Though there's no Chelanga or Fernandez, the field is still pretty stacked, and with Rupp having run a 5000, there's at least a small chance of an upset.
I watched the Big Ten Championships on TV last night and I have to say Hassan Mead looked extremely strong and graceful, putting a big distance between him and the field with ease in the last two laps in both the 3000 and 5000. He could have a breakout performance, as could others.
Event 6 Men 3000 Meter Run ** Auto: 07:54.50 **
RANK ATHLETE YR SCHOOL SEED TIME DATE
==== ======================= == ======================= =========== =====
1 Galen Rupp JR Oregon 7:44.69 02-07
2 Michael Coe SO California 7:48.05 02-14
3 Dorian Ulrey JR Arkansas 7:50.86 01-31
4 Shawn Forrest SR Arkansas 7:51.07 01-31
5 Elliott Heath FR Stanford 7:53.64 02-14
6 Shadrack Biwott SR Oregon 7:55.27 02-07
7 Matthew Centrowitz SO Oregon 7:55.90 02-28
8 John Kosgei JR Okla St. 7:55.95 02-14
9 Hassan Mead SO Minnesota 7:56.60 02-14
10 Patrick Smyth SR Notre Dame 7:56.66 03-07
11 Matt Leeder SO Fla St. 7:57.06 03-07
12 Chris Derrick FR Stanford 7:57.30 02-28
13 Chris Rombough JR Minnesota 7:57.58 02-14
14 Emmanuel Bor JR Alabama 7:57.60 03-07
The 3000 has a much longer history in the NCAA than the 5000. Championship Record is 7:46.03, Adam Goucher. 5-8 guys could be capable of beating that this year.
3,000-Meter Run
1965 Herald Hadley, Kansas, 8:56.4*
1966 Gerry Lindgren, Washington St., 8:41.3*
1967 Gerry Lindgren, Washington St., 8:34.7*
1968 Jim Ryun, Kansas, 8:38.9*
1969 Ole Oleson, Southern California, 8:45.2*
1970 Jerry Richey, Pittsburgh, 8:39.2*
1971 Marty Liquori, Villanova, 8:37.1*
1972 Sid Sink, Bowling Green, 8:36.5*
1973 Michael Keogh, Manhattan, 8:38.7*
1974 John Harnett, Villanova, 8:33.6*
1975 Nick Rose, Western Ky., 8:44.0*
1976 Nick Rose, Western Ky., 8:30.91*
1977 Henry Rono, Washington St., 8:24.83*
1978 Gerard Deegan, Providence, 8:41.39*
1979 Suleiman Nyambui, UTEP, 8:37.87*
1980 Suleiman Nyambui, UTEP, 8:36.82*
1981 Doug Padilla, BYU, 8:26.52*
1982 Suleiman Nyambui, UTEP, 8:38.91*
1983 Mark Scrutton, Colorado, 8:29.29*
1984 Peter Koech, Washington St., 8:04.20
1985 Kevin King, Georgetown, 7:51.46
1986 Paul Donovan, Arkansas, 7:54.60
1987 Joe Falcon, Arkansas, 7:56.79
1988 Joe Falcon, Arkansas, 7:55.80
1989 Greg Whiteley, Brown, 7:57.14
1990 Reuben Reina, Arkansas, 7:56.62
1991 Reuben Reina, Arkansas, 7:50.99
1992 Josephat Kapkory, Washington St., 7:59.04
1993 David Morris, Montana, 8:04.17
1994 Josephat Kapkory, Washington St., 7:50.90
1995 Jason Bunston, Arkansas, 8:06.81
1996 Ryan Wilson, Arkansas, 7:51.66
1997 Adam Goucher, Colorado, 7:54.20
1998 Adam Goucher, Colorado, 7:46.03
1999 Bernard Lagat, Washington St., 7:54.92
2000 David Kimani, South Ala., 7:52.64
2001 David Kimani, Alabama, 8:03.29
2002 Adrian Blincoe, Villanova, 8:01.76
2003 Alistair Cragg, Arkansas, 7:55.68
2004 Alistair Cragg, Arkansas, 7:55.29
2005 Chris Solinsky, Wisconsin, 7:53.59
2006 Chris Solinsky, Wisconsin, 7:59.68
2007 Lopez Lomong, Northern Ariz., 7:49.74
2008 Kyle Alcorn, Arizona St., 8:00.82
*two-miles