TSR Collaboration
Apr 917 min
Written by Maura Beattie & Finn Birnie, additional edits & commentary by 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.
NOTE: Because we are in a new season, we are treating this week's rankings update as a new series of top-25 names. Therefore, we are not indicating any movement from our winter lists. It should also be said that the introduction of the steeplechase and 10,000 meters as contestable events on the national stage does alter the value of certain resumes. The same ranking methodology can also apply to the (flat) 3000 meters, an event that is not contested at the outdoor national meet.
Victoria Bossong is an established and accomplished middle distance runner who showed multiple signs of promise this past winter and in prior seasons. She held a 400-meter PR of 52 seconds, had run 2:04 (800) twice and even posted the NCAA #2 all-time mark for the indoor 500 meters in 1:08.53.
And in retrospect, maybe we should have put more stock into her blazing-fast 500-meter time. That's because Bossong opened up her 2024 outdoor track season with an excellent 2:02 personal best for 800 meters, a two-second improvement. However, what really caught our attention was when she ran a huge 2:00.92 mark at the Florida Relays to take down a very good field which featured All-American standout, Hayley Kitching (among others).
There is still so much that we don't know about Bossong. After all, she dropped four seconds off of her 800-meter PR in less than two months (or technically one week when you consider when she first began to cut-off time). Even so, relative to expectations, there may not be another woman in the middle or long distance events who can boast the same kind of momentum that Bossong seemingly holds.
When Grace Hartman announced her commitment to NC State, we figured that she would eventually be really good in college. And after her first year with the Wolfpack, we knew that she would be really good in college. However, even after those early signs of promise, I don't think any of us at The Stride Report thought she'd be this good this early in her career.
This past winter was massive for Hartman who could do no wrong, running times of 4:36 (3k) and 15:28 (5k). That latter effort gave her an 8th place All-American finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. However, the race that allowed her to crack our top-25 rankings was her latest 10k effort at the Raleigh Relays. There, the NC State sophomore soundly demolished the field, running 32:28 largely unopposed.
Hartman is way ahead of schedule as far as her fitness is concerned. She's already emerging with All-American honors and her range is sneaky-good as well. But the part that her competitors should fear the most is her youth-based upside. This Wolfpack ace is rapidly improving at an astonishing rate. And with so much more time to further progress and refine her talent, Hartman is one of the last women who I would want to toe the line next to.
Well admit, Meghan Hunter doesn't have the super flashy 800-meter PR that a handful of other top half-milers do. She doesn't have numerous All-American honors and she hasn't necessarily caught our attention in any major way during the regular season.
And yet, over the last year, Hunter has proven to be one of the most clutch runners in the NCAA relative to expectations.
The BYU star stunned nearly everyone at The Stride Report last spring when she ran a massive 2:01 (800) PR seemingly out of nowhere to advance to the 800-meter finals at the outdoor national meet. Then, this past winter, after a solid, but somewhat quiet regular season, Hunter upset multiple women to earn a surprise bronze medal in the 800-meter finals of the indoor national meet.
There's a very good chance that, in a few weeks time, Hunter won't be in these rankings. However, there's arguably an even better chance that she'll return to our top-25 come mid-June.
Over the last year or so, Ceili McCabe has been a challenging athlete to gauge. That's mainly because she often adopts a spotty and limited racing schedule which leaves her as a wild card entering national meets.
Even so, it's hard to deny how talented this West Virginia veteran is. McCabe owns personal bests of 4:29 (mile), 8:50 (3k) and 9:25 (steeple), the former mark coming this past winter. In total, she owns eight individual All-American honors (three of which are bronze medals) across four different events (if you include cross country).
The women's steeplechase field at a national level is certainly top-heavy this year with Olivia Markezich and Greta Karinauskaite returning for one more season. And yet, if there's anyone in the NCAA ranks capable of breaking into that exclusive two-person group of national title contenders, it's Ceili McCabe.
A DNF result on the national stage was certainly not the ideal ending for Amina Maatoug's indoor track season, especially with her running times of 4:29 (mile) and 8:46 (3k) in the months prior.
Even so, no one can deny how insanely talented and versatile this Duke ace is. With additional personal bests of 2:03 (3k) and 15:37 (5k), the latter of which she just ran at the Raleigh Relays, the scoring utility and the overall value of Maatoug's resume is simply too good to leave out of our rankings.
It should also be noted that Amina Maatoug observes Ramadan, a religious holiday that traditionally practices fasting from March 10th to April 9th (in 2024). So if this Dutch distance star is able to run under 15:40 for 5000 meters while presumably fasting (which is not necessarily known by TSR), then what can she do in May and June when she's firing on all cylinders?
It's hard to dislike Melissa Riggins, a former half-miler who has evolved into one of the more dynamic distances star in the nation. This past winter, the Georgetown junior produced fantastic times of 2:40 (1k), 4:29 (mile) and 8:52 (3k), ultimately earning 4th place All-American honors at the indoor national meet in the mile.
When you tack on a 2:03 (800) PR and no sign of her progression slowing down, Riggins should still be viewed as a top-tier distance threat this spring, even if the 3000 meters isn't an event that she can contest on the national stage.
The only question is...how low can Riggins bring her 1500-meter PR down to this season?
Consistency has paid off for Georgetown’s Chloe Scrimgeour every time she races. The Hoya junior has steadily improved over the course of her collegiate career, going from a respectable 16:10 (5k) mark to a strong, All-American-deserving time of 15:21.
For the strength-based runner, the 5k will be where she makes the most noise on the track, at least based on her most recent success. Of course, we could see the Georgetown veteran jump up in distance at some point this season to see how she fares at double the distance. And if Scrimgeour does attempt the 10k, then we’d expect her aerobic strength to make her yet another All-American candidate.
Scrimgeour has earned two All-American honors over 5000 meters: A 7th place finish at the indoor national meet and an 8th place finish at the outdoor national meet. Another All-American honor on the track is surely in the cards for the Georgetown veteran this spring, but will it be in the 5k, the 10k or both?
Providence's Shannon Flockhart was on fire this past winter, but her exit in the mile heats at the NCAA Indoor Championships left us somewhat disappointed. However, that sentiment quickly dissipated as the junior bounced back magnificently, clocking a stellar 4:08 mark for 1500 meters en route to a victory at the Raleigh Relays.
While that result didn't necessarily come as a total surprise -- especially since the Friar ace had run the exact same time last summer -- it was great to see Flockhart respond after a sub-par run in Boston a few weeks prior. Not only that, but she also picked up the victory over fellow Friar teammate and indoor mile bronze medalist, Kimberly May!
Flockhart is an athlete who has historically been better on the outdoor oval as opposed to the indoor track, so it was reassuring to see her open her spring season in such a commanding way. If she can carry this momentum into June, then she will certainly be a front-runner for an All-American honor in Eugene (more than she already is).
Flomena Asekol left us all in awe with her incredible 4:26 mile PR this past indoor track season. And while the Gator newcomer had already displayed her prowess over the mile distance, achieving a 4:26 mark was truly exceptional.
Coupled with her impressive 8:52 mark for 3000 meters, it seemed like Florida's newest ace was reaching new heights. That's why it maybe felt a touch underwhelming to see her secure only an 8th place finish in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Despite not quite producing the result that we felt she was capable of in Boston, Asekol got her outdoor track campaign off to a hot start with a superb showing over 800 meters at the Florida Relays. A time of 2:02 (800) for 5th place is an exceptional performance, especially when you consider that she has finished in the top-15 at the NCAA XC Championships on two separate occasions.
That kind of time adds to her extremely dynamic resume and puts her up there with the likes of Duke's Amina Maatoug and Oklahoma State's Billah Jepkirui in terms of range. If the Kenyan star can run a 1500-meter time equivalent to her 4:26 mile, then she could well be a surefire pick for a podium finish come June.
It's no secret that Virginia's Margot Appleton stands out as one of the most complete distance athletes in the nation. The Cavalier distance runner possesses exceptional range, top-tier times, experience, and tactical prowess -- all of which were brilliantly showcased at the Raleigh Relays where she simply dominated her competition over 5000 meters.
The multi-time mile/1500-meter All-American is clearly on a hot streak right now with her new 15:18 (5k) personal best and an All-American finish in the mile at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships. If she can remain consistent this spring, which is something that she has proven to be very capable of, then she is going to pose as a big threat to the podium in both the 1500 meters and/or the 5k.
Of course, the path to that goal in both events is going to be no easy feat. But with versatility on her side, Appleton may just be able to gain the edge over some of her closest competitors.
Throughout the indoor track season, Penn State's Hayley Kitching never had a misstep, quickly establishing herself as one of the most dependable half-milers in the nation. The sophomore consistently clocked times around the 2:01 (800) mark this past winter, and she has continued that trend as she kicks off the spring season.
At the Florida Relays, the Nittany Lion ace opened her outdoor track season with a strong 2:01 (800) mark. And while it wasn't quite enough to secure the victory over Harvard's Victoria Bossong, it was additional validation of her exceptional winter campaign.
Kitching’s remarkable improvement in fitness was evident with her 4th place finish in the 800-meter finals at the NCAA Indoor Championships. However, she will need to take an additional leap if she wants to narrow the gap between herself and Michaela Rose and Juliette Whittaker. If she can build on her consistency, then it wouldn't be surprising to see her make those strides this spring.
Under the watchful eye of Coach Shalane Flanagan, Oregon's Maddy Elmore has flourished across various distances and terrains.
The redshirt sophomore, who almost walked away from the sport, has already caught our attention this outdoor track season following her incredible 15:15 (5k) PR. That mark not only earned Elmore the win at the Stanford Invitational, but it was also a remarkable 56-second improvement from her previous best.
Oregon's latest focal star will need to determine which event gives her the best chance at landing the highest on the podium at the NCAA Outdoor Championships later this season. Elmore was the 10th place finisher in the 1500 meters at the 2023 outdoor national meet and has a personal best of 4:08. Doubling that distance, the Oregon ace also has a 3k PR of 8:50.
Both the 1500 meters and the 5k are returning their individual champions in Maia Ramsden and Parker Valby, respectively. Knowing that, Elmore’s potential to vie for the national title in either of those events won’t be easy and if she decides to put all her eggs into one basket, the 1500 meters might be her best shot.
Her momentum is plenty high and her newfound strength should allow Elmore to remain competitive in more all-out, strength-based races over the metric mile distance this season.
It's admittedly been a bit of a rocky year for Stanford superstar Roisin Willis, at least through the winter months. Racing sparingly this past indoor track season seemed to be reflected in her performance at the national meet where we witnessed her bow out in the preliminary rounds.
Despite that outcome not being what we (or Willis) were anticipating, it is important to remember that Willis is a national champion over the 800-meter distance on the indoor oval and has a separate top-half All-American honor on the outside oval as well.
This Stanford sophomore is someone who knows precisely what it takes to vie for a national title and on her best days, she is among the few women who can genuinely challenge LSU’s Michaela Rose and her fellow teammate, Juliette Whittaker.
If we witness the Stanford sophomore return to sub-2:00 (800) shape, then it would be no surprise to see her in the mix with Rose and Whittaker.
Riley Chamberlain is quickly establishing herself as BYU’s next great star. The sophomore was excellent this past indoor track season and she has seamlessly continued that impressive form as we've transitioned into the outdoor track season
After anchoring the Cougars to a DMR national title, the youngster opened her outdoor track season with an excellent 4:11 (1500) and 2:04 (800) weekend double at the Stanford Invitational. The still-rising BYU ace came away with the victory over 1500 meters, putting a few strides between herself and Washington’s Chloe Foerster. However, the tables turned the following day in the half-mile distance with Foerster gaining the advantage.
Chamberlain has been improving with every race and is looking far more established in the process. With her displaying a devastating turn of pace at the indoor national meet, Chamberlain could well be a threat over 1500 meters in Eugene if she can continue on this upward trajectory.
There is at least some potential for Kimberley May of Providence to take down Maia Ramsden over 1500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this June...but will it come to fruition?
May proved to us during the indoor track season that she’s on a different level this year. Her head-turning 4:27 (mile) PR and 3rd place finish at the indoor national meet have given the Friar junior major confidence that she’s already carried over into the outdoor track season.
Recently, at the Raleigh Relays, the Providence veteran contested the 1500 meters and finished 2nd behind teammate Shannon Flockhart in a new four-second PR of 4:09 (not including en route splits).
May has picked up right where she left off after the indoor national meet and there's no reason to think that she won't be outstanding yet again this spring. It won’t be a walk in the park for the Providence star given how top-heavy the women's 1500-meter field is expected to be this season, but May’s got momentum on her side and she has proven to be one of the more all-around complete distance runners in the NCAA.
One of the more pleasant surprises of the 2023 outdoor track season was Greta Karinauskaite emerging as a legitimate national title threat -- and in my cases, a national title favorite.
Last spring, Karinauskaite ran a very strong 15:36 (5k) PR before going on a tear over the barriers and water pits. In order, the California Baptist ace went on to run 9:46, 9:35 and 9:26 before going into the national meet where she would earn silver in the steeplechase. And although she didn't win, she did put herself in a very good position to do so.
Since then, Karinauskaite has put together a very good cross country season which ended with a top-20 All-American honor. And while her 5k race at the Stanford Invite was a bit underwhelming, that shouldn't devalue this Lancer veteran as a top-10 runner on the outdoor oval (among distance runners).
With a relentless front-running style and strong aerobic prowess, this CBU talent is seemingly the only woman at the NCAA level who could realistically threaten Olivia Markezich for the steeplechase national title come June.
As the runner-up finisher in the mile at the most recent NCAA Indoor Championships, sophomore superstar Billah Jepkirui is rising beyond the echelon of a simple All-American contender. But rather, she's evolving into one of the most valuable distance runners that the NCAA has to offer.
The Oklahoma State standout has valuable experience over 1500-meter distance from last year, specifically at the outdoor national meet where she placed 5th overall. That experience, plus Jepkirui’s remarkable range from the 800 meters up to the 6k on the cross country course, is what makes this Cowgirl star so incredibly dangerous.
Jepkirui’s 4:10 (1500) PR will surely be improved upon this outdoor track season after she ran 4:27 for the mile and 8:49 for 3k during the winter months. But more importantly, her ability to thrive in championship settings and better utilize her experience is something that we throughout January, February and March.
Taylor Roe was the only one willing to challenge Florida’s Parker Valby in the 5k at the NCAA Indoor Championships, sitting on the Gator’s heels for more than half of the race before settling for a very well-deserved 2nd place finish.
That alone should be enough reason for her to be listed in our top-10.
With PRs of 15:12 (5k) and 33:02 (10k), Roe is clearly one not to be messed with on the outdoor oval. Her extensive experience, highly effectively racing IQ and underrated turnover have kept her in the conversation to win a second NCAA title.
Although, it may not be in the event that you're thinking of.
As the spring months unfold, don't be surprised if Roe puts a serious emphasis on the 10k due to Valby’s stronghold on the 5k. Roe will need to get closer to the 32:00 mark in the 10k to challenge the likes of Hilda Olemomoi and likely Doris Lemngole, but her recent winter campaign suggests that she's more than capable of matching them.
There are three certainties in life: Death, taxes and Hilda Olemomoi excelling over the longest possible racing distance that the NCAA offers in each season.
After a terrific indoor track season, it was finally time for the Alabama star to return to her favored distance. And sure enough, at the Stanford Invitational, Olemomoi returned to the 10k, clocking a strong 32:22 mark en route to a comfortable victory. And while that time wasn’t quite as fast as we expected it to be, it should be noted that we also anticipated the entire field to run slightly quicker as well.
With Florida’s Parker Valby firmly dominating the 5000 meters, could we witness Olemomoi seize a national title over the 25-lap distance? That certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility. What will be intriguing, however, is to see how fellow Crimson Tide star and aerobic ace Doris Lemngole fares when she makes the jump up in distance.
It was an indoor track season to remember for Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker as she was crowned as the NCAA champion over 800 meters. LSU’s Michaela Rose entered the race as the clear national title favorite, but it was Whittaker who left Boston with the gold after a brilliant display of poise, composure and patience.
Even though Whittaker is transitioning to the outdoor oval as a national champion, the Stanford star is going to have her work cut out for her if she hopes to pull off the double. Rose has shown remarkable consistency this year, consistently posting times under the two-minute barrier. That being said, Whittaker is also no stranger to breaking that barrier.
Whittaker kicked off her outdoor track campaign with a truthfully underwhelming 4:17 (1500) effort at the Stanford Invitational, a result that was only good enough for 8th place. Even so, we're not going to have any current concerns about someone who won a national title just one month ago.
Alabama newcomer Doris Lemngole has taken the NCAA by storm. The aerobic powerhouse was a force to be reckoned with on the grass and it was a similar story on the indoor oval. The Crimson Tide star earned two All-American finishes in Boston last month and her mark of 15:04 (5k) was also good enough to put her at NCAA #2 all-time, comfortably.
With such incredible prowess over the longer distances, we fully expected Lemngole, much like her teammate Hilda Olemomoi, to make an immediate transition to the 10k. However, the Crimson Tide star surprised us by opening her spring campaign with a 1500-meter effort on her home track. There, she produced a surprisingly strong 4:11 PR to claim victory.
That is a fantastic display of turnover from one of the most aerobic-centric athletes in the nation. A performance like this begs the question: Could that metric mile prowess be a factor on the national stage in the late stages of the 10k? How that race will unfold in June is still unclear, but Lemngole has now given us more reason to be encouraged about her turnover in comparison to a few other top-tier names.
Despite falling short at the NCAA Indoor Championships, LSU’s Michaela Rose still enters the outdoor track season as the favorite for the 800-meter title...depending on who you ask. Not only is Rose the defending outdoor half-mile champion, but nobody has been able to consistently run as fast as this Tiger standout has. In her career, she has broken the two-minute barrier on six separate occasions, three of which came this past winter.
Rose opened up her outdoor track season with an NCAA record over 600 meters, clocking a blistering 1:25 mark. She followed up that performance by stepping up in distance, recording a more-than-respectable 4:12 mark for 1500 meters. That latter mark was a very encouraging result, especially coming from an athlete who doesn’t often compete in the longer distances.
The LSU standout will be looking to overturn her silver medal from Boston, and by the way that she has started her season, it looks like she is well on her way to doing so.
In a perfect world, Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich will repeat as the 3000-meter steeplechase champion at the outdoor national meet. Of course, the senior still has to run the race, but after this past indoor track season, she’s proven that the title is hers for the taking.
The Fighting Irish superstar has been on a tear since finishing 3rd at the NCAA XC Championships. Markezich’s eye-catching PRs of 4:27 (mile) and 8:40 (3k) from the indoor oval should set her up well for the outdoor track season. It’s that speed and stamina that the senior has developed that will power her over the steeplechase barriers.
With a current 9:17 (steeple) PR, Markezich is oh-so-close to taking down Courtney Wayment’s 3k steeplechase collegiate record of 9:16. The Fighting Irish ace just needs the right race to earn her place in the record book -- and she could very easily find that over the next two months.
Harvard’s Maia Ramsden had a lethal kick at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 1500 meters that propelled her to her first national title. Since then, the junior has only gotten better (in pretty much every respect) when racing on the national stage.
Ramsden continues to raise her ceiling in the 1500 meters, especially after running 4:06 in the event at the World Athletics Indoor Championships just one week prior to winning the mile at the indoor national meet.
The Crimson star lands at TSR #2 as we enter the outdoor track season. Her range from the 1000 meters to the 5k is unmatched right now, making it challenging to see how she'll take a loss against collegiate competition this spring.
Whenever Parker Valby races, fans are almost always left awestruck.
The Florida superstar seemingly thrives off of pressure placed upon her (or simply doesn't feel it), making her borderline untouchable throughout this academic year.
Valby’s stronghold at the top of our TSR rankings continues as we enter the outdoor track season. Her race strategy of going out relatively conservative for the first few laps before throwing in a massive surge has led her to record-breaking performances and three NCAA titles in this academic year alone.
We’ve already seen what the junior is capable of in the 5k given her 14:52 PR from the past indoor track season. But with fewer turns to make on the outdoor oval, can the Florida ace dip under 14:50 for 5k?
And what about her potential in the 10k? Valby hasn’t contested the 10k yet in her career, but between her obvious long distance prowess, we wouldn’t be too surprised to see the Gator challenge (or surpass) Lisa Koll’s 31:18 (10k) NCAA record.
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson)
Carley Thomas (Washington)
Chloe Foerster (Washington)
Molly Born (Oklahoma State)
Amy Bunnage (Stanford)
Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)
Elise Thorner (Florida)
Amelia Mazza-Downie (Florida)
Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona)
Sophie O'Sullivan (Washington)
Sam Bush (NC State)
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)
Silan Ayyildiz (Oregon)
Sanu Jallow (Arkansas)
Kelly-Ann Beckford (Houston)
Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)
Wilma Nielsen (Washington)
Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)
Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)
Sadie Sargent (BYU)
Jenna Hutchins (BYU)
Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)
Rylee Penn (Louisville)
Olivia Howell (Texas)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Janette Schraft (Iowa State)
Teagan Schein-Becker (Rider)
Star Price (Virginia Tech)
Julia Nielsen (Bradley)
Tiana LoStracco (Arkansas)
Ainsley Erzen (Arkansas)
Ella Baran (Colorado)
Kate Jendrezak (UCLA)
Maisie Grice (Northern Arizona)
Marlena Preigh (Washington)
Kenzie Doyle (UMass Lowell)
Bailey Goggans (Texas A&M)
Judy Kosgei (South Carolina)
Molly Hudson (Boston College)
Laura Pellicoro (Portland)
Alyson Churchill (Northern Arizona)
Lucy Jenks (Stanford)
Esther Seeland (Virginia)
Anna Workman (Virginia)
Carmen Alder (BYU)
Kileigh Kane (Penn State)
Mia Barnett (Oregon)
Dalia Frias (Oregon)
Victoria Patterson (Oregon)
Notes
- N/A