TSR Collaboration
Jan 510 min
Written by Maura Beattie & Garrett Zatlin
D2 and D3 freshman class rankings are coming next week!
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Despite our research, it is possible that certain names have been erroneously omitted.
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The future looks bright in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since the program's coaching overhaul in the summer of 2019, the Cavaliers have emerged as major players in the distance recruiting space, specifically thanks to the efforts of Vin Lananna and Joelle Amaral, the latter of whom oversees the women's side of UVA's roster.
This year's group of Virginia rookies look outstanding, offering great value and boasting top-tier times. However, the main focal star of this freshman class is none other than Tatum David, a former high school standout.
David was beyond phenomenal as a prep runner. Despite battling an injury at one point in her high school career, the current Virginia freshman thrived between her split time in Illinois and Florida.
With personal bests of 2:05 (800), 4:17 (1500), 4:35 (mile), 9:48 (3200) and 16:51 (5k XC), David was a juggernaut and one of the most dangerous distance runners in the country. Her 8th place finish at the 2022 NXN Championships arguably had the potential to be even better. And of course, we can't forget that she was 10th at the 2019 Foot Locker XC National Championships and 17th at NXN during that same season.
On paper, David is as lethal as a distance recruit can get. Her middle distance personal bests mostly came this past spring, elevating her to a level where she should be contending for a national qualifying spot as soon as this winter or spring!
With a resume like David's, the Virginia women were always going to get a nice boost in our rankings. Of course, the rest of this rookie squad has plenty of talent of their own.
Gillian Bushee may have been one of the more underrated distance recruits in the entire nation from the Class of 2023. With personal bests of 4:29 (1500) and 4:46 (1600), Bushee would be considered a miler by most people. However, when you realize that she has also run times of 9:25 (3k) and 10:09 (two miles), Bushee feels like a second marquee star next to someone like David.
And on paper, that is a TON of elite firepower in just two runners. In many instances, Bushee would be the focal freshman ace in a handful of top-ranked rookie classes. Plus, her 24th place finish at the 2022 Foot Locker XC National Championships, while solid, wasn't indicative of her full talent -- she was likely closer to be a top-15 talent in that race based on her personal bests.
In fact, Bushee has already made an impact on Virginia's cross country team!
While she didn't necessarily jump off the page, this Cavalier rookie still found ways to offer valuable depth and some occasional backend scoring. Placing 60th at the Virginia Invitational and 34th at the ACC XC Championships are respectable results for a freshman.
But what if I told you that another Virginia first-year not named David or Bushee also showed promise on the grass this past fall?
Enter Cate DeSousa, a New Jersey native who can seemingly do a little bit of everything. With times of 2:11 (800), 4:49 (1600), 10:16 (3200) and 17:15 (5k XC), this current Virginia freshman offers fantastic versatility. And when you consider how well-balanced the Cavaliers' distance roster is between the middle and long distance events, DeSousa should fit in practically anywhere.
Even this past fall, despite being an inexperienced rookie, DeSousa quietly put together decent results such as a 77th place finish at Pre-Nationals and a 53rd place finish at the Southeast regional meet. And sure, those performances don't necessarily stun anyone, but those are still solid efforts that she can build on for the future.
Clark Stewart is the last name who we need to mention, joining the Virginia women as a developmental talent. Her personal bests of 5:01 (1600), 10:57 (3200) and 18:13 (5k XC) deserve a nod of respect, although she'll need a few years of refinement to eventually contribute to Virginia's future lineups and championship depth charts.
All in all, the Cavaliers have multiple high-octane standouts who have already found ways to contribute this past fall despite the Virginia women boasting great depth. David is seemingly destined to be an NCAA star and an eventual All-American while Bushee's and DeSousa's credentials suggest that they may be in that long-term hunt as well.
Watch out, the Virginia women just got a lot more explosive...
Much like the Virginia women, this year's group of Oklahoma State rookies isn't all that large. Instead, they have only four women to highlight. However, each of those women provide top-end value to an Oklahoma State squad that has become one of the most well-rounded programs in the NCAA between the middle and long distance events.
It's hard to say that there is one star rookie who is so much better than everyone else. For the most part, many of these current freshmen would be the main standout stars of other rookie classes.
However, in terms of name recognition, Lauren Ping is probably the runner who you want to monitor. A superstar prep talent since her middle school days, this Arizona native holds times that make her one of the very best distance recruits from the Class of 2023.
With marks of 4:44 (mile), 10:16 (3200) and 16:40 (5k XC), Ping has followed her sister, Grace Ping, to Stillwater with credentials that could allow her to be an instant impact name as soon as this year. Although, admittedly, many of Ping's better performances were run years ago. In order to be effective in the NCAA, she'll need to hit reset and further build upon the momentum that made her the star that we very much know she is.
But while Ping headlines the longer distances, it's Isis Symone Grant who is a MUCH better pick-up than some people may realize. With a monster 2:04 (800) PR, the Cowgirls seemingly have a pure half-mile star who can immediately come into the BIG 12 and have an impact.
In theory, if she replicates and builds upon her success from last year, then it's not ridiculous to suggest that we could see Grant on the national stage come this spring. And maybe more importantly, Grant is a fantastic long-term replacement for Gabija Galvydyte, one of the best 800-meter runners in the country right now.
Grant's introduction to this roster also comes at an ideal time. The BYU women, who just joined the BIG 12, brought in a couple of sub-2:10 (800) rookies of their own. But with Grant, Oklahoma State can take solace knowing that they have someone who can likely counter the scoring that the Cougars will try to earn in the middle distance events a few years down the line.
But while Grant thrives in the middle distances and Ping headlines the longer events, it's Mandeep Sangha who gives this roster a lethal balance of both.
The Canadian rookie holds eye-catching personal bests of 2:07 (800), 4:22 (1500) and 9:34 (3k). That's tremendous versatility which is also something that Oklahoma State prides themselves in.
On paper, Sangha could eventually be an upper-echelon miler. She has the turnover to be dangerous as a kicker and her 3k endurance suggests that she can hang in races that are fast from the gun. And given the Cowgirls' need for a stronger presence in the mile/1500-meter areas, this true freshman feels like a perfect fit for Dave Smith's group.
The last name who we need to highlight is Victoria Lagat. And we'll admit, we don't know much about her. However, there's a chance that this Kenyan rookie ends up being the best distance talent of anyone who we already mentioned.
This past fall, Lagat finished 3rd at the Cowboy Jamboree, running 20:55 for 6000 meters behind only Billah Jepkirui and Molly Born, but ahead of Cayden Dawson and Texas runner, Beth Ramos.
If the history of Oklahoma State's roster has taught us anything, it's that an unknown Kenyan runner like Lagat is likely going to find massive success at the NCAA level.
Put altogether, you can see why we view this freshman class for Oklahoma State so highly. In fact, you could even argue that they deserve to be ranked higher! And yet, at the same time, there are still a few unknowns about this group of rookies which is ultimately why we took a slightly more cautious approach with their ranking.
Even so, you won't find many freshman classes that are as good of fits for their respective rosters than what Oklahoma State has this year.
Year after year, the Notre Dame women bring in a freshman class of distance talents that is strong from top to bottom. Coach Matt Sparks has proven that he knows how to recruit women who are solid across all distances on the track, as well as those who are prepared to race on the grass.
The women who the Fighting Irish have introduced to their roster this year will be able to learn from the likes of veteran standouts such as national champion Olivia Markezich, recent All-Americans Andrea Markezich and Erin Strzelecki as well as a slew of experienced women.
And more importantly, this freshman class will have a vital year of experience under their belts before they are more heavily called upon once those elder talents leave.
Starting out for Notre Dame's freshman class is Grace Schager of Illinois. The 5th place finisher from the 2022 NXN Championships, Schager is a pure long distance runner whose aerobic dominance beautifully matches the gritty midwest ethos where Notre Dame lies.
Schager's 9:19 (3k) mark gives us reason to believe that the Fighting Irish newcomer will bode well on the grass early-on in her career. And by glancing at her current 4:56 mile PR, we know that she’s capable of much more in that area given the right training.
Over time, Coach Matt Sparks has developed an excellent reputation for producing all-time standout stars such as Molly Seidel, Anna Rohrer, Katie Wasserman and Olivia Markezich. And much like Schager, those women held similar endurance-centric skillsets.
In our eyes, Schager's 9:19 (3k) and 16:50 (5k XC) marks will not hold for long. In fact, it's probably just a matter of time before the current freshman joins the leaders in the ACC both on the track and on the grass. She did, after all, place 13th at Joe Piane, 56th at Nuttycombe and 11th at the Great Lakes regional meet this past fall.
Matching up nicely with Schager is Michigan talent, Arianne Olson, a 4:50 miler and 9:34 (3k) runner. Olson will likely shape into a contributing member of the Fighting Irish's cross country team as she not only has respectable speed, but has also dropped an eyebrow-raising 16:45 (5k) PR on the grass!
If the incoming freshman builds upon her high school career, one that saw her finish 13th at the 2021 Eastbay XC National Championships, then Olson could very easily be a scorer for Notre Dame next fall. And truthfully, with a handful of key departures coming up, the ladies of South Bend, Indiana would likely welcome that injection of scoring.
Notre Dame will also appreciate Olson’s strength over the longer distances on the track, too. The 10k could be the event where Olson makes a statement early-on.
Someone who is expected to run an entire range of events for the Irish is Indiana native, Gretchen Farley. Between her 800-meter PR and longer distance success, Farley has the potential to be a legitimate weapon both on the oval and the grass.
Looking at the cross country scene, Farley owns a 17:57 (5k) mark. She also gained valuable experience at the high school national level after finishing 11th at the 2021 Garmin RunningLane XC Championships and then two weeks later, finishing 19th at the 2021 Champs Sports XC National Championships.
However, Farley is expected to be just as dangerous for Notre Dame on the track -- maybe even more so.
It’s hard to look past Farley’s ability to run 2:04 (800) and then turn around and post an excellent 10:13 (3200) mark. With a current 4:30 (1500) personal best, Farley will most likely going to focus on the 800/1500 meters during the winter and spring months. However, because she’s such a versatile and dynamic runner, it wouldn’t be surprising to see her test the waters in the 3k as well.
And in the grand scheme of things, for a freshman class that is heavy with long distance stars and cross country options, having a half-mile PR as fast as 2:04 is huge! That kind of event diversity could be immediately useful for a Notre Dame team that has needed a bit more help in that area over the last few years.
With Schager, Olson and Farley, you’d think that the Fighting Irish were set for the next few years. And in terms of what they need, you'd be right. But there are actually four more hungry rookies who could be plenty impactful moving forward.
Traveling to Indiana via Alabama is Reagan Riley. She has the potential to develop into a cross country scorer and maybe, just maybe, a future All-American talent for Notre Dame.
Like Farley, Riley has run 4:30 for 1500 meters. The freshman talent will most likely opt for the mile/3k during the indoor track season, but with the way that Coach Matt Sparks develops his athletes, the 5k will surely be in Riley’s future at some point. She has, after all, run 10:26 (3200) and 17:00 (5k XC), marks that are indicative of a long distance ace.
Isabella Guillamondegui is the next freshman that Notre Dame landed.
Guillamondegui put up respectable times during her prep career in Tennessee, running 4:52 (mile) and 10:40 (3200) around the track, as well as 17:38 (5k) mark on the cross country course. The rising talent adds more depth to this roster and given more experience, it's plenty realistic to think that Guillamondegui will be in Notre Dame's varsity lineup and vying for key points at some point in the future.
Just below Guillamondegui on the Notre Dame roster is Kaleigh Gunsiorowski.
Hailing from New Jersey, Gunsiorowski could be a solid 1500-meter runner for her team. Gunsiorowski has a current mile PR of 4:53 and her 800-meter time of 2:10 is sneaky-good as well. She'll be a great complement to Olson as the Irish look to build out their middle distance corps, especially with the DMR being a key relay that the Notre Dame women often attack.
We’ve touched on the flat distances, but what about the steeplechase? Does Coach Sparks have someone that can find success like veteran Olivia Markezich has? That's an admittedly lofty ask, but Bridget Gallagher could be a promising long-term project over the barriers and water pits.
Making the drive from the Indianapolis suburbs to South Bend, the homegrown talent has run a respectable 7:27 mark for the 2000-meter steeplechase. That’s not too flashy of a PR right now (the high school national record is 6:18), but with more time, Gallagher could be making a legitimate splash in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
Notre Dame does, after all, have a very successful (and a very recent) history of producing top athletes in that event.
Of course, the steeplechase will not be the only event that we anticipate Gallagher will specialize in. Her 2:13 (800) speed pairs nicely with her 17:38 (5k) cross country strength. Range is on Gallagher’s side as she dives deeper into her freshman campaign.
It’s a star-studded freshmen class residing in South Bend this academic year. From the oval to the grass, from the 800 meters to the 5k, the Fighting Irish are covered. The newcomers are following in the footsteps of some of the best in the NCAA right now and over the course of their collegiate careers will continue to carry on the tradition of success at Notre Dame.