The men’s 1500 is not one of those events. 18 men have run under 3:41 in 2015, compared to only 9 a year ago. Additionally, last year’s champion and runner-up, Mac Fleet and Lawi Lalang, are now running professionally, while 2015 NCAA indoor mile champion Edward Cheserek of Oregon is focusing on the 5k/10k double. More than ever, the metric mile appears to be anyone’s race. 

In an effort to make things a little clearer, we’ve compiled a short list of names that have proven themselves worthy of NCAA champion consideration. Undoubtably, this was a tough list to make, and several really good milers were left off for the sake of brevity. 

 

The List

Chad Noelle, (Jr.) Oklahoma State

SB: 3:38.35

Conference Finish: 1st, Big 12

 

Noelle won his second straight Big 12 1500m title over the weekend in Ames, closing in 53.5 off a very tactical pace. More impressive, however, was Noelle's NCAA-leading 3:38.35 at Payton Jordan, which was faster than the pros in section 1 at that loaded meet. The Cowboy was 5th at NCAA indoors in the mile. 

Cristian Soratos, (Sr.) Montana State

SB: 3:39.65 (A)

Conference Finish: 1st, Big Sky

 

Soratos has gone from an unknown to one of the NCAA’s best milers in the span of a few months. That’s what happens when run 3:55 indoors, and finish 2nd at nationals in your first time qualifying for the meet. Soratos became famous for his aggressive front-running when he split 53 seconds in the middle of the NCAA mile, and he’s not one to let the pace lag at all. To beat Soratos, one must be willing to run hard from a long way out. 

Jordan Williamsz, (Jr.) Villanova

SB: 3:39.53

Conference Finish: 1st, Big East 

 

The Australian will forever be remembered as the guy who out-kicked Cheserek at Penn Relays, and because of that, everyone knows how dangerous he is in the last lap. Williamsz is equally lethal in an all-out effort, as he split a 1:45 800 at World Relays, and owns a 3:36 PB. Given his 5th place finish at NCAAs last year, and his improved speed, Williamsz will be fighting for the win come June in Eugene. 

Thomas Joyce, (Jr.) California

SB: 3:39.43

Conference Finish: 2nd, PAC-12

 

Thomas Joyce is the sleeper pick in the NCAA 1500. The Cal junior had a relatively quiet indoor season, running 4:00 in the mile, but he’s been on fire since the start of outdoor, running PBs of 3:39 and 13:34 while showing excellent closing speed. Joyce mowed down the field over the last 200m in section 2 of the Payton Jordan 5k, splitting 26.6 while improving his PB by 23 seconds. Joyce finished a close 2nd to UW’s Izaic Yorks at PAC-12s this past weekend. 

Justyn Knight, (Fr.) Syracuse

SB: 3:39.66

Conference Finish: 1st, ACC

 

Knight won ACCs on Saturday in 3:47, closing in 54.85. Oh, and did we mention he did so while lacking his right shoe? The super-frosh showed poise and adaptability this weekend by staying calm when the unexpected happened, a crucial attribute for success at this level. The 18-year-old ran a World junior lead of 3:39.66 in April, and added a 13:34 5k Canadian junior record at Payton Jordan just a few weeks back. Knight is going to be a special athlete at Syracuse, and he’s got all the intangibles to win the NCAA 1500 as a freshman. 

 

Remember, these are just the five that have stood out to me so far in 2015. I wanted to get the rest of FloTrack’s take on this matter, so I asked them each to make their pick with a short explanation why. They did not have to choose from the names listed above.