It is conference championship weekend throughout the NCAA as collegiate programs try to grab team trophies and make one last attempt at a fast mark before the NCAA Championships begin. The Big East Championships will boast their traditional strength in the mid-distance and distance races with some of the country's best competing this weekend at the University of Connecticut. 

Here are five events to watch:

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Women’s 800

With Villanova’s McKenna Keegan opting for the 400m, Melissa Riggins of Georgetown assumes the role of favorite. The freshman has run 2:03.50 this year in her first year of collegiate competition. Her best competition should come from Madison Martinez of Villanova and Alex O’Neill of Providence. Martinez has run 2:05.87 and O’Neill has run 2:06.07. 

Women’s 1500m

Georgetown’s Sami Corman ran 4:15.57 at the Bryan Clay Invitational and the junior is the class of the field. Her teammate Riggins has run 4:17.53, but is not running this event. That leaves Providence’s Shannon Flockhart and Connecticut’s Mia Nahom as the next best seeds.  

Women's 3000m Steeplechase

Lydia Olivere of Villanova and Mia Nahom of Connecticut will run back their close race from the 2021 Big East Championships when both women ran lifetime bests. Olivere prevailed last year, running 9:57.34 to Mahom’s 9:58.30. 

Those marks still stand as both women’s personal bests. Olivere has run 10:01.65 this season while Nahom’s best is 10:05.10. Villanova sophomore Anna Helwigh ran 10:04.14 at the Raleigh Relays in March and could also be a factor. 

Men’s 1500m

This should be one of the most compelling races of the meet with strong runners entered from Villanova, Providence, Georgetown, Connecticut and Butler.

Jesse Hamlin of Butler is the top seed by virtue of his 3:38.85 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. AJ Ernst of Providence finished 11th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year and is coming off a victory at the Penn Relays. 

At that same meet, Eric Van Der Els nearly helped Connecticut pull off a monster upset in the distance medley relay and should be in the mix here.

Georgetown’s Matthew Payamps is entered in the 800m, but the Hoyas will be well represented by Jack Salisbury and Matthew Rizzo.

Men’s 10,000m

Barry Keane of Butler is the favorite and his personal best of 28:15 is 9th best in all of the NCAA. He’s also run 13:26 for 5000m and has qualified for the most recent indoor and outdoor national championships. 

Andrew Jordan of Georgetown has run 29:04 this year, but has showed he can be one of the best in the country during his time at Iowa State and Washington.