It's less than a week away, who ya got?
It's less than a week away, who ya got?
bump. 6 teams on the men's side are ranked in the top 25.
Based on performances going into next weekend.
Illinois- 60m- 6 points
200m- 5 points
400m- 0 points
600m- 0 points
800m- 0 points
Mile- 0 points
3000m- 0 points
5000m- 0 points
60mh- 13 points
4x400- 3 points
DMR- 5 points
High Jump- 0 points
Pole Vault- 7 points
Long Jump- 0 points
Triple Jump- 2 points
Shot Put- 0 points
Weight Throw- 10 point
Heptathlon- 0 points
TOTAL- 51 points
Indiana- 60m- 16 points
200m- 8 points
400m- 0 points
600m- 0 points
800m- 0 points
Mile- 15 points
3000m- 19 points
5000m- 15 points
60mh- 0 points
4x400- 1 points
DMR- 10 points
High Jump- 11 points
Pole Vault- 5 points
Long Jump- 0 points
Triple Jump- 5 points
Shot Put- 0 points
Weight Throw- 1 point
Heptathlon- 4 points
TOTAL- 110 points
Iowa- 60m- 8 points
200m- 13 points
400m- 11 points
600m-15 points
800m- 6 points
Mile- 2 points
3000m- 2 points
5000m- 0 points
60mh- 8 points
4x400- 10 points
DMR- 1 points
High Jump- 1 points
Pole Vault- 0 points
Long Jump- 4 points
Triple Jump- 10 points
Shot Put- 0 points
Weight Throw- 0 point
Heptathlon- 0 points
TOTAL- 90 points
Michigan- 60m- 0 points
200m- 0 points
400m- 0 points
600m- 0 points
800m- 0 points
Mile- 0 points
3000m- 0 points
5000m- 0 points
60mh- 10 points
4x400- 2 points
DMR- 0 points
High Jump- 5 points
Pole Vault- 4 points
Long Jump- 8 points
Triple Jump- 4 points
Shot Put- 2 points
Weight Throw- 0 point
Heptathlon- 0 points
TOTAL- 35 points
Michigan State- 60m- 0 points
200m- 0 points
400m- 0 points
600m- 0 points
800m- 0 points
Mile- 0 points
3000m- 0 points
5000m- 0 points
60mh- 0 points
4x400- 0 points
DMR- 2 points
High Jump- 7 points
Pole Vault- 4 points
Long Jump- 0 points
Triple Jump- 0 points
Shot Put- 5 points
Weight Throw- 5 point
Heptathlon- 3 points
TOTAL- 26 points
Minnesota- 60m- 2 points
200m- 0 points
400m- 3 points
600m- 12 points
800m- 8 points
Mile- 0 points
3000m- 7 points
5000m- 3 points
60mh- 2 points
4x400- 4 points
DMR- 6 points
High Jump- 1 points
Pole Vault- 18 points
Long Jump- 0 points
Triple Jump- 3 points
Shot Put- 0 points
Weight Throw- 10 point
Heptathlon- 13 points
TOTAL- 92 points
Ohio State- 60m- 0 points
200m- 0 points
400m- 8 points
600m- 0 points
800m- 1 points
Mile- 8 points
3000m- 0 points
5000m- 0 points
60mh- 5 points
4x400- 5 points
DMR- 3 points
High Jump- 0 points
Pole Vault- 0 points
Long Jump- 15 points
Triple Jump- 9 points
Shot Put- 11 points
Weight Throw- 13 point
Heptathlon- 3 points
TOTAL- 81 points
Penn State- 60m- 0 points
200m- 4 points
400m- 11 points
600m- 5 points
800m- 16 points
Mile- 7 points
3000m- 0 points
5000m- 0 points
60mh- 0 points
4x400- 6 points
DMR- 8 points
High Jump- 6 points
Pole Vault- 0 points
Long Jump- 6 points
Triple Jump- 6 points
Shot Put- 14 points
Weight Throw- 0 point
Heptathlon- 0 points
TOTAL- 89 points
Purdue- 60m- 5 points
200m- 0 points
400m- 0 points
600m- 0 points
800m- 0 points
Mile- 0 points
3000m- 0 points
5000m- 0 points
60mh- 0 points
4x400- 0 points
DMR- 4 points
High Jump- 8 points
Pole Vault- 0 points
Long Jump- 5 points
Triple Jump- 0 points
Shot Put- 4 points
Weight Throw- 0 point
Heptathlon- 0 points
TOTAL- 29 points
Wisconsin- 60m- 3 points
200m- 9 points
400m- 6 points
600m- 7 points
800m- 8 points
Mile- 7 points
3000m- 11 points
5000m- 21 points
60mh- 1 points
4x400- 8 points
DMR- 0 points
High Jump- 4 points
Pole Vault- 4 points
Long Jump- 2 points
Triple Jump- 0 points
Shot Put- 3 points
Weight Throw- 0 point
Heptathlon- 16 points
TOTAL- 110 points
Indiana and Wisconsin are going to cancel themselves out in mile, 3000, 5000 with Blankenship and Mead not getting too routed. This will enable Minnesota to win again. Usual top 3 it has been the last couple of years.
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Indiana
Penn State
Iowa
Illinois
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
You win with sprinters (especially in this easy conference) and Iowa has them!
I wouldn't call the big ten easy, it's ranked third in the nation behind the SEC then Big 12
Outdoors there are five events and two relays:
100/200/400
110h/400h
4x100/4x400
Indoors there are 4 events and one relay:
60/200/400
60h
4x400
Sprint points are less important and not as correlated (60/200), although the throws also take a hit (jav/discus) while running gets the 600/800/mile/3000/5000/DMR, which is why Wisconsin won the indoor one year (and they had Omole).
The listing of points above was interesting but I think may have only used the seasonal bests (plus a little augmentation for those that have not run?). Comparing marks on an oversized track, banked 200, and unbanked 200 is tricky (if conversions were used this makes things more accurate). Also, doubles will mean that just using marks can be misleading, as that is a lot to do in a short period of time, especially with heats for the 600/800/mile and running the DMR takes guys out of other events, so depth matters.
Sprint points are way more reliable. Distance races are tactical and very different than the performance list because you don't have super time trials like at Washington.
Iowa wins
Minnesota close.
Wisconsin
Ohio State
IU
Penn State
Illinois
Michigan
Purdue
Michigan State
Conversions were in fact used.
Going to be a tight meet and it is true there are 6 teams in the hunt.
I think Wisconsin and IU are in drivers seat but Iowa is hungry and Minnesota returns more points than anyone.
OSU hs been inside top 2 or 3 for the last 3 years as well.
Could Penn State make a run if everything goes?
Purdue, MSU, and Michigan are terrible!
I go with Wisconsin and Minnesota fighting for the title. Indiana and Penn State run so many meets on a banked track that the flat 200 might be too much for them. Iowa is certainly a contender with some key superstars, but probably not enough depth. However if the score stays low enough, the Hawkeye's chances get better. Ohio State and Illinois won't really contend, and yes, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue are all fighting just not to be last. In all, it is a damn good conference meet with a lot of depth across the board. Not too many weak events this year. Will be interesting to see how the Big Ten compares top to bottom to some of the other power conferences.
No question it will be a great meet up front with Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and Penn State. If this meet was to run at PSU on the 200m bank or at a neutral site oversize, the performances in many events would most certainly contend with the other conferences.
Unfortunately, the kids will race HARD and really compete but their performances on the track just won't measure up because of the track. Too bad......this will be one of the best Big Ten meets in a long time.
Here is a project for someone with time on their hands: Following the conference championship weekend, convert the power conferences marks to the oversized/banked track standards. Then score a meet using the top four placers from each conference as a team (ie. Team Big Ten, Team Big 12, Team SEC, TEAM Pac 10, etc). Now that would be a dream meet!
Big 10 Distance is historically slow in the championship...its always a tough comparison.
Iowa has almost no field points beyond one horizontal jumper and no distance runners (except Theode-spelling?). There are not enough sprint points and the Iowa guys are not really that dominant. A couple of the Wisconsin guys have been running 21.5-6 on flat 200m ovals, which is probably close the same league as the Iowa guys (although Kyle Jefferson is so big the flat oval will hinder his race).
As a distance guy, Sprinters really do make the bigger difference, as a 3k-10k can do one event 100% and then the next day do one at 90-95% which cn translate to 5 place or even more depending on how things shake out. A sprinter can run a 60 and then a 200 and still be fresh. That being said, they cant drastically fill holes in your other events, meaning Iowa is going to need a dream meet to win.
Ohio state always has a good team(2-4) but never great as of late. PSU same boat as Iowa/Ohio state.
It comes down to:
Indiana - Lots of distance, DMR (1st or 2nd), stud high jumper, top sprinter 60/200
Decent(5-9) scores: triple jumper, heptathlete, vault
Huge holes in: mid distance, throwing, 4x400, 60h
Wisconsin - Distance, top2 in DMR possibly 4x400 as well, 2 stud heptathletes (top 3), 400/600/800-good depth and couple studs.
Decent(5-9) scores: PV, Shot put, 60h, Robertson top 5 in 60/200
Huge holes in: weight throw, triple jump/long jump/high Jump
Minnisota - Blankenship, abda in 600, 2stud PV, Stud weight throw, 2 top4 heptathletes
Decent scores: Mead still on mend(and different big ten), hutton in 800, 4x400, DMR, 60h, TJ
Huge holes: Sprints, 400, distance depth, HJ, LJ, shot put
Unless Indiana or Wisconsin have a great day(and the other crash and burn) and can run most of the table in distance, Minnisota will win.
Iowa Hawkeyes!!!!!!
My quick calculations are that they are 18 events and 39 points in each, for a total of 702. There are four weaker teams (and one non-team); if they score, say, 33 each, that leaves 570 for the other six teams -- and average of 95 points each.
When every team has both some holes and more competition in their strong suit, this is a very unpredictable meet and strange things happen. A couple of years ago Wisconsin had a guy win the LJ (and 2nd also) who was not figured to do much at all and suddenly UW had 18 unexpected points. A lot of guys have to go up from 2nd to first in order to catch up for such a sudden switch. Furthermore, with qualifying having such a stiff window for NCAAs, many of the good (i.e., good but not possible NCAA participants) athletes have not been working to get tops marks and so it is hard to really know how guys might perform. It is nice that knowledgeable posters have weighed in to provide some assessment. This would be a fun meet to see, but other things on my agenda this weekend.
The same 3 teams will be in the top 3 who have been the last 3-4 years. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and OSU.
Minnesota - will have enough in distance to not get routed. Mead is a Champion and Blankenship could bery easily go for 16 events (not including 5k if needed).
Wisconsin is becoming more balanced, but still not any top 5 sprinters.
OSU seems to have a couple top guys in different areas. As long as they come through, they have done a good job with "surprise" performances not from the list as anyone except Minnesota the last couple years.
IU has a bunch of crossover events and their distance guys aren't as solid with the exception of Bayer (who is Blankenship's equal) and Poore. Sprinters are bigger story if they can place 2 in top 3 in short sprints?
Penn State posts great marks every year on their time trial perfect track and then go to conference and tank.
Iowa is getting close, but their sprinters aren't even as good as OSU's from last year that went 1-2-3 in 200m.
It will only take 110-115 to win though as long as all 6 of these teams show up and perform. Last year IU and PSU blew up!
Lastly, Illinois will struglle at home, Michigan has absolutely imploded since winnign Big 10's under Warhurst just 2 years ago, and MSU/Purdue may not score 20 points apiece!
Too many IU and distance fans on this board.
UNDER THE GREAT RON HELMER,
This is the FIRST year they've cracked the top 3 at Big 10's in cross country (despite having serious talent) and they haven't yet placed top 4 in track. Too much "Chapman Plans" still going on there. I agree, give me Minnesota, Wisconsin, and OSU over the last 5 years until proven otherwise.
If MSU/Purdue score less than 20 and IU and PSU tank (i.e., well less than 95) then the winning score may be more like 120 (since there would be 70-90 points to add above the 95).