It's 2021 NCAA T&F Week. Official 800 and 1500 Discussion Thread. Who you got - Nuguse or Hocker?

Exactly don't sleep on Kipsang. I just don't see Hocker running 3:34-3:35

I'm gonna pick:

1. Yared Nuguse, Notre Dame

2. Al Kipsang, Alabama

3. Cole Hocker, Oregon

4. Mario Garcia Rono, Mississippi

5. Sam Tanner, Washington

6. Tallum Franco, BYU

7. Walleed Sulliman, Mississippi

8. Jack Salsbury, G'Town

I'd like to see Reed Brown crack the top 8 but it's gonna be close.

I think Tanner will also be in the mix and I don't think he's out of the realm of a contender. He's probably been dialing it back most of the season.

I’m betting on Rojo

Ok7272 wrote:

Exactly don't sleep on Kipsang. I just don't see Hocker running 3:34-3:35

I'm gonna pick:

1. Yared Nuguse, Notre Dame

2. Al Kipsang, Alabama

3. Cole Hocker, Oregon

4. Mario Garcia Rono, Mississippi

5. Sam Tanner, Washington

6. Tallum Franco, BYU

7. Walleed Sulliman, Mississippi

8. Jack Salsbury, G'Town

I'd like to see Reed Brown crack the top 8 but it's gonna be close.

I think Tanner will also be in the mix and I don't think he's out of the realm of a contender. He's probably been dialing it back most of the season.

Based on your list I'd go like this:

1. Nuguse

2. Hocker

3. Kipsang

4. Suliman

5. Franco

6. Salisbury

7. Garcia Romo

8. Tanner

Tanner hasn't looked good since his 3:34 5 months ago. He barely qualified for NCAAs.

Actually hold on I'm putting a sleeper pick in here for 3rd:

1. Nuguse

2. Hocker

3. Ryan

4. Kipsang

5. Suliman

6. Franco

7. Salisbury

8. Garcia Romo

9. Tanner

Paul Ryan looked very calm navigating the rounds, looked great at PAC12s. Everything could come together for him here.

Not in the mood to predict a guy who has the same name as a politician i don't much care for, but i predict races based on weird things.

Is there any chance that Adam Fogg of Drake gets in there?

Gault's nice piece has a little work left for the editors:

"(although sum insist it’s that training has been changed by Covid)."

Tanner might not even qualify to the finals. I don’t have any confidence in his kick. Every race I’ve watched of him this outdoor season, he’s always tied up the last 100m.

really Nuguse should be the betting favorite, as he's peaking, as the best record by far in college.

Tanner lost the edge, but they'll be sharpening, and his coach may have took for granted that he'd qualify easily and trained through the last meet somewhat.

Hocker however is the phenom, and if he sharpens and is not on the down slope of his season,

then he's my pick, the 146 in the 800, with his A game tells the tale.

so Hocker, Nuguse, and Tanner 1-2-3

with 3rd place super wide open.

regarding Tanner's kick,

well he's just moved into this league, and you can't really kick when you're just hanging in with a challenging pace.

so he won't be kicking like crazy in any 335 race this season.

basically, the way 1500 in the champs go, is you have to have aerobic ability to have lots in the tank come the bell lap.

at the bell, it does not matter if you are a 46 or 49 400m guy, you just have to be in the right position, and deliver a running start 51, and you're in the money.

look at the 1500 in 1976, where 49.0 or 48 high 400m ability Walker took out two 46 400m tguys in wolhuter and van damme, in a slow race.

the last 300m pace, is pretty much the same pace all 1500m super champs close in.

Hocker is winning.

Kipsang is a definite contender. Hocker has shown the ability to run 3:33 (3:50i) and a great kick, but hard to go against Nuguse, who soloed 3:34.68 and has a great championship record. I'll take:

1. Nuguse

2. Hocker

3. Kipsang

xczvzxcv wrote:

Kipsang is a definite contender. Hocker has shown the ability to run 3:33 (3:50i) and a great kick, but hard to go against Nuguse, who soloed 3:34.68 and has a great championship record. I'll take:

1. Nuguse

2. Hocker

3. Kipsang

This ^

It's going to be just a tiny bit too fast for Hocker to close.

Fogg got fourth at indoors, so I have a hard time not seeing him as a factor come the final. Doesn't have the PR of some of the other guys, but still

longjack wrote:

regarding Tanner's kick,

well he's just moved into this league, and you can't really kick when you're just hanging in with a challenging pace.

so he won't be kicking like crazy in any 335 race this season.

basically, the way 1500 in the champs go, is you have to have aerobic ability to have lots in the tank come the bell lap.

at the bell, it does not matter if you are a 46 or 49 400m guy, you just have to be in the right position, and deliver a running start 51, and you're in the money.

look at the 1500 in 1976, where 49.0 or 48 high 400m ability Walker took out two 46 400m tguys in wolhuter and van damme, in a slow race.

the last 300m pace, is pretty much the same pace all 1500m super champs close in.

I agree, the set up is key. Nuguse or Hocker, who is more likely to be in the right position when the time comes to run hard? I am betting on Hocker, but not for any good reason other than Pac-12 fandom.

rojo wrote:

Our men's mid-d preview is now up. Historians, where does the Hocker vs Nuguse matchup rank in terms of most anticipated NCAA matchups. Jonathan Gault wants to know.

Also don't sleep on Kipsang.

JGault wrote:

"The race for the NCAA title will likely come down to Nuguse vs. Hocker. And man, what a race it should be. This is easily the most excited I've been for an NCAA 1500 since I started following the sport, and I can't imagine there have been many more-anticipated 1500 matchups in the 101-year history of the meet (Jim Ryun vs. Marty Liquori in 1969 would be one. Any others? Let me know.)"

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https://www.letsrun.com/news/2021/06/2021-ncaa-outdoor-mens-800-1500-preview-two-loaded-races-headlined-by-nuguse-v-hocker/

How about the 1984 ncaa 800m final, track and field news world ranked #1 vs. #3, with Cruz doubling back after winning the 15 over osullivan. The guys who finished 1-2-6 finished 1-3-6 in the Olympics a few months later. Wild!

Hole Cocker gonna win!

I predict Kip takes it out in 1:51 and all hell breaks loose.

Jack Salisbury will win if the race goes 3:40-3:44. If faster he will still be top 3. Just getting this prediction in so you can refer to it later.

marthas donuts wrote:

I predict Kip takes it out in 1:51 and all hell breaks loose.

This is the best possible outcome. Please let this happen.