This year's NCAA 800m field could be on pace to become the greatest/deepest collegiate field of all time. When looking at the 2016 start list we couldn’t help but recognize so many similarities to the epic 2011 NCAA field led by Robby Andrews and company.

But first, let's re-watch the 2011 outdoor final it was simply amazing...

The Miler:

2011: SO Robby Andrews (Virginia) - 1st in 2011
2016: SR Brannon Kidder (Penn State) AND JR Clayton Murphy (Akron)



At the time Andrews wasn't really known as a miler. In fact during his college days, Andrews ran the mile/1500 only four times. However, Andrews was still a miler at the core. He had a 1500m personal best of 3:40 and his kicking abilities mirrored the kicks of most elite runners. Looking at this 2016 field, both Brannon Kidder (3:57) and Clayton Murphy (3:57) have used their miler strength to breed success in the 800m.

The Honest Pace Maker:

2011: JR Charles Jock (UC Irvine) - 2nd in 2011
2016: SR Brandon McBride (Mississippi State) FR Donavan Brazier (Texas A&M)



Charles Jock was notorious for taking his races out hard. If Jock was in a race there was never a need for a rabbit because he would typically take the first 400m out in sub 51 seconds. During the epic 2011 NCAA outdoor final, Jock took the field out in a blistering 49.85 seconds. At first Jock's racing strategy reminded us of Brandon McBride who won the 2014 indoor and outdoor titles from the front. However, since McBride is choosing to sit out this year's indoor championships, NCAA's newest star Donavan Brazier looks to be the man to race out front. During two of his four 800s this season, Brazier has been out front at 400m, with the one exception being the SEC semis/finals where his teammate Hector Hernandez seemed to almost virtually pace Brazier thru the first 400 meters. Look for Brazier and eventually McBride come outdoors to be the honest pace makers in 2016.

The High School Star:

2011: SO Elijah Greer (Oregon) - 3rd in 2011
2016: JR Andres Arroyo (Florida)



Both Elijah Greer and Andres Arroyo were big time recruits for track and field powerhouse schools. Greer ran 1:47 in high school and was Oregon's prized 800m recruit. Arroyo ran 1:47 in high school and committed to the Gators after they won the national championship. Interestingly, both Greer and Arroyo struggled to make an immediate splash at the NCAA level. However, Greer's 2011 season looks to mimic Arroyo's current 2016 season where we start seeing the high school talent produce All-American performances.

The Speedster:

2011: SO Casimir Loxsom (Penn State) - 4th in 2011
2016: JR Shaquille Walker (BYU)



During the 2015 NCAA West Prelims, BYU's Shaquille Walker split 45.00 for his 4x4 squad after qualifying for NCAAs in the 800. That quarter miler speed is eerily similar to Casimir Loxsom's speed while at Penn State. Walker and Loxsom are the 'speedsters' of the NCAA 800m field, their biggest strength is their pure speed.

The Time Trialer:

2011: SR Cory Primm (UCLA) - 6th in 2011
2016: JR Eliud Rutto (Middle Tennessee State)



UCLA's Cory Primm entered his senior year with a personal best of 1:45.70 (3rd behind Jock and Andrews). By the end of his senior campaign he lowered his personal best to 1:44.71 (tied for 2nd with Andrews). While Primm put up impressive 800m times he never had big time performances at the NCAA Championship level. Eliud Rutto, seems to be a similar athlete. He has a time trial personal best of 1:45.37 from Payton Jordan. However, when it comes to championship races Rutto has yet to live up to his PB.

The Out of Nowhere Kid:

2011: SO Willie Brown (Akron) - 7th in 2011
2016: FR Isaiah Harris (Penn State)



When Akron's Willie Brown made the 2011 NCAA final it was out of nowhere. Brown entered his sophomore season with just a personal best time of 1:50. A few months later he ran the race of his life in the prelims, broke 1:46 and found himself in the NCAA final. Brown went from an unknown to a known in a very short timeframe. Now heading into the 2016 NCAA Championships, Penn State freshman Isaiah Harris has thrusted himself into the national spotlight. Harris entered this season with a personal best of 1:49 and just like Brown a few months later he is running 1:46, winning Big Tens and becoming a national contender.

The Racer:

2011: JR Ryan Martin (UC Santa Barbara) - 8th in 2011
2016: JR Dylan Capwell (Monmouth)



Dylan Capwell and Ryan Martin come from small schools but both pack big time performances. In fact, Martin wasn't the favorite in most of his races, or even had the fastest seed time, but he was still successful head to head. Martin beat Charles Jock at the 2011 Big West Championships and had many NCAA All-American performances. Capwell, who has a modest 1:46.70 PB compared to the current field, still is a national contender because his time doesn't reflect his success at racing. Capwell is actually the top returner for the 2016 Indoor Championships despite being seeded 14th.

Notable Athletes Who Didn't Make 2011 NCAA Final:
Alabama's Fred Samoei (2011 NCAA Indoor Champ)
UConn's Michael Rutt (2012 World Indoors Finalist)
Iowa's Erik Sowinski (2x Team USA Member)
Minnesota's Harun Abda (1:45 PB)

Notable Athletes Who We Didn't Compare:
1:46.13 Mississippi's Craig Engels (Did not qualify)
1:46.29 Florida's Ryan Schnulle (Did not qualify)
1:46.32 Texas A&M's Hector Hernandez (Ranked fifth)
1:46.78 Oregon's Niki Franzmair (Did not qualify)
1:46.8h UTEP's Jonah Koech (Did not qualify)
1:46.87 Arizona's Collins Kibet (Did not qualify)
1:46.98 Binghamton's Jesse Garn (Did not compete indoors)