by Garrett Zatlin
First off, I apologize for the late post! I’ve been busy with work and other things that 99% of you don’t care about (let’s be real, it’s actually 100% of you). There was some great action this past weekend and a lot to talk about. I have also created a separate post so that you can look at my predictions and compare them. Make sure to check that out below for some pretty interesting results. So what did happen at Regionals?
800
East
I wont start this off without acknowledging the blaring miss in the results. Alex Amankwah misses the cut! The guy who was a NCAA title contender didn’t even make it past prelims! No one was expecting that and I’m guessing that he got a little too comfortable with the amount of effort he had to put in. It’s a shame but adds a little drama to a relatively predictable event. Brandon McBride takes a win and is starting to look very strong in the later part of the season. That’s an excellent sign for this guy who is looking to make up for his poor indoor nationals performance. Overall, most of the big names will make the trip to NCAA’s.
West
The west consisted of less big names making it difficult to figure out who would go where. The favorites, Shaquille Walker and Edward Kemboi did their job with relative ease. We all know where Kemboi is at but Walker seems like a different man than he was during indoors. It’s amazing what a season at the elite level does to a guys maturity during the big races. I’m very happy to see guys like Josh Hernandez and Brandon Moore make the cut. They haven’t run blazing fast times but they are arguably the most consistent 800 guys out there.
1500
East
Looking at the results, it seems that I got a little excited with the Villanova and Georgetown guys. Out of the six Nova/Gtown guys I predicted to make the cut, only three did. Some guys who I had never heard of stepped up big time. Domanic (Miss.), Zivec (Maryland), and Timlin (Indiana St.) are all guys who were basically no names that are now making the trip to Eugene so props to them. Williamsz and Creese get the job done by cruising in for 7th and 8th place finishes respectively. PA alum Ned Willig was the first one out in the fastest heat of the prelims.
West
Soratos, Noelle, Joyce, and Callahan are now set to match up in what is sure to be one of the most entertaining 1500’s in a very long time. Keep in mind that Erassa and McGorty also opted out of this event for the 5000 so it’s tough not to think about the “what if’s”… Let’s also not forget to mention that Oregon sent three guys through in this event, none of whom are named Cheserek or Jenkins. PA alum Tom Coyle was the first one out in the finals.
3000St.
East
While the favorite and other big names might be in the west, the east steeplechase has outstanding potential with a load of guys that are flat out winners. Zak Seddon has crept into my favorite runners list with his victory here. I legitimately believe that Seddon has a chance to win the title if Kebenei has an off day. Mason Ferlic is another guy that has steadily been clicking off great times as he finished second in this race. S/O to fellow Hokie Stuart Robertson for grabbing that last spot. The guy was apparently just a walk on and has now done tremendous things for that program. PA alum Ryan Gil is heading to Oregon after an 11th place finish!
West
It seems that Anthony Rotich can do everything. Just this outdoor season, Rotich has a 3:43.72 (1500), 3:59.93 (mile), 13:31.59 (5000), and an 8:39.70 (steeplechase). I’m surprised he didn’t go for the 5000 but when you have a PR of 8:21.19 its tough to argue his decision. Lets just hope we see the Rotich from 2013. Kebenei runs to a ninth place finish and is one race away from claiming his title. The question now becomes, can anyone beat him an honest race? I suppose we’ll see. Tanguy Pepiot adds his name to the list of Oregon Ducks that are racing for one more week while Penn Relays champ, Isaac Spencer can’t get the job done and fails to qualify for nationals.
5000
East
It came as a surprise to me when Awad and Knight dropped the 1500 in favor of the 5000. That said, they have qualified and are set to race the big boys. While the 1500 is extremely deep, I felt that Knight or Awad had a better shot at gold than they did in the 5k (mainly because of Ches and Jenkins). It’s a tough decision to make but we will figure out if it was the right one in a week. Thomas Curtin is the winner of this region which is unsurprising. He has some great victories this season but nothing faster than what he was doing indoors. Props to Ferlic for pulling off the tough 3000St./5000 double and qualifying for both.
West
Of the 12 spots, only 5 spots went to non-PAC 12 power-house teams. Colorado grabs the last spot, Stanford sends two, and Oregon sends an outstanding (yet unsurprising) four guys to NCAA’s. Jake Leingang is typically lost in the shadows of his elite teammates so for him to grab a spot is pretty huge. Like Knight and Awad, McGorty and Erassa dropped what I thought was their best event (1500) to pursue the 5000. It’s a pretty bold choice for Erassa considering he has run 3:39.05 this season.
10,000
East
Matt McClintock must be feeling pretty good. He won regionals and is heading to NCAA’s to grab an All-American spot. The best part, however, is that the hub of distance running, Derek Rubis, is repping him on Twitter so that’s probably the best part of all this for him. Behind McClintock was Brandon Lord who had an outstanding race. He led for the whole thing and looked strong. Is he strong enough to get All-American is the question though. Martin Hehir comfortably takes third place while his very underrated teammates, Dan Lennon and Max Straneva, join him in the top 12. How about Sam Pons? The guy came out of absolutely nowhere to get fourth and will be making the trip to Eugene. The guy was a monster in high school so to see him prosper in his senior year is pretty awesome. PA alum Glen Burkhardt is the eighth finisher and is heading to nationals.
West
The race was relatively unexciting with some of the big names spreading out the field and cruising for the last mile (I use the term “cruising” lightly). Jason Witt and Craig Lutz took turns pushing the pace and it turned out to be a good idea as they kept solid positions all throughout the race. Malachy Schrobilgen grabs the last spot and I’m pretty pumped for him. He has been a contender all indoor and outdoor season but never got the hype that his opposition attained. The topic now turns to how the race will play out at Nationals. Does the race become slow enough for Ches and Jenkins to sneak up from behind and pull away? Or does someone push the pace hard enough to make Ches and Jenkins work for it from the beginning?
All of these questions and more will be answered in a week. Until then, continue to check out the page for predictions and updates all week!
As always, run on.
Garrett
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