TSR Collaboration
Jan 5, 202312 min
Written by Kora Malecek & Garrett Zatlin
D2 and D3 freshman class rankings are coming next week!
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Florida’s distance program as a whole has yet to secure a true foothold within the SEC, specifically on the grass.
But with the rise of distance star Parker Valby over the past year, the Gators were likely aiming for a recruiting class that could add extra long distance firepower to their future roster(s). They also sorely needed depth behind the low-stick momentum of Valby on the cross country course.
And sure enough, they got most of that with this group of rookies!
First up, and arguably the headliner of the Gator’s 2022-23 freshman class, is New Jersey native and long distance star Angelina Perez of Lakeland Regional High School.
Perez’s resume was an absolute jaw-dropper by the end of her high school career. On the grass, she garnered a top-three finish at the 2021 Eastbay XC National Championships with her runner-up finish in a time of 17:14 (5k). Of course, her official personal best on the grass clocked in at 16:44 during that same season at the Big North XC Championships.
The strength that Perez has shown on the grass could immediately transform the Gator’s cross country hopes if that talent translates to the NCAA. Perez was projected to be an immediate scorer for this group this past fall, bringing one of the best high school resumes in the country into the SEC. She was expected to complement the already-assured low-stick of Parker Valby by giving the Florida women a legitimate 1-2 punch.
However, despite her grand list of accomplisments, Perez has yet to compete for the Florida women this year due to a stress fracture. Even so, she should be able to replicate her performances once she returns, potentially becoming a secondary star alongside Valby for the next couple of years.
But Perez’s value only increases when turning our attention to the track.
On the indoor circuit, Perez owns a personal best of 9:15 for 3000 meters which would have placed her within the top-15 of the SEC last winter.
Her outdoor marks of 4:48 (1600) and 9:53 (3200) indicate a hefty long distance ceiling that could eventually lead, with some further development, to another Gator racing in the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters on the national stage. That would effectively help Florida sew-up national title campaigns behind the scoring of their field and sprint squads.
Another top-billed recruit who could stand to make even more of an instant splash is Lucinda Rourke, a freshman from Australia. The rising rookie seems primed to follow in the excellent middle distance footsteps of fellow Gator-Aussie, Imogen Barrett.
Rourke enters her first year of collegiate competition with a blistering 4:19 (1500) personal best -- a mark that would have cemented her within the top-20 of the 2022 SEC outdoor leaderboard. That time also gives her a scary-realistic shot of finding herself in the finals of that event at the SEC Outdoor Championships later this spring.
The Aussie ace can also claim a 9:26 (3k) personal best to her name, a mark which proves that she is an excellently-rounded athlete who can move up and down in distance while posting top marks across the board. That versatility could be a massive spark for this team’s scoring plans.
We should also note that Rourke's 2:07 (800) personal best, while nothing to sneeze at, is surely going to improve when looking at her future training partners and the middle distance history of this program. The Gator women, after all, had four runners all go under the 2:07 mark throughout 2022.
During the 2022 cross country season, Rourke didn’t hesitate to step into a varsity role, continuing to flex her range with a 20:56 (6k) personal best in her collegiate debut. She even scored for the Gators in a few races.
While Rourke may have to wait until she reaches the oval to truly shine, her talent has already allowed her to established a scoring presence in Gainesville.
Pivoting to a decidedly more distance-leaning rookie, we now arrive to Caroline Bauer of Jamestown High School. Bauer has run 16:54 (5k) on the grass and has mixed it up with some of the best high school competition in the nation after an All-American 16th place finish at the 2021 RunningLane XC National Championships.
Bauer’s track credentials also brings even greater firepower to the longer distances, a development that could continue to support Valby over the long-term. Her personal bests include times of 17:06 (5k track) and 10:24 (3200). She also recorded a 9:41 (3k) personal best at the Penn Relays, a race that included her future teammate and training partner, Angelina Perez.
But wait, there's more!
Bauer's three-season contribution potential was not something that had to be developed. In her collegiate seasonal debut, Bauer competed twice for the Gators. Her first race was at the SEC XC Championships where she was the team’s fourth scorer (58th) and her second race was the Southwest Regional XC Championships where she once again scored for her team with a 62nd place finish.
It’s clear that Bauer still has a ways to go in terms of being a top name in the SEC, but as a rookie, she showed plenty of promise. It's hard to imagine that her value on the grass won't continue to rise as she gains more experience.
Breanna Stuart of Canyon, Texas has had a solid prep career with aerobic-centric success that could set her up nicely to eventually move up in distance for the Gators.
Her personal best of 10:47 for the 3200 meters indicates that Stuart could provide value in the 5000 meters and/or 10,000 meters should she increase in distance throughout her career. And if you're unsure about her tactical execution, Stuart’s high school campaign saw her take home multiple victories in a notoriously difficult state.
Similar to Bauer, Stuart is also a proven talent on the grass with a 17:39 (5k) personal best to her name. And although she has yet to compete for the Gators, she should make a jump in her fitness next fall and transition smoothly into the collegiate scene. She could become a name to watch out for sooner than expected.
Last but not least is an in-state athlete by the name of Annie Loehle.
Her personal best of 11:02 for 3200 meters shows a favoritism for the longer distances. Loehle's 19:18 (5k) cross country mark is also a respectable time, although she may ultimately be more of a developmental piece who can offer depth for the time being.
Florida has not only brought in a freshman class that covers a large range of events with numerous top-level marks, but they’re also showing a clear investment when it comes to the longer distances. That should be huge if Valby ultimately decides to stick around following the departure of Coach Chris Solinsky.
Should they continue to nurture progression and keep their stars healthy, a significant turnaround could be on the horizon for the women's cross country team in Gainesville.
When we were crafting our freshmen class rankings, we initially placed the Iowa State women outside of our top-10. When we did, I made a note next to their spot which said, "I hate this, they're so good, so insanely deep and really complete. I can't believe they're not ranked."
And then we sat on that order for 24 hours before I looked at the list once more, sent a poll in our Slack group and found that placing Iowa State at TSR #9 was a unanimous decision.
So here we are.
There aren't many distance programs in the NCAA with a group of freshmen that is larger than what the Cyclones have -- and that's a big deal. That's because the Iowa State women lost a handful of highly valuable scorers from two years ago and went through a bit of a "down season" this past fall.
But with this new crop of freshmen, the Iowa State women seem prepared for a full roster revamp that should help them (eventually) rise to the top of the BIG 12 once again.
Usually in these articles, we highlight the best recruits first and then work our way down. However, there doesn't seem to be one clear-cut star among this group of freshmen...and maybe that's a good thing.
Let's start with Makayla Clark, one of the more dangerous middle distance talents that any NCAA team could land from the Class of 2022. The Missouri native has posted an incredible time of 2:07 for 800 meters, as well as a 1600 meter PR of 4:49. That is a ton of firepower in the middle distances that, as of late, the Iowa State women haven't always had.
Traditionally, or at least over the last few years, the Cyclones have thrived in the longer events like the 3k, 5k, 10k and cross country. But adding Clark to the mix is a major win and a unique deviation from what we're used to seeing out of Iowa State.
But what if I told you that she wasn't the only 2:07 runner from this rookie class?
That's because Kinsey Christianson, a Colorado native, is also joining the Iowa State women with the exact same PR.
Admittedly, Christianson is more of a middle distance runner, rarely venturing higher than the half-mile event. Even so, it's important to note that she won her section (not just her heat) of the women's 800 meters at the New Balance Indoor National Championships last winter. However, she was not in the "elite" field and won by five seconds with a 2:10 mark.
Oh, and let's not forget, Christianson ran her 2:07 personal best at the Colorado Outdoor State Championships last spring en route to gold. That mark came at 5500 feet of elevation.
But if you're looking for more versatility and range, then allow me to introduce you to Ashlyn Keeney. The in-state product has run fantastic times of 2:09 (800), 4:32 (1500), 9:39 (3k) and 17:32 (5k XC). On paper, that is a highly dynamic resume that almost any college program would want.
Now, we do have to note that all of those personal bests that we listed for Keeney were posted in 2019 -- which is approaching four years ago. That will be something to monitor going forward, but you can't ignore the value that this Iowa native brings to the table.
Before we wrap up with the 800 meters, we should also highlight Kaia Holtkamp, a 2:17 runner who could eventually develop alongside her fellow rookie teammates over the next couple of years.
Let's now discuss Kayci Martensen (WI) and Mya Trober (MO), two of the top milers in this class. With mile personal bests of 4:51 and 4:50, respectively, both of these women bring underrated turnover to the Cyclones. They will be welcomed additions to a roster that has had underwhelming performances in the 1500 meters and mile over the last couple of years, outside of Cailie Logue (who didn't even focus on that event).
And for what it's worth, both of those women have dipped under the 5:00 barrier numerous times throughout their high school careers, making their personal bests far from flukes.
But those were just the middle distance rookies...we still have to talk about the cross country specialists.
The combination of Aspen Fulbright (17:22), Hope Jackson (17:58), Halle Mestery (17:59) and Kaylee Tobaben (17:55) are all names who we have not yet mentioned in this article. And although Fulbright is the only one who is comfortably under the 18-minute barrier, the rest of these women offer legitimate, high-value depth.
And let's not forget, aforementioned names like Ashlyn Keeney (17:32) and Kayci Martensen (17:28) have also thrived on the grass. They each hold multiple top-10 finishes at their cross country state meets. They bring even more immediate scoring potential to this roster in the same way that Fulbright could.
It's really hard to find many freshman classes in the NCAA that are more complete and more balanced than what the Iowa State women have.
They have incredible firepower in the middle distances with three women owning personal bests under 2:10 for 800 meters. They also have an impactful presence in the 1600 meters/mile with numerous recruits who have comfortably gone under the 5:00 barrier.
And with six different rookies having run under the 18-minute barrier for 5000 meters, the future of Iowa State's cross country team looks fairly bright.
Kudos to the Cyclones' coaching staff. They put together one of the most well-rounded groups of rookies that I can remember seeing in quite some time.
The Furman women have been a youth-centric team for the last few years, always seeming to rally around underclassmen who have carried this team's scoring.
Year after year, the Paladins tend to snag some of the best young women in the nation to bolster their roster. However, this 2022 class was composed of numerous high-level names who could pose as immediate threats in collegiate competition.
And in a few cases, they have already delivered on those expectations.
Jenna Mulhern of Pennsylvania was one of the earliest Furman commits of the 2022 class and definitely one of the most elite. The West Chester Henderson High School star recorded a slew of marks that have (and will) easily translate to immediate success on a national-caliber team like Furman.
Mulhern's 9:20 (3k) personal best would have tied her for the top spot in the Southern Conference during the 2022 indoor track season, right alongside her now-teammate Bethany Graham. That's not bad company for Mulhern to be in, especially when you realize that Graham is a two-time All-American.
Of course, where Mulhern has truly shined is in the longer distance events, namely the 5000 meters and above. Her indoor mark of 16:17 for 5000 meters at the Camel City Invitational wasn’t just an insanely fast high school time -- she also bested multiple collegiate runners and finished just one second behind NC State’s Gionna Quarzo (a 10k national qualifier).
And once the outdoor track season rolled around, Mulhern improved another 10 seconds on that time to run 16:07, tantalizingly close to eclipsing the sub-16 minute barrier.
No slouch on the grass either, Mulhern’s cross country personal best sat at 16:39 (5k) coming into the NCAA. And maybe more impressively, she ran 20:39 for 6000 meters in the 2021 FSU Invitational "Open" race (still as a high schooler).
In that race, she once again thrived in a collegiate-filled field, coming in 2nd place behind only Sydney Seymour, an eventual 15:34 (5k) runner.
Mulhern knows exactly how to race in the NCAA circuit, and that’s an intangible edge that sets her apart from other similarly-elite freshman.
In her first-year cross country campaign at Furman, Mulhern was expected to be an immediate scorer. And sure enough, she finished in the top-five for the Paladins in nearly all of her races, including a 32nd place finish at the Southeast Regional XC Championships.
It's easy to forget that Mulhern is a rookie. It's rare that you find a true freshmen who is experienced as she is. And although she still has work to do, it feels incredibly likely that she'll evolve into the same All-American star that Bethany Graham is.
On the other side of the distance running spectrum is Camryn Wennersten from Ridgewood High School in New Jersey.
A true middle distance stud, Wennersten has run phenomenal times of 4:43 (mile) and 4:31 (1500). Similarly to Mulhern emulating Graham’s long distance prowess, Wennersten is a perfect complement to another nationally relevant Furman talent in the middle distances, Megan Marvin.
However, one could say that Wennersten's best mark is actually her 2:07 personal best for 800 meters. That time would have placed her in the top-two of the Southern Conference last spring and put her just off of a regional meet qualifying mark.
Admittedly, Wennersten’s freshman cross country season was a relatively quiet affair. She posted solid times for the Paladins in a number of races, but it's clear that she has a proclivity for the indoor and outdoor ovals.
Regardless, Wennersten is the absolute perfect complement to fellow rookie, Jenna Mulhern. She gives Furman a second upper-tier star, but offers more balance with her middle distance prowess.
In any other recruiting class, an athlete of Carly Wilke’s caliber would be one of the best possible catches a program could land. That's why it's important to highlight someone like her in a class of rookies that is absolutely loaded at the top.
The former Glenvar High School runner has an impressive spectrum of range with standout marks of 2:17 (800), 4:49 (1600) and 10:21 (3200). Not to mention a superb 16:48 mark for 5000 meters on the outdoor oval!
Wilke has also displayed plenty of high-level racing know-how with multiple Virginia state titles to her name as well as a national title garnered at the 2021 New Balance Outdoor National Championships.
Wilke’s progression throughout high school has been beyond impressive, with nearly all of her personal bests being set her senior year. It stands to reason that Wilke’s ceiling, specifically in the longer distances such as the 10,000 meters, could allow her fitness to continue it's rapid ascent in the NCAA.
And sure enough, in her first race as a Paladin, Wilke sliced 30 seconds off of her cross country personal best to run 17:03 (5k) at the Furman Invitational this past fall. There’s little reason to doubt that she won’t continue that upwards momentum throughout this year and beyond.
Rounding out this class are Clair Garrett (California) and Emma Jones (South Carolina). While both of them are solid runners in their own right, they will likely benefit from a period of development within this program.
That being said, Jones may be a factor earlier than expected in the longer distances. Her times of 10:42 (3200) and 17:27 (5k) could be dramatically slashed after a year of training.
Garrett, meanwhile, is more of a developmental piece, but she has some solid experience racing against some of the best women in the state of California. And when you think about some of the progress that we've seen from the Furman women over the last few years, this is probably a good fit for her.
Coach Rita Gary has been unafraid to lean on their youngest talents over the last few years -- and this recruiting class will likely be no different. There are multiple stars and plenty of depth that this team can rally around for years to come.
And with so many Paladins still holding plenty of eligibility, this current crop of freshmen could eventually cement themselves at the top of this roster. That, in turn, should give the Furman women one of the brightest futures of any team in the NCAA.