NCAA 800!! Who you got?

I gotta go with Charles Jock,

Prelims can always be unpredictable but my guess for finals are

1. Jock

2. Primm

3. Andrews

4. Martin

5. Loxom

6. Samoei

7. Abda

8. Greer

1. Primm

2. Samoei

3. Andrews

4. Greer

5. Martin

6. Jock

7. Loxsom

8. Roberts (Texas A&M)

If Primm takes it and doesn't die I can't see the others being able to beat him.

Samoei won indoors and can probably break 1:45

Andrews has the nastiest kick but might not be able to run the pace Primm can.

Greer showed at regionals he also has a stellar kick.

Martin is a great runner who's been constantly under the radar

Jock has a fast time but not sure if he can kick with the others

Loxsom is good but like you said this is an extremely talented field this year.

Roberts proved at regionals he can take it out in 50 and still be able to finish strong

Guys that will get through:

Heat 1: Primm, Rutt

Heat 2: Jock, Martin

Heat 3: Andrews, Samoei

On time: Roberts, Howard

Predictions for the final:

1. Jock. Takes over after 600m and won't lose

2. Andrews. Goes from 8th to 2nd in the last 150m

3. Primm. Right with Jock through 700m, gets passed by Andrews

4. Rutt. Runs a smart race and puts himself in a good position with 100 to go.

5. Samoei. Gets caught on the rail and can't get out.

6. Martin.

7. Howard

8. Roberts.

Greer to Win! GO DUCKS!!

Wow, a pretty fast year.

Knowing little about everyone else and having watched Andrews race I am going to have to pick Andrews for the win.

He has some serious grit and very good 1500m strength.

He may just peak for these finals.

Robby Andrews FTW

Top 8, as follows:

1. Andrews - the same guy who outkicked Wheating is obviously back to form

2. Jock - narrowly lose to Andrews in a kick

3. Primm - won't leave Jock's side the whole race

4. Samoei - dude was indoor champ

5. Rutt - guys got guts and talent, will throw his name in the hat

6. Martin - has the big race experience and will try and roll with the Pac-10 guys but will drop off

7. Loxsom - has massive talent, is just outmatched

8. Greer - obviously SO talented, but I can't count on his consistency

Past history would doom Primm; but his last race was STUNNING. He held fire for longer and then he smoke the field very quickly off of a fast pace. He has the fastest time and the best finish (that finish was better than any that I have seen from Andrews, who really has had very good race sense/timing right near the end of the race but none of those cases would have worked on someone that put 15 meters on him before the finishing 50 meters and was not slowing down in the last 50).

If Primm can do that stuff again he is going to be tough to beat and I was pretty much a down-on-Primm guy before this spring.

Andrews will win. Everyone else is racing for second.

The only guy who has beaten Andrews in a big college race has been Andy MFing 3:30 Wheating, and he only did it once in three attempts.

Don't give me any nonsense about his conference meet or World Juniors which was 6 weeks after his real season ended. In big meets Robby Andrews is a man.

He split 1:46.00 at Penn Relays in like his 4th race back. He's my pick if the race is won in 1:45-anything or slower (which it will be).

spoken for truth wrote:

He's my pick if the race is won in 1:45-anything or slower (which it will be).

false

Agreed. You have guys like Jock and Primm that love to take out the first lap under 51. Even with the rounds, I think they'll pull the field through 600 in roughly 1:16 and whoever has the best kick will win. Like I said, I think it will be Primm and I would not be surprised if he breaks 1:45 again. Andrews has the ability to go sub-1:45 as well, but in the past, he has failed to put himself in position in faster races. His kick is definitely a threat, but lets not forget that Primm, Jock, Martin, Samoei, Loxsom and Greer all have great closing speed as well.

In an NCAA final, it will be the smart racer who wins. I pick in this order:

1. Robby Andrews. I saw him get beat by Wheating last year, and I will not forget how he took it. It will not happen again...he is a scrapper, and he has the best kick.

2. Charles Jock has shown toughness and an ability to run in a competitive field.

3. Elijah Greer would give Andrews and Jock fits, but he is just a sophomore and is still learning and growing his strength.

4. Cory Primm. I like his spirit and experience, but he has run too many races during this past month. By the time of the finals, he will not have enough in the tank.

5. Loxsom is much like Greer, but not quite as ready for the big time race. He will do well, but probably will make a sophomore mistake during the race.

6, 7. Martin and Samoi are both excellent 800 meter runners, just in the wrong year--too much talent around them.

Sophomore mistakes...for everyone but Andrews...who is also a sophomore...

Seriously they've had two years now, they're ready.

Greer ran 1:47 in high school and Loxsom is WJ runner up. I think they know what they're doing.

Your not 'listening'; look how Primm ran. He had a killer acceleration off of a fast pace. I do not think he will be worried about the first lap pace but I think everyone will be wondering what is going to happen on the backstretch.

Did we watch the same race? Here it is again:

I don't see anything to justify your comment "that finish was better than any that I have seen from Andrews". Nice move at the end of the backstretch, I agree. He put some distance on the field and then maintained it, with Mulder gaining on him over the last 100. And I hate that you're making me describe this because 1:44.7 is awesome and I'm psyched for Primm, but the super blazing kick you described simply wasn't reality.

The thing is, the race is not going out in 50 like the Oxy Twilight, which (1) makes it more of a kickers race and less a race of who has the best pr, (2) ensures things will not be as strung out. Look at how much space Primm has to run that third 200. That's not happening at NCAA's.

So far Primm is a lot like Greer and Loxsom. Fast times, but has never come close to winning.

The Prelim starts lists:

Event 4 Men 800 Meter Run =============================================================================== 3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2 to final Name Year School Seed ===============================================================================

Heat 1 Prelims

1 Brian Hill SR Harvard 1:49.31

2 Joe Abbott JR Washington St. 1:46.84

3 Harun Abda SO Minnesota 1:46.81

4 Cory Primm SR UCLA 1:46.36

5 Elijah Greer SO Oregon 1:45.98

6 Felix Kitur SR VMI 1:48.88

7 Michael Rutt SR Connecticut 1:49.15

8 Sean Obinwa SO Florida 1:49.26

Heat 2 Prelims

1 Sharif Webb SR Kentucky 1:49.28

2 Nathaniel Litwiller SO Sacramento St. 1:48.35

3 Edward Kemboi FR Iowa State 1:47.25

4 Joey Roberts JR Texas A&M 1:46.89

5 Charles Jock JR UC Irvine 1:46.27

6 Ryan Martin JR UC Santa Barbara 1:48.70

7 Jack Howard SR Notre Dame 1:49.14

8 Willie Brown SO Akron 1:49.21

Heat 3 Prelims

1 Russell Dinkins SO Princeton 1:49.05

2 Justin Hedin JR BYU 1:48.71

3 Samuel Borchers SR Penn State 1:48.80

4 Fred Samoei SR Alabama 1:48.72

5 Robby Andrews SO Virginia 1:47.89

6 Casimir Loxsom SO Penn State 1:48.48

7 Michael Preble JR Texas A&M 1:48.79

8 Erik Sowinski JR Iowa 1:48.88

Heat 1 has 4 under 1:47 - Heat 2 has 2 under 1:47 - Heat 3 has 0 under 1:47. Yet top 2 from each heat and next 2 fastest?

Average time in Heat 1 is 1:47.82; Heat 2 is 1:48.14; Heat 3 is 1:48.67.

Of the top 10 regional times coming in, 4 are in Heat 1, 4 in Heat 2, and 2 in Heat 3 (#8 & #10 ranked at that!).

How are seedings done? I thought the regional meet time set the seedings....

Keep in mind they first have to get through fast and tough semi finals heats.

The final is then a totally different race and is often slower and more tactical. In the final it would not surprise me to see a first lap of close to 52, which will better suit Andrews for the win.

Anyone brave enough to take it out faster will pay in the final 50M, due to fatigue from semis - either way in plays out, I have Andrews for the win!

In all seriousness did anybody see the Big West 800 meter Video???? Jock is pretty good, but Ry Mar is beastly. No Big West love. No sit and kick, just a battle to see who had the biggest balls. Ry Mar 45.5 relay split speed and Jock 44.9 relay split speed. You can't count either of them out, especially Ry Mar(see last years results). My top 5 is as follows:

1-Primm(If his race is as good as his Oxy performance)

2-Ry Mar

3-Jock(gets 3rd at the line because Martin will run him down yet again)

4-Andrews

5-Greer

Out fast and winner around 1:45 mid with all 5 under 1:46.20