Kevin Fischer
Jan 107 min
Written by Kevin Fischer, additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve
Click here to see our ranking criteria
Click here to see our "Just Missed" teams
Despite our research, it is possible that certain names have been erroneously omitted.
Did we miss someone? If so, send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com & let us know!
In last year’s edition of these D3 freshman class rankings, the Johns Hopkins men earned our TSR #5 spot. And with this year’s batch of eight rookies, the Blue Jays yet again sneak into our top-five at the exact same spot as last year.
There is certainly some star power here, and there's also a healthy mix of specialties that will bolster this program across multiple distances. All in all, it's hard to dislike much about this group of youngsters.
Evan Kelly is the Blue Jays’ most notable middle distance freshman this year, having run 1:54 over 800 meters. He also has 51.95 (400) and 4:31 (1600) marks to his name and has dabbled in cross country.
But regardless of the extracurricular events, Kelly's high school results make him one of the better 800-meter specialists among Division Three freshmen this year. He has the potential to be a legitimate star and an eventual national qualifier.
He'll also help bridge the gap left by the graduation of 1:51 man and 2022 national meet qualifier, Arthur Beyer, while giving a distance-heavy roster some necessary speed.
Another name who is also giving this middle distance group a big boost is Aiden Deffner, someone who has run 1:23 (600) and 1:56 (800). His high school resume, despite not being quite at the level of Kelly's, is still highly impressive. At the very least, he should add some really nice depth to that event group, further building out a Johns Hopkins half-mile contingent that, in terms of raw talent, has a lot of promise.
Of course, the young Blue Jays are not limited to the 800-meter distance.
Kenny Wanlass is probably the headliner of this freshman class and one of the most impressive recruits in the entirety of Division Three. He holds a 3200-meter mark of 9:01, which is the fastest PR (for that distance) that we came across among Division Three newcomers.
Not only that, but Wanlass has also run 14:51 over 5000 meters on the track along with boasting a 4:20 (1600) result. He found high school success on the grass too with his most notable cross country result coming by way of a 14:21 (three-mile XC) effort at the Woodbridge XC Classic.
While Wanlass hasn’t been a major contributor through one semester of his collegiate career, that's no reason for concern. The adjustment to the collegiate level can take time and Wanlass moved to the opposite coast in the past year. We have no doubt that this California native is among the most talented freshmen in the country.
He is a big reason why this pack of rookies ultimately took our final spot in these rankings.
The Blue Jays made another big recruiting splash in the Golden State by bringing in 4:15 (1600) man, Brandon Chang. The 7th place finisher in last year’s CIF D1 finals for 1600 meters, Chang has also shown prowess when moving up in distance, having run 9:25 over 3200 meters and 15:44 (5k) on the grass.
While Chang may not have the credentials of Wanlass, he is still plenty versatile. And with that 4:15 (1600) mark, he could eventually evolve into an impactful name in the mile, nationally, by next year. And even if he doesn't reach that point as a sophomore, don't be surprised if he still makes significant contributions to the Blue Jays' DMR.
The fact that the Blue Jays' three biggest recruits this year — Wanlass, Chang and Kelly — all have different strengths shows us just how well-rounded the top-end of this freshman class is. They're also part of a large west coast contingent which comprises of five of Johns Hopkins' eight recruits this year.
The four additional freshmen rounding out this freshman class are nothing to scoff at either, and they add the high-quality depth that was necessary for this squad to get a top-five ranking.
Nash Minor is a key name who has run 4:24 (1600), 9:27 (3200) and 15:32 (5k XC). He also boasts a 4th place finish at the 2022 Ohio D2 XC Championships. Minor had a smooth beginning to his collegiate career, improving throughout the fall months until he was the highest-finishing Johns Hopkins freshman at the SUNY Geneseo Mike Woods Invitational with a 25:15 (6k) mark. That's an encouraging sign for the long-term.
Nick Pham is another sub-9:30 (3200) talent, having run 9:27 along with a 4:30 mark over 1600 meters and a 15:47 (5k) result. Pham looks to be a true aerobic-centric distance runner who can develop into a nice scoring piece, particularly on the grass.
Thomas Huelskamp and Joey Souverein don’t have the flashy times that some of their counterparts do, but they still have solid potential.
Huelskamp has displayed some nice versatility between the middle and long distances, having run 2:00 (800), 4:30 (1600), 8:59 (3k) and 15:55 (5k XC). Souverein has shown to be more of an 800/mile guy, running 2:02 over 800 meters, 4:32 for 1600 meters and 16:45 for 5000 meters on the grass.
Guys like that would be higher-level recruits at a decent handful of D3 programs. The fact that we're only mentioning them now should tell you that this is a pretty deep group.
This freshman class has all that we can ask for. They boast star power across multiple event specialties and possess a supporting cast filled with guys who are a breakout season away from being contributors to the success of this top-tier program.
With their second top-five freshman class ranking in a row, it's clear that the Johns Hopkins men are brewing something special. Watch out for this team two to three years from now...
4. MIT Engineers
Unsurprisingly, the MIT men have brought in another strong freshman class to bolster a program already brimming with talent.
The middle distances are a focal point of this group which features three freshmen who have run 1:55 or faster over 800 meters, five who have run 1:57 or faster and seven who have run 2:00 or faster.
That's not just great firepower -- it's also tremendous depth.
The biggest name that we are excited to watch over the years is David Whitaker, a guy who boasts a personal best of 1:53 over the half-mile distance. He has also held his own when going up in distance, flexing a 1600-meter mark of 4:17 and a cross country 5k personal best of 15:55.
That kind of range for someone who most would classify as a middle distance runner is incredibly impressive. Whitaker brings more value than most rookies who have run 1:53 and it's not an absurd suggestion to say that he could be on the fringes of national qualifying as soon as this spring.
Behind him are two 1:55 guys, Jaxon Miller and Charlie Black.
Just like Whitaker, both Miller and Black have also found some success over the longer distances. Black has run 4:04 (1500), 8:42 (3k) and 15:15 (5k XC) while Miller has run 4:21 over 1600 meters, 15:51 for 5000 meters on the grass and has also flexed some decent top-end speed with a 52.05 (400) mark.
Much of what we said about Whitaker's range and versatility can largely be applied to both Miller and Black. The latter, in particular, may actually be the best three-season threat given how lethal his 3k and 5k times are. Running 8:42 for 3000 meters in high school is no joke.
Continuing with the theme of blending middle distance and long distance range is standout distance talent, Nate Martinez. He has run fantastic times of 1:57 (800), 4:19 (1600), 9:25 (3200) and 15:39 (5k XC).
When you consider that Martinez has posted a competitive mark across every major distance event, you could argue that he has the most dynamism and event flexibility in this entire freshman class. Black and Whitaker have marks that are generally faster, but between the 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters (or 3k) and 5000 meters, Martinez may have the most complete resume.
Having guys like these who can hurt you with both their speed and strength -- something that was most recently displayed with former MIT megastar and current Duke runner, Ryan Wilson -- should be a huge boon for the Engineers in the coming years.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Davis Lee and Connor Sterling come to Cambridge as accomplished 400-meter runners. And despite not being on MIT's cross country roster, they have performed well enough over 800 meters to merit a mention here.
Lee boasts 49.43 (400) speed. And although he hasn't raced the 800 meters very often, he has held his own in that discipline, holding a 2:00 personal best and the potential to make huge improvements. It's a similar story for Sterling who has run 50.24 over 400 meters and 1:59 for 800 meters. Like Lee, that 800-meter mark has the potential to come down considerably should he choose to adjust his focus.
We then come to Ayman Noreldaim who doesn't exactly fit either of the skillsets that we've laid out. Of course, there's nothing wrong with specializing in a singular event, especially when you’re coming out of high school with a 1:56 (800) PR to your name.
One name that we haven't yet mentioned, who has already made a significant impact early-on in his collegiate career, is Yichen Sun.
Coming out of high school with personal bests of 4:27 (1600), 9:25 (3200) and 15:34 (5k), Sun's resume was very strong. And when looking back at this past fall, there were many higher-profile recruits across the country who he straight-up outperformed.
Sun was a consistent scorer for MIT last semester and wrapped up the postseason with finishes of 9th place at the NEWMAC XC Championships, 18th place at the East regional meet and 150th place at the cross country national meet where he finished as the fifth-best freshman in the country.
If he's doing that during his rookie year, then we can't wait to see what he brings to the table in the fall of 2024 and beyond.
Rounding out this freshman class is Hunter Miller with personal bests of 4:37 (1600) and 9:55 (3200). Those are both respectable marks which should make Miller a long-term developmental piece for a program that has done well with guys just like him.
At first glance, one might think that this class is a bit one-dimensional considering the majority of their high-level recruits are strongest over 800 meters. But when you dig below the surface, you'll find that a lot of those same guys possess the ability to be competitive across multiple distances and seasons.
Plus, when you factor in Sun’s highly-promising performances throughout this past cross country season, you discover that this is actually a decently well-rounded group with a ton of firepower that should have an early impact.
Middlebury Panthers
Washington U. Bears
Tufts Jumbos
RPI Engineers
U. of Chicago Maroons
John Carroll Blue Streaks
Wartburg Knights
Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens
SUNY Geneseo Knights
Emory Eagles