginia Tech may have the best all-around relay, but Oregon may be the safest pick. With Sam Prakel (supposedly) on the anchor and another sub-4 miler on the 1200, it would be hard to dismiss the potential of this squad. I really like what they bring to the table. Josh Kerr does put New Mexico in the team title conversation, but I’m not ready to say that the rest of their squad can put them into the top pack. Crowe-Wright is a talented miler, but can he contend with the 1200 legs that Oregon and Virginia Tech will field? What about Sean McGorty? It will be interesting to see how he handles that lead-off group. Ole Miss, much like Virginia Tech is a great team at nearly every leg of their relay. Sean Tobin is a veteran and should be able to put them in a competitive spot. The same goes for Indiana who may have the most underrated 1200 leg in the entire field. Don’t sleep on what Teddy Browning could do in this field. I’m also putting Wisconsin into the same category as Ole Miss and Indiana. They have a really solid all-around team that should be top contenders, especially when you consider that he split 3:54 earlier in the season. Joe Hardy may be more of a long distance guy (with a focus on the 5000 meters), but he’s held up well in the lead-off position. How about Georgetown? They may not have the star-studded lineup that other programs have, but they have a top-tier, experienced miler in Amos Bartelsmeyer that can put this team back in the podium hunt. I like them to be top eight, mainly because of their anchor. The last team we have is the Stanford Cardinal. They have the best 1200/Mile duo in the NCAA and that might be enough to win it all. Their 800 leg is a minor weakness, but that shouldn’t be the decisive factor in this race. Garrett’s Predictions: 1. Stanford (9:29.13) 2. Virginia Tech 3. Oregon 4. New Mexico 5. Indiana 6. Wisconsin 7. Ole Miss 8. Georgetown

Part 2 is now up! You can find Part 1 here. What does every entrant for every distance event need to do in order to win the national title? We gave a few of our thoughts... Mile Josh Kerr (New Mexico) - It should be pretty obvious that Josh Kerr is the favorite in this one. If he wants to win, he just needs to act like the favorite. He can win whether the pace is slow or fast. As long as he dictates how this race plays out, he should have the ability to kick it in or run away from the field. Jonah Koech (UTEP) - After a couple of seasons where he has struggled, it looks like Koech is back near the top of his game. If that's the case, he may be able to channel some of that 1:46 800 speed from outdoors during his freshman year and kick away from the rest of the field. Kasey Knevelbaard (Southern Utah) - Knevelbaard may have one of the most underrated kicks in the NCAA. If this race goes out slow enough and Knevelbaard doesn't have a lot of traffic in front of him, I truly believe he could out-kick anyone in the field (which includes Josh Kerr). Vincent Ciattei (Virginia Tech) - The Hokies are set to field three men in this race and it would be silly if they didn't take advantage of that. Whether it be establishing the pace or allowing each other to get through traffic, the VT trio needs to work together if one of them wants to defeat Kerr and the rest of this field. Patrick Joseph (Virginia Tech) - See Vincent Ciattei Cole Rockhold (Colorado State) - This will be a difficult race for Cole Rockhold to gauge as he still has the 3000 meters after this race. That means he would probably prefer a tactical race where he can at least sit-and-kick. Can he out-run guys like Josh Kerr and Kasey Knevelbaard? I'm not too sure about that, but it is his best chance if he also wants to have some left for the 3000. Sam Prakel (Oregon) -Much like the Hokies, Oregon also has three men entered in this field. Historically, the Ducks have worked well together when they have multiple men in one prelim or final. They will need to replicate that teamwork if they want someone to break away from the field and earn the gold. Neil Gourley (Virginia Tech) - See Vincent Ciattei Reed Brown (Virginia Tech) - See Sam Prakel Zach Perrin (Colorado) - Many people might think of Perrin as a Mile/3000 guy, but he also has 1:49 speed. Not too many others in the NCAA have the range that he does. In Perrin's last two races (both 3000's), he struggled to stick with a fast pace which led to him placing 18th and 39th overall. Based off of those performances, something is telling me that he may thrive in a sit-and-kick type race. Much like Rockhold, I'm not sure that he can match the kick of Kerr and Knevelbaard, but it does seem like his best bet. Diego Leon (Montana State) - A week before conference championships, Diego Leon came out of nowhere to throw down a 3:57 that was converted from a flat-track AND altitude. At this point, Leon doesn't have much to lose. He is coming down in altitude by 4500 feet and will be on a banked track when he toes the line in College Station. At this point, why not go all-out and see if the chase pack can catch him? If he gets to the finals, then guys like Josh Kerr, the VT trio, and the Oregon trio will most likely be on tired legs after running prelims AND the DMR the night before. Amos Bartelsmeyer (Georgetown) - At the UCS Invite, Bartelsmeyer got the baton, opened up his anchor leg in 55 seconds, and closed on the field to get Georgetown the win and split a 3:57. If Bartelsmeyer can control the race and throw in some unexpected surges, he may catch a few others in this field by surprise. An inconsistent and fluctuating pace can be trouble for even the top milers in the nation which could open a door for Bartlesmeyer to take the win. Carlos Villareal (Arizona) - After breaking 4-minutes for the first time in his career, Villareal talked about having to work on his mid-race strength and not relying just on his kick. Sure enough, he did just that when he threw down a 3:57 at the Husky Classic. If Villareal can combine that top-end speed while still having the strength to stick with a fast pace, he could very easily challenge some of the best names in this field...including Josh Kerr. Mick Stanovsek (Oregon) - See Sam Prakel Sam Worley (Texas) - The Texas freshman phenom has been great all year with times of 3:58 and 1:48. This will be his first time competing in a national championship (he was a DNS for XC) so it's difficult to say how he could pull off a win. With 1:48 speed, his bet is to kick a little earlier than the rest of the field if the race becomes tactical. If he begins to kick with 250 to go, you never know what might happen... Sean Tobin (Ole Miss) - Sean Tobin has been a smart runner this season with multiple top five finishes in nearly every race he has toed the line (except for one). After winning a very tactical SEC title in the Mile, Tobin may find that his racing style can work again at NCAA's. With 1:47 speed, expect Tobin to try and go with the leaders if the pace becomes slow for most of the race. 800 Michael Saruni (UTEP) - Just get out of trouble as soon as he can. Last indoor season he got DQ'd after jostling with other athletes as they entered a curve. In the spring, he got tripped up by his then-teammate Emmanuel Korir and finished last in the final. This season, Saruni is so much better than the rest of the field that he simply just needs to get out to the front and stay away from traffic. If he does that, he should be an automatic gold. Bryce Hoppel (Kansas) - He has won in tactical races, won in fast races, and has the ability to double. If Saruni gets caught in traffic or just has a bad day, Hoppel has a chance to separate himself from the rest of the field and emerge as the top finisher in this race. John Lewis (Clemson) - Lewis may be the best suited for this race. He is known for pushing the pace and getting out hard from the gun. If anyone can rattle Saruni, Lewis may be the guy to do it if he is able to drop a big time. Robert Heppenstall (Wake Forest) - Heppenstall may be one of the most consistent post-season runners in the NCAA. He has yet to walk away from a championship race without an All-American finish. If the pace is slow enough and if Saruni is within reach, expect Heppenstall to be one of the guys to battle for the top spot. Devin Dixon (Texas A&M) - Much like Lewis, Dixon thrives off fast paces. If he is able to maintain his composure, he may be able to challenge Saruni if he begins to lag in the final moments of the race. Still, he would need a big breakout performance if he wants to shock the nation and win gold. Isiah Harris (Penn State) - If Heppenstall isn't one of the best post-season runners in the NCAA, then Harris definitely is. With a personal best of 1:44, a World Championship qualification, and multiple All-American finishes, Harris may be the only one in this field to legitimately challenge Saruni. His best bet may be to match fitness to fitness. If he's willing to go with the pace, he may be able to hang with Saruni. Avery Bartlett (Georgia Tech) - Bartlett finished 4th at ACC's, but that was by less than a second. If the pace is slow at NCAA's, Bartlett can still have a shot at the dub if he is able to position himself in a spot with minimal traffic. That, of course, is harder to do than it sounds. Marco Arop (Mississippi State) - Although he had an off-day at SEC's, Arop has been one of the best 800 runners in the nation this season with two wins and a 1:47.62 PR. The freshman doesn't have a lot of experience of racing on the big-stage, so why not go out and test his limits? Unlike the longer distances, young guys have often succeeded in the mid-distances, specifically the 800 (i.e. Brazier, Korir, Saruni, etc). With his potential still not fully tapped, a fast race against one of the best in the nation may bode well for him and lead to a surprise gold if he gets really lucky... Vincent Crisp (Texas Tech) - The Texas Tech veteran thrives in fast races. If enough guys like Lewis and Dixon get ahead of the field, Saruni may be stuck behind the rest of the pack. A scenario like that, although unlikely, gives Crisp a great opportunity. Myles Marshall (Harvard) - A heavy portion of this field may thrive in fast races, but Marshall may be better off in a race where the pace lags. With a 300 personal best of 34.49 and a 400 personal best of 47.70, he may have enough top-end speed to challenge Saruni in the final 200 of a tactical race. Dylan Capwell (Monmouth) - It may have been a while since Capwell seriously contended for a national title, but he has the experience of racing at the front. If he has enough room to navigate the front of the pack alongside Saruni, he may be able to react to surges and put himself in a position to earn a top finish. It happened in 2015, so who's to say it can't happen again in 2018? Daniel Kuhn (Indiana) - Much like Marshall, Kuhn has some wicked fast speed in the shorter distances with times of a 1:01 500 and a 1:17 600. If the race starts out slow, Kuhn's speed may the best in the field, especially from 400 out. Abraham Alvarado (BYU) - One of the more underrated names in this field is Abraham Alvarado. Although he has isolated himself to just the 800 (with a few appearances in the Mile), he also put himself in a position to be prepared for nearly any race scenario. With two wins in the Mile this season and a training environment that takes place at altitude, Alvarado may be able to handle a more aggressive pace that would typically tire the rest of the field. If that happens and Alvarado is at the front, he'll need to respond to the change in urgency a little earlier than everyone else if he wants to contend for the win. Clay Lambourne (Utah State) - We talked about the outstanding sprint speed that we've seen from Daniel Kuhn and Myles Marshall, but Lambourne's range extends all the way down to the 60 meters. With personal bests of 22.36 and 47.42, Lambourne could play a big role in this race if the pace goes out slowly. Michael Rhoads (Air Force) - After having a lifetime best performance almost 10 days ago, it's hard to say what race strategy best suits Rhoads. His focus as a 400/800 runner means that he has great speed, but can he kick with all of these other guys? Rhoads will have to use the traffic to his advantage if wants to work around some of these top stars and give himself an opportunity to finish in the top pack. Dejon Devroe (Mississippi State) - Mississippi State has a history of strong 800 runners and that history has reemerged this season with three men under the 1:50 mark. It's tough to say what tactic Devroe should attempt, but much like Marco Arop, he doesn't have much to lose. If he can go out there and push the pace, he can at least control the race from the front and give himself a shot to pull away from the field with a surprise performance. 3000 Justyn Knight (Syracuse) - If the pace goes out hard, Knight can outrun the field. If the race comes down to a kick, Knight should be able to pull away for the win as well. In an event like this, he's not invincible. However, he is the favorite and should be able to win regardless of race tactic. Andy Trouard (Northern Arizona) - After his upset win over Grant Fisher at Iowa State, it seems pretty clear that Andy Trouard could be a legitimate threat to take gold. Much like Knight, he can handle a fast pace and still throw down a pretty strong kick. Don't be surprised if you see a repeat of the ISU 3K this weekend. Grant Fisher (Stanford) - He may have been out-kicked by Trouard at Iowa State, but Fisher's best bet it to bring it down to a kick. He won the 5K national title last spring on a kick, so who's to say he shouldn't do any differently now? He'll have to hope that the race becomes tactical. Colby Gilbert (Washington) - Much like Trouard, Gilbert found success earlier this season in a fast race that came down to a final kick. The Washington Husky has some experience in the shorter distances, so if the races becomes tactical, he's just another top-tier name who could be in the running to win it all. Cameron Griffith (Arkansas) - I don't want to sound like a broken record, but Griffith also has a lot of solid marks in the mid-distance events. With personal bests of 1:50 and 2:23, Griffith can be a gold medal contender in the final moments of the race if his positioning with the rest of the pack allows him a clear lane to kick.. Jonathan Davis (Illinois) - As inexperienced as he may be, Davis should still be considered one of the top guys in the nation this year. After finishing 3rd at Iowa State with a 7:49, I felt that Davis waited too long to move himself up to the top pack. By the time he slid himself to the front, Fisher and Trouard had already separated themselves from the field. If Davis can put himself at the front of the pack with 200-300 to go and be prepared to run with the top group when they make their move, they he may have a chance at a massive upset. Cole Rockhold (Colorado State) - Typically, a faster race may play into Rockhold's favor. However, with a Mile prelim and final all before this event, he may want a tactical race to avoid being dropped simply from having tired legs. He may not have the same speed as some of these other guys, but if he can get himself to the front and react to moves before the rest of the field does, he'll have a shot at earning the dub this weekend. Kyle Mau (Indiana) - Much like Jonathan Davis, I felt that Mau waited a bit too long to move up to the front pack at Iowa State. If he was able to secure a better position up front, he may have reacted sooner to the hard moves made by Trouard and Fisher in that final 250 or so. Ben Saarel (Colorado) - Saarel is an aerobic beast and should not be slept on in a field like this. He's one of the few guys that I think could take out the pace hard and hang on. He did it at the Olympic Trials 1500 prelims in 2016 and I think that it could potentially work out here as well if the rest of the field is caught off-guard. James West (Oregon) - We don't know a whole lot about the British distance star, but with a personal best of 1:49 in the 800, West has speed that no one else in this field has. If the race becomes tactical and comes down to a final kick, do not underestimate what this Oregon Duck can do... Oliver Hoare (Wisconsin) - Hoare put himself in great position at Iowa State with 400 to go, but simply couldn't respond to the rest of the field when they began their kick. If the pace is a little slower (around 8:00-8:10), Hoare may have a shot to unleash some of that Mile speed we heard about at Alex Wilson where he split a 3:54. If he does that, he may be able to contend with the top guys in the field...and potentially upset them. Mike Tate (Southern Utah) - Much like the 5000 meters, Tate's best bet is to go out hard and lead from the gun. He may not be able to drop guys like Knight and Fisher, but he'll at least take away from the closing speed from most of the field. If he can make this an all-out race based solely on who's the most fit, I think Tate could be the x-factor for a surprise title. Lawrence Kipkoech (Campbell) - Just like I mentioned with Tate, Kipkoech is someone who can take the pace out hard and still hang around the front of the pack. If he can catch the pack off-guard with a hard move around 1K to go, he may have a shot at pulling away from the rest of the field. Kigen Chemadi (Mid. Tenn. State) - It's hard to really know what race style best suits Chemadi. He has solid marks in every event from the 800 to the 5000, but nothing that really stands out. If the race is tactical and Chemadi still finds himself at the front of the pack, starting his kick a little further out than usual may catch a few people by surprise and give him an edge as they near the finish line. Dillon Maggard (Utah State) - Maggard fell to Knight in the Iowa State 5K after failing to match his kick in the final 150 meters. Maggard has the fitness and talent to compete with Knight, but he needs to catch him off-guard. If they can replicate their race at Iowa State, Maggard needs to make his move earlier and get in front of Knight with 150 to go. It's not fool-proof, but it will at least give him a shot. Matthew Baxter (Northern Arizona) - Baxter ran a gutsy race in the Iowa State 3K after leading the field through 2700 meters. He did fall back in that meet, but it was still a strong performance overall. If NCAA's is anything like it Iowa State, Baxter may want to consider starting out towards the back and working his way up and into the lead with halfway to go. That way, he can still dictate a heavy portion of the race and not have go through the difficulties of taking the lead for the entire duration.

We breakdown every entry for every distance event and explain what they need to do to secure a national title. Mile, 800, and 3000 coming soon! 5000 Mike Tate (Southern Utah) - Tate may not have the closing speed to out-kick guys like Justyn Knight or Jack Bruce, but his ability to take it hard from the gun could be extremely useful. If he establishes a hard pace, he'll eliminate the kickers from this race and at least have a chance to run away from the field. Justyn Knight (Syracuse) - Knight can win in pretty much any manner, but his best bet is to keep the field on pace for a time around 13:50. That pace would be slow enough to unleash a kick, but fast enough to drop most of the field when he surges. Dillon Maggard (Utah State) - Simply put: don't be afraid to kick first. He got out-kicked by Knight at Iowa State, so if he can surprise the field and pull-away in the last two laps, he may have a shot at taking home gold. Vincent Kiprop (Alabama) - We saw at SEC's that, depending on the day, Kiprop may not have the same kick as some of the other guys in this field. He'll need to work together with teammate Gilbert Kigen to box-in Knight and make a hard surprise move that the field can't respond to. Rory Linkletter (BYU) - Linkletter burst onto the national scene last spring after dropping a huge kick to finish 2nd in the 10,000 meters. Much like Maggard, his best bet for winning it all is to stick with the front pack and to unleash a kick sooner than 200 meters. It may not be the most conservative tactic, but in a season where no one knows how to beat Justyn Knight, it's the best plan we've got. Lawrence Kipkoech (Campbell) - Much like Tate, Kipkoech has a great ability to lead from the gun. If he can gap the field and eliminate strong fishers with a hard opening pace, he may have a shot at pulling off something huge. Daniel Carney (BYU) - Admittedly, we don't know a lot about Carney as this has pretty much been his breakout season. Luckily, Carney has two veteran teammates in the field with him. If they work together and push towards the front, Carney may find himself able to cherry-pick off the leaders and surging to the front. Jacob Thomson (Kentucky) - Thomson is in the same boat as Maggard and Linkletter. If he can get a jump on the field and sustain a kick for longer than 200 meters, then he may a have shot at crossing the line in first. Hassan Abdi (Oklahoma State) - Abdi has a history of throwing down some monster kicks, specifically in BIG 12 Championship meets. His closing speed may be top-tier, but this field is a different level. If the race is slow enough and if Abdi can escape the traffic in his way, then he'll at least have a shot at passing Knight in the final straight...a scenario similar to what happened last spring. Andy Trouard (Northern Arizona) - Only two other individuals have Mile speed comparable to Trouard (Knight and Maggard). Not only that, but Trouard has already out-kicked Grant Fisher earlier this season. That's even more impressive when you consider that Fisher has built his reputation on having incredible closing speed. Trouard doesn't need to start his kick earlier or try to out-run the field. He may be the only guy in the NCAA who can beat Knight in a head-to-head sprint to the finish. Jack Bruce (Arkansas) - His best bet? Repeat the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. If the race becomes tactical enough, who's to say that Bruce can't sling off the curve and jump ahead of Knight again? He's done it once... Tanner Anderson (Oregon) - According to TFRRS, Anderson has never won a single collegiate invite in his two years of eligibility. How is he going to win this one? Honestly, I don't know, but Anderson has thrived in big-time races with an assertive pace. Guys like Lawrence Kipkoech and Mike Tate may be able to make things fast and if they do, Anderson may find himself in a very favorable position with a pair of laps to go... Amon Kemboi (Campbell) - Kemboi is young and inexperienced, but he does have plenty of exposure to mid-distance events like the 1000 and 1500. Kemboi was 8th at Iowa State, but fell towards the back of the lead-pack in the final two laps. If the pace is slow enough and if Kemboi can hang with the top five, he may be able to avoid traffic and pull off a massive surprise in that final 100 meters. Grant Fischer (Colorado State) - So far, Fischer has proven that he can thrive in sit-and-kick type races or all-out efforts. However, a slower pace may be his best opportunity for a surprise gold. He was able to fade away from Dillon Maggard at the Mountain West Championships, so who's to say that he can't successfully complete that tactic again? Steven Fahy (Stanford) - When Steven Fahy finished 9th at the Iowa State Classic with a 13:44, he had a very conservative approach. He started the race towards the back of the pack and slowly worked his way up through the field. That may have been an effective race tactic to get a great time, but if he wants to put himself in a position to win, he may want to work up to the front of the pack earlier in the race. If he does, he'll have less lap traffic than he did at Iowa State. Who knows? Maybe that's the difference maker between 9th and a national title... Gilbert Kigen (Alabama) - Kigen's 13:46 at Iowa State was impressive especially when you consider that he was never really in touch with the lead pack. Kigen will need to put himself in a better position early on in this race if he wants to be a contender. In fact, just look at his XC Nationals performance this past fall. He was in the mix and surged away from the field (at least for a portion of the time) to get a 4th place finish. Why not try it again? Connor McMillan (BYU) - Connor McMillan may have been the Last Man In, but he's actually undefeated in his two races of the 5K this season. McMillan won the open heat at the Iowa State Classic with a 13:48 and then came up with a huge clutch performance at the MPSF Championships with a 13:46 effort. In that race, McMillan soloed that win and dropped a very talented runner in Ryan Forsyth. If NCAA's becomes tactical and he decides to crank up the pace with 3000 to go, he may be able to give himself enough separation from the rest of the field to pull off a massive upset... DMR New Mexico Lobos - The success of this relay will be determined on the 1200 leg. Ian Crowe-Wright has run 4:06 at altitude this season, but he'll be leading off against some of the best athletes in the nation. Crowe-Wright and Michael Wilson (800 leg) don't need to be in the lead when they hand-off, but they do need to keep the top-pack within two or three three seconds if Josh Kerr is going to have a shot of winning it all. Utah State Aggies - Much like New Mexico, Utah State needs a big race from their 1200 leg to stay in the hunt for a gold medal. Beutler has run 1:49 and 2:27 before, so if the lead-off leg becomes tactical, he may have enough speed to put his squad in the front. If Maggard can get the baton with the lead-pack, he'll at least have a shot to earn the Aggies a national title. Stanford Cardinal - The message is simple. Just run hard, don't try to be fancy. Stanford doesn't have the best 800 leg compared to the rest of the field, but they don't need to. They have the best 1200/Mile duo in the NCAA. If they repeat their Alex Wilson performance, they should have gold around their necks after this race. Oregon Ducks - The lineup for the Ducks is still unclear. They essentially have five different sub-four minute milers that they can put on three different legs. While that may seem like a good problem to have, the real focus for Oregon should be the 800 leg. The fastest (open) 800 runner the Ducks have this season is Jaxson Hoey who ran 1:52 in late January. If the Ducks can find a sub-1:50 split, they may have enough of an edge to win it all. Wisconsin Badgers - The Badgers are a very dangerous team, especially with Oliver Hoare running as well as he is. It's tough to say that they really have a "weak" leg, but Joe Hardy probably needs to be a little faster than his 2:57 from Alex Wilson. If he can have the race of his life and pull out a split around 2:54, Wisconsin may have a chance to get Hoare the baton near the front of the race and potentially win it all. Virginia Tech Hokies - I'm a little biased, but Virginia Tech may be one of the best relays in this field this year. All three of their distance legs have personal bests under 4-minutes in the Mile AND under 1:48 in the 800. They are arguably the best all-around squad in the nation. Much like Stanford, Virginia Tech just needs to run hard. If all three distance legs run like they have all season, then a national title is definitely in the realm of possibility. Indiana Hoosiers - Teddy Browning surprised a lot of people with his 2:54 split at Alex Wilson. If he can run like that again, the Hoosiers should be in the title conversation. However, as talented as Kyle Mau is, his fastest split/time in the Mile this year was 3:58. If the anchor leg becomes tactical, Mau may have a shot to grab the win. But if it doesn't? He'll need a big split around the 3:56/57 range to secure the W. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - The Fighting Irish had a huge breakout performance to qualify for NCAA's. Jacob Dumford split 2:53 while Yared Nuguse split 3:57. Elijah Silva's split of 1:49 is strong, but if Notre Dame wants to battle with powerhouse programs like Stanford, Oregon, and Virginia Tech, Silva needs to give Nuguse some cushion on the anchor. Georgetown Hoyas - Bartelsmeyer is one of the more accomplished and veteran milers in the NCAA. If they can stay close enough, he'll at least be in the mix with some of the other top anchors in this field. However, the 1200 and 800 legs aren't as established as Bartelsmeyer is on the Mile. Much like New Mexico and Utah State, the Hoyas don't need to by leading by the anchor leg if they want to win. Bartelsmeyer's first 400 of their qualifying DMR was a 55 and they STILL won that race. However, they can't let the rest of the field get too far ahead. Ole Miss Rebels - The Rebels feel like a lock for a podium spot. They could put any of their three distance legs in any order and they would still place in the top eight. However, if they want to win, they may want to take a risk. Robert Domanic hasn't been his best this season with times of 1:50 and 4:06. However, he did run a 3:54 Mile last summer. If Mississippi wants to secure themselves an All-American podium position, Sean Tobin is the best option for the anchor. If they want to go all-in on a gold medal pursuit, Domanic should be their choice. Villanova Wildcats - There are so many unknowns regarding this Wildcat relay. Ben Malone is an awesome choice for the 1200 leg and he will definitely keep 'Nova in contention when he hands off. Yet, after that, inexperience and uncertainty come into play. This got me thinking...what if Villanova put Ben Malone on the anchor? He's run a 3:39 for 1500 before and although he has a tendency to put up inconsistent performances, his speed could be incredibly dangerous relative to the other anchors in this field. Brown Bears - The Bears are one of the more underrated relays in the nation. Mark Martinez is for real this season after running 3:59 and 7:59. Meanwhile, Lanigan secured PR's of 1:49 and 2:22. Their 800 leg, Emrich, also has a personal best of 1:49. The Bears are solid at every leg, but they'll need a couple seconds from each guy if they want to fight for a title. Lanigan split 2:57, but needs to be closer to 2:54. Oyewole (400 leg) split 49, but needs to be closer to 48. Emrich split 1:50, but needs to be closer to 1:48/49. Martinez split 4:00, but needs to be closer to 3:57/58. That may be a lot to ask, but at least they don't have the entire success of their DMR relying on one leg. Crazier things have happened. If Notre Dame could pull it off to qualify, the Bears can do it to at least medal and maybe more...