TSR Collaboration
Jan 911 min
Written by Grace McLaughlin & Gavin Struve
Additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve
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It feels like the Minnesota-Duluth men and women are often underrated -- or at least underappreciated. They have quietly developed a handful of great individuals over the years and it's not uncommon for a strong cross country squad to pop up every now and then.
However, this year's women's freshman group could give the Bulldogs an incredibly bright future in the middle distance events, specifically the 800 meters. While this year's contingent of rookies isn't necessarily crazy deep or exceptionally versatile, their potential scoring potency at the half-mile distance could allow Minnesota-Duluth to dominate that area in the NSIC while (eventually) establishing a lasting presence on the national stage.
Let's begin with Ellie Hanowski, an in-state talent who is arguably the focal ace of this very, very good freshman class. The first-year runner has been a decent name in a handful of events, running 18:50 for 5000 meters to offer some respectable aerobic strength.
Of course, it's Hanowski's eyebrow-raising 2:14 (800) PR from last spring that certainly captured our attention. That's one of the better half-mile times that you'll see from a true rookie in all of Division Two this year. In fact, that kind of mark puts her within reasonable striking distance of qualifying for the national meet!
The analysis for Hanowski is pretty straightforward: She is really darn good. If she can translate and then build upon that kind of effort over the next few years, then it wouldn't be a surprise if she left Minnesota-Duluth as a multi-time All-American.
But Hanowski isn't the only 800-meter specialist among this pack of first-year standouts. Emily Bastian, for instance, is someone who more closely specializes in the longer sprint events rather than the middle distances. That's largely because she holds a strong 400-meter PR of 59.81, a time that she ran this winter.
And yet, despite the impressiveness of that effort, it's Bastian's 2:18 (800) mark that arguably remains the best result on her resume. And no, that wasn't a fluke. Last spring, Bastian's 2:18 mark got her into the Minnesota state meet where finished the 800-meter prelims in a time of, you guessed it, 2:18.
Having that kind of late-high school success and showcasing consistency along with it is a highly encouraging series of developments. In fact, we were only more excited by the fact that Bastian, as just a true freshman, matched her 400-meter PR, suggesting that she's already in her prior peak fitness.
Oh, and Julian Kuhnke? Yep, she's run 2:18 for the half-mile distance as well.
Despite her resume and range being a bit more limited in comparison to her first-year Minnesota-Duluth counterparts, Kuhnke's consistency was borderline metronomic. In the spring of 2023, the current freshman ended her prep career by running 2:20, 2:18 and 2:19, in that order. That, in turn, left her with a 5th place finish in the Class A state finals.
Kuhnke will still need to develop further, but the key intangibles that ultimately make a "good" runner become "great" are very much there for her. She's consistent, specifically in the times that matter the most, and proved that she could peak for championship season.
For a program that may have a lethal DMR in the future, that's important to keep in mind.
We just mentioned three women who have run under 2:20 for 800 meters...but what if I told you that there's actually a fourth freshman who did that as well?
Rachel Ulrich may be the biggest and best recruiting win of this entire freshman class. With a head-turning 2:15 (800) PR, this freshman distance ace offers immediate firepower and scoring potency next to Ellie Hanowski.
However, Ulrich's range has allowed her to run excellent times of 5:01 for 1600 meters and 18:42 for 5000 meters on the grass! On paper, this Osceola High School product matches the middle distance ethos that Coach Karly Brautigam and Coach Brette Jensen were clearly trying to craft with this freshman group.
And yet, Ulrich also offers tremendous value all over the place, making her a uniquely dynamic distance ace and the cherry on top of a lethal group of first-year studs.
Other women such as Ella Cole and Julia Rademacher will be key developmental names over the long-term, likely in the longer distances given their sub-20:00 (5k) personal bests. In the grand scheme of things, they should (eventually) be respectable complements to their fellow middle distance teammates on the opposite end of the racing spectrum.
2. Wingate Bulldogs
Wingate's 2023-2024 freshman class is all about quality over quantity. The Bulldogs only brought in five freshmen women this year, but they still managed to come in at TSR #2 in our rookie class rankings.
Coach Pol Domenech has turned Wingate into a program that heavily relies on international talent, and two of his new freshmen are elite runners from overseas. With an already-established distance roster, these first-year women could potentially help the Bulldogs develop into a D2 powerhouse that more closely resembles Wingate's men’s program.
England native, Evie Brooks, is the focal star of this freshman class, holding PRs of 2:11 (800) and 4:27 (1500). Those times are exceedingly impressive for a true freshman and she should have an immediate impact on the track this season.
If she is firing on all cylinders and can match her PRs over the coming months, then Brooks could be in the mix to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships as soon as this March.
In fact, Brooks already competed for the Bulldogs this past fall and has lined up once already on the track, collegiately. Of course, the transition to the NCAA realm is quite the learning curve and her recent performances reflect that when compared to her flashy PRs.
Nonetheless, her performances this academic year have mostly been positive developments and her three-season value over the long-term is very clearly there. After all, she placed 14th at the South Atlantic Conference XC Championships which is very respectable for someone more tailored toward the middle distances.
And back in December, Brooks ran 5:01 in the mile at the Boston U. Season Opener, a very solid starting point to improve upon in the near future.
The other half of Wingate’s duo of international aces is Meike Zimmerman from Germany. She holds PRs of 4:54 (1500), 9:59 (3k) and 17:58 (5k track). While not quite at the same level as Brooks in the middle distances, Zimmerman is more endurance-focused and largely the equivalent of her new English teammate in the longer events.
This past fall, the Wingate women were quietly excellent, sporting great depth and surprising many of us on the national stage. However, the needed for more potent firepower and scoring would have been welcomed. Luckily, Zimmerman's 5k PR suggests that she can eventually be that low-stick who could make the Bulldogs that much more dangerous.
We then come to Olivia Gardner who is a dynamic addition from a much closer locale.
Her PRs of 2:20 (800), 5:09 (1600), 11:42 (3200) and 18:28 (5k XC) put her on the higher end in terms of ability level for D2 freshmen. She was competitive in the half-mile, 1600 meters and cross country in her state championship meets last year.
It's hard to know where on the middle and long distance spectrums Gardner will settle into. Of course, that's a good problem to have. On paper, she can eventually be a contributor to a Wingate program that feels distance-heavy, although the Bulldogs would also benefit from the event diversity that she could bring in the middle distances.
The final two athletes in Wingate’s freshman class both come from Virginia, but are quite different in terms of what they bring to this program.
Tea Geary is an endurance-focused runner with PRs of 2:31 (800), 5:15 (1600), 11:13 (3200) and 18:50 (5k XC). Those are respectable times and even as recently as this past fall, the rookie distance talent flashed subtle signs of promise.
Geary competed this past fall and posted solid results highlighted by her 22nd place finish at the South Atlantic Conference XC Championships. Her transition from high school to college appeared to be pretty smooth and her continued development over the next year should give Wingate a consistent scorer next fall -- or at a minimum, in 2025.
The last athlete who Wingate added this past fall is Maria Chacha who's more of a developmental athlete with a background as a jumper and a hurdler. She holds personal bests of 62 (400), 2:34 (800) 5:46 (1600) and 21:34 (5k XC).
As someone relatively new to the middle distances, Chacha may theoretically have some untapped talent. But at the very least, she also adds some speed to balance out the Bulldogs' historically aerobic-heavy program.
Wingate’s freshman class may be smaller compared to others in our rankings, but they have all of the elements needed to further build their program.
The Bulldogs added a blend of middle distance runners and cross country studs, a handful of which were athletes with competitive times (for freshmen). These five women all add something unique to this up-and-coming Wingate program. If their development follows the trend of the women before them, then the Bulldogs are in a great spot for years to come.
1. Grand Valley State Lakers
Coming it at our TSR #1 spot in our 2023-2024 D2 freshman class rankings are the Lakers of Grand Valley State.
And honestly, it wasn’t even close.
Coach Jerry Baltes added six top-end women to his roster going into this past fall. And what's most impressive about this freshman class is that all of these women hold PRs that indicate that they would have an immediate impact on the majority of D2 programs around the NCAA.
In other words, none of these rookies are developmental athletes. They’re all top-tier recruits that even most D1 programs would have been happy to add. Of course, having a freshman class this strong makes perfect sense for a program that won the NCAA D2 XC Championships this past fall. But that also doesn't mean it's a given.
It's hard to emphasize just how good this group of freshmen is. Four of these first-year talents have run under 2:20 for 800 meters, four have run under 5:00 for 1600 meters and five have run under 11:00 for 3200 meters.
That is an absurd level of depth and range, even for the best team in the nation.
To jump right into the talent pool of this freshman class, we’ll start with Allie Arnsman, potentially the single-greatest American rookie signee in all of Division Two. The prep star holds fantastic PRs of 4:59 (1600), 10:36 (3200) and 17:48 (5k XC). But in reality, it's her accolades on the grass that put her in such rare air.
On top of her elite marks, Arnsman showed competitive prowess in the postseason. She was the runner-up at the state cross country championships in Michigan's most competitive division during her senior year and she finished 5th over 3200 meters as well.
However, most importantly, this GVSU freshman placed 10th at the Champs Sports Midwest Regional XC Championships and went on to place an eyebrow-raising 18th at the 2022 Champs Sports XC National Championships.
It's pretty rare for a high school cross country top-20 national meet finisher to choose a D2 school for the next stage of her career. But so far, the Laker rookie has had a smooth transition to the collegiate level and made an immediate impact this past fall.
She was consistently in GVSU's varsity lineup and she ended her season with All-American honors via a 33rd place finish at the NCAA D2 XC Championships.
Madeleine Hill was also a prep star in the state of Michigan. She holds PRs of 2:17 (800), 4:59 (1600), 10:48 (3200) and 18:35 (5k XC). Like many of Grand Valley State’s freshmen, Hill did not compete in uniform this past fall and is currently listed as a redshirt on TFRRS. If she doesn't race this winter or spring, then that means that the Lakers will have four years to develop her after this one.
Hill projects as a middle distance standout and is an incredible pick-up for the Lakers with a balance of speed and stamina that aligns perfectly with this program. For a team that seems to do everything incredibly well, she should fit in perfectly with whichever event group that adopts her.
Cara Newman is pretty similar to Hill in terms of PRs, but she is even more inclined towards the middle distances. Newman came to Allendale with phenomenal personal bests of 2:15 (800), 4:52 (1600), 10:50 (3200) and 18:32 (5k XC). She also placed 6th over 1600 meters and 7th for 3200 meters at the 2023 Michigan D1 Track & Field State Championships.
Like Hill, Newman didn't compete in uniform this past fall, but she did contest the 3k at the GVSU Holiday Open in December where she recorded a mark of 10:18.
Newman's 1600-meter PR is insanely good. That kind of time could theoretically put her in the national qualifying conversation as soon as this year, either over the mile or the 1500-meter distances.
Newman showcased elite talent and competitive prowess in high school and will be another key name for the Lakers in replacing the talent that's graduating at the end of this spring. For a program that loves to be competitive in the DMR, signing someone like Newman is a massive win.
Another recruit with more of a middle distance focus is Megan Postma. The Laker rookie holds prep PRs of 58.58 (400), 2:15 (800), 5:08 (1600) and 18:43 (5k XC). While her times indicate that she's at her best over the two-lap distance, she can still hold her own on the grass, highlighted by her 38th place finish at the 2022 MHSAA LP D1 XC Championships.
But in the grand scheme of things, Postma will likely build her collegiate reputation at the half-mile distance. With veteran ace, Taryn Chapko, nearing the latter portion of her eligibility, the need for greater support and long-term firepower over 800 meters could be a role that Postma fills come 2025 or 2026.
We may be mentioning Annika Sandman towards the tail-end of this section, but she's arguably just as good as Newman or Hill. She is yet another Michigan native who projects as a star in this program with times of 2:22 (800), 4:55 (1600), 10:27 (3200) and 17:03 (5k track).
Sandman placed 8th at the 2022 MHSAA LP D1 XC Championships, a result which further highlights her impressive endurance-based strength. That 10:27 PR for 3200 meters is also incredibly quick and it complements her 1600-meter PR. And when you sum it all up, you could argue that Sandman will eventually offer the best three-season value of anyone in this freshman class by the time that she's finished with her D2 career.
Her twin, Katrina Sandman, is more of the speedster of the two sisters. She holds prep PRs of 2:16 (800), 5:02 (1600), 10:53 (3200) and 18:45 (5k XC). She also raced at the GVSU Holiday Open, running 2:20 over 800 meters and 5:15 for the mile. Those are solid results for her first races in uniform.
Katrina Sandman’s balance of speed and stamina matches the strengths of Grand Valley State’s program, at least on paper. Luckily, she'll have plenty of strength-based middle distance runners to train with in Allendale as she eventually looks to take over the scoring role of Taryn Chapko (along with Megan Postma) before she leaves the team.
The last recruit of the bunch is Maggie Otto, someone who enters Division Two with prep times of 2:28 (800) 5:27 (1600) and 11:27 (3200). At most other D2 schools, those times would make Otto a fairly respectable addition (and she is). But for now, she'll act as a solid developmental piece.
With many of his top talents graduating or expiring their eligibility at the end of this year, Coach Jerry Baltes had had to revamp his roster with elite recruits. And as of right now, it's safe to say that he exceeded any reasonable expectations in doing so.
The mixture of quality and quantity in this freshman class is incredibly impressive as all six of these women give the Lakers a ton of firepower to rely on in the coming years. This group of freshmen is a balanced work of art, and they play to the strengths of the veteran women who are already star members of this team.
There’s not too much else to say about this freshman class other than, "WOW."
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