TSR Collaboration
Mar 1416 min
Written by Marissa Kuik & Grace McLaughlin
Additional edits & commentary by Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve
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.
EDITOR's NOTE: Please keep in mind that these rankings are a reflection of an athlete's overall season, not just how they performed at the national meet. Numerous factors such as personal bests, range, consistency, proven tactics, competition, postseason peaking and more are all considered when crafting these rankings.
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 previous update.
25. Molly Maksin, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines (Unranked)
In some ways, doubting Molly Maksin at any championship meet seems silly considering that she always knows how to perform best on the biggest stage. But throughout the entirety of this indoor track season, Maksin had some underwhelming performances.
She still ran 16:33 over 5000 meters, but otherwise, some of her races were not as strong, and she just didn't race very often in general. However, she poured it on at the national meet, coming away with a 6th-place finish thanks to a massive PR of 16:18 (5k).
Being able to perform so well on the biggest stage makes Maksin deserving of a spot in our rankings after hovering just outside for the past few months.
24. Morgan Hykes, Junior, Adams State (-16 / 8)
This Grizzly name was one of the hardest to place in our final indoor track rankings update. On one hand, Morgan Hykes fared very well on the opening leg of Adam State’s DMR team and was a big reason why the team had such a big lead handing off to Gracie Hyde for a national title.
However, after running such great times throughout the season, like a 3k PR of 9:17, we had higher expectations for Hykes, individually. Unfortunately, she faded over 3000 meters and finished a few seconds out of All-American consideration in 11th place.
We dropped her quite a bit in these rankings, but high-end individual finishes on the national stage are almost a prerequisite for inclusion in these rankings. Even so, a strong regular season and a role on an all-time DMR squad keeps Hykes in exclusive company.
23. Kate Dawson, Rs. Junior, Pittsburg State (Unranked)
Although she is new to our top-25 this season, Kate Dawson has slowly put together a consistent and impressive indoor track campaign over the half-mile distance. All six of Dawson's 800-meter efforts this season landed between 2:09 and 2:11 as she showed consistency and improvement with each race throughout the season.
Dawson finished with a lifetime best at the indoor national meet where she ran 2:09.18 for 5th place in the half-mile final. She also ran 2:09 in the preliminaries, suggesting an ability to provide measured and even efforts between multiple rounds.
Maybe the home crowd propelled her forward to such a great performance in the 800 meters, but Dawson put together an optimal indoor national meet effort, earning her a spot on the podium and in these rankings.
22. Emily Schoellkopf, Junior, Adams State (+1 / 23)
Considering that Emily Schoellkopf had a relatively quiet season by her standards, she placed quite well at the indoor national meet and played an important role in helping Adams State win the national team title.
Nearing her PR, Schoellkopf snuck onto the podium for 5000 meters by finishing 7th overall. She struggled a bit, doubling back to the 3k and crossing the line in 17th place, but one All-American result feels like a fitting end to this season and should provide momentum for her heading into her outdoor track campaign.
21. Lauren Kiley, Sophomore, Grand Valley State (-5 / 16)
Like Hykes, Lauren Kiley is another name who is challenging to rank. She ran decently over 5000 meters to open the indoor national meet, running 16:36. However, that time was only good enough for 15th place. That was a bit concerning considering that the event was seemingly her best chance at a strong result.
On the flip side, Kiley did a fantastic job of doubling back and placed 7th over 3000 meters while also running a personal best.
Kiley has been nothing short of fantastic on the grass in her young career. And with some great times during this indoor track season, we hoped that she would have a massive breakthrough at the indoor national meet. She may have done so by earning her first All-American honor on the track.
The GVSU sophomore moves below a handful of women who enjoyed greater triumphs on the national stage, but Kiley's winter campaign was largely positive and validating.
20. Sarah Koomson, Freshman, West Texas A&M (Unranked)
The women of West Texas A&M put on a show over 3000 meters and had some great marks at the 5k distance as well. Part of that group was freshman Sarah Koomson who played a key role in that series of impressive results.
While she didn't crack the top-10 for the latter distance, she ran a personal best time of 16:32 for 5000 m and finished a respectable 12th place overall. After running a PR in a very competitive field, Koomson was able to double back and come away with a 6th-place finish over 3000 meters with another PR (9:27).
Koomson put herself in the front pack of two quick races and mixed it up with the best of Division Two. While a lot of her seasonal bests were not as strong as some of the other women in these rankings, the rookie proved over the weekend that she can run with the best of them.
19. Kate Hedlund, Rs. Junior, UC-Colorado Springs (+1 / 20)
After not qualifying for the mile final at last year’s national meet, Kate Hedlund redeemed herself and had one of the best indoor track campaigns of her career.
After Hedlund made it through the mile prelims, she ran one of the best opening legs of any team in the DMR, handing off right next to Morgan Hykes of Adams State. Her 1200-meter leg led the Mountain Lions to a school record and a 3rd-place finish. She then went on to run to a PR and an 8th-place finish in the mile. She put herself in the race early and faded a little bit, but held on for an All-American finish.
Hedlund is one of the more dynamic middle distance runners in all of Division Two who is seemingly at or near the best shape of her life. She'll look to further validate that during the outdoor track season.
18. Lindsay Cunningham, Junior, Winona State (-14 / 4)
The most difficult athlete to place, perhaps across all divisions in this round of our rankings, Lindsay Cunningham went from looking like a national title favorite in two events to a national title contender to ultimately someone who sat out of the NCAA Indoor Championships.
She may not have broken records any records this season or had nearly as many dominant wins as she did in the fall, but she produced marks of 16:05 (5k) and 9:26 (3k) in her two races this winter, both of which put her towards the very top of Division Two.
It will be interesting to see what the outdoor track season looks like for Cunningham as she prepares to transfer to the University of Wisconsin, but she remains in our rankings for now as one of the elite Division Two women's distance runners.
17. Leah Taylor, Sophomore, Western Colorado (+5 / 22)
Leah Taylor's momentum has been impressive going all the way back to the 2023 outdoor track season. And this past weekend, she built on that progress even further with two podium finishes and a personal best to close her indoor track season.
Taylor helped her team to a 4th-place finish in the DMR, running the anchor leg on Friday. She then went into the mile final a day later and posted a personal best and a 6th-place finish. It was incredibly tight at the end of that race, but Taylor held her composure and earned a strong result, a rarity among most underclassmen.
Her last-place performance in the 3k was less than ideal, but the DMR-mile-3k triple is a brutal one, and her result in the latter should not take away from what she achieved in the other two races.
16. Vienna Lahner, Rs. Freshman, Adams State (Unranked)
Another Adams State runner who really showed up at the national meet to help her team win the overall title was Vienna Lahner.
In some ways, she came out of nowhere when she broke onto the scene in February by running a huge time of 4:46 in the mile at Boston U. Naturally, with an unexpected result like that early in her career, we had some questions about how Lahner would fare on the national stage. Not only did she race well enough to make it out of the preliminary round, but she finished an impressive 5th place and ran a mile personal best of 4:44 in the process.
Lahner put together a great mile race and it will be exciting to see how she builds upon that momentum in the seasons ahead as one of the future faces of the Adams State powerhouse program.
15. Precious Robinson, Junior, Adams State (+2 / 17)
Following in the footsteps of her teammates, Precious Robinson backed up an impressive performance over 5000 meters earlier in the season with a great run at the indoor national meet.
Robinson put together a strong all-around winter campaign, highlighted by a 16:27 (5k) time at Boston U. And at the NCAA Indoor Championships, she ran a massive 5k PR of 16:15, placing 5th overall. She also finished 12th place over 3000 meters the next day with another PR (9:31).
It felt like this Adams State ace was flying a bit under the radar after sitting out the cross country campaign, but she effectively reintroduced herself as a long-distance stud this season.
14. Eleonora Curtabbi, Senior, West Texas A&M (-2 / 12)
As disappointing as it was for Eleonora Curtabbi to fail to advance to the mile finals, she still performed quite well at the indoor national meet. We knew going into this past weekend that Curtabbi had not been racing up to her elite standard that we had grown used to seeing from the Buffalo star, so our expectations were muted with cautious optimism.
And while she did not reach the mile final, Curtabbi was still able to come back and perform fairly well over 3000 meters, placing 4th overall. It may not have been the typical national meet performance that we are used to seeing from Curtabbi, but she fared quite well given the competitive fields that she faced.
We dropped her a few spots here, but we still look forward to seeing what she can do over the water pits and barriers in the spring.
13. Natalie Graber, Junior, Grand Valley State (-8 / 5)
Natalie Graber enjoyed one of the best indoor national meets of anyone in 2023. So naturally, we had very high expectations for Graber going into this year's national meet and the indoor track season at large.
While the Laker veteran seemed destined for a stellar final weekend after a great regular season, Graber underwhelmed a bit on the national stage. She still finished as an All-American in both the 3k and the 5k by crossing the line in 8th place for both events, but we thought she would land several spots higher in each of those races.
Given that she wasn't racing the anchor leg of the Lakers’ DMR squad this year, we figured that Graber would be even more fresh (and therefore more effective) in her individual efforts. But to pull two All-American finishes out of the loaded 5k/3k weekend double is still a challenging task. Graber remains one of the best and most reliable all-around distance runners in Division Two.
12. Tristian Spence, Rs. Freshman, Adams State (+1 / 13)
After a drastic jump in our last rankings update, Tristian Spence moves up one more spot this week to end her season in the top-half of our top-25.
The Adams State underclassman placed 4th in a competitive 5k field at the NCAA Indoor Championships in a time of 16:15. Spence showed a high level of competitive poise by running at the front of the chase pack in her first indoor national meet and the three athletes who placed ahead of her were experienced veterans.
Spence returned, this time for the 3000 meters, the following day and placed 15th in a much more tactical affair. Her time of 9:37 was pretty far from her PR of 9:20 from earlier in the season, but her ability to compete in a more sit-and-kick style of race will improve with more experience.
In the grand scheme of things, Spence’s 5k result and gaudy PR of 16:08 from earlier in the season are her real claim to fame, and her endurance-based talent powered her to an excellent finish in that event.
11. Ana Tucker, Senior, Grand Valley State (Unranked)
For a significant chunk of this season, Ana Tucker flew under the radar and did not appear to be fully translating her D3 stardom to the track at the D2 level in the same way that she did on the grass this past fall.
But in just her third race of the season, the Laker senior took home the bronze medal and ran a PR of 16:08 over 5000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships. There’s not too much else to say about the Grand Valley State endurance star. She chose one event to hone-in on this season and peaked perfectly for when it mattered the most.
10. Elizabeth Acheson, Junior, U-Mary (Unranked)
One of the most surprising results from last weekend came from Elizabeth Acheson. The U-Mary middle distance specialist was the indoor national meet runner-up over 800 meters and finished ahead of several experienced veterans.
Acheson has had success in this event in the past and finished 4th at the NCAA Indoor Championships back in 2021. But her fastest mark of the season prior to the 2024 indoor national meet was 2:10, a time which put her more on the All-American rather bubble than in contention to be the silver medalist.
Regardless, Acheson exceeded all expectations and took down some half-mile heavy-hitters like Aryelle Wright and Taryn Chapko. Acheson had the race of her life this past weekend, and her tactical abilities led her to be a national meet runner-up result and a top-10 distance name in our rankings.
9. Klaudia O'Malley, Senior, Grand Valley State (-2 / 7)
Klaudia O’Malley could have occupied essentially any spot at the backend of our top-10. The Laker veteran showed an immense amount of talent and range throughout the season (what else is new?), but she also placed second-to-last over 3000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
To be fair, she had the mile prelims, the DMR and the mile finals under her legs by that point.
O’Malley’s first two races at this national meet were largely fantastic. She aided GVSU's DMR to a runner-up finish before placing 4th in the mile with a PR of 4:43. The 3k, however, was another story as she ran 9:41 for 18th place.
Given her level of talent and success, we expected a lot from O’Malley and she largely delivered. But it is hard to dismiss that 3k result in a race where many of her star peers placed considerably higher.
8. Aryelle Wright, Rs. Senior, Colorado Mines (+16 / 24)
Aryelle Wright is one of several middle distance runners to make a big jump in our final rankings by placing towards the top of a wide-open 800-meter field on the national stage. The Oredigger veteran placed 3rd over the half-mile distance with a time of 2:08 after sitting in 8th place after one 300-meter lap and steadily moving up throughout the race.
The Colorado Mines star has gone from 5th place to 4th place to 3rd place at the 800-meter distance at the last three NCAA Indoor/Outdoor Championships -- her trajectory and progression from season to season (as well as throughout each season) is impressive.
Wright was also part of Colorado Mines' 7th-place DMR team. Her level of strength-based speed and overall consistency and reliability in a volatile event is hard to come by. And while she did fall behind Acheson on the national stage, we would deem her overall season as simply better, something that is reflected by these rankings.
7. Elena Carey, Junior, Adams State (+7 / 14)
Elena Carey’s first NCAA Indoor Championships appearance went about as well as one could have expected. The Grizzly star ran a PR of 4:45 in the mile prelims and then lowered that to a 4:43 mark in the finals to earn the bronze medal. She confidently led the chase pack alongside seasoned veterans and was able to outlast them as the race went on.
Carey has shined on the track thus far and her 3rd-place finish in a competitive field far exceeds the level of fitness that we saw from her on the grass. Her clear rise in fitness and ability to compete with confidence against elite names has also led to her drastic end-of-season rise in our rankings.
6. Taryn Chapko, Junior, Grand Valley State (+3 / 9)
If there is an athlete who you can always bet on to be “in the mix” at the end of the 800 meters, it's Taryn Chapko. The Laker ace was as reliable as ever in that setting to cap this season, recording a 4th place half-mile finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. But perhaps more importantly, she aided the Laker's DMR squad to a runner-up finish the night before.
Chapko eased through the 800-meter prelims in 2:09, then ran the 800-meter leg of the DMR and capped off the weekend with another 2:09 effort in the finals. Chapko's performances this weekend are a further testament to her level of experience and ability to peak for championship events.
5. Alaysia Brooks, Junior, Ursuline (OH) (+16 / 21)
After winning the 800-meter national title at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, Alaysia Brooks deservedly soars 16 spots into the top-five of the final round of our rankings. Brooks didn’t just win the event, she convincingly took home gold by leading the race from the gun and crossing the line with a time of 2:06.97 (800).
Brooks was, without a doubt, a national title contender in this event and had the experience and times to back up that argument, but her dominant win and impressive poise displayed in this race brought her to a new level.
Given that none of our five D2 writers/editors picked her to win the national title last week, this Ursuline ace made a statement with this win thanks to her unrivaled half-mile speed and competitive prowess.
4. Brianna Robles, Senior, Adams State (-2 / 2)
Two more high-end All-American honors were added to Brianna Robles’ already-lengthy résumé this past weekend. The Adams State senior placed 2nd over 5000 meters and controlled the majority of the race. Her time of 16:06 was pretty far off of her PR, but it was a solid result, nonetheless.
In a similar fashion, the Grizzly ace took control of the 3k race as well and ended up finishing with bronze in 9:25. Once again, that wasn’t a PR or her highest finish in the event at an NCAA Indoor Championships, but it was still an impressive performance and it showcased Robles' boldness as a competitor.
With a silver and bronze medal from this past weekend, and her previous sub-16 (5k) performances from this season, a TSR #4 ranking seems a little conservative for someone of Robles’ caliber. However, this was as high as we could put her with the comparable head-to-head competition between her and the women listed in our top-three.
3. Florance Uwajeneza, Senior, West Texas A&M (+3 / 6)
Heading into the NCAA Indoor Championships, Florance Uwajeneza was a podium contender in the 3k and the 5k, but not a national title favorite in either event. That status made Uwajeneza’s gold medal over 5000 meters not entirely unexpected -- given her level of talent and experience -- but it was one of the more surprising results of the weekend.
The Buffalo veteran sat in 2nd place for most of the race before making a move to take over the top spot with 1000 meters to go. Uwajeneza never looked back and crossed the line in 1st place with a time of 16:05. The West Texas A&M star returned to the 3k the following day and recorded an impressive 5th-place finish in 9:27.
Consistency and patience were the name of the game for Uwajeneza this season and it paid off. Her 3k and 5k performances from earlier in the season were solid but nothing extraordinary. Nevertheless, this Buffalo ace was perfectly primed for the NCAA Indoor Championships, and her calculated move to take over the 5k lead from title favorite Brianna Robles was a display of her level of experience and talent in the endurance events.
2. Kaylee Beyer, Senior, Winona State (+1 / 3)
The mile and the 3k were by far the most competitive women's distance races at the NCAA D2 Indoor Championships. That, in turn, makes Kaylee Beyer’s runner-up finishes in both events this past weekend all the more impressive.
Beyer had a strong showing in the mile prelims and won the second heat in 4:46 which set the stage for the rest of the meet. She put herself in position to compete with Gracie Hyde in the mile finals and ended up crossing the line in 2nd place with a time of 4:39, well ahead of the next finisher. The 3k had a larger lead pack, and Beyer made a move with two laps to go, but ultimately could not match Hyde’s finishing kick and finished runner-up in 9:24.
Props to Beyer for confidently putting herself in the mix to win the national title in two different events. The Winona State ace’s ability to finish 2nd in two very different race scenarios is a testament to her veteran status and racing IQ.
Beyer has been overshadowed by superstar teammate Lindsay Cunningham in the past, but this season was Beyer’s time to shine.
1. Gracie Hyde, Senior, Adams State (0 / 1)
Gracie Hyde took home not one, not two, but THREE national titles this past weekend. That performance, on top of her previous two D2 records from this season, makes her our unanimous TSR #1 runner.
The Adams State star started the NCAA Indoor Championships by winning her mile prelim in 4:44 and then anchoring the Grizzlies’ DMR team to victory to earn her first gold medal of the weekend. Hyde returned in the mile the following day and used an aggressive race strategy to take home the win in 4:38.
Heading into the indoor national meet, securing the 3k national title appeared to be Hyde’s biggest challenge, but she managed to use the same poise and stamina to win her third national title in a slower and more tactical affair with a time of 9:22.
No other competitor even came close to the level of success that Hyde enjoyed or could match her elite competitive charisma this season. It’s safe to say that Hyde’s transfer to Adams State has completely transformed the Division Two playing field.
Elizabeth Acheson (U-Mary)
Ana Tucker (Grand Valley State)
Vienna Lahner (Adams State)
Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)
Kate Dawson (Pittsburg State)
Molly Maksin (Colorado Mines)
KICKED OFF
Ava O'Connor (Adams State)
Jessica Simon (Adams State)
Riley McGrath (Colorado Mines)
Zoe Baker (Colorado Mines)
Katherine Marsh (Adelphi)
Katie Heck (Fort Lewis)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Ava O'Connor (Adams State)
Jessica Simon (Adams State)
Riley McGrath (Colorado Mines)
Zoe Baker (Colorado Mines)
Katherine Marsh (Adelphi)
Katie Heck (Fort Lewis)
Kaylee Harp (NW Missouri)
Maggie McCleskey (Adams State)
Mckenna Cavanaugh (Lee (Tenn.))
Anna Fauske (UC-Colorado Springs)
Margaux Basart (Colorado Mines)
Peyton Weiss (Western Colorado)
Holly Moser (Colorado Mines)
Maria Mitchell (Grand Valley State)
MaKenna Thurston (Minnesota State)
Lieke Hoogsteen (Adams State)
Marian Ledesma (Western Washington)
Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge (Colorado Mines)
Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Kayce Rypma (Grand Valley State)
Ines Macadam (Tiffin)
Najwa Chouati (Stanislaus State)
Erin Dorn (Davenport)
Taylor Stone (Flagler)
Emma Kjellsen (Western Colorado)
Luisarys Toledo (NW Missouri)
Isabel Marsh (Adelphi)
Shannon King (Colorado Christian)
Elizabeth Wamsley (Hillsdale)
Khot Juac (Sioux Falls)
Caroline Fuehren (Lenoir-Rhyne)
Isabel Perez-Zoghbi (Cal Poly Humboldt)
Alexa Keiser (Saginaw Valley)
Kaela Dishion (Stanislaus State)
Lina Hanich (Academy of Art)
Abby VanderKooi (Grand Valley State)
Elise Leveel (West Texas A&M)
Lydia McGlocklin (NW Missouri)
Notes
- N/A