2021 NCAAs Day 2: Sage Hurta & Courtney Wayment Lead Flurry of Fast Times in Prelims as NCAA Indoor 800 Champ Aaliyah Miller Goes Home

By LetsRun.com
June 10, 2021

Continuing the trend this week in the distance running world, there were some very fast times on women’s qualifying day at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Six women in one heat of the 1500 meters broke 4:10, while the steeple prelims were historically fast, with four women cracking the top 10 on the all-time NCAA list. In both events, the NCAA favorite — Colorado’s Sage Hurta in the 1500 (4:08.88) and BYU’s Courtney Wayment in the steeple (9:32.52) — ran the fastest time of the day.

The 800 was the only event in which the times weren’t super fast, which led to some drama as three of the top seven seeds were eliminated, including NCAA indoor champ Aaliyah Miller of Baylor.

Recap & analysis below.

Women’s 1500: Expect a fast final after six women break 4:10 in one heat

Hurta ran a fast 4:08.88 to assert herself as the favorite for Saturday’s final

What is it with these Alabama 1500-meter runners? Yesterday, the Crimson Tide’s Eliud Kipsang pushed the pace in his semifinal to lead the top six men under 3:39. Today, we saw a re-run on the women’s side as Alabama’s Amaris Tyynismaa did the same thing in heat 1 to create the fastest women’s 1500 of the year at the collegiate level. NCAA mile champion Sage Hurta of Colorado won the heat in 4:08.88 as six women broke 4:10. 

How fast is that? Well, entering the meet, only seven collegians had broken 4:10 in all of 2021.

With heat 1 going so fast, no one wanted to chase a time qualifier in heat 2, which meant nine women were still together with 200 meters to go, leading to a mad dash for the five auto spots. When the pack is that tightly-bunched, chaos often isn’t far away, and the final last lap was wild, with a few major casualties. The first was Stanford’s Julia Heymach, the Pac-12 5k champ and #5 seed. Heymach briefly lost her balance on the final turn but righted herself, and with 10 meters remaining in the race found herself in 4th place, in position to advance (the top five and next two fastest times in each heat made the final). Then, disaster struck, as an exhausted Heymach tripped over her own feet and fell, crushing her dreams of the final.

Behind her, the #3 seed, Whittni Orton of BYU, was also struggling. Boxed in early in the home straight, Orton could not free herself and eventually ran out of gas, finishing 6th in 4:14.99 and also failing to advance. The silver lining for Heymach and Orton is that both are entered in the 5k final on Friday and will have an opportunity for redemption.

Quick Take: The final should be fast but Hurta is undoubtedly the favorite

Given how fast the first prelim went today, there’s a good chance that Saturday’s final also goes out quick. And given how many women ran fast today, it should be a deep, competitive race. But the fact remains, only one woman has broken 4:09 this year. That would be Colorado’s Sage Hurta, and she’s done it twice. Considering she has also run 2:00 for 800 this year, is the NCAA indoor mile champ, and looked very comfortable after moving to the lead in heat 1 with 200 to go, Hurta is the clear favorite.

That said, there were a number of big PRs in that heat (BYU’s Anna Camp, Colorado’s Micaela Degenero, and Illinois’ Olivia Howell all PR’d by 2+ seconds). Those women had to go hard today — they couldn’t relax much in the home straight given how fast they needed to run to secure an auto qualifier — but it’s not inconceivable that if someone can run a PR in a prelim, they can go even faster in the final. Perhaps one of them could spring the upset on Saturday.

Here is how the top eight seeds fared:

Heat 1 results

Pl	Pos		Athlete	Time		300m	700m	1100m	1500m
1	8		Sage HURTA Colorado [SR]	4:08.88 Q		48.79 [48.79]	1:57.95 [1:09.16]	3:04.89 [1:06.95]	4:08.88 [1:03.99]
2	7		Anna CAMP BYU [SR]	4:09.22 Q  PB		48.92 [48.92]	1:58.20 [1:09.28]	3:05.16 [1:06.96]	4:09.22 [1:04.07]
3	3		Micaela DEGENERO Colorado [SR]	4:09.38 Q  PB		49.24 [49.24]	1:58.69 [1:09.45]	3:06.00 [1:07.31]	4:09.38 [1:03.39]
4	10		Olivia HOWELL Illinois [FR]	4:09.71 Q  PB		49.19 [49.19]	1:59.05 [1:09.86]	3:06.48 [1:07.44]	4:09.71 [1:03.24]
5	5		Amaris TYYNISMAA Alabama [FR]	4:09.80 Q		48.62 [48.62]	1:57.71 [1:09.09]	3:04.66 [1:06.96]	4:09.80 [1:05.14]
6	6		Maudie SKYRING Florida State [JR]	4:09.83 q  PB		49.48 [49.48]	1:58.92 [1:09.44]	3:06.22 [1:07.31]	4:09.83 [1:03.61]
7	2		Krissy GEAR Arkansas [JR]	4:10.84 q		48.97 [48.97]	1:58.82 [1:09.86]	3:06.39 [1:07.57]	4:10.84 [1:04.46]
8	12		Sarah ANDERSON Michigan State [SR]	4:13.36  PB		49.37 [49.37]	1:59.37 [1:10.01]	3:07.69 [1:08.33]	4:13.36 [1:05.68]
9	11		Kaley RICHARDS UMass Lowell [SR]	4:13.39  PB		49.57 [49.57]	1:59.47 [1:09.90]	3:07.48 [1:08.01]	4:13.39 [1:05.92]
10	9		Kate HUNTER BYU [JR]	4:13.45  PB		49.75 [49.75]	1:59.18 [1:09.43]	3:06.42 [1:07.25]	4:13.45 [1:07.03]
11	1		Presley WEEMS Auburn [JR]	4:14.61		49.11 [49.11]	1:58.40 [1:09.30]	3:06.15 [1:07.75]	4:14.61 [1:08.47]
12	4		Lotte BLACK Rhode Island [SR]	4:15.20		49.67 [49.67]	1:59.28 [1:09.61]	3:07.57 [1:08.29]	4:15.20 [1:07.64]

Heat 2

Pl	Pos		Athlete	Time		300m	700m	1100m	1500m
1	8		Ella DONAGHU Stanford [JR]	4:13.89 Q		50.60 [50.60]	2:03.59 [1:13.00]	3:10.64 [1:07.06]	4:13.89 [1:03.25]
2	9		Danae RIVERS Penn State [SR]	4:14.06 Q		51.03 [51.03]	2:03.69 [1:12.67]	3:10.61 [1:06.92]	4:14.06 [1:03.46]
3	3		Lauren BERMAN Virginia Tech [SR]	4:14.36 Q		50.76 [50.76]	2:03.88 [1:13.13]	3:10.75 [1:06.87]	4:14.36 [1:03.61]
4	12		Christina ARAGON Stanford [JR]	4:14.52 Q		50.86 [50.86]	2:03.45 [1:12.60]	3:10.47 [1:07.02]	4:14.52 [1:04.06]
5	11		Kelsey HARRIS Indiana [SR]	4:14.65 Q		51.26 [51.26]	2:03.91 [1:12.65]	3:10.92 [1:07.02]	4:14.65 [1:03.73]
6	10		Whittni ORTON BYU [SR]	4:14.99		50.87 [50.87]	2:03.41 [1:12.54]	3:10.51 [1:07.10]	4:14.99 [1:04.48]
7	7		Madison HEISTERMAN Washington [JR]	4:15.58		51.11 [51.11]	2:04.25 [1:13.14]	3:10.96 [1:06.72]	4:15.58 [1:04.62]
8	5		Petronela SIMIUC Toledo [SR]	4:16.64		51.39 [51.39]	2:04.16 [1:12.77]	3:11.57 [1:07.42]	4:16.64 [1:05.07]
9	1		Tori HERMAN Kentucky [FR]	4:19.56		50.92 [50.92]	2:04.01 [1:13.10]	3:11.89 [1:07.89]	4:19.56 [1:07.68]
10	6		Sami CORMAN Georgetown [SO]	4:21.16		51.01 [51.01]	2:04.06 [1:13.05]	3:10.79 [1:06.74]	4:21.16 [1:10.38]
11	2		Rachel MCARTHUR Colorado [JR]	4:22.75		50.54 [50.54]	2:03.82 [1:13.28]	3:11.74 [1:07.92]	4:22.75 [1:11.01]
12	4		Julia HEYMACH Stanford [JR]	4:24.82		50.65 [50.65]	2:03.64 [1:13.00]	3:10.81 [1:07.18]	4:24.82 [1:14.02]

Women’s steeple: Everyone gets a PR, top six all advance

For everyone other than collegiate leader Courtney Wayment of BYU, it required a personal best to advance to the final in the women’s steeple. Both semifinal heats were fast, with NCAA indoor 5k champion Joyce Kimeli of Auburn pushing the pace and winning the first in a pb of 9:35.57, while Wayment, the NCAA indoor 3k and DMR champ, pushed the pace and closed hard to win the second in 9:32.52, just over a second off of her 2021 collegiate-leading time.

In total, 15 of 23 competitors ran personal bests and nine women broke 9:40, four for the first time. All five of the top seeds by season best advanced comfortably to the final as the top five finishers. The only major casualty was NC State’s Hannah Steelman, the seventh-seeded runner and NCAA 3rd-placer in 2019, who faded to seventh place in heat 1 and missed the final time qualifier by two spots.

Kimeli and Washington senior Katie Rainsberger controlled the pace in the first heat and broke away on the penultimate lap along with Weber State’s Summer Allen. Rainsberger looked content to sit on Kimeli in the final 300 meters and finished second, while Allen was rewarded with a 10+ second pb in 9:37.48 for third.

That wasn’t even the biggest pb of the semifinals, as West Virginia freshman Ceili McCabe improved hers from 9:51 to 9:39 in the second heat to grab a time qualifier. In that heat, Wayment went immediately to the lead along with Furman’s Gabrielle Jennings, and the two set a pace that was nearly identical to heat 1 for the first five laps. With two laps to run, a group of five separated: Wayment, Jennings, Oregon’s Aneta Konieczek, two-time NCAA steeple runner-up Charlotte Prouse, and Air Force’s Mahala Norris. Konieczek unleashed a big move with a lap to go, but Wayment covered it, separating from the other three. Wayment moved past Konieczek on the water jump and blasted down the home stretch to win the heat, while the other three in the group held on for the final auto Q spots.

Here is how the top eight seeds fared:

Heat 1 results

Pl	Pos		Athlete	Time		Lap1	Lap2	Lap3	Lap4	Lap5	Lap6	Lap7	3000m
1	2		Joyce KIMELI Auburn [JR]	9:35.57 Q  PB		42.25 [42.25]	1:58.64 [1:16.39]	3:16.59 [1:17.96]	4:34.03 [1:17.45]	5:51.85 [1:17.82]	7:09.63 [1:17.78]	8:26.15 [1:16.52]	9:35.57 [1:09.43]
2	8		Katie RAINSBERGER Washington [SR]	9:36.71 Q  PB		42.26 [42.26]	1:58.68 [1:16.42]	3:16.65 [1:17.98]	4:34.25 [1:17.61]	5:52.02 [1:17.78]	7:09.70 [1:17.69]	8:26.22 [1:16.52]	9:36.71 [1:10.50]
3	11		Summer ALLEN Weber State [SR]	9:37.48 Q  PB		43.26 [43.26]	1:59.95 [1:16.70]	3:17.37 [1:17.42]	4:35.29 [1:17.92]	5:52.70 [1:17.42]	7:09.94 [1:17.24]	8:26.45 [1:16.52]	9:37.48 [1:11.03]
4	5		Alissa NIGGEMANN Wisconsin [SR]	9:41.12 Q  PB		42.87 [42.87]	1:59.14 [1:16.27]	3:16.97 [1:17.84]	4:34.88 [1:17.92]	5:52.64 [1:17.76]	7:10.72 [1:18.08]	8:27.83 [1:17.12]	9:41.12 [1:13.30]
5	7		Abby KOHUT-JACKSON Minnesota [SR]	9:41.20 Q  PB		42.66 [42.66]	1:59.10 [1:16.44]	3:17.00 [1:17.91]	4:34.54 [1:17.54]	5:52.30 [1:17.76]	7:10.22 [1:17.92]	8:27.75 [1:17.53]	9:41.20 [1:13.45]
6	9		Olivia MARKEZICH Notre Dame [FR]	9:42.41 q  PB		42.48 [42.48]	1:58.92 [1:16.44]	3:16.83 [1:17.92]	4:34.49 [1:17.67]	5:52.26 [1:17.78]	7:10.55 [1:18.29]	8:28.88 [1:18.33]	9:42.41 [1:13.54]
7	10		Hannah STEELMAN NC State [JR]	9:46.09		42.27 [42.27]	1:58.82 [1:16.55]	3:16.75 [1:17.94]	4:34.13 [1:17.39]	5:51.90 [1:17.78]	7:09.75 [1:17.85]	8:27.57 [1:17.82]	9:46.09 [1:18.53]
8	1		Judi JONES Nebraska [SR]	9:58.14		42.71 [42.71]	1:59.43 [1:16.72]	3:17.28 [1:17.86]	4:38.18 [1:20.91]	5:57.74 [1:19.56]	7:18.49 [1:20.75]	8:40.00 [1:21.51]	9:58.14 [1:18.14]
9	6		Alice HILL Michigan [JR]	10:04.21		42.98 [42.98]	1:59.45 [1:16.47]	3:17.33 [1:17.89]	4:36.03 [1:18.71]	5:56.28 [1:20.26]	7:18.96 [1:22.69]	8:43.19 [1:24.23]	10:04.21 [1:21.03]
10	3		Leah HANLE Alabama [SR]	10:15.39		42.51 [42.51]	1:59.31 [1:16.81]	3:17.12 [1:17.81]	4:34.82 [1:17.71]	5:56.24 [1:21.43]	7:19.67 [1:23.43]	8:47.71 [1:28.04]	10:15.39 [1:27.69]
11	4		Lauren SAPONE Notre Dame [SR]	10:23.94		42.77 [42.77]	1:59.66 [1:16.90]	3:17.56 [1:17.90]	4:36.61 [1:19.06]	5:56.45 [1:19.84]	7:24.32 [1:27.87]	8:54.63 [1:30.32]	10:23.94 [1:29.31]
DNS	12		Grace FETHERSTONHAUGH Oregon State [SO]	–

Heat 2 results

Pl	Pos		Athlete	Time		Lap1	Lap2	Lap3	Lap4	Lap5	Lap6	Lap7	3000m
1	11		Courtney WAYMENT BYU [JR]	9:32.52 Q		41.13 [41.13]	1:58.77 [1:17.65]	3:16.88 [1:18.11]	4:34.36 [1:17.48]	5:51.65 [1:17.29]	7:07.88 [1:16.24]	8:22.45 [1:14.57]	9:32.52 [1:10.07]
2	5		Aneta KONIECZEK Oregon [JR]	9:34.37 Q  PB		41.36 [41.36]	1:59.00 [1:17.64]	3:17.09 [1:18.10]	4:34.59 [1:17.50]	5:51.62 [1:17.04]	7:08.04 [1:16.42]	8:22.34 [1:14.30]	9:34.37 [1:12.03]
3	6		Charlotte PROUSE New Mexico [SR]	9:37.05 Q  PB		41.40 [41.40]	1:59.11 [1:17.72]	3:17.30 [1:18.19]	4:34.78 [1:17.49]	5:51.97 [1:17.19]	7:08.28 [1:16.31]	8:23.49 [1:15.22]	9:37.05 [1:13.56]
4	3		Mahala NORRIS Air Force [SR]	9:37.53 Q  PB		41.45 [41.45]	1:58.98 [1:17.53]	3:16.95 [1:17.97]	4:34.48 [1:17.53]	5:51.88 [1:17.41]	7:08.46 [1:16.59]	8:23.99 [1:15.53]	9:37.53 [1:13.55]
5	1		Gabrielle JENNINGS Furman [SR]	9:38.88 Q  PB		41.21 [41.21]	1:58.76 [1:17.55]	3:16.84 [1:18.09]	4:34.40 [1:17.57]	5:51.84 [1:17.44]	7:08.14 [1:16.31]	8:23.91 [1:15.77]	9:38.88 [1:14.98]
6	12		Ceili MCCABE West Virginia [FR]	9:39.27 q  PB		41.64 [41.64]	1:59.40 [1:17.76]	3:17.46 [1:18.07]	4:34.75 [1:17.29]	5:52.24 [1:17.50]	7:09.60 [1:17.37]	8:27.56 [1:17.97]	9:39.27 [1:11.72]
7	4		Annabelle EASTMAN George Mason [SO]	9:45.22  PB		41.31 [41.31]	1:59.18 [1:17.87]	3:17.23 [1:18.06]	4:35.03 [1:17.80]	5:52.63 [1:17.60]	7:10.37 [1:17.75]	8:28.69 [1:18.32]	9:45.22 [1:16.54]
8	10		Madison BOREMAN Colorado [SR]	9:49.28		41.72 [41.72]	1:59.27 [1:17.56]	3:17.59 [1:18.32]	4:35.24 [1:17.66]	5:52.95 [1:17.71]	7:11.05 [1:18.10]	8:32.78 [1:21.74]	9:49.28 [1:16.50]
9	9		Sara MUSSELMAN BYU [JR]	9:55.61  PB		41.88 [41.88]	1:59.71 [1:17.84]	3:18.21 [1:18.50]	4:36.92 [1:18.72]	5:56.99 [1:20.07]	7:19.32 [1:22.33]	8:40.47 [1:21.15]	9:55.61 [1:15.14]
10	8		Emma GEE Temple [SR]	9:56.19  PB		41.98 [41.98]	1:59.56 [1:17.59]	3:17.84 [1:18.28]	4:35.40 [1:17.56]	5:53.01 [1:17.62]	7:12.16 [1:19.16]	8:33.77 [1:21.61]	9:56.19 [1:22.42]
11	2		Grace MANCINI La Salle [SR]	9:56.46		41.55 [41.55]	1:59.51 [1:17.96]	3:17.68 [1:18.18]	4:35.82 [1:18.14]	5:54.20 [1:18.39]	7:14.54 [1:20.35]	8:36.72 [1:22.18]	9:56.46 [1:19.74]
12	7		Angelina ELLIS Butler [JR]	10:06.78		41.83 [41.83]	1:59.85 [1:18.02]	3:18.30 [1:18.45]	4:37.47 [1:19.18]	5:59.91 [1:22.45]	7:24.31 [1:24.40]	8:47.94 [1:23.63]	10:06.78 [1:18.85]

Quick Take: Wayment will be challenged on Saturday

Wayment had the fastest time of the day and looked good on the final lap while beating Konieczek, but she did not run the fastest last lap of the day — Wayment closed in 70.07, but Kimeli finished in 69.43 in the previous heat. Wayment remains the favorite for Saturday’s final, but with the other top runners making it through and looking good, the win won’t come easy. If Rainsberger, Kimeli, Konieczek, and the experienced Prouse saved something, it could be a heck of a final lap. If Wayment saved something, and with such a deep field of competitors, Courtney Frerichs’ collegiate and meet record from 2016 (9:24.41) could be under threat.

Quick Take: The all-time collegiate top 10 was rewritten today

For a little more context on how fast the times were today, just take a look at the NCAA all-time list. New Mexico’s Charlotte Prouse ran 9:37.05, which puts her #10 all-time — but she was only the fifth-fastest qualifier from the prelims. Expect this list to undergo further revision on Saturday.

NCAA all-time top 10, women’s steeple

Women’s 800: NCAA indoor champ Aaliyah Miller goes home as a wide-open final is set

With NCAA record holder Athing Mu running the 400, the women’s 800 title was up for grabs, with 11 women running 2:01 or faster in 2021. Simple math says, at most, only eight of them could make Saturday’s final, which made for a fascinating set of prelims today.

In the end, three of the top seven seeds based on 2021 sb were knocked out, with NCAA indoor champ Aaliyah Miller of Baylor the biggest casualty. Running in the third heat — easily the toughest as it featured three of the five fastest women this year — Miller looked to be fine for the first 700m. For most of that time, she was right next to the top seed, Michaela Meyer of Virginia (2:00.40 pb), and they held the top two qualifying spots coming off the final turn.

Wilkinson looked good in winning heat 3

But Miller was no match for Florida’s Gabrielle Wilkinson, the SEC 1500 champ, over the final 100, as Wilkinson went wide to sprint past Miller and Meyer to win the heat in 2:03.50. Meyer hung on for the second and final auto spot behind her, just edging out BYU’s Anna Camp, who had run a pb of 4:09 less than 90 minutes earlier to make the 1500 final (Camp missed the final time qualifier by .07).

Two of the three time qualifiers came from heat 1, which went out in a quick 58.04 thanks to Arkansas’ Shafiqua Maloney, the 3rd-placer at NCAA indoors. Georgia’s Amber Tanner came on strong in that one, using a big move at 500 meters to pull away and win in 2:01.82, the fastest time of the day. Maloney’s strategy paid off as she was able to get the third and final time qualifier to the final. It’s also worth noting that a collision at the 250m mark  between LSU’s Katy-Ann McDonald and Richmond’s Brooke Fazio had an impact on the results of heat 1. Both women went down, and Cal State-Fullerton’s Samantha Huerta was forced to go wide, losing momentum, meaning that it became, in effect, a five-person race over the last lap.

Here is how the top eight seeds fared:

Heat 1 results

Pl	Pos		Athlete	Time		400m	800m
1	2		Amber TANNER Georgia [SR]	2:01.82 Q		58.19 [58.19]	2:01.82 [1:03.64]
2	5		Laurie BARTON Clemson [JR]	2:02.25 Q		58.42 [58.42]	2:02.25 [1:03.83]
3	4		Claire SEYMOUR BYU [SO]	2:02.58 q  PB		58.56 [58.56]	2:02.58 [1:04.02]
4	6		Shafiqua MALONEY Arkansas [SR]	2:03.88 q		58.04 [58.04]	2:03.88 [1:05.85]
5	8		Aurora RYNDA Michigan [SO]	2:04.91		58.78 [58.78]	2:04.91 [1:06.14]
6	3		Samantha HUERTA Cal St. Fullerton [SR]	2:06.73		59.79 [59.79]	2:06.73 [1:06.95]
7	7		Katy-Ann MCDONALD LSU [SO]	2:13.07		1:01.91 [1:01.91]	2:13.07 [1:11.17]
8	9		Brooke FAZIO Richmond [JR]	2:15.90		1:03.90 [1:03.90]	2:15.90 [1:12.00]

Heat 2 results

Pl	Pos		Athlete	Time		400m	800m
1	6		Sarah HENDRICK Kennesaw State [SO]	2:03.17 Q		59.96 [59.96]	2:03.17 [1:03.21]
2	8		Lindsey BUTLER Virginia Tech [SO]	2:03.53 Q		59.71 [59.71]	2:03.53 [1:03.82]
3	3		Avi’ Tal WILSON-PERTEETE UNLV [JR]	2:03.65 q  SB		59.46 [59.46]	2:03.65 [1:04.20]
4	5		Kaytlyn LARSON Oklahoma State [SR]	2:04.29  PB		59.92 [59.92]	2:04.29 [1:04.38]
5	7		Kayla JOHNSON Miami (Fla.) [JR]	2:04.92		59.42 [59.42]	2:04.92 [1:05.50]
6	4		Astrid ROSVALL UC Santa Barbara [SR]	2:05.14		1:00.76 [1:00.76]	2:05.14 [1:04.39]
7	9		Stephanie MOSS Oklahoma State [FR]	2:05.95		1:00.71 [1:00.71]	2:05.95 [1:05.25]
8	2		Wilma NIELSEN Bradley [FR]	2:07.78		1:00.92 [1:00.92]	2:07.78 [1:06.87]

Heat 3 results

Pl	Pos		Athlete	Time		400m	800m
1	8		Gabrielle WILKINSON Florida [SO]	2:03.50 Q		1:02.41 [1:02.41]	2:03.50 [1:01.09]
2	5		Michaela MEYER Virginia [SR]	2:03.63 Q		1:02.03 [1:02.03]	2:03.63 [1:01.60]
3	7		Anna CAMP BYU [SR]	2:03.95		1:02.27 [1:02.27]	2:03.95 [1:01.68]
4	6		Aaliyah MILLER Baylor [JR]	2:04.26		1:02.08 [1:02.08]	2:04.26 [1:02.18]
5	4		McKenna KEEGAN Villanova [SR]	2:04.48		1:02.22 [1:02.22]	2:04.48 [1:02.27]
6	3		Sivan AUERBACH Oklahoma State [FR]	2:06.27		1:02.45 [1:02.45]	2:06.27 [1:03.83]
7	9		Gemma FINCH Troy [SR]	2:06.90		1:02.42 [1:02.42]	2:06.90 [1:04.48]
8	2		Kristie SCHOFFIELD Boise State [JR]	2:07.20		1:02.58 [1:02.58]	2:07.20 [1:04.62]

Quick Take: Good luck picking a winner for the final

We said yesterday that six of the eight men in the 800 final have a legitimate shot to win it. The women’s race is even more open, as all eight women could become the champion. The final time qualifier, Shafiqua Maloney, was 3rd indoors, and the second-to-last time qualifier, Avi’Tal Wilson-Perteete of UNLV, was 3rd at the last outdoor champs. Top seed Meyer auto-qualified but Wilkinson looked the stronger of the two in heat 3.