TSR Collaboration
Feb 2213 min
Written by Josh Beam, Nolan Ryan, Garrett Zatlin, edits via Garrett Zatlin
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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.
Let us begin these rankings by saying that this is virtually a brand-new list of names…and we love it! That does, after all, give us plenty of new resumes to analyze. We have added six new names to this list and the remaining returners have shuffled significantly.
One of the new names on this list? Luca Madeo.
This freshman from Germany just dodged our last set of rankings when he ran 8:23 over 3000 meters. But on February 2nd, he earned his top-20 spot with an excellent 14:29 (5k) mark! At his conference meeting, Madeo took 4th place in both the 5k and the 3k, only to be beaten by three men ranked in our top-10.
While the explosion of Cumberlands’ distance roster may prevent Madeo from securing medal at the national meet, we believe that he is in an atmosphere/tier that could bring him to an All-American finish.
Here is an athlete who has progressed nicely throughout this indoor track season. And like many athletes on this list of rankings, Eastern Oregon's Hunter Nichols was not in the conversation until February.
Of course, Nichols caught our attention when he ran 8:18 over 3000 meters, a strong time which suggests that he can be nationally competitive. But frankly, his championship upside may be even higher than that time may suggest.
Any athlete who progresses consistently throughout a season like Nichols does certainly deserves attention. Well that, and he holds a 400-meter personal best of 51.09.
Eastern Oregon values Nichols' raw speed and that is a sign that we should, too. In the past, he has contested the 1000 meters at the national meet. He currently sits at NAIA #6 in that event, but we believe that if his strength is up to par, ten he could be an underdog threat in the 3k this year.
We’re still fans of Luis Perez, but we just need a little bit more to give him a bump back into the top-15. Of course, if someone wanted to rank him higher, we wouldn't argue (too much).
Even so, Perez has maintained "A" standards in the mile and the 1000 meters. In fact, in that latter event, he sits at NAIA #3 with an eye-catching result of 2:25 (converted). A pair of recent wins over 800 meters and 1000 meters at his conference meet further demonstrate that Perez is plenty sharp for his season finale.
The only drawback that we could find with the Saint Mary junior is that he has not improved much time-wise since December. Of course, it is not always a bad thing when you hit the "A" standard so early.
We’re not certain which events Perez will compete in at the NAIA Indoor Championship, but the number of events that he runs could make or break his success this year.
In theory, if someone is sitting no higher than NAIA #10 in a certain event going into the national meet, then it would be tough to keep them in our rankings. And you certainly see that with Eli Fullerton's recent six-spot drop.
And yet, the success that this Indiana Wesleyan runner had at the end of last winter is hard to shake from our heads.
Last winter, Eli Fullerton placed 3rd at last year's indoor national meet over 3000 meters. And so far this winter, he holds "A" standards in both the 3000 meters and the mile. In fact, he ran a 4:12 personal best in the latter event this past weekend, narrowly missing out on the win despite dropping down in distance.
That's a great sign as we reach the oftentimes tactical postseason.
For someone who competed in the 10,000-meter final at last year’s outdoor national meet, we’re surprised to see that he has not run an indoor 5k this season. Additionally, he has only competed at three total meets this winter.
We feel like Donovan Denslow is one of those athletes who is impossible not to love.
Why? Well, Denslow is an absolute workhorse. The Missouri Baptist has run 11 races this season which is no easy task. At his conference meet, for instance, he took the gold in the 5k, the 3k and the 800 meters -- an oddly diverse, but still impressive, series of victories.
Like last year, it looks like he will only be competing in the 5k at this year’s national meet. That proved to be advantageous for him as he turned in a 5th-place finish in the event back in 2023. Will his relentlessness and ongoing reliability produce another top-five finish? Or will his busy indoor track season catch up to him? We’ll find out in a couple of weeks...
The nature of NAIA competition is to secure an "A" standard, lock in your event and prepare for the NAIA Indoor Championships. Grace College veteran, Dimitri Margaritidia, is a prime example of that system.
In our last rankings update, Margaritidis had just come off of an NAIA #1 mile time of 4:09. Nearly a month later, that mark still stands at NAIA #5. The sudden appearance of such a strong effort put him just inside of our our top-10 list at the time, but he has not run anything quite as eye-catching since then.
The senior from Grace also has "A" standards for the 1000-meter and the 3000-meter distances as well as a 4x800-meter relay "A" standard.
The door is wide-open for Margaritidis as he approaches the national meet. We think his best shot is in the mile, but we will be surprised if he only enters one event. Let's not forget that last winter, he held a time of 4:08 in the mile, but only competed in the 4x800-meter relay and the DMR on the national stage. Of course, those two relays got 1st and 2nd place, respectively, so it certainly paid off.
What events Dimitri Margaritidis will compete in at the national meet this year remains to be seen, but we trust that it will be the best choice for his team.
Craig Becker sits at NAIA #12 in the mile and NAIA #2 for 1000 meters. He has never competed at a national meet on the track before, so this will be his first rodeo.
A 2:25 (1k) mark cements this sophomore as a top-20 threat in our rankings, but there is something greater brewing at Dordt. The Iowa-based programs has one of the most elite middle distance teams in the NAIA via Peyton Mauldin, Cole Zevenbergen and, of course, Craig Becker (amongst others).
With "A" standards in both the distance medley and a 4x800-meter relay, Becker is likely to contribute to a championship relay team. In theory, this means that he may opt out of the mile, although his 1000-meter time feels like it's too good to scratch from.
If Becker is in an individual race, then he will be an All-American favorite without a doubt. However, if Dordt lines up their four best men with a baton, then something special is gonna happen.
There are two men in the NAIA this season who have run under 1:52 for 800 meters. Charles Dorsett III is one of those men with a time of head-turning half-mile mark of 1:50.50. Oh, and for good measure, he also holds the NAIA #3 time for 600 meters which only adds to his resume.
If he opts for both events, then this TAMU-Texarkana standout will be a top threat in either. If he chooses just the 800 meters, then we will pop some popcorn for the showdown between him and Peyton Mauldin.
Dorsett is a top-ranked talent with championship experience...what more could you ask for?
Aiden Kammler's number of All-American honors grows every season. And when you consider that he currently sits at NAIA #3 in the 5k (14:23) and has an "A" standard in the 3k, it seems like another top-eight finish is on the way.
The Shawnee State ace was the runner-up finisher at last year’s outdoor national meet over 5000 meters and he is fresh off of a 14th-place finish at NAIA XC Championships. And as we prep for next weekend, we have good reason to believe that Kammler, despite dropping two spots in these rankings, is primed for another fantastic national meet showing.
Last year, Kammler competed in the 3k instead of the 5k, but perhaps he sticks with his faster event this year. It will be hard for him to defeat the likes of Joseph Skoog and Dennis Kipkurui, but consistency, prior success and experience at previous NAIA Championships certainly doesn't hurt his stock.
This is one of our favorite guys to look at this season. We guessed that Branch would try his hand at the indoor 3000m this season instead of focusing on the shorter events. I think we guessed right and the reward is clear. His 8:13 flat track conversion places him at an NAIA #5. He ran this time at the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship where he held off three Milligan men who are ranked ahead of him on this list, one of which is Will Stockley.
Branch also competed in the mile and 1000m at his conference meet bringing home a pair of bronze medals. Montreat does not currently have a qualifying mark in the 4x800 or the DMR this season which Branch would likely have been a part of. This being the case, Branch has the opportunity to go all in on one event and this could very well be the year he brings home gold.
The reigning indoor 5k national champion from Milligan has had a solid few weeks since our last rankings update. That being said, Aaron Jones a tough last kilometer at the Music City Challenge a few weeks ago, producing a "just okay" finishing time of 14:39 (5k).
To follow that performance, the Buff distance star entered his conference meet at the notorious JDL Fast Track facility. There, he would contest three events, winning the 5000-meter title, placing runner-up in the mile and earning a 4th place finish over 3000 meters behind his fellow competitors and teammates who can also be found in our rankings.
Jones has been good this season, but given how strong the overall NAIA distance scene has been this winter, we had to make further room by pushing this veteran back to our TSR #10 spot. This year's national meet will be especially hard to predict, but one thing is for sure and that is that this Milligan ace seems to always be ready to roll when he reaches his season finale.
Freshman Gustav Bendsen comes into the third edition of our indoor track rankings listed at TSR #9. That feels like an appropriate spot given that he has been pretty consistent since our last update.
Running 8:12 (3k) at the Music City Challenge a few weeks ago shows us that this Patriot has a chance to be in the mix when the national meet is held in a week. And at his conference meet, Bendsen finished runner-up in what seemed to be a tactical race to his Italian teammate, Luca Santorum. He would later cap the meet by finishing 3rd over 3000 meters.
When it comes to the Cumberland’s distance crew, their national stage repertoire is extremely limited. They are, after all, an extremely young team (featuring numerous freshmen) and hold elder collegiate newcomers as well.
That being said, there is no real reason why Bendsen can score valuable team points at the NAIA Indoor Championships. Despite his rookie status, he has been as steady as most other top-tier names at this level.
Over the last few months, this Buffalo senior has been roughly on par with how he has performed in the past. And after running two consecutive 3000-meter races in 8:21 and 8:23 (the latter run on a flat-track), Woodall looks as if he is ready to pop a big one at the NAIA Indoor Championships.
Losing to the man ranked just behind him, Gustav Bendsen, would typically suggest that he should be listed further back in our rankings. However, we'll give Woodall more staying power given that he's the reigning 3k national champion and holds a 14:00 (5k) PR.
Woodall is going to have to have his best race of the season on the national stage if he wants to defend his 3k crown. That's still very much a possibility, but with the “face lift” that the NAIA has seen, it's hard to know where we should place him in our predictions.
Being ranked in the top-10 on the national leaderboard in three events gives Joseph Skoog to be ranked in the top-10 of our rankings. However, what's arguably more important to highlight is that, in the last two weeks, Skoogs has run two personal bests.
And for a guy who already has a 5k PR of 13:52, all signs are suggesting that Skoog is one of the last men who we would want to face on the national stage.
After coming off of his 4:07 mile effort, Skoog has showcased range that could allow him to give anyone a run for their money in the last kilometer of the 3000-meter final and 5000-meter final in Brookings.
Another new face to our rankings! And guess what school this athlete is from?
If you guessed Cumberlands, then you'd be correct.
Youssef Asslouj is the third Cumberlands athlete who has joined our rankings this winter. Of course, given his recent postseason success, that makes sense. After his 8:08 (3k) and 14:25 (5k) conference championship performances, we can't leave this guy out of our top-10.
The former mark sits at NAIA #2 while the latter sits at NAIA #4.
With the Cumberlands men most likely chasing the team title, it will be very interesting to see how their athletes are utilized in terms of event selection. And with the hectic NAIA Championship schedule, it's common to see athletes stay away from the 5k/3k double.
But based off of his recent conference showing, Asslouj will have a legitimate chance of being a top-three finisher in either event if he chooses to do so.
Being ranked among the top-three, nationally, in two events, as well as being part of the top DMR squad, more than justifies a top-five ranking for Will Stockley.
This Milligan standout is looking very sharp right now, running 4:07 in the mile and a week later running 2:28 (1k), 4:18 (mile) and 8:19 (3k) at the Appalachian AC Indoor Championships. Stockley won the former two races and produced a monster 8:19 (3k) in the latter.
Oh, and he was running on a flat-track.
Given his recent momentum and highly versatile resume, Stockley has a very strong chance to win his first individual crown (at least in the right race). The Milligan men are starting to turn the corner these last few weeks and Stockley is leading the charge for the Buffaloes.
According to World Athletics, Dennis Kipkurui has run 13:25 for 5000 meters and 28:26 for 10,000 meters...yes, we were stunned, too. And while his recent marks aren't nearly as potent, his ability to an elite NAIA talent is very clearly there.
Kipkurui made his NAIA debut a couple weeks back by running a blistering time of 14:09 (5k) at the Music City Challenge in Nashville. Then, the next week, he finished runner-up to his teammate with a more modest 14:31 (5k) mark.
Dennis only has run in two meets this season, but we can't dismiss someone who has the NAIA #1 mark in the 5k and holds PRs (per World Athletics) that could be competitive with some D1 All-Americans.
Here's a fun fact: Payton Mauldin is listed at NAIA #1 for the 400 meters, 600 meters and 800 meters going into the NAIA Indoor Championships.
As we mentioned last time, we usually wouldn't list someone who specializes under the half-mile distance in our rankings. Of course, with his ability to be a standout 800-meter talent and potentially show face in the DMR, we had to leave Mauldin on our list.
The Dordt veteran ran at the GPAC Championships last weekend, also qualifying for the national meet over 200 meters. And frankly, that just shows us how nasty Mauldin's raw speed is, especially for someone who is also a top half-miler.
With that being said, it is probably safe to say that Mauldin will be running the 600 meters at the indoor national meet. But could we see a double out of Mauldin? It's possible and whatever event the senior Defender runs, he will likely be the favorite.
3:59.99!
We don’t see too many sub-four milers at the NAIA level, converted or not. But Jackson Wilson bucked that trend last weekend after taking advantage of an altitude conversion at Montana State. The reigning NAIA cross country champion is now listed at NAIA #1 in both the mile and the 3000 meters, the latter performance being an 8:07 effort from Boston U.
Wilson has lethal range. And considering that he's a comfortable-ish NAIA #1 seed in both the mile and the 3000 meters, he seems like a legitimate threat to pull off double gold in those events at the national meet.
The Italian freshman from Cumberlands makes the jump to our TSR #1 spot!
Make no mistake, Luca Santorum's 4:01 mark in the mile was extremely impressive. That performance alone could have given him a boost in our rankings. But a week after, he ran the fastest 1000-meter time in the NAIA over last 10 years, producing a monster effort of 2:23.87.
Despite his relative inexperience, this guy is firing on all cylinders and like his other teammates, will be one of the favorites in whichever discipline he chooses to pursue. Running all-time marks in two different events and doing so at the most important time of the year makes it really hard to put anyone else other than Santorum at TSR #1.
Hunter Nichols (Eastern Oregon)
Craig Becker (Dordt)
Luca Madeo (Cumberlands (KY))
Youssef Allouj (Cumberlands (KY))
Dennis Kipkurui (Cumberlands (KY))
KICKED OFF
Luke Pohl (Indiana Wesleyan)
Cody Farland (Dakota State)
Walid Jafarni (Texas Wesleyan)
Peter Shippy (Dordt)
Serhii Shevchenko (Cumberlands (KY))
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Luke Pohl (Indiana Wesleyan)
Cody Farland (Dakota State)
Walid Jafarni (Texas Wesleyan)
Peter Shippy (Dordt)
Carter Hyuser (Kansas Wesleyan)
Calvin Rohde (Concordia (Neb.))
Evan Hodkinson (Mount Vernon Nazarene)
Brendan Robeaux (Oklahoma City)
Tristan Trevino (Marian (Ind.))
Connor Ybarra (The Master's)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Ludovico Vaccari (Cumberlands (KY))
Brint Laubach (The Master's)
Mathew Keitany (Vincennes)
Victor Carpeggiani (Cumberlands (KY))
Liam Neidig (St. Mary's (KS))
Dillon Callaway (Tabor)
Hauke Trost (Cumberlands (KY))
Mehdi Nait Hamoud (Madonna)
Camden Khon (Spring Arbor)
Austin Liepe (Huntington)
Notes
- N/A