800m

Alex Fox

1) Edward Kemboi

2) Brandon McBride

3) Jesse Garn

4) Ryan Schnulle

5) Ryan Manahan

The picks of Kemboi and McBride coming 1-2 are pretty obvious. Both guys have run sub 1:46, which is really fast. I give Kemboi the edge because he’s run a little better inside in his career, but with how talented these two are, I could see either one of them winning. I have Schnulle coming in fourth after his nice victory at the SEC Conference Championship over the second seed in this race Andres Arroyo. The two surprise picks are Garn and Manahan. Jesse Garn is a of a local hero for me, as he attends Binghamton University, just an hour from my small hometown. In high school, Garn snuck by Za’von Watkins to win a state championship (after finishing third at state quals) and somehow split 1:46 last year without anyone noticing. Well, people are going to notice him after this race. Manahan is another New York guy, hailing from Marcellus. I know I’m picking with my heart, but his 1:47 and 3:58 this season should not be ignored.

etrain:

I know there will probably be other's who feel this is an epic battle between a pair of studs: Edward Kemboi and Brandon McBride. Yeah, that's a joke. Kemboi's good. He was second last year, he's run 1:46.0, he can ball. Sure, sure. But McBride is a winner. That's all he does. He didn't chase anything too crazy this season and still ran under 1:47, cementing his rightful place among the leaders. I'll take McBride and even if he doesn't win, I'll still feel great about everything I just said.

Besides the big two we have some other interesting studs. Andres Arroyo, the man who ran 1:47 in High School, is now a sophomore with a ton more collegiate experience that should be incredibly valuable. His Florida teammate Ryan Schnulle ran awesome last year, coming up huge at NCAAs and that clutchness speaks volumes in my book. Georgetown, the mid-distance breakout stars, has a few 800m men in this event in Ryan Manahan and Joesph White, both of whom could end up as finalists after the prelims.

You see that's half the battle. Who is going to be among that 8 that get through to Day 2? Because once you are in the final, you're guaranteed top 8 and all you need is a good day/a bit of luck to sneak into the fab 5. So with that in mind, here's my 5:

1. Brandon McBride 1:48.12
2. Edward Kemboi 1:48.55
3. Ryan Schnulle 1:49.02
4. Tre'tez Kinniard 1:49.21
5. Andres Arroyo 1:49.35

Caleb Gatchell

NCAA’s is ridiculously competitive across the board this year, but I think the 800 is one of the most intriguing events. We’ve got the returning champion in McBride, Kemboi who always runs fast during the year, but has never got it done at NCAA’s, Andres Arroyo who was a stud in high school and is starting to prove he can roll with the big guns, and three other guys under 1:47. That’s crazy. In the end, I think McBride will take the win. He knows how to get it done on this stage, and I think he will do it again. Behind him I see Kemboi taking second. He’s run really fast this year, almost going under 1:46, and I think he’ll run well at NCAA’s. I’m going to go with Arroyo in 3rd. He’s ridiculously talented, and I think this will be the first of many All-American finishes for him. 4th and 5th is a little tougher, but I’m going to go with Alex Amankwah and Dylan Capwell, in that order. Amankwah has been solid all season, and Capwell seems to be peaking just right.
1:Brandon McBride
2:Edward Kemboi
3:Andres Arroyo
4:Alex Amankwah
5:Dylan Capwell

Garrett Zatlin

5. Shaquille Walker (BYU)- 1:47.04

4. Andres Arroyo (Florida)- 1:46.83

3. Ryan Schnulle (Florida)- 1:46.69

2. Edward Kemboi (Iowa State)- 1:46.52

1. Brandon McBride (Mississippi State)- 1:46.43

Explanation: Am I crazy to leave out three of the six sub 1:47 guys? You bet I am. But Shaquille Walker has been consistent all season. He has shown up at every meet and has caught my eye as someone ready to win. Here’s a fun stat- Shaquille Walker has not lost ANY race that he’s been in this season. Not just the 800 but the 600 and 4x400 as well. Ryan Schnulle now has multiple national championship experience. He has led Arroyos throughout this season and I don’t see why that needs to stop here. Florida takes 3 and 4. Then there is McBride and Kemboi. Some will rant at me that Kemboi will win, others will scoff at the idea of McBride not winning. But when you look at the results and you simply watch how McBride attacks his races, McBride simply can’t lose. His last loss in the 800 was in April of 2014. It will be close and not an easy race, but McBride is going to take the 800m crown.