TSR Collaboration
Jan 1816 min
Written by Nolan Ryan & Josh Beam, additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin
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: During our data collection phase, there were multiple ranking-worthy distance runners who gave TSR reason to believe that they would not be competing this winter. While TFRRS eligibility, TFRRS rosters and official listings on athletic rosters were used to craft these rankings, it is possible that new developments could ultimately introduce key names that were once thought to not be racing this winter.
CRITERIA NOTE: The below rankings are considered to be "power rankings" which utilize subjective analysis to determine the best overall middle and long distance runners at the NAIA level. Factors such as postseason accolades and personal bests carry the most weight in our rankings. However, a large handful of secondary factors such as consistency, range, experience, history, upside, momentum, championship trends, event competitiveness saturation, etc. can also play significant roles depending on the individual.
Daniel Rush is our first long distance specialist to make this list.
Rush had a breakout year in 2022. He placed 4th over 5000 meters at the NAIA Outdoor Championships to claim his first All-American honor. Unfortunately, he had an unforeseen 259th place finish at the cross country national meet later that year.
Ever since then, Daniel Rush has looked like an increasingly stronger presence in the NAIA world. During 2023 indoor track season, The Master’s runner would refine his speed with a 4:15 mile time. Then, in April of 2023, he would cross the line at the Bryan Clay Invite with a 5k time of 14:24.
Just over a month later, Daniel would take home his second All-American honor over 5000 meters with a 7th place finish. To cap off 2023, Rush placed 12th at the cross country national meet, producing his third All-American performance and allowing for some sweet revenge on his race the year prior.
What is next for this savvy long distance specialist? We anticipate Daniel claiming his fourth All-American honor this season and proving himself to be a top threat across all three seasons. However, elevating himself to a tier beyond "All-American favorite" will ultimately be what gives him a better ranking moving forward.
Trying to find a spot for Braden Sweet in these rankings was surprisingly tricky even though we view this Indiana Wesleyan runner quite highly. And if you're someone who puts a lot of stock into times, then you'd likely have Sweet closer to our top-15 given his personal bests of 1:52 (800), 3:49 (1500), 4:09 (mile) and 8:31 (3k).
Of course, it's not like Sweet has run poorly on the national stage. That is by no means the case. In fact, he's actually been quite consistent, placing 7th in the mile finals at the 2023 NAIA Indoor Championships and 4th over 1500 meters at the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Championships.
For someone who had never been on the national stage on the track up until last year, Sweet performed admirably in the postseason. In fact, he ran his mile PR of 4:09 in the prelims and the finals of the indoor national meet! The only reason why this Wildcat star isn't listed higher in our top-20 is simply because others have higher national meet finishes and at least one marquee personal best of their own.
But if people wanted Sweet at a better spot in these rankings, I'm not sure too many of us at The Stride Report would argue with you.
There isn't necessarily one time in particular that stands out in a dramatic way on Liam Neidig's resume. Of course, that's not to suggest that he hasn't been great across a variety of distances. With personal bests of 1:53 (800), 2:25 (1k), 3:52 (1500) and 8:37 (3k), this Saint Mary distance talent quietly brings plenty of value to these rankings.
However, what truly allows Neidig to crack our top-20 is the fact that he was one of the very best in the nation last winter over 1000 meters. Not only did he run his 2:25 PR at the indoor national meet last year, but he actually ran that time in both the prelims AND the finals! That, in turn, gave him a monumental runner-up result.
Almost no one peaked as effectively as Neidig last winter. Now, in order for him to move up these rankings, the Kansas-based middle distance runner will need to put together a full season and replicate his championship magic from last year.
If you were to look at the last two seasons on Eli Fullerton's resume, you'd think, "Those are respectable results," but you likely wouldn't expect that to be enough to crack our top-20.
Of course, if you were to look back to last winter, you'll find that this Indiana Wesleyan ace was often a key name in nearly every race that he toed the line for. The Indiana-based distance standout ran an excellent time of 8:15 for 3000 meters last year and ran under 8:25 on two separate occasions as well.
However, more importantly, Fullerton had an absolutely fantastic race at the 2023 NAIA Indoor Championships, snagging bronze over that same 3k distance while helping his DMR squad reach 6th place All-American honors.
And let's not forget, this is the same guy who finished 14th at the 2022 NAIA XC Championships (he had an "off" day at the 2023 national meet) and has a separate 7th place All-American over 3000 meters from the winter of 2022.
Fullerton's resume is truthfully centered around one event, effectively cornered to the 3000-meter distance. And yet, that doesn't largely doesn't matter given how strong he has been at that distance when racing on the indoor oval. If he keeps that up -- and we don't have a reason to believe that he won't -- then Fullerton will likely rise in these rankings.
Texas Wesleyan’s Walid Jarfani is a strength-based middle distance runner, a description that feels almost paradoxical -- and yet, strikingly accurate (right?). And after an unfortunate DNF at the NAIA XC Championships, the Morocco native was likely eager to get back to his specialty; middle distance.
Jarfani cemented himself as a talking point with a 6th place mile finish at the indoor national meet last year, although a lackluster outdoor track season prevented him from being higher on this list. The 4:09 miler ran 4:11 at the Crimson and Gold classic back in December, just edging out Luis Perez, someone who nearly cracked our top-20 list.
Prior to coming to the United States, the Texas Wesleyan ace posted a blistering 3:46 mark for 1500 meters. With his proven speed (1:52 for 800 meters and 2:27 for 1000 meters) and past championship experience, Jarfani could be in the upper-half All-American conversation in a few months times.
But until he again proves that he can be a consistent racer, Jarfani will sit at TSR #16.
It's very easy to become a fan of Charles Dorsett III. The middle distance veteran from TAMU-Texarkana is one of the best half-milers that NAIA has, boasting a fantastic 1:49.50 PR over that distance.
When he initially spent time at Texas Wesleyan, Dorsett III was a mainstay on the national stage in the middle distance events. During his time with the Rams, he garnered two All-American honors at two separate indoor national meets. And while he has yet to replicate his postseason success with TAMU-Texarkana, it's undeniable that Dorsett III is in a new (and better) tier of fitness with the Eagles.
The encouraging aspects about Dorsett is that his 1:49 (800) PR was hardly a fluke. That's because he ran that time twice throughout last year, once on the indoor oval and once on the outdoor oval. And with a fairly respectable 3:55 (1500) effort, there's a subtle level of strength to Dorsett who rarely ventures that high in racing distances.
Another long distance talent with a slew of All-American honors is Aiden Krammler. This Shawnee State star has posted back-to-back top-15 finishes at the cross country national meet which were preceded by a 31st place finish in 2021.
Saying that Krammler is "consistent" would be an understatement for this fifth-year senior. That's because he has appeared in every NAIA Championship meet since his sophomore year. The distance veteran placed 5th at last year's indoor national meet over 3000 meters which was followed by a runner-up finish over 5000 meters during the spring months.
Aiden Krammler is loaded with championship racing experience and impressive times. The only thing keeping this elite talent from being higher on this list are the impressive accolades of the runners who follow.
Keep an eye on this standout talent as the season progresses. He may be a sleeper name at this year's national meet.
Dylan Branch could be best defined as a "jack of all trades."
This Montreat veteran boasts an impressive range of times from a 24:08 (8k XC) mark down to an impressive 1:51 (800) PR. As such, it seems like he is making a national run at a different distance each and every year. And in the grand scheme of things, we love the value that he holds with that kind of event diversity.
While an argument could be made that Branch is not as fast on paper as some of these previous runners, his runner-up finish over 1500 meter at the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Championships proves to us that he can compete with the very best. His aforementioned 800-meter time is also plenty fast, although it's not quite the gold medal-caliber that we think he can eventually be capable of.
This year, Branch may be prepping to go all-in for the 3000 meters. He has proven his racing ability over the 1500-meter distance and he has established great speed over the half-mile event. When you combine that kind of turnover with his impressive strength from the grass, it may appear that Montreat is developing one of the best 3000-meter talents in the NAIA this winter.
Branch has opened up his current indoor track season with a pair of efforts, one over 5000 meters and the other over 3000 meters. Could that be a potential sign that he'll focus on the longer distances, specifically the 3k, on the national stage? Maybe, although we should mention that he also contested the 1000-meter distance this past weekend.
While we do believe that he could turn in another All-American finish in the shorter distance events, we think Branch should try his hand at the 3k -- and potentially gun for the national title.
One of the big-name marquee transfers of this past summer was Isaac Kiprop, a former Louisville distance talent. We suspect that he will make a key impact this winter as well as in the spring. The 8:53 steeplechaser will also add star power to the NAIA ranks during the spring months, giving the nation a third sub-nine talent at this level in addition to Dylan Urlich and Serhii Shevchenko.
And after a 15th-place finish this past fall in Vancouver, Kiprop caught the attention of many national-caliber NAIA contenders who may not have already known of him. Of course, we're talking about indoor track, a completely different setting.
Despite being at his best on the outdoor oval, Kiprop will likely be more of a key figure when talking about races during the championship portion of the winter (and eventually the spring).
That's because the former Cardinal talent has highly impressive personal bests of 14:21 (5k) and 8:17 (3k) to go along with his aforementioned marquee PR of 8:53 over the barriers and water pits. And based strictly on that raw talent, we find it more than reasonable to put this Campbellsville ace at TSR #12.
The second Defender in our hierarchy of power rankings is the most recent steeplechase national title winner, Peter Shippy.
With a very gutsy performance last spring on the national stage, Shippy won gold over the barriers and water pits with a strong PR of 9:04. And despite an injury-plagued fall, Peter put forth a valiant effort, missing All-American honors by one spot with a 41st place finish.
Oh, and last winter, Shippy was runner-up to Aaron Jones at the indoor national meet over 5000 meters, ultimately producing a PR of 14:28 (5k) in the process.
The thing that makes Shippy one of the most legit guys in the NAIA realm is that three of his personal bests all came from the national stage. And for those us at The Stride Report, that's a tremendously encouraging development. That fun factoid also shows us that when it matters the most, Shippy will peak and deliver exceptional results.
Coming in at TSR #10 is Joel Forbes, a Bahama native who has already run an NAIA #3 time over 600 meters this season.
Admittedly, Forbes has not shown to be a true threat in racing distances longer than 800 meters. But when it comes to the pure middle distance events, few men in NAIA have shown that they have the same ceiling that he does.
At last year’s indoor national meet, Forbes came home with a respectable 8th place finish over 800 meters. And while that's a fine result, it doesn't necessarily capture out attention in any dramatic way, at least not when it comes to these rankings.
But what sets Joel Forbes apart, and ultimately puts him into our top-10 portion of these rankings, is his exceptional performance over 800 meters throughout last spring.
At the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Championships, Forbes grabbed a silver medal and a shiny 1:49 personal record for the half-mile distance. He had also flexed tremendous consistency that spring, running 1:53 or faster four times prior to that race. It is also worth mentioning that Forbes defeated our TSR #2 runner, Peyton Mauldin, in that same outdoor national meet race which further adds to his resume.
Sure, we may not know whether Forbes will focus his efforts on the 600 meters or the 800 meters this winter, but in our eyes, the sky is the limit for this Cumberland ace who is now an experienced upperclassman.
This Indiana Wesleyan senior, who formerly ran for Cornerstone, will look to bring some additional hardware home to his trophy case. Luke Pohl boasts excellent personal bests of 8:18 (3k) and 14:21 (5k). And when you pair those marks with tons of national meet experience, you can see why this distance running veteran may be the full package.
The fifth-year senior has a handful of top-three finishes at the national meet and is always a tough competitor in the finals at the NAIA Championships, regardless of the season. After a modest 38th-place finish at NAIA XC Championships in the fall (his best-ever finish being 4th place), we're sure that Pohl is coming for vengeance this winter, aiming to make a statement in his final go-around.
The Indiana Wesleyan men always puts together a solid DMR lineup, although it's hard to tell if Pohl, at this time, would be used as a leg on that relay. If he doesn't have relay duties for late February / early March, then history suggests that Pohl will find a way to earn a top finish in whichever event(s) he contests.
Of course, elevating himself as a national title favorite / threat will be his next step in his rise with a month and a half to go left in the season.
Experience is one that thing most freshmen don’t have.
However, when it comes to this Cumberlands' distance program, that didn't necessarily appear to be the case this past fall. With a top-seven contingent that was almost exclusively headlined by rookies (we were unable to reconcile eligibility via their official roster), the Patriots were able to reach their best-ever finish on the national stage.
Much of that can be attributed to Serhii Shevchenko who flexes personal bests of 29:27 (10k) and 8:52 (steeple) from his World Athletics profile. Already, this Cumberlands rookie looks very strong heading into the deeper portion of this indoor track season, having run 14:38 (5k) in early December after finishing 5th at the NAIA XC Championships.
In theory, Shevchenko should be able to build on that performance and further cut-down on his personal best...right?
Shevchenko will be somebody who can make some noise as the season picks up. Yes, his collegiate inexperience is something to monitor and he still needs to prove himself on the indoor oval. Even so, the raw talent reflected in his personal bests, paired with his recent cross country success, is too good to ignore.
The senior from Rocky Mountain proved to us that he is truly the real deal after securing the individual cross country national title this past fall. And with a pair of top-four finishes at last year's indoor national meet, Jackson has seemingly become even stronger to kick-off his senior campaign.
Of course, this is indoor track that we're talking about, not cross country. And as of right now, Wilson doesn’t necessarily have the flashiest PRs, boasting marks of 14:34 (5k, slight altitude conversion) and 8:24 (3k).
Those times, however, are likely due to be reset given his outstanding string of races in the fall. And when it comes to the championship meets across the board, Wilson has proven that he is a legitimate, national-caliber contender anytime he touches the track.
The Rocky Mountain veteran goes under the radar at times, often racing at altitude or just simply hitting the NAIA national meet qualification standards. Of course, Wilson will then go on to perform exceedingly well on the national stage, at least comparatively.
It will be very exciting if he gets a legitimate chance to rip a fast time this winter, possibly at a UW-type of meet or at the Spokane Podium indoor track facility. And regardless of the discipline(s) that he chooses for the postseason, Wilson will almost certainly be in the title conversation.
One of the strongest runners in the NAIA scene, Aaron Jones will look to defend his 5000-meter national title from last winter after a top-10 finish for the second year in a row at the NAIA XC Championships this past fall.
Jones, with his 14:24 (5k) and flat-track converted 8:08 (3k) personal bests, will be one of the early-season favorites in those disciples depending on what way he goes in terms of event selection.
Historically speaking, you could make the argument that Aaron Jones has been better on the indoor oval compared to the outdoor oval. As he rises in distance, he seems to be increasingly more comfortable.
Frankly, we wouldn't argue with anyone who wanted to list Jones at a better spot in these rankings. He's the defending indoor national champion over 5000 meters, was the nation leader over 3000 meters last winter going into the national meet and is incredibly consistent.
What's not to like?
Despite being a vital piece to the Buffaloes' national team title this past fall, Will Stockley is more than just a cross country guy -- he has exceptional range as well.
Stockley boasts PRs with 1:53 (800), 4:08 (mile), 8:17 (3k flat-track converted) and 14:27 (5k), giving him a dynamic mix of speed and strength that is hard to come by. He'll look to improve upon his 4th place finish in the mile from last year's indoor national meet as well as his 6th place finish at the outdoor national meet over 5000 meters.
The Milligan ace has a strong chance to be top-three in whatever event he chooses to focus this winter, especially with his speed theoretically giving him a tactical advantage. He could also assist in piecing together a championship DMR team with his fellow teammates.
When it comes to the schedule of the NAIA Championships, it's hard to tell at this point what each athlete will choose to do event-wise. But when it comes time for declarations, Stockley will have his fair share options.
The Patriots from Cumberlands had a tremendous fall, going from not making the national meet in 2022 to a 3rd place finish and five individual All-Americans. A big piece to that depth was freshman, Luca Santorum.
Of all his peers, Santorum had probably the most “modest” World Athletics profile of any of them going into the fall months. But after his strong 27th-place finish the NAIA XC Championships, he made a statement in his season-opener at Grand Valley State.
Santorum ripped a 4:06 mile time, winning in Grand Rapids and making him the early favorite to take home the prestigious mile crown come March at the NAIA Indoor Championships. And based on that effort, we also wouldn’t be surprised to see Santorum on one of the relays with Cumberlands already qualifying a 4x800-meter relay for the national meet last weekend.
If Santorum is able to run a 4:06 mile PR this early in the season as a freshman, then what can he do moving forward? That youth-based and potential for excellence is what has us so excited about the future of this rising Patriot ace.
Bryn Woodall, a native of Great Britain, has had a great two-year start to his collegiate career. The Milligan junior boasts a blistering PR of 8:14 over 3000 meters (8:08 after flat-track conversions) along with an excellent 14:00 personal best for 5000 meters.
The reining 3k national champion had a tough go at the NAIA Outdoor Championships, but will look to bounce back this winter after a strong fall campaign. And when he's at his best, there's not much analytical discussion that we need to have. Woodall is simply better, at least on paper, than many of his NAIA counterparts -- and his times validate that idea.
The Buffs will be looking to improve their 6th-place finish in the DMR from last year's indoor national meet. That could mean that Woodall plays a role in that lineup. And based on fast times and championship success, you can see why we placed this Milligan star at TSR #3.
Consistency. That is one word that is talked about in the running world quite frequently, especially at The Stride Report. And when it comes to athletes within the NAIA scene who embody that word, Payton Mauldin is someone who certainly comes to mind.
This Dordt middle distance standout has been a top-three national meet finisher over 600-meters three separate times -- and this is the year where he may finally get that coveted national title.
Yes, TSR only focuses on the 800 meters and up. And given his success over the half-mile, Mauldin is more than qualified to be ranked. However, his historical presence over the 600-meter distance undeniably impacts how he will approach this season and eventually the national meet.
Mauldin has fantastic PRs of 1:49 (800) and 1:17 (600), the latter of which he just set earlier this winter. The half-mile standout, who has already run 1:50 (800) this season, will also be a critical piece on Dordt's future relays. How the Defenders utilize him may affect his title chances over 600 meters, but there isn’t a middle distance guy within the NAIA ranks who has more championship experience than Mauldin.
Year after year, the NAIA introduces newcomers who make a significant splash in the national landscape. And when looking at this past fall, Joseph Skoog was arguably the biggest and best fresh face that the NAIA ranks had for this year.
The D1 transfer, who ventured over from Grand Canyon University, boasts a head-turning 5k PR of 13:52. He also made quite the statement at the NAIA XC Championships this past fall by finishing runner-up.
Skoog opened up the current indoor track season with a strong showing at the notoriously fast Boston U. track, running 14:15 (5k) to start his winter campaign. That was great validation of his potential to have a major impact on the indoor oval this winter.
It will be hard to tell if Skoog will attempt the 3k/5k double this winter -- which is very difficult to accomplish with the hour break on the final day at the NAIA Indoor Championships. But of the few select men who are talented enough to even attempt it, Skoog is most certainly in that conversation.
Hunter Nichols (Eastern Oregon)
Carter Hyuser (Kansas Wesleyan)
Griffen Parsells (Lewis-Clark)
Ruchen Blaauw (Montreat)
Evan Hodkinson (Mt. Vernon Nazarene)
Dillon Callaway (Tabor)
Landon Wakeman (Indiana Wesleyan)
Griffin Armbrustmacher (Lawrence Tech)
Luis Perez (Saint Mary (KS))
Dimitri Margaritidis (Grace)
Dominick Beine (Saint Mary (KS))
Ryan Heline (Saint Mary (KS))
Justin Ash (Eastern Oregon)
Mehdi Hamoud (Madonna)
Hendrick Ramirez (Our Lady Of The Lake)
Brig Merritt (Saint Mary (KS))
Brendan Robeaux (Oklahoma City)
Nelson Ruto (Doane)
Sylas Chambers (Milligan)
- N/A