2021 D1 Indoor Top 25 Rankings (Men): Update #2

With a month to go until the indoor national meet, TSR has made the decision to remove any athletes who have not yet competed on the indoor oval this year from these Top 25 rankings.

KEY

(Unranked):

Was not ranked in our last update.

(#/#):

First number indicates how much the individual has moved in the rankings.

The second number indicates where they were ranked in our last update.

25. Finley McLear, Sophomore, Miami-Ohio (Unranked)

In prior articles, we had talked about the exciting consistency of Finley McLear and how he was emerging as a true national contender in the 800 meters. Sure enough, after multiple instances of running 1:48, the Miami (Ohio) RedHawk solidified his place in the upper-echelon of collegiate middle distance talents by dropping a personal best of 1:47.47 this past weekend.

McLear always had consistency and has been able to challenge a handful of top names (on occasion) throughout his career. Even so, this time really gives McLear's resume a spark and allows to standout in an event that is just as deep as any other year.

24. Aaron Bienenfeld, Senior, Cincinnati (Unranked)

Bienenfeld proved to be a lethal long distance ace during his time overseas last summer and he's been great in cross country. However, we've been waiting for him to post a top time on the indoor oval at the NCAA level. Luckily, we finally got that from him this past weekend as he dropped a statement win in the 3000 meters with a time of 7:50.

During most years, that 7:50 would garner more attention than it currently does. However, last year, the 3000 meters was far more top-heavy than it has been historically. Either way, this was the first time in a while that we've seen Bienenfeld post a time that is truly indicative of his true fitness. He may prosper from a fast time at the indoor national meet given how many guys could be willing to make the race fast from the gun.

23. Baylor Franklin, Senior, Ole Miss (-1 / 22)

Much like teammate Everett Smulders, this Ole Miss senior has been a dynamic talent between the 800 meters and the mile. Franklin has the slightly better 800 PR with a mark of 1:48.59, but is just a tick behind Smulders in the mile after his recent personal best of 3:59.

A sub-four miler with a sub-1:49 800 personal best is not easy to come by despite what this season may suggest. Franklin can do no wrong and seems to be riding the momentum of the success that we've seen from Ole Miss' middle distance group as of late.

22. Gilbert Boit, Senior, Arkansas (+1 / 23)

The Arkansas distance talent has just been too good in too many events to not be in our rankings. Running 4:02 in the mile and then coming back the next week to run 7:53 for 3000 meters would already put him in consideration for a ranking.

However, after running 13:40 for 5000 meters this past weekend, Boit has a resume with enough range and consistency to solidify his spot in our Top 25 this week.

We knew that Boit was an established talent given his past success with the Razorbacks, but he has never had this much momentum and has never been this consistent when posting top times.

21. Eric Hamer, Senior, Colorado State (Unranked)

Seeing Eric Hamer run 14:16 for 5000 meters on Colorado Mines' indoor track is wildly impressive as that is not an easy place to run. Following altitude and track conversions, Hamer was given a converted mark of 13:36 for his effort.

That was an impressive mark, but in an attempt to validate his fitness, Hamer came back at the Iowa State Classic and dropped a 13:37 to take home a comfortable win.

Running two 5000 meter races as fast as Hamer did in back-to-back weeks is not easy, especially considering he was the relatively comfortable winner in both races. Most top athletes have only gone after just one 5k race this season, but Hamer went after two 5k races in the span of a week.

We're hoping that durability and consistency follows him into the indoor national meet.

20. Everett Smulders, Senior, Ole Miss (-4 / 16)

So far this season, Smulders has run 1:48.75 for 800 meters and 3:58.73 for the mile. Those times rank him at NCAA #16 and NCAA #17, respectively. It's crazy to think that with a month of competition to go, Smulders may be in a position where he doesn't qualify for the indoor national meet outside of the DMR.

That, however, hasn't made him any less talented. Running 1:48.75 and throwing down back-to-back 3:58's is a mix of range and consistency that deserves plenty of respect. Sure, there may be guys with faster 800 meter times or faster mile times, but only Hunter, Hedeilli, Hocker and Diego Castro have had the same success in both events that Smulders has had.

19. Cooper Williams, Senior, Indiana (-5 / 14)

Cooper Williams has been the definition of consistency this season, running 1:48 a total of three times! When it comes to analysis at TSR, we love consistency. It's nice to have a good performance once, but can you do it again? For Cooper Williams, he has answered that question with a resounding, "Yes".

Even so, the Indiana ace has yet to run under 1:48 this season and although his consistency has been encouraging, his seasonal resume seems to lack a spark right now. However, his 4:03 mile from a couple of weeks ago was a nice display of range for a guy who usually doesn't venture higher than the 1000 meters.

18. George Kusche, Junior, Nebraska (-6 / 12)

It seems a bit crazy that Kusche could run a flat-track converted 3:59, come back a week later to run 3:57 over a field of established BIG 10 milers and STILL drop six spots in our rankings. Unfortunately, that's just what happens when the mile is the most top-heavy it's ever been and deeper than we expected it to be this winter.

Even so, Kusche is an established top talent who has (essentially) run under four minutes in back-to-back weeks. In past seasons, he has also run top marks in the 800 meters and the 3k and his most recent win was far better than some people may give him credit for.

He may be dropping in our rankings, but don't be mistaken, Kusche's recent results suggest that he is only trending upwards.

17. Eliud Kipsang, Rs. Freshman, Alabama (Unranked)

Prior to February 5th, Kipsang seemed like a respectable distance talent who would eventually get lost in the depth of the national leaderboard. At that point, he had run 8:01 for 3000 meters and 4:02 for the mile. Those were solid times, but they weren't going to get him ranked.

Then, something clicked.

Kipsang threw down a 3:57 mile personal best out of nowhere, dominating his race and establishing himself as a name to watch. It was a stunning performance, but it also made us question if he would be able to do it again or build off the momentum of that result.

And sure enough, he did just that. This past weekend, Kipsang toed the line for the 3000 meters and dipped under the 8:00 barrier, running 7:58 and securing a win over a few respectable talents from Texas.

However, the even more impressive performance was seeing him come back the very next day to record yet another personal best in the mile, this time improving his PR to 3:56.

That's a wildly impressive weekend double, not just because he ran fast, but because it signals that Kipsang can properly handle running in multiple fast races over the span of two days. That's important when it comes to getting through the prelims at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

16. Colton Johnsen, Senior, Washington State (Unranked)

The Washington State senior displayed quietly impressive range last winter, but didn't really have any singular performance that jumped off the page. That, however, has changed this year as Johnsen can seemingly do everything at an incredibly high level.

After running 7:56 for 3000 meters a week ago, Johnsesn returned to the track to have back-to-back races that were the best of his career. He beat out an entire contingent of established Washington runners in the 5000 meters to record a mark of 13:43 and then came back the next day to drop a massive personal best of 3:57 in the mile.

Right now, Johnsen is hitting every major category that we could ask for. He's taking down top names, running fast times, displaying promising consistency and showing off range that most top NCAA talents are unable to replicate.

This guy is on fire right now and truthfully, he may deserve to be ranked higher than where he is right now.

15. Juan Diego Castro, Junior, Oklahoma State (Unranked)

It has been a crazy past two weeks for the Oklahoma State standout. We knew that he was a strong middle distance talent, but he has elevated himself to an entirely new level. Running 3:57 against a loaded field and later coming back a week later to run an altitude converted 1:47.98 is pretty special.

Neither of those times match the firepower that we've seen out of other elite mile/800 runners like Hunter or Hedeilli, but Diego Castro looks like he's on a hot streak right now. His 800 mark seems to follow the expected trajectory of improvement, but his 3:57 mile gives his resume an overall spark that it didn't have before.

There's potential that he could possibly match up against Gomez and Hedeilli at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships later this winter in something like the 800 meters or the 1000 meters. That would potentially give us a better idea of where he belongs in the NCAA hierarchy of middle distance stars.

14. Reed Brown, Rs. Junior, Oregon (-3 / 11)

It seems a bit absurd that a 3:56 miler can't crack our top-10, but that's just what happens when everyone in the NCAA runs a lot faster than they were supposed to. Still, Brown looks sharp and a recent 1:49 mark in the 800 meters is a small (but encouraging) step in the right direction. There's not much to say here, but we like what he's bringing to the table this winter.

13. Wesley Kiptoo, Junior, Iowa State (-5 / 8)

A strong time of 7:48 for 3000 meters earlier this season was encouraging, but a recent DNF in the men's 5000 meters at the Iowa State Classic has left Kiptoo's resume a bit bare at this point in the season. With a month to go, we probably need to see a bit more from him if we're going to give Kiptoo a better ranking.

Yes, his drop in the rankings seems harsh, but that's what happens when other athletes run just as fast in their respective events or how have raced more than once.

12. Waleed Suliman, Senior, Ole Miss (+3 / 15)

After a 3k season opener which matched his personal best of 7:54, Suliman dropped down to his best distance (the mile) and secured an outstanding personal best of 3:55. He took down an elite field which featured not only three of his sub-four Ole Miss teammates, but also a 3:57 miler in Davis Bove and a two-time 3:59 miler in Cameron Ponder.

We know Suliman is amongst some of the best and most dynamic distance talents in the NCAA and we would love to see what he could do in the 800 meters later this season. That said, how he performs at the NCAA Indoor Championships (if they actually pursues that meet) is going to be the real determinant in terms of where he ends the season.

11. Brandon Garnica, Junior, BYU (Unranked)

10. Casey Clinger, Rs. Freshman, BYU (Unranked)

These two were extremely difficult to rank. Running 13:28 (Clinger) and 13:29 (Garnica) are top-tier performances and with the exception of last year, those times would typically sit atop of the 5k national leaderboard by season end.

When looking at these results in the grand scheme of things, these were breakout performances. We knew Clinger was capable of eventually running this kind of time, but I personally didn't think it would happen this season. Garnica was talented, but I didn't at all think that he was going to be a 13:29 runner.

We still need to see them post another top time in a different event (maybe the 3k?) to give their overall seasonal resumes the necessary boost. Still, these were incredibly fast times that shouldn't be lost in the craziness of the mile this past weekend.

9. Jason Gomez, Rs. Sophomore, Iowa State (+4 / 13)

I can understand any debates about Kiptoo being ranked ahead of Gomez, but right now, Gomez has just done more in a variety of different events. He's run 1:47 for 800 meters, ran 2:49 for 1200 meters (edging out 3:50 miler Cole Hocker in the process) and recently posted a time of 2:19 for 1000 meters this past weekend.

The newest Iowa State star has consistently challenged (and in some cases, beaten) his highly accomplished unattached teammates and has made a level of improvement that is unmatched by anyone else in the NCAA right now.

Gomez seems like an easy name to win our "Most Improved" award.

8. Amon Kemboi, Rs. Senior, Arkansas (+1 / 9)

So far this season, Amon Kemboi has run 2:23 (1k), 3:58 (mile), 7:52 (3k) and 13:38 (5k). He has been slowly moving up in distance over the past month and a half and has yet to have a bad race. The recent success of guys like Davis Bove and Adriaan Wildschutt only makes Kemboi's resume that much better.

He's an overall threat in almost any event and it seems like he's near the height of his powers as we inch closer to the postseason.

7. Mario Garcia Romo, Rs. Sophomore, Ole Miss (+3 / 10)

Garcia Romo's breakout cross country season was wildly exciting, as was his 7:48 for 3000 meters a few weeks ago. Just based on that information, we knew the Ole Miss ace could be a top-ranked distance talent. Now, with a 3:56 mile personal best under his belt, there's not much that could be used to argue against him.

Running 7:48/3:56 is no joke and his 3:58 split on the Rebels' DMR only helps his stock in our rankings, at least from a consistency standpoint. We'll be eager to see what he does in the 5000 meters as that may be his best event.

6. Takieddine Hedeilli, Senior, Texas Tech (+1 / 7)

Seeing Hedeilli run 1:45 in his season opener was wildly impressive and it was nice to see him display a little bit of consistency with a 1:47 mark two weeks later. However, what really caught our attention was his 3:56 mile at the American Track League, taking home yet another win and showing off mile/800 versatility that only Charlie Hunter has been able to match.

The Texas Tech senior has been incredible, but it's not just the fast times that have impressed us. Three wins -- one against a very talented field of distance talents -- gives Hedeilli a resume boost that few others in the NCAA can boast right now.

5. Conner Mantz, Rs. Junior, BYU (+1 / 6)

Running an altitude converted 7:47 for 3000 meters earlier in the season was super impressive, but that was truthfully about what we expected from Mantz. Now, just this past weekend, Mantz scored a new personal best of 13:28 for 5000 meters on the indoor oval.

Overall, I'm not sure there's much to say here. Mantz is just flat-out excellent and if he were to pursue the 5k national title at the indoor national meet, I think he would have the best chance to take home the win assuming Teare or Hocker don't try to go all-in for the event (which I don't think they will).

4. Sam Tanner, Sophomore, Washington (Unranked)

To be fair, it's not like we thought that Tanner wasn't good enough to be ranked previously. However, seeing him race numerous times in New Zealand led us to believe that he was potentially not going to compete in the NCAA this winter.

However, Tanner has since returned the United State and seeing him run a jaw-dropping 3:34 for an indoor 1500 meter race against an elite pro field in a Washington singlet was pretty much all we needed to give him a ranking. No, he hasn't run an official NCAA qualifying time yet, but that mark counts towards the collegiate indoor 1500 meter record, so in our eyes, Tanner belongs back in our rankings.

For those of you wondering, Tanner's mark of 3:34 converts to roughly 3:51.90 for the mile. With that mark, we now have to ask...how convinced are we that Teare and Hocker are the overwhelming favorites for the men's mile national title this year? Tanner looked awfully good during Saturday's race...

3. Charlie Hunter, Senior, Oregon (+1 / 4)

I started covering collegiate distance running back in January of 2015. Since then, I don't think I have ever seen someone emerge as such a potent threat in the mile and the 800 meters like Charlie Hunter is. Posting times of 3:53 (mile) and 1:45 (800) in a single weekend may have to be one of the most impressive two-day regular season collegiate distance doubles ever.

Sure, there were guys like Clayton Murphy who was incredible in both the 1500 meters and the 800 meters, but he didn't show that same unbelievable level of versatility in the same season, much less the same weekend.

During most years, Hunter would be ranked at TSR #1. It just so happens that Hocker and Teare shattered a record that was previously held by the greatest collegiate distance runner of all time (Edward Cheserek).

2. Cole Hocker, Sophomore, Oregon (+3 / 5)

1. Cooper Teare, Senior, Oregon (0 / 1)

Teare and Hocker have run 7:46 for 3000 meters, broke the DMR national record, each dipped under 1:50 for 800 meters on a weekend double and both shattered the previous collegiate national record in the mile with a pair of 3:50's.

We could do all of the wildly detailed analysis, but the fact of the matter is that these two are the best in the NCAA right now and frankly, it's not even close.

ADDED

Sam Tanner (Washington)

Brandon Garnica (BYU)

Casey Clinger (BYU)

Juan Diego Castro (Oklahoma State)

Eliud Kipsang (Alabama)

Colton Johnsen (Washington State)

Eric Hamer (Colorado State)

Aaron Bienenfeld (Cincinnati)

Finley McLear (Miami (Ohio))

KICKED OFF

Luis Grijalva (Northern Arizona)

Yared Nuguse (Notre Dame)

Domenic Perretta (Penn State)

Alex Masai (Hofstra)

Morgan Beadlescomb (Michigan State)

Zach Facioni (Wake Forest)

Chris Conrad (Missouri)

Cameron Ponder (Furman)

Luis Peralta (Oregon)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Luis Peralta (Oregon)

Davis Bove (LSU)

Andrew Jordan (Washington)

Bashir Mosavel-Lo (Virginia Tech)

Yusuf Bizimana (Texas)

Chris Conrad (Missouri)

Cameron Ponder (Furman)

Kieran Taylor (Arkansas)

Marco Vilca (Texas Tech) Zach Stallings (Washington State)

Tom Dodd (Michigan)

Antonio Lopez Segura (Virginia Tech)

Andrew Kent (Georgia Tech)

Alec Sandusky (Cincinnati)

Baldvin Magnusson (Eastern Michigan)

Ben Nebbelink (Virginia Tech)

Ben Fleming (Virginia Tech)

Alec Basten (Minnesota)

Matt Young (Arkansas)

Jacob McLeod (Arkansas)

Andrew Jordan (Washington)

Allon Clay (Texas A&M)

HONORABLE MENTION (in no particular order)

John Rivera (Ole Miss)

Crayton Carrozza (Texas)

Samuel Voelz (Notre Dame)

Brendan Herbert (Texas)

Evan Dorenkamp (Penn State)

Brandon Tubby (North Carolina)

Brandon Miller (Texas A&M)

Luke Houser (Washington)

Cruz Culpepper (Washington)

Matthew Schadler (Indiana)

Abdullahi Hassan (Wisconsin)

Jonathan Schwind (Lipscomb)

Adam Fogg (Drake)

Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin)

Cole Lindhorst (Air Force)

Evan Holland (Oregon)

Duncan Hamilton (Montana State)

Isaac Green (Washington)

Sam Gilman (Air Force)

Graydon Morris (Texas)

Notes

- It absolutely pains us to leave off 3:57 milers like Bove and Bizimana. However, seeing so much recent success from so many top-tier milers has made their performances relatively less impactful (when looking at just the national leaderboard) compared to other events like the 800 meters and the 3000 meters. We also felt that range/versatility in other events helped a few other athletes with their rankings.

- Any athletes who have not yet raced this year have been removed from our rankings this week. While they could certainly return to our rankings if they were to race, we needed to begin rewarding athletes who have actually run on the indoor oval this year.