TSR Collaboration
Mar 1418 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.
Despite having run a 4:28 (mile) PR and splitting 3:15 on the lead-off leg of Washington's DMR, it seemed as though classic inexperience got the best of Chloe Foerster this past weekend.
The Washington sophomore did most of the work in her mile prelim for 1200 meters, but was later swallowed up by the rest of the field. And with not much of a kick remaining, Foerster finished last in her heat, meaning that she would miss the finals.
While her national meet showing was underwhelming, we still couldn't justify leaving this Husky distance runner out of our rankings. Her 4:28 mile PR stands out in a major way and it's hard to deny how valuable she was on the opening leg of her DMR efforts this winter.
A challenging learning curve got the best of her this weekend, but Foerster will likely return to this stage next year as an All-American favorite.
Virginia's Margot Appleton makes a triumphant return to the final rendition of our rankings. The Cavalier junior has been having a very solid winter campaign, though not quite reaching the heights of her heroics from last spring.
That was, until she graced the national stage.
Appleton has always been a remarkably reliable name during the postseason and this time was no exception. The Cavalier star elegantly navigated the heats with poise, replicating her success the very next day with a remarkable 5th place finish. That achievement adds another All-American accolade to her impressive collection. And to top it all off, she achieved an eyebrow-raising personal best of 4:29, breaking the elusive 4:30 barrier for the first time.
With consistency on her side, Appleton now sets her sights on the upcoming outdoor track season where she will be aiming to make a return to the podium over 1500 meters.
We have a new name gracing our rankings this week!
Molly Born has flown under the radar this season partly because she has only raced three times, all of which were 5k efforts. But you know what? Each time that the redshirt senior crossed the finish line, she found herself sporting a new PR in that event.
Born started her indoor track campaign at Boston U. back in December, running a then-PR of 15:36 (5k). She then took a hiatus between December and the BIG 12 Indoor Championships, but when she did return, Born was able to chop time off of her early-season 5k mark by recording an altitude-converted result of 15:23.
And then, to cap it all off, the Cowgirl veteran took to the NCAA Indoor Championships and ran herself to a shiny 15:20 (5k) en route to an impressive 6th place finish.
The Oklahoma State veteran was competing at her first indoor national meet this past weekend, but she didn’t let that inexperience threaten her chances of being an All-American. Instead, she thrived in a fast-paced, strength-based affair that favored her skillset.
Now, she'll enter the spring months with tons of momentum as she eventually attacks what may end up being her best event, the 10,000 meters.
Unfortunately for Stanford's Roisin Willis, the defending 800-meter indoor national champion, things didn't go as planned as she bowed out of the heats at the NCAA Indoor Championships this past weekend.
Willis had raced sparingly over the individual 800-meter distance this season, and that was seemingly reflected this weekend in Boston.
The Cardinal ace positioned herself fantastically, leading heat two through the 400-meter mark at a healthy pace. However, she was unable to separate herself from the rest of the field, ultimately resulting in her being beaten at the line for a spot to the finals by a fast-finishing Haley Kitching of Penn State.
Although this outcome was not what we or Willis had anticipated, it's crucial to bear in mind her young age. Despite capturing a national title in her very first year, there is still a lot to learn for Willis. She will undoubtedly gain valuable experience from this setback which will surely benefit her in her future races.
It was a tough weekend for Duke’s Amina Maatoug. She came in as someone who could finish as a top-five athlete over 3000 meters, although she didn't even finish the race. But before focusing too much on the NCAA Indoor Championships, let’s look at her regular season...
The Duke Blue Devil was excellent all winter long, running 4:29 (mile) and 8:46 (3k). These times were promising for Maatoug and they put her in contention to challenge the NCAA’s best at the indoor national meet. And rather than going for the mile/3k double this year, the junior opted to put all of her eggs into one basket, specifically for the 3000 meters.
Maatoug held steady through 1200 meters, but then things started going south. Maatoug began dropping back in the pack and found herself in 11th place before stepping off of the track and recording a DNF result.
Right now we are still unsure why the Duke star didn’t finish, but if Maatoug was firing on all cylinders, then she could have been right alongside the chase pack.
It was a real shame that Stanford’s Amy Bunnage didn’t toe the line for the 5000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships and we still aren’t 100% certain as to why the freshman standout didn’t compete.
Bunnage only raced three times during this indoor track season and two of those performances, which featured times of 8:54 (3k) and 15:11 (5k), certainly catch your attention. Hopefully the Cardinal youngster is healthy to return for the outdoor track season and makes a statement amongst the NCAA’s top talents for 5000 meters.
Consistency paid off big time for Gabija Galvydyte this season. The Cowgirl veteran contested the 800 meters a total of six times this winter and was a name always found near the top of the results.
At the beginning of the season, Galvydyte flexed her strength by winning the mile at the Boston U. Season Opener in a time of 4:33. From there, she refined her speed by running numerous 2:02 performances for 800 meters. An altitude-converted 2:00 (800) result that she produced at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships later guaranteed the Oklahoma State star a spot on the line at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
In Boston, Galvydyte qualified for the 800-meter finals based on time. She put herself in a better position the next day and found herself crossing the finish line in 5th place, recording yet another 2:02 (800) mark in the process.
Galvydyte may not have been able to match her 2nd place finish from the 2023 outdoor national meet, but taking 5th place this past weekend in one of the most top-heavy 800-meter fields in recent memory demands respect.
Things didn’t go in Carley Thomas’ favor at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
After a season that saw her drop top marks of 2:00 (800) and 4:30 (mile), the Washington Husky was in the conversation to win a national title. Thomas opted for the 800 meters at the indoor national meet, but unfortunately, was knocked out in the prelims.
It’s hard to pinpoint where things went wrong for the redshirt senior as she was in the back of the pack for much of the race before fading to a finishing time of 2:05 (800).
On a good day, we believe Thomas would’ve been a top-three finisher in her marquee event. And it's her regular season that keeps her in our top-20. However, Thomas continues to struggle with postseason races, something she'll need to shake come June.
After Flomena Asekol ran her 4:26 mile PR, we were blown away. The Florida ace had always been fantastic over the mile and the 1500-meter distances, but that personal best seemingly came out of nowhere.
And given that she had produced an 8:52 (3k) PR back in December, the overall talent and value on Asekol's resume was far stronger than we expected it to be at that point in the season.
That's why it's a bit hard to reconcile Asekol's 8th place finish in the mile this past weekend with her fantastic regular season of racing. The Gator talent did help her DMR rally back to a 3rd place finish, but individually, we were hoping for a bit more from Asekol at the national meet, even if we didn't necessarily tab her as a national title favorite.
When Meghan Hunter dropped a huge 2:01 (800) PR out of nowhere at last year's outdoor national meet in the prelims, we questioned if that was a fluke. She had, after all, dropped so much time in just one race and faded to 8th place in the finals.
However, this winter proved that Meghan Hunter was the real deal. While some of her races were certainly better than others, she kicked-off her indoor track campaign with a 2:03 mark and later ran 2:02 to qualify for the national meet. And on the biggest stage, Hunter once again came through in the clutch, securing a statement 3rd place finish behind two all-time half-mile stars.
The similarities that we're beginning to see between Meghan Hunter and former BYU middle distance runner, Claire Seymour, are hard to overlook. Once again, Coach Diljeet Taylor has developed an 800-meter veteran who can peak better than most. And while Hunter's ceiling may not be as high as a few others, that hasn't stopped her from taking down some top-tier names over the last year.
Georgetown’s Chloe Scrimgeour capped off her fantastic indoor track campaign with a pair of All-American finishes over 3000 meters and 5000 meters. That is an excellent (and potentially underrated) achievement that rightfully earns her a significant jump in our rankings.
Following a spectacular cross-country campaign, the junior slashed her 5000-meter PR to 15:24 -- a remarkable 25-second improvement. This achievement was further validated a few months later with an impressive 8:50 (3k) mark. And as the postseason approached, it was clear that Scrimgeour was in peak aerobic shape.
On the opening night in Boston (i.e. the 5000 meters), the Hoya star utilized that aerobic strength by committing to an aggressive pace, latching onto the Alabama duo. This commitment not only led to a 7th place finish, but also a 15:20 (5k) PR, four seconds faster than what she ran back in December.
The following evening it was much of the same for Scrimgeour. She got stuck in with the chase group and her tenacity led her to another 7th place finish. An excellent finish to a fantastic weekend double.
Once again, Scrimgeour's reliability in the postseason has been exceptional over the past year, making it challenging to bet against her as we transition to the outdoor track season.
There were few athletes in these rankings who had a busier weekend than Georgetown’s Melissa Riggins. The junior took on the challenge of doubling up in the mile and the 3000 meters, securing a terrific top-five finish in the former event.
Entering the NCAA Indoor Championships, Riggins had impressed all winter long, showcasing her lethal turnover. Yet, for as strong as she had been, I don't think we expected her to finish as high up as she did.
The Hoya star produced a furious last lap (a lap that was only bettered by race winner, Maia Ramsden) to jump from 6th place to 4th place, surpassing some of the nation's most established milers in the process. Not only did she take down some of the NCAA's leading ladies, but she also clocked a fantastic new PR of 4:29 in the process!
Unfortunately for Riggins, she wasn't quite able to carry this momentum to the 3000 meters as it seemed the fatigue from the mile had taken its toll. Nevertheless, this was a huge weekend for the Hoya, and it should leave her with a world of confidence as we progress into the spring.
Penn State's Hayley Kitching hasn't put a wrong foot forward this season as she quickly becomes one of the most reliable half-milers in the nation. The sophomore consistently posted times around the 2:01 (800) mark this winter and her dependable performances were instrumental in her success at the recent NCAA Indoor Championships.
Kitching raced like a veteran in Boston. In the heats, she timed her kick to perfection to out-dip defending champion, Roisin Willis, for a spot to the finals. The following day, the Nittany Lion ran a very well-judged race. She responded when it mattered most while also acknowledging the formidable talent of Rose and Whittaker.
That display of race IQ paid off big-time as she crossed the line in 4th place, an agonizing 0.01 seconds off of the bronze medal. Kitching has swiftly made a name for herself and her tactical prowess will undoubtedly pose a challenge for her competitors this upcoming outdoor track season.
Could we be looking at the next Whittni Orton or Courtney Wayment for BYU's distance program? That certainly seems to be the case after the incredible weekend that Riley Chamberlain put together.
Despite being a sophomore, Chamberlain anchored home the Cougars to a statement DMR national title victory, throwing down an incredible last-lap kick that Notre Dame superstar Olivia Markezich surprisingly had no answer to. Chamberlain's 4:27 anchor split would end up being the fastest split of the field by far.
And if that wasn't enough, Chamberlain came back on day two to place 6th overall over 3000 meters. In simpler terms, this BYU sophomore gave her team 13 of their 28 points in the overall team standings.
Little by little, Chamberlain seems to making improvements with each passing season. And if she's able to be this good as an underclassman, then could she be the next focal superstar of this program this time next year? We certainly think so...
Kimberley May exceeded any expectations placed upon her this indoor track season. Not only did she run a 4:27 (mile) PR twice, but she also earned her first indoor track All-American honor by finishing 3rd overall in a historically top-heavy field.
After the Providence junior ran 4:27 (mile) at the John Thomas Terrier Classic, she continued to ride that high. The Friars benefited from May’s strength and speed on the 1600-meter leg of their DMR as the team ran 10:44 for the second-fastest DMR time in NCAA history.
At the NCAA Indoor Championships, the Providence ace won her prelim heat and after leading her team to a 6th place finish in the DMR, all eyes were set on the mile final. May led the first five laps of the mile before being passed by eventual winner, Maia Ramsden. The Friar star still hung tough though and closed exceedingly well, ultimately finishing a well-deserved 3rd place.
In the grand scheme of things, we thought a more conservative approach would have given May a slightly better chance at gold (although Ramsden looked unstoppable). But by being more aggressive, May essentially took numerous contenders out of the mix, leaving her to deal with only Ramsden and Billah Jepkirui. And although she was passed by those latter two women, she still secured a result that she should be proud of.
Lexy Halladay-Lowry did plenty this past weekend at the indoor national meet to be worthy of a massive jump in our rankings. Taking on the 5k/3k weekend double, Halladay-Lowry put her head down and got to work against some stiff competition. Thankfully, her resilient talent paid off as the BYU ace picked up two top-five finishes!
To begin the weekend, Halladay-Lowry held her own in a fast-paced 5k. Rather than getting carried away by what Florida’s Parker Valby was doing up front, Halladay-Lowry kept her composure and was content with racing in the chase pack. That patience led the Cougar to not only a 5th place finish, but also a 15:20 (5k) PR, 11 seconds faster than what she ran earlier this winter.
If Halladay-Lowry was tired by the time the meet reached the 3k, then she certainly didn’t show it. The Cougar star raced like the veteran she is and moved up throughout the course of the race alongside teammate Riley Chamberlain. Halladay-Lowry worked herself to 4th place and held that position all the way to the finish, beating plenty of well-established distance runners.
After what we saw from this BYU star during her 5k/3k weekend double, it’s hard not to like the junior as we head into the outdoor track season as she turns her attention to the steeplechase. Her consistency this past winter was wildly impressive and it seems as though she has become more well-rounded in the process.
Man, what a busy weekend for Oklahoma State’s Billah Jepkirui! The sophomore was doubling up in the mile and the 3000 meters. And in less than 48 hours, she left the NCAA Indoor Championships with two top-10 finishes!
Seeing Jepkirui snag silver in the women's mile was a (minor) pleasant surprise. We knew that she was in contention for a top-five finish given her 4:29 (mile) PR from earlier this season, but to be honest, we were not expecting the Cowgirl distance star to cross the line in 2nd place. Not only did Jepkirui take down some of the heavy hitters, but she also recorded a 4:27 (mile) PR en route.
It’s only fair to assume that the Oklahoma State runner was feeling the lactic acid build up by the time the 3k began as she only had a mere hour to rest up. Jepkirui struggled over 3000 meters, falling off of the leaders from the first lap. She managed to finish the race, but crossed the line in 10th place at 9:16 (3k), well out of contention for a top-five finish and a chance to run a PR.
Jepkirui can't be upset with a poor 3k performance as she still leaves Boston as a runner-up finisher in a historically fast mile race, an honor that sets her up to one day win a national title. of her own.
Things went great for Taylor Roe on night one of the NCAA Indoor Championships over 5000 meters, but day two (i.e. the 3000 meters) was a whole different story.
Starting with the good, the Oklahoma State senior did her best to stay with Florida’s Parker Valby over 5000 meters. Roe was on Valby’s tail through just about 4000 meters. But when the Gator star threw in a surge, Roe was found in no-man’s land for the final 1000 meters.
When all was said and done, the Cowgirl star finished 2nd place overall in 15:15 (5k), just three seconds shy of her PR, and recorded her best showing at an NCAA Championship since winning the 3k at the 2022 indoor national meet.
One can imagine that the veteran ace had high hopes for the 3k after an encouraging performance on day one, but those hopes fell apart shortly after the 400-meter mark of that latter race. In the 3000-meter finals, Roe was tripped up, fell hard to the ground and ultimately stepped off the track, recording a DNF.
No, Roe probably wouldn't have won the 3k even if she had never fallen, but she was at least capable of a top-five finish. And while some people may prefer Roe to be ahead of the Alabama women following the 5000-meter finals, we have to recognize that the below Crimson Tide duo simply found more overall success between the two distance events this past weekend compared to their Oklahoma State counterpart.
Doris Lemngole and Hilda Olemomoi form one of, if not the. most formidable partnerships in the nation. The Alabama duo have been working in tandem all season long and are rarely separated by more than a few seconds.
And sure enough, this week in Boston was no different.
The Crimson Tide pairing both contested the 5k/3k weekend double and to nobody's surprise, they thrived off of the aggressive pace set by Florida’s Parker Valby.
Starting with the 5000 meters, the pair sat just off of Valby and Taylor Roe, and in the latter stages, they closed the gap. However, they weren't quite able to catch up to a fading Roe. Ultimately, Olemomoi and Lemngole crossed the line joined at the hip, finishing 3rd and 4th, respectively, each registering marks of 15:17 (5k).
Fast forward to the following evening for the 3000 meters and it was a very similar story. The Alabama women sat just off of the hot pace that was leading a stacked chase group. With strength on their side, they were able to produce strong finishes and were only split by BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry as they finished in 3rd place (Lemngole) and 5th place (Olemomoi).
With the outdoor track season just around the corner, we fully expect this dynamic duo to make the step up in distance and contest the 10,000 meters. That's an event that they are likely to be national title favorites in.
It was a disappointing end for LSU’s Michaela Rose this past weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships as the Tiger ace came in as the national title favorite for 800 meters, but had to settle for silver upon departure.
Rose had dominated the 800 meters during this indoor track season, recording two sub-2:00 performances prior to this past weekend. And after easily qualifying for the 800-meter finals at the indoor national meet, things were going as expected for the Tiger junior.
The LSU ace was leading through 750 meters, but was then overtaken by Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker on the final straightaway. There, Rose came up a mere 0.23 seconds shy of winning the title.
Even though Rose couldn’t keep the ball rolling at the NCAA Indoor Championships, we can’t look past what the LSU star has done this season. Not only did she run absurdly fast times, but she did so on a consistent basis. Saying that she wasn't a top-five talent this winter would be a mistake.
This past weekend, in the 800-meter finals, Juliette Whittaker put herself directly behind Michaela Rose and simply followed her LSU opponent around the track.
That positioning lasted until the final 50 meters as Whittaker swung off the curve and powered past Rose for the national title victory. In the process, Whittaker ran 1:59.53 (800), a new meet record and an NCAA #3 all-time mark for the indoor 800 meters.
In retrospect, it makes sense that if anyone was going to defeat Rose, it was going to be Whittaker. The Stanford sophomore did, after all, have the second-fastest 800-meter time this season (2:00.09) coming into the national meet, had already run 1:59 prior to this winter and held a 4:30 mile PR that gave her the strength necessary to hang with Rose.
And because of that, she is now a national champion.
Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich performed about as we anticipated her to at the indoor national meet. We knew from early-on in the season that the Fighting Irish veteran was going to attempt to win the 3k/DMR double. Unfortunately for her, that didn’t materialize for Markezich as she had to settle for a pair of 2nd place finishes.
On night one, Markezich received the baton in the DMR in a solid position. The Notre Dame senior produced a 1600-meter split of 4:30, but that wasn’t enough to hold off a late charge from the BYU Cougars. And in the end, Markezich ended up crossing the line in 2nd place, two seconds behind BYU.
Fast forward to day two and the Fighting Irish runner was on a mission to win the 3k national title. Of course, that wasn’t going to be an easy task as she was going to face Florida’s Parker Valby. Markezich held her own through the first 2000 meters, but couldn’t match Valby’s move. Ultimately, Markezich finished in 2nd place with an 8:46 (3k) mark which, of course, is still nothing to write off.
The NCAA Indoor Championships may not have been all that Markezich wanted them to be, but 2nd place in the DMR and the 3k still proves that the Notre Dame senior is one of the very best in the country. With the outdoor track season on the horizon, Markezich will surely be pumped for a return to the steeplechase.
It’s been a busy March for Maia Ramsden between competing for New Zealand at the World Indoor Championships and then flying back across the ocean for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Briefly touching on the World Indoor Championships, the Harvard junior graced the track for the 1500 meters and ran a remarkable 4:06 PR. And if you thought that would make Ramsden tired, think again.
At the indoor national meet, Ramsden began her weekend with the mile, easily qualifying for the finals. In said mile final, the Crimson star bided her time until the final few laps to begin separating herself from the field. Ramsden managed to put two seconds between her and the field en route to a monster 4:25 (mile) victory.
After the high of winning the mile, Ramsden opted not to contest the 3k.
There wasn't a miler in the country this winter who was more complete than this Harvard star. She was extremely well-rounded, incredibly consistent, posted multiple all-times marks and held a strong understanding of tactics that, when put altogether, made her borderline unstoppable.
And just like that, Parker Valby does it again!
The Gator standout absolutely demolished the 5k field at the NCAA Indoor Championships, not only winning by 23 seconds, but also breaking her own NCAA record for a second time. Valby put in her move around the 3600-meter mark, quickly outdistancing herself from the chase pack en route to a 14:52 (5k) victory, four seconds faster than she ran in December.
Of course, Valby wasn’t done after that as the standout distance phenom took down a top-heavy 3k field somewhat comfortably. The Gator star made a massive move after the 2000-meter mark, a move that eventually led her to a five-second victory over Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich.
If it wasn't already obvious, Parker Valby doesn't let the pressure get to her. In fact, based on her post-race interviews, she doesn't really seem to acknowledge pressure in general -- and it shows.
With two national titles this past weekend, as well as times of 8:41 (3k) and 14:52 (5k), it's more than fair to say that this distance running phenom is in a league of her own. At the moment, Valby is untouchable, and if we’ve learned anything from the Gator ace, it's that she’s bound to break another record this spring.
Margot Appleton (Virginia)
Molly Born (Oklahoma State)
Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)
Meghan Hunter (BYU)
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)
Silan Ayyildiz (Oregon)
Sanu Jallow (Arkansas)
Kelly-Ann Beckford (Houston)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)
Silan Ayyildiz (Oregon)
Sanu Jallow (Arkansas)
Kelly-Ann Beckford (Houston)
Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson)
Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)
Ceili McCabe (West Virginia)
Wilma Nielsen (Washington)
Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)
Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)
Maddy Elmore (Oregon)
Sadie Sargent (BYU)
Jenna Hutchins (BYU)
Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)
Grace Hartman (NC State)
Shannon Flockhart (Providence)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Ainsley Erzen (Arkansas)
Ella Baran (Colorado)
Kate Jendrezak (UCLA)
Aubrey Frentheway (BYU)
Marlena Preigh (Washington)
Ella Baran (Colorado)
Samantha Bush (NC State)
Kenzie Doyle (UMass Lowell)
Bailey Goggans (Texas A&M)
Judy Kosgei (South Carolina)
Molly Hudson (Boston College)
Laura Pellicoro (Portland)
Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)
Alyson Churchill (Northern Arizona)
Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona)
Lucy Jenks (Stanford)
Anna Workman (Virginia)
Carmen Alder (BYU)
Kileigh Kane (Penn State)
Notes
- N/A