And sadly the Oregon Duck athletes weren't allowed to talk to the media.

Josh Kerr is so good we might pick him to beat Edward Cheserek if they were racing again this year even though Cheserek ran 3:49 in the mile this winter. *MB: 2018 NCAA mile: If Edward Cheserek were racing Kerr this year, who would you pick? Will Elle Purrier win NCAA title #1?

With the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown, Roy Griak Invitational and several other meets in the books, we give you four takeaways from the first major weekend of action in NCAA cross-country.

With no Kate Avery, the championship picture is wide open. Wisconsin junior Sarah Disanza is the top returner from a year ago but she's far from a shoo-in as she'll be pushed by British import Rhona Auckland (New Mexico) and NCAA track champs Dominique Scott (3k), Rhianwedd Price (1500) and Molly Seidel (10k).

Leah O'Connor will look to be the first woman to repeat in the steeple since Jenny Barringer in 2009. Shelby Houlihan will look to be just the third woman in history to win back-to-back NCAA titles in the 1500. Natoya Goule has won 3 NCAA titles but she faces a LOADED field.

Tabor Stevens, the NCAA XC champ and fastest American collegiate steepler last year, got a big win, so did German Fernandez, and Michael O'Hara got four of them. More track action, coaching advice, and a chance encounter with Geoffrey Kamworor in the airport which reminded us of Paul Tergat and Moses Tanui meeting President Bush.

Alabama's Alex Amankwah won the 800 in 1:45.91 over Ryan Schnulle (1:46.89). Rhianwedd Price took the 1500 in 4:11.67.