By: Garrett Zatlin
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to catch up on ALL of our PA alumni this week. However, I did scatter a few PA alum through the post! The meets with the asterisk indicate that a PA alum ran in that meet.
Rod McCravy Memorial T&F Meet*
800
Rod McCravy is always a key meet for some of the best 800 talent to debut. Sure enough, we saw Penn State's Isaiah Harris unleash a tremendous 1:46 in his first half-mile of the season. He won the race by over a second and is clearly in a great point of fitness for this early on in the season.
Behind Harris, we saw a huge breakout race from Strymar Livingston of Kansas! The senior Jayhawk has had a lot of big expectations on him ever since he came out of high school. Now, he starts off his season with a PR of 1:47.95. It's tough to say whether or not that time will be good enough to get him into NCAA's, but he certainly has a shot.
5 others went under 1:50 barrier in this race with Harvard's Myle Marshall leading Mpho Makofane (Clemson) and Robert Ford (USC) to spots 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively. All three registered times of 1:48.
The last two under 1:50 included a pair of freshmen. Dominic Perreta (PSU) and Terrell Jackson (Clemson) both earned marks of 1:49 in what must be a big confidence booster for both of them. Perreta now has PR's of 2:23 (1k) and 1:49 (800) in his first two races at the college level. Talk about scary potential...
PA ALUMNI
Harvard freshman Mike Kolor had a great day as he ran a 1:53 which ties his high school indoor PR. Billy McDevitt was also in this race, but ended up as a DNF.
Mile
Mississippi made a statement in their first meet of the season as they took the top four spots of this race. Tobin led the way with a time of 4:01 and was followed closely by Robert Domanic who ran 4:02. I think it's safe to say that another Ole Miss DMR is in the works.
Despite the domination from Mississippi, freshman Spencer Dodds of Texas turned heads when he placed 6th with a time of 4:08. He was trailed by Penn State sophomore Colin Abert who also had a time of 4:08.
3000
Illinois' Jon Davis won this event in an awesome time of 8:04. Unfortunately, he was running unattached and it looks like he'll be redshirted for his indoor season.
Behind Davis, we saw Kentucky's Jacob Thomson return back to the track and place 2nd with a time of 8:05. He was trailed by Purdue's Jaret Carpenter (8:07) and Illinois senior Dylan Lafond (8:10). Both Thompson and Lafond failed to meet expectations this past cross country season. I'm hoping that they can rebound and run something fast this winter.
5000
Charles Melgares (Kansas) gets the win over Mick Iacofano (Kentucky), 14:45 to 14:55.
Auburn Invite
800
LUS's Blair Henderson threw down a 1:49 to get the win by nearly two seconds.
Mile
Robbie Farnham-Rose ran an 8:03 last weekend and was back again this weekend with a winning time of 4:05. He's one of my sleeper picks this season to make NCAA's.
Runner-up was Kevin Blank of Ohio State with a time of 4:07.97.
5000
Connor Thompson (Alabama) held off the Auburn trio of Kevin Wyss, Coleman Churitch, and Mithell Gomez to get the win. Thompson ran very nice time of 14:30 while Wyss, Churitch, and Gomez were 14:35, 14:40, and 14:50 respectively.
Vanderbilt Invite
800
Collins Kibet (Arizona) is back for his final indoor season and he started out strong with a time of 1:49. He defeated Andres Littig of Georgia Tech who ran 1:50.
Mile
It was a cluster of big names that filled this field. A total of 13 individuals went under 4:10 with Jack Bruce (Arkansas) leading the way in a time of 4:00.72! I definitely see him as a sub-4 minute candidate this season.
Middle Tennessee State also entered many of their top guys. Sampson Laari and Kigen Chemadi rounded out the top three with times of 4:01.
5000
Furman just continues to get deeper as freshman Mason Coppi gets the win with a time of 14:41. He was trailed by Vanderbilt senior Nikolaos Gkotsis who ran 14:51. 3rd was rounded out by another Furman freshman (Luke Meade) who ran a time of 14:52.
Gladstein Invite
800
Indiana mid-distance star Daniel Kuhn unleashed a 1:47.03 this past weekend to defeat the next closest competitor by over 4 seconds! I am a big fan of Kuhn and run a 1:47 solo is insane for this early in the season. Could he be a sleeper contender for the 800 title? I'm not putting him out of the conversation...
Mile
After a breakout cross country season for the Bradley Braves, they are staying relevant thanks to Haran Dunderdale who ran 4:05 to finish as the top collegiate. Jordan Huntoon (Indiana) was the next collegiate in with a time of 4:07.
3000
Welcome back Erik Peterson! With no eligibility left, Peterson waited patiently for the cross country season to end. Of course, the Butler senior wasn't messing around during that down time. Peterson out ran the field to earn a blazing fast time of 7:57 to get the win.
Peterson didn't out run just any chase pack though. He out ran an Indiana trio that included Bryce Millar (8:02), Matthew Schwartzer (8:07), and Kyle Mau (8:07).
Texas A&M Invite
800
Erik Martinson of UT-Arlington should be feeling pretty good after getting a win over established half-miler Vincent Crisp (Texas Tech) this past weekend. Both ran times of 1:49.
Mile
Bryan Kamau (Georgia) went head-to-head with Carlos Villarreal (Texas A&M) which resulted in Kamau getting the win. Both ran times of 4:08.
3000
Texas Tech's Miguel Bautista soloed an 8:07 to get the win. It's tough not to wonder what he could've done with some competition...
Notre Dame Invite*
800
Michigan Ned Willig and Brennan Munley went at it in the 800. Willig came out on top with both athletes recording a times of 1:50.
Mile
Notre Dame's Jacob Dumford led 8 athletes under 4:10 with a 4:06 win. Chase Barnett (Michigan) and Christopher Marco (Notre Dame) rounded out the top three places with times of 4:07.
PA ALUMNI
Alex Milligan (UNC) drops a very big 4:12 mile in the 2nd open race of his college career.
Joe Donahue Games
Mile
Paul Duffey of Northeastern is making a statement so far this season. He ran 4:04 earlier this season along with a 2:24 (1k). Now, he can add a PR of 4:00 to his resume after getting a win this past weekend.
I'm a big believer in Duffey. He's competed with some of the best names in the northeast region and has been very consistent throughout his career. I'm hoping he can dip under the 4-minute barrier and grab a birth to nationals this winter.
MSU, ISU, UM, USU Dual Meet
Mile
Diego Leon got the win with a time of 4:13. That may not seem very fast, but you when you factor in the altitude AND bank track conversions, Leon's time actually comes out to be 4:04(.99)!
It's never easy being able to check the validity of a time when it goes through both conversions. Still, each has conversion has proven relatively accurate in the past.
3000
Dillon Maggard easily dominated this race as he threw down a time of 8:21. After the conversions, his time is actually an 8:03 which is good for 7th in the nation! Maggard is someone who could sneak his way into NCAA's later on in the season.
Hokie Invite*
800
PA alum Kyle Francis (Duke) earned the first victory of his career with a time of 1:52.
1000
I was lucky enough to watch this one live and goodness was it exciting! Virginia Tech's Drew Piazza and Neil Gourley led from start to finish. They each ended up with incredible times of 2:22. Piazza ran unattached which makes me more unsure of what his plans are for this season. That said, I don't believe he would make the transfer to Virginia Tech and redshirt his indoor season.
VT's Vincent Ciattei had one of the best races of his career after placing 3rd with a time of 2:23. He was followed by Duke freshman and PA alum Matt Wisner who ran 2:26 in his first ever 1000m! Not a bad race for the young guy.
VT's Kevin Cianfarini soloed a 2:26 in the 2nd heat.
Mile
PA alum Dan Jaskowak (Virginia Tech) battled back and forth with his teammates to get the win in a time of 4:07. The Hokies had 5 guys at 4:10 or faster.
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