The Weekend Review: Georgetown Put's 4 Under 4; Mile Field Begins To Heat Up

By: Garrett Zatlin

Although this weekend was  as fast, there was still plenty of exciting action to take note of. As usual, the PA Alumni section is at the bottom.

Finally, be on the lookout for a 'Mid-Season Breakdown' type post during this week.

Scarlet and White Invite
800
Georgetown's freshman Spencer Brown was the top collegiate posting a time of 1:50.24 while Harvard's Jonas Aranda was the second collegiate through the line with a time of 1:50.82.

1000
Joe Gioielli (Central Connecticut) put another solid 1k on his resume. He ran 2:23 to get the win by over three seconds.

Mile
The event of the week had to be the Georgetown Four who all ran under 4 minutes for the mile. Ahmed Bile led the pack winning in a time of 3:57.84 which barely edged his teammate Cole Williams who was 3:57.88. Junior's Amos Bartelsmeyer and Michael Lederhouse ran 3:58.22 and 3:58.42 respectively.

Georgetown seems to be in the spot they were last year with a slew of guys under 4 minutes (as well as 1:50). They have a lot of options now with these mile times and the DMR. I will also say that I was pleasantly surprised with Cole Williams. It's one thing to break four minutes, but it's another thing to run 3:57 and nearly beat Ahmed Bile. I'll be eager to see him race in the future.

Right now, those four hold the spots six through nine in the national mile field currently. It's tough to say if they will make it, but my gut says they will.

While Georgetown was getting all the spotlight, Alex Seal of Boston U. finished another excellent mile placing fifth with a time of 4:01. That is the second week in a row that the true freshman has run a 4:01. Clearly, he's the real deal. I would love to see him break four, and I think he might have one more good shot at it.

Navy vs Army Meet
Stephen Schroder completes the two-win double running 2:26 (1k) and 4:08 (mile). It seems like he was more focused on just getting the work in and prepping for another hard run at the mile later in the season.

Villanova Invite
800
Elliot Slade (Villanova) got a nice win over his teammate Josh Lampron with a time of 1:49.90. Lampron's time was 1:51.22.

In third place was PA alum Elias Graca who improved on his season best last week running a time of 1:51.44. The man continues to improve and lead this Penn 800 squad.

Mile
In the mile we saw Penn's Christ Hatler get the win with a very nice time of 4:03. He's been running better and better with each passing week. Watch out for him come outdoors.

A couple spots behind Hatler was Villanova freshman Logan Wetzel who ran 4:05. Obviously he's redshirting this season, but watch out for Wetzel next year where he could tear apart the competition.

3000
PA alum Casey Comber wasn't the winner, but the Villanova redshirt freshman ran a killer 8:18. His XC season was impressive and this 8:18 shows that it was no fluke. Just think that this kid still has four full years left...

*see more in PA alumni section

Meyo Invitational
800
Daniel Kuhn of Indiana continues to impress me with his consistent times and wins. Kuhn took home his fourth open win of the season with a time of 1:48.41. While Kuhn has stuck around that 1:48 spot, it's important to note that he hasn't finished lower than second in any of his races this year (and Indiana races a lot).

Behind Kuhn was Peter Archibald of Loyola Illinois who ran 1:48.90. Michigan's Brennan Munley got a big PR with a time of 1:48.94. Ethan Barnes of Grand Valley State was fourth running 1:49.51.

Mile
The iconic "Meyo Mile" wasn't as exciting as it usually was. No one broke 4 minutes with three individuals hovering at the 4-flat mark. David Timlin of Indiana State got the dub with a time of 4:00.42. ISU has to be happy that they seemed to have found a guy other Mascari that can compete against the top names in the nation. I'm we'll be seeing Timlin go for the sub-4 mark later this season.

In a close second place was the Michigan senior Mason Ferlic who ran 4:00.50. Less than a step behind Ferlic was Rorey Hunter who settled for a time of a 4:00.82. These top three guys all have the talent to make nationals. However, I think Ferlic and Hunter are in the wrong events and should make an effort at the 3k or 5k.

The top five was rounded out by Indiana's Kyle Duvall and Georgia Tech's Jeremy Greenwald. They ran 4:01.66 and 4:01.85 respectively.

3000
After a rough cross country season filled with letdowns, MJ Erb has begun his comeback process. The Mississippi junior was the top collegiate in the race and ran 8:01 to earn that honor. Illiass Aouani (Lamar) and Ben Flanagan (Michigan) rounded the top three with times of 8:02 and 8:04.

5000
Michigan's Aaron Baumgarten made a statement this past weekend running 14:08 FTW. This 14:08 compliments his 4:08 mile and 8:07 3k very nicely. Unfortunately, Baumgarten is the first man out right now at the 17th spot and more names will most likely push him back from that coveted 16th spot. However, a faster race and some scratches could get this guy into NCAA's.

41st Annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invite
Mile
Former D2 star and current Illinois runner Dylan Lafond is continuing to search for his place on the track. Lafond ran 4:04 to be the top collegiate in the race. While Lafond could have a potential shot at breaking four if he was put in the right race and trained solely for that event, he's probably better off running the 3k where he has an 8-flat season best.

Army Track Invitational (College)
800
Open
Sacha Smart of Toronto is the first collegiate through the line clocking a 1:50.37. However, the top NCAA eligible collegiate (did that make sense? Because Toronto isn't part of the NCAA) was Austin Mudd of Wisconsin who ran 1:50.69.

Invite
Although Robby Andrews got the win, Collins Kibet (Arizona) and Dylan Capwell (Monmouth) finished tied with a time of 1:48.85 (with the placing favoring Kibet). Unfortunately for Kibet, his time won't be good enough to make NCAA's. Capwell has run 1:47 and currently sits as the 10th fastest in the nation. Kibet has put some good races together, but he needs to figure out how he's gonna drop time and get qualified in one of the deepest fields the NCAA has ever seen.

1000
Brandon McBride made his debut and ran 2:23 for the win. However, that was not the storyline. The real story was the news that McBride would not be running at indoor NCAA's this season. In an interview with Flotrack, McBride states that "a lot of [his] weaknesses were shown last year so [he's] got to get used to running from the back".

In all honesty, I don't think that's a terrible idea. The 800 field this year is incredibly deep and trying to be a national contender after being trounced at his last two national championships might be too much pressure for a guy that is trying to get his head back in the game.

Mile
Invite
Remember Morgan McDonald? The first man out of the Great Lakes region this past fall? The guy who essentially carried a disastrous Wisconsin squad throughout all of November? Well he just ran a 3:57 (fourth overall) this past weekend in a loaded field that is filled with top-tier pro's. This is a huge race for McDonald who now has to be a threat in the mile field. You also have to wonder how much faster he can go...

Akron Invite
Mile
Clayton Murphy, what can you not do? The man that has put Akron on the map continues to keep them relevant with a 3:57 mile performance. He won by over four seconds which basically indicates that the field didn't push him too much. With this 3:57 mile, we have to start questioning what he's going to run at NCAA's. Right now Murphy is not even qualified for the 800 so if he is looking for the path of least resistant in regards to a national title, the mile might be more his race. I guess we will have to see, but if I'm Clayton Murphy I'm set on running the mile.

Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup
800
Isaiah Harris was someone that all the writers told me I should watch out for. Despite their praise, I dismissed Harris as someone who was a bit overhyped and didn't have much to prove that he would make a impact in his first year...then he got on the track and proved me completely wrong. After a 1:48 performance at Penn State National (alone), Harris came back this week to run a monster 1:47 and get the win. This kid just doesn't stop and he is on a roll right now. Harris now sits as the fifth best runner in the nation and is currently one of the three freshman qualified for NCAA's in 800. Harris is for real.

Behind Harris was Eric Holt of Binghamton who ran 1:50. He's no Jesse Garn, but it seems like Binghamton doesn't run short of talented half-milers.

Mile
Dawson Connell (William and Mary) barely edged Mark Tedder (Cornell) to get the victory with a 4:03.41. Tedder settled for second with a 4:03.47.

Penn State sophomore's Bobby Hill and Jordan Mankins ran 4:06 and 4:09 respectively.

3000
Omar Hassan (UMBC) had his first solid race of the season with a time of 8:05 for the win. He was followed by PA alumni Ean Disilvio and Colin Abert (both of Penn State). Disilvio ran 8:07 while Abert ran a very impressive 8:13.

Colin Abert is having an incredible season and running times that not many freshman could ever reach. Maybe, just maybe, Colin Abert could be the next PA alum to contend for an All-American spot...or more.

Charlie Thomas Invite
800
Donavan Brazier (Texas A&M) returned made his first race back since dropping an incredible 1:45. While he didn't run as fast, he still got the win and did it with an excellent time of 1:47.80. He beat out his teammate Hector Hernandez who ran 1:48.02. In third place was UTEP's Jonah Koech who made his 800 debut with a time of 1:49.14. Rumors say that Koech had run a 1:46 at altitude at some point in his running career. If that's true, I imagine he'll get another shot at the 800. However, I would like to see him in a 3k where I think he could really thrive.

Of course we can't forget about our PA alumni, John Lewis. The Clemson Tiger finished four in the event and broke 1:50 for the second time this season with a mark of 1:49.93. It's not a PR, but it's good to see Lewis staying consistent.

3000
Dusan Makevic (UTSA) put up another solid performance with an 8:08 PR to get the win.

Doc Hale VT Elite Invite
800
Yes ladies and gentlemen, I was on sight for this meet and it was a fun one to watch. The Wake Forest duo of Simon Holden and Robert Heppenstall ran 1:49.15 and 1:49.51 respectively. WF doesn't typically make much noise indoors, but they are doing quite well (better than last season) and will probably be setting up for a monster spring season. Watch out for them come April, May, and June.

Unfortunately, sub-4 miler and sub-1:50 runner, Patrick Joseph (Virginia Tech), did not have a good race at all falling all the way back to 18th with a time of 1:55. I might be bias considering that he's a Hokie, but I'll give him a pass for this off race. He should be able to run a fast time very soon.

Mile
While I am a huge running nerd and a big fan of the sport, I had never seen a sub-4 mile in person...until this weekend. Virginia Tech's Neil Gourley thrived off of a fast pace (thanks to the pacer) and threw down 3:59 to get the win. It was extremely exciting to watch and it was great to see the crowd get so into it

This is a big time for not just Gourley, but Virginia Tech. With Joseph not running his best yet, Gourley is stepping up and making things interesting. However, we also can't forget about PA alumn Dan Jaskowak (Virginia Tech) who was second in this race with a time of 4:04. This 4:04 came a week after an 8:11 win at the Camel City Elite 3k (open). Jaskowak is in contention for the best PA alumni this season and I'll be eager to see what race he runs next.

3000
This race was also the first sub-8 I've ever seen in person. Tommy Curtin (Virginia Tech) went through the 3k (with the pacer) at 4:14 and continued to grind out a hard pace to get through the line in 7:55. That race was done completely alone and he seemed pretty smooth for the most part (Paul can attest to that). The possibilities of what Curtin could do in a faster field (i.e. NCAA's) could put him under 7:50.

PA ALUMNI SECTION
The results where there was simply too many to type out...
Villanova Invitational Results
Crusader Classic Results
12th Annual Giegengack Invite Results

The more notable PA alum results are mentioned in the recaps above!

800
Andrew Stone (Notre Dame): 26th- 1:53.50 @ Meyo Invitational
Caleb Gatchell (Hillsdale): 4th- 1:56.67 @ Hillsdale Wide-Track Classic
Haneef Hardy (Morgan State): 35th- 1:57.21 @ Army Track Invitational
Will Cather (Penn State): 12th- 1:54.64 @ Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup
Mason Post (Penn State): 15th- 1:55.47 @ Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup
Billy Caldwell (Pittsburgh): 11th- 1:54.62 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite
Andrew Koryak (Pittsburgh): 20th- 1:56.52 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite

1000
Ryan Smathers (Army West Point): 6th- 2:29.80 @ Navy vs Army Meet
Kyle Francis (Duke): 4th- 2:28.19 @ Army Track Invitational
Alec Kunzeweiler (Duke): 7th- 2:28.89 @ Army Track Invitational
James Chappell (Lehigh): 19th- 2:37.02 @ Army Track Invitational

Mile
Ryan Smathers (Army West Point): 4th- 4:15.10 @ Navy vs Army Meet
Alex Moran (Michigan): 35th- 4:11.46 @ Meyo Invitational
Seamus Collins (Cincinnati): 51st- 4:15.63 @ Meyo Invitational
Caleb Gatchell (Hillsdale): 3rd- 4:17.00 @ Hillsdale Wide-Track Classic
Alec Kunzeweiler (Duke): 19th- 4:14.99 @ Army Track Invitational
James Beflatto (American): 16th- 4:21.26 @ Army Track Invitational
Dan Lowry (BAA): 10th- 4:15.66 @ Army Track Invitational
Nico Metzler (Georgia Tech): 15th- 4:17.56 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite
James Hare (Pittsburgh): 25th- 4:22.16 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite


3000
Ryan Mahalsky (District Track Club): 1st- 8:09.66 @ Army Track Invitational
Max Norris (Columbia): 5th- 8:28.78 @ Army Track Invitational
Ryan Cooney (Lehigh): 6th- 8:35.51 @ Army Track Invitational
Seamus Roddy (George Washington): 15th- 8:44.45 @ Army Track Invitational
Sam Hibbs (Liberty): 16th- 8:50.10 @ Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup


5000
Brent Kennedy (Notre Dame): 11th- 14:32.92 @ Meyo Invitational
Patrick Reilly (Lehigh): 5th- 14:33.98 @ Army Track Invitational
Sean Burke (Lehigh): 15th- 15:24.69 @ Army Track Invitational
Alex Archer (Pittsbrugh): 1st- 15:36.20 @ Doc Hale VT Elite Invite