Men’s US 1500m Final Predictions contest:

I wouldn't call 3:31 pretty tactical. That would be by far the fastest winning time in US Champs history and would essentially be a time trial for everyone but Nuguse.

Um, ever heard of HoltHYSTERIA??!!

So let’s hear your prediction Sebastian

Gotta go with Craig

1. Nuguse

2. Hocker

3. Green

Teare and Kessler (unfortunately) go home devastated

Shocker, I have Nuguse winning. This year he has rlly proven himself as a competitor and with his times, he is a safe bet to be the champion. 2nd, Kessler; after beating Teare and dropping a 1:45 in the 8, I have a lot of faith that he can keep the ball rolling at USA's. Tough choice for 3rd but I have Teare only cause I think he is gonna have his training line up to peak at USA's. Its hard not to pick the defending champion to podium either when he is still so young and has improved so much over the last year.

Some of my guys on the bubble are Hocker, Holt, Green. Out of these three, I have Holt. This may be kind of shocking when you put him up against Hocker and the NCAA champ but after that win at the grand prix in hot an humid weather along with that HUGE workout we all talked about, I think Holt will be in the best shape of his life come USAs and will be able to make it through the rounds pretty comfortably and latch on to a fast race in the final; and with his 4th place finish last year, he has shown that he can compete in a tactical race which will probably serve him even better. However, so long as Nuguse is in the final, I would not hold my breath for a tactical 1500m.

I don't see Green beating Teare, Nuguse, Kessler, Engels, or Prakel without the UW squad confidence/post NCAAs.

1. Teare

2. Nuguse

3. Centro

Winning time over 3:35 and that's the only reason Centro makes it (runs the least distance and kicks well). I think Nuguse is the fittest but makes his first tactical error this season and Teare takes advantage of it.

There are question marks about how some of these guys can perform through rounds, but I will go with Nuguse, Teare, Kessler.

All three of those guys have recent 1500 PRs and it seems they are healthy and in shape. I haven’t seen enough from Hocker to say the same. If he’s in shape, he is an easy pick for 1 or 2, but I didn’t find his 2nd place 3:34 to be as thrilling as the LetsRun staff in their glowing write up. He lost to a B-lister, plain and simple.

Nuguse holds off a charging Kessler and Hocker FTW as they both nip Teare at the line.

Nuguse 3:32 high

Kessler 3:32 higher

Hocker 3:33 low.

Teare, Holt, Centro, Green follow

Hocker outkicks Nuguse, Teare holds on for 3rd. Nuguse ends up being top American at Worlds.

Nuguse 3:33

Kessler 3:34

Hocker 3:34

Holt 4th again, Green, Centro

Context. Hocker did that off of like 5 weeks of training coming back from injury. He is the most gifted runner in this field, an additional 6 weeks of training since that race will be huge.

1. Nuguse

2. Teare

3. Kessler

Hocker gets healthy and becomes a different beast next year for the Olympics.

My sentimental picks are Nuguse, Prakel, Centro, Green, and Holt

Realistically, I think Nuguse, Teare, Hocker, and Kessler

I prefer underdogs, though Nuguse is the favorite, but I like Nuguse as a person - classy, gracious, no drama, etc

In my mind it comes down to if Kessler can handle the championship setting in his first time out. Nuguse, teare, and hocker have all shown they can, so he'll have to race like he belongs to beat them. If they let it go tactical, then you open the door for a holt, green or maybe even Centro to upset.

Who makes the final?

Heat 1
LN/POS
ATHLETE
1
Joe WaskomWashington
2
Sean PetersonNew Balance
3
Daniel SchafferZAP Endurance
4
Yared NuguseOn Athletics Club
5
Josh ThompsonNIKE/Bowerman Track Club
6
Matthew CentrowitzNIKE
7
Nathan GreenWashington
8
Brett MeyerUnattached
9
John GregorekASICS
10
Elliott CookOregon
11
John ReniewickiUnder Armour
12
Kasey KnevelbaardUnder Armour

Heat 2
LN/POS
ATHLETE
1
Simeon BirnbaumUnattached
2
Rheinhardt HarrisonOregon
3
Casey ComberUnder Armour
4
Isaac BastenDrake
5
Benjamin AllenEMPIRE ELITE TC
6
Sam Prakeladidas
7
Christian NobleNew Balance Boston
8
Eric HoltEMPIRE ELITE TC
9
Evan DorenkampPenn State
10
Craig EngelsNIKE
11
Davis BoveL S U
12
Hobbs Kessleradidas

Heat 3
LN/POS
ATHLETE
1
Nick FosterMichigan
2
Jack YearianOregon Track Club
3
Vincent CiatteiUnattached
4
Cooper TeareNIKE
5
Matt WisnerOregon Track Club
6
Henry WynneBrooks / BROOKS Beasts TC
7
Austen DalquistTracksmith
8
Matt StrangioPortland
9
Cole HockerNIKE
10
AJ ErnstUnattached
11
Drew Hunteradidas
12
Sam EllisUnattached

Zero chance that anyone runs 331/332 at the US champs.

Hobbs is without a doubt the most precociously talented.

Nuguse just ran a time Hocker may never reach.

Hocker is average level giftedness.