2019 D1 Indoor Top 25 Rankings (Women): Preseason (Part One)

Written by Sam Ivanecky and Maura Beattie

Want to know how we rank certain athletes? Click here to learn more.

See who our Just Missed and Honorable Mentions names are by clicking here.

TSR contributors may value certain aspects and ranking criteria differently between men and women when constructing our Indoor Top 25...

25. Dorcas Wasike, Rs. Junior, Louisville

Wasike has not raced since last spring at ACC's and while her talent is undeniable, her absence is concerning.

In 2018, Wasike finished 14th at the Cross Country National Championships after a very strong season where she was contending with the likes of Kelati and Kurgat. She opened up her 2019 indoor track season at the BU Season Opener and ran a personal best of 15:25 for 5000 meters before eventually placing 9th in the same event at Indoor Nationals.

Once she got to outdoors, things were a different story. Wasike toed the line for a 5k race and 10k race before ACC's, running 48 and 77 seconds slower than her personal bests. She dropped out of the 10,000 meters at ACC's and has since been absent from the Louisville lineup.

If Wasike can find her form from last track season, she could be a major contender in the 5000 meters this indoor season. Of course, that is a big “if”, but we should know quickly what kind of shape Wasike is in.

24. Aubrey Roberts, Rs. Junior, Northwestern

Aubrey Roberts has been steadily climbing the ranks since her freshman season and could be one of the top contenders in the 5000 meters this indoor season.

After finishing 18th at the Cross Country National Championships in 2018, Roberts quickly transitioned to the track and ran a huge personal best of 15:32 at the BU Season Opener. The Northwestern star ended up placing 10th at Indoor Nationals in the same event that season.

Roberts' outdoor season did not look quite as strong as she was unable to qualify for NCAA's. She did not run cross country this past fall, so it is unclear as to what kind of fitness she will enter the indoor season with. If Roberts is able to put together a season like what we saw last winter, then she could be looking at an All-American result come March.

23. Kristie Schoffield, Junior, Boise State

Schoffield is one of the more underrated athletes on the track and it’s easy to forget that she ran 2:02 for 800 meters last spring. She qualified for both the indoor and outdoor national meets as only a sophomore where she eventually finished 6th to become an All-American at the Outdoor National Championships. She also owns a quietly strong 1000 meter personal best of 2:48.

Schoffield has potential to double in the DMR and 800 meters at Nationals again this indoor season, but based on 2019, sticking to only one event may be the better option. After really finding her groove during the outdoor season, Schoffield looks like a dark horse in the ever-unpredictable 800 meters this indoor season. With a seasonal best of 2:04 from last winter, all signs point to her replicating her success from 2019 over the next few months.

22. Elly Henes, Senior, NC State

There was a lot to like about Elly Henes last winter. She earned flat-track conversions of 9:01 (3k) and 15:34 (5k) and even dropped down to the mile to show off her speed by running a 4:38. Don't forget, she also ran 15:31 last outdoor season (unattached).

Although she was only 15th and 14th in those respective events at the Indoor National Championships, she’s coming off of an even better cross country season and should have a very strong chance of not only qualifying for those races in 2020, but finishing inside the top eight as well.

The only scenario where Henes doesn’t run both distance events is if NC State puts together a DMR that includes Henes (which is very possible if the Wolfpack can find a reliable 800 meter leg). Otherwise, expect to see her back in the multi-lap affair this winter.

21. Hannah Steelman, Junior, Wofford

Last winter was where Steelman really began to thrive, qualifying for her first national meet on the track and placing 8th in a very deep 3000 meter field. The Wofford junior followed that up with two top 10 finishes at the Outdoor National Championships where she was 3rd in the steeplechase and 8th in the 5000 meters.

Steelman is coming off of the best cross country season of her career after placing 23rd at NCAA's. She'll likely be a contender yet again in the 3000 and 5000 meter distances this winter. Her consistency, clear progression, and postseason accolades make her a strong favorite for our Preseason Top 25.

20. Susan Ejore, Rs. Senior, Oregon

There’s a lot to like about Ejore heading into the indoor track season. She has the ability to compete on a national scale in both the 800 meters or the mile and minus her national meet, is coming off of the best cross country season of her career.

Last indoor season, Ejore was one of the best milers in the country, running a 4:34 at the MPSF Indoor Championships, barely finishing runner-up to Erica Birk-Jarvis. Although she failed to advance to the finals at NCAA's, she did run on Oregon’s DMR which won the national title. Throw in times of 2:44 (1000) and 2:05, and it becomes clear that Ejore is a dynamic talent who can challenge even the fastest women in the country.

Ejore continued to find success later that spring where she placed 4th at NCAA's in the 800 meters by running a personal best of 2:02. She even showed off her range by running 16:13 for 5000 meters at the PAC-12 Championships.

Simply put, this Oregon ace can do it all.

This indoor season, we could see Ejore in any number of events including the 800, mile, and DMR. Who knows? Maybe we'll see her move up to the 3000 meters. Her ability to race multiple events and still be a favorite for an All-American finish makes her a strong Top 25 candidate.

19. Carley Thomas, Freshman, Washington

Thomas will be somewhat of an unknown heading into the indoor season since she is coming from Australia and has not competed in an NCAA sanctioned event before. Of course, she won't be an unknown for much longer. Thomas enters the NCAA with personal bests of 2:01 in the 800 and has split 51.4 in the 400.

Not only that, but Thomas has major experience on some of the world's biggest stages, having toed the line at the IAAF World Championships, World Junior Championships, and London Diamond League...so the NCAA Championships won't exactly be too big of a stage for this Washington frosh.

We have Thomas ranked at TSR #19 simply because we want to see how she handles racing during indoors compared to outdoors. There is no question that her talent puts her in the upper-echelon of the NCAA, but emulating those same performances on the indoor oval isn't as easy as it may sound.

The Huskies' first scheduled meet is the Boston University Season Opener, but we do not expect Thomas to race here because this meet is more known for its 3k/5k races. The UW Indoor Preview in January should be Thomas’ season debut.

18. Avi'Tal Wilson-Perteete, Junior, UNLV

Wilson-Perteete qualified for the indoor national meet in 2018, but failed to return a year later. The UNLV middle distance ace used that setback as momentum to not only qualify for Outdoor Nationals, but also earn the top time in the NCAA with a mark of 2:02.41. She would later put UNLV on the map with a bronze medal during the outdoor season.

And the best part? That 2:02.41 isn't even her personal best. Back in 2018, Wilson-Perteete ran 2:01.14 at the NCAA West Preliminaries.

The major reason we haven't ranked her higher is simply due to the disparity between her outdoor performances and indoor performances. Wilson-Perteete only qualified for an indoor national meet once (back in 2018) and when she did, she finished second to last in that race.

There's no question that she's a top-tier middle distance runner, but can she show the same level of talent refinement this winter that we saw from Danae Rivers, Rachel Pocratsky, and Nia Akins last year? Only time will tell.

17. Martha Bissah, Senior, Norfolk State

Unlike many of the women ranked around her, Bissah is likely to focus on only one event this indoor season. The Norfolk State senior finished 5th at Indoor Nationals in the 800 meters last winter and will be one of the favorites to win it all this go around.

Let's not forget that she also owned the fastest time for 800 meters in the NCAA last year with a flat-track converted mark of 2:02.58. With a personal best of 2:45 for 1000 meters, it seems safe to say that Bissah is one of the elite middle distance runners in the NCAA.

Although 2019 was Bissah’s first time competing at the indoor national meet, she actually has two top 10 finishes in the same event at the Outdoor National Championships. She finished the spring of 2018 with a 6th place All-American result, but dropped to 9th in 2019, one spot out of earning the same honor.

16. Anna Rohrer, Rs. Senior, Notre Dame

Roher earns a place in our Top 25 thanks to a career highlighted by strong All-American finishes. On the indoor oval, she has finished 4th (2016) and 3rd (2017) in the 5000 meters at the National Championships. That 2017 performance resulted in a monster personal best of 15:29.

The Notre Dame redshirt senior has only run indoor track in two of the past four years, but has always risen to the occasion when she toes the line. Rohrer is coming off a solid cross country season where she finished 17th at NCAA's which followed her second All-American honor in the 10,000 meters last spring.

Over the past four years, Rohrer has consistently put herself in contention every time she steps on a national stage. Her lowest finish on the track was a 16th place run in the 10,000 meters back in 2017. She isn't afraid to push the pace and although it may not always result in the win, she'll often be rewarded with an All-American result.

15. Sage Hurta, Rs. Senior, Colorado

It’s been quite a while since Hurta has stepped onto the track in a Colorado uniform. The last time she competed on the track as a Buffalo was May of 2018 at the NCAA West Preliminaries. Back then, Hurta was focused on the steeplechase. However, based on recent results, a shift towards the 800 meters or mile seems more likely.

Hurta ran unattached during the 2019 outdoor season and put up marks that would have easily ranked her among the NCAA elites, running times of 2:00.99 in the 800 meters and 4:09.37 in the 1500 meters. Only two women ran faster in the 1500 during the NCAA season and no one bettered her mark in the 800.

Hurta has incredible range, and could theoretically run anything from the 800 meters to the 5000 meters depending on what her and the CU coaches decide on.

On paper, Hurta is clearly a top-tier talent, but we opted to hold her out of our Top 10 until we see her translate her success from last spring to indoors.

14. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas

Gregory is one of the more underrated and consistent top distance runners in the NCAA. The Arkansas redshirt sophomore has proven herself on the national stage and has the times to back it up.

At the 2019 Indoor National Championships, Gregory was 7th in the 3000 meters and 10th in the mile. However, it was the times that were arguably even more impressive, running 4:32 for the mile that year and then 8:55 for the 3k. With a 1000 meter PR of 2:44 and a 5k personal best of 15:42, it may be safe to suggest that almost no one in the NCAA has the same kind of range that Gregory does...almost.

Gregory had a tough cross country season, supposedly rebounding from an injury. Because of that, we have opted to hold her out of our Top 10 until we can see that she is at 100% again.