2021 NCAA Men’s Top 10 Outdoor Eligibles

Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse won the ’19 NCAA 1500 title by a mere 0.003; he’ll be back to defend that crown. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

THIS NCAA DIVISION I-oriented compilation is by necessity not the same as we’ve done in recent years, thanks to everybody’s favorite friend, the pandemic. Given the incertitude of class and meet scheduling, instead of the top 20 eligible performers for the ’21 men’s outdoor season, we’ve only gone 10-deep.

So here’s who we believe the top 10 are, in order of their PRs. Marks are as of January 26. Only wind-legal marks are included. The column on the right has traditionally been the athlete’s finish in the previous year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships. But with no Nationals last year, what we have instead listed is what they did in ’19.

If the athlete didn’t compete in the meet (which includes the rounds held in the Regionals), then the Indoor Champs finish (“i”) is given. A slash followed by another number/letter indicates competition in a different event.

Symbols: h = heat; qf = quarterfinal; sf = semi; fs = false start; rs = redshirt; hs = high school; int = international; jc = junior college; inj = injured; dnf = did not finish; dnc = didn’t compete at Nationals/Regionals; dnq = didn’t advance from Regionals field-event qualifying; (A) = altitude-aided mark (over 1000m); ‘ = not eligible for Team USA.

Classes (outdoors): *** = frosh; ** = soph; * = juniors; all others are seniors. Note that there is no end of confusion over classes at this point because not all schools are reporting classes the same way. Some are using academic standing, others athletic eligibility. The classes we list represent what we believe to be the athlete’s remaining outdoor eligibility.

100 METERS
9.96 Raymond Ekevwo’ (Florida) 4qf
10.01 Joseph Amoah’ (Coppin State) 8
(A) Samson Colebrooke’ (Purdue) 5qf
(A) Waseem Williams’ (Purdue) 4
10.06 **Bryand Rincher (Florida State) 5
10.09 Raheem Chambers’ (Miami) 5sf
10.11(A) ***Matthew Boling (Georgia) hs
10.12 Maxwell Willis (Baylor) 6h
10.16 *Emmanuel Yeboah’ (Texas A&M) jc
10.19 TJ Brock (TCU) 6qf
Travis Collins (Houston) 7sf
200 METERS
20.08 Joseph Amoah’ (Coppin State) 6
20.09 *Micaiah Harris (Texas) 5
20.27 Trevor Stewart (North Carolina A&T) 2/400
20.31(A) ***Matthew Boling (Georgia) hs
20.33 *Marcus Parker (Clemson) 5sf
20.37 Akeem Sirleaf’ (North Carolina A&T) dnc-sf
20.39 *Eric Harrison (Ohio State) inj
Akanni Hislop’ (LSU) 5sf
Maxwell Willis (Baylor) 7h
20.41 *Terrance Laird (LSU) jc
400 METERS
44.25 Trevor Stewart (North Carolina A&T) 2
44.55 *Dwight St. Hillaire’ (Kentucky) 4sf
44.63 **Jonathan Jones’ (Texas) 4
44.99 **Jamal Walton’ (Florida State) rs
45.02 Derrick Mokaleng’ (TCU) 4sf
45.03 **Jonathan Sacoor’ (Tennessee) 5qf
45.09 **Dashawn Morris’ (Maryland) inj
45.18 Bryce Deadmon (Texas A&M) 6
45.19 Sean Bailey’ (UTEP) 6sf
45.20 *Zach Shinnick (USC) inj
800 METERS
1:44.76 Devin Dixon (Texas A&M) 2
1:45.05 Festus Lagat’ (Iowa State) 3
1:45.98 Takieddine Hedeilli’ (Texas Tech) int
1:46.06 Cooper Williams (Indiana) 5
1:46.11 Isaiah Jewett (USC) 3sf
1:46.40 Carlton Orange (Texas A&M) 4
1:46.59 ***Allon Clay’ (Texas A&M) int
1:46.88 Roshon Roomes (Iowa State) 8sf
1:47.02 ***Jason Gomez (Iowa State) -+!
1:47.06 Daniel Nixon (Iowa State) inj
1500 METERS
3:35.74 James West’ (Oregon) fs-qf
3:36.44 ***Sam Tanner’ (Washington) int
3:37.88 Takieddine Hedeilli’ (Texas Tech) int
3:38.32 *Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame) 1
3:38.64 *Sam Worley (Texas) 9
3:38.72 *Waleed Suliman (Mississippi) 9sf
3:38.76 *Reed Brown (Oregon) 12sf
3:39.33 *George Kusche’ (Nebraska) 6sf
3:39.36+ Mick Stanovsek’ (Washington) 10
3:39.52 Luis Grijalva’ (Northern Arizona) 15/5K
STEEPLE
8:27.90 *Ryan Smeeton’ (Oklahoma State) 2
8:30.10 Aidan Tooker (Syracuse) inj
8:32.59 *Matt Owens (BYU) 8
8:34.50 *Alec Basten (Minnesota) 7sf
8:36.25 Clayson Shumway (BYU) 10
8:38.28 Kigen Chemadi’ (Middle Tennessee State) 3
8:38.29 John Rice (Texas) 8sf
8:38.53 Nathan Mylenek (Iowa) 9
8:38.90 Albert Kosgei’ (Louisville) 8sf
8:40.36 *Noah Affolder (Oregon) inj
5000 METERS
13:16.75 Luis Grijalva’ (Northern Arizona) 15
13:17.13 *Cooper Teare (Oregon) 22
13:24.04 Edwin Kurgat’ (Iowa State) 5
13:28.55 Alex Masai’ (Hofstra) dnc
13:29.73 *Conner Mantz (BYU) 7
13:31.50 *Morgan Beadlescomb (Michigan State) 13
13:32.95 ***Cole Hocker (Oregon) hs
13:32.81 Thomas Ratcliffe (North Carolina) 3
13:33.64 Amon Kemboi’ (Arkansas) rs
13:34.91 Kasey Knevelbaard (Florida State) 6/1500
10,000 METERS
28:11.05 Alex Masai’ (Hofstra) 22h
28:18.18 *Conner Mantz (BYU) 4
28:22.76 Blaise Ferro (Northern Arizona) dnc-h
28:25.15 Gilbert Boit’ (Arkansas) 9
28:36.07 Clayson Shumway (BYU) 10/St
28:42.13 *Emmanuel Cheboson’ (Arkansas) 20h
28:42.31 Jacob Choge’ (Middle Tennessee State) inj
28:48.38 Robert Brandt (Georgetown) 7
28:53.69 *Adriaan Wildschutt’ (Florida State) 19
28:54.33 **Tibebu Proctor (Washington) 25h
110 HURDLES
13.44 *Damion Thomas’ (LSU) dnc-sf
13.47 *Trey Cunningham (Florida State) 4qf
13.49 **Eric Edwards (LSU) dq
13.57 **Tai Brown (Kentucky) 3sf
William Session (Indiana) inj
13.59 Raleigh Adams (Long Beach State) dnf-sf
13.60 Robert Dunning (Alabama) 4sf
13.61 Mason Weh’ (Iowa State) 6qf
13.62 *LaFranz Campbell’ (Clemson) inj
Jaylan McConico (Iowa) 5sf
400 HURDLES
48.68 *Norman Grimes (Texas Tech) 2
49.09 *Cameron Samuel (USC) 6
49.67 **James Smith (Texas A&M) 5
49.75 Travean Caldwell (Arkansas) 4sf
49.92 Nick Hilson (Arkansas) 5sf
49.96(A) *Kenroy Williams’ (Kentucky) jc
50.05 Jonathan Harvey (Oregon) 7sf
50.11 *Quivell Jordan (Houston) 5sf
50.12 **Thomas Burns (Florida State) inj
50.16 *Malik Metivier’ (Auburn) rs
Tripp Piperi won the ’19 NCAA shot title in his home circle; to defend he’ll have to win in Eugene. (MIKE SCOTT)
HIGH JUMP
2.33 | 7-7¾ Darryl Sullivan (Tennessee) dnq
*Vernon Turner (Oklahoma) rs
2.30 | 7-6½ *Earnie Sears (USC) =12
2.29 | 7-6 *Tejaswin Shankar’ (Kansas State) 2
2.28 | 7-5¾ *JuVaughn Harrison (LSU) 1
2.27 | 7-5¼ **Roberto Vilches’ (Missouri) =9
2.26 | 7-5 Darius Carbin (Georgia) =7
Brenton Foster’ (Virginia) 16
Jonathan Wells (Illinois) inj
2.25 | 7-4½ Clayton Brown’ (Florida) /TJ
Eric Richards (Southern Mississippi) 5
Justice Summerset (Arizona) =12
POLE VAULT
5.94 | 19-5¾ **KC Lightfoot (Baylor) 4
5.80 | 19-¼ **Zach Bradford (Kansas) 6
(A) **Branson Ellis (Stephen F. Austin) =11
**Sondre Guttormsen’ (Princeton) 9
5.75 | 18-10¼ *Clayton Fritsch (Sam Houston State) 3
5.70 | 18-8¼ Brandon Bray (Texas Tech) 7
***Zach McWhorter (BYU) mission
5.65 | 18-6½ Adam Coulon (Indiana) 10
5.53 | 18-1¾(A) Antonio Ruiz’ (Houston) dnq
5.52 | 18-1¼ *Joel Benitez’ (Virginia Tech) rs
Chase Smith (Washington) =15
LONG JUMP
8.25 | 27-¾ Steffin McCarter (Texas) 10
8.20 | 26-11 *JuVaughn Harrison (LSU) 1
8.19 | 26-10½ **Carey McLeod’ (Tennessee) Div. II
8.13 | 26-8¼ *Ja’Mari Ward (Missouri) dnq
8.10 | 26-7 Fabian Edoki’ (Florida State) dnq
8.09 | 26-6½ Rayvon Grey (LSU) 21
8.05 | 26-5 Justin Hall (Texas Tech) 4
***Wayne Pinnock’ (Tennessee) int
8.02 | 26-3¾ **Jakub Andrzejczak’ (Indiana) inj
Laquan Nairn’ (Arkansas) dnq
TRIPLE JUMP
17.13 | 56-2½ *Chengetayi Mapaya’ (TCU) 1
17.08 | 56-½ Jordan Scott’ (USC) 2
16.82 | 55-2¼ O’Brien Wasome’ (Texas) 5
16.68 | 54-8¾(A) *Isaiah Griffith (Oregon) jc
**Carey McLeod (Tennessee) Div. II
16.58 | 54-4¾ Clayton Brown’ (Florida) 13
16.37 | 53-8½ *Christian Edwards (Alabama) rs
16.36 | 53-8¼ *R’Lazon Brumfield (Tennessee State) 11
16.35 | 53-7¾ **Owayne Owens’ (Virginia) dnc
16.34 | 53-7½ *Ja’Mari Ward (Missouri) dnq/LJ
SHOT
21.59 | 70-10 *Jordan Geist (Arizona) 3
21.15 | 69-4¾ Andrew Liskowitz (Michigan) 8
21.12 | 69-3½ *Tripp Piperi (Texas) 1
20.81 | 68-3¼ *Turner Washington (Arizona State) rs
20.63 | 67-8¼ *McKay Johnson (USC) rs
20.50 | 67-3¼ Jonathan Tharaldsen (Georgia) dnq
20.35 | 66-9¼ *Daniel McArthur (North Carolina) dnq
20.33 | 66-8½ ***Kristoffer Thomsen’ (North Dakota State) int
**Jordan West (Tennessee) rs
20.25 | 66-5¼ *Jalil Brewer (Purdue) dnq
20.20 | 66-3¼ **Josh Sobota (Kentucky) dnq
DISCUS
61.43 | 201-6 David Lucas (Penn State) rs
61.36 | 201-4 **Roje Stona’ (Clemson) 13
61.22 | 200-10 *Jerimiah Evans (Michigan State) 9
60.65 | 198-11 **Elijah Mason (Washington) 7
59.84 | 196-4 *George Evans’ (Kansas) dnq
59.61 | 195-7 **Sam Welsh (Harvard) 6
59.07 | 193-9 *Iffy Joyner (Cal) 18
58.76 | 192-9 Charlie Vernoy (Long Beach State) dnq
58.64 | 192-5 *Jamir Gibson (Army) dnq
58.58 | 192-2 Charles Lenford (Kentucky) 15
HAMMER
78.29 | 256-10 Gleb Dudarev’ (Kansas) 2
73.24 | 240-3 *Jake Norris’ (LSU) dnq
73.10 | 239-10 *Thomas Mardal’ (Florida) 4
71.07 | 233-2 *Kevin Arreaga’ (Miami) 10
70.21 | 230-4 **Alencar Pereira’ (Florida State) jc
69.09 | 226-8 **Bobby Colantonio (Alabama) 16
68.70 | 225-5 *Georgios Korakidis’ (Tennessee) 13
68.01 | 223-1 *Kieran McKeag (Alabama) 14
*Aléxios Prodanás’ (Virginia Tech) 19
67.40 | 221-1 *Jordan Geist (Arizona) 3/SP
JAVELIN
85.23 | 279-7 *Ahmed Magour’ (Georgia) rs
80.91 | 265-5 Sindri Guðmundsson’ (Mississippi State) 4
78.78 | 258-5 **Tyriq Horsford’ (Mississippi State) 3
78.10 | 256-3 ***Arthur Petersen’ (UT Arlington) int
77.15 | 253-1 **Marc Minichello (Penn) 17
76.95 | 252-5 ***Tzuriel Pedigo (LSU) rs
76.48 | 250-11 Nils Fischer’ (Auburn) Div. II
76.04 | 249-6 **Ethan Dabbs (Virginia) 7
75.91 | 249-0 Werner Bouwer’ (Texas Tech) 12
74.78 | 245-4 *Liam Christensen (Stanford) dnq
DECATHLON
8445 *Johannes Erm’ (Georgia) 1
8130 **Ayden Owens’ (Michigan) dnf
8101 **Karel Tilga’ (Georgia) dnq
7964 **Max Vollmer’ (Oregon) 5
7876 TJ Lawson (Kent State) dnf
7722 *Markus Ballengee (Arkansas) rs
7596 *Denim Rogers (Houston Baptist) 7
7587 ***Fynn Zenker’ (Texas Tech) int
7451 **Isaiah Martin (Purdue) 10
7427 Will Daniels (Iowa) Div. III