Our Fantasy: Drafting NBON/Brooks PR

By Alex Fox

Welcome one and all to our fantasy draft for New Balance Outdoor Nationals and the Brooks PR Invitational! Tonight we have a special guest: my good friend and teammate for Applebee’s trivia Dylan Jaklitsch! First, a couple of ground rules: the draft will have seven rounds (each fantasy team will have seven picks). The picks have to include one 800m runner, one 1600 runner, one 3200m runner, one 5000m, one 2000m Steeple Chase runner, and one relay team from the 4x400m, 4x800m, 4xMile, or Distance Medley Relay. The seventh pick is a flex, and can be any runner or relay team available. So, for example a team could look like this: Myles Marshall (800m), Sam Ritz (Mile), Andrew Hunter (Two Mile), Alex Ostberg (5k), Jack Jibb (Steeple), Spirit of Pre DMR (Relay), and Mikey Brannigan (Flex). Runners can be selected from either New Balance Outdoor Nationals or Brooks PR. The goal is to score as many points as possible based on how your picks finish. A 1stplace finish is 10 points, 2nd place is 8 points, 3rd place is 6 points, 4th place is 5 points, 5th place is 4 points, 6th place is 3 points, 7th place is 3 points, and an 8th place finish earns 1 point. The draft is a snake (the first pick in Round 1 is the last pick in Round 2) and the draft order was determined using a random numbers generator. Here’s how it played out! ***just as a note, the rationale for each pick was given by each individual, but I shortened their words for my own convenience in writing this up***

 

Round 1

 

Evan: Grant Fisher: Hasn’t lost a race in a very long time, best runner available.

Dylan: Donovan Brazier: He goes west and doesn’t have to face off with Marshall or Lewis. Should win at Brooks.

Caleb: Carlos Villareal. Being close to home will allow him to bounce back from his race at the Dream Mile and produce. 

Alex: Spirit of Pre. I love Wetzel on the anchor to throw down after his 4:04 at the Dream Mile 

Sean: Carter Blunt of Texas. This kid can throw down on the double. 

Jarrett: Drew Hunter. Best available.

 

Round 2

J: John Lewis. I had to.

S: Luke Anderson. US #1 in 2k SC.

A: Robert Brandt. With Ostberg out, he’s the favorite to take the 5k. 

C: Jack Salisbury. Solid PR with good closing speed for the 2 mile at NBON

D: Jack Jibb. He won the state title in 8:57, going sub 6 through 2k. 

E: Kyle Mau. After a solid season, he can make some noise in the 5k.  

 

Round 3

 

E: Sam Ritz. It’s time for him to get a win!

D: Zach Brehm. It’s impossible to ignore his talent in the thin 5k field.

C: Myles Marshall. He’s got great talent and one heck of a resume. 

A: Blake Yount. He may not beat Brazier, but he certainly has the credentials to take second. 

S: Matt Novak. Should be the favorite for the mile at NBN.

J: Elijah Armstrong. He’s my boy

 

Round 4 

 

J: Conor Lundy. Showing NY some love. 

S: Brian Bell. Won two events at NBIN.

A: Ryan Adams. I like his 1:52/4:07 credentials. 

C: Spirit of Pre in the 4x8. Cruised to Michigan State title, and Wetzel makes them very dangerous

D: Mikey Brannigan. I’ve doubted him before, and he’s proven me wrong every time. 

E: Carlton Orange. Best available.

 

Round 5

 

E: Flying Dutchmen DMR. Like a fresh Gavigan on the anchor (4:05). 

D: Arlington (4x8). Ran 7:40 but got DQed at states. Asselmeyer has run 1:49 countless times on the anchor.  

C: Colin Burdette. Solid PRs in a weak 5k field.

A: Phillip Hall. He’s coming a 4:08 and has run sub 9. 

S: Adrenaline in the 4xMile. Love that depth.

J: Star Track Club 4x4. Come in having run 3:12 and gotta love Clark on the anchor. 

 

Round 6

 

J: John Dressel on the flex. Gut feeling he can produce in a loaded field at Brooks. 

S: Will Lauer. Should be able to challenge for the win in a thin 5k field.

A: Eion Nohilly. Best Steeple chaser left after his 3rd place finish at NY State Meet. 

C: Eric Waterman. Need a steepler.

D: Eli Moskowitz to stick it to Fox. 

E: Adam Barnard for flex. Solid PR for the mile.

 

Round 7

 

E: Brian Bates. Finished 6th at NYS.

D: Spiezio on the flex. Solid season.

C: Caleb Webb. Coming off a 8:47 PR. 

A: Paul Ryan. Coming off a quiet 4:07 full mile in Portland 

S: Chantilly DMR. Only 11 teams entered and 2 McGortys are hard to argue against. 

J: Matt Mercer. Needed a steepler.

 

A couple of end notes before you look at the final rosters: if you noticed that Alex Ostberg is missing, it is because there are reports that he is injured and shut down for the season. We know he is entered in a couple of events, but we decided not to risk it. Secondly, Robert Brandt is entered at both Brooks PR and NBON; if he runs at Brooks PR (which is likely given he hails from CA), I have selected an alternative 5k runner to complete my team. This individual was picked after the draft was finished to ensure I was not interfering with anyone’s draft plan. Based on that, this is how our teams turned out:   

 

Final Rosters 

Alex

 

800m: Yount

Mile: Adams

Two Mile: Hall

5k: Brandt (Kyle Christ alternative) 

SC: Nohilly 

Relay: Spirit of Pre (DMR)

Flex: Ryan 

 

Dylan

800m: Brazier

Mile: Moskowitz 

Two Mile: Brannigan 

5k: Brehm

SC: Jibb

Relay: Arlington (4x8)

Flex: Spiezio

 

Etrain

 

800m: Lewis 

Mile: Armstrong 

Two Mile: Hunter

5k: Lundy

SC: Mercer 

Relay: Star Track Club (4x4)

Flex: Dressel 

 

Caleb 

 

800m: Marshall

Mile: Villareal 

Two Mile: Salisbury

5k: Burdette 

SC: Waterman 

Relay: Spirit of Pre (4x8)

Flex: Webb

 

Evan

 

800m: Orange

Mile: Ritz

Two Mile: Fisher 

5k: Mau

SC: Bates

Relay: Flying Dutchmen (DMR)

Flex: Barnard 

 

Sean  

 

800m: Bell

Mile: Novak

Two Mile: Blunt

5k: Lauer 

SC: Anderson

Relay: Adrenaline (4xMile)

Flex: Chantilly DMR