I tried to figure out who is putting who in the 4x800m. You can typically tell who is doing this in most cases, though, some were harder this year.
Bethel:
David Huffman - 1:54.09
Dan Wahlstedt - 1:55.83
Haugen - 1:58.37
Hatton - 1:53.5
Maybe: Taylor Huffman - 1:59.9
I struggled with Bethel's here. I know they almost always put Haugen in the 4x800m. But I don't know who they would switch him out for. Taylor Huffman is the likely choice as he has the slowest 800m PR. But he is only entered in the 800m. Perhaps he is there to try and sneak in the final.
Carleton:
Cook-Gallardo - 1:56.51
Withbroe - 1:54.28
Sikes - 1:56.53
Cook-Gallardo - 1:49.01
At first, I wasn't quite sure if Carleton was going to stack it...then slapped myself because that was a stupid thought. They absolutely are. Young Cook to start it off, that way his 400m instincts don't allow him to go out too fast in an attempt to catch people on any other leg. Withbroe to make up any potential ground lost, then Sikes to maintain, and finally Big Dongson to anchor them home.
Macalester :
Hargens - 1:59.68
Chris Bornean - 1:57.37
Gutierrez - 2:01.85
Tayeb Zaidi - 1:55.59
Like Bethel, another tough one here. I would love to say that they put Ebner in this relay, but he is a fragile human being with a legit chance to win the conference 800m. I say they rest him for the final. They have enough potential depth to still do some damage. Hargens to start off in hopes of a slow tactical pace, and because he is historically a 400m/600m guy. So being the first leg holds the same merit as it did for young Cook. Bornean to make up ground, Gutierrez to maintain, Zaidi to try and create the upset win as the anchor.
Gustavus:
Alex Fredrickson - 1:56.10
Sandberg - 1:57.10
Madigan - 1:56.77
Kyle Fredrickson - 1:53.73
This was relatively easy. They are stacking it. Alex Fredrickson to start, as he is consistently good. Madigan as a safe second leg, then Madigan as the wildcard 3rd to try and create some separation if possible, and Kyle Fredrickson to anchor
Olaf:
Eggers - 1:56.75
Henschel - 1:58.67
Bjork - 1:53.15
Coffey - 1:54.67 *His listed PR. Probably faster.
Eggers to start, he's a veteran and is less likely to make any mistakes. Henschel as the second leg in hopes of maintaining the lead, barring he doesn't do anything too silly. Then Bjork to really try and create some separation and give a nice big cushion for Coffey who has some great leg speed and finishes strong, but it's still hard to beat a 1:49 man in Donson. So a lead is necessary.
Hamline:
Jewson - 1:55.85
Gustafson - 1:55.68
Overvig - 1:58.54
Krause - 1:53.87
I feel like Hamline is a very standard, traditional team in terms of relay order. Jewson as the first leg, Gustafson to keep it going, Overvig to maintain, and Krause as the obvious stud anchor.
St. Thomas:
Chris Meuller - 1:58.25
Halbmaier - 1:56.86
Wachter - 1:57.40
Karlson - 1:56.32
Surprise! They are stacking it, too. Not only are they stacking it, they are putting in almost exclusively fresh runners for this. Meuller to lead off because he is a relay veteran. Halbmaier to stretch the field, Wachter to keep the momentum going, and Karlson to finish.
Saint John’s:
Lamb - 1:57.03
Raasch - 1:58.50
Zimmerman - 1:58.66
Bugler - 1:56.08
Like St. Thomas, Saint John's is stacking their relay with fresh runners. They tend to do this and it usually turns out well (have won 4 of the last 5 4x800m). Lamb to lead off as they need their second best 800m runner here to even keep up with the field. Raasch goes here as their third best 800m runner to try and keep up with the pack. Zimmerman is a relay veteran and seems to always run well. Then finally Bugler to anchor. It works out having him here because if they do well, he can go for it. If not, he can cruise to the finish to save his legs for the next day.
Predicted Finish:
Carleton - DCG, that is all you need in a 4x800m.
St. Olaf - They have a gap in the armor with Henschel. They won’t get the separation they need.
Hamline - IT IS THEIR HOME TRACK, I HAVE TO PUT THEM HERE. Plus, they have the talent
Bethel - Solely because of Hatton. Man can close hard.
Gustavus - Close with Bethel. These two teams are interchangeable for me.
St. Thomas - They are fresh, but not enough depth to do any damage to the teams listed above
Saint John’s - Also a fresh team. But, alas, they take the hit here with the lack of a Feichtinger.
Macalister - Their team is honestly still good, but the depth isn’t there.