Our predictions are here! Check below to see which individuals we have making it through to the National Championship. We will be keeping track of our predictions and tweeting updates of Regional results on our Twitter account @TheStrideReport. Follow us and keep up with all of the action happening throughout the weekend. West Region Predictions coming tomorrow! EAST REGIONAL ENTRIES HERE FINAL THOUGHTS... 800 -Florida’s Andres Arroyo has struggled in the post-season throughout his career. After missing NCAA’s last spring, he will look to lock down a qualifying spot in his last season of competition this season. -After failing to make the NCAA final during indoors, Eliud Rutto will attempt both the 800 and 1500 this weekend. It’s the first time Rutto has ever attempted two individual events at Regionals or Nationals. -Patrick Joseph has never made it past the prelims at NCAA National track meet (indoors or out) and has only made it past regionals once in his three attempts. However, he does seem to be in the best shape of his career at the moment. 1500 -As mentioned in above, Eliud Rutto will be attempting the 800/1500 double this weekend. Assuming he gets through both prelims, Rutto will be entering his fourth race of the weekend on Saturday. All of that racing could take a toll on his legs, especially when you consider that Rutto is moving up in distance for his 1500. -The Ivy League looks incredibly strong this year with three sub 3:40 1500 runners (Napolitano, Hatler, Randon), an experienced veteran (James Gowans), and one of the best tactical milers in the East Region (William Paulson). It’s very possible that all five athletes make it to NCAA’s. -Virginia Tech put three guys in front of Wynne and Palamar at ACC’s. Watch for how each group fares in the tactical races at Regionals this weekend. 3000 Steeple -Georgetown has sent two steeplechasers to NCAA’s every year since 2013. Look for Darren Fahy and Scott Carpenter to extend that streak to five years in a row. 5000 -Virginia has five individuals set to run this event. Since 2010, no team in the East region has sent more than two individuals to NCAA’s in the 5k. Virginia could be the team that breaks that trend. -Interesting note: From 2010 to 2015, NC State sent at least one individual to Nationals in this event. In 2016, that streak ended as no NC State athlete qualified for Nationals. In 2017, NC State does not have a single individual entered in the 5000. 10,000 -Every year since 2010, there has always been at least one program that sends two individuals to NCAA’s in this event. #ncaa #analysis #predictions #gzatlin

WEST REGIONAL ENTRIES HERE King Cheserek OUT of Regionals With “Minor Back Injury” Oregon Head Coach Robert Johnson announced on Sunday that Edward Cheserek’s collegiate career has come to an end. The Oregon senior has been diagnosed with a lower back strain which the coaches feel could get worse and jeopardize his future should he continue to race and train in the coming weeks. Legacy and impact aside, Cheserek’s injury will mean big changes in the 5k and 10k tactically. Is there anyone that can really dictate the pace and control the field like Ches? In my mind there isn’t. The distance events just got very, very interesting. Cole Rockhold Chooses 5k Over 1500 Colorado State has become one of the top distance running programs in nation over the past year. One of their biggest stars, Cole Rockhold, has become a legitimate contender on the national scene which we saw this past indoor season when he became an All-American in the 3000. Despite his success in the longer distances, I think it’s a fair argument to say that Cole Rockhold is a much better miler than he is 5k runner. His 3:41 from earlier this season at Bryan Clay puts him at 8th on TFRRS and is an equivalent to his indoor mile PR of 3:57 (altitude converted). On the flip side, Rockhold has only run 13:52 in the 5k this season which doesn’t even crack the top 30 in the NCAA. Instead of being seeded 6th in the 1500, Rockhold will be seeded 20th in the 5k. I’m trying to find the reason behind this decision, but it doesn’t make complete sense for me. The 1500 may be deep this year, but it shouldn’t deter one of the best milers in the nation to pursue a different event. Alex Rogers Drops 1500 In Favor of Steeplechase In what had to be one of the biggest surprises of all the entries, Texas sophomore Alex Rogers has decided to pursue the steeplechase rather than the 1500. This is a big surprise especially when you consider that he is currently #6 in the 1500 on TFRRS with a 3:40 PR and qualified for Nationals last year in this event. His steeplechase on the other hand, is currently #23 in the NCAA with a respectable time of 8:48. I can understand the rationale of pursuing the steeplechase because there isn’t a true favorite to the win the title. The field is relatively wide open and anyone could take the win. That said, the field is also very deep with 30 individuals under the 8:50 barrier. On the flip side, experience plays such a big role in an athlete’s ability to get through rounds and I’m surprised Rogers wouldn’t be more comfortable with the experience he gained last year where he went through multiple rounds of tactical racing to eventually qualify for nationals in the 1500. He’s clearly much more fit this year, so why change plans? Oregon Ducks In The 1500: Could They Send All Five? The absence of Matthew Maton this season has led to the emergence of young stars throughout the Ducks distance running program. Freshman talents like Austin Tamagno and Mick Stanovsek have become legitimate threats in the 1500 this year with each guy owning PR’s of 3:41 and 3:43 respectively. With Maton (and now Cheserek) no longer in the equation, that puts pressure on Oregon’s young guys to step up and fill that spot to nationals. At the same time, experienced Oregon milers like Prakel, Haney, and Gorman are also entered in the 1500. Admittedly, it will be a tough to get all five Ducks into NCAA’s. Still, this is a program that puts an emphasis on working together throughout tactical races and it’s not unrealistic to think that all five of these guys could make it to Nationals. They are certainly talented enough to do so. Kasey Knevelbaard To Attempt 1500/5k Double The Southern Utah sophomore has been one of the best stories of the year after coming out of nowhere to win the Stanford Invite 1500 in the slow heat with a time of 3:41. Knevelbaard would eventually run a 5k PR of 13:50 at Bryan Clay to validate his Stanford Invite win. Despite his success in both events, Knevelbaard would eventually go on to win double gold at the BIG Sky Conferenece Championships in both the 1500 and 800. His excellent display of speed made me think that he would only enter the 1500. Yet, in retrospect, it seems like this was maybe the best decision as the 1500 prelims and finals would be over before the 5000 is even attempted (although he will only have two hours of rest). If Knevelbaard qualifies for NCAA’s in the 1500, how much effort is he going to put into that 5000? He will still have to race it, but I feel as though the 5k is just a safety net for Knevelbaard if he doesn’t qualify for Nationals in the 1500. It’s the same situation Henry Wynne is currently going through in the East Region. Josh Thompson Will Not Run Steeplechase At BIG 12’s, we saw Josh Thompson run the steeplechase for the first time ever. He ran a strong time of 8:50 and was runner-up behind Texas Tech’s Benard Keter. In a post-race interview, Thompson hinted that he would possibly pursue the steeplechase at nationals after his strong showing. In the end, Thompson made the right move by scratching the steeplechase for the 1500. There is so much that can go wrong in the steeplechase especially for someone new to the event. With a kick like his, Thompson should be able to navigate through the preliminaries relatively easily. Hassan Abdi All-In On 10k, Not Entered In 5k In my mind, this was a surprising decision for multiple reasons. Abdi is currently 13th in the NCAA 5k standings with an outstanding time of 13:43 which he ran at Stanford’s Cardinal Classic in late April. At the same time, why not enter the 5k as insurance? A lot can happen in a longer race like the 10k and it’s hard to rebound if you get dropped from the pack. Do I think Abdi will get through? Yes, but having the 5k as a back-up plan would make a lot more sense especially when you consider how fast he’s run in the event this season. Team Total Entries Here are some of the teams with the most number of (different) individuals representing them at Regionals… BYU: 11 Portland: 8 Oklahoma State: 8 Wisconsin: 8 Oregon: 7 Colorado: 7 UCLA: 7 Iowa State: 6 California: 6 #ncaa #gzatlin #analysis

East Regional Entries Here Craig Engels and Sampson Laari Drop 800, Will Pursue 1500 After his performance at Bryan Clay, Engels said in an interview that he would like to pursue the 1500 at NCAA’s. While it certainly seems like the best move, it was still a bit surprising to see an established half-miler like him opt out of this event in favor of the 1500. The same goes for Sampson Laari who expressed in an interview earlier this season that he still saw himself as an 800 runner despite becoming an All-American in the mile this past winter season. That said, Laari has only run 3:45 this season and no faster. He’s currently 29th in the region and will face a barrage of strong kickers in this field. Henry Wynne Entered In Both 1500 and 5k Wynne has had a very up and down outdoor season in 2017. He’s run 3:42 and 13:43 this season, but he has also had times where he didn’t seem to be 100% like at ACC’s where he lost in a kicker’s battle to a trio of Virginia Tech runners as well as Syracuse’s Adam Palamar. Wynne being entered in the both the 1500 and 5k gives the impression that he still believes he can do some damage in the 1500 and that the 5k is a safety net if he fails to advance. What if Wynne didn’t double and went all in on the 5k? He’s one of only 18 individuals who have gone under the 14-minute barrier in the East Region (compared to 33 in the West) and he’s seeded third in that event. Eliud Rutto Entered In Both the 800 and 1500 In one of the more surprising moves of the East Region, the MTSU 800 specialist has decided to take on double duty next weekend in both the 800 and the 1500. Rutto ran 1:45 at Mnt. SAC and followed that up with a 3:41 at the War Eagle Invite a week later. Although his 3:41 was very impressive, I didn’t think it would be enough to sway Rutto towards the double. The decision to go double now leaves Rutto some cushion which may not be a bad idea after he failed to get out of the prelims at NCAA’s this past indoor season. Still, this is someone who will have to race four different times if he wants qualify for Nationals in both events. That’s a lot of racing for a mid-distance runner. Alfred Chelanga Forgoes 5k, Set To Run 10k The Alabama standout has had quite a year after becoming an All-American in the 5k during indoors and solidifying himself among the NCAA leaderboard with a 28:04 10k at the Stanford Invite. He also ran 13:53 at the War Eagle Invite earlier this season. While Chelanaga may be better equipped for the 10k, it still begs the question of why he would scratch the 5k and stick solely to the 10k. The 10k is on day one of the East Regional schedule and the 5k is on day three. Why would you not enter the 5k just in case you don’t enter qualify for NCAA’s on day one? Last year we saw Brian Barraza (Houston) in the same scenario…he placed 13th in his regional 10k and was the first man out of NCAA’s. He decided to scratch the 5k before entering regionals. Yes, disqualification from NCAA’s for failing to compete in a declared event is a legitimate reason for this move, but I find it hard to believe that Chelanga couldn’t just cruise his way through the preliminary round and not give an actual effort. Not only that, but if he did make an actual attempt to qualify, I truly believe that Chelanga could’ve pulled through in both events. And this isn’t just to single out Chelanga. Teammate Antibahs Kosgei is going through the same predicament with the 10k and steeplechase. There are plenty of others I’m probably missing as well. Swarthmore Milers Keep in mind that although the qualifying lists say that there is only one sub 3:40 runner in this field (Josh Thompson), there is actually four. James Randon (Yale), Chris Hatler, (Penn), and Rob Napolitano (Columbia) each ran 3:37, 3:39, and 3:39 at the Swarthmore Last Chance meet this past Monday. The meet was past the qualifying period for regionals and those times therefore do not count as qualifying marks. Still, this Ivy League trio has been incredibly consistent all season. Don’t be surprised to see if all three of them get through to Nationals. Team Total Entries Here are some of the teams with the most number of (different) individuals representing them at Regionals… Virginia Tech: 8 Georgetown: 8 Columbia: 7 Indiana: 7 Mid. Tenn. St: 7 Eastern Kentucky: 6 Mississippi: 6 Virginia: 6 Penn: 6 #ncaa #gzatlin #analysis

Post-season has arrived and with that arrival comes a slew of outstanding performances starting at the conference championships. This past weekend, we saw some interesting and telling results that should leave us excited about what will happen at Regionals and Nationals. Yet, out of all of the results, I was most fascinated by the guys who were able to emerge victorious twice in two separate events. Josh Kerr, Benard Keter, Mike Tate, Kasey Knevelbaard, MJ Erb, and Jacob Choge all left their conference championship meet this past weekend with two gold medals around their necks. Seeing these results got me thinking...Who were some other double conference champions (or DCC’s) in the past and how did they end up performing at Nationals? I decided it was a question worth looking in to. Since 2010, there have been 47 different occasions where an athlete won two golds in one conference championship meet. Some of those occasions were repeats from the same athletes such as Donn Cabral (Princeton) who won the Ivy League steeplechase and 10k in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Anthony Rotich (UTEP) is another “repeat athlete” who won the 1500, steeplechase, and 5k at the Conference USA championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Below, I have created a spreadsheet where you can see every double gold conference winner since 2010 and how they performed at NCAA’s in that respected year. Let’s break down the numbers and see what they tell us… KEY: DNQ- Did Not Qualify DNF- Did Not Finish NT- No Time TBD- To Be Determined Green= All American Yellow= Finished, but not All-American Red= DNQ, DNF, or NT The following conferences are included in this chart... SEC, ACC, BIG 12, BIG 10, PAC 12, Mountain West, Ivy League, Conference USA, AAC, BIG Sky. Because we are still waiting to see how the six athletes from 2017 perform at regionals (and hopefully nationals), we are only looking at 41 occasions instead of the 47 mentioned above. Since 2010, 26 of the 41 DCC’s ended up becoming All-Americans (or 63%). That 63% indicates that of the six double gold conference winners from this past weekend, approximately four of them will become All-Americans. But is there a way to know if a certain individual has an edge over another in the pursuit to become an All-American? From a conference perspective there is... Since 2010, the PAC 12, BIG 10, and BIG Sky have turned all of their DCC’s into All-Americans. Of course, the PAC 12 and BIG 10 do not have a DCC in 2017. The BIG Sky, however, had two DCC’s (Knevelbaard and Tate). Statistically, those two have the best chance of becoming All-Americans. The Ivy League has the next best return on their DCC’s at 66.67%, but they did not have one in 2017. However, the SEC has a 57% return on their DCC’s becoming All-Americans and MJ Erb of Ole Miss just won the steeplechase and 5k this past weekend. The BIG 12 has a 50% return and will (hopefully) be represented by Benard Keter this June. Knevelbaard, Tate, Erb, and Keter, statistically have the best chance of becoming All-Americans while Jacob Choge and Josh Kerr have the least likely chance of the six (based strictly on their conference numbers). That would be big surprise considering that Kerr ran an NCAA #6 All-Time 1500 in April. And what about becoming an NCAA champion? Since 2010, only eight DCC's have won the national title (which averages to 1 in every 5.88 DCC’s). Again, that’s a pretty a good sign for the six DCC’s in 2017. Statistically speaking, either Keter, Kerr, Tate, Knevelbaard, Erb, or Choge will become an NCAA champion this June. It's surely an exciting thought, but out of those six who has the best chance of becoming a champion? There may have been eight individual NCAA champions since 2010, but Lawi Lalang earned two golds at the NCAA championships in 2013. Therefore, we have nine races to pull from instead of eight. Of those nine national title wins, five of them were in the steeplechase, three were in the 5k, and one was in the 10k. Clearly, steeplechasers have the best chance of becoming an NCAA champion which is great news for MJ Erb who currently ranks near the top of the NCAA steeplechase standings and has been in the discussion to win the national title for most of the season. Admittedly, these numbers are a lot to take in. Could all of this hold true and be an exact portrayal of what happens at Nationals this year? Sure. Could 2017 also completely contradict everything we just mentioned in this article? Absolutely. At the end of the day, this data may tell the story but it certainly doesn’t write it. #joshkerr #ncaa #gzatlin #digits

SEC Championships 800 The big event of this meet was the half-mile and it surely lived up to expectations. Andres Arroyo (Florida) entered the race as the heavy favorite after running 1:45 earlier this season. But, as fate would have it, Arroyo lost as he was upset by Texas A&M freshman Devin Dixon who ran a monster 1:45.71 to earn the conference title. Arroyo was second in 1:46.14 while Mississippi’s Craig Engels was third in a time of 1:46.93. I think we all knew that Dixon was legit, but no one expected him to run 1:45 this season! Dixon is now 4th in the NCAA standings and is the third freshman to go under 1:46 this season. Then we have Arroyo who failed to win a championship race…again. This seems to be a reoccurring theme when he enters the post-season. I believe that Arroyo is in the best shape of his life and you can’t fault him for losing to a 1:45 guy, but this is the time of the year where I get suspicious about how successful he can be. 1500 Craig Engels (Ole Miss) reinforced the idea that he should pursue the 1500 over the 800 at NCAA’s after finishing third in the 800 and winning the 1500 conference title in a tactical 3:52. Robbie Farnham-Rose (Alabama) was runner-up in a time of 3:53. 3000 Steeple MJ Erb (Ole Miss) entered this event as the favorite and left with gold. His time of 8:48 was enough to best Alabama’s Antibahs Kosgei who ran 8:54 for second. 5000 As if his steeplechase title wasn’t enough, Erb was also the winner of this race with an excellent time of 13:47. He was followed by the Arkansas duo of Alex George and Jack Bruce (each ran 13:53). Zach Long (Tennessee), Jacob Thomson (Kentucky), Alfred Chelanga (Alabama), and Austin Dalquist (Arkansas) all finished under 14 minutes as well (in that order). 10,000 The Alabama duo of Chelanga and Kosgei cruised to a 1-2 finish with unexciting times of 30:25. While that may not seem like a big-deal, understand that Antibahs Kosgei just completed one of the hardest triples any athlete can attempt. That triple was the 5k/10/steeple. He ended up with two silvers and an 11th place finish. Not too bad for someone racing 11 miles over three days. PAC-12 Championships 800 Nick Harris (Colorado) showed that the Buffs could compete in more than just the long distance events. The senior pulled away from the field with a winning time of 1:48.77. USC’s Robert Ford was the runner-up in a time of 1:49.41. 1500 In a very tactical race, Grant Fisher (Stanford) burned the field with a blistering 51.81 last 400. His winning time was 3:54. About a second behind Fisher was Blake Haney (Oregon) and Thomas Joyce (California). They each finished in 3:55. 3000 Steeple What a huge race from Bailey Roth! The Arizona sophomore broke the 8:40 for the first time this season to get the PAC-12 title over UCLA’s Austin O’Neil. Bailey’s time of 8:39.38 is now second best time in the NCAA standings right now behind Troy Fraley of Gonzaga. O’Neil’s time of 8:46 was enough for second while Arizona State’s CJ Albertson ran 8:49 for third. 5000 It was the total domination for the Colorado Buffaloes as they took four of the top five spots in this race. Zach Perrin was the winner in a time of 13:58 while Klecker and Dressel ran 14:01 to finish in the top three. Oregon’s Tanner Anderson was the only individual separating Ben Saarel from the rest of his teammates. Anderson was fourth in 14:02 while Saarel was fifth in 14:04. 10,000 It was an easy win for Edward Cheserek (Oregon) as he cruised across the line in 29:11 to defeat California’s Trent Brendel who ran 29:20 for second. BIG 10 Championships 800 Isaiah Harris (Penn State) took the win in a time of 1:49.68. He was the only athlete to dip under the 1:50 mark in the finals which is in stark contrast to the preliminaries where 15 men ran 1:49 or faster. 1500 Justine Kiprotich (Michigan State) continued to show off his racing tactics as he won the conference title in a time of 3:48. He was the only athlete to dip under 3:50 in the finals. 3000 Steeple Dylan Lafond (Illinois) ran an outstanding 8:40 to win the BIG 10 steeplechase title. I was impressed by Lafond earlier this season when he ran 8:42 at Mnt. SAC, but getting a win and improving on that time gives me the impression that he could contend for the NCAA steeplechase title. Second place was taken by Obsa Ali (Minnesota) who ran a very strong time of 8:45. This is now the second personal best for Ali this season. He has a lot of momentum heading into championship season and that can do wonders for an athlete’s confidence. The next three spots were taken by Indiana as Joseph Murphy, Jeremy Coughler, and Jason Crist each 8:47, 8:47, and 8:50 respectively. No matter who they graduate or what season it is, this team always has an incredible amount of depth in the distance events. 5000 & 10,000 Malachy Schrobilgen (Wisconsin) crossed the line in a time of 29:27 to win the 10k conference title. He was followed by Penn State’s Tim McGowan and Nebraska’s Wyatt McGuire who ran 29:38 and 29:39 respectively. Schrobilgen would later bounce back to finish behind teammate Morgan McDonald in the 5k. The duo went 1-2 in this event running 14:14 and 14:16. BIG East Championships 800 Joe White (Georgetown) got a win over Villanova’s Ville Lampinen 1:52 to 1:54. 1500 The Villanova redshirt freshman Logan Wetzel continues to impress us as he earned his first BIG East title in a tactical 3:52. 3000 Steeple The Georgetown duo of Darren Fahy and Scott Carpenter went 1-2 with each individual recording times of 8:51. They were the only athletes to break nine minutes in this race. 5000 Erik Peterson (Butler) secured the title by six seconds with a time of 14:11. 10,000 Stephen Roberston (Providence) took the win with a time of 30:08. Providence took four of the top six spots in this race. BIG 12 Championships 800 Strymar Livingston (Kansas) defended his indoor title by pulling away from the field with a winning time of 1:48.77. Vincent Crisp (Texas Tech) and Roshon Roomes (Iowa State) ran 1:50 and 1:51 to round out the top three. 1500 The Oklahoma State duo of Josh Thompson and Craig Nowak cruised through a very tactical 1500 to take the top two spots in a time of 4:08. 3000 Steeple In one of the most underrated races of the weekend, we saw Texas Tech’s Benard Keter edge out Josh Thompson (Oklahoma State) for the win (8:49 to 8:50). Although Thompson lost, it’s important to note that this was his first time ever racing the steeplechase. What can this guy not do? Keter and Thompson led four others under the nine-minute barrier with sophomore Dylan Hodgson (Kansas) taking bronze in a time of 8:52. Dylan Blankenbaker (Oklahoma) also ran 8:52 for fourth place overall. 5000 After winning the steeplechase, Benard Keter came back to get yet another BIG 12 title. His time of 14:11 was enough to hold off Oklahoma’s Dylan Blankenbaker who ran a respectable time of 14:12 for the runner-up position. 10,000 Hassan Abdi (Oklahoma State) recorded a time of 29:21 which was enough to best redshirt freshman Thomas Pollard (Iowa State) who ran 29:30 for the runner-up spot. It was the first BIG 12 title ever won by Abdi. ACC Championships 800 It was déjà vu from this past indoor season with the Virginia Tech duo of Drew Piazza and Patrick Joseph taking the top two spots in 1:46 (Piazza earned gold). It seems only appropriate that this was the case since Joseph won the indoor title while Piazza settled for second in that race. Robert Heppenstall (Wake Forest) did not let the VT duo finish easily. The Ontario native finished third overall in a time of 1:47.04. John Lewis (Clemson) led for most of the race, but faltered during the last 200. He finished fourth with a time of 1:47.62 1500 As the team title race became closer and closer, Virginia Tech rallied and took the top three spots in this event with Neil Gourley, Vincent Ciattei, and Diego Zarate going 1-2-3 while also fending off Virginia’s Henry Wynne and Syracuse’s Adam Palamar. The VT trio all ran 3:46 while Palamar and Wynne ran 3:47. 3000 Steeple Edwin Kibichiy (Louisville) took care of business as he out ran the field to a winning time of 8:45. He was followed by Syracuse freshman Aidan Tooker who took second in 8:54. Aubrey Myjer (NC State) and Matt McGoey (Pitt) ran 8:55 and 8:57 to take the next two spots. 5000 Throughout most of the race, Justyn Knight (Syracuse) patiently waited in the lead pack. With about two laps to go, he easily shut down the field with a strong surge in pace (is it really a “kick” if it looks like he’s barely trying?). Knight cruised across the line with a time of 13:52 while George Parsons (NC State) hung tough and finished in 13:54. Louisville’s Edwin Kibichiy was the last man under 14 minutes as he ran 13:59 for third overall to complete a very solid double for the weekend. 10,000 In a field with experienced, top-tier talent it was Virginia Tech sophomore Peter Seufer pulling off the surprise win as he outkicked Philo Germano (Syracuse) to a winning time of 29:21. Germano finished in 29:22. UVA flexed their strength in the distance events as they took the next three spots with Demarest, Herriot, and Cook running 29:27, 29:31, and 29:31 respectively. AAC Championships 800 Stefano Migliorati (East Carolina) ran 1:49.49 to win the conference title. 1500 Marc Scott (Tulsa) out ran freshman Eric Van Der Els (UConn) 3:52 to 3:53 to win the AAC title. 3000 Steeple Emmanuel Rotich (Tulane) won the steeplechase in a time of 9:21. 5000 Tulsa dominated this event by taking the top four spots (all under 14:40). Luke Traynor was the winner of this race with a time of 14:20. 10,000 Tulsa’s Henry Pearce and Adam Roderique took the top two spots in times of 31:21 and 31:34. Conference USA Championships 800 Michael Saruni (UTEP) and Eliud Rutto (MTSU) put on a show as Saruni barely edged Rutto for the win (1:47.48 to 1:47.74). 1500 UTEP’s Jonah Koech and Michael Saruni took the top two spots with times of 3:44 and 3:46 respectively. 3000 Steeple Geoffry Cheruiyot (MTSU) ran 8:58 to win the conference title. 5000 & 10,000 Jacob Choge (MTSU) emerged victorious in both races (which became very tactical). Choge ran 30:06 in the 10k and eventually followed that up with a 15:08 5k to earn double gold. Mountain West Championships 800 Josh Kerr (New Mexico) hasn’t lost a race since late January and he wasn’t going to start this weekend. The redshirt freshman ran 1:48.05 to barely defeat Clay Lambourne (Utah State) who was second in 1:48.07. Ricky Faure (Wyoming) was third overall in a time of 1:48.47. Michael Rhoads (Air Force) was the last man under 1:50 with a time of 1:49.66. 1500 Josh Kerr continues to establish himself as one of the best in the nation thanks to a winning time of 3:46. Dillon Maggard (Utah State) was runner-up in 3:47. 3000 Steeple Yusuke Uchikoshi (Boise State) wins in a time of 9:13. Graham Thomas (New Mexico) was second in a time of 9:14. 5000 Jefferson Abbey (Colorado State) won an incredibly tactical race with a time of 15:10 to defeat Air Force’s Jacob Bilvado who ran 15:11 for second. 10,000 Colorado State duo Jerrell Mock and Grant Fischer went 1-2 in a tactical race with Mock crossing the line in 31:01 and Fischer nine seconds behind. BIG Sky Championships 800 & 1500 Kevelbaard continued his winning ways after running through the finish line in first with a time of 3:47. He later earned a win in the 800 with a time of 1:49.49. 3000 Steeple It was all about Weber State in this race as teammates Luca Sinn and Jordan Cross went 1-2 in times of 8:54 and 8:59. Idaho’s Nathan Stark was the only other individual under nine minutes with a time of 8:59. 5000 & 10,000 In the 5k, Mike Tate (Southern Utah) out-ran Diego Leon (Montana State) 14:12 to 14:16 for the title. Prior to that race, Tate also won the 10k in a time of 30:28. #gzatlin #ncaa #weekendreview

Oxy Invite 3000 Steeplechase Freshman Clayson Shumway (BYU) was the top American collegiate with an impressive time of 8:47 (NCAA #12). He was followed by fellow collegian Ryan Driscoll (San Francisco) who ran a time of 8:50 for fourth overall. 5000 UCLA alumni Lane Werley was the winner in a time of 13:59. He defeated redshirt freshman Caleb Webb (Portland) who was a second behind in a time of 14 flat. Dominik Notz (Alaska Anchorage) finished in third overall also with a time of 14 flat. Hokie Twilight 800 Vincent Ciattei (Virginia Tech) threw down a 1:48.46 to secure the win over teammate Neil Gourley who ran 1:49.88 for second. 1500 Virginia Tech sophomore Diego Zarate took the win by nearly six seconds with a time 3:46. ACU Oliver Jackson Twilight 800 Erik Martinsson (UT-Arlington) soloed a time of 1:48.53 to cross the line in first. Ivy League Championships 800 Myles Marshall (Harvard) took the win in a time of 1:53 to secure his second individual Heps title. 1500 In one of the more underrated 1500’s of the weekend, Rob Napolitano (Columbia) out ran some very talented milers in a winning time of 3:45. He defeated Princeton’s Will Paulson (2nd), Yale’s James Randon (3rd), and Penn’s Chris Hatler (4th) in the process. 3000 Steeplechase Penn’s Nick Tuck secured the win in a time of 9 flat. 5000 Ryan Thomas (Columbia) was the next Columbia Lion to get a win in the distance events with a time of 14:13. Cornell’s Dominic DeLuca was runner-up in 14:16. 10,000 In a very tactical 10k, Mark Tedder (Cornell) took the win in a time of 31:55. Indiana State University Twilight 1500 On his home track, Indiana State’s David Timlin ran a very strong 3:42 to out-perform Indiana’s Joseph Murphy who ran a time of 3:44 for second. Payton Jordan Invite 1500: REGULAR Despite all eyes being on the longer distances, there were plenty of great surprises that came out of the 1500. The biggest surprise came from Arizona’s Carlos Villarreal who ran a massive personal best of 3:41.75 to secure the win (for his section) and grab the 16th spot in the NCAA standings. Villarreal is an established miler who has had some solid performances, but this was his true breakout race when you consider that he had a personal best of 3:45 prior to this race. The next collegiate to cross the line must’ve read our Where You At? article. Stanford’s Sean McGorty finally made his outdoor debut after an injury kept him away from competition for the entirety of the winter season. McGorty was 4th in his heat with a time of 3:46 which is decent when you consider that he was out of commission for so long. He may not be in top form, but he still has a chance of making nationals. 1500: ELITE In the elite section, Syracuse’s Adam Palamar ran a season best of 3:42 to secure his spot at regionals. 3000 Steeplechase: REGULAR We FINALLY have a collegiate steeplechase under the 8:40 barrier! Gonzaga’s Troy Fraley ran a great race and finished runner-up in a field filled with professionals. Fraley now tops the NCAA leaderboard with a time of 8:39. Daniel Carney (BYU) and Scott Carpenter (Georgetown) each ran 8:48 to finish 6th and 7th (respectively) in their section. 3000 Steeplechase: ELITE Despite this being the supposed “faster” section of the two heats, no collegiate broke 8:40 in this race. Edwin Kibichiy (Louisville) was the top collegiate in a time of 8:42 which is good for NCAA #4. Darren Fahy (Georgetown) and Troy Reeder (Furman) each ran 8:46 and 8:47 respectively. 5000: REGULAR Clayton Young (BYU) and Amon Terer (Campbell) stayed competitive with the likes of Matt Centrowitz and Drew Hunter who led these two collegiates to a time of 13:50. BYU’s Rory Linkletter and Jonathan Harper ran 13:52 and 14:03 respectively. 5000: ELITE The entire focus of this race was to see if Edward Cheserek could break the NCAA 5k record of 13:08 and become enshrined in the record books. Yet, while Cheserek got all of the attention, it was Justyn Knight who truly deserved the recognition. By the last two laps of the race, it was clear that Knight was looking strong and had a legitimate chance of not only beating Cheserek, but winning the entire race. Sure enough, Knight took off and sustained an incredible kick to bury Cheserek and hold off Villanova alum Sam McEntee for the win. The time may not have been a collegiate record, but Knight did record a mind-blowing 13:17 to become NCAA #4 All-Time in the event. Despite faltering on the last lap, Edward Cheserek still finished in a very respectable time of 13:24. So what do these results mean for the future? Is Cheserek still the title favorite? Or will Justyn Knight now have the upper-hand come June? Fun fact: Out of the three times Cheserek and Knight have raced throughout this academic year, Knight has won twice (2016 NCAA XC and 2017 Payton Jordan). The next collegiate to cross the line was Southern Utah’s Mike Tate who ran an awesome race in a time of 13:34. This is an excellent improvement off of his previous 13:39 personal best from the Stanford Invite earlier this season. His development has been very encouraging and you have to think that he’ll be an All-American this June. The last collegiate finisher was Erik Peterson (Butler) who finished in an underwhelming time of 13:57. The Butler senior is certainly better geared for the longer distances and I know he can run faster, but I was definitely hoping for a better 5k performance from him. 10,000 Marc Scott (Tulsa) was the only collegiate in this race and he held his own against one of the most elite 10k fields so far this year. The Tulsa senior finished the race 12th overall in an impressive time of 28:07. Although his time is impressive, I thought we would see Scott run a bit faster. Payton Jordan seemed to be the last big opportunity for a collegiate to go under the 28 minute barrier and I was hoping that Scott could pull it off. According to TFRRS, there has always been at least one individual to break 28 minutes since 2010. Now, it seems like a very real possibility that 2017 ends without a collegiate under 28 minutes. #gzatlin #paytonjordan #ncaa #cheserek #weekendreview

Each season, fans of distance running are always treated to new and exciting individuals that begin to contend on the national level. Who would’ve thought that Emmanuel Korir would run 1:43? Or that Josh Kerr would upset Ches? Or how about the recent success from the men at Southern Utah? The emergence of these thrilling performers has kept us entertained and fixated on weekly results. Of course, it’s easy to overlook the already established names…especially when they aren’t racing much (or at all). Let’s take a glance at some of the guys we haven’t seen much of this season… Sean McGorty (Stanford) The biggest and perhaps most glaring miss of the season is the absence of the Stanford distance star. With PR’s of 3:53 (mile) and 13:24, you would think that more people would be talking about where this guy is. After an underwhelming cross country season, McGorty sustained an injury that would force him to forfeit the entirety of his indoor track season. In fact, the same thing happened with Stanford ace Grant Fisher who also had to suspend his racing plans until the spring season. Now, it’s May 3rd and we have yet to see any sign of McGorty so far this season despite Fisher already competing (and doing quite well) in two races. What happened to the one of the best runners in the NCAA? Is he still injured? Prolonging his outdoor debut? Those are possibilities, but are also pretty unlikely. We also can’t argue the idea of redshirting since McGorty has already used his redshirt season during his freshman year in 2014 (both indoors and outdoors). Knowing this begs the question of what could possibly be the reason for him not yet racing? Stanford is a bit picky about when they choose to race, but we are getting to a very late point in the season… Daniel Kuhn, Senior, Indiana Indiana is a program that races just about as much as any other team in the nation. With that in mind, you would think that we would have seen more of 800-meter stud Daniel Kuhn who secured his first All-American honor this past indoor season when he placed 6th at nationals. Unfortunately, Kuhn has been M.I.A. since late March after he ran a very disappointing 1:51 to place 9th at the PAC 12 vs BIG 10 meet. He hasn’t had a single race since then. A poor race followed by a lack of competition is not a good sign at all and it may indicate that there is some type of injury or illness that Kuhn is working with. Despite 2017 being a very strong year for the half-mile, Kuhn could have been back on the podium once more and even dipped down into the 1:45’s this spring after running 1:46.42 in February. But with only two or so weeks left in the season, it’s beginning to look like we’ve seen the last of Kuhn competing at the NCAA level. Ole Miss Milers The Mississippi Rebels have developed a strong group of milers over the past few seasons and have become one of the better distance programs in the nation. Their ability to compete at nearly every distance in conjunction with some impressive depth makes this a scary good team. Of course, they’re only a “scary good team” if they race…and that hasn’t happened yet in 2017. Robert Domanic, Trevor Gilley, and Sean Tobin have yet to race so far this season. Together, this trio makes up the core of the Ole Miss program and keep the Rebels relevant on the national stage. That’s not an exaggeration either, especially when you consider that Gilley and Domanic have PR’s of 3:40 in the 1500 while Tobin owns a mile PR of 3:59 from this freshman year. Unlike McGorty and Kuhn, I’m not worried about these three not racing. Based solely off of speculation, Mississippi may be taking the NAU approach where they are redshirting a heavy portion of their team to prep for a title run next year (but on the track compared to XC). The Furman Paladins seemingly took the same approach this past fall as they redshirted a heavy portion of their would-be seniors so that they may return for the 2017 cross country season and pursue the team title. However, as I mentioned above, this is just speculation. There could plenty of other reasons why they haven’t run yet. Still, you have to think these guys are just waiting to take the NCAA by storm in 2017-2018. Established Long-Distance Leaders The great thing about the 5k and 10k distances is that there is often a lot of depth and anything can happen over such a long period of time. This allows new and emerging stars to enter the top of the NCAA standings while established names like the ones below are quickly dismissed. Maybe that’s why we’ve forgotten that Andrew Ronoh (Arkansas) had the 2nd fastest 10k during the 2016 outdoor season… but hasn’t run during 2017. Or what about Cerake Geberkidane (Oklahoma State) who made NCAA’s last spring as a redshirt freshman, but has been out of all race results since getting injured during the 2016 cross country season? Lawrence Kipkoech (Campbell) wan an All-American during XC this past fall and was one of only three individuals to qualify for both the 5k and 10k at NCAA’s last spring. Now, he’s nowhere to be seen after running three unexciting races this past indoor season. Brian Barraza (Houston) is one of the biggest names to take a redshirt spring season after soloing a huge 8:32 steeplechase two weekend’s ago. The 2017 indoor All-American would be the top steeplechaser in the nation by eight seconds if he ran under the Houston name this season. In a year where the steeplechase title is open for anyone, you have to wonder if redshirting this season was the right choice… Although elite athletes like Cheserek, Knight, and Scott will take the spotlight and control certain races from the front, the absence of the four names above certainly plays a large role in who will become an All-American at the end of this season. While there are plenty of athletes to be excited about, it’s hard not to think about “what could have been” for so many others… #WhereYouAt #ncaa #gzatlin

Josh Kerr is the NCAA’s newest starlet. After a shocking upset win against Edward Cheserek in the mile at the Indoor National Championships, Kerr silenced any and all naysayers with an absurd 3:35 at the Bryan Clay Invite. If that wasn't impressive enough, the New Mexico stud is just a sophomore. Kerr’s already displayed the high race IQ to take down King Ches AND the speed to clock a time that is rarely accomplished at the collegiate level. Taking all of this into account, it is with good reason to believe that Kerr could dominate the NCAA mile/1500 at nationals for the next two and a half years (assuming he doesn’t turn pro)! With the high level of talent that currently competes on the college scene, it seems flabbergasting that Kerr could win potentially 6 NCAA titles in essentially one event (3xIndoor Mile, 3xOutdoor 1500), so let’s look at some names that could maybe bring him down. Edward Cheserek This one feels like a bit of a pipe dream, but I have to mention it just in case. Ches is the collegiate record holder for the mile indoors with his ridiculous 3:52 at BU this year. Based on this evidence, we know that Ches could hang with Kerr in an all-out effort. On the other hand, we have seen Kerr beat Ches in a tactical race, but that feels like a bit of an outlier. Ches was coming back from the 5k and that seemed to play a role on his race. That’s not to take away from Kerr’s shocking upset, but if Ches were to go all in for the 1500 at NCAAs this spring, he would be the heavy favorite. This is all probably for not, however, as it is pretty unlikely that Ches runs the 1500 for his final championship meet. Barring a surprise decision from Andy Powell and The King, Kerr is probably safe on this front. The Wiley Vets Ed Cheserek is clearly the ace of his class, but there are still some pretty talented names in the 1500 field with a lot of race experience who will not be intimidated by Kerr’s résumé. After the likes of Clayton Murphy, Izaic Yorks, and Brannon Kidder all left the NCAA, there were plenty of names outside of Kerr’s that appeared ready to fill the 1500 power vacuum. One of those names (and unsurprisingly, the name I’m starting out with) is Craig Engels. A couple weeks ago, I backed Engels as the favorite for a national title based on his superior PR’s over Kerr. Now, I don’t want to take credit for Kerr running 3:35, but he probably read what I wrote about him (which was published just before Bryan Clay, I might add) and decided to make me look dumb. Well Josh, mission accomplished. Anyway, Engels is still a very dangerous runner to Kerr. I know the sensational Scottish superstar beat Engels head to head at Bryan Clay by nearly two seconds, but let’s look at the senior’s credentials: PRs of 1:46/3:37, All American honors in the 1500 (something that Kerr cannot boast), an NCAA title in his own right in the DMR, a proven track record in advancing through rounds when healthy, and still the most swagger of anyone in the NCAA. He may not be the favorite, but I would not be shocked to see Engels bring home the victory at nationals. Despite his struggles over this past year, Henry Wynne remains one of the most interesting names in the 1500 discussion. Sure, he isn’t the Henry Wynne of last year who seemingly couldn’t lose for months on end, but the Virginia senior appears to be trending in the right direction. The 3:42 at the Virginia Challenge isn’t earth shattering, but he did manage to beat big names like James Randon and Neil Gourley. If Wynne can find his stride heading towards the postseason, he is a real threat to win a title. Let’s not forget Wynne flashed incredible maturity and race instincts over the course of last year. That doesn’t go away, and that makes Wynne relevant in any discussion. A final senior with the capacity to take down Kerr is Josh Thompson of Oklahoma State. A transfer athlete, Thompson has been a revelation for the Cowboys, taking the NCAA by storm, clocking PRs of 3:38/3:56. Although Thompson hasn’t always been at his best for nationals, his strong kick makes him a danger in any race. Time after time, Thompson has flashed the capacity to fly by his rivals coming down the homestretch, seemingly out of nowhere. If the 1500 final is tactical this spring, perhaps Thompson could steal a victory much in the fashion of his former teammate Chad Noelle, who won the 1500 in 2015, using a strong kick to win in tactical 3:54. Oregon Ducks Not Named Edward Cheserek The Oregon Ducks are loaded with milers the same way my writing is littered with bad jokes. The youngest, and potentially biggest threat to Josh Kerr, is freshman Austin Tamagno. A highly-touted prospect in high school, Tamagno has started his collegiate career well, clocking some good times during indoor, helping the Oregon DMR team to All-American accolades, and running a 3:41.33 at Bryan Clay, which is good enough for 10th fastest in the entire country as of right now (I’m writing this on April 27th). While Tamagno has looked good thus far, we haven’t seen him run an individual event at nationals, and the jump from 3:41 to 3:35 is extreme. Another Oregon runner who poses a potential risk to Kerr’s dominance is Matt Maton. Sub-four out of high school, Maton wasted no time adjusting to collegiate racing. Still just a sophomore, Maton’s accomplishments range from PRs of 3:39/3:58 to All American honors in cross country. Maton’s strength bodes well for him, but does he have the raw speed to compete with Kerr in a final kick? A final Duck worth noting is Blake Haney, who appears to be on track to overcome the struggles he’s dealt with over the past few months. It is easy to forget that in outdoor of 2015 and indoor of 2015/16, Haney was the darling of the NCAA: he finished 3rd at nationals as a true freshman, and followed up with a 3:56 mile and a runner-up showing at indoor nationals. After missing All-American for the past two track seasons, Haney ran 3:42 at Bryan Clay, which will hopefully kickstart his comeback tour. Now a junior, I question Haney’s ability to get back to elite level and challenge Kerr. While Tim Gorman and Sam Prakel are both talented runners for the Ducks, neither is winning an NCAA title anytime soon. Wildcards! There are a number of talented runners across the NCAA who may not immediately come to find as milers or top contenders, but I’m mentioning them just in case they ever do beat Kerr, I’ll look very smart. Justyn Knight, as mentioned above, is one of the premier runners in college, and has underrated speed as a miler (he’s known for his long-distance accolades, but he’s run 3:39/3:56). Knight has never pursued middle distance events at nationals, but he’s a proven racer and uber talented. The Stanford duo of Grant Fisher and Thomas Ratcliffe were both highly touted milers in high schoolers, and have both had standout races since joining the Cardinal (Fisher with obviously a more proven track record). Although Stanford tends to race their studs in the 5k outside, it seems possible one or both of these young guns could race Kerr indoors. While Rob Heppenstall continues to be the most underrated runners in college, Texas sophomore Alex Rogers is a top contender for second; he qualified for nationals in the 1500m as a true freshman, and has improved his PRs to 1:48/3:40 this outdoor season. Unfortunately for those hoping for a matchup, Rogers has also run 8:48 in the steeple, and the smart money would be on him racing in that come nationals. Colorado’s Ben Saarel never seems to be 100%, but if he is at full strength for the championship season, Mark Wetmore may be able to work his magic and steal a title. This one seems like a long-shot now, but if Michael Slagowski were to make a comeback, an upset national title would make for just a perfect ending to his story. It’s easy to forget just how dominant he was prior to joining Penn State. Speaking of the Nittany Lions, Domenic Perretta has been one of the best true freshman in the country. Could he follow in the footsteps of Brannon Kidder and make the jump to the 1500/mile? Stranger things have happened. Current High Schoolers Could Josh Kerr’s kryptonite not even be in college yet? The high school class of 2017 features three runners who have already run 4:00: DJ Principe, Sam Worley, and Cooper Teare. Principe is headed to Stanford and will likely join the Fisher/Ratcliffe coalition to move up to longer distancs, but Worley and Teare are bound for Texas and Oregon respectively, where they will likely focus in on the mile. Joining Worley at Texas is Reed Brown, who boasts a PR of 4:03. If Brown, Worley, or Teare make a big jump at the next level, maybe they could contend with an older Kerr. Are there runners who may end up beating Kerr that I totally forgot? Probably. Could Kerr continue his reign over the NCAA for the next couple of years and make this entire writeup irrelevant? Given my track record, that’s likely as well. But if one of these guys mentioned here does end up toppling Kerr for a national title, Garrett will never hear the end of my bragging, and that makes it all worth it. #ncaa #joshkerr #questions #afox #cheserek

Brutus Hamilton Invite 800 Should we be surprised by Emmanuel Korir anymore? The true freshman had a huge impact during the past indoor season by running the number one time in the NCAA and winning the national championship. And this season? Somehow, he's taken it to another level. The true freshman from Kenya ripped open a HUGE time of 1:43.73 which is the second fastest time ever in the NCAA 800. Prior to Korir’s performance, four men (in 2017) had dipped under the 1:46 mark and were all in the conversation to win the NCAA title. But now? The UTEP Miner has made himself the heavy favorite and will most likely pursue the NCAA record in due time. Just a quick thought before we move on. Could Korir go pro after this season if he breaks the NCAA record? We didn’t think Brazier would do it after just one season on the collegiate scene, but here we are… Mile Thomas Joyce (Cal) was able to edge out Jonah Koech (UTEP) 4:02.53 to 4:02.96. I’m still waiting for these guys to have their big race of the season. Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite 800 Quamel Prince (Tennessee St.) took the win in a time of 1:48 while Nickson Rotich (EKU) and Luke Horton (Southern Illinois) each ran 1:49. UF Tom Jones Memorial 800 Jake Burton (FSU) ran 1:49.21 to defeat Florida rival Jack Guyton who was second in a time of 1:50.32. 1500 Andres Arroyo is only a half-miler…right? Wrong. The Florida senior threw down a killer time of 3:41 this past weekend to take the win and assert himself as someone who can run more than just the 800. Is it just me or is there something different about Arroyo this season? He’s running the fastest he’s ever run and doing so with different racing styles. With a strong display of range, you can’t help but think that Arroyo has found the formula to once again become an All-American. Penn Relays 3000 Steeple Our original pick to win was Oklahoma’s Dylan Blankenbaker. Unfortunately, he did not run and the top collegiate finisher ended up being Indiana’s Jeremy Coughler who ran a very solid time of 8:50. Coughler led three other collegians under the nine-minute mark. 5000 It was one of the better 5k fields we’ve seen in the past few weeks with plenty of underrated top-tier individuals entered to race. Jacob Thomson (Kentucky) emerged as the winner with a time of 13:53 as he was able to hold off Willy Fink (EMU) and Julian Oakley (Providence) who ran times of 13:54 and 13:55 respectively. Steve Flynn (George Mason) was the last collegian under the 14-minute barrier with a time of 13:57. 10,000 Georgetown did quite well in this event with Jonathan Green (1st) and Michael Crozier (3rd) running 29:26 and 29:38 respectively to establish themselves as the top collegiate finishers. Freshman Steven Cross (FSU) was running unattached, but took the runner-up position in a time of 29:31. 4x800 It was one of the most highly anticipated races of the weekend as mid-distance powerhouses Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Penn State toed the line in an attempt to claim the title of "800U". When the dust settled, it was the Virginia Tech Hokies taking the win by nearly seven seconds with a time of 7:13. VT was the only relay that had all four legs run under 1:50. Drew Piazza ran the fastest split of the relay with a time of 1:46.95. Penn State edged out Clemson for second with each relay running 7:20.54 and 7:20.94 respectively. Clemson’s fastest split was from Mpho Makofane who ran 1:47.66. Penn State’s fastest split came from neither Isaiah Harris nor Domenic Perretta. Instead, it came from Jordan Mankins who split a time of 1:48.37. 4xMile Every year, the Penn Relay’s 4xMile builds up incredible hype. Some of the best distance programs in the nation step on to the track and look to flex their dominance on one of world’s biggest stages. Yet, as fate would have it, the event always seems to be a bit disappointing in terms of time. This year was certainly no exception as literally not a single individual broke the 4-minute mile in this event. 13 teams finished the race which meant that not one of the 52 individuals on that track could break the sub four minute barrier. That said, should we really be surprised? This marks the third straight year where no split has been under four minutes. But I digress… Despite Edward Cheserek not running, the Oregon Ducks were still able to get the win in 16:21 with consistent and solid efforts from all four legs. That relay included Mick Stanovsek, Tim Gorman, Blake Haney, and Sam Prakel. Indiana and Middle Tennessee State were the next two teams in with times of 16:22 and 16:23 respectively. For perspective, American Fork’s national high school record of 16:41 would have placed 8th in this meet. DMR Déjà vu. It was like watching the 4xMile all over again. We saw the same three teams claim the same three spots with Oregon running a time of 9:32. Sam Prakel ran 3:59 on the anchor. Indiana, MTSU, and Penn took the next three spots and all teams finished with times of 9:33. Drake Relays 5000 You have to be happy for Drake senior Reed Fischer. In his last collegiate season, Fischer broke the school record on his home track at one of the biggest meets of the weekend with a time of 13:48. He took down Wisconsin star Malachy Schrobilgen in the process (who ran a time of 13:49). Joel Reichow (South Dakota) and sophomore Jesse Reiser (Illinois) held their own as they recorded times of 13:53 and 13:54. Dylan Lafond (Illinois) and Russell Sandvold (Wisconsin) ran 13:56 and 13:57 respectively. Resier was the only underclassmen to dip under the 14 minute barrier. 10,000 Missouri’s Drew White ran a big personal best time of 29:41 to defeat Trevor Capra (South Dakota) by two seconds. Oregon State University High Performance Invite 800 Colorado’s Nick Harris secured the win and emerged as the top collegiate with a time of 1:49. 1500 It was an excellent battle between division two star David Ribich (Western Oregon) and Joe Klecker (Colorado). The WO junior got the best of Klecker in an excellent time of 3:41.45 (D2 NCAA #1) while Klecker was less than a stride behind in a time of 3:41.69 (NCAA #15). Once again, Ribich has impressed us with a great time. He’s my favorite to win the division two title, but more because of his consistency and less because of his time. As for Klecker, this is a solid performance from him, but I’m not too surprised. He’s fit enough to run a time like this. #gzatlin #ncaa #weekendreview #pennrelays

800 I was a bit surprised to see that the entries of this meet contained very few collegiate athlete. In fact, there are only three collegiate athletes in this race (four if you count Abraham Alvarado who is running unattached). This trio includes Eugene Hamilton (III), Collins Kibet (Arizona), and Ben Saarel (Colorado). While I do believe in Saarel’s fitness, this is big step-down in distance for him and I’m not sure if he breaks 1:50. As for Kibet, he is super experienced and will understand how to navigate this elite field. That said, the Arizona senior struggled during indoors and has yet to race this outdoor season. Such a late start to his season leaves me believing that there was an injury that delayed the start to his season. That, of course, is just speculation. The collegiate with the most upside is Eugene Hamilton. The Cal junior had an underwhelming start to his season with a time of 1:51, but with a personal best of 1:47 you know this guy can run faster. COLLEGIATE PREDICTIONS 1. Eugene Hamilton (Cal)- 1:48 2. Ben Saarel (Colorado)- 1:50 3. Collins Kibet (Arizona)- 1:51 1500 Much like the 800, there is an abundance of pro’s and only a few collegiates. However, the collegiates that are entered are some of the best in the NCAA. Adam Palamar (Syracuse) and Kasey Knevelbaard (Southern Utah) will headline the field heading into this weekend. Palamar is coming off of an indoor season where he was All-American in the mile. Knevelbaard is looking to continue his breakout track season and hopefully improve upon his 3:41 from the Stanford Invite. Chase Horrocks (BYU) and Carlos Villarreal (Arizona) are two very respected milers who deserve some attention. Horrocks has been has been posting some great times as of late and has grabbed wins for the past two seasons. The BYU senior currently holds a PR of 3:41 which is currently 14th in the NCAA standings. COLLEGIATE PREDICTIONS 1. Kasey Knevelbaard (Southern Utah)- 3:40 2. Chase Horrocks (BYU)- 3:41 3. Adam Palamar (Syracuse)- 3:42 4. Carlos Villarreal (Arizona)- 3:46 3000 Steeple Could this FINALLY be the weekend where we see a collegiate go under 8:40 for the steeplechase? My answer is yes. A slew of elite pro athletes matched with some of the NCAA’s best will almost definitely lead to some big-time performances. The current NCAA steeplechase leader, Troy Reeder (Furman), is a candidate to dip into the 8:30’s after running 8:40 at the Stanford Invite last month. However, he will have to battle with Louisville’s Edwin Kibichiy who holds a personal best of 8:30 in this event. Kibichiy ran 8:51 a few weekends ago at the Louisville Classic (where he won) and will look to build on that time. Others like Scott Carpenter and Darren Fahy (Georgetown), Troy Fraley (Gonzaga), and Daniel Carney (BYU) are all excellent steeplechasers in their own right. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of these guy’s dip under the 8:40 mark as well. Georgetown typically produces fast steeplechasers, Fraley has already shown that he can be competitive in this event after running 8:45 earlier in the season, and Daniel Carney is an up-and-coming sophomore that is ready for a breakout performance. I’m not expecting any “poor” performances from this group. COLLEGIATE PREDICTIONS 1. Edwin Kibichiy (Louisville)- 8:33 2. Troy Reeder (Furman)- 8:36 3. Troy Fraley (Gonzaga)- 8:38 4. Daniel Carney (BYU)- 8:41 5. Scott Carpenter (Georgetown)- 8:42 6. Darren Fahy (Georgetown)- 8:46 5000 Could this be the meet where Eddy Ches grabs another collegiate record? 13:08 is certainly within striking range for the legendary Oregon Duck, but it will certainly not be easy. All eyes will be on the King to see if he can run faster than the time set by Henry Rono 39 years ago. Another important entry is Justyn Knight (Syracuse) who has done very well against professionals in big-time meets. Think back to the time he out-kicked Galen Rupp en route to a 13:26 or was able fend off Wheating and Kidder this past indoor season at Washington. Knight has the incredible ability to change gears when needed and that should play to his advantage in a race that will surely have many lead changes. I am big believer in what the Southern Utah program is doing with their athletes. After soloing a 13:39 at the Stanford Invite, Mike Tate has become one of the most underrated athletes in the NCAA. Give this man a fast field to work with and I like to think he can improve upon that time. Erik Peterson (Butler) and Morgan McDonald (Wisconsin) are two names we should not ignore. Peterson’s 28:11 10k indicates that he has the endurance to hang with this field while McDonald has already proven to be one of the best distance runners in the NCAA. Amon Terer (Campbell) and Clayton Young (BYU) are two others to keep an eye on. Their ability to cope with and adjust to such an elite field of professionals will be the main factor in their pursuit to break the 13:40 barrier. Rounding out this impressive group will be BYU’s Rory Linkletter and Jonathan Harper. Both are accomplished runners who have run at a high level before. Don’t be surprised if either of these two rip open a fast personal best. COLLEGIATE PREDICTIONS 1. Edward Cheserek (Oregon)- 13:09 2. Justyn Knight (Syracuse)- 13:27 3. Morgan McDonald (Wisconsin)- 13:29 4. Erik Peterson (Butler)- 13:32 5. Mike Tate (Southern Utah)- 13:33 6. Amon Terer (Campbell)- 13:39 7. Clayton Young (BYU)- 13:42 8. Rory Linkletter (BYU)- 13:47 9. Jonathan Harper (BYU)- 13:51 10,000 In a field of professionals, Marc Scott stands out as the only collegiate entered. The Tulsa senior will look to show that he can hang with the best of the best (and I believe he can). No, I don’t think he’ll win, but I think a top five finish is very reasonable despite the prestige of the other entries. Scott can run from the front and isn’t able to stick with a fast pace. I think all of this will bode well for him and I see him ripping off the NCAA’s first sub-28 minute time of the year. COLLEGIATE PREDICTION > Marc Scott (Tulsa)- 27:57 #paytonjordan #cheserek #ncaa #preview #predictions #gzatlin