Edwards, Rogers, and Haney are likely to impact the team race

Published by Adam Schneider/DyeStatCollege.com editor on March 9th, 2016

We will look at some of the featured middle distance (4000m distance medley relay is included because the relay legs are middle distance except for the 400m) events from this NCAA meet and then some events that will be good but may not have an impact on the collegiate all-time list.

Men's 800m - In the last 1/2 year Clayton Murphy and Shaquille Walker have developed US championship (Murphy was fourth and Walker was sixth) experience and won international titles (Murphy won the Pan Am Games and Walker won the World University Games). With 2014 NCAA indoor and outdoor national champion Brandon McBride, Mississippi State, still struggling with injuries and not qualifying they would seem to be the odds on favorites for the NCAA title along with recent 1000m collegiate record holder (2:18.26) Brannon Kidder of  Penn State. What has tightened the fight is the development of freshman wunderkind Donavan Brazier of Texas A&M. Brazier has already set the US junior record at 1:45.93 (fifth all-time among collegians) and won all three of his races including the SEC title (1:46.08). Along with SEC runner-up Andres Arroyo of Florida this could be a fast, exciting final.

After each of the event previews we have predictions for the top eight with info about the competitors.

Abbreviations - Yr=year  PR=personal record  SB=season best   2015 NCAA = 2015 NCAA indoor performance

Men's  800 Meters    School   Yr          PR                  SB               2015 NCAA

1. Clayton Murphy    Akron     Jr  1:46.13 2/12/16    1:46.13                    3rd

2. Donovan Brazier Tex A&M Fr 1:45.93 1/15/16    1:45.93

3. Shaquille Walker   BYU     Jr   1:46.97  1/29/16    1:46.97                   10th

4. Brannon Kidder    Penn St Sr   1:47.01   1/29/16   1:47.01

5. Andres Arroyo      Florida   Jr   1:46.20  2/27/16   1:46.20                   11th

6. Isaiah Harris         Penn St   Fr  1:46.24  2/27/16   1:46.24

7. Eliud Rutto            Mid TS  Jr   1:46.87  2/12/16   1:46.87

8. Dylan Capwell      Monm    Jr  1:46.70 3/14/15     1:47.70 1/29           2nd

Men's Mile - Even with two of the fastest milers ever declining to race (Izaic Yorks and Sean McGorty) this is an incredible field. Others also dropped and still the 16 entrants had to run faster than 3:59 (Rob Nepolitano was ranked 27th at 3:58.98) to make the mile field and in the past entrants could run slower than 4:00. Sophomore Blake Haney ran 3:56.36 (#7 US collegian all-time) this year and has showed great closing speed over the last year. He is the top returner from the outdoor NCAA 1500m final (third). Sophomore Sam Prakel ran 3:57.95 at the Husky Classic but ran an impressive negative split 1600m leg (3:55+) of Oregon's MPSF indoor championships 4000m distance medley relay. David Elliot of Boise State won the mile at the Husky Classic in 3:57.38. Freshman Jonah Koech of UTEP is undefeated this year and has only raced at altitude. He had an altitude adjusted time to make this race and he is somewhat of an enigma after his impressive showing as a freshman at the NCAA cross country meet (11th). This race is truly a coin flip and the winner will most likely execute the best tactics.

Men's Mile                School  Yr        PR                      SB             2015 NCAA

1.  Blake Haney         Oregon So   3:56.36 2/26/16     3:56.36           3rd out

2.  Jonah Koech         UTEP    Fr   4:03.43a 2/13/16   4:03.43

3.  David Elliot          Boise St Sr  3:57.38 2/12/16     3:57.38           8th out

4.  Sam Prakel            Oregon So  3:57.95 2/12/16     3:57.95     10th 2014 (out) 

5.  Jacob Burcham     Okla      Jr    3:57.46 2/13/16    3:57.46

6.  Joel Hubbard         Syra      Jr    3:58.43                 3:58.43

7.  Thomas Awad        Penn     Sr   3:57.03                 3:57.03

8.  Cole Williams         Gtwn     Sr  3:57.38 2/2/16     3:57.38

Men’s 4000m distance medley relay - Because individuals from the relays are qualifying for other events during the first day it is common that this final at the end of the first day does not set top ten all-time marks. What is different this year is that the two fastest milers, Izaic Yorks and Sean McGorty have declined entry into the mile to focus on this race before they run in the 3000m the next day. Oregon won last year and they were 2nd in 2014 but both Blake Haney (1200m) and Sam Prakel (1600m) are expected to race in the dmr after running mile prelims. Isaiah Harris and Brannon Kidder of 2015 runner-up Penn State are running in the 800m prelims.

M  4000m DMR      

        School                      SB                     2015

1.   Washington              9:27.19

2.   Stanford                   9:27.27

3    Oklahoma State       9:26.60

4.   Oregon                     9:29.89                  1st

5.   Villanova                  9:29.17                  5th

6.   Penn State               9:27.20                  2nd

7.   Michigan                  9:27.67

8.   Mississippi               9:30.48 

Women’s 4000m distance medley relay - All of the top 8 except Arkansas will have competitors from the school’s top seed times running in preliminaries of other events. As a result many of these teams will have different runners or this could be a kicker’s race because it will be slower and the teams will battle in the mile leg. My money is on Kaela Edwrds of Oklahoma State who rarely loses if she is close to the leader. Oklahoma State was decimated by injuries last year, not this time.

Women’s 4000m DMR 

          School                    SB                         2015

1. Oklahoma State     11:01.15 1/29/16

2. Georgetown           10:54.77 1/29/16

3. Stanford                 10:54.58 1/29/16             2nd

4. Arkansas                11:05.19 2/20/16             1st

5. Oregon                   11:03.61 1/29/16      

6. Michigan                10:58.25  2/20/16            3rd

7. New Mexico           11:01.86  2/20/16

8. Washington            11:04.14  1/29/16            5th

Other Middle Distance Events

Women’s 800m - Sophomore Raevyn Rogers’ success at this meet will be determined by how tired she is helping Oregon with the 4x400m relay and 4000m distance medley relay. She has only run one open 800m race this year and she nearly broke the collegiate record in running 2:00.90. Hanna Green won the ACC title and she was fifth last year and 3rd outdoors last year. Olivia Williams was third in this race last year and always seems to peak for this meet. Savannah Camacho has battled injury and Annie Leblanc, Sabrina Sutherland and Anima Banks have battled past disappointment as they look to make a breakthrough in this meet. Brooke Feldmeier does not look 100% right now after looking very good earlier in the year. 

Women's 800 Meters    Sch  Yr        PR                     SB              2015 NCAA

1. Raevyn Rogers           Ore  So   2:00.90 2/22/16   2:00.90              1st out

2. Hanna Green              Va T  Jr   2:03.18 ‘15          2:04.15 2/5       5th/3rd out

3. Olicia Williams          Bay   Sr   2:03.21 2/14/15   2:04.50 2/27        3rd

4. Savannah Camacho   Ok St Jr   2:03.48 2/20/16    2:03.48             8th out          

5. Annie Leblanc            Ore   Sr  2:03.84 2/13/16    2:03.84             9th out

6. Sabrina Southerland  Gtwn  Jr   2:03.10 2/6/16  2:03.10  

7. Anima Banks             Duke  Sr  2:03.41 2/13/16  2:03.41

8. Brooke Feldmeier       Ore   So  2:03.99 2/13/16 2:03.99                  8th

Women’s Mile - Kaela Edwards was the runner-up last year in the 800m but with her newly developed strength after a strong cross country season she has dominated her races this year from 800m through mile and her 1600m anchor of the DMR at the Razorback Invitational. Angel Piccirillo has been undefeated in races from 1000m to 3000m but has not faced a kick like Edwards this year. Elixir Purrier is on the all-time list after running 4:29.71 behind two pros. Erin Teschuk ran at Millrose and has raced well this year but hasn’t faced the three favored ahead of her.

Women's  Mile             Sch    Yr     PR                       SB              2015 NCAA

1. Kaela Edwards         Ok St  So  4:32.14 1/29/16    4:32.14        2nd ’15 800

2. Angel Piccirillo          Vill   Sr   4:34.28 2/14/15  4:36.00 2/6/16    7th

3. Elinor Purrier           NewH So  4:29.71 2/13/16     4:29.71    

4. Erin Teschuk            ND St Sr   4:34.00 1/22/16  4:34.58 2/20       5th

5. Shannon Osika        Mich   Sr    4:34.34 2/6/16      4:34.34

6. Jamie Stokes           Web St Sr     4:35.83

7. Andrea Keklak         Gtwn  Sr   4:33.24  2/13/16    4:33.24

8. Iona Lake                 Virg    Sr   4:36.11  2/27/16     4:36.11