Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Jun 14, 20197 min
*Honorable mentions below*
Was not ranked during the last update.
First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from the prior update.
Second number indicates where the runner was ranked during the last update.
Most of her season was relatively quiet, but her double gold at ACC's was a huge performance that boosted her up in the rankings. Unfortunately, she quickly fell back in our Top 25 after a stunning failure to qualify for the 1500 finals at Nationals.
In retrospect, Rivers didn't really do a ton this outdoor season that made her standout among her 800 counterparts. For her to not make it to the 800 meter finals at Nationals was absolutely shocking. Rivers didn't have a poor season, but most of her ranking this season was driven by her success from indoors. For that reason, she took a pretty significant tumble in our Top 25.
Gitahi didn't have a standout season, but she slowly progressed in the final month of competition. Her brilliant 3rd place finish at Nationals in the 5k was the pinnacle of her progression and it showed her true level of talent.
A 9th place finish at Nationals in the 10k has to be frustrating, but we can't simply dismiss Kurgat from our rankings. She ran incredibly well all year long and still posted a handful of top times in both the 5k and 10k. Kurgat may not have been the national title threat we thought she could be, but she's still talented.
Her 2nd place finish at Payton Jordan (en route to a time of 15:38) was an encouraging result, but it was negated by a pair of unexciting 4th place finishes at the PAC-12 Championships. Of course, Cardama-Baez was able to redeem herself by throwing down a wild kick to nearly upset Kelati in the 10k. It was a super clutch performance and it was a race that validated her talent.
It pains me to drop her so much in the rankings, even after a 5th place finish at the national meet. The problem is that so many women in the 800 were so consistent this season and had times that weren't much faster.
Much like Wilson, Oregon's Susan Ejore earns the #19 spot despite a great 4th place finish at the national meet. She wasn't listed in our prior rankings, but that was simply because there were so many talented women in the 800 who were all so incredibly close in overall fitness. Still, Ejore showed great poise and consistency all year. She didn't always win, but she was a major factor in every race she toed the line for.
Another national meet, another All-American performance from Morley. She put together some great finishes all season and was able to top it all off with a 6th place finish. Her teammate may have won the national title, but Morley should be commended for her mind-blowing consistency (especially when it mattered the most).
She didn't win NCAA gold, but Wilson-Perteete's 3rd place finish at the national meet was enough to validate her holding the top time in the country for most of the season.
Cohen pushed Ostrander to the line at Payton Jordan which resulted in a 9:44 and gave fans an exciting precursor for the National Championships. Although Ostrander was too much to handle at the national meet, Cohen still took home a very solid 4th place finish which also complemented her 15:31 5k from earlier this season.
She pushed the pace in the 1500 finals at NCAA's and helped setup a record-breaking performance. Although she wasn't able to hang with the top two, Harris still walked away with a great 3rd place finish in a time of 4:11. Harris was a big name before this season, but the past few months have moved her into another tier of talent.
Steelman was solid all season, so it's shocking that some people are just finding out about her. After a masterful 3rd place finish in a loaded steeplechase final, Steelman came back less than an hour and a half later to finish 8th in the 5000 meters. That's two First Team All-American finishes with a little over an hour's rest in the blistering heat of Texas. That's wildly impressive...
Her postseason races weren't great as it seemed like fatigue played some role. Regardless, Stoner posted some incredibly fast marks this year such as the NCAA #2 time in the 5k, the NCAA #2 time in the 10k, and the NCAA #5 time in the steeplechase. The Syracuse veteran was a star in every race she entered and should be rewarded for an extremely strong regular season despite finishing just 7th at Nationals in the 10k.
A 3rd place finish in the 10k validated a quiet, but super impressive regular season for Batt-Doyle who completely revamped her fitness this year. She was a major contender in the longer distances this spring and never really showed signs of slowing down.
Her 9:55 at Payton Jordan was somewhat underwhelming, but earning a double national qualifier in both the 5k and the steeplechase helped boost her resume this season. Finishing 2nd to Ostrander at Nationals with a steeplechase time of 9:44 helped her even more. She was clearly one of the better distance runners in the country this year and she now has (another) silver medal to show for it.
Another national meet, another close 2nd place finish for Akins. Just like indoors, she made her move at the right time and was nearly awarded with a national title. The Penn junior was just as consistent as her half-mile rivals, but she has been the one who has found herself at the top of the championship results during both indoors and outdoors.
There was plenty of hype around Josette Norris this season after she ran a huge PR of 15:45 at the Stanford Invite and then an even bigger PR of 4:13 for 1500 meters at UVA. I was convinced she would run the 1500 at Nationals, but she surprised me and opted to go for the 5k instead. Admittedly, I criticized the move, but Norris proved me wrong in a big way. The Georgetown ace ended up finishing 4th in the 5k at the national meet and was with the leaders in the final moments of the race. Her breakout season was great, but a validating performance at Nationals was even better.
On paper, Fray was one of the best women in the country. Her indoor national record for 800 meters (which was run last year) had put her in the national spotlight, but the one criticism against her was that she was unable to hold her own on the national stage. Obviously, that all changed after she ran away from the field and held off Nia Akins in a time of 2:01 to take her first NCAA gold. Now she has a championship win to accompany her collegiate record.
The Austin heat made doubling difficult, even with two nights rest between the 10k and the 5k. That, however, didn't phase the Arkansas star who was 4th in the 10k and then a close 2nd in the 5k. Werner had a terrific indoor season and further proved that she deserved to be among the best this outdoor season.
If Erica Birk doesn't fall on the final water pit, her ranking is likely better than #6. Even so, she was fantastic all season, showing off tremendous range, incredible consistency, and quietly strong times. The BYU superstar was the full package this year.
She only raced three times before Nationals, but after winning the PAC-12 5k title, it was clear that Jones was back in the national title conversation. Sure enough, the Colorado ace took advantage of her closing speed and pulled away from the field in the final 100 meters at NCAA's. If you couldn't beat Jones this season, you certainly aren't going to beat her when she has a full block of uninterrupted training under her legs.
It was a great weekend for Weini Kelati who finally secured the first national title of her career. Yet, even with the win in the 10k and the 5th place finish in the 5k, Kelati just didn't do enough to capture the same excitement that the women ranked ahead of her did.
After owning the #1 spot all season, it hurts to drop Hull out of the top spot. Yes, she ran the #4 fastest 1500 in NCAA history, but the loss to Sinclaire Johnson puts a blemish on her otherwise perfect resume this season.
Jessica Hull may have earned the spotlight all season, but Sinclaire Johnson never lost a race this season (excluding prelims) while posting strong results in off-distance events (like the 800). That's why some of our very observant writers weren't overly surprised about her shocking national title win and her earning the #2 time in NCAA history.
Ostrander simply dominated every event she toed the line for this season (5k, 10k, and steeplechase). The Boise State star was simply better than everyone else and I feel confident that she could have won either the 5k or the 10k if she had opted out of the steeplechase. Her poise and control was arguably more impressive than her wicked fast times.
Kristie Schoffield (Boise State)
Lotte Black (Rhode Island)
Fiona O'Keeffe (Stanford)
Caroline Alcorta (Villanova)
Devin Clark (Arkansas)
Val Constien (Colorado)
Anna Rohrer (Notre Dame)