Illinois excelled in the field and had had strong showings in all three relays to place second and Georgia Southern amazed in the sprints as all three clubs scored over 100 points. But the formula for success to the 2016 team title will likely be overall balance and who can get it done in the trenches, picking up points wherever they can. Those 6^th, 7^th, 8^th and even 9^th place points may be all the difference at the end of this one.

Parity appears to be the name of the game and no club looks as though they will dominate multiple events across the board. Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin all have top seeds in events and the depth to get it done but Iowa State, Stanford, Virginia Tech and UConn could also challenge, especially with so much parity on paper. Expect a low score to win the title and little separation between the top five or six clubs headed into Saturday night’s final few events.

SPRINTS
Georgia Southern University put on a clinic in Bloomington a year ago with dominating performances across the sprints and relays. Though much of their core sprint group has graduated, defending 100 meter champ and 200 meter runner-up Andrew Johnson is back for GSU and looking to keep the tradition going.

Johnson set a new record in the 100 meters last (10.86 in the prelims) and clocked a 10.91 in the final. But he will enter the 2016 national meet with the fourth-best seed time at 10.9. The top seed at a very fast 10.5 is Wisconsin’s Brandon Clarke, who just missed qualifying for the finals in last year’s event. A pair of Texas sprinters follow with Joshua Maldonado and Avery Pawelek seeded at 10.7 and 10.8 respectively. Missouri’s Joshua Idachaba, Ohio State’s Stephen Finley, and UConn’s Ben Bruciati, who all medaled last year, also return.

Johnson is the top returner as well in the 200 meter dash (22.28 in 2015) but isn’t even seeded in the top 20 at 24.4 this year. With the 200 moving to timed finals only this year that could affect his chances at taking the title. Penn State’s Hunter Small shares the top seed with Texas’s Pawelek at 22.5. UConn’s Aidan Devin is right behind them 22.7 and then Idachaba from Mizzou and Indiana’s Noah Garrett both at 22.8. GSU’s La’Kai Whately holds the meet record at 21.78.

Unlike the 100 and 200, few medal winners from 2015 return in the 400 meter dash. Indiana’s Andrew Redston is the top returner, fifth a year ago in 51.09, and seeded seventh at 50.4. Virginia Tech’s Paul Klauser leads the contingent of four under 50.0 with the meets top seed at 49.0. Small from Penn State is second at 49.3 and Stanford’s one-two punch of Michael Becich and Matt Millett are third and fourth, both at 49.9. Mason Rhodes of Georgia Southern set the meet standard in 2013 with a time of 48.18.

HURDLES
One of the smallest fields of the day is the men’s 110 meter hurdles but Jerry Canada of UConn is back to defend his title (and the meet record of 15.63). To do it he will have to overcome top-seeded Guy Beachnau of Grand Valley State who comes in with a 15.3 to Canada’s 15.5. Wisconsin’s Hunter Cummings is next at 15.7 and teammate Brett Joers is seeded fourth at 16.0. GSU’s Daniel Jappah and Toledo’s Chris Edwards are also seeded under 17 seconds. Canada is the only returning medal winner in this event.   

Rich Bardell of Penn State and Will Herriman of Ohio State are the two highest placing 400 meter hurdlers from 2015 Nationals (2^nd and 4^th respectively) but will come in as the three and four seeds behind Jordan Allen of Kansas (54.3) and Bardell’s teammate Colby Trauger (56.6). Kyle Bennison joins Bardell as tied for the fourth seed at 57.5 to give PSU three of the top five in the 400 hurdles. Georgia Southern’s Brandon Cole is the event record holder and last year’s champion at 55.18 but is not in the field this year.

MID-DISTANCE
Indiana’s John Darmody owned the mid-distance last April, sweeping the 800 meter (1:54) and 1500 meter (3:55) titles in record-break fashion but a recent injury will sideline the Hoosier All-American from this year’s meet, leaving us with two new champions, and possibly new record-holders, in both.

The top two spots in the 800 meters showcase seed times already faster than Darmody’s run from a year ago. Ohio State’s Rick Andrews leads the way with a 1:52 while last year’s runner-up Michael Becich of Stanford, also a 400 meter title contender, is seeded at 1:53. Penn State’s Daniel Williams and Maryland’s Ryan Scott will contend, both seeded at 1:55. Also look for Wisconsin’s Evan Kohl, Nathan Orf, and Zach Jindra, Purdue’s Ryan Kerns, Virginia’s Brandon Von Kannewurff, Virginia Tech’s Austin Wozniak, and IU’s Matt Lang and Brad Barry to all be in the mix in a competitive men’s 800.

Purdue’s Ryan Kearns was third in the 1500 meters last year and enters the meet with the second best seed time of 3:58. Only better than Kearns is Stanford’s Benedikt Buenz at 3:56 and no one else is seeded under 4 minutes. But an always talented 1500 meter field features plenty of names capable of taking the title, including third-seeded Rob Scanlon of Iowa State who is the reigning NIRCA XC national champion. Scanlon is seeded right at 4:00 along with Penn State’s Williams, Notre Dame’s Flannan Hehir and Texas’s Ben Treweek, who is one of the few returning medalists in the 1500 placing 8^th in 2015.

DISTANCE
Under the lights of the Indiana University Track & Field Facility the men’s 5000 meter run will take place on Friday night to officially kick off Spring Nationals weekend. And the hometown club, as usual, will have plenty of contenders for this prized event. IU’s Jacob Baranowski is the top seed, defending champ and record holder (14:47) while teammate Ethan Worthington is also looking to contend with an identical 14:40 seed time. Iowa State’s Scanlon is looking to add to his title haul in 2015-16 not just in the 1500 (see above) but also in the 5k where he is just off the top seeded time at 14:40.5. Stanford’s Buenz is seeded just under the 15-minute barrier at 14:59 and Purdue’s David Evans (5^th in 2015) will contend at 15:00.

From one of the first events of the weekend to one of the last, the 3000 meter steeplechase is always a fan favorite. Michigan’s Garrett Cullen took the title a year ago in 9:42 but has since graduated. Aiming for steeple glory this year is Minnesota’s Ethan Wagner, the events top seed at a blistering 9:33.9. Penn State’s John Lacy is the top returner here, placing third last year and seeded in the top five at 9:50. Indiana has a trio of contenders with Ethan Worthington, Aaron Zollman, and Cameron Nowrouzi while Illinois’s Josh Feldman and Quinn Todzo are both seeded at 9:50. Virginia’s James Eserino and Virginia Tech’s Daniel Anthony and Connor Lee all have results under 9:55 for the 3000 meter steeple.

THROWS
Illinois’ Ross Romane cruised to wins in the shot put and discus last year. His departure from the field in 2016 opens the door for some more Illini to get in on the fun though. Starting with the shot put, Illinois features three of the top eight seeds including last year’s runner-up Geoff Segal who is seeded second at 40’10” behind Michigan State’s Johnathan Costello at 42’7”. U of I’s Nithin Tangellamudi is the third seed with a toss of 39’11” just ahead of Michigan’s Kevin Yang and Penn State’s Garrett Skinner. Romane won last year’s event at 42’1” while the meet record belongs to Delaware’s Tim Byrne at an impressive 53’8”

In the discus throw it is the Illini’s Tangellamudi way out in front of the field with a mark of 112’5”. Next closest is West Virginia’s Ryan Butler at 104’5”. The only other throwers in the field with seed marks over the century barrier are Michigan State’s Costello (the top seed in the shot) and Indiana’s Brendan Hogan both at 100 feet. Of note, UConn’s Drevaun Bailey is only seeded at 40 feet but tossed the discus 124’7” a year ago to place second and is the event’s top returner. Byrne also holds the all-time NIRCA mark in this throwing event, tossing 161’0” in 2013.

JUMPS
Drexel University hasn’t ever had an individual champion in any discipline of NIRCA competition but Christian D’Andrea hopes to become the first for the Philadelphia-based school as he leads the seeds in the long jump. D’Andrea’s mark of 22’9.25” is over nine inches better than second seeded Trevor Edgerton of Indiana. Alex Baller of Iowa State is the highest placing finisher from last spring, finishing fourth with a leap of 19’10” but brings a mark of 21’7” into the 2016 meet as the third seed. Indiana’s Vikas Patel, Michigan State’s Connor Kikta, Wisconsin’s Evan Sadowsky, and Penn State’s Colby Trauger are all seeded above 20 feet. The meet record was set in 2014 by Bowling Green State’s Laurent Dure with a leap of 21’5” that is in serious jeopardy of falling by the wayside this weekend in Bloomington.

The top three finishers from 2015 all return in the men’s triple jump. Matt Lopez from Illinois  won the event with a leap of 42’6.25” but will be seeded just sixth with a 2016 mark of 40’00”. Vikas Patel of Indiana was runner-up last year and is also seeded sixth while Peter VanBeek of Wisconsin is one of three Badgers in the top four and was third last year. The top seed, just like in the long, is Drexel’s D’Andrea with a leap of 43’00”. Wisconsin’s William Jordan is seeded close behind at 42’3”. The meet record of 43’4” in the men’s triple is also in reach, held by Penn State’s Robbie Aikens since 2013 Nationals.

Just one of the top nine medal winners returns in the men’s high jump – Wisconsin’s Andrew Hoffamn who was 8^th in 2015. While the event will have plenty of new faces, Maryland’s David Tarcza is leaving little room who the favorite is this year. His leap of 6’5” tops the field by half a foot, with Michigan’s Kevin Greenman the next best seed at 6’0”. Illinois’ Hameed Odunewu and Michigan State’s Connor Kikta have marks over 5’10” and should challenege while UConn’s Canada should be another jumper to watch.

RELAYS
Indiana established the meet record in the 4x800 relay a year ago winning in 7:51. The Hoosiers come in with a seed time just under that at 7:50 and yet will be just the fourth best on-paper in the 2016 field, leaving open the possibility for record-shattering performances in the first relay of the day. Ohio State has the top time at 7:42 while Penn State and Stanford are next with 7:49 each. After the defending champs from IU, Iowa State clocks a 7:58 and Wisconsin is also under the 8-minute mark at 7:59.

Establishing a new meet record in the 4x100 relay however will prove to be much more difficult. Not just with the cooler temperatures from 365 days ago but more so because of the elite standard Georgia Southern set with their 41.63 last year. The top time coming into the 2016 national meet belongs to Penn State at 43.5. Indiana will challenge the Nittany Lions with a seed time of 44.0 while Illinois and Minnesota both come in at 44.5.

The final relay of the day has four clubs with seed times faster than last year’s champ and two times better than the all-time mark of 3:24 set by Penn State in 2013. Ohio State and Penn State are again 1-2 here, as in the 4x800, with the Buckeyes top time being 3:19. PSU is seeded at 3:22 followed by Wisconsin (3:25), Indiana (3:25), Virginia Tech (3:26) and Illinois (3:26). Iowa State and UConn should also give chase in what is always an exciting way to close our 2016 Track & Field Nationals.

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