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The 2025 DI men's and women's outdoor track and field championships are this week. There's no better time than now for my championship predictions, event by event. Let's dive in.

Women's event predictions

100 meters — Predicted Winner: Tima Godbless, LSU

Simply making the final in the women's 100 meters will be a difficult task. Predicting a winner here is no easy choice — and my pick could miss the final. However, I'm going with Tima Godbless after the LSU Tiger ran 10.91 in the East first round. Godbless has progressed with every meet this season, going from 11.20 in March to 11.14 in April to 11.06 at SEC championships to 10.9. 

LIVE UPDATES: Click or tap here to follow along for live updates from the championship

100 hurdles — Predicted Winner: Habiba Harris, Florida

I was skeptical about Habiba Harris' outlook for championships after she failed to break 13 seconds in the 100 hurdles for a month stretch across April and May. Then came the postseason. Harris burst back on the scene by running 12.75, 12.62, 12.80 and 12.80 across her last four races. The Florida freshman has earned the right to be the favorite entering Eugene.

200 meters — Predicted Winner: JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina

JaMeesia Ford ran 22.01 to win the SEC title, the sixth-fastest finish in collegiate history. She hasn't lost a 200 meter race all season long, and I don't think that'll change in Eugene.

400 meters — Predicted Winner: Aaliyah Butler, Georgia

I think we'll see a sub-50 time that wins the women's 400 meter title this year. Georgia's Aaliyah Butler is the only woman to run such a time this season at 49.44. Moreover, she beat her top competition this year at the SEC championships, showing she can step up when the stakes are high.

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400 hurdles — Predicted Winner: Savannah Sutherland, Michigan

Savannah Sutherland is two years removed from when she won the 400 meter hurdles title in 2023, but I think she returns to the top of the podium in 2025. Sutherland has run the fastest time in the country this year and is undefeated in the 400 hurdles this year.

800 meters — Predicted Winner: Michaela Rose, LSU

Michaela Rose already has an outdoor 800 meter title from 2023 and has established herself as one of the best 800 meter runners in women's ������Ƶ history. Rose has run 1:58.12 in the 800 this year, giving her another all-time mark. While this year's field is full of sub-two-minute runners, Rose has proven she can reach a different level before. I wouldn't be surprised if she did it again in Eugene.

1500 meters — Predicted Winner: Chloe Foerster, Washington

Chloe Foerster's my pick to win the women's 1500 meters based on her performances in a pair of impressive wins over tough fields. Foerster ran 4:05.75 to win the Bryan Clay Invitational and 4:07.32 to win the Stanford Invitational. That 4:05 time is a top-10 all-time mark in a year where seven women joined the top-10 all-time performers list. It's not easy to predict a winner here, but I'm going to go with the battle-tested Washington Husky.

3000 meter steeplechase — Predicted Winner: Doris Lemngole, Alabama

Steeplechase sensation Doris Lemngole has the top three all-time marks in collegiate history, two from this season. Lemgole is the pick here.

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5000 meters — Predicted Winner: Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico

Pamela Kosgei has run the second-fastest 5000 meters in ������Ƶ history, and her PR is less than half a second away from the collegiate record. She's the favorite here.

10,000 meters — Predicted Winner: Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico

I'm predicting Pamela Kosgei will pull off the distance double. Kosgei has run 31:02.73 in the 10K this year, No. 2 all-time.

4x100 meter relay — Predicted Winner: Southern California

USC has four sprinters in the 100 meter semifinals. The Trojans also have the fastest 4x100 meter squad in the country this year. USC's the pick here.

4x400 meter relay — Predicted Winner: Arkansas

Arkansas has won the last two outdoor 4x400 meter relay titles and has the top time in the country this year. I'm not picking against the Razorbacks.

Long jump — Predicted Winner: Alexis Brown, Baylor

I have Alexis Brown completing the season sweep in the long jump. Brown has jumped over 6.89 meters eight times this season (four wind-legal), with a season-best of 7.03 meters. No one else has surpassed 6.82 meters this year. Brown has what it takes to pull off the sweep.

Triple jump — Predicted Winner: Winny Bii, Texas A&M.

The triple jump is wide open this year. Three women have all cleared 14 meters, with another reaching 13.99 meters. Texas A&M's Winny Bii and Oklahoma's Agur Dwol have each cleared 14 meters at two meets this season. My pick is Winny Bii since she made two 14 meter triple jumps at her last two meets.

High jump — Predicted Winner: Elena Kulichenko, Georgia

Elena Kulichenko has tied for the ������Ƶ high jump title at the last indoor and outdoor championships. While she hasn't cleared 1.90 meters outdoors in 2025, she has an outdoor PR of 1.97 meters. I think she'll be atop the podium yet again.

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Pole vault — Predicted Winner: Amanda Moll, Washington

Amanda Moll completes arguably the greatest season in women's collegiate pole vault history with an outdoor title. She already has the outdoor record.

Discus — Predicted Winner: Jayden Ulrich, Louisville

Jayden Ulrich threw 66.14 meters in her season opener back in March, then threw 69.39 meters in April (No. 2 performer in ������Ƶ history) and enters the ������Ƶ championship final off of a first round meet where she surpassed 64.50 meters twice. Ulrich is the pick here after all of those performances.

Shot put — Predicted Winner: Mya Lesnar, Colorado State

Mya Lesnar had a shot put series where she threw 17.05m, 19.28m, 19.60m and 18.99m. The latter three throws would all lead the ������Ƶ. Lesnar also has three throws outside of that series that have reached 18.50 meters. No other athlete has more than three 18.50m throws total this season. Lesnar has been the most consistent to throw the shot put long distances this season.

Hammer — Predicted Winner: Stephanie Ratcliffe, Georgia

At the SEC Championships, Stephanie Ratcliffe's shortest hammer throw was 68.35 meters. She had four throws that surpassed 70 meters at the meet. Ratcliffe hadn't thrown shorter than 69 meters in her last three meets before the first-round competition. She still finished with the second-best throw across the first rounds at 67.13m. Ratcliffe is peaking at the right time.

Javelin — Predicted Winner: Lianna Davidson, Georgia

Lianna Davidson finished second in the javelin in the 2024 championships when she was at Texas A&M. This year she threw 63.79 meters, the third-best throw in collegiate history, back in March. While Davidson's mark trails her teammate Manuela Rotundo this year, Davidson is the veteran Bulldog with the SEC title. I think Davidson's championship experience carries her to a title.

Heptathlon — Predicted Winner: Jadin O'Brien, Notre Dame

Jadin O'Brien finally gets the elusive heptathlon title after winning three ������Ƶ titles in the pentathlon indoors. O'Brien is my pick here because she's already reached 6,200-plus points twice this season and has three total performances in her career. No one else has reached that threshold more than once.

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Men's event predictions

100 meters — Predicted Winner: Jordan Anthony, Arkansas

By this point, every track fan knows Jordan Anthony ran a windy 9.75 in the first round West meet. But don't let performance overshadow a pair of 9.95 and 9.96 sprints run at SEC championships on back-to-back days. Anthony is the only athlete with two 9.9 100 meters at the same meet; no other sprinter has run sub-10 seconds twice in the same month.

I'm expecting the ������Ƶ title to take a sub-10 second race, and Anthony is the most likely to run the fastest on the biggest stage.

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110 hurdles — Predicted Winner: Kendrick Smallwood, Texas

Kendrick Smallwood has run a pair of 13.13 races at his last two meets. Those two performances make him my favorite entering the championships.

200 meters — Predicted Winner: Jordan Anthony, Arkansas

I have Jordan Anthony pulling off the sweep of the short sprints. Auburn's Makanakaishe Charamba and Kentucky's Carli Makarawu — a pair of Olympic finalists — pose the biggest threat to preventing the sweep, but Anthony is the SEC champion among the group. 

400 meters — Predicted Winner: Samuel Ogazi, Alabama

My pick from a loaded 400 meter group came down to who I think is most likely to run sub-45 on the championship stage. Samuel Ogazi has run sub-45 twice this year (plus another 45.04 race) and ran 44.52 at last year's championships. Even last year, Ogazi ran sub-45 twice before Eugene, proving he can run fast even with a lengthy season.

400 hurdles — Predicted Winner: Nathaniel Ezekiel, Baylor

Nathaniel Ezekiel is the only male to break 48 seconds in the 400 hurdles this season. He's also only running the 400 hurdles individually at championships, scratching from the 400 open where he could've been eligible based on his regular season. That singular event focus should drive him to a championship.

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800 meters — Predicted Winner: Christian Jackson, Virginia Tech

Christian Jackson caught my eye after running 1:44.83 to win the ACC title and 1:45.31 to lead the East region. Those are two impressive times late in the season, giving Jackson momentum entering racing in Eugene.

1500 meters — Predicted Winner: Liam Murphy, Villanova

Liam Murphy is the collegiate record holder in the 1500 meters. I'm not picking against him.

3000 meter steeplechase — Predicted Winner: James Corrigan, BYU

The steeplechase might come down to the Olympian vs. the freshman. BYU's James Corrigan has built up this outdoor season after representing Team USA in the Olympics in the steeplechase last year. He still ran 8:22.20 with the build-up. 

Meanwhile, Louisville freshman Geoffrey Kirwa ran the No. 3 outdoor steeplechase in collegiate history in 8:13.89 — still slower than Corrigan's PR. Fellow freshman Mathew Kosgei (New Mexico) and Collins Kiprop Kipngok (Kentucky) are other top contenders, but I'm going to lean on Corrigan's experience to win the title in my prediction.

5000 meters — Predicted Winner: Habtom Samuel, New Mexico

Habtom Samuel is the collegiate record holder in the 5000 meters and is the best distance runner in the country. He's my pick here.

10,000 meters — Predicted Winner: Habtom Samuel, New Mexico

Habtom Samuel isn't the 10K collegiate record holder. That would be his teammate Ishmael Kipkurui. However, Samuel is the defending 10K champion, achieving the feat while falling last year. Samuel's ability to overcome adversity on multiple occasions makes me think that he can withstand whatever happens in this year's 10K and go back-to-back.

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4x100 meter relay — Predicted Winner: Auburn

While Auburn's relay squad doesn't have the fastest time in the ������Ƶ this season, the Tigers do return all four runners from last season's quartet that ran 38.03 to win the ������Ƶ title. I think the continuity can get Auburn over the top to kick off the championship meets final men's day.

4x400 meter relay — Predicted Winner: Florida

It's hard to pick against the Gators in a 4x4. It's even harder when they have thrown out two different groups that have both run top-five times in the country, no slower than 3:02.01. Florida's the pick here.

Long jump — Predicted Winner: Charles Godfred, Minnesota

Charles Godfred has five long jumps of over 8.00 meters this year. He's my pick to win the long jump.

Triple jump — Predicted Winner: Brandon Green, Oklahoma

Brandon Green has jumped 16.90 or greater on three occasions (one over the allowable) and over 16.55 meters four other times. No other athlete has surpassed 16.54 meters this year. Green should win the triple jump.

High jump — Predicted Winner: Riyon Rankin, Georgia

Riyon Rankin cleared 2.27 meters and 2.29 meters in his last two meets before the first round competition. The sophomore is trending upward entering the championship season and he's my pick to win the championship.

Pole vault — Predicted Winner: Logan Hammer, Utah State

5.68. 5.70. 5.65. 5.65. Those are Logan Hammer's clearances from his last four meets before the West first round meet. Hammer was consistently clearing a height that could win him an ������Ƶ title throughout the regular season. That'll pay off in Eugene.

Discus — Predicted Winner: Mykolas Alekna, California

I think this is the year Mykolas Alekna finally puts it together on the biggest stage. He's already the multi-time collegiate record holder in the discus. All that's missing is an ������Ƶ title.

Shot put — Predicted Winner: Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, Ole Miss

Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan makes it four straight shot put titles. While the Ole Miss Rebel only has the No. 2 mark nationally entering the final, he's been the most consistent shot putter in the country with six throws over 20.3 meters in the month of May.

Hammer — Predicted Winner: Angelos Mantzouranis, Minnesota

This pick came down to two Minnesota Gophers: Angelos Mantzouranis and Kostas Zaltos. I went with Mantzouranis since he hasn't thrown below 75 meters since March.

Javelin — Predicted Winner: Keyshawn Strachan, Nebraska

Keyshawn Strachan has two throws over 80 meters and five throws over 77 meters this season. I think that consistent ability to reach 77 meters will carry Strachan to a title.

Decathlon — Predicted Winner: Peyton Bair, Mississippi State

After winning the indoor heptathlon, I think Peyton Bair pulls off the sweep in the combined events in 2025. Bair only has one heptathlon under his belt from back in April, but he did PR in the open 400 meters in May.