We are now only five days from the NCAA Championships kicking off in Eugene, Oregon. Before the meet begins, be sure to check out the previews of the women’s distance, women’s sprints, and men’s distance. Today, we look at the men’s sprints. 

Men’s 100m: Can Burrell Get His Individual Title?

Semi-Final: Wednesday, 5:46 PM PT

Final: Friday, 6:22 PM PT

Key Athletes: Cameron Burrell, Jaylen Bacon, Andre Ewers, Kendal Williams, Eli Hall, Divine Oduduru

Burrell has finished second on three separate occasions at the NCAA Championships, including a runner-up finish at last year’s meet. On his final chance, will he be able to grab an individual title? As he’s done for the past two years, Burrell started the season slowly, waiting to show his true form until the preliminary round. Last year, that meant dropping back-to-back 9.9s in the preliminary heats. This year, he ran a wind-legal 10.02 in his first race in Sacramento. 

But even with Burrell reverting to the low 10-second range, he will have a fight for the 100m win. 

A few hours after Andre Ewers ran 9.98 at the East Prelim, Jaylen Bacon one-upped him with a nation-leading 9.97. The time served as a bit of breakthrough for Bacon, his first wind-legal sub 10-second clocking. But the Arkansas State senior has had a long, successful collegiate career. Four times he’s been an All-American, including a fifth-place finish in the 100m last year and a third-place finish at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60m. 

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Kendal Williams is the only other man beside Bacon and Ewers to break 10 seconds this year. The Georgia junior ran 9.99 at the SEC Championships as part of his 100m/200m sweep. This field also features the Big 12 (Divine Oduduru) and Big Ten (Waseem Williams) champions. The biggest variable is Burrell’s Houston teammate, Eli Hall. The senior ran 10.22 to qualify out of the West Prelims in this event but didn’t advance in the 200m. 

Men’s 200m: Who Prevails In Wide Open Field? 

Semi-Final: Wednesday, 6:44 PM PT

Final: Friday, 7:07 PM PT

Key Athletes: Divine Oduduru, Jaylen Bacon, Ncincilili Titi, Andre Ewers, Jaron Flournoy, Kendal Williams, Mustaqeem Williams, Rodney Rowe

After NCAA Indoor Championships, it was impossible to imagine an outdoor championship without Eli Hall. The Houston senior had just broken the American record, crushing a competitive field. But the NCAA season is long, grueling, and competitive, and Hall did not advance out of the first round at the West Prelims. As a result, this field is wide open.

Oduduru, Bacon, Ewers, Kendal Williams, and Mustaqeem Williams will be doubling back from the 100m. Titi of South Carolina will be fresh and has the fastest wind-legal personal best of the field, a 20.00 clocking from late April. That should have been enough to call him favorite except he only finished fourth at the SEC Championships. 

Rodney Rowe of North Carolina A&T ran the fastest time in the East Prelim and, like Titi, is only running the 200m. The competition for the eight spots in the final will be tight and, once the final comes, any number of men will be able to take the title. More clarity should come after 100m, but without the benefit of seeing how Bacon, Oduduru, and the rest of the doublers fare, this one is difficult to sort out.   

Men’s 400m: Michael Norman Goes Into The Belly Of The Beast

Semi-Final: Wednesday, 6:00 PM PT

Final: Friday, 7:07 PM PT

Key Athletes: Michael Norman, Nathon Allen, Akeem Bloomfield, Nathan Strother, Dwight St. Hillaire, Kahmari Montgomery, Wil London

Michael Norman fully acknowledges that this race is a bigger challenge than if he opted to race the 200m. He has the fastest mark of the year in the 200m, and the shorter race doesn’t feature the depth of talent that is present this year in the 400m. Still, the indoor world record wants to run the 400m and so he has chosen the path of most resistance. 

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At least two other men are capable of beating Norman and can turn this race from highly competitive into the greatest men’s NCAA 400m of all time. Norman said that he thinks it will take a time under 44 seconds to win the race and, looking at the stats, he could be correct. 

Nathon Allen of Auburn is the SEC champion and was runner-up to Fred Kerley last season at the NCAA Championships. He’s run 44.19 and took fourth last year at the 2017 World Championships. His season best of 44.28 is the best in the nation. That mark came in the SEC Championships where he just beat Nathan Strother. The senior from Tennessee gave everything Allen could handle, running a lifetime best of 44.34.

After Norman, Strother, and Allen there isn’t much of a drop-off. Kentucky freshman Dwight St. Hillaire ran a personal best of 44.55 at the East Prelims. Sophomore Akeem Bloomfield of Auburn finished a place behind Norman at the last two NCAA Championships—running fifth at last year’s outdoor championships and runner-up this year indoors.

Wil London of Baylor was seventh at the NCAA Championships last year before he finished third at the U.S. Championships. He’s run 44.47 before and looked qualifying in Sacramento. Houston’s Kamari Montgomery ran 44.91 at the Mt. SAC Relays, giving this field another sub-45 performer.  

Men’s 110m Hurdles: Holloway Tries To Stay Perfect In Championships

Semi-Final: Wednesday, 5:32 PM PT

Final: Friday, 6:12 PM PT

Key Athletes: Grant Holloway, Ruebin Walters, David Kendziera, Amere Lattin, Antoine Lloyd, Damion Thomas

In his three years at Florida, Holloway has only lost one high hurdle final to a collegian. If he can prevail on Friday, he would be a perfect four-for-four in NCAA Championships. This season, he dropped his personal best to 13.15, the second best of all time. While he needs another big jump to get to Renaldo Nehemiah’s collegiate record of 13.00, it’s more likely than not that he will be able to take another chunk off his lifetime best in Eugene. 

Walters and Kendziera finished second and third last year and are both back to try and dethrone Holloway. Kendziera ran 13.40 at the West Prelim, just 0.01 off his personal best, while Walters ran the fastest time of the East Prelim (he was in a different quarterfinal heat from Holloway). Because Walters has run a wind-aided 13.28, he’s best positioned to pull the upset, but the margin between Holloway and everyone else is so large that it would take a major mistake from Holloway to bring others into the race. 

John Burt of Texas is peaking at the right time, running a personal best of 13.61 at the West Prelims. Also in the West, Amere Lattin posted a 13.77, despite stumbling after the final hurdles and falling to the track. He seems well-positioned to improve on his 13.59 lifetime best. 

Men’s 400m Hurdles: All About The (Rai) Benjamin

Semi-Final: Wednesday, 6:30 PM PT

Final: Friday, 6:57 PM PT

Key Athletes: Rai Benjamin, Kemar Mowatt, Kenny Selmon, Amere Lattin, Taylor McLaughlin, Norman Grimes, David Kendziera

Benjamin’s 47.98 in Sacramento put him fourth on the all-time list and makes him a clear favorite in a strong field. Benjamin was second last year while competing for UCLA, but the third- and fourth-place finishers from 2017 also return. 

Arkansas’ Kemar Mowatt (third last year), made it through the West Prelim with ease, running 49.33. His 48.49 personal best (and fourth-place finish at the World Championships) make him a strong candidate if Benjamin struggles or somehow regresses from his current form. Kenny Selmon was fourth last year, running his lifetime best of 48.60. The North Carolina senior turned in the top time at the East Prelim to qualify for his third straight NCAA Championships. He also finished third in 2016. 

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Beyond those three, this field also features the Big 12 and Big Ten champions in Norman Grimes and Taylor McLaughlin. McLaughlin, now a junior, was fifth at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Illinois’ David Kendziera was seventh last year and has a personal best of 49.00. He will be doubling back from the 110m hurdles, as will Houston’s Amere Lattin.  

The Relays: Crowded 4x100m, Replay Of Historic 4x400m 

4x100 Semi-Final: Wednesday, 4:32 PM PT

4x100 Final: Friday, Friday, 5:33 PM PT

Key Teams: Arkansas, LSU, Florida, Houston

4x400 Semi-Final: Wednesday, 7:48 PM PT

4x400 Final: Friday, 5:51 PM PT

Key Teams: USC, Texas A&M, Florida, Houston 

The 4x100m has several teams in the conversation for best in the nation. Arkansas and LSU have the two fastest marks of the season, while Florida and Ohio State ran the best marks on prelims weekend. And then there is the looming presence of Houston—the 2017 champions. Their quartet of John Lewis III, Mario Burke, Nicholas Alexander, and Cameron Burrell put up the third-fastest time in the West, despite a tough final exchange. If a full strength Eli Hall is available, they are more than capable of a repeat. 

The 4x400m seems preordained to produce something that we are talking about all summer. Even if the team title is already decided, there is the chance to see USC, Texas A&M, and Florida run back their indoor battle where the three ran the three fastest times in indoor track history at the NCAA Championships. 

USC’s 3:00.77 from that race is still faster than anyone has run this year, but Texas A&M proved last week at the West Prelims that even with an unreal Michael Norman split they can make the Trojans work for all 1600 meters of the race. I don’t think anyone will complain about seeing Norman and A&M’s Devin Dixon match up on the anchor leg again in Eugene. 

Florida has the fastest time of the outdoor season, 3:01.00, and will likely use Grant Holloway, Kunle Fasasi, Benjamin Vedel and Chantz Sawyers. Houston’s 3:01.82 at Penn Relays (where Kahmari Montgomery split a 43.38) puts them third on the outdoor list.