TSR Collaboration
Nov 8, 202313 min
Written by Grace McLaughlin & Marissa Kuik
Additional edits & commentary by Gavin Struve & Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria.
Was not ranked in our last update.
First number indicates how much the individual has moved in the rankings.
The second number indicates where the individual was ranked in our last update.
25. Helen Braybrook, Junior, CSU-Pueblo (-2 / 23)
Though Helen Braybrook drops a few places in our rankings, it has nothing to do with her performance from Saturday.
The ThunderWolf star continued to provide reliable firepower at the South Central Regional XC Championships, finishing 12th overall. It was a performance that matched up to her showing at the RMAC XC Championships where she placed 9th.
Last year, Braybrook surprised the Division Two world upon finishing in 23rd at the cross country national meet. But this year, she is hitting her stride at the exact right time which is truthfully no surprise to us. Though she is more of a middle distance specialist, Braybrook is continuing to prove that she can hang with the nation's best on the grass as well.
24. Rosie Fordham, Junior, Alaska Fairbanks (-7 / 17)
Rosie Fordham's 6th place showing at the West Regional XC Championships wasn't bad per se, but it didn't match her recent GNAC runner-up finish. Instead, finished behind several unranked women while some names surrounding her in the rankings thrived on the regional stage.
Perhaps more concerning than the placement — if we're putting real emphasis on the regional meets — is that Fordham finished nearly 30 seconds behind teammate Kendall Kramer. Fordham has typically been right with Kramer this season and throughout their careers, so it was a little surprising to see her so far back from her teammate.
All told, a 6th place finish is not a “bad” day for Fordham or a reason to hit the panic button. Plus, a couple of outright wins earlier in the season indicate that the Aussie-turned-Frontier star is in the best shape of her life as she chases her first All-American honor.
23. Hannah Rhem, Senior, Cedarville (Unranked)
Hannah Rhem’s performance at the Midwest Regional XC Championships was by far her best showing this season and maybe her best performance ever on the grass.
She took home a runner-up placement on the individual side and helped lead her team to its own runner-up finish. And in turn, that led to the Yellow Jackets getting an automatic bid to the national meet.
On top of that, the names that Rhem beat -- including Natalie Graber, Ana Tucker and Klaudia O’ Malley -- make this performance even more special. Rhem's regular season was solid, but now she definitely appears to be peaking at the right time following her 2nd place finishes at the G-MAC XC Championships and the regional stage.
If she maintains this steady momentum, expect another strong performance at the national meet, likely culminating with Rhem comfortably earning her first All-American nod.
22. Hannah Smrcka, Junior, Lewis (-1 / 21)
Hannah Smrcka has gradually emerged on our radar and gained respect with each passing meet this season. After helping her team upset Winona State and finish 3rd at the Lewis XC Crossover, Smrcka's performances have been just as strong and consistent during the championship season.
This past weekend, the Lewis low-stick came home with an 8th place finish at the Midwest Regional XC Championships. Maybe 8th feels a little underwhelming, but in a loaded region, it's still mostly on par with how Smrcka has been performing all season.
It's one thing to have a breakout campaign, but it's another to do so while maintaining consistency across results at your newfound fitness level. Entering the national meet, this Flyer ace has a lot of momentum on her side.
21. Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge, Junior, Colorado Mines (+1 / 22)
Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge's role on Colorado Mines' team has seemingly changed with each passing meet. During the regular season, Ramsey-Rutledge helped with the team's pack-running and was a complementary scorer.
However, once the championship season reached full swing, Ramsey-Rutledge started to separate herself as a frontrunner on this team. At both the RMAC and the South Central regional meets, Ramsey-Rutledge placed 7th overall and was the Orediggers' second scorer.
What made this past weekend different from any of her other races was how much closer she got to being the true front-runner of this squad. Though the Orediggers have been running in a tight group this season, Ramsey-Rutledge has still had room to emerge as a dynamic competitor, one with a legitimate shot at a top-25 performance at the national meet.
20. Gianna Bomarito, Sophomore, Sonoma State (-5 / 15)
Gianna Bomarito entered this past weekend as arguably the favorite for the West Regional XC Championships alongside UAF's Kramer and Fordham. Up and to that point, Bomarito had yet to lose a race all season and had dominated every meet she ran in.
However, on the regional stage, she ended up crossing the line in 3rd place behind Kramer and Susanne Bruennig of Biola. Thus, Bomarito does take a small dip in our rankings since she was unable to continue her dominant streak of individual wins.
Even so, she still performed admirably in the deepest field she's seen this fall. And we figure that Bomarito, with her star-caliber pedigree, will still be a huge factor at the cross country national meet in Missouri.
19. Khot Juac, Junior, Sioux Falls (Unranked)
In some ways, this feels like a long time coming for Khot Juac to be in our rankings.
This Sioux Falls ace has performed incredibly well all season long, posting a 5th place finish at the Griak Invitational, earning a win at the Briar Cliff Invitational, snagging a 3rd place finish at the NSIC XC Championships and producing a 2nd place run at the Central Regional XC Championships.
On top of all of her competitive finishes, Juac recently defeated Kaylee Beyer of Winona State who has consistently finished 2nd in every race behind her teammate Lindsay Cunningham.
Juac had done more than enough to merit consideration for entry into our top-25, but the runner-up showing on Saturday ahead of Beyer really sold us. As someone who has quietly amassed ample high-level experience and rarely falters, expect to see Juac toward the top of the field at the national meet.
18. Emily Schoellkopf, Junior, Adams State (-4 / 14)
The biggest challenge with ranking Emily Schoellkopf is evaluating her consistency. She's always been a valuable scorer, although her place within Adams State's lineup can fluctuate at times. In some races, she is emerging as the Grizzlies' second or third scorer while at other meets, she is barely scoring for her team.
After a 3rd place overall finish at the RMAC XC Championships, Schoellkopf followed that performance up with a 16th place finish at the South Central Regional XC Championships which felt a little underwhelming.
Of course, let's not get it twisted, Schoellkopf is still a nationally competitive runner. Even on her "off" days, she still puts herself in the mix as a valuable scoring option. We admittedly just want to see some more consistency from someone who is among the nation's top dozen or two individual talents.
17. Aria Hawkins, Junior, Lee (Tenn.) (+3 / 20)
Aria Hawkins continues to show up for the Flames.
On Saturday, she once again led her group to another team title and came home with the individual title at the South Regional XC Championships after doing the same at the Gulf South Conference XC Championships.
Though her more recent race was close, with the runner-up finisher only six seconds behind her and the rest of the top-five within 15 seconds, Hawkins's victory showed us that she can still stay composed and competitive when surrounded by a number of competitors.
The Lee star also demonstrated considerable poise in her racing ability and gave us confidence that she is going to hold her own against the rest of Division Two on the biggest stage of the cross country season in a week and a half.
16. Ava O'Connor, Rs. Sophomore, Adams State (+3 / 19)
Though we did have some doubts about Ava O’Connor this season — centered around her struggles with consistency on the track and her missing last cross country season — she has made believers out of us.
In her latest race, O’Connor crossed the finish line in 5th place at the South Central Regional XC Championships, helping the Grizzlies to a team title after a similarly stellar individual performance at the RMAC meet (6th).
With each race, it seems like O’Connor has not only gotten faster, but appears a more savvy competitor, beating women who defeated her earlier in the season. She is peaking at just the right time, and better yet, she is racing at this high level consistently. Those are two things that are going to pay off for her at the national meet in a couple weeks.
15. Holly Moser, Senior, Colorado Mines (+3 / 18)
Holly Moser put forth another strong run at the South Central Regional XC Championships, placing 10th overall. Although this time around, she was the third runner for her team despite usually leading the charge.
Even so, that finish does not dampen her strong season-long resume. Moser still placed incredibly well in one of the toughest regions in all of Division Two. If anything, seeing two of her teammates just seconds ahead of her shows how much better the Orediggers are getting as a whole.
Moser has been consistent all year long, as evidenced by a 4th place RMAC showing, and has helped lead her team with each race. Her performance at the regional meet was just another example of her reliability this season.
14. Anna Fauske, Junior, UC-Colorado Springs (+2 / 16)
The rise of Anna Fauske this season has been incredible to watch. She started off with a strong performance at the Louisville XC Classic, placing 13th, but she really started to prove her ability to compete with the best talent in Division Two after placing 5th overall at the RMAC XC Championships.
Even with the competition increasing at the South Central regional meet, Fauske bettered her performance, crossing the line in 4th place and beating runners who outran her on the conference stage. Fauske also closed a massive gap on Allison Beasley who enjoyed a dominant 2nd place finish at the conference meet.
This UC-Colorado Springs star has displayed a ton of grit against elite competition and has always been a top name. However, that's shining through now more than ever.
13. Kendall Kramer, Junior, Alaska Fairbanks (0 / 13)
Though Kendall Kramer’s season started off a little slower than it usually does, she is still right where she needs to be, and at the perfect time no less. Kramer is coming off of an individual win at the West Regional XC Championships after she also won the GNAC individual title.
Back-to-back individual titles in championship races is something that few women can boast and it indicates that this Nanook star is ready to perform at her highest level at the national meet. Last year, Kramer finished an incredible 8th place at the cross country national meet, and it seems she is on track to repeat that performance within a few places.
12. Kylie Anicic, Rs. Junior, Edinboro (0 / 12)
Kylie Anicic stays at TSR #12 this week after unsurprisingly taking home the win at the Atlantic Regional XC Championships. The Edinboro ace crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of 2nd place and added to her list of dominant wins.
Anicic is clearly talented and her consistency this season is impressive. That being said, her the Lewis XC Crossover (where she placed 5th) really featured the only high-level competition she has gone up against this fall.
That was a fantastic performance, but it's still hard to gauge where she fits into the national scene later in the season. Anicic was 31st at last year’s cross country national meet, and her current momentum and fitness level indicate she can better that result, but just how much higher should we expect her to be?
11. Sarah Koomson, Freshman, West Texas A&M (-4 / 7)
Sarah Koomson falls just outside our top-10 this week after a “good,” but not incredible race at the South Central Regional XC Championships. Her 8th place finish is highly commendable, especially for a freshman (eligibility-wise), but this is her second race in a row where she has not looked quite as sharp as we had hoped.
Koomson’s 3rd place finish at the Louisville XC Classic was huge and it indicated that she could be a superstar this fall, but she has not shown the same level of talent since then. Her 3rd place finish at the Lone Star Conference XC Championships wasn't quite what we were expecting and she should have been much closer to fellow Buffalo ace, Eleonora Curtabbi, on Saturday.
We are now left questioning what we can expect from the West Texas A&M rookie at the NCAA XC Championships. If she shows up ready to race like she did in Louisville, then could she put herself in the mix with superstars like Brianna Robles and Natalie Graber again?
10. Liz Wamsley, Junior, Hillsdale (+1 / 11)
Arguably the most impressive or surprising result from the regional weekend was Liz Wamsley’s victory at the Midwest Regional XC Championships. The Hillsdale ace took down some top names and crossed the line in a time of 20:04 (that impressed us despite our reticence to place much value on cross country times).
Beating runners like Natalie Graber and Klaudia O’Malley is no joke, and Wamsley has clearly elevated her level of fitness and firepower. Her 4th place finish at the Lewis XC Crossover and dominant win at the G-MAC XC Championships hinted at her talent and trajectory, but this most recent result was massive for the Charger ace.
The Hillsdale veteran is clearly peaking at the right time and she should easily better her 22nd place finish from last year’s NCAA XC Championships.
9. Klaudia O'Malley, Senior, Grand Valley State (+1 / 10)
Klaudia O’Malley moves up one spot this week after her 4th place finish at the Midwest Region XC Championships. History tends to repeat itself, and it appears O’Malley is peaking perfectly for the postseason just as she has done the past two seasons.
While O’Malley has been building momentum throughout the fall and is clearly a talented runner, it will be hard for her to match her individual bronze medal from last year’s NCAA XC Championships. Even so, she's certainly still a top-10 caliber runner and may even surprise us and the rest of Division Two in Missouri. After all, the Laker veteran has experience, momentum and aerobic strength on her side.
8. Kaylee Beyer, Senior, Winona State (0 / 8)
Kaylee Beyer stays at TSR #8 this week after another solid performance. The Warrior ace placed 3rd at the Central Regional XC Championships and her momentum has impressed us heading into the cross country national meet.
For the first time this season, she allowed someone (Khot Juac) to get between her and Cunningham, but that hardly put a damper on her progression.
Beyer has been extremely consistent this fall and deserves massive kudos for the jump in fitness that she's made this season. The Winona State senior’s current trajectory puts her at the top of Division Two, but just how high is her ceiling for success?
7. Allison Beasley, Junior, Western Colorado (+2 / 9)
It seems that Allison Beasley gets better and better with each passing race.
The Mountaineer ace earned the individual bronze at the ultra-competitive South Central Region XC Championships. That result, combined with her runner-up finish at the RMAC XC Championships, tells us that Beasley is a top talent and someone whose current trajectory suggests she'll be among the top-10 individuals at the cross country national meet.
It's only natural that we move the Western Colorado star up two places to TSR #7 after showing this level of talent and consistency. Her runner-up national meet performance in the steeplechase in the spring was shockingly great, but could she post an even more eye-opening result in Joplin, Missouri?
6. Ana Tucker, Senior, Grand Valley State (0 / 6)
Ana Tucker stays at TSR #6 this week and continues to be a high-end star for her title favorite Grand Valley State team. The newest Laker has been extremely consistent this season and has not only seamlessly transitioned to Division Two, but has also emerged as a top scorer for our TSR #1 team.
Her 5th place finish at the Midwest Regional XC Championships is not all that flashy compared to the other highlights of her season, but it was hard to put much emphasis on a race that was only used for national qualifying. Her consistent excellence and reliability indicates that we can expect Tucker to be in the lead chase pack in Missouri.
5. Eleonora Curtabbi, Senior, West Texas A&M (0 / 5)
Eleonora Curtabbi’s dominant win at the Lone Star Conference XC Championships was impressive, but her runner-up finish in a loaded South Central Regional XC Championships was even more compelling in her argument as one of the nation's best.
The West Texas A&M steeplechase veteran continued to display firepower and competitive prowess against some of the top names in Division Two.
The Buffalo ace has strong momentum heading into the NCAA XC Championships and she has experience on her side as well. Curtabbi is a highly accomplished runner with enviable aerobic talent, and her season thus far indicates that she could slightly improve upon her 6th place national meet finish from last December.
4. Lauren Kiley, Sophomore, Grand Valley State (0 / 4)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
3. Natalie Graber, Senior, Grand Valley State (0 / 3)
No movement her for Natalie Graber who stays at TSR #3 this week after her 3rd place finish at the Midwest Regional XC Championships. She did lose to Wamsley and Rhem, but we aren't sure if the Lakers were racing at 100% since they had the advantage of essentially being able to coast through the regional stage. Even so, Graber had a solid individual performance nonetheless.
The Laker ace is heading to the NCAA XC Championships as one of the nation's best runners and her performances thus far indicate that she should finish in the top-five. Yes, we said that last year, but her 2022 national meet effort felt like a fluke.
Graber's runner-up finish at the Louisville XC Classic against a competitive field, and her win at the GLIAC XC Championships against her talented teammates, provide hard evidence of just how talented Graber is. The trajectory that she has been on over the past year, coupled with her consistent excellence on the grass this season, are promising as we head towards the cross country national meet.
2. Brianna Robles, Senior, Adams State (0 / 2)
Brianna Robles faced tough competition at the South Central Region XC Championships, making her individual win all the more impressive. Combined with her victory at the RMAC XC Championships, this Grizzly ace has looked as sharp as ever -- and she may even be peaking for the postseason better than she ever has before.
Robles is experienced, consistent and a juggernaut in terms of endurance. Her early-season races, specifically at the Louisville XC Classic, weren't exactly thrilling, but she is firing on all cylinders now.
The Adams State senior heads to Missouri as a deserving TSR #2 runner and the clear favorite for the silver medal. However, we wouldn’t count her out entirely in the race for the individual title.
1. Lindsay Cunningham, Junior, Winona State (0 / 1)
Another week, another dominant win, another round of rankings with Lindsay Cunningham sitting at our TSR #1 spot.
The Winona State star easily won the Central Regional XC Championships and crossed the line in an impressive mark of 19:33 which was 53 seconds ahead of the runner-up. This race adds to her long list of dominant wins on the grass and indicates that she is ready to go after the national title in Joplin, Missouri.
There is not much else to say about the Warrior superstar. Her consistent displays of immense talent and her ability to gap competitive fields speak for themselves. She is without a doubt the national title favorite and it's hard to envision a scenario in which Cunningham does not run away with the win.
Khot Juac (Sioux Falls)
Hannah Rhem (Cedarville)
KICKED OFF
Clare Peters (Colorado Mines)
Linda Weigang (Fort Lewis)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Clare Peters (Colorado Mines)
Grace Strongman (Colorado Mines)
Elise Leveel (West Texas A&M)
Taryn Chapko (Grand Valley State)
Kate Hedlund (UC-Colorado Springs)
Morgan Hykes (Adams State)
Regan Hodsden (Fort Hays State)
Leah Taylor (Western Colorado)
Jori Paradis (CUI)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Kayce Rypma (Grand Valley State)
Lauren Wallace (Mississippi College)
Abby VanderKooi (Grand Valley State)
Fiona Hawkins (Adams State)
Shannon King (Colorado Christian)
Ashley Reeck (Western Washington)
Linda Weigang (Fort Lewis)
Elena Carey (Adams State)
Naomi Bailey (Alaska Fairbanks)
Riley McGrath (Colorado Mines)
Alyssa Becker (U-Mary)
Nicole Lawrence (Adams State)
Vienna Lahner (Adams State)
Katie Heck (Fort Lewis)
MaKenna Thurston (Minnesota State)
Madi Szymanski (Northern Michigan)
Kirstin Williams (Colorado Mesa)
Tristian Spence (Adams State)
Julia Lafare (Charleston (WV))
Susanne Bruennig (Biola)
Molly Maksin (Colorado Mines)
Margaux Basart (Colorado Mines)
Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific)
Liza Kellerman (Lee (Tenn.))
Mollie Scott (Wingate)
Mikayla Jones (Catawba)
Notes
- N/A