The Rematch: McBride vs. Kemboi

Glancing at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championship entries, two names sit at the top of the men’s list: Brandon McBride and Edward Kemboi. Both are NCAA Champion material, they’ve won this before. McBride took indoor and outdoor titles in 2014, while Iowa State’s Kemboi dethroned the Mississippi State junior this winter to win the indoor title with a monster last lap.



So can anybody touch McBride or Kemboi? Yes. With the right race.

A pair of sophomores could stir up trouble. Monmouth’s Dylan Capwell has been relatively quiet this outdoor season, running in several relays with minimal open 800s. However he’s an excellent racer, evidenced by finishing second indoors, and in both of his rounds in the prelims. Akron’s Clayton Murphy finished third indoors and has more strength on his side. He ran 3:40 in the 1500m this spring, taking home MAC Championship titles in the 1500m and 800m and also ran a leg on the Akron 4x400 throughout the year. Murphy and Capwell have bright futures, but can they catch the reigning 1-2 punch?

Two of the fastest during the regular season could become first-time NCAA Champions in Eugene. Penn State’s Brannon Kidder and BYU’s Shaquielle Walker ran 1:45.58 and 1:45.78, respectively, this spring But they don’t quite have the resume of the names above. Kidder made the NCAA mile final this year but only finished seventh (However that was after a leg on the DMR the evening before). Walker did not advance to the indoor 800m final. Both look like different athletes this outdoor season, though, with Kidder winning the Big Ten title and Walker sharpening up his 400m speed on BYU’s 4x4.

Our dark horse picks? The Pac-12 threats of Arizona’s Collins Kibet and Washington State’s Jesse Jorgensen. Jorgensen has dropped nearly two-seconds this outdoor season and was the surprise winner at the Pac-12 Championships. Kibet is only in his second year of competitive running and ran times of 1:46 and 3:43 this spring, indicating his fitness. But how well will he race at his first NCAA Championship?

Natoya Goule Goes For Fourth Title

The obvious choice for the women’s 800m at the NCAA Championships is Clemson’s Natoya Goule. Right? Probably. After sitting out in 2014 after her transfer from LSU, Goule obliterated the indoor competition, running 2:01.64, the No. 3 all-time indoor mark by any NCAA athlete. She’s been stomping on the competition this outdoor season, as well, running 52.57 for 400m and 2:01.32 for 800m. So it doesn’t appear that Goule has been slowing down at all this season, it’s just that everybody else is running really, really fast.


Natoya Goule en route to winning her second NCAA indoor 800m crown

Six ladies other than Goule ran under 2:02 this outdoor season. Two of them, Shelby Houlihan and Natalja Piliusina, are running the 1500m at the outdoor championships. That leaves four very different ladies to keep an eye on. Arkansas’ Chrishuna Williams is having the season of her career after moving up from the 400m to a full-time 800m runner. Her 2:01.61 from Payton Jordan was against Maggie Vessey, and Williams looked like a seasoned veteran in the event while doing so.

Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers is arguably the fastest freshman in the NCAA. Rogers shocked the world by winning the Pac-12 Championship in a huge PB of 2:01.67. She looked like an experienced All American during the NCAA West Prelims, winning both of her sections by leading from the gun. If she runs the way she did in Austin, Texas, Rogers will be right up there with Goule in an aggressive opening 400m.

Hanna Green of Virginia Tech and Claudia Saunders of Stanford have All American honors to their name and impressive performances under their belts. Saunders was runner-up to Laura Roesler last outdoors, while Green finished fifth indoors. Their nearly identical times this spring (2:01.72 for Green, 2:01.79 for Saunders) make them absolutes for top-5 potential.

Two Oklahoma State Cowgirls could crash everybody’s party, though. Sophomores Kaela Edwards and Savannah Camacho went 2-3 at the 2014 Indoor Championships, shocking everyone during their freshman campaign. Edwards is having a solid 2015, finishing runner-up to Goule indoors and quite possibly having the deadliest kick in the NCAA. Camacho took a bit of a hiatus but is back, winning the Big 12 800m title and finishing just behind Edwards at the West Prelims. When together, these two are dangerous and could surprise the favorites. My bet is on Edwards, who moved from sixth to second in the final 200m at the indoor championships.