Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Jan 3012 min
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.
Was not ranked in our last update.
First number indicates how much the individual has moved in our rankings.
The second number indicates where the individual was ranked in our last update.
You could make a few arguments for a variety of different names to earn the final spot in our indoor track rankings. No one would bat an eye if Darius Kipyego or Yaseen Abdalla resided at our TSR #25 position.
But so far this winter, Aidan Troutner has elevated his fitness to a point where he can be a nationally competitive name (to varying extents) in the mile and the 3000 meters. He became the first runner in the history of Utah to run sub-four for the indoor mile, clocking a 3:59 mark which earned a 3:54 conversion. And if that wasn't impressive enough, he also ran a 7:44 PR for 3000 meters this past weekend, just a second off from what I predicted he would run.
I would admittedly not tag Troutner as an All-American favorite in either of those events right now. However, the overall value of his resume is too good to ignore. Few men have had the same success that he has had this season between the mile and the 3k.
No surprises here. Sam Austin cracks our top-25 rankings with a strong 1:46.80 mark for 800 meters which he ran this past weekend. In turn, he was able to take down Darius Kipyego at the line and emerge as the top overall collegiate.
I like the way that Sam Austin attacked this race. He ensured that he stayed in close contact with Adidas pro, Marco Arop, before making a hard move around Darius Kipyego on the final lap. That late-race aggressiveness is something that I have admired about Austin over the last few years -- he's not afraid to put himself in the mix.
There are still faster times within him, and he needs to shake off some past postseason woes, but this was a very encouraging start to his winter campaign.
Yes, Conor Murphy may be dropping slightly in our rankings, but that's not necessarily because he's done anything wrong. After running 7:53 for 3000 meters in December, Murphy dropped down to his ideal distance this past weekend (the 800 meters) and produced a strong 1:46.95 mark.
In that latter race, Murphy just barely missed out on the win as freshman Tinoda Matsatsa came out as the overall victor. But considering that we're not even through the month of January, that's a really encouraging result.
With versatility that's even stronger than it was last year, Murphy has a bit more staying power inside of our top-25 list despite dropping back two spots.
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
It's absurd to me that Aaron Las Heras can run 13:16 for 5000 meters, which sits among the NCAA's top-15 all-time indoor 5k list, and he's "only" ranked at TSR #21.
The first couple of races in Las Heras' indoor track season were admittedly a bit underwhelming. Of course, neither of those efforts came at his ideal distance, the 5k, which he clearly thrived in this past weekend.
We've never seen this redshirt senior be this competitive on the indoor oval before. Sure, he's run fast times and done well in different seasons, but we'll be interested to see how he further refines his fitness moving forward.
I would love to give you extensive, in-depth analysis about Parker Wolfe's 3:55 mile effort from this past weekend...but I don't think that performance told us anything new about him.
Don't get me wrong, it's a great result and a nice display of turnover for someone who is more aerobic-centric. That speed will likely come in handy on the national stage. But as far as his capabilities are concerned, a performance like that was certainly within his wheelhouse.
A 3rd place, 1:49 effort over 800 meters this past weekend isn't all that exciting for someone who has run 1:46 over the half-mile distance before.
Even so, that's not exactly something to be worried about. This past weekend was likely just a simple rust-buster and we know that Spencer is capable of so much more. He did, after all, run 3:31 for 1500 meters this past summer.
When Colin Sahlman ran a 3:54 altitude converted mile earlier this month, there were naturally a lot of altitude skeptics who questioned if he could actually run that. Of course, those same skeptics were a bit quieter after seeing Sahlman run 3:53 at Boston U. this past weekend.
Running a 3:53 mile PR as a sophomore is incredible. We knew that Sahlman was good and that he would be better than last year, but a 3:53 mark puts him in an entirely new tier. And arguably more importantly, Sahlman took home the overall win on Friday. He was incredibly patient, found an ideal position and perfectly timed his kick to defeat a handful of pros.
There are still youth and inexperience elements that we need to consider with Sahlman. But through two races, this rising Northern Arizona star is running like a seasoned veteran. If he's able to run like that on the national stage, then our TSR #18 ranking will be too low.
For the last few years, Theo Quax has proven to be a strong, competitive name. However, a few minor inconsistencies, injuries and postseason challenges have seemingly limited this Lumberjack veteran from reaching his full potential.
But that may be changing in 2024.
Quax has been brilliant in his last two races. After running an altitude converted mark of 3:54 in the mile, the Kiwi distance talent went on to drop a phenomenal 13:16 PR for 5000 meters! That performance now has him sitting at NCAA #15 all-time for the indoor 5k. It also puts him in position to potentially qualify for the indoor national meet in two events (although he would only choose one).
It seems safe to say that this is the best that Quax has ever looked. He's run an all-time indoor 5k mark and he has a strong converted mile time as well. Admittedly, both of those results are strength-based, and I'd like to see what Quax can do in a mile at sea level.
But if I had to guess, the 3k may be next on his docket. And based on his resume, that could actually end up being his best event this winter...
There aren't many people who are a bigger fan than me when it comes to Liam Murphy. He is a highly-dynamic, explosive talent who can contest any distance at an extremely high level. The Villanova star is generally a pretty strong tactician and his kick, as we saw last year, makes him extremely dangerous.
The Wildcat standout just took down a field of men who crowded themselves under the four-minute barrier. Among them were Parker Wolfe (North Carolina) and Yasin Sado (Virginia). And in the end, Murphy walked away from Penn State with a fantastic 3:53 mile PR.
But truthfully, that isn't a surprise. Murphy was already an accomplished miler last winter and it feels like he never truly got a chance to showcase how fast he could run over 1500 meters. So while a 3:53 mile mark is excellent, I can't help but get the feeling that this guy could run 3:52 or maybe even 3:51.
After a handful of middle distance rust-busters, Penn State's star sophomore, who was the bronze medalist over 800 meters last year's indoor and outdoor national meets, toed the line on his home track this past weekend for that same half-mile distance.
However, his first go at the 800-meter race this winter was admittedly underwhelming. While a 1:47 mark was hardly a poor time, Handal Roban still settled for 5th place, mostly out of contention for the win.
For someone who we viewed as a legitimate contender to Yusuf Bizimana this winter, that's not necessarily a great sign. Of course, anyone who knows Roban's history knows that he peaks for the postseason better than anyone else.
As long as he can reach the national stage, this is someone who will be a contender for a top-three spot over 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Surprisingly, Oussama El Bouchayby has yet to toe the line for an 800-meter race this winter. And if it hadn't been for a jaw-dropping 600-meter time of 1:14 from the other week, then this Alabama star would be falling a few spots in our rankings.
But for now, El Bouchayby has done enough to keep his TSR #14 spot. Expect him to go after a big-time 800-meter mark in the near future.
Tinoda Matsatsa has been flat-out incredible this winter. While the Hoya freshman was undoubtedly one of the best middle and/or long distance recruits in the Class of 2023, what he has done in his first few months of this indoor track season has shattered expectations.
Matsatsa's recent collegiate 1000-meter record of 2:18.05 wasn't just a solo time trial effort. That result also allowed him to defeat all of his teammates, three of whom ran 2:19 for that same distance. And if that wasn't impressive enough, this guy just ran 1:46.87 over 800 meters to take down two established veterans (Conor Murphy and Sean Dolan) as well as one of the top half-milers in the NCAA (Handal Roban).
Youth and inexperience are the only possible arguments that you could muster against this Georgetown youngster. He is racing well beyond his years and has been unafraid to go after the very best men in the country.
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
You could argue that New Mexico's Habtom Samuel has been a little overlooked this season. After running a fantastic 13:14 mark for 5000 meters, the Lobo rookie later went on to run 7:45 for 3000 meters and then run 3:59 in the mile at 5000 feet of altitude. That performance later earned a 3:53 conversion.
Between the mile, the 3k and the 5k, there is only one other name in these rankings who has been better than Samuel at those distances (and it should be fairly obvious who that is). Admittedly, the 5k is the only event where I see Samuel really emerging as a top-half All-American threat. And even then, speed and turnover in late-race situations will certainly be a point of emphasis.
Regardless, there is a ton of value on Samuel's resume right now -- he's just flat-out fast. And with nothing in particular to critique, it's only natural that he moves up in these rankings.
When Oklahoma State freshman Brian Musau ran 7:37 for 3000 meters in December, we were extremely impressed. While we knew that this Cowboy rookie was supremely talented, he was still inexperienced on the indoor oval against collegiate competition. Plus, he seemed to be more of a strength-based runner and the 3k undoubtedly holds a speed/turnover element that is often required to find success.
But after seeing this Oklahoma State star produce a huge 3:55 mile PR this past weekend, taking down a strong miler in teammate Laban Kipkemboi, we're beginning to realize that Musau is far more dynamic than we initially realized.
After the cross country season that he had, Musau should theoretically be someone who can crack the 13:20 barrier for 5000 meters. And if that were to happen, then this rising Cowboy standout could/would climb even higher in our rankings.
It pains us to drop someone as talented as Ky Robinson all the way to down to our TSR #9 spot. Did you ever think you would see the day where a 13:06 (5k) runner isn't among the top-eight names in our rankings?
Make no mistake, Robinson' 5k PR from December was brilliant -- and it still is. But his performances since that new personal best haven't been all that exciting. The Stanford star worked on his speed a few weeks ago, putting together a 4:00/2:25 (mile/1k) double. And this past weekend, Robinson just didn't have his best day, running 13:21.99 for 5000 meters in the same section as Nico Young.
We wouldn't necessarily disagree with anyone who wanted to keep Robinson ahead of the two Washington guys. But for now, we'll keep him at TSR #9 with the knowledge that he could very easily reenter our top-five.
In our latest rankings update, Nathan Green stays put at TSR #8, but Waskom falls back two spots. That, however, is not necessarily based on anything that they've done wrong. Instead, that's more based on the reordering of a few other men around them.
This past weekend was when we first got to see both Joe Waskom and Nathan Green toe the line for their primary event, the mile (and actually finish the race). And after chasing teammate Luke Houser, as well as a few pros, both of these Husky stars snagged 3:53 mile times.
There really isn't a whole lot to talk about when it comes to those marks. Both Waskom and Green were more than capable of running those kinds of times. Seeing them fall behind teammate Luke Houser, who has been on fire as of late, doesn't really move the needle one way or the other.
South Carolina star Anass Essayi just ran 7:39 for 3000 meters, a time which now sits at NCAA #8 all-time. And yet, despite posting a historic time that would have thrown us into a frenzy four to five years ago, I can't say that I have a whole lot discuss with Essayi.
I predicted that this Gamecock ace would run 7:38 (3k) this past weekend. Instead, he was just a second short of that. And for someone who had run 7:41 in the same event last year and went on to run 3:32 (1500) in the summer, a 7:39 mark is truthfully what we would expect from Essayi in a field that he faced on Friday night.
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
There's an argument to be made that Luke Houser should be ranked at TSR #3. But regardless, what this Washington veteran has done over the last month has been nothing short of spectacular.
After a strong cross country season, Houser capitalized on his aerobic-based fitness and ran a huge 3k time of 7:40! Not only was that a ridiculously fast time, but he also took down a very good field which featured a handful of pros in the process.
It was a similar story this past weekend as Luke Houser ran 3:51 in the mile, pulling away from the field which included his superstar teammates.
It's one thing to run a fast time and it's another thing to run a fast time in two different events. But the biggest takeaway in all of this is that Houser looks like he's in full control of his elite fitness. He seems far more confident and poised each time he toes the line. He can run from the front when necessary and still find enough turnover to pull away from you late into a race.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is why he now sits at TSR #4.
In all of the recent mile, 3k and 5k madness, it's easy to lose sight of what Yusuf Bizimana has done this winter. The Texas star snagged the NCAA record over 1000 meters with a time of 2:18.10 earlier this month, even if he only held it for a week.
And on top of that, the Longhorn veteran later went to altitude, running a fantastic time of 1:46 over 800 meters which later converted to a 1:45-high mark.
There is no denying that Yusuf Bizimana is the best middle distance runner in the country right now from 1000 meters down. He's simply more experienced than every other 800-meter national title contender and he's ahead of where he was last year in his fitness.
Naturally, you can see why we kept Bizimana at TSR #3.
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
This ranking shouldn't need any explanation...but I'll give it to you anyways.
Nico Young began his season with a 7:37 PR over 3000 meters. In that race, he implemented a tremendous kick and took home the win. Then, earlier this month, Young posted a jaw-dropping 3:57 mile mark at 7000 feet of altitude, earning an unfathomably fast converted time of 3:48.
But what Young just did this past Friday night was historic. It's a performance that many of us will likely look back on and say, "I remember where I was when I watched this race." I am, of course, referencing Nico Young's NCAA 5k record of 12:57.
I don't think I need to tell you why that's such an important result.
A lot of these rankings often highlight national title contention, the ability to utilize tactics, finishing kicks, matchups between elite stars, etc. But none of that is important right now. Because if Nico Young can run times of 3:48 (mile, converted), 7:37 (3k), 12:57 (5k) and still not be listed at TSR #1, then what are even the point of these rankings?
Tinoda Matsatsa (Georgetown)
Theo Quax (Northern Arizona)
Aaron Las Heras (Northern Arizona)
Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona)
Sam Austin (Florida)
Aidan Troutner (BYU)
KICKED OFF
Isaac Basten (Drake)
Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin)
Ethan Strand (North Carolina)
Alex Maier (Oklahoma State)
Elliott Cook (Oregon)
Aidan McCarthy (Cal Poly)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Isaac Basten (Drake)
Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin)
Ethan Strand (North Carolina)
Alex Maier (Oklahoma State)
Elliott Cook (Oregon)
Aidan McCarthy (Cal Poly)
Yaseen Abdalla (Tennessee)
Jesse Hamlin (Butler)
Kirami Yego (Arkansas)
Denis Kipngetich (Oklahoma State)
Abdullahi Hassan (Wisconsin)
Ronan McMahon-Staggs (Washington)
Tarees Rhoden (Clemson)
Sean Dolan (Villanova)
Gary Martin (Virginia)
Yasin Sado (Virginia)
David Mullarkey (Florida State)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Cole Lindhorst (Texas)
Luke Griner (Army)
Olivier Desmeules (Penn State)
Jason Gomez (Iowa State)
Lucas Bons (BYU)
Carson Williams (Furman)
Matt Strangio (Portland)
Steven Jackson (Boston College)
Laban Kipkemboi (Oklahoma State)
Marco Langon (Villanova)
Bob Liking (Wisconsin)
Davis Bove (Cal Poly)
Matthew Payamps (Georgetown)
Abel Teffra (Georgetown)
Lukas Kiprop (New Mexico)
Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas)
Hillary Cheruiyot (Alabama)
Mehdi Yanouri (Oklahoma State)
Evans Kiplagat (New Mexico)
Ben Perrin (Montana State)
Notes
- N/A