The field is set now. This is one of the deepest senior classes in history. The top 3 from last year's finals are back. In fact, 9 of last year's top 16 are back. Throw in a couple serious junior contenders, and you've got the *potential* for the greatest national championship race ever at Balboa Park (see 1985 results below).
To achieve that potential, however, we're going to need some boys to man-up and take on some risk. This can be a race for the ages. Is someone going to try to run the 4:02.02 legs out of Fisher, or the 4:03.23 legs out of Maton? Dressel was the man that went for it last year. He made his move the second time up the big hill, strung everyone out, and fell just a few seconds shy of the win (beating Maton by 9 seconds in the process). But is anyone willing to push the pace earlier? Can they get to the mile under 4:30, continue to push the middle of the race, and put the pressure on the speedsters?
Let's get some detailed predictions going.
------------------------------------------------
The 1985 race produced the still-standing course record (14:36) and had 9 boys under 15:00. Reina went out close to 4:20.
1 14:36 Reuben Reina 12 SO John Jay San Antonio, TX
2 14:41 Mark Mastalir 12 W Jesuit El Dorado Hills, CA
3 14:50 Mark Dani 12 W Valhalla El Cajon, CA
4 14:51 Jonathan Hume 12 MW Green Mountain Lakewood, CO
5 14:52 Robert Henes 12 MW Woodbridge Cuyahoga Falls, OH
6 14:53 Troy Maddux 12 MW Woodland Long Point, IL
7 14:53 Jon Hatley 12 MW West Plains West Plains, MO
8 14:54 Marc Davis 11 W San Diego San Diego, CA
9 14:56 Eric Mastalir 12 W Jesuit El Dorado Hills, CA
10 15:03 Glenn Morgan 12 W Del Norte Albuquerque, NM