2017 DI NCAA Outdoor Championships

NCAA 800m Preview: The Unanswered Questions Get Answered

NCAA 800m Preview: The Unanswered Questions Get Answered

The men's and women's 800m finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships are primed to be must-watch races next week in Eugene, OR.

Jun 2, 2017 by Gordon Mack
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The men's and women's 800m finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships are primed to be must-watch races next week in Eugene, OR. So I sat down with myself and asked a few questions heading into Championship Week.

Q: Will Oregon's Raevyn Rogers win her fifth straight NCAA 800m title?
A: Yes, no one this year has given Rogers a true scare. In my mind, the question now is when will she go pro and focus on making U.S. teams over winning more NCAA titles?

Q: Will Emmanuel Korir break Donavan Brazier's NCAA 800m record?
A: Yes, Korir is a legit talent. From his 400m speed (43.34 4x4 split) to his tactical abilities (winning NCAA indoors hurt), Korir has only scratched the surface of his potential. Look for a 1:43 low on Friday night.

Q: Who will get second in the men's and women's races?
A: Personally I'm going with Penn State's Isaiah Harris and BYU's Shea Collinsworth. But, to be honest, I would not be surprised if I go 0-2 with these picks. After Korir and Rogers, the 800 is wide open in my opinion. Hannah Green, Jazmine Fray, Oliva Baker, Joe White, Eliud Rutto, Micheal Saruni, Devin Dixon, and more could all have a legit shot for runner-up honors.

Q: Who is your women's dark horse?
A: Danae Rivers (Penn State)

Q: Who is your men's dark horse?
A: Drew Piazza (Virginia Tech)

Q: What else are you excited about this race?
A: The battle between Texas A&M's Devin Dixon and Florida's Andres Arroyo will be fun to watch as will be crucial to their teams' title hopes. When all is said and done, the winner between these two men could be the deciding factor on the team title between Aggies and Gators.

Q: Women's winning time?
A: 2:01.01 (They go out in 62.9)

Q: Men's winning time?
A: 1:42.99 (Dream big!)

Q: Who will win in 2018?
A: Really, you are asking me who will win next year before this year even ends?

Q: Yep.
A: Korir and Rogers go pro, and A&M pulls off the sweep. Devin Dixon wins the men's title, and Sammy Watson wins the women's title.

Q: Final question.
A: Hit me.

Q: If Clayton Murphy decided to return for his senior year at Akron and Donavan Brazier returned to A&M, who would have won: Murphy, Brazier, or Korir?
A: