100,000 Views! and D1 Predictions (Question 8 I think?)

I just want to think everyone for following me to this point and reading the blog to the point where it has surpassed the 100,000 career view mark. I'm glad to have all of you guys as followers out there and this has been a really cool experience over the past few months. I should be at districts on Saturday so I guess be on the look out if you would like to talk to me about any of the action.

But on to the predictions.

Let's start with the 4x8. Now if I'm being honest picking which relays will go hot and which will not (which rhymes) is not an easy task. I believe that the teams to qualify for the finals will be something the lines of:
Spring Ford
Great Valley
Bensalem
and then one other auto qualifier from Heat 1, I'd imagine it would be Darby or Prep depending on whether either of those teams is putting their eggs in the 4x8 basket. But 4 have to get in from this heat and besides these 3 I see no scary teams.

In the second heat, however, we should get 6-8 additional qualifiers.
Pennridge
DT West
Penncrest
should all get in assuming they are going hot as projected.

I don't think North Penn is going to put their A team on the track, but they would still have a shot at finals. I think Upper Moreland will put their A team on, so they should get in and Henderson I also believe will field their A team. That gives me 10 squads right there. Then depending again on who goes for it, the field will probably be filled by some combination of Owen J, CB West, Perk Valley, and WC East. Down at the bottom here it may only take an 8:06-8:08 kind of time to make finals. My Senior year it took 7:59 to make finals (and that was only because Henderson got disqualified).

On to the mile. I have speculated earlier that I do not think Drew will choose to run the 1600 at this meet although he is entered. He certainly would have no difficulty making the final if he chooses to run it, but the guy has run just two real 1600esque races this year and both were revolving around the Penn Relays, which doesn't have anything less than a mile individually anyway. The two seed is Hibbs who also would have a chance to run 1600 and make finals if he wanted to, but I don't see him doing it either. Both guys could but I don't see it going down.

So this leaves guys like Huemmler, Trimble, Metzler, Yannacone, Harriman, Zingarini, Horgan, and Kelly for the finals. They should all get in relatively easily. After that, again I'm doing some guess work on who is running, but the finalists in the field should be guys that are pretty under the radar. Scripture stands out as a guy who could definitely get in, but the last couple will probably either have nice PRs to qualify or it will only take like 4:27 to get in. Gilad Doron looks like he would have fresh legs, unlike a lot of the other guys, so he could definitely get in. Maybe Dan Davis from North Penn as well could surprise his way in. Chris Mullin from Phoenxville also worth noting.

In the 800m, I see Drew obviously qualifying then it gets kind of tricky. Rivera and Jenkins on the double from the 4x8 seem like logical picks. Logue and Kohler too should get in if they choose to double back (which makes plenty of sense to me). Garton has a (probably) fresh shot at the 800 so he should most likely make finals. Then you have a lot of other guys who are very capable of making the finals including the boys from Penncrest doubling back, Huemmler if he wants to run both, Jeff Wiseman who I have been a big fan of this season, Sam Brooks, Ryan Dickson, if Horgan chooses the 8 instead of the 16, if Trimble or Metzler choose the 8, Chaborek on the double ... the list goes on.

So I'll be bold here and not cop out, I'll pick 12 guys to go through to the finals:
Magaha
Rivera
Jenkins
Logue
Kohler
Garton
Brooks
Wiseman
Miller
Chaborek
O'Such
Dickson

No obviously this is with my specific idea of who will be doubling and who will not be doubling and such so keep that in mind.

After Friday I can let you guys know who I think is going to states once I know who is running what and such. Kind of a cop out, I know, but you can kind of tell who I think is going based on who I said would make finals with confidence and who I said wouldn't.