TSR Collaboration
Jan 3014 min
Written by Maura Beattie & Finn Birnie, 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.
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.
After an unbelievable 6th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships, Flomena Asekol ventured to Boston U. in December. There, she dropped a fantastic time of 8:52 for 3000 meters, giving this Florida distance star tons of momentum going into winter break.
But this past weekend, we were hoping to get a bit more out of Asekol. She admirably split 4:34 on the anchor leg of Florida's DMR, but the next day, she faded to 6th place in the mile with a "just ok" time of 4:37.
There is no denying that Asekol is better than what she showed this past weekend -- and it's not like she was terrible by any means. Even so, we'll be looking to see how she rebounds in her next all-out mile effort.
Clemson’s Gladys Chepngetich has been on a tear since the minute she stepped foot on campus. The freshman was turning heads in cross country, earning All-American honors and hasn't slowed down since.
The Tiger standout is proving herself to be one of the nation’s better middle distance runners this year. Chepngetich opened her indoor track season with a solid 4:37 mile effort back in December and since then, she has only refined her turnover, running 39.55 (300) and 1:28 (600). Those performances led up to the freshman running an excellent 2:02 PR for 800 meters on her home track this past weekend at the Clemson Bob Pollock Invite.
Chepngetich has raced like a veteran in just her first year on the NCAA Division One scene. Her 2:02 (800) mark this past weekend should guarantee her a spot on the line at the indoor national meet later this March. But when you consider that she's also been a cross country All-American, we can't help but wonder what kind of damage she could do in a 3k.
Over the last year, Providence’s Shannon Flockhart has truly transformed into one of the most complete milers in the nation. Following her impressive 4:08 performance for 1500 meters this past summer, Flockhart has consistently excelled, making her ascent in our rankings fairly unsurprising.
The Friar junior needed little-to-no time to transition from the grass to the track as she opened up her winter campaign with a blistering 2:42 mark over 1000 meters. Not only did she win the race by a considerable margin, but her time was also a whopping nine seconds faster than her opener from the previous year!
With her turnover refined and momentum on her side, Flockhart headed to Boston to take a crack at her primary distance, the mile. And to nobody's surprise, that trip was a huge success. The British distance ace finished 6th place overall in a stacked field and shattered her indoor mile PR by nine seconds, clocking 4:30!
After a performance as stellar as that, it is safe to say that Flockhart has re-entered the All-American conversation. Possessing one of the more complete skillsets in the nation, the Friar junior could very well earn herself another All-American honor come March.
When Northern Arizona’s Maggi Congdon ran an altitude-converted 4:30 mark in the mile, we needed to see the senior back-up that showing before sliding her into our rankings. Of course, the Lumberjack veteran did just that this past weekend at the Boston U. John Thomas Terrier Classic by matching that altitude-converted mark.
In Boston, Congdon placed 3rd amongst a field of experienced NCAA Division One athletes en route to her running 4:30 for the mile. Although she was three seconds behind the leaders, the still-rising Lumberjack star proved that she is on a different level this winter.
Less than 24 hours later, the Lumberjack lined up for the 3k and recorded yet another PR, crossing the line with a 9:15 effort.
The confidence that this Northern Arizona senior is racing with right now should set her up for a strong end to the season, especially if she hasn't hit her peak yet. But at the same time, tactics and finishing speed will be something to monitor as we continue to learn more about this NAU standout.
Making a slight jump in our rankings is Oregon miler, Klaudia Kazimierska. The sophomore is one of the best pure milers the NCAA has to offer and so far this season, she has wasted no time in demonstrating why.
The Polish distance ace opened her indoor track season with a very respectable 4:37 mile back in December, and since then, she has only gotten sharper. At the UW Indoor Preview, Kazimierska kicked off the day by setting a new mile PR of 4:31, arguably her best collegiate performance to date. That PR was then followed by a very quick 1:31 effort for 600 meters just over two hours later!
After a performance as quick as that, it was then no surprise to see Kazimierska match her 800-meter PR with a 2:03 showing at the Razorback Invitational. But what if I told you that her half-mile effort wasn't her best performance from that meet?
That's because, the night before, the Duck distance star ran one of the fastest DMR lead-off legs that we have ever seen. A split of 3:15 over the 1200-meter distance is simply superb, indicating that all of the pieces are finally falling together for the Oregon sophomore.
Being a part of one of the most competitive rosters in the nation, Kazimierska will have the chance to compete for a DMR national title come March. However, with the fine form that she is currently in, it's likely that Kazimierska will gun for an individual All-American honor as well.
Throughout the last year, Penn State's Hayley Kitching has produced a handful of strong performances. She posted a time of 2:03 for 800 meters, was runner-up at the BIG 10 Indoor Championships and qualified for the outdoor national meet where her season ended in the prelims.
However, it's very clear to us that this Nittany Lion middle distance runner is evolving into an incredibly lethal talent. The Penn State sophomore began her season with a very fast 2:42 PR over 1000 meters, followed that up with a 1:28 effort over 600 meters and just dropped a 2:01 (800) personal best this past weekend.
Kitching has been awesome so far this winter. And with prior experience already under her legs, she has the potential to be a very real All-American threat -- maybe even an All-American favorite -- over 800 meters come March.
For the most part, the last nine months have been very good to Gabija Galvydyte.
She ran a fantastic 2:00 (800) PR at last year's outdoor national meet, placing 2nd in the process. Then, this past fall, the Oklahoma State veteran proved to be a very effective scorer on the national stage. And with a comfortable 4:33 mile victory at the Boston U. Season Opener, Galvydyte could seemingly do no wrong.
But upon returning from winter break, Galvydyte fell to Arkansas sophomore, Sanu Jallow, not once, but twice: One time over 600 meters and one time over 800 meters.
Now, in fairness to Galvydyte, she still ran plenty fast in both efforts, running 1:28 and 2:02, respectively. However, with the women's 800 meters looking as top-heavy as it ever has been, and the women's mile looking deeper than it's ever been, the challenges will only be greater for Galvydyte moving forward.
Yes, Maddy Elmore may be dropping two spots in our rankings, but that's necessarily because of anything that she has done. In fact, for the most part, this Oregon redshirt sophomore has largely delivered on expectations.
After a strong cross country season and a brilliant 8:50 (3k) mile effort in Boston, this rising Duck star has continued to be a major name in the mile. Elmore's recent 4:33 mile PR was a nice step in the right direction, as was her ability to anchor the Ducks to an NCAA #2 all-time DMR performance (with a 4:33.97 split).
And while those are all strong and respectable efforts, I'm not sure that we have learned anything new about Elmore since our preseason edition of these rankings.
After redshirting this past cross country season, we were waiting to see what West Virginia’s Ceili McCabe would do on the indoor oval. And gosh are we glad that we listed her in our preseason rankings.
The Mountaineer junior was one of three collegiate athletes in the "elite" section of the mile field at the Dr. Sander Invitational. And despite the competition, McCabe held her own against the professional runners, finishing 6th overall and running a shiny mile PR of 4:30.
McCabe doesn’t usually focus on the mile, so expect to eventually see her race the 3k between now and the NCAA Indoor Championships. The West Virginia ace has a current 8:50 (3k) PR and with her stellar mile speed, a third-consecutive appearance at the indoor national meet and All-America honor is in the cards.
The only question, however, is how high could her ceiling go over the next month and a half?
The only reason why Oklahoma State’s Billah Jepkirui is falling back in our rankings this week is because we didn't see anything that we didn’t already know about her after her weekend in Arkansas. And with women making improvements of their own, we had to bump her back.
Jepkirui opted to contest the 800 meters on Saturday rather than an event more so in her wheelhouse like the mile or the 3k. The Cowgirl, who recorded a stellar 8:49 (3k) mark earlier this season, also ran 2:05 for 800 meters this past weekend, less than one second off of her current PR.
After quickly emerging as one of the nation’s best over 3000 meters, seeing Jepkirui continue to find success in the middle distances is really encouraging to see. This Oklahoma State sophomore has developed a knack for tactical awareness despite her youth. And if she can utilize that turnover on the national stage in a positional 3k battle, then the Cowgirls could have two All-Americans in one event.
Amina Maatoug has not competed since our last update.
One of the biggest collegiate stars from this past summer was Sophie O'Sullivan, someone who ran absurdly fast times in the 800 meters, 1000 meters and 1500 meters. Naturally, we felt like it was only appropriate to list her inside of our top-10.
However, after a good-but-not-great performance in the mile this past weekend, running a time of 4:35, we had to bring O'Sullivan back into our rankings a bit.
Do we still think that she can crack our top-10 later in the season? Yes, absolutely. But until then, we'll keep her just on the fringes of our top-15, a nod of respect to the incredible talent that she displayed throughout 2023.
After a much-anticipated wait, Taylor Roe, the 2022 NCAA champion over 3000 meters, kicked-off her season with a 3k race – the very same event that earned her that first crown.
Entering the race, there was considerable speculation about how Roe would fare. While her capabilities are unquestionable, the past few seasons have been somewhat challenging for the Oklahoma State veteran.
However, any concerns were swiftly brushed aside as the Cowgirl star clocked a fantastic 8:51 PR en route to a 21-second victory at the Razorback Invitational.
While that result may not be entirely unexpected, her time of 8:51 is, in fact, a five-second personal best and a very encouraging step in the right direction. Roe is an esteemed tactician, and this new PR helps position her as a very competitive name on the national stage yet again.
Plus, with her experience, she is as big a threat as any when it comes to a championship race.
Over the last few months, Virginia's Margot Appleton left us wanting more.
The Cavalier ace had been solid, but placing 51st at the NCAA XC Championships and running 9:08 for 3000 meters in December weren’t results that we would expect from someone of her caliber. However, this past weekend at Penn State, the Cavalier ace delivered precisely what we have been hoping for.
In what was arguably the most thrilling race of the weekend, Appleton faced-off in the mile against a remarkably in-form Melissa Riggins. The duo battled all the way down the final straightaway with Riggins pulling away in the final meters to barely take the victory, 4:30.73 to 4:30.87.
Despite not coming away with the victory, this was an extremely important performance from the Virginia distance star. A relatively significant PR and a near victory over one of the most high-momentum runners in the country suggests that the 1500-meter outdoor medalist is finding her top form yet again.
With an exceptionally well-rounded resume, all Appleton has to do now is keep this momentum rolling. If she can do that, then she may very well find herself contending for another top-three finish come March.
After a disappointing end to her cross country season, Georgetown’s Melissa Riggins has been on a revenge tour.
Two weeks ago, at the Hokie Invite, Riggins recorded the third-fastest 1000-meter time in collegiate history by running 2:40. Not only did the junior win the race, but she also ran a three-second PR. However, that 1k effort was ultimately just the beginning for what we would see the Hoya veteran do on the indoor oval.
Rather than go to Boston this past weekend, Riggins and her Georgetown teammates ventured to Penn State. There, Riggins lined up for the mile against Virginia’s Margot Appleton. The race came down to the final straightaway where Riggins found one final gear to surge past Appleton in the final few meters. The Georgetown junior finished with a mile time of 4:30, a seven-second PR for Riggins.
In our eyes, Riggins should elect to focus on the mile for the remainder of the season. The Hoya standout can drop down to 800 meters to fine-tune her speed and move up to the 3k to improve upon her endurance. However, that turnover and that strength should be incredibly helpful for when she reaches the NCAA Indoor Championships.
If you’re Washington’s Carley Thomas, it’s going to be difficult to choose between the 800 meters and the mile for the indoor national meet. That's not necessarily because of the competition that she'll have to face, but because she's so darn good in both those events!
Thomas came out ready to play at the UW Indoor Preview earlier this month. The redshirt senior jumped up in distance to the mile and outran a slew of top Oregon Ducks en route to a 4:30 finishing time. And truthfully, she almost made it look easy.
And it was that six-second PR that immediately caught our attention.
This past weekend at the UW Invite, the Husky veteran toed the line for her premiere event, the 800 meters. Over the summer, Thomas ran a 1:59.95 (800) PR, the first sub-2:00 performance of her career. And while she didn't perfect match that personal best on Saturday, she came within a second, running 2:00.95 and crossing the line three seconds ahead of the field.
Both the 800 meters and the mile are proving to be loaded this year. But Thomas looks like a completely different runner. She looks like she's in complete control of her fitness and we're not even sure if she's been truly pushed yet.
Welcome to our top-10, Kimberley May!
The Providence junior has been on fire this indoor track season, recording PRs from the 800 meters up to the 3k. However, the performance that truly led May into our rankings this week was her phenomenal mile effort at the Boston U. John Thomas Terrier Classic this past weekend. The Friar veteran entered the meet with a mile PR of 4:37 and left Boston with a new 4:27 PR, remaining within striking range of Adidas pro, Anna Camp Bennett.
The junior ace has now entered the conversation when discussing potential mile champions for the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships. May is finding her groove amongst her competitors and has the momentum to keep riding this high into March.
To be frank, there isn't too much to analyze when it comes to Alabama star, Hilda Olemomoi. Since her fantastic 15:17 (5k) performance back in December, it's clear that Olemomoi has been trying to develop her speed -- something that we have to commend.
The Crimson Tide ace dropped down in distance at the Clemson Bob Pollock Invitational this past weekend, clocking a very respectable 4:40 effort in the mile.While that time is by no means head-turning, it's still a very solid effort from one of the most distance-centric runners in the NCAA.
This time last year, we saw Olemomoi split very similar times on the anchor leg of a DMR. And if that's anything to go by, then she is going to be just fine when stepping back up to the 3k and the 5k.
Of course, with only the 5k under her belt this season, we are eagerly waiting to see if the Kenyan superstar can produce another 3k mark in the area of 8:45.
Much like many of the names around her, there isn't a great deal to say about Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker. The sophomore has been as good as expected which is why she remains steadfast in our rankings.
Whittaker kicked-off her winter campaign with a 2:02 (800) clocking at the UW Indoor Preview, dominating from wire-to-wire. While this victory came as no surprise, it was good to see such sharpness from the Cardinal ace in the early stages of the season.
That sharpness was then capitalized on just two weeks later as she and her Stanford teammates made their way to the Boston U. John Thomas Terrier Classic this past weekend. Much like her first race, Whittaker's new 4:30 mile PR was one of the least shocking results of the meet, especially after seeing how good she was this time last year.
From our perspective, this Stanford star is likely to contest the 800 meters in March, an event in which she has a wealth of experience and a silver medal to her name.
To be honest, we didn’t really earn anything new after Alabama’s Doris Cherop ran the 3k this past weekend at Clemson. We already knew that the Crimson Tide freshman was a stud -- just look at her runner-up finish at the previous NCAA XC Championships for evidence.
Thanks to pacing duties from teammate Hilda Olemomoi, Cherop recorded an excellent 8:53 (3k) PR this past weekend, crossing the line as the first collegiate and taking down NC State’s Amaris Tyynismaa by 21 seconds.
The Alabama stud is still quite a bit behind the NCAA Division One leaders over 3000 meters, but it's assumed that her talents will pay off over 5000 meters very shortly given her current road 5k PR of 14:40.
Stanford middle distance star Roisin Willis creeps up our rankings this week after beginning her indoor 800-meter national title defense.
This past weekend was our first look at Willis since the spring as the Cardinal ace contested the 800 meters at Boston University, finishing with a time of 2:01.99, just shy of Nike pro, Lucia Stafford.
While that result is certainly solid, it has to be noted that Willis didn’t look super comfortable. That being said, if she is able to produce a time of that quality without exerting her best effort, then we should be very excited for what's to come!
Maia Ramsden has not competed since our last update.
Olivia Markezich has not officially competed since our last rankings update. However, the Notre Dame senior did race unattached, taking on pacing duties in the mile, at the Notre Dame Invitational last weekend.
Surprisingly, the outdoor 800-meter national champion from last year has yet to race her main event -- but there’s no need to worry.
Two weeks ago, LSU’s Michaela Rose ran the "off" distance of 600 yards, recording a stellar time of 1:16. Not only did Rose easily win, but she took down a 41-year old collegiate record. The junior star backed this record setting performance up with an 11-second PR in the mile this past weekend, running a strong 4:38.
With the way that this LSU superstar is looking right now, when she finally toes the line for the 800 meters, Rose is primed for a sub-2:00 showing.
Parker Valby has not competed since our last update.
Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson)
Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)
Hayley Kitching (Penn State)
Melissa Riggins (Georgetown)
Kimberley May (Providence)
KICKED OFF
Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)
Sophia Gorriarian (Harvard)
Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)
Amy Bunnage (Stanford)
Olivia Howell (Illinois)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)
Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)
Amy Bunnage (Stanford)
Olivia Howell (Illinois)
Sydney Thorvaldsen (Arkansas)
Meghan Hunter (BYU)
Aubrey Frentheway (BYU)
Elise Stearns (Northern Arizona)
Annika Reiss (Northern Arizona)
Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona)
Silan Ayyildiz (Oregon)
Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)
Kenzie Doyle (UMass Lowell)
Rosina Machu (Gonzaga)
Alexandra Carlson (Rutgers)
Riley Chamberlain (BYU)
Sanu Jallow (Arkansas)
Jenna Hutchins (BYU)
Anna Workman (Virginia)
Molly Hudson (Boston College)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Kayla Bell (Murray State)
Amaris Tyynismaa (NC State)
Sam Bush (NC State)
Angelina Napoleon (NC State)
Molly Born (Oklahoma State)
Laura Pellicoro (Portland)
Sadie Sargent (BYU)
Ella Baran (Colorado)
Chloe Foerster (Washington)
Rose Pittman (UCLA)
Ella Nelson (Oregon)
Carmen Alder (BYU)
Alyson Churchill (Northern Arizona)
Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)
Lauren Freeland (Michigan State)
Sivan Auerbach (Oklahoma State)
Mercy Kirarei (New Mexico)
Florence Caron (Penn State)
Taryn Parks (North Carolina)
Sydney Steely (Kentucky)
Marlena Preigh (Washington)
Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Oregon State)
Kelsey Chmiel (NC State)
Notes
- N/A