Jesse Squire | On 10, Jun 2016

The men’s side of the competition at the NCAA Championships reaches its conclusion today.

What I have for you today is a breakdown of your key links and information, an analysis of each of the team favorites, and a preview of each of today’s events.

Key Information

For the second year in a row, the meet has been split into men’s competition (today and Friday) and women’s competition (Thursday and Saturday)
Schedule, start lists and live results

TV/web: You can see it all on the various ESPN networks.
ESPN3.com will have live heptathlon and field event coverage all day.
Television coverage begins at 8:30pm on ESPN and runs until 11:00.

All the other information you need can be found at the USTFCCCA’s National Championships Central and at Let’s Run’s coverage.

Team favorites

LSU is the current favorite to win, despite having no points on the scoreboard at the moment. The Tigers have eight high-quality finalists and are expected to rack up 60 or more points.

Oregon and Arkansas are the main challengers. They have 19 and 16 points respectively. Oregon doesn’t have many finalists but they are expected to score very big. Arkansas is the other way around, lots of finalists but few are expected to win or be close to winning.

A summary of the leading teams’ entries:

Event-by-event viewer’s guide

High jump

Start list and live results
The favorite: Trey Culver, Texas Tech
Culver assumes the mantle of the favorite based on his win at the NCAA indoor championships, but this is generally considered a wide-open competition.
The challengers: Avion Jones, East Carolina and Bradley Akins, Texas Tech
Jones has the year’s best jump (2.31m/7′ 7″) but bombed at the NCAA indoor championships.
Team implications: Arkansas has Ken Legassey but he is not expected to score.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: The man generally considered to be the best jumper in college track this year is not here. That’s Jeron Robinson, who competes for Texas A&M-Kingsville, a Division II institution.

Discus throw

Start list and live results
The favorite: Sam Mattis, Penn
Mattis is the defending champion and has some of the longest throws in world history for a man his age.
The challenger: Filip Mihaljevic, Virginia
Mihaljevic already won the shot on Wednesday. It has been 14 years since a man swept the shot and discus at the NCAA championships.
Team implications: Texas A&M qualified Jeff Bartlett but he is not expected to score.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: Brothers Phillip and Reggie Jagers have both qualified but compete for archrival teams, Akron and Kent State.

Triple jump

Start list and live results
The favorite: Clive Pullen, Arkansas
Pullen won the NCAA indoor title along with the indoor and outdoor SECs.
The challenger: Matthew O’Neal, South Florida
O’Neal was runner-up at the NCAA indoor championships.
Team implications: Huge. Arkansas needs a win from Pullen, and Texas A&M has three entries in Jeffrey Prothro and the Collie brothers, Lathone and Latario. Florida doesn’t have much chance at winning, but a big result by KeAndre Bates would help.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: Baylor’s Felix Obi was the 2014 NCAA indoor champion but hasn’t scored at an NCAAs since then. This is his final collegiate competition.

4×100 relay

Start list and live results
The favorite: LSU Tigers
The Bayou Bengals have the year’s fastest time and won the SEC Championship.
The challengers: Arkansas Razorbacks, Houston Cougars
The next fastest teams on the yearly list finished second in the SEC (Arkansas) and were the top US team at the Penn Relays (Houston).
Team implications: LSU, Arkansas and Florida are running.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: Florida’s miracle comeback in 2013 to tie for the championship began with winning the 4×100 and ended with winning the 4×400. LSU is favored in both today as well as for the team championship.

1500 meters

Start list and live results
The favorite: Clayton Murphy, Akron
Murphy was the top finisher from the entire western hemisphere in the 800 meters at the Worlds last year, and is now tackling the 1500. He is a brilliant tactician with a great kick.
The challengers: Brannon Kidder, Penn State, and Izaic Yorks, Washington
Kidder also has tremendous finishing speed. Works, on the other hand, does not fear a fast pace and he will probably set it.
Team implications: If Oregon is going to have a chance, they need Sam Prakel and Blake Haney to rack up some points.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: Murphy and Prakel went to high school about 30 miles from each other.

Steeplechase

Start list and live results
The favorite: Mason Ferlic, Michigan
Ferlic fell at last year’s NCAAs and finished last, but hasn’t lost to a collegian since then.
The challenger: Edwin Kibichiy, Louisville
He looked very good in Wednesday’s semifinal.
Team implications: Arkansas has a surprise finalist in Frankline Tonui.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: Well, the steeplechase originated as…ah, never mind.

110 meter hurdles

Start list and live results
The favorite: Devon Allen, Oregon
Allen won two years ago as a freshman in meet-record time, then missed last year while recovering from knee surgery. He looks about as unbeatable as is possible in this event.
The challenger: Jordan Moore, LSU
Moore was the #2 qualifier on Wednesday.
Team implications: The two above are the only qualifiers from the championship contenders.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: The last Oregon Duck to win the NCAA high hurdle title was Jerry Tarr, who also was a member of an NCAA champion team who won their title at Hayward Field.

100 meters

Start list and live results
The favorite: Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake
The pre-meet favorite, Ronnie Baker of TCU, did not make the final. Mitchell-Blake looked very good in qualifying.
The challenger: Senoj-Jay Givans, Texas
Givens recorded the fastest time of the collegiate season in the prelims with a 9.96
Team implications: LSU has Mitchell-Blake, Arkansas has Jarrion Lawson and Kenzo Cotton.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: If I have my information right, Oklahoma State’s John Teeters is the fastest white man in US history.

400 meters

Start list and live results
The favorite: Arman Hall, Florida
Hall has been a star forever, and is finally approaching the form he showed as a freshman.
The challengers: Nathan Strother, Tennessee and Michael Cherry, LSU
The pair were 2nd and 3rd at the NCAA indoor championships.
Team implications: Florida could pile up big points with three finalists. LSU could do the same with two. Oregon needs to get good points out of Marcus Chambers.

800 meters

Start list and live results
The favorites: Brandon McBride, Mississippi State, and Donavan Brazier, Texas A&M
Both looked strong and smooth in Wednesday’s semis. Brazier, a freshman, recorded a time that would have won all but four of the NCAA finals ever run. McBride, the experienced senior, left some gas for today. This is the best race of the day and possibly the best college race in a long time.
Team implications: A&M’s Brazier is the only qualifier from the top teams.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: When he was still in high school, McBride beat Nick Willis, the Olympic silver medalist.

400 meter hurdles

Start list and live results
The favorite: Eric Futch, Florida
Futch is undefeated in finals this year.
The challenger: Kenny Selmon, North Carolina
Selmon is a bit inexperienced but looks to be rounding into form just at the right time.
Team implications: Florida has two finalists. Texas A&M’s Robert Grant should score well.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: Along with Brendan Rodney in the 200, Mica-Jonathan Petit-Homme could give LIU-Brooklyn its best ever team finish.

200 meters

Start list and live results
The favorite:Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, LSU
Mitchell-Blake rates as a slight favorite in the 100 but a stronger one here.
The challenger: Brendan Rodney, LIU
Rodney didn’t run particularly well at the NCAA indoor championship and still finished fourth.
Team implications: LSU and Arkansas each have two finalists.
Factoid you won’t get from Larry Rawson: This is Arkansas’ last chance to score, and an eleven-point lead after this event would clinch the championship.

5,000 meters

Start list and live results
The favorite: Edward Chesererk, Oregon
After working through injury problems earlier this year, Cheserek is a little less than invincible. But he’s still the guy to beat.
The challengers: Patrick Tiernan, Villanova, and Justyn Knight, Syracuse
Cheserek is not a good kicker over 100 meters or less, and rarely lets it come down to that point. The key to beating him is to be proactive, not reactive, and these are the two guys with both enough strength and speed to make it possible — but it’s still really, really difficult.
Team implications: Oregon needs big points out of Cheserek, but Jake Leingang could sneak in for bonus points.

4×400 relay

Start list and live results
The favorites: Florida Gators
The Gators have three finalists in the 400 meters and two in the 400 hurdles. One of them will have to sit this one out.
The challengers: LSU Tigers
LSU also has tremendous depth.
Team implications: The championship is likely to be decided here.