Since January, the athlete on everybody’s minds has been Texas A&M freshman Donavan Brazier. The 18-year-old NCAA newcomer ran 1:45.93 at the January 16th Texas A&M Invitational, and the men’s 800m field got a lot more interesting. 

After winning the SEC title (in a new meet record of 1:46.08 to boot), Brazier is preparing to take on the NCAA in the highly anticipated men’s 800m.

“I definitely think I’m in better shape now than when I ran 1:45,” Brazier said at the NCAA press conference. Seated next to reigning NCAA 60m champion Ronnie Baker and three-time NCAA shot put champ Ryan Crouser, Brazier noted the team wasn’t doing specific 800m training that early in January. With turnover work and an individual SEC win under his belt, all eyes will be on Brazier at 7:25pm tomorrow evening.

Related: Donavan Brazier Ran a 1:14 600m Time Trial in November

“I think it will be a fast race just because Hector [Hernandez, his teammate] likes to take it out fast,” Brazier said. Hernandez, a senior, took more than one second off his best time to finish third behind Brazier and Florida All American Andres Arroyo in 1:46.32 at the SEC Championships. The teammates are in the same preliminary section on Friday evening and Brazier noted he expects the duo to take out the race hard, a strategy that has favored them all season. 

“I think SECs was a good rehearsal because we had Arroyo and Hector was in it. I think the race will play out the same way,” Brazier said. “I think the SEC guys will take it out hard and the other conferences like to hold it back until the last lap. So it’s just about holding on the last lap this time.”

When asked if the collegiate record (1:44.84 from Paul Ereng in 1989, or hey maybe 1:45.33 meet record from Patrick Nduwimana in 2001) could go down, Brazier smiled.

“Anything is possible.”