TSR Collaboration
Apr 214 min
Written by Ian Dickenson & 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.
Don't see a top name? Click here, they may be listed as a redshirt this season.
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's hard to properly gauge how Maxime Touron will fare this spring compared to prior seasons. That's because the Northwest Missouri middle distance runner previously ran for Lindenwood last year and just underwent a major breakout season over the last few months.
Running 1:49 for 800 meters in March to place 5th in the 800-meter finals on the national stage is incredibly impressive. Touron also ran 2:25 for 1000 meters this past winter and showcased tremendous consistency, peaking for the postseason at meets beyond just the NCAA Championships.
In our eyes, this Bearcat All-American is one of the more complete half-milers in Division Two.
24. George Couttie, Freshman, Charleston (WV)
A season-opening 3:43 (1500) effort reaffirmed the notion that George Couttie is one of Division Two's fastest-rising stars. That is, assuming he remains at this level, considering that he's currently in the transfer portal.
The Englishman ran a new personal best over the metric mile distance that falls right in line with his recent 4:01 mile PR and 1:50 (800) personal best. And given he secured his first All-American honor at the indoor national meet after nearly doing so in the fall, Couttie seems to be on the kind of upward trajectory that should keep him in these rankings by season's end.
23. Kaleb Tipton, Junior, CSU-Pueblo
More casual observers of the sport would be forgiven for letting Kaleb Tipton fall to the back of mind. Let this serve as your reminder that he should be very much a factor over the coming months, specifically in the middle distances.
The CSU-Pueblo ace finished as an 800-meter All-American in the past two outdoor track campaigns and is in line to do so again this May after recently running 1:50 at altitude for the NCAA #2 mark this season.
22. Titouan Le Grix, Junior, Wingate
Titouan Le Grix is on an unrivaled heater.
Consider that the Wingate ace has competed at nine meets this academic year and ran personal bests in five of those. The meets where he didn't achieve that feat were his season opener on the grass, the cross country national meet (where he placed 29th), his conference meet this past winter (where he won a mile title) and the indoor national meet (where he finished 5th in the mile to become an All-American).
With a personal best 13:49 (5k) mark to open his outdoor track campaign, Le Grix has as much momentum as virtually anyone in these rankings. It's also worth noting that he's someone who frequented the steeplechase in past years, so we're excited to see how the rest of his season unfolds.
21. Soheil Boufrizi, Junior, Wingate
We're admittedly unsure where to place Soheil Boufrizi in our inaugural outdoor track rankings, but this feels like a fair landing point.
His seasonal debut -- a 14:08 (5k) effort that was good, but not great -- left us wanting a bit more, especially after a torrid start to the indoor track season in which Boufrizi ran PRs in his first three races across three different distances.
Even so, that recent 5000-meter effort was hardly a bad result. Plus, the 5k probably isn't Boufrizi's optimal racing distance (despite what a 10th-place finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships suggests). He was comfortably an All-American in the 3000 meters just a few weeks ago and ran 8:49 in the 3000-meter steeplechase last spring, so we may see him return to that event soon.
20. Jared Gregoire, Sophomore, MSU-Moorhead
Jared Gregoire is another name who you may have forgotten about after he sat out the past indoor track season. Even so, he should soon reemerge as one of the best middle distance talents in Division Two.
We're still waiting for Gregoire to begin his spring season. However, when we saw him last, he was competing in his first collegiate cross country campaign. A return to the outdoor oval should suit him well given that he finished with a bronze medal over 1500 meters last spring (yes, as a freshman) after competing in the 800 meters at the 2023 indoor national meet.
Tactically, Gregoire is ahead of schedule (by a lot) and his speed is shockingly refined across both of the major middle distance races. If someone argued with us that he should be ranked higher, we wouldn't totally disagree.
19. Prince Mcabelo, Junior, West Texas A&M
Prince Mcabelo admirably filled what was a vacuum in the 800 meters beyond superstar Wes Ferguson, emerging as one of the foremost breakout stars over the distance by earning top-half All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
That was an ideal finish to Mcabelo's first track season at the NCAA level after moving up from the JUCO ranks this academic year. While just over two seconds off of his PR in the event, a 1:51.16 (800) mark this past weekend (in which he finished in the middle of a D1 field) was a solid season-opening effort in that event and fell right in line with his newfound heightened expectations.
18. Josh Pierantoni, Senior, Colorado Christian
The recently concluded indoor track season, in which he doubled at the national meet and earned one backend All-American finish, was both Josh Pierantoni's best winter campaign of his extensive NCAA career and a strong reintroduction after sitting out the fall months.
That being said, there's reason to believe that he could be even greater over the coming months -- maybe by a significant amount. Pierantoni earned top-five finishes in both the 5k and the 10k at the 2023 outdoor national meet and wasted little time starting his 2024 spring season. The CCU veteran ran an altitude-converted 29:03 mark in the latter distance, which was 40 seconds faster than his unconverted 10,000-meter PR.
The value of Pierantoni's resume expands in major way with the introduction of the 10k. And if this past winter was arguably his most successful indoor track season to date, then what does that mean for the spring months where he is undeniably better?
17. Tyler Nord, Sophomore, Western Colorado
On the heels of a slightly underwhelming indoor track season (relative to expectations), it was reassuring to see Tyler Nord post a pair of PRs in his spring debut. Most notably, he pushed superstar teammate Simon Kelati over 1500 meters and came away with both a PR. Nord's 3:43 conversion sits at NCAA #5 this season.
Nord's upside is even higher than what this ranking suggests. However, we're a bit less bullish on his short-term trajectory compared to some of his peers considering that Nord was better in the winter than the spring months last academic year.
16. James Dunne, Junior, Adams State
The past few months signaled James Dunne's rise from a versatile, nationally competitive name to a proven All-American star. Dunne had shown flashes of brilliance and competed on the national stage in years past, but he put it all together this past winter with a few monstrous mile results.
First, Dunne dropped an altitude-converted 3:56 mile mark before backing up that result with an unconverted 3:57 effort at Boston U. He concluded his season with a 4th-place finish in the same event at the indoor national meet. This Grizzly ace seemed to find an optimal racing distance in the opening months of 2024 and now appears set to cut down on his already-impressive 3:41 metric mile personal best.
15. Jagger Zlotoff, Rs. Sophomore, UC-Colorado Springs
Jagger Zlotoff is a mile star first and foremost, but he's shown the ability to capably move up in distance, especially as of late.
The Mountain Lion finished just outside of All-American placement (45th) at the 2023 cross country national meet, was competitive over 3000 meters at the RMAC Indoor Championships and, most recently, ran an altitude-converted 14:10 (5k) mark to open his outdoor track season.
These recent displays of stamina are positive developments for this strength-based miler who has posted All-American finishes in the mile or 1500 meters at the past three national meets on the track (including a bronze medal this past March).
14. Albert Hesse, Sophomore, Western Colorado
While he has a different skillset than those middle distance stars, much of what we wrote for Kaleb Tipton and Jared Gregoire could be repeated for Albert Hesse. The Western Colorado talent also sat out during the indoor track season, but is primed for a spring campaign that could smash expectations.
This steeplechase star was the national meet runner-up in his primary event last year. He competed in the steeplechase four times last spring, producing an 8:53 PR, so we're eager to see the Mountaineer man take to that race again soon, especially with another year of experience under his belt.
13. William Amponsah, Junior, West Texas A&M
The option to increase in racing distance on the outdoor oval should be a welcome development for William Amponsah. He won a cross country national title in his debut NCAA season this past fall and can now contest that same 10,000-meter distance at another national meet six months later.
Amponsah may not be the same runner on the track as he is on the grass. But double All-American finishes between the 3000 meters and the 5000 meters this winter bodes well for his potential in a 10k/5k double which should lie even more within his strengths.
12. Matthew Storer, Rs. Sophomore, Colorado Christian
Matthew Storer looks to be trending toward a hugely successful track season. After all, he was a bronze medalist at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships and a double All-American this past winter.
However, when you consider that he was a double top-half All-American last spring and just ran this season's NCAA #2 mark for 10,000 meters -- which was a PR and victory over a loaded field -- Storer may be trending toward his first national title.
11. Jan Lukas Becker, Senior, Mississippi College
The indoor track season can be less hospitable to true long distance specialists, but we still would have liked to see more from Jan Lukas Becker. After all, he placed 3rd in the 5k at the 2023 indoor national meet before finishing 13th there this winter.
Even so, he's the reigning 10k national champion and had a strong cross country season, so it’s difficult to view this Mississippi College veteran as anything other than a national title contender. The outdoor track season will allow him to stretch his legs and leverage his strength, particularly in a wide-open 10,000-meter field.
10. Harry Ross-Hughes, Sophomore, Lake Erie
Harry Ross-Hughes is one of the younger athletes in our top-25 rankings and that’s why he’s such an exciting prospect. Not often do you get such immediate, consistent success in the 800 meters, but he’s shown to be the best of the underclassmen irrespective of his event.
There will be rivals lining up to fill the gap that Wes Ferguson leaves when he finishes his college career, but Ross-Hughes should be one of the favorites to do so. He’s exhibited a high level of maturity and race tactics that clearly serve him well in championship settings. We feel confident that this young Brit will continue to prove his ability in the months and years to come.
9. Juan Diego Castro, Junior, Azusa Pacific
We haven’t seen too much of Juan Diego Castro against Division Two competition. Since transferring to Azusa Pacific, he had a modest cross country campaign and an abbreviated indoor track season.
But given what he did at the Division One level during his time at Oklahoma State, we know that he’s a potential superstar at this level. The APU newcomer has middle distance chops that rival those of Miguel Coca, which is to say he's as good between the 800 meters and the 1500 meters/mile as virtually anyone in D2 (on paper).
That's been evident at the advent of this spring season. Castro opened March with a 1:50 win over 800 meters before running 3:40 and 3:42 for 1500 meters in successive races while doubling in both. He still hasn't reached his lofty PRs (including a 1:48 mark for 800 meters), and his 3:57 mile personal best suggests that he's capable of cracking the 3:40 barrier.
We know what Castro's potential looks like, and his early outdoor track success this spring has satiated our desire to see him truly race and compete in his optimal events for the first time in over two years. Now, we're looking ahead with cautious optimism at his seemingly limitless potential.
8. Ricardo Barbosa, Junior, Wingate
Now that it’s time for the outdoor track season, we have a few steeplechasers popping into the rankings. Ricardo Barbosa made his entrance into this list emphatically with an 8:42 PR against a number of pro athletes.
The Wingate standout was solid during the winter months, reaching the national meet in the 3k and placing 12th, but Barbosa is really a steeplechase specialist. He was a multi-time NJCAA (JUCO) champion in the event and that 8:42 mark (his second time running that fast) puts at NCAA #1 this season.
A gold medal in Barbosa's first outdoor track season in the NCAA will not be an easy feat by any means. Caleb Futter just had his best season yet and reigning champion Reece Smith appears to be back. Adding Barbosa to those two makes for an exhilarating trio of headliners in the event.
7. David Cardenas, Senior, Adams State
Competing in the same event as peer Wes Ferguson over the past few years, David Cardenas has yet to capture an individual national title. It won't be any easier to do so this season, but another silver medal is well within reach.
Cardenas is a true veteran and after his outdoor track season was cut short last year, it will be exciting to see how he races this spring after a great indoor national meet showing in which he also helped the Grizzlies to a DMR national title.
Coming off a 1:48 (800) PR on the national stage, Cardenas has never looked better.
6. Romain Legendre, Junior, Adams State
Romain Legendre opened his outdoor track season in impressive fashion just as he did during the winter months, running an altitude-converted 3:40 (1500) mark at the New Mexico Spring Invitational two weekends ago which put him at NCAA #1 in that event this season.
It almost feels unfair to place Legendre at TSR #6 with how good he is. This is an indoor 5k collegiate record holder who just placed 2nd in that event at the indoor national meet. We did see a shaky performance from him at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships, but that was his first race on the national stage as an NCAA athlete.
He ultimately lands outside of our top-five because each of the following athletes has won at least one national title. That being said, this Frenchman has some of the most promise of any runner on this list and could opt for the 1500 meters/5k double after producing that aforementioned metric mile mark that complements an altitude-converted 3:56.05 mile from the winter.
5. Reece Smith, Senior, NW Missouri
Reece Smith is a name we haven’t seen in a while, but that doesn't mean that he should be counted out. He’s the back-to-back steeplechase national champion, after all. So if he can regain his form after so much time off (he hasn't raced collegiately since May), then he will be the favorite in the event.
In fact, we'd argue that he holds that mantle as soon as he debuts this season.
Smith hasn’t had such an extensive absence from racing before, so it will be a challenge to return to the highest level of performance. However, he's been a consistent contender for a while and is one of the more well-rounded steeplechase studs in recent memory with both speed (1:52 for 800 meters) and strength (13:50 for 5k). The two-time national champion will need both, as he has some formidable rivals in Barbosa and the next runner in our rankings...
4. Caleb Futter, Senior, Grand Valley State
We underestimated Caleb Futter before his national title in the mile last month. We’re not making that same mistake this time around.
The Grand Valley State senior has both a ferocious kick and some of the best times on the distance scene. He was one of the few steeplechasers to show out during the indoor track season and if that’s any indication, then he could be dominant over the water pits and barriers this season.
Futter did just lose to Ricardo Barbosa at the Raleigh Relays, but he still ran 8:46 which, frankly, doesn’t make us too concerned about his ability or fitness. He’s coming off of a long season of "flat" running and this is an event where early-season performances don’t always correlate to championship success (which is not to say that they don't at all).
We also know that he likely has the best finishing speed in the field as a sub-4:00 miler. Would Futter consider doubling back in the 1500 meters to increase his chances at his first outdoor national title?
3. Simon Kelati, Rs. Junior, Western Colorado
Similar to the next man on the list, Simon Kelati is one of the most complete runners around. Even after 1st-place and 3rd-place finishes in the 3k and 5k, respectively, at the 2024 indoor national meet, Kelati still looks best suited for the 1500/5k double on the national stage after procuring double All-American honors in those events last spring.
The Western Colorado superstar delivered an auspicious start to this spring campaign, winning a tight metric mile race in 3:48 (unconverted). No matter which event he chooses to focus on, Kelati will have some outstanding competition, but we now know that he can rise to the occasion as more than just an All-American favorite.
2. Hamza Chahid, Sophomore, Wingate
After the stunning indoor national meet that Hamza Chahid just had, he has solidified himself as one of the best distance runners in the nation. Which events he decides to focus on is the real question now as he has shown phenomenal talent in basically every distance discipline aside from the half-mile.
At Raleigh Relays last weekend, he ran the 10,000 meters and posted an elite time of 28:37 which is currently NCAA #1. That came in stark contrast to his 2023 outdoor track season, where he never contested the 10k and instead primarily focused on the 1500 meters. If early indications hold true, it appears Chahid is hewing closer to the upper range of his 3k/5k optimal racing distance(s).
Chahid ran 13:33 (5k) last April and just won a national title in that event. What might he be capable of over 5000 meters this spring?
1. Wes Ferguson, Rs. Senior, Nebraska-Kearney
No surprise here. Wes Ferguson starts this outdoor track season ranked at TSR #1 as the biggest national title favorite in any individual distance event just as he was during the indoor track season.
As a reminder, Ferguson has only lost three (non-prelim) 800-meter races since he started his collegiate track career in 2021. He’s already opened his outdoor track campaign with a 1:47.78 (800) mark on his home track, a time that very few of his competitors have ever run, and it’s still far from his personal best.
Ferguson has looked unchallenged this year as he has for much of his career.
One might imagine that he'll be looking for the one and only feat that has eluded him: a Division Two record. The 1:45 man appears capable of reaching the historic D2 outdoor mark of 1:45.24. Even so, he’s shown that he’s not as interested in chasing times as he is in winning national titles. If anything, a potential record attempt may come on the national stage.
N/A
KICKED OFF
N/A
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Dylan Madison (Ashland)
Duncan Fuehne (Colorado Mines)
Dominic Suliman (Saginaw Valley State)
Awet Beraki (Adams State)
Mason Strader (Pittsburg State)
Josphat Meli (Harding)
Scott Spaanstra (Grand Valley State)
Paul Knight (Colorado Mines)
Angel Luera (Dallas Baptist)
Dillan Haviland (Northwood)
Kevin McDermott (Western Washington)
Ryan Hartman (Augustana (SD))
Alberto Campa (Colorado Mines)
Braxton Bruer (MSU-Moorhead)
Sam Wilhelm (Alabama-Huntsville)
Dayton Brown (Adams State)
Aziz Mohamed (West Texas A&M)
Tanner Chada (Grand Valley State)
Benjamin Sumner (Azusa Pacific)
Logan Bocovich (Colorado Mines)
Nixon Korir (Azusa Pacific)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Jacob Hatcher (Lee (Tenn.))
Koby Fraaza (Grand Valley State)
Harry Louradour (West Texas A&M)
Louis Moreau (West Texas A&M)
Dawson Gunn (Colorado Mines)
Cas Kopmels (Wingate)
Daniel Appleford (Colorado Mines)
Ramen Felumlee (Cedarville)
Warren Thiel (Charleston (WV))
Brock Drengenberg (Colorado Mines)
John O'Malley (Colorado Mines)
Nicolas Melendres (Azusa Pacific)
Drew Dailey (Shippensburg)
Ethan Lang (Fort Hays State)
Zach Van Brocklin (Nebraska-Kearney)
Lewis Cotterill (Tiffin)
Noah Bernarding (California (PA))
Patrick Lyell (Grand Valley State)
Jordan Foster (Findlay)
Enrico Oddone (West Texas A&M)
Aris Houston (Cal Poly Humboldt)
Trever Medina (Fort Hays State)
Titus Lagat (Lee (Tenn.))
Shannon Turner (Cal St. Los Angeles)
Drew Weber (Western Washington)
Jakob Rettschlag (Wingate)
Trent Cochran (Colorado Christian)
Alexander Vance (Colorado Christian)
Elliot Dotson (Anderson (SC))
Noah Fisher (Findlay)
Scott Nutter (Wingate)
Nick Melanese (San Marcos)
JP Rutledge (Colorado Mines)
Ero Doce (Stanislaus State)
Felix Perrier (Azusa Pacific)
Mitchel Dunham (Walsh)
Evan Horgan (Lewis)
Cortland Ross (Illinois-Springfield)
Cole Nash (Alaska Anchorage)
Notes
- Miguel Coca (Adams State) recently ran unattached at New Mexico Spring Invite. And with him not listed on Adams State roster for this spring, we are under the impression that he will not be racing as a collegian this season.
- Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo) and Loïc Scomparin (Colorado Mines) are both listed as redshirt/unattached athletes on TFRRS. As such, they're not featured in our rankings but would otherwise have strong cases for top-10 placement.