TSR Collaboration
Feb 2816 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.
The Harvard rookie standout returns to our rankings ahead of the indoor national meet after putting together a strong string of races which suggest that she's peaking right on time.
Sophia Gorriaran ventured across town to the Boston U. DMR Terrier Challenge a few weeks ago where she ran the 800 meters, producing a new collegiate best of 2:01.68 in the process. However, the more important aspect to know is that Gorriaran also took down Nike pro Helen Schlachtenhaufe en route to the win!
And of course, just this past weekend, Gorriaran secured the Ivy League title over 800 meters, comfortably running 2:04 en route to gold.
Talent has never been something that we've questioned with Gorriaran. She has shown since her high school days that she's as elite as they come. Now, she'll venture into the NCAA Indoor Championships with promising momentum, although the field that she'll face in Boston will be far deeper than what she saw over the last few weeks.
There's not a whole lot to report on when it comes to Chloe Scrimgeour. The Georgetown star only contested the mile since our last rankings update, posting a decent 4:41 effort en route to a silver medal at the BIG East Indoor Championships.
When you consider that Scrimgeour only lost to Providence ace Shannon Flockhart, a true miler, it's hard to be too critical of someone who is more of a 5k runner dropping down in distance. The Hoya standout was likely refining her speed prior to the national meet. And given that she earned what is likely the best mile/1500-meter result of her still-young collegiate career, we would consider her recent outing a success.
Since coming to Oregon, Silan Ayyildiz has been able to do no wrong. The newest Duck sensation was already a national-caliber athlete as she entered this indoor track season, although it's clear that she has reached new heights in her fitness. That couldn't be more evident than by her excellent 8:54 (3k) personal best at the UW Ken Shannon Last Chance Invite this past weekend.
Given the way that Ayyildiz has revamped her resume this winter, it would be difficult to discount her as a prime candidate for an All-American honor come March. With her most impressive performances occurring in recent weeks, and a ton of value coming from multiple nationally competitive marks, it's reasonable to suggest that the Duck distance star is hitting her peak at precisely the right moment.
What a statement win from Houston’s Kelly-Ann Beckford!
The former Division Two 800-meter national champion produced an upset victory in the women's 800-meter field at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships, taking down a contingent that included Oklahoma State veteran Gabija Galvydyte, Meghan Hunter (BYU), Makayla Clark (Iowa State) and Olivia Howell (Texas).
The Houston middle distance ace ran an outstanding personal best of 2:00.99 (800) in what was a wire-to-wire victory. She even found another gear in the final straightaway to fend off a fast-finishing Galvydyte. It's one thing to hold off one of the most established half-milers in the country, but to do it in such a commanding manner is beyond impressive!
Beckford has already been having herself a fine season and that victory simply adds another string to her bow. With the national meet fast approaching, the Houston senior has now established herself as an All-American contender. And given what we saw this past weekend, there is certainly an argument for her to be considered an All-American favorite.
We didn’t learn too much from BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry and Riley Chamberlain following the BIG 12 Indoor Championships. Both women ran up to their abilities in their respective races, remaining as realistic contenders for All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in two-ish weeks.
Starting off with Halladay-Lowry, the junior focused solely on the 3k this past weekend. Some of the big names like Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe and Billah Jepkirui, as well as West Virginia’s Ceili McCabe, did not start the 3k, so the path to victory was easier for Halladay-Lowry. Through 2000 meters, the BYU Cougar raced alongside the field before throwing in her move. That surge ultimately gave Halladay-Lowry an altitude-converted 8:56 (3k) win, outpacing the field by four seconds.
For Chamberlain, the sophomore contested the mile. She wasn’t the favorite going in -- that honor was given to Oklahoma State’s Billah Jepkirui -- but the BYU star was definitely the top challenger. Chamberlain ran a rough 4:33 altitude-converted mile to finish 2nd place overall, one second behind the winner. That performance came one week following a solid 4:29 (1600) DMR split en route to the Cougars running the NCAA #3 all-time DMR mark.
Halladay-Lowry and Chamberlain are two of the most versatile athletes in the NCAA right now between what they can do from the 800 meters to the 5k, the former more specifically applying to Chamerblain. And it's that dynamic, any-event value has given these two BYU standouts plenty of staying power in our rankings.
At the Boston U. Terrier DMR Challenge, sophomore Chloe Foerster led-off on the 1200-meter leg of Washington's DMR squad. There, Foerster split a phenomenal time of 3:15 to give the Huskies the lead on leg one. Her three teammates would go on to do their part en route to Washington running an NCAA DMR record of 10:43.
That 3:15 lead-off split was massive. Not just for the Huskies and their DMR goals, but for The Stride Report as well. An effort like that validates (to TSR) Foerster's monster 4:28 mile PR, which admittedly came out of nowhere, from earlier this month. And now, we have a little more evidence to suggest that this Washington sophomore is the real deal.
With the way that Foerster is running right now, the underclassman standout is expected to qualify for the mile finals at the indoor national meet. Of course, her relative inexperience at this level will be something to monitor.
After her incredibly impressive 8:52 mark over 3000 meters two weeks ago, Georgetown’s Melissa Riggins chose to step down in distance to contest the 800 meters at the BIG East Indoor Championships.
The Hoya junior made short work of the field, picking up the victory while matching her PR of 2:03 in the process. And while that result wasn’t necessarily the biggest surprise ever, it was certainly huge validation of her speed and it's a mark that pairs well with her 2:40 (1k) effort that she ran at the beginning of the season.
With the NCAA Indoor Championships on the horizon, Riggins looks set to contest the mile/3k double. Given her ever-improving speed and versatility, it would be no surprise to see her compete for her first set of individual All-American honors.
Transferring to Arkansas was seemingly the right move for Sanu Jallow. The Razorback talent has taken the 800 meters by storm this winter, recording top finishes, defeating accomplished veterans and dropping her PR from 2:05 to 2:01.
In 2023, Jallow, who was then at Texas A&M, didn’t make it out of the 800-meter prelims at the SEC Indoor Championships. Fast forward one year and not only did Jallow qualify for the final, but she earned a stellar 2nd place finish!
The Arkansas talent knew to let LSU’s Michaela Rose go as Jallow isn’t all that close to running sub-2:00 for 800 meters...yet. Rather, the sophomore raced within herself and held off late charges from competitors Judy Kosgei and Bailey Goggans.
Jallow has been on a tear this season. She has continuously improved as the winter months have drawn on and her latest showing displayed a promising level of tactical know-how.
However, there’s a point of concern as we turn our focus to the indoor national meet.
The Razorback sophomore has never contested an individual event at the NCAA Championships before. Will inexperience hinder what Jallow can do in Boston? Or will she thrive off of the momentum that she’s been riding high on?
It was an easy weekend for Penn State’s Hayley Kitching at the BIG 10 Championships. The Nittany Lion sophomore won two events while in Geneva, Ohio -- the 600 meters and the 800 meters. She didn’t have to exert too much energy en route to those victories, a benefit not too many get.
Coming in, this Penn State star had the fastest half-mile PR, in that field -- her 2:01 (800) mark was a clear two seconds ahead of the competition. In the finals, Kitching crossed the finish line in a respectable time of 2:04 (800), well off of her PR, but it was the win that clearly held far greater importance. In the rarely-contested 600 meters, Kitching ran a very strong PR of 1:26 to cap off an undefeated weekend.
Momentum and confidence are riding high for the Nittany Lion ace as we turn towards the NCAA Indoor Championships. She's never been at this level before, but she does have prior experience and has proven to be fairly consistent this winter. We don't see why that would stop in Boston.
Duke standout Amina Maatoug has raced sparely this season, but to great success each time.
As expected, the Blue Devil junior took home the victory in the mile at the ACC Indoor Championships in what was a very impressive wire-to-wire effort. While her winning time of 4:38 (mile) may not look like much on paper, you have to consider that Maatoug had also produced a 4:33 anchor split on the DMR that same weekend.
While this result doesn’t necessarily tell us anything that we didn’t already know about her, it's clear that the Dutch distance athlete is in the best shape of her life (or close to it). Maatoug is a legitimate threat for an All-American honor and maybe even an outside national title contender over 3000 meters less than two weeks from now.
Finally! Stanford’s Amy Bunnage has produced the race that we were waiting for!
This past weekend in Washington, the Aussie freshman star made her collegiate 5k debut in a field full of professionals. There, Bunnage held her own, sticking around with the leaders for a decent amount of time. She later crossed the finish line with a remarkable clocking of 15:11 (5k), an outstanding 10-second PR which now sits at NCAA #4 all-time (indoor) among all conditions.
Bunnage appears to be finding her groove at the most important time of the year, especially after she ran a strong 8:54 (3k) PR a few weeks back. She may have faltered at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall, but with greater experience under her belt, an All-American finish in the 5k isn’t out of the question.
Of course, having to battle multiple all-time stars is going to be quite the test for someone who has tons of raw talent, but may need further refinement, tactically.
It was another stellar weekend for Oklahoma State superstar Billah Jepkirui as she successfully defended her BIG 12 mile crown.
While she may have been the favorite heading into the race, the path to victory wasn’t going to be easy -- the Cowgirl standout would have to fend off the likes of BYU’s Riley Chamberlain and West Virginia’s Ceili McCabe. However, this talented duo proved no match for the Kenyan distance ace as she cruised to victory in a mile time of 4:33 (altitude-converted).
That victory was only the beginning as the sophomore returned to the oval less than two hours later to contest the 800-meter final. There, she captured a respectable 5th place finish, crossing the line in a new PR of 2:04.67. And after conversions, that comes out to a mark roughly around 2:02!
Jepkirui’s speed development this season has been highly encouraging and it's going to make her a very difficult person to beat in the latter stages of the 3000 meters in March. Plus, given her clear understanding of positioning and her highly underrated range, Jepkirui should be able to thrive in both the mile and the 3k once she reaches Boston.
Providence junior Kimberley May has been simply outstanding during this indoor track season, recording personal bests from the 800 meters up to the 3k. Following her staggering 4:27 mile PR back in January, May was officially introduced into the discussion of potential mile national champions. And since then, she has done nothing but impress us.
At the Boston U. Terrier DMR Challenge two weeks ago, May joined forces with her fellow Friars, throwing down a monstrous 4:25 anchor split en route to a 10:44 mark. While her split may not have been good enough to steal the victory from the Washington Huskies, it was enough to propel the Friars to the NCAA #2 all-time mark.
May’s relay duties didn’t end there as the Kiwi distance talent guided her Friars to victory at the BIG East Indoor Championships, producing yet another sensational anchor split, closing the 1600-meter leg in 4:29! That fantastic weekend was then capitalized on as she soloed an impressive 8:54 effort for 3000 meters just a day later!
With the national meet just around the corner, no one is looking quite as dangerous as Providence’s Kimberley May. She has not only been consistent, but she's been running consistently fast. Her ability to double effectively was on full display this past weekend and her range is plenty strong as well.
When it comes to the intangibles that separate All-American favorites from national title contenders, May has many of those aspects.
After a 4:31 (1600) DMR split two weeks ago, helping her Stanford teammates earn a qualifying time for the indoor national meet, Juliette Whittaker dropped down in distance to her marquee event, the 800 meters, this past weekend.
Whittaker ran a respectable time of 2:02 (800) back in mid-January. That time would’ve put the Cardinal sophomore on the bubble of qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships. So, to ensure that she safely earned a spot on the line in Boston, Whittaker opted to race the 800 meters one more time.
In Washington, Whittaker dropped a fantastic 2:00.09 (800) seasonal best, finishing between two professional athletes and two seconds ahead of her closest collegiate competition. That result shot the Stanford Cardinal ace up the current national leaderboard to NCAA #2, only trailing LSU’s Michaela Rose.
Based on this performance and the strength that Whittaker has flexed in the mile, the sophomore, on paper, has the ability to hang with Rose at the indoor national meet...which is easier said then done. And frankly, she could even out-kick Rose if it came to that over the final 50 meters. Even so, Whittaker will still be considered the underdog for the national title compared to Rose unless she can further build on her recent momentum.
When you run an incredible 4:26 mile PR somewhat out of nowhere, there are naturally lofty expectations that get thrown at you -- and rightfully so. One of those expectations for Flomena Asekol was that she would win the mile title at the SEC Indoor Championships.
And sure enough, she did just that.
The Gator standout controlled the field from the front for most of the race. She responded to moves only when she needed to and she ensured that she defended her position. Seeing Asekol pull away over the final lap from speed-oriented athletes like Lorena Rangel Batres and Tianna LoStracco was also a promising sign.
The subtle tactical awareness that Asekol showed in that mile final, along with a respectable 2:05 split on the 800-meter leg for her DMR, leaves us encouraged about where this Florida ace is at heading into Boston.
Carley Thomas has been extremely consistent this winter and if she continues to run like she has, then the Washington senior could leave the NCAA Indoor Championships with two top-half All-American honors.
Two weeks ago, Thomas teamed up with her fellow Huskies as the quartet recorded a brand new NCAA DMR record of 10:43. Thomas took on the 1600-meter leg and held off a late charge from Providence’s Kimberley May and BYU’s Riley Chamberlain. The redshirt senior ran a stellar 4:30 split at the anchor position.
Thomas has always been a talented middle distance runner, but she has never looked as consistently strong and poised as she has this winter. Of course, in an 800-meter field that features Roisin Willis, Juliette Whittaker and Michaela Rose, this Husky veteran will have her hands full on the national stage.
Even though Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe already had a 5k national qualifying time for the NCAA Indoor Championships, the Cowgirl star still had an exceptionally strong performance in that exact event this past weekend at the BIG 12 Championships. In Lubbock, Texas, Roe emerged victorious with an altitude-converted time of roughly 15:20ish (5k), three seconds ahead of teammate Molly Born.
Roe led wire-to-wire en route to her victory. With her teammate, Molly Born, the Cowgirl duo started to pull away from the chase pack at the 3k mark before the pair finished 18 seconds ahead of the 3rd place finisher.
Roe’s path to a second national title will be difficult with the likes of Florida’s Parker Valby and Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich headlining the 5k and 3k, respectively. Even so, you can never count out a former NCAA individual title winner and an experienced veteran who has proven to be one of the championship runners in the country.
A respectable 3:23 opening split on Alabama's DMR, followed by a 3rd place 9:06 effort for 3000 meters, didn't really tell us anything new about Hilda Olemomoi at the SEC Indoor Championships. It's great to see that she is further working on her speed, but much like her teammate Doris Lemngole, strength and aerobic capacity will be the name of the game for this Crimson Tide star at the indoor national meet.
Stanford’s Roisin Willis didn’t contest an individual event since our last rankings update, but the sophomore talent did help her Cardinal teammates secure an NCAA Indoor Championship DMR bid. At Boston University a few weeks ago, Willis recorded an excellent 2:00 split on the 800-meter leg, her fastest 800-meter performance of the season thus far.
The Cardinal are the reigning DMR national champions and Willis was a key member of that lineup in 2023. Of course, Washington, Providence, BYU and Notre Dame aren’t going to let Stanford run away with the DMR title this year.
Willis will need to bring her "A" game in two weeks at the indoor national meet to help her teammates stand atop the podium once again. Can she do that while still battling for individual gold over 800 meters like she did last winter?
Everything that we said about Hilda Olemomoi can also be said about Doris Lemngole.
In her latest showing, Lemngole was entered for the DMR/3k double at the SEC Indoor Championships. There, the Alabama freshman split 4:35 on the anchor leg of the Crimson Tide's DMR and came back the next day to run 9:06 for 3000 meters, winning her heat (but not the overall race) in the process.
This past weekend was clearly an effort for Lemngole to refine her speed and sharpen her turnover prior to the national meet. However, this aerobic-centric distance star will likely prefer/want/pursue a more aggressive style of racing that leans on strength rather than speed.
There isn't much left to say about Harvard's Maia Ramsden that hasn't already been said. The junior opted for the 3k this past weekend at the Ivy League Indoor Championships. And to nobody's surprise, she clinched the victory in a modest time (by her standards) of 9:19 (3k).
However, the most impressive feat of the weekend came the following day where the Crimson ace needed next no time to recover, anchoring Harvard's DMR to victory with a blistering 4:26 split.
That kind of turnaround will be crucial at the national meet as she navigates the preliminary rounds. We already knew that Ramsden was capable of winning a national title, but having a recent display of elite mile prowess was encouraging going into the NCAA Indoor Championships.
For the second time this season, LSU Michaela Rose dipped under the 2:00 barrier for 800 meters. Her finishing time of 1:59.25 is the second-fastest indoor 800-meter time in NCAA history, only placing Rose behind Texas A&M standout, Athing Mu.
The Tiger junior has made a statement this season, consistently running away from each field that she is in. Her recent showing at the SEC Championships was a wire-to-wire win where we saw her outdistance her competition by a full three seconds (and change).
Rose has solidified herself as the one to beat the NCAA Indoor Championships. She may be facing off against Stanford’s Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker again, the 1st and 2nd place finishers from the 2023 indoor national meet, but Rose has been far more consistent than that duo this season.
And frankly, she's been flat-out better, too.
In a span of two weeks, Olivia Markezich of Notre Dame raced the DMR twice and won the 3k at the ACC Championships.
Her first DMR effort came at the Alex Wilson Invite and resulted in an unreal 4:22 split on the 1600-meter leg! That led to a final time of 10:44, the NCAA #3 all-time DMR result regardless of conditions/track size.
Then, this past weekend, the Fighting Irish senior impressed yet again. Despite being faced with a four-second deficit at the anchor leg, Markezich bided her time and caught Virginia’s Anna Workman en route to a Notre Dame DMR conference victory.
In the 3k, the senior ace was content to let her competitors do the work through the first 2000 meters. From there, Markezich struck, outdistancing the field and running the final five laps alone before ending with an outstanding 8:52 (3k) effort.
The Fighting Irish All-American has become one of the most complete distance talents in the entire NCAA. In fact, Markezich may be primed to challenge Parker Valby for the 3k national title after posting an unbelievable 8:40 (3k) PR back in December while developing killer 4:27 mile speed.
From a racing standpoint, she's the full package.
Florida’s Parker Valby is an anomaly. The Gator talent, whom we know to cross train for countless hours each week and race sparingly, finally toed the line for the first time since December at the SEC Championships.
And even without a rust-buster, Valby posted a stellar 4:31 (1600) DMR split and ran 8:42 (3k).
On the first night, Valby joined her Gator teammates on the DMR. Florida already had a seven-second lead going into the 1600-meter split, but over the course of the final eight laps, Valby put four more seconds on the field.
On day two, without a 3k seed time, the Florida junior had to settle for racing in the “slow” heat. That, of course, didn’t seem to faze Valby as she always races alone and doesn’t need competition to push her to head-turning times. Right off the bat, Valby outdistanced the field and on her way to the finish line, the Gator lapped all runners. Her finishing time of 8:42 (3k) was a seven-second PR.
The Florida star has never run at the indoor national meet, mostly due to injuries, but that inexperience won’t be an issue for the All-American. The Gator megastar is simply fit enough to take down anyone who toes the line next to her. For that reason, she sits at TSR #1.
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)
Amy Bunnage (Stanford)
Kelly Ann-Beckford (Houston)
Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson)
Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)
Ceili McCabe (West Virginia)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson)
Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)
Ceili McCabe (West Virginia)
Margot Appleton (Virginia)
Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)
Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)
Maddy Elmore (Oregon)
Samantha Bush (NC State)
Molly Born (Oklahoma State)
Sadie Sargent (BYU)
Ella Baran (Colorado)
Kenzie Doyle (UMass Lowell)
Jenna Hutchins (BYU)
Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Wilma Nielsen (Washington)
Meghan Hunter (BYU)
Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)
Ainsley Erzen (Arkansas)
Kate Jendrezak (UCLA)
Marlena Preigh (Washington)
Bailey Goggans (Texas A&M)
Judy Kosgei (South Carolina)
Shannon Flockhart (Providence)
Molly Hudson (Boston College)
Laura Pellicoro (Portland)
Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)
Alyson Churchill (Northern Arizona)
Grace Hartman (NC State)
Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona)
Lucy Jenks (Stanford)
Anna Workman (Virginia)
Kileigh Kane (Penn State)
Notes
- N/A