TSR Collaboration
Jan 2310 min
Written by Conor Daly, Kevin Fischer & Gavin Struve
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.
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.
20. Spencer Moon, Senior, Simpson (IA) (Unranked)
We knew that Spencer Moon was fast by most distance-running standards. He ran 14:04 (5k) and 29:27 (10k) last spring and has even been competitive over 1500 meters and the mile. However, we didn't necessarily foresee him posting a 10-second PR in the 3k which rocketed Moon up to NCAA #2 so far this winter.
By finishing towards the top of a Cyclone Open field replete with Division One talent, Moon produced an eye-catching 8:04 result. He further solidified himself as one of the better distance athletes in the Hawkeye State in the process, once again thriving in an all-out, time-focused race.
While we still have questions about Moon's postseason reliability, the Simpson distance ace has shown an aptitude for running incredibly fast marks. He boasts an extensive level of experience and he holds raw talent that few men in Division Three can match.
19. Colin Kirkpatrick, Junior, Pomona-Pitzer (0 / 19)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
18. Isaac vanWestrienen, Sophomore, Cornell College (Unranked)
Isaac vanWestrienen has recently emerged as one of the biggest breakout performers through the first month-and-a-half of the 2023-24 indoor track season.
The sophomore from Cornell College forced his way into the Division Three collective consciousness with an NCAA #1 mark in the 5k of 14:00. Let's rewind a bit to see if we should have seen the signs of a breakout race coming...
In his first season in the NCAA, after transferring from Midland (NAIA), vanWestrienen produced a solid 65th place performance at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships. He then proceeded to produce mile and 3k PRs in early December, but neither result set the world on fire. And even with his recent trajectory, I'm not sure who could have foreseen a converted 14:00 coming as part of a near-50-second victory.
At this point, vanWestrienen holds some of the highest upside in the nation -- largely because we're still unsure what he's ultimately capable of. If he produces results of a similar caliber in the weeks to come, then he should continue to climb in these rankings.
17. Derek Fearon, Junior, Pomona-Pitzer (0 / 17)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
Simon Heys has had a relatively quiet indoor track season thus far in comparison to most other names in these rankings. Back in December, the Wilmington (OH) ace was seemingly a bit overwhelmed by a loaded 5k field at Boston U., running a modest time of 14:46.
Then, when he restarted his season this past weekend, he earned a 3k win in a time of 9:00 and finished 3rd in the mile behind two Division One runners.
Admittedly, this season hasn't unfolded quite like the past fall when Heys had an elite regular season before underwhelming a bit at the cross country national meet (where he was still an All-American)...but maybe that's not such a bad thing.
We didn't necessarily have reason to worry about Heys in early December and we still don't a month later, either. But if he doesn't soon produce a flashier result more in line with what we've come to expect of him, he's likely in store for a drop.
15. Haiden Diemer-McKinney, Sophomore, Wabash (0 / 15)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
14. Nate Lentz, Senior, Williams (Unranked)
The previously unranked runner who now sits the highest in our indoor track rankings is not Isaac vanWestrienen, but rather Nate Lentz. Part of that is because Lentz is more of a known commodity, but it also doesn't hurt that he holds top-10 national marks in two different events.
The Williams veteran ran an excellent 8:09 (3k) mark in a loaded early December Boston U. race which now sits at NCAA #8. Lentz later complemented that result in a major way with a 4:06 mile conversion, good for NCAA #6, in an easy win at the Little 3 Indoor Championships.
Oh, and he won the 1k at that latter meet while also competing in the 4x800-meter relay.
The mile seems to still be Lentz's optimal event, especially when you factor in his history. However, the debate has been had that he may be just as good over 3k this winter. And with ample avenues to pursue his second career All-American honor, the overall value and versatility of Lentz's resume is a big reason why he sits at TSR #14.
13. Sam Acquaviva, Senior, MIT (0 / 13)
If you remember back to our preseason cross country rankings several months ago, Sam Acquaviva occupied a lofty post at our TSR #3 spot. That, of course, was for good reason: The MIT star had placed 3rd at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships.
But Acquaviva never looked like the national title contender that we pegged him as, rumored to potentially be battling injuries along the way. As such, we've readjusted our expectations for this accomplished veteran -- and he has largely met them since then.
After a 23rd place run at the 2023 cross country national meet, Acquaviva began his indoor track campaign in December with a modest 4:20 mile mark. Luckily, he put forth a more encouraging result earlier this month month, finishing as the top attached runner at the Suffolk Ice Breaker with an 8:16 (3k) time.
That mark is over 15 seconds off of his personal best and quite likely won't be enough to get him to the indoor national meet. Even so, we trust Acquaviva's pedigree and instincts will at the very least get him to the final in that event (and/or the 5k) by the end of the season.
12. Cory Kennedy, Senior, RPI (-1 / 11)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
11. Braden Nicholson, Senior, North Central (-3 / 8)
We saw Braden Nicholson on the indoor oval for the first time last weekend when he opened his season in a mile race against his teammates. The Cardinal veteran got the job done, coming across the line in a 4:16 (converted) mark for a comfortable win.
While we wish this run was a bit faster for the 3:46 (1500) man, this was still a fine rust-buster. One race in his "off" event en route to a win is hardly a cause for concern.
After all, Nicholson is a 5k specialist who has proven that he will be a top name on the indoor oval as much as he is on the grass. In the grand scheme of things, this opener isn’t going to change our view of him very much despite his three-spot drop.
10. Gunner Schlender, Junior, UW-Whitewater (+4 / 14)
Gunner Schlender’s story is very similar to that of Braden Nicholson. The long distance specialist stepped down to the mile to open his 2024 indoor track season and took the win in a good, but not overly exciting, time of 4:15 (converted).
Yet, the aspect that made Schlender’s opener a bit more impressive is that he took down highly-ranked teammate, Christian Patzka. Not to mention, being a few tenths of a second off of his mile personal best this early in the season can only be a good sign, even if we’re not going to see Schlender contest anything shorter than a 3k going forward. In theory, this aerobic-based star could have better turnover than he ever has before come March.
9. Frank Csorba, Junior, Lynchburg (+1 / 10)
Truthfully, we were a bit underwhelmed to see Frank Csorba place 4th in a mile race this past weekend. While he did compete against a strong field, we would have liked to see Csorba closer to his teammates.
Nonetheless, we can’t be too down about that result. A 4:14 (converted) mark isn’t poor by any means, especially in the middle of January. His phenomenal cross country season and a huge 8:06 (3k) performance back in December remains enough for us to have confidence that Csorba will be quite fine the rest of this indoor season.
And with a few others faltering in these rankings, and those improving only able to jump up so high, the natural reordering of our top-20 has resulted in Csorba getting a one-spot boost.
8. Noah Jorgenson, Junior, Central College (+4 / 12)
The last time that we talked about Noah Jorgenson, it was about his mind-boggling 4:02 (converted) mile in December. And in the aftermath of that result, the Central College junior proved that his early-season performance was no fluke.
The following week, Jorgenson ventured to Iowa State where he ripped a 1:51.25 (800) time. In the month since then, he has posted a solid 2:28 (1k) mark. And while that doesn't change our perception of him, it does give this Central College ace a string of consistently strong performances that few other collegiates have right now.
At any rate, Jorgenson's two December results each remain at NCAA #2 in Division Three. While we wouldn’t find these marks to be out of his range by any means, we were surely not expecting Jorgenson to be this hot this early.
Simply put, he’s a force to be reckoned with over the middle distances right now.
7. Max Svienty, Senior, North Central (0 / 7)
When we saw Max Svienty’s season-opening 5k effort, we shrugged our shoulders and said, "Welp, nothing new to discuss here." That’s why he finds himself in the same TSR #7 spot that he occupied in our December rankings.
The Cardinal veteran ran away from his teammates this past weekend to a very respectable 14:31 (converted) effort which is fairly solid when you consider that he did most of this work by himself and was only battling against his teammates.
Furthermore, that's a seven-second improvement from last year’s go at the 5k at the same meet. Yes, Svienty knows that he will have to run much faster to truly earn this spot in our rankings, but this early-season effort is certainly an indication that he will be able to do so.
6. Tor Hotung-Davidsen, Senior, Lynchburg (0 / 6)
We have yet to see Tor Hotung-Davidsen contest the 800 meters (his primary event) this winter, but he did recently open up his season with a mile personal best of 4:17 which converted to a time of 4:14.
The Lynchburg veteran did a nice job developing his strength in the fall, finishing 80th at the cross country national meet. That, along with a 3:50 (1500) personal best from the spring, indicates some promise for him to be able to work that mile time down to a more nationally competitive mark over the next six weeks. He currently sits at NCAA #24 at that distance.
Even so, Hotung-Davidsen boasts three All-American finishes over 800 meters, including a runner-up finish at last year’s indoor national meet, so there is no doubt that his half-mile prowess is the reason he is ranked this high.
As we wait for Hotung-Davidsen's season debut in his primary event, we haven’t learned much new information about him this winter, so it makes sense for him to maintain his ranking.
5. Sam Llaneza, Junior, Lynchburg (0 / 5)
Similar to his teammate, Hotung-Davidsen, Sam Llaneza hasn’t raced in either of his primary events. He did, however, run a converted time of 8:25 (3k) this past Friday which was modest, but also respectable, for where we are in the season.
Historically considered a miler, Llaneza developed his 800-meter speed last spring to the point where he completed a 1500/800 All-American double at the outdoor national meet. And with the DMR now thrown into the mix, it will be very interesting to see where his focus lies this winter.
Just like his above-listed teammate, we haven’t learned much about Llaneza this season, so he stays put at our TSR #5 spot on merit of his national-level threat in two events.
4. Christopher Collet, Senior, Wartburg (0 / 4)
After posting an NCAA #3 mark thanks to his 5k conversion in early December, Christopher Collet had a strong continuation of his season at the Cyclone Open a few days ago. He didn't earn any wins, but instead put forth a strong 4:08 mile time (good for NCAA #5) before doubling back for the 800 meters to run 1:55.
Given that he holds personal bests of 4:06 (mile) and 3:46 (1500), Collet appears to be just a shade off of his top form. That's actually a good thing considering how early-on in the season we are and based on a few other big names having underwhelming or modest performances so far this winter.
Collet has shown a willingness to double on the national stage in the past and as recently as last weekend. Like always, he should have ample avenues toward points at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
3. Christian Patzka, Junior, UW-Whitewater (-1 / 2)
Christian Patzka's only result so far this indoor track season is a converted 4:15 mile at the Karl Schlender Invitational where he finished a close 2nd place behind teammate, Gunner Schlender.
You can make of that result what you will. Given his 3:45 personal best over 1500 meters, we hoped for a slightly faster mark, and perhaps a win, out of Patzka.
Even so, this was a small field where his only true competitor was a star teammate, so we should take this result with a grain of salt. That's especially true when you consider that Patzka ran two seconds slower at the same meet last year.
Rest assured, the two-time national champion will be in peak form when it matters.
2. Bennett Booth-Genthe, Junior, Pomona-Pitzer (+1 / 3)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
1. Ethan Gregg, Senior, UW-La Crosse (0 / 1)
Compared to most of his peers, Ethan Gregg had a great season opener. The Eagles' senior superstar won the 3000 meters at his home meet with a converted time of 8:04 (now NCAA #1) this past weekend and led five of his teammates to top-12 spots on the national leaderboard.
With only his teammates at the front of the pack in that race, it's reasonable to assume that Gregg is capable of running considerably faster, especially since he ran 8:01 last year and is now coming off of a dominant win at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships.
It's scary to consider what he will be able to do once we see him in higher-pressure situations against stacked fields. Come March, he should have a legitimate shot at two national titles.
Needless to say, Gregg reaffirmed his status as our TSR #1 runner over the weekend.
Nate Lentz (Williams)
Isaac vanWestrienen (Cornell College)
Spencer Moon (Simpson (IA))
KICKED OFF
Connor Riss (North Central)
Justin Krause (UW-Whitewater)
Lucas Florsheim (Pomona-Pitzer)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Connor Riss (North Central)
Justin Krause (UW-Whitewater)
Lucas Florsheim (Pomona-Pitzer)
Grant Matthai (UW-La Crosse)
Chasen Hunt (Lynchburg)
Ryan Harvey (Loras)
Vince Simonetti (RPI)
Will Kelly (St. Olaf)
Cullen Capuano (Washington U.)
John Lucey (Williams)
Jack Begley (U. of Chicago)
Ryan Stracke (Pacific Lutheran)
Gavin McElhennon (Johns Hopkins)
Adam Sylvia (Central College)
Jake Shumaker (Millikin)
Dwight Hosni (UW-Oshkosh)
Enrique Salazar (Manchester)
Adam Loenser (UW-La Crosse)
Aidan Matthai (UW-La Crosse)
Michael Madoch (UW-La Crosse)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Vedang Lad (MIT)
Will Houser (Washington U.)
Isaac Wegner (UW-La Crosse)
Cael Schoemann (UW-La Crosse)
Henry Hardart (MIT)
TJ Carleo (Brandeis)
Nikhil DeNatale (Williams)
Alex Ivanov (Carnegie Mellon)
Andrew McGovern (Carnegie Mellon)
Emmanuel Leblond (Johns Hopkins)
Lowell Hensgen (MIT)
Andrew Hutchinson (Dubuque)
Andrew Guimond (North Central)
Kyle Miller (Buena Vista)
Jiwoo Kang (Williams)
Colin McLaughlin (Carnegie Mellon)
Ivan Appleton (Tufts)
Brandan Knepper (Calvin)
Will Neubauer (Wabash)
Nicholas Lyndaker (St. Lawrence)
Calvin Boone (St. Scholastica)
Notes
- N/A