Maura Beattie
Jun 13, 202218 min
Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin
Click here to see our Just Missed names, Honorable Mention names and Notes.
Listed eligibility takes redshirts and Covid-related extensions into consideration.
TFRRS is used as a general guide when determining eligibility.
Was not ranked in our last update.
First number indicates how much the individual has moved in the rankings.
The second number indicates where they were ranked in our last update.
Washington’s Carley Thomas was a legitimate contender for a top-three finish at the NCAA Championships in the 800 meters. She was consistently finishing amongst the leaders in her primary event and she was hovering right around the 2:02 to 2:03 range with the potential for greater improvement.
After advancing out of the regional meets, the middle distance standout wasn’t able to replicate her winning ways on the national stage, faltering in the prelims. Thomas ultimately finished 6th in her heat, running 2:03.
The Husky ace still has plenty of time left in her collegiate career to earn an All-American finish and if she continues to put up fast times and run close to 2:00, then a national title isn't totally out of question for her.
Thomas' season-long momentum, great consistency and marquee wins this season are ultimately what keep her in our rankings.
The Arkansas veteran wasn't quite at 100% after a slightly underwhelming indoor track season, but Gear made up for it with a few outstanding races.
She ran 4:14 earlier in the season, ran 4:13 in the prelims at the national meet and then ran 4:10 in the finals, putting herself in a position to contend with the top group. Ultimately, she finished 4th.
Gear wasn't super consistent this season, but she still delivered big marks and flexed great tactical execution on a few occasions. For her to peak in the postseason and run 4:10 speaks to her overall ability to compete with almost anyone.
Boreman was awesome for most of this season. She was fairly consistent, executed at a high level and her best performances came in the second-half of the season.
The Colorado veteran ran a 9:46 steeple at Mt. SAC, then ran 4:14 for 1500 meters, then won the PAC-12 title in 9:42, ran 9:41 in the prelims at the national meet, then ran 9:33 in the finals at the national meet to place 4th in a historically fast field.
Boreman was on fire this year and she probably had some of the most underappreciated momentum going into this past weekend.
With one of the fastest personal bests in the field, Stanford’s Julia Heymach was in the conversation to vie for the 1500 meter national title. The senior had run 4:04 in the event at the Olympic Trials and given her mix of 800 meter speed and 5k endurance, she was primed for any kind of race.
The NCAA 1500 meter final was no walk in the park for the women. Practically the entire field was in contention at the bell lap and it became a kicker’s race despite a somewhat honest pace.
Heymach, someone who has run 2:02 for 800 meters before, was able to close in 62 seconds. Yet, that wasn’t enough to pick up the win. She had to settle for a finishing time of 4:10 and a 5th place finish.
The outdoor track season was a respectable one for Heymach, but on paper, it probably wasn't her best. It seems fair to say that she's capable of more.
The Kennesaw State star ran 2:00.98 earlier this spring for the NCAA co-lead with Katy-Ann McDonald in the 800 meters. Hendrick was awesome for most of this spring. Not only was she more fit, but her ability to be aggressive with certain paces seemed to be a bit more beneficial and she also had 1500 meter success.
Seeing Hendrick sit back and take a more conservative approach to her race plan in the 800 meter finals at the national meet was a bit surprising. Would a different game plan have produced a different result?
Maybe, but a 5th place finish is far from bad, especially if there's room for improvement.
Thorner was hoping to build upon the steeplechase success that New Mexico has had over the last few years. Her regular season was predicting this based on her finishing times and places.
The Lobo athlete nabbed the final auto-qualifier in the prelims at NCAA’s. In the final, Thorner maintained positioning in the middle of the pack for a majority of the race. The race ended up fast from the get-go and women had to run or faster than their PRs to make the podium. Thorner nearly matched her 9:32 PR when she crossed the line in 9:33 for 5th place.
Thorner made a big jump in ability this year in the steeplechase and placed right where one would’ve expected her to.
After dealing with some injuries during her collegiate career, Aragon is ending her career on a high note.
During the spring months, Aragon flew somewhat under the radar, running in the shadows of teammate Julia Heymach. But week after week, Aragon was posting top times and finishes, builing sneaky-good momentum.
The Stanford runner is a veteran on the national stage when it comes to the 1500 meters as she has placed 7th (2017), 4th (2018) and 8th (2021) throughout her career. This experience gave Aragon a little bit of an advantage than some may have realized at this past weekend’s NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Aragon easily qualified for the finals by finishing runner-up in her prelim heat and with being able to run a 4:21 in said prelim, a big time was expected for the final.
Aexperience and resume speaks for itself and it’s good to see Aragon finish her career at Stanford with her fourth All-American honor in the 1500. How many women can say that?est.
Aragon's experience and resume speaks for itself and after so many past challenges, it's good to see her finish her career at Stanford with her fourth All-American honor in the 1500 meters. How many women can say that?
Few women in the NCAA had better momentum this spring than Galvydyte. The Oklahoma State star went from 2:04 to 2:03 to 2:06 (prelims) to 2:03 to 2:04 (prelims) to 2:02 to 2:02 to 2:01.
That is OUTSTANDING progression. Having that level of consistency and untapped potential going into a national meet made Galvydyte a lethal name in a field that already had more title contenders than spots to the finals.
Ultimately, Galvydyte was given a bronze medal for her efforts. Her finishing speed in the final straightaways of the finals and prelims was exceptional and generally speaking, Galvydyte looked like one of the sharpest middle distance women in the country.
McDonald arrived at the national meet as a threat to make the podium after running a PR of 2:00.98 earlier in the season. She was consistently posting times of 2:03 or faster in event finals and was finishing amongst the leaders. She also flexed outstanding 1500 meter strength which put her amongst the best in the nation in that event as well.
What was not to like about McDonald’s chances in Eugene?
The LSU star was on a mission to redeem herself after being disqualified from the 2021 national meet in the 800 meters. And sure enough, McDonald did just that by safely qualifying for her first NCAA track final.
The final started out decently well for the LSU junior as she was right there in the mix at the bell. However, things started to change for McDonald as she started to fade over the final 200 meters. Her consistency earlier in the season wasn’t on her side as she fell to 7th place.
There are two shining moments for McDonald here. One, she earned her first All-American honor. Second, she’s now gained more national experience to aid her 2023 campaign.
But overall, McDonald gave us a year of consistency, marquee wins, elite firepower and outstanding range. This versatile LSU star is probably one of the most valuable names in the NCAA based on her resume. And although we do have to drop her a few spots, she should still be considered amongst the best in the nation.
When the indoor track season ended, I sat twiddling my thumbs, waiting for Magness to contest the 10k. Week after week, I hoped to see the Michigan State veteran's name on the entry lists in the event, but she made me hold out until the BIG 10 Championships.
Luckily, Magness made it worth the wait when she won her first 10k with a respectable time of 33:37.
At the East Regional Championships, an underrated distance runner that flies under the radar way too often, put all her eggs into one basket by scratching the 5k and going for the 10k. Ultimately, she was rewarded with a 2nd place finish in the 10k, a finish that sent her to Eugene, Oregon.
Magness held her own at the NCAA Championships in only her third career 10k. She let Washington’s Haley Herberg build a lead and as the race started to ramp up, Magness (and a few others) were able to catch and pass the Husky star.
This patience paid off for the Spartan as she earned a 3rd place finish and 38-second PR.
The success that this Spartan star has had in the 10k shouldn't have been at all surprising as she has established herself as a veteran in the NCAA, picking up numerous All-American honors between cross country and track.
While Magness was unable to find that title-winning edge this year, her reliability and consistency is something that needs to be commended with a strong ranking.
The only track discipline that McCabe contested this spring was the steeplechase. She ran the event a total of five times and finished amongst the top-three in the field (or her heat) on each occasion.
That is fantastic consistency.
McCabe might not have been able to latch onto BYU’s Courtney Wayment over the course of the NCAA final, but she saw improvements both in her PR and her national meet placement by the end of the race.
The West Virginia Mountaineer picked up a one second PR, running 9:31, and finished 3rd overall in a race where women had to run a PR in order to be an All-American.
The 2021-2022 cross country and track seasons were fruitful for McCabe and they showed that she doesn’t need much racing prior to an NCAA Championships to finish amongst the leaders. McCabe clearly has tons of raw talent and based on her most recent performance, it seems fair to say that McCabe has become one of the more reliable postseason performers in the NCAA.
Forbes is one of the best long distance runners in the game. After not racing during the indoor track season, Forbes started her season with a modest 1500 meter race at a low-key meet hosted by Texas A&M.
But then she jumped back up in distance to her most familiar event, the 10k.
The Rice Owl notched her regional qualifying mark of 32:59 with a win at Penn Relays and then went onto sweep the 5k and 10k at her conference meet. It came as no surprise that Forbes would then qualify for the outdoor national meet.
At the NCAA Championships, Forbes hung with the chase pack and continued to run fairly consistent splits over the second half of the race. This race plan paid off in the end for Forbes as she was able to finish as a decisive 2nd place in a seasonal best of 32:48.
This effort was a five-place improvement for Forbes from the 2021 NCAA Championships, as well as her highest finish at an NCAA Championship between cross country and track.
Forbes continues to gain valuable experience that could benefit her down the road during her collegiate career. In the future, she's going to be a very strong and challenging runner to take down, especially if there's ever a national meet scenario that best suits her skillset.
Imogen Barrett's momentum in the 800 meter was riding high heading into the NCAA Championships. Earlier in the season, she had finished high up in numerous races and ran a PR of 2:01.
The prelim was a little rocky for Barrett as she finished 3rd in her heat and had to settle for a time qualifier. She ended up getting the first time qualifier thanks to a 2:02 performance.
In the final, the Florida junior sat in 4th place through lap one and by the end, she finished in that same place, crossing the line in a time of 2:02.
Although she wasn’t able to pick up the win, an All-American honor was still awarded to Barrett. It was an improvement for her after not qualifying for the outdoor national meet in 2021 and for not making the 800 meter final at the indoor national meet.
Barrett found her groove this season in the 800 meters and will be a legitimate contender next season again. But when looking at this year as a whole, she was insanely consistent, competitive in loaded fields, flexed great versatility when moving up to the 1500 meters and simply never had a bad race.
While some women finished higher in their respective events, Barrett's season-long talent is too good to rank her any lower.
Gregory entered the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a lot of pressure. She was a veteran on the national stage and her name was always in the conversation for an NCAA title.
The Arkansas Razorback stepped up in distance this year and focused on the 5k/10k double for the national meet. She was a contender for a top-three finish in both events, but things went astray on day one.
The Razorback ace entered the NCAA Championships with one of the top 10k times in the nation, a 32:34 PR run in her first go-around at the event. In Eugene, Oregon, Gregory was running solid, even when Washington’s Haley Herberg took off and formed a large gap.
However, as the field started to engulf Herberg around 8k, Gregory stopped and didn’t end up finishing the race. It’s unclear as to why Gregory didn’t finish, rumors suggest a potential hamstring tweak, but this DNF then caused me to speculate how her 5k race might go.
By all accounts, the 5k was much better for Gregory as she rallied late in the race to pick up an All-American honor by finishing 5th in a time of 15:28. This finishing time was only three seconds off Gregory’s PR and she was only four seconds out of 3rd place.
So, where does Gregory go from here? She’s definitely a talented athlete who has the potential to win an NCAA title, but she needs to find a way to put all the pieces together on the right day.
But at the end of the day, posting elite marks in the 1500 meters, 5k and 10k this season make it difficult to push back Gregory any further in our rankings
McKenna Keegan was one of what seemed like many title contenders in the women's 800 meters. However, there wasn't necessarily one racing trait of her in particular that truly stood out.
But after seeing her burst past a handful of women in the final 100 meters at the NCAA Championships, ultimately earning a 2nd place finis, Keegan's kick will certainly be remembered at TSR.
Easily one of the most reliable and underappreciated veterans in the NCAA, Keegan delivered her best postseason finish of her career. With a silver medal and a runner-up result, it's hard to find any flaw in Keegan's seasonal resume this spring.
Colorado’s Abby Nichols had the potential to finish amongst the top-three in the 5k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships based on the season she was having. Her season was highlighted by PRs across the board, all the way from the 800 meters up to the 10k.
Rather than go after a 5k/10k double, Nichols surprisingly put all of her efforts in the 5k. She entered the national meet with a 15:15 PR, a time that would theoretically challenge for the win.
In Oregon, the Buffalo senior was in the race through 3800 meters, but when things started to ramp up, she couldn’t match the field’s turnover and she started to fall back a bit. Over the last 1200 meters, Nichols held off late charges from the women behind her and finished 6th overall in 15:33.
Nichols' decision to choose the 10k over the 5k is still insanely perplexing, but running 15:15 for 5000 meters and holding the national lead in the 10k still gives her an outstanding resume. A resume so good that even after placing 6th on the national stage in one event, she stays in our top-10.
After winning the indoor national title in the 3k with a massive move from 800 meters out, I was wondering if Roe would employ the same tactic heading into the 5k this past weekend.
The Oklahoma State star has been consistent all season long in 1500 meter and 5k races, never failing to finish outside of the top-four. So when Roe entered the national meet, it was clear that she could challenge the likes of NC State’s Katelyn Tuohy, Arkansas’ Lauren Gregory and Colorado’s Abby Nichols for the 5k national title.
Roe stayed patient throughout the entire race and was in a good position heading into the final few laps of the race. She went into the final two laps sitting in 3rd and held off Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat at the line. Roe’s finishing time of 15:24 was fairly close to her PR.
The 2021-2022 performances by Roe sets her up nicely to continue contending for titles on both the cross country course and track. However, it's clear that she'll need to continue to make improvements if she wants to contend with Tuohy, Valby and co.
DeLay was flat-out fantastic this past weekend. The Yale superstar was the only one to chase after Wayment in the steeplechase finals. And although DeLay didn't catch her, she did run an insanely fast time of 9:25 in rainy conditions.
That mark ranks DeLay at NCAA #3 all-time!
That fact alone would have been enough for a top-10 ranking, but when you realize that DeLay also ran 4:12 (1500) and 15:39 (5k) this spring, it's hard not to see DeLay as an all-around star deserving of this spot. She had great range and was very consistent.
Peaking in the postseason better than most women also helps her case...
Schoffield was one of the many title favorites who we saw winning the national title, but was probably not our first pick. That, of course, was a mistake.
The Boise State Bronco, who we've said before is one of the best 800 meter runners in the country when it comes to peaking simply ran away from the field once she caught Aaliyah Miller in the finals.
Schoffield ran 2:01 and earned a clear victory over one of the best half-mile fields ever assembled. And sure, some women had better regular seasons than Schoffield. However, even Schoffield was posting a few slower times, she was still winning.
All in all, it's hard to dislike anything about this Boise State star.
As the reigning indoor mile champion, Colorado’s Micaela DeGenero was in the conversation to win the 1500 meter title. The Buffalo star came oh-so-close, just missing out by two-tenths of a second and finishing runner-up to Sintayehu Vissa of Ole Miss.
DeGenero moved up extremely well over the second-half of this 1500 meter final and she even had the fastest split over the last 400 meters, running 61 seconds. This fast split over the remaining lap was what got the Buffalo middle distance star her indoor mile title, but she ended up running out of real estate this time around.
DeGenero’s finishing time was a seasonal beat 4:09.62 and it nearly matched her PR.
Since transferring to Colorado last year from Michigan as a graduate student, the rise of DeGenero on the national scene has been exceptional. She made herself known in both the 1500 meters and the mile, making her competitors be on guard if it came to a kicker’s race.
It's hard to find a runner with such high race IQ like DeGenero.
After a fractured foot derailed her indoor track season, Florida’s Parker Valby made a huge statement over the weekend at the NCAA Championsips when she challenged NC State’s Katelyn Tuohy and the field in the 5000 meters.
Valby had a strong cross country season, one that culminated with an All-American honor after finishing 27th at the national meet. When she transitioned to the indoor track season, she had a major breakout race when she ran a monster 8:53 mark in the 3k.
But following that race, Valby sort of disappeared and it later came out that she was injured.
With months off of racing, Valby once again shocked the NCAA when she ran 15:32 (a 1:42 PR), to finish runner-up in the 5k at the SEC Championships. This immediately put her in contention to finish amongst the top-eight at the national meet.
The East Regional Championships once again saw Valby run another PR, this time dropping down to 15:29, qualifying for her first national meet on the track (that she could attend).
The Florida Gator didn’t let her inexperience at affect her at all. She led a majority of the middle half of the race, helping keep the pace honest and giving Tuohy a very real challenge in the latter-half of this race.
Valby never let up and although she couldn’t match Tuohy’s kick over the last 800 meters, she still managed yet another PR, a 15:20 mark en route to a runner-up finish.
Clearly, Valby is one to now keep an eye on as her collegiate career is just getting started. Her willingness and fearlessness to challenge Tuohy was admirable and ongoing progression this season is what skyrockets her up our rankings.
Alabama’s long distance superstar earned her first outdoor title in the 10k, an event that is best suited for her given her aerobic capabilities.
Chelangat, typically a front-running racer who will push the pace and then slow it down, shocked the field when she did something different at the NCAA Championships.
Rather than running on the shoulder of Washington’s Haley Herberg when she formed a large gap in the 10k, Chelangat was content on staying with the chase pack, a plan that favored her in the end.
She worked her way up to the lead after 7600 meters and never looked back. Chelangat ended up extending her own lead to 11 seconds by the end of the race, winning in an outstanding time of 32:37.
Two days later, she attempted to win the 5k/10k double, but just didn’t have the turnover that the leaders had, all of whom were fresh, at the end. Chelangat ended up holding on for 4th place, just out-leaned by Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe.
After winning her first NCAA title at the 2021 NCAA Winter XC Championships, Chelangat has only continued to impress on the national scene and will enter the 2022-2023 academic year as a favorite for national titles again. Her consistency this season was great and the general improvements that she has made in her racing tactics clearly make her that much more dangerous.
Vissa winning the 1500 meters at the NCAA Championships shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. The Ole Miss star has been nothing but consistent all season long.
Vissa has become a versatile athlete with serious range from the 800 meters to the 5k, something that greatly benefits her in a variable race like the 1500 meters. Vissa’s 2:01 (800) speed and 15:56 (5k) endurance have translated into her crossing the line with a 4:08 mark for 1500 meters which she posted at the SEC Championships to beat Lauren Gregory.
At the NCAA Championships, Vissa bided her time until the final lap, letting Krissy Gear of Arkansas do a majority of the work. With one lap to go, Vissa made her move and closed in 61 seconds, holding off a charging Micaela DeGenero of Colorado.
Vissa won her first NCAA title in a time of 4:09.42, a mere two tenths of a second ahead of DeGenero of almost timed her kick perfectly.
Vissa has surely found her event, the 1500/mile, and she is taking off in terms of upside and potential. She has been able to thrive in a variety of scenarios, has taken down elite talent, has flexed outstanding range and just seems to keep getting better.
What's not to like?
Tuohy made it look effortless from start to finish.
She wanted this national title and sure enough, she was rewarded with it.
The NC State phenom, who was motivated by not qualifying for the NCAA Championships in 2021, won her first national title after pulling away over the course of the last 800 meters.
Throughout the race, Tuohy and Florida’s Parker Valby traded off the lead and neither woman let the pace falter. It wasn’t surprising to see Tuohy take the lead over the final two laps because she knew her competitors. Maybe it was instinct or maybe it was because certain women in this field, like Taylor Roe, have proven to be dangerous late in these races.
Tuohy ran back-to-back 69-second laps to win the 5k by two seconds with a time of 15:18, only four seconds shy of her PR. This type of performance was in the cards for the NC State ace after she won nearly every race this season and flexed overwhelmingly strong fitness.
Also to be noted, Tuohy picked up a consecutive Wolfpack 5k title victory after teammate Elly Henes was crowned the champion in 2021.
She started the season at TSR #1 and finishes the season back at TSR #1.
Wayment moves back up to the top of the rankings after her dominant steeplechase win at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. And on top of not only beating the field by nine seconds, she also destroyed Courtney Frerichs collegiate record by running 9:16.
The BYU veteran made this race look easy and started to gap the field only four laps in. After finishing 4th in this race last year, Wayment didn’t want to chance anything this year. She essentially dared the competition to go with her, and while DeLay tried, no one really could.
We knew that this performance was possible for Wayment. I mean, just look at what I wrote prior to the national meet:
“Wayment's outstanding mix of speed and endurance, paired with her extensive experience in the steeplechase, could lead to her not only flirting with her third individual NCAA title, but also the NCAA record as well.”
She has now exhausted all of her college eligibility and went out with a bang.
Now the question becomes...how long will her steeplechase record stand?
Kristie Schoffield (Boise State)
Parker Valby (Florida)
McKenna Keegan (Villanova)
Grace Forbes (Rice)
Kayley DeLay (Yale)
Christina Aragon (Stanford)
Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)
Krissy Gear (Arkansas)
Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes (BYU)
Lauren Ryan (Florida State)
Mia Barnett (Virginia)
Samantha Bush (NC State)
Emily Mackay (Binghamton)
Aaliyah Miller (Baylor)
Adva Cohen (New Mexico)
Claire Seymour (BYU)
Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes (BYU)
Lauren Ryan (Florida State)
Mia Barnett (Virginia)
Samantha Bush (NC State)
Emily Mackay (Binghamton)
Aaliyah Miller (Baylor)
Adva Cohen (New Mexico)
Claire Seymour (BYU)
Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes (BYU)
Samantha Bush (NC State)
Emily Mackay (Binghamton)
Aaliyah Miller (Baylor)
Adva Cohen (New Mexico)
Maudie Skyring (Florida State)
Logan Jolly (Arkansas)
Shannon Flockhart (Providence)
Emily Covert (Colorado)
Joyce Kimeli (Auburn)
Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Oregon State)
Ellie Leather (Cincinnati)
Anna Gibson (Washington)
Olivia Howell (Illinois)
Rachel McArthur (Colorado)
Sydney Seymour (Tennessee)
Greta Karinauskaite (California Baptist)
Nicole Fegans (Georgia Tech)
Rachel Gearing (Penn State)
Lucy Jenks (Stanford)
Emma Heckel (New Mexico)
Lydia Olivere (Villanova)
Valery Tobias (Texas)
Brooke Jaworski (Texas)
Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)
Eusila Chepkemei (Middle Tennessee State)
Alexandra Hays (NC State)
Avi'Tal Wilson-Perteete (Texas A&M)
Michaela Rose (LSU)
Melissa Riggins (Georgetown)
Victoria Tachinski (Penn State)
Gabrielle Wilkinson (Florida)
Gracelyn Larkin (New Mexico)
Cara Woolnough (Utah)
Maggie Donahue (Georgetown)
Gracie Morris (TCU)
Izzy Thornton-Bott (Oregon)
Haley Herberg (Washington)
Allie Schadler (Washington)
Alissa Niggemann (Wisconsin)
Emily Cole (Duke)
Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame)
Bethany Hasz (Minnesota)
Anna Vess (NC State)
Grace Jensen (Vanderbilt)
Alexa Hokanson (Grand Canyon)
Jenna Schwinghamer (Kentucky)
Kassidy Johnson (Kansas State)
Hannah Steelman (NC State)
Ruby Stauber (Florida State)
Bailey Hertenstein (Indiana)
Kayla Johnson (Miami)
Savannah Shaw (NC State)
Dominique Clairmonte (NC State)
Hannah Branch (Utah Valley)
India Johnson (Colorado)
Kayla Windemueller (Michigan)
Abbe Goldstein (New Mexico)
Samree Dishon (New Mexico)
Kate Hunter (BYU)
Isabel Van Camp (Arkansas)
Aziza Ayoub (Ohio State)
Dorcus Ewoi (Campbell)
Carmen Riano (Miami (OH))
Tori Herman (Kentucky)
Laura Pellicoro (Portland)
Jessa Hanson (Northern Arizona)
Emily Venters (Utah)
Evelyn Kemboi (Utah Valley)
Madison Heisterman (Washington)
Carmen Alder (BYU)
Lexy Halladay (BYU)
Kayla Schiera (Southern Illinois)
Sydney Steely (Mississippi State)
Madaline Ulom (Penn State)
Megan Marvin (Furman)