Weekend Review: DMR Madness, Sub-4 Galore, and Champion Debuts

I’m not Seth Myers, but hopefully I can provide a solid weekend update after all these new results. I meant to put out a 3k preview this past weekend but with all this new action I needed to at least give a review of what happened. It’s a lot, so just skip to wherever you’re interested. Some events are skipped over if I felt that there weren’t many interesting performances. If anyone has updates, videos, or splits feel free to post it below!

Penn State

800

Brandon. Kidder. The dude has been on fire and turning into a stud. I need to fact check this but I believe he’s undefeated so far this season. He drops a 1:47.86 for the big win in dramatic fashion. What was really impressive was how he simply just sat in the back for the first 600m and then unleashed an outstanding kick that got him the win. We’ll talk more about him later. 

Drew Windle of Ashland finished in second with a 1:48.41. He’s in division two so he’s not exactly relevant when we talk about NCAA’s but you got to give credit where credit is due. He ran a great time and helped push the pace. Clayton Murphy of Akron quietly drops a 1:48.47 for third. He could sneak into what is becoming a very deep 800 field at NCAA’s. Ryan Manahan (Georgetown) dropped to a somewhat disappointing fourth place even though he still managed a 1:48.63. I might be expecting too much from the Georgetown crew but I would’ve liked him to be top two. I’m not too worried about Manahan though. He’ll continue his excellent season and improve.

What did worry me (at least a little) was watching ZavonWatkins. He just seemed a little off in this meet in open 800 and DMR 800. He is typically a very strong closer and he was caught in both races. I’ll be watching for him to go after a rebound race.

1000

Georgetown goes 1-2 in this race. Joseph White and Charles Cooper lead a field of only six with solid times of2:24.31 and 2:24.68. I’d like to see them go after a mile soon.

Mile

I couldn’t believe the headline when I saw it. Very exciting race and outstanding job by the pace makers of Georgetown setting that race up beautifully. Four men went under four minutes in this race. It was a true race of pure talent and the results were outstanding. Robert Denault(Villanova) took the lead over Ahmed Bile (Georgetown) with 250 to go and never looked back. He takes the crown with a 3:58.25. Bile follows in 3:59.04. The Canadian freshman Justyn Knight of Syracuse (running unattached) got the bronze in 3:59.51. The sub-4 club was topped off by Knight’s teammate Martin Heir in 3:59.81. Denault has got to have a good shot at the podium later this March. The dude looked like a machine running a strong and smart race.

I was wondering when we would be seeing the milers really come to play and sure enough they showed up at Penn State. Cheserek may be the heavy favorite for the mile, but he’ll at least have to work for it.

Also to note, PA alum Wade Endress had a solid mark running 4:02. I’ll be looking to see if he makes another push at the mile to qualify for NCAA’s. Hopefully he can.

3000

While it wasn’t an insanely fast race, Georgetown continues to have their name at the top of the results going 1-2-3. Every guy on this squad has some incredible range and Coach Henner should be patting himself on the back.Lederhouse led the way with an 8:03.11. John Murray and Jonathan Green backed him up in 8:06.30 and 8:08.31 respectively.

DMR

Now I don’t usually toot my own horn (actually I often do) but I mentioned in the 800 preview how dangerous Georgetown could be if they put together a DMR. Well they must’ve been listening because they threw down an outstanding time of 9:28.22 which just got by Penn State who ran 9:28.36. The Georgetown anchor, Amos Bartelsmeyer, was pretty clutch in the final straightaway and was able to take back the lead from Creese to steal the win. Bartelsmyer got the baton around 5:26 in, so he split around a 4:02. Robbie Creese must’ve had an outstanding split because they were roughly 35 to 40 meters down after a poor exchange. I’m guessing a 4-flat or maybe even a 3:59 split from him.

I will say that I didn’t expect such a great performance from Penn State. Watkins had a rough day after taking it out a little too fast and got them behind. If they clean that area up Penn State could surprise a lot of people. Not only that, but Kidder split a 2:51 in the 1200! The 1200 is crucial for any DMR that wants to compete at the top and Kidder will no doubt get Penn State in the mix whenever they run that top squad again. I don’t want to discredit Villanova either. They ran a great race and it was an off day for the anchor Dusty Solis who just simply couldn’t stick around towards the end.

*Side note- I believe Caleb Gatchell will be doing a post on the DMR so look out for that in the future!

U Washington

800

Racing against professionals can surely be intimidating. That is, unless your Shaquille Walker from BYU. He runs an outstanding time of 1:47.40 and adds another great time to the list of 800’s run this season. It will be interesting to see how he mixes in with the top competitors in the field and what he’ll be able to do come March. He certainly can’t be ruled out of title talks at this point but may need to do some more to really show me if I could consider himupsetting McBride.

Izaic Yorks of Washington was the next collegiate finisher in the race running 1:49.87.

Mile

The mile was a bit crazy as most of it centered on the pro’sthat were there. BUT! Mathew Clowes (Concordia) of the NAIA division runs sub 4! Nice to see a division that gets such little attention finally get some love. Like I mentioned with Windle, he’s not in division one but deserves some credit.

Trying to pick around the rest of the field is tough when you’re not trying to include the pro’s. However, it seems that there were a slew of guys right in the 4-flat mark. The names are listed below…

Thomas Riva- 4:00.06  

Mike Tate- 4:00.53  

Colby Gilbert- 4:00.62

Willie Milam- 4:01.67

3000

If I’m Sam Stabler right now, I’m pumped. The Lamar Cardinal comes out to not only run with the big boys, but beat most of them too. Stabler clocked a 7:53.98. That time is legit and he should be feeling good about his chances as the season progresses. He was the top collegiate finisher (second behind Bumbalough). Behind Stabler were some more impressive times. Patrick Corona runs 7:55.01 and Kevin Lewis of Iowa runs 7:57.50. It doesn’t hurt that there was a field of professional runners who probably kept the pace honest. Especially when Bumbalough is in the field. He likes to keep the pace pushed. Corona can probably slip into the NCAA field with that time. Lewis might be on the cusp. Nonetheless, those are great times and they should be happy with it.

5000

BYU not only takes the 800, but the 5k as well. Jason Witt sets a meet record running 13:42.08! He essentially ran itall alone which is even more impressive. He can definitely break up the Oregon squad that will go after the 5k. The real question becomes, “How close can he get to Jenkins?”.Jenkins is my favorite but if Witt can hang around long enough it could at least get interesting.

Witt led the 1-2-3 BYU finish with teammates Steve Flint and Spencer Hanson running 14:11.33 and 14:13.15 respectively.

BU Terrier Invite

800

Some pretty solid marks here with three guys going sub 1:50. Paul Duffey of Northeastern grabs the win in 1:48.02. Nice time and great win, but he’ll need to find another gear if he really wants to compete with the top guys in the 800 field this year. Drew Piazza was close behind in 1:48.53. Maybe he can get into that 800 field. There are so many guys at 1:48.xx that no one is safe. Look for him to make another go at the 800 before the deadline is up. NathanKiley (UVA ) grabs third in 1:49.29.

1000

NED WILLIG! Yeah I know I’m super biased but hey who’s not? Ned Willig (Brown) steals the win away from Joe Gioiello of Iowa State (ran unattached) with a quick time of 2:21.60. Gioiello settled for second with 2:21.66. It’s great to see Ned doing so well after struggling with some injuries this past fall. He’s made some huge improvements since then and he’s only going to get healthier and better. He’s looking to run the mile soon which I think is an interesting choice. I would’ve thought we see him try out an 800. Gioielli should consider the 800 as well. I just want to see how low he can go.

Mile

Mike Marsella (UVA) just edges out Steve Mangan* to add his name to the sub-4 runners this season. He won in 3:59.97. Mangan was close behind in 4:00.19. I’d really like to see how this race played out. I’m guessing it went out somewhat slower and ended up as a “sit and kick” type race considering there were eight guys within three seconds. I’d like to see Kyle King (UVA) run another mile. I think he can get into the field and even be competitive. He might also be considering the 3k. UVA has some pieces for what could potentially be a very good DMR.

*Mangan ran under BAA? I’m guessing he’s pro now? He went to Dartmouth so I’m not really sure what’s up there

3000

Kind of a weird race. Most of the top guys were pro’s and I have no idea where “Universite Laval” is and if they are even d1 so…The top collegiate finishers were Curtis King and Joey Chapin of Dartmouth. They went 8:01.27 and 8:01.46 respectively. Not bad but they’ll definitely need a faster time to get into NCAA’s.

5000

Kevin Thomas (Boston U.) wins the event in 14:00.53. The next collegiate finisher was Thomas Madden of UVA in 14:02.17. Not bad times and a great win for Kevin Thomas. That time might be able to sneak into NCAA’s but it’ll be really close. They may have to make another go at the 5k.

Armory Track Invite

Collegiate races

800

Dylan Capwell of Monmouth wins in 1:49.96. He’ll need to drop more time if wants to get into NCAA’s. I think it’ll probably take 1:48low and I’m not so sure he’ll be able to get it.

Mile

The freshman from Wisconsin takes a solid win with a 4:03.81. It won’t make NCAA’s, but look for him to be a future stud.

PA alum Ben Ritz ran 4:06. That got him fifth place.  Another PA alum, Jim Belfatto ran 4:14 for tenth.

3000

Wisconsin takes another win with sophomore MalachySchrobilgen running a great time of 7:59.08. Not quite sure if that will get him into NCAA’s, but if he can get into a faster race then I think he has a great shot at making it.

4x800

What an odd race to have indoors. Mainly because there is no 4x800 at nationals. With that said, we were able to get some splits including an outstanding split from last year’s 800 champ Brandon McBride! He split 1:47.60 which I’m honestly not all that surprised about. He’s clearly ready to unleash something soon and I’m really looking forward to it. PA alum also had some excellent splits as well. Kyle Francis (Duke) split 1:53.27 while high school rival Jeff Wiseman (Penn) split 1:51.68. Nice times from both of these guys and hopefully they only improve going into the future. PA alums Jack Huemmler (Penn) and Ben Ritz (Columbia) split 1:55.85 and 1:56.87.

Duke won in 7:31.86. Miss. State ran 7:33.05 for second.

Invite races

Mile

I was very happy to see Tommy Awad of Penn make an appearance. I mentioned how he could be in the mile earlier last week and sure enough he showed up! He was the top collegiate finisher running 4:00.20. That could probably get into NCAA’s but he may want to take another shot at it just to be safe.

DMR

Columbia ran 9:35.02 to beat out Duke (9:36.47), Ole Miss (9:40.51), and Princeton (9:41.58). I’m a little disappointed in Mississippi. They had some solid depth and I mentioned earlier last week how I thought they could run a solid time. 9:41 isn’t bad at all, but with a fast field of pro’s you’d think they cling onto the faster pace and take advantage of it. It looks like Columbia and Duke will run the DMR at nationals. PA alum Nate McClafferty runs a BIG 1200 leg in 2:52.05. I’m really hoping he can get into the NCAA mile field. He’s been putting together excellent races and isreally close to his big break.

Side note- McBride also crushed the 500 and won by a full second. It may not seem like a lot, but in the sprinting world that’s quite a bit. He won in 1:01.40.

Razorback Invite

800

Very interesting race. Ryan Schulle (Florida) had his big race of the season running 1:47.89. That’s a great indicator that he can still mix it up and contend with McBride andAmankwah (Alabama). Rono of Arkansas had a bit of a rougher race as he settled for third while his teammate Ryan Thomas took second in 1:49.20 (Rono was 1:49.35). I believe Rono will stay qualified, but he’ll need to take some time and regroup if he wants to be competitive like he usually is.

PA alum Luke Lefebure runs 1:49.82 but finishes seventh. I’m not too worried considering he finished sixth during outdoor nationals last year but he’s got to get it together before the deadline appears.

Mile

Vegard Oelstad of Oklahoma State comes in first with a 4:01.55. A great win against a decent field, but like I’ve mentioned, he’ll need to run faster if he wants to make the cutoff. Jacob Burcham of Oklahoma ran 4:02.45 for second.

PA alum Tom Coyle (Stanford) was forth with a 4:04.39. That’s great to see and hopefully he continues to improve.As his career progresses I think he can be a sub-4 miler barring injury (knock on wood).

3000

Wow. Brilliant race and awesome times. Five guys went under eight minutes with Marc Scott beating out the field for the win. He runs 7:55.37 and Chad Noelle finished second in 7:56.76. Great times and those should be able to get into nationals. Noelle is a great runner and if the field is right at NCAA’s, he can mix it up and be competitive.

5000

Tim Rackers (Tulsa) wins the event in 14:11.28. Get him in the right race and he could possibly push sub-14.

DMR

I was not expecting a race this deep. Five squads went under 9:35 with Oklahoma State leading the charge running a 9:30.65. They beat out the second place Stanford Cardinals (9:32.08). Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Iowa State rounded out the pack going 3-4-5. It’s tough to say who split what and I’m kind of bummed there’s no video of it. I’d at least like to know who the legs were. Nonetheless, the DMR is shaping up to be an exciting event like usual and Oklahoma St. just put themselves in the title conversation.

Hilton Garden and Camel City

Mile

I’ll try no to let my bias get too much of me, but my Virginia Tech Hokies did a heck of a job. In the elite race, Patrick Joseph took the top collegiate spot with a 4:00.47. The guy is a great miler and was one of the World Championship junior qualifiers last year. I’m really hoping that time holds for him to get into NCAA’s. He a great tactician and could surprise some people if he’s able to make the trip to Fayetteville. The second collegiate spot went to Kyle Graves of Wake Forest running 4:02.71 and Neil Gourley of Virginia Tech was behind him running 4:04.06.

3000

Another excellent race. Thomas Curtin won the event in the 7:56.10. He’s from (take a guess) Virginia Tech. He ran 4:09 back in early January and I knew from there that hehad something special. He’s a grind it out type of guy and hopefully that can make him dangerous at NCAA’s.

New Mexico Invite

Mile

The champion has returned! Anthony Rotich makes his season debut with a 4:02.75 victory. He beat out LaneWerley (UCLA) who ran 4:05.84. I’m assuming it was a tactical race considering the way the times were spread out, but it’s a good win for Rotich to have. Clearly, he’ll have to race faster for him to get back to NCAA’s but I’m positive he’ll be able to get the time.

3000

The times weren’t all that fast. However, New Mexico went 1-2-3-4. Adam Bitchell won it running 8:11.64. None of the times were especially fast, but just an interesting result.

It’s been an insane weekend and we still have a full month left until the March 3rd deadline. Please let me hear any of your thoughts, criticism, or predictions. I’m always happy to talk track!

Run on,

Garrett