Bored at work so..
Lets say we took the the last 10 ncaa mid-d/distance champions and made them race eachother championship style in their respective events. Who do you think comes out on top and why?
800m out
2010 Andrew Wheating Oregon 1:45.69
2011 Robby Andrews Virginia 1:44.71
2012 Charles Jock UC Irvine 1:45.59
2013 Elijah Greer Oregon 1:46.58
2014 Brandon McBride Miss. St. 1:46.26
2015 Edward Kemboi Iowa St. 1:49.26
2016 Donovan Brazier Texas A&M 1:43.55
2017 Emmanuel Korir UTEP 1:45.03
2018 Isaiah Harris Penn. St. 1:44.76
2019 Bryce Hoppel Kansas 1:44.71
Shouldn't even list everyone lol. but this is the only event with no repeat champions over the last 10 champions(excluding wheating who starts the liston a repeat title) It is too straight forward. in any race no matter the style.2016 Murphy would most likely outkick everyone. including Andrews who was my favorite runner for most of the 2010s. Lets say they are racing though. Charles Jock, and Brandon Mcbride rabbit everyone through 400m. Brazier chills behind him with Murphy, Hoppel in tow
1. Murphy
2. Brazier
3. Hoppel hoppel over andrews becaue he did better than him at worlds that same year he won
4. Andrews
5. Wheating
Indoor
2011 Fred Samoei Alabama 1:48.33
2012 Mason McHenry Arizona St. 1:47.96
2013 Elijah Greer Oregon 1:47.13
2014 Brandon McBride Mississippi St. 1:48.17
2015 Edward Kemboi Iowa St. 1:46.05
2016 Clayton Murphy Akron 1:46.68
2017 Emmanuel Korir UTEP 1:47.48
2018 Michael Saruni UTEP 1:45.15
2019 Bryce Hoppel Kansas 1:46.46
2021 Charlie Hunter Oregon 1:45.90
1. Murphy
2. Hoppel
3.Hunter
4. Kemboi
5. Mcbride
Indoor Mile
2010 Lee Emanuel New Mexico 3:59.26
2011 Miles Batty BYU 3:59.49
2012 Chris O’Hare Tulsa 4:01.66
2013 Lawi Lalang Arizona 3:54.74
2014 Anthony Rotich UTEP 4:02.54
2015 Edward Cheserek Oregon 3:57.94
2016 Henry Wynne Virginia 4:06.63
2017 Josh Kerr New Mexico 4:03.22
2018 Josh Kerr New Mexico 3:57.02
2019 Geordie Beamish Northern Ariz. 4:07.69
2021 Cole Hocker Oregon 3:53.71
- Hocker Followed by all the previous record holders lol He would be able to beat them in any kind of race basically.
1. Hocker
2. Kerr
3. Cheserek
4. Lalang
5.Batty
1500m
2010 Andrew Wheating Oregon 3:47.94
2011 Matthew Centrowitz Oregon 3:42.54
2012 Andrew Bayer Indiana 3:43.82
2013 Mac Fleet Oregon 3:50.25
2014 Mac Fleet Oregon 3:39.09
2015 Chad Noelle Oklahoma State 3:54.96
2016 Clayton Murphy Akron 3:36.38
2017 Josh Kerr New Mexico 3:43.03
2018 Oliver Hoare Wisconsin 3:44.77
2019 Yared Nuguse Notre Dame 3:41.39
2020 Not held - -
2021 Cole Hocker Oregon 3:35.35
- going to make people mad with this one no matter what I pick.
Argument for Wheating
-he was a double 8-mile/1500 champ indoor and out ran 1:44 and 3:30 that same year.
Argument for Centrowitz
- His championship racing. Bronze at worlds behind Kiprop(3:26 guy eventually) and Kiplagat(3:27 guy eventually) The medal he got that same year which none of the other guys on this list earned. he did run 3:34 that year
Argument for Hocker
- 13:18, 7:46, 3:31, 1:46 Ncaa mile, 3k champ. US champ, 6th at olympics
Argument for Murphy
- Also ran 1:42.9 and Bronze behind the GOAT Rudisha at 800m. US title at 800m as well
I say this plays out as a 3:35 race. Coming down to the final 100m we would have wheating in lane 1 with Centro tucked in between lane 1/2. Murphy comes from behind in Lane 3 and smoothly takes the win while making it look easy and Hocker sneaks in to TIE Centro in lane 4 as he would sit behind all of these guys most likely boxed in with Kerr, hoare, and Nuguse while Centro would have had optimal positioning over the final lap. I really do want to give Nuguse the edge over Kerr/Hoare in this type of race but out of those 3 guys Kerr obviously is the best 1500 runner for his championship year. Nuguse in 2021 is a different story. I give wheating 4th because we have somewhat seen how he fares against guys with that x factor kind of kick like Robby Andrews and because Centro beat him a year later. This is the only time I will try to use something from another year to place someone.
1. Murphy
2. Hocker - Centro TIE
4. Wheating
5. Kerr
Indoor 3000m
2021 Cole Hocker Oregon 7:46.15
2019 Morgan McDonald Wisconsin 7:52.85
2018 Andy Trouard Northern Arizona 8:04.94
2017 Edward Cheserek Oregon 7:55.91
2016 Edward Cheserek University of Oregon 8:00.40
2015 Eric Jenkins Oregon 7:58.81
2014 Edward Cheserek Oregon 8:11.59
2013 Lawi Lalang Arizona 7:45.91
2012 Lawi Lalang Arizona 7:46.65
2011 Elliot heath 8:03.70
2008 Kyle Alcorn, Arizona St., 8:00.82
2009 Galen Rupp, Oregon, 7:48.94
2010 Dorian Ulrey, Arkansas, 8:10.52
- My favorite event. Comes down to Jenkins, Hocker, Cheserek, and Lalang. I still feel as thought Lalang would make it work but I know the recently biased Hocker fans will not agree with that. Lalang had 3:33 1500 speed and 13:00 endurance in 2013. Ches Closed races in 24.x . I simply think Mcdonald was a better kicker than Jenkins and I would use that to put him above Jenkins who did beat a strong Version of cheserek.
1. Lalang
2. Cheserek
3. Hocker
4. Mcdonald
5. Jenkins
5000m
2009 Galen Rupp Oregon 14:04.12
2010 David McNeill Australia Northern Arizona 13:44.81
2011 Sam Chelanga Liberty 13:29.30
2012 Cameron Levins Canada Southern Utah 13:40.05
2013 Lawi Lalang Kenya Arizona 13:35.19
2014 Lawi Lalang Kenya Arizona 13:18.36
2015 Edward Cheserek Kenya Oregon 13:48.67
2016 Edward Cheserek Oregon 13:25.59
2017 Grant Fisher Stanford 14:35.60
2018 Sean McGorty Stanford 13:54.81
2019 Morgan McDonald Australia Wisconsin 14:06.01
2021 Cooper Teare 13:12
- This one is very straightfoward for the top 3. Then it gets very competitive. Rupp and Mcdonald show excellence from indoors and Xc as well so that will have to be what sets them apart from fisher/Mcgorty Although If Levins is there with 400 to go I only see Cheserek beating him.
1. Lalang
2. Teare
3. Cheserek
4. Rupp
5. Mcdonald
* Levins can replace rupp or mcdonald
INDOOR 5000
2009 Galen Rupp Oregon 13:41.45
2010 David McNeill Northern Ariz. 13:36.41
2011 Leonard Korir Iona 13:26.01
2012 Lawi Lalang Arizona 13:25.11
2013 Kennedy Kithuka Texas Tech 13:25.38
2014 Edward Cheserek Oregon 13:46.67
2015 Eric Jenkins Oregon 13:48.36
2016 Edward Cheserek Oregon 13:47.89
2017 Edward Cheserek Oregon 13:41.20
2018 Justyn Knight Syracuse 14:14.47
2019 Morgan McDonlad Wisconsin 13:41.76
2021 Wesley Kiptoo Iowa St. 13:23.77
- The real question is would everyone hang back with Cheserek or go out with Kiptoo lol. I can only see one other runner being able to handle the strengths of those two racing styles and that is Lalang. He also had confirmed 13:08 strngth his championship year
1. Lalang
2. Cheserek
3. Jenkins
4. Kiptoo
5. knight/mcdonald not sure who but they both have great kicks and tactics
10k
2009 Galen Rupp Oregon 28:21.45
2010 Sam Chelanga Liberty 28:37.40
2011 Leonard Korir Iona 28:07.63
2012 Cameron Levins Canada Southern Utah 28:07.14
2013 Lawi Lalang Arizona 29:29.65
2014 Edward Cheserek Oregon 28:30.18
2015 Edward Cheserek Oregon 28:58.92
2016 Edward Cheserek Oregon 29:09.57
2017 Marc Scott Tulsa 29:01.54
2018 Ben Flanagan Michigan 28:34.53
2019 Clayton Young Brigham Young 29:16.60
2021 Patrick Dever Tulsa 27:41.87
- This one might be the hardest to guess because I feel like ncaa 10k's are run differently everytime. I do believe in a fast race the only guys that would still have kick are Rupp, Ches, and Levins and maybe Chelanga He closed pretty well in his 27:08. but he did run that and beat rupp. I know Cheserek didn't do many time trial races in college so I am trying not to undervalue him or overvalue him. but he was most likely worth 27:4x and 13:0x in college for a year or two Which you could kind of make the same argument here for Lalang as well and Lalang regularly beat Korir if I remember correctly.. All that being said I am still leaning towards Chelanga ftw
1.Chelanga
2.Levins
3.Rupp
4.Ches
5.Lalang
Cross Country
2008 Galen Rupp (Oregon) 29:03.2
2009 Sam Chelanga (Liberty) 28:41.3
2010 Sam Chelanga (Liberty) 29:22.2
2011 Lawi Lalang (Arizona) 28:44.1
2012 Kennedy Kithuka (Texas Tech) 28:31.3
2013 Edward Cheserek (Oregon) 29:41.1
2014 Edward Cheserek (Oregon) 30:19.4
2015 Edward Cheserek (Oregon) 28:45.8
2016 Patrick Tiernan (Villanova) 29:22.0
2017 Justyn Knight (Syracuse) 29:00.2
2018 Morgan McDonald (Wisconsin) 29:08.3
2019 Edwin Kurgat (Iowa State) 30:32.7
2020 Conner Mantz (BYU) 29:26.1
2021 Conner Mantz (BYU) 28:33.1
- Sam Chelanga or Cheserek. Mostly leaning towards Chelanga due to 27:09 strength. But no runner ever(exceptMo Farah probably) had more of a fear factor on display than Edward Cheserek in 2014.
I would say this race plays out with Chelanga, Pat Tiernan and Kithuka going hard from the gun with Mantz, Lalang, Knight, Mcdonald, and Cheserek in chase pack. From their individual wins I truly believe Chelanga would most likely blow that front pack up due to racing styles and Cheserek/Lalang wouldn't be too far to make a strike for the win Especially at like a Terre Haute course. and yes I think Mantz would Implode trying to trade blows with Chelanga if you think he would go out with the leaders.
top5:
1.Chelanga
2.Cheserek
3.Lalang
4.Knight
5.Mcdonald
* Mantz could be 2nd or he could be 7th. Very hard to rank him