TSR Collaboration
Dec 24, 20237 min
Written by Kevin Fischer & Gavin Struve, additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin
Click here to see our Just Missed and Honorable Mention names.
Listed eligibility takes redshirts and Covid-related extensions into consideration.
TFRRS is used as a general, but not strict, guide when determining eligibility.
In the past, despite establishing herself as a highly competitive talent when she did race, it has been difficult for Genna Girard to be healthy and available to race for an entire season. However, this past fall, she was not only consistently available, but she was also considered to be the best D3 runner in the country not named Fiona Smith (before an underwhelming cross country national meet).
Even so, her regular season campaign over the last few months showed extremely positive signs for this Williams veteran. And while her recent 16:58 (5k) effort at the Boston U. Season Opener wasn't necessarily eye-popping, it certainly wasn't a bad way to kick-off her indoor track season.
That time was also nine seconds faster than her mark at the same meet last year, a season where she ultimately finished runner-up over 5000 meters at the indoor national meet behind only Fiona Smith.
The women's longer distance events are, unsurprisingly, saturated with aerobic-centric stars. But if Girard's progression through the winter months is anything like it was last year, then she will be one of the more dangerous longer distance runners in the nation.
A two-time steeplechase national champion, the season of Aubrie Fisher takes place during the spring months. Even so, her results in flat distance events are impressive enough to merit a top-10 preseason ranking for the indoor track season.
In addition to holding personal bests of 9:33 over 3000 meters and 16:48 over 5000 meters, this Wartburg ace is a three-time cross country All-American. She also anchored the Knight's DMR to a national title in 2022 and was 6th over 3000 meters at last year's indoor national meet.
With these accolades, we have to acknowledge her as somebody who's been an elite D3 distance talent for years, with or without barriers. However, maybe more importantly, this long-time veteran almost always peaks for the postseason. Few women in the longer events understand their competition quite like Fisher does.
Throughout her career, Lexi Brown has shown off exceptional prowess across several distances. Among her three All-American honors, one of them came in cross country in 2022, one came in the mile at last year’s indoor national meet and one came at last year’s outdoor national meet in the 5000 meters.
Despite a tough day at the cross country national meet earlier this year, Brown's body of work throughout the fall months shows us that she had gotten herself in really strong aerobic shape. But Brown's mile speed, boasting times of 4:53 (mile) and 4:29 (1500), is a big part of her repertoire and it makes her an All-American threat in anything longer than 800 meters.
With a dynamic resume which has proven to be effective in any season and essentially any event, you can understand why Brown is valued so highly in these rankings. Her ability to thrive in a variety of race scenarios, likely due to her blend of strength and speed, ultimately puts her at TSR #8.
This Arizona transfer has had a seamless transition to life in Division Three. Her recent fall campaign ended with a fantastic 8th place finish at the 2023 cross country national meet.
While her 17:08 (5k) season opener at Boston University wasn’t the most memorable race that she’s run, it may already be enough to get her into the national meet based on the cut-offs from prior indoor track seasons.
Of course, it's only December, and given her formidable personal bests of 9:37 over 3000 meters and 16:41 over 5000 meters, it is obvious to us that Hanley has so much more to offer in the coming months.
And when you consider that she has experience racing against plenty of top-tier D1 competition, there shouldn't be a stage that's too bright for her, whether that be at Boston University or at the indoor or outdoor national meets.
6. Natalie Bitetti, Senior, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
We admittedly struggled to decide where to place Natalie Bitetti in the first edition of indoor track rankings of the season.
On one hand, there are few women in the NCAA, across divisions, with the kind of momentum that she's built in recent months. The Athenas' focal ace finished runner-up at the NCAA XC Championships a month ago and went on to make a statement when she posted a huge 16:33 mark over 5000 meters two weeks later in Boston.
But on the other hand, for all of her cross country success in recent years, this is someone who has reached the NCAA Championships just once on the track, failing to reach the finals over 1500 meters last spring.
Either way, this looks like a refined and evolved version of Bitetti late in her NCAA career. She should be in line to compete for a top finish in the 5k come March or drop a considerable mile PR. Either way, we feel good about her chances of backing up this preseason ranking.
5. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel, Junior, U. of Chicago
An established middle-distance ace, Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel turned herself into a cross country star this past fall. She looked like a top-10 name for much of the season before placing 13th in her first NCAA XC Championship appearance.
Now, Battleson-Gunkel looks like a legitimate contender for the mile national title this winter. She wasn't quite in that stratosphere in 2023, but after reaching the finals in both the mile and the 1500 meters at the past two NCAA Championships on the track, Battleson-Gunkel's recent leap in fitness should put her in that range.
But in addition to her eye-catching 1500 meter PR of 4:23, this Maroon star also has valuable versatility. Battleson-Gunkel boasts a 9:46 (3k) personal best and also owns a 16:48 (5k) PR, giving her the ability to move up in distance if she pleases.
4. Maddie Hannan, Senior, UW-La Crosse
Maddie Hannan has been so solid for a strong cross country team over the past few years that it's easy to forget that she's at her best in the latter portions of the academic year.
Last year, she opted for the mile and 3k double at the indoor national meet, coming away with a backend All-American result in the former event. However, she found more success at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships where she earned a career-defining 2nd place in the 800 meter finals weeks after running a head-turning PR of 2:08.
Someone with that kind of event optionality and range between events has to be intimidating for her competitors, especially if a mile battle turns tactical and require a quick finish. Let's remember how relentless she was throughout the entirety of an 800-meter final at the outdoor national meet which Emma Kelley largely dominated from start to finish.
We think Hannan is likely best suited as a strength-based middle distance runner. However, we'd listen to an argument that her foot-speed could pay dividends in a tactical long distance race on the national stage.
3. Maddie Kelly, Junior, U. of Chicago
Maddie Kelly opened the 2023 fall season as the highest-ranked U. of Chicago athlete, but was overshadowed by Battleson-Gunkel for much of the season. That's entirely understandable for all of the reasons that we detailed above with our TSR #5 runner.
But Kelly retook that mantle for the Maroons on the national stage, placing 7th at the NCAA XC Championships. And given what she has accomplished at just a fraction of the distance, a top-three preseason spot entering the 2024 track season seemed more than appropriate.
Like several of her peers in this range of the rankings, Kelly's best quality may be her versatility. And that's saying something for someone with the quality of PRs that she carries (from a 2:13 mark over 800 meters to a 16:44 result for 5k).
But, as is often the case with athletes with her rare skillset, Kelly's optimal events may be the mile and the 3k, boasting top-level marks of 4:54 (mile), 4:22 (1500) and 9:30 (3k). She was, after all, the national runner-up in both the 1500 meters (last spring) and the 3k (last winter), so it would hardly surprise us if she found herself holding a gold medal at some point this year.
2. Emma Kelley, Senior, Washington U.
If not for the generational star ranked ahead of her, Emma Kelley would be a strong option for our TSR #1 spot. After all, she's a heavy national title favorite in the 800 meters this winter, even for as good as Hannan and the rest of her competitors are.
Not only did Kelley win the half-mile national title at both the indoor national meet and outdoor national meet in 2023, but she also won her preliminary races as well while doubling in the 4x400-meter relay. She's enjoyed linear progression after finishing runner-up at both the both indoor and outdoor national meets in 2022.
But perhaps the most impressive part of her resume is her 2:04 personal best. Kelley controls seemingly every 800-meter race that she's in, specifically with her front-running tendencies. Plus, her personal bests of 55.1 (400) and 4:29 (1500) suggest she can succeed in contrasting race scenarios.
All of this is to say that it would take a Herculean effort from anyone to unseat Kelley from her half-mile throne in 2024.
1. Fiona Smith, Junior, St. Benedict
Was there ever any doubt about who this would be?
Fiona Smith stamped herself as a national champion on the track before she did so on the grass, and it's reasonable to expect an even more dominant campaign on the oval compared to the undefeated (and largely unchallenged) season that she just posited this past fall.
What's more, Smith has historically been at her best during the winter months. She won double gold between the 3k and the 5k last year as part of her 12 total All-American honors. And after running a new NCAA D3 indoor record of 15:50 (5k) earlier this month, she can seemingly do no wrong.
Division Three fans should appreciate Smith while they have her before she joins Division One powerhouse, NC State, next fall.
Gillian Roeder (MIT)
Kirsi Rajagopal (MIT)
Penelope Greene (SUNY Geneseo)
Rachel Hirschkind (SUNY Geneseo)
Hannah Preisser (Carleton)
Megan Johnson (Central College)
Audrey Maclean (Middlebury)
Vivian Kane (NYU)
Lexi Fernandez (MIT)
Julia Howarth (MIT)
Shaelyn Hostager (Wartburg)
Kate Sanderson (MIT)
Molly FitzGibbons (Williams)
Riley Buese (Lewis & Clark)
Morgan Uhlhorn (NYU)
Amelia Lehman (UW-Oshkosh)
Caitlin Jorgensen (U. of Chicago)
Ella Webster (Wittenburg)
Chrissy Aman (Bates)
Sarah Conant (Johns Hopkins)
Lauren Iagnemma (Case Western)
Elizabeth Csikai (Emory)
Allison Sibold (St. Lawrence)
Mckayla Felton (UW-Stout)
Elle Marsyla (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)
Deyanneira Colon Maldonado (Aurora)
Rebecca Markham (Hope)
Ellie Meyer (Wartburg)
Rachel Krouse (UW-Stevens Point)
Kayla Werner (Lynchburg)
Helen Cross (Carleton)
Lucy Gagnon (Williams)
Jenna Allman (Calvin)
Claire Anderson (Washington & Jefferson)
Cat Wimmer (U. of Chicago)
Alessia Sarussi (Washington U.)
Sierra Doody (SUNY Geneseo)
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