Even in a normal year, college athletes do not race as much as in high school. Early season races are warmups for the conference and regional/national meets. But indoor has no regional meets, so you have to have a qualifying time from the regular season or conf meet (and the fields are small for the national indoor meet - I think top 16 for the mile for example). But lots of very fast times this year for sure.

Track and field seems to be getting more and more popular with middle and high school athletes - the internet lets them track everyone's times and the best kids are celebrities at an early age. You see more developed runners coming into college and doing very well if they are not over trained in high school.

-drh