Wow, we’re in the middle of what will be the hottest week of elite track and field this side of the Trials and Games and I nearly forgot that the NCAA Championships are also this week! So this week we get treated to Oslo, New York, the NCAA’s and I’ll throw in the Golden West Invitational out here on the West Coast for high school fans. This is going to be one hot weekend!

It’s really hard to handicap the NCAA meet because they don’t have a lot of dual meets to gauge competitiveness and the Regional meets are merely the heats and quarterfinals for the championship meet. NO finals, and no East vs. West matchups – would actually make sense to mix the athletes up a bit since we are talking about a National championships.

That being what it is, here’s my attempt at handicapping the winners for this year’s NCAA Championships. Any predictions have their questions and I’m sure won’t pass the test with some as I know there are some questionable choices. For example my head says that McQuay or Berry will win the men’s 400, but there’s a quality about Nellum and I’ve watched him since his high school days. Cam Levins just seems to be on a roll – yes I know Lalang is a stud. I also know that English Gardener is a much better starter in the 100, but I still see Duncan with a double win. Same story with Maurice Mitchell. Field event athletes with the best marks tended to get top billing. Ditto for the highest returning athletes from last year’s championships in general. And some programs I just have faith in.

I still think that the best of the best are headed to Des Moines with the Olympic Trials in the back of their minds – so we may not see the absolute best from some – and that had some influence on my thoughts as well. I mean what more important, peaking for the NCAA meet or the Trials? Needless to say the meet will be run and there will be champions crowned, and here is my best guess at who I think they will be.

Men’s Events

Women’s Events