2021 D1 Outdoor Top 25 Rankings (Women): Update #1

These rankings do take some indoor track performances from this past winter into account. However, the introduction of events like the 10k and the steeplechase, as well as the return of certain seniors who have not raced in over a year, has forced us to reshuffle our rankings and leave out some highly accomplished distance talents.

25. Mahala Norris, Senior, Air Force

After two All-American finishes between cross country and indoor track, both of which were 4th place finishes within a span of four days, Mahala Norris of Air Force will be one to watch in the 5k and maybe even the 10k if she chooses to debut in the distance. Norris has been consistently moving up in the NCAA ever since recording her first All-American honor during the 2019 cross country season.

It only took just one race for Norris to qualify for the indoor national meet in the 5k this past winter where she eventually went on to run a personal best of 15:51. She was bumping elbows with the nation’s best and threw down surprising quick finishing speed in a race that started slow.

With a ton of momentum, Norris should be setup for a big 5k performance on the outdoor oval and her confidence should be sky-high.

24. Katie Wasserman, Senior, Notre Dame

Wasserman transferred to Notre Dame at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic calendar from Columbia as a graduate student. During her time with the Lions, she was a solid middle distance runner, but since transitioning to the Fighting Irish training regime, Wasserman has seen immediate national-level success in the 5k.

At the Raleigh Relays, Wasserman won the 5000 meters in a blistering time of 15:33, a result that puts her in the conversation for a top-five finish later in the season at the NCAA Championships. This performance was truthfully super surprising as the senior had only one other track 5k under her belt, a 16:11 from the GVSU "Big Meet", back in February.

If she was able to do that in her outdoor debut against an accomplished field, then we'll be fascinated to see what else she can do over the next few months. She was a great miler during the 2020 indoor season and may be able to have just as much success in the 1500 meters this spring.

23. Olivia Hoj, Senior, BYU

Picking up where she left off from the indoor track season, Hoj matched her personal bests in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters when she opened up her outdoor season at the Hayward Premiere meet. Her time of 4:18 was the third instance where she has broken the 4:20 barrier and it should give her a shot at All-American honors later this season.

Hoj ends up in an interesting position in our rankings after running sub-9:00 for 3000 meters this past winter. A swing at the 5k seems likely, but her last attempt on the track was back in March of 2018. We expect to see her in the 12.5 lap affair sometime soon.

22. Shafiqua Maloney, Senior, Arkansas

How could not like what Maloney brings to the table? She was absolutely incredible this past winter, progressing her times in the 800 meters better than any women's middle distance runner in recent memory. Since February of last year, she went from 2:11 to 2:09 to 2:08 to 2:05 to 2:04 to 2:03 to 2:01. That last mark resulted in a very narrow 3rd place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships where she capitalized on a super fast pace despite her inexperience in the event.

The only argument against Maloney right now is that she hasn't ever run the 800 meters on the outdoor oval. Should that dramatically hurt her ranking? No, not quite, but the tactics associated with the outdoor 800 compared to the indoor 800 do differ quite a bit.

Either way, Maloney has proven herself to be one of the absolute best middle distance talents in the NCAA and she hasn't shown any signs of her progress beginning to lessen.

21. Adva Cohen, Senior, New Mexico

Cohen has truthfully been fairly inconsistent since transferring to New Mexico, but she continues to sporadically put down strong results at the highest level. She is coming off a 22nd place finish at the NCAA XC Championships, the best cross country result of her career. Despite running only 4:28 for 1500 meters at the Hayward Premiere the other weekend, Cohen should be a force to watch for when she starts steeplechasing.

The steeplechase is far and away her best event, owning a personal best of 9:29. That mark is faster than anyone else in the NCAA right now and it makes her one of the favorites come June. She could also be an All-American contender in the 5k, having a personal best of 15:31.

However, for the time being, we're still trying to gauge where Cohen should be placed in our hierarchy of distance talents after that unexciting 1500 meter performance.

20. Amaris Tyynismaa, Freshman, Alabama

Tyynismaa has yet to compete during the outdoor track season for Alabama, but given her indoor track results and 3rd place finish at the cross country national meet, her potential to compete for a top finish in either the 1500 meters or the 5k is hard to ignore.

The Crimson Tide’s 4:33 miler should be able to produce a similarly fast 1500 when she opens up her outdoor season. Tyynismaa will also be one to watch in the 5k as she went 9:03 for 3000 meters this past winter and had major success in the 6k during cross country...well, at least in Stillwater she did.

The improvements of Tyynismaa over the course of the 2020-2021 academic year have been remarkable and she has proven that she is capable of challenging the nation’s best in both the middle distances and longer distances.

19. Elly Henes, Rs. Senior, NC State

After a few years of coming up a bit short, Henes has truly arrived. She is coming off of a 3rd place finish at the indoor national meet in the 5000 meters. She also qualified for Nationals in the 3k, but was tripped in the race. The NC State redshirt senior also set personal bests in the 5k and 10k during the fall and winter months, clocking outstanding times of 15:27 and 32:12.

The distance double of the 5k/10k is the likely outcome for Henes come June and there’s a good chance that she can be a contender in both events based on her personal bests. With the women's 10k looking semi-wide-open in terms of title contenders, Henes may have a realistic shot at NCAA gold.

18. Whittni Orton, Rs. Senior, BYU

BYU’s Whittni Orton seems to be rounding into top form after nursing a foot injury at the beginning of 2021. Orton was expected to contend for the individual title at the cross country national meet, but she faded to 17th over the last kilometer. Even so, that was still a solid finish for the Cougar veteran. Transitioning to the outdoor track has already started off well for Orton in the 5k, running 15:42 en route to the win at the Hayward Premiere meet.

Orton has mainly focused on the 1500 meters during her career and was 8th in said event at the 2019 NCAA Championships. However, the 5k might be the path for Orton this year given her 15:22 (5k) personal best, 4:29 mile speed and 8:49 (3k) strength. Her ability to rebuild her mileage over the next two months seems to better position her for future success in the 5000 meters.

Do we think Orton can be a top-10 name in the NCAA? Even top-five? Yes, absolutely. However, her rebounding from an injury makes it difficult to properly gauge her ranking at this moment.

17. Bethany Hasz, Senior, Minnesota

Hasz has not raced yet this outdoor season and will likely not be a big name on the national stage until the regional meet. With the BIG 10 limiting competition to conference-only, Hasz will most likely run fast-enough qualifying marks in the 5k and 10k while remaining absent from marquee competitions.

The Minnesota senior is having a breakout year after a couple of seasons where she good, just not amazing. Hasz has since finished runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5k this past winter and later went on to place 8th at the NCAA XC Championships. She has the potential to be a podium finisher in both the 5k and 10k this outdoor season, the latter of which she has not run at the collegiate level thus far.

16. Gabrielle Jennings, Senior, Furman

Despite going a year without competing in the NCAA, Jennings reset her personal bests in a number of events over the last 12 months. With the 2020 outdoor season canceled, the Furman senior found opportunities for competition, running times of 2:05 for 800 meters and 4:14 for 1500 meters.

In 2021, she shaved four seconds off of her mile personal best, clocking 4:33 at the Camel City Invitational on the flat-track. During an outdoor 5k at the Texas Qualifier, Jennings knocked 25 seconds off of her previous best, finishing in a time of 15:47.

Despite being an all-around threat, Jennings is actually at her best in the steeplechase, an event she just won at the Raleigh Relays in a time of 9:56. Her personal best of 9:47 was set at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Given the range she has shown, it’s hard to say what event will be her primary focus. The combination of the steeple and 5k seems likely based on the schedule for the national meet, but don’t rule her out of the 1500 either. This Furman veteran can do it all.

15. Danae Rivers, Rs. Senior, Penn State

Penn State’s Danae Rivers won the 800 meter title at the 2019 indoor national meet and has toed the line for a mix of 800s and 1500s at the outdoor national meet during her career. When she sets herself up heading into the final portion of a race, Rivers is one to watch out for given her combination of speed and strength.

The Nittany Lion star owns personal bests of 2:02 and 4:10 for the 800 and 1500, respectively. Her best bet might be to contest the 1500 meters towards the end of the outdoor track season when you consider how loaded the women's 800 is this year.

Rivers has opened her outdoor season with two wins, one in the 800 and another in the 1500. She's not at the super-elite tier of fitness that we've seen from her in the past, and we know she's not unbeatable, but when Rivers is at her best, she is incredibly difficult to take down.

14. Krissy Gear, Junior, Arkansas

Gear was a bit underwhelming in her outdoor debut for Arkansas after a stellar indoor season. After finishing runner-up in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships, she placed only 7th in the 1500 meters this weekend. She is supremely talented, but that performance admittedly hurt her stock in our rankings, at least for now.

During her last outdoor season, Gear was a steeplechaser, qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. However, she has since become a dominant miler, leaving an interesting decision for which event she should focus on this season.

Do we think that Gear will throw down a better 1500 meter performance in the future? Absolutely. We just aren't sure what event will be her focus and how a potential emphasis on the steeplechase may impact her ranking.

13. Mercy Chelangat, Rs. Sophomore, Alabama

The NCAA XC champion will be after her second, and possibly even third, individual title this spring between the 5k and 10k. Chelangat recently ran the second-fastest 10k time in the NCAA this season with a 32:32 at the Raleigh Relays, winning by a remarkable 1:09 margin. Her 15:37 (5k) PR from the indoor oval should also bode well for her during outdoors.

Chelangat has a lot of momentum heading into outdoor track competitions given her recent results and successes. The Crimson Tide ace is only in her first NCAA outdoor track season, but she has gained valuable experience over the course of the last few months and it has shown in the results.

12. Anna Camp-Bennett, Rs. Senior, BYU

BYU’s Camp-Bennett has incredible range, having the potential to challenge for top times and finishes in the 800 meters all the way up to the 6k on the cross country course. It’s hard to determine which events Camp-Bennett will focus on this outdoor season as she could be a force in the 800 and 1500, but she could also make a statement in the 1500 and 5k.

The Cougar ace just ran a great 2:03/4:16 weekend double at the Hayward Premiere meet, finishing 1st and 2nd, respectively, to her own BYU teammates. Camp-Bennett has been an All-American in the 800 meters, finishing 8th in 2019. However, after her recent 11th place finish at the cross country national meet, she may be a top contender in the longer events, especially the 5k after running a jaw-dropping time of 8:52 for 3000 meters (unattached) this past winter.

11. Laurie Barton, Junior, Clemson

After a runner-up finish in the indoor 800 meters, Barton quickly transitioned to the outdoor oval where she clocked a personal best of 4:18 for 1500 meters at the Raleigh Relays. The Clemson junior has primarily been an 800 runner during indoors, but could jump between the 800 and 1500 during outdoors given how well her debut went.

After running 2:01 on multiple occasions this past winter, there’s a good chance that the idea of breaking 2:00 this spring has crossed her mind. With the likes of Athing Mu, Sage Hurta and Aaliyah Miller all in the mix, Barton may need to do exactly that if a national title is the goal...and that just goes to show how absurdly high the bar is in this year's women's 800 meters.

10. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas

It’s hard to believe that this will only be Gregory’s second outdoor track season as a Razorback. She has dealt with numerous injuries during the course of her career and with COVID canceling the 2020 outdoor track season, Gregory will be after replicating her 2021 indoor track success this spring.

During the indoor season, Gregory ran very strong times in the mile, 3k and the 5k. At the indoor national meet, she finished runner-up in the 3000 meters, narrowly losing to BYU Courtney Wayment.

Those results should translate to the outdoor oval fairly well for Gregory given her mix of speed and strength. Gregory is also capable of running 4:15 for 1500 meters and 15:36 for 5k. Compared to our indoor rankings, she does fall a bit, but that's only because the steeplechase and 10k give some athletes a boost in our Top 25.

9. Grace Forbes, Freshman, Rice

This will be the first outdoor track season we've seen from Forbes after last spring was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Rice Owl has already earned two All-American honors, one in the indoor 5k and one in cross country. Forbes’ name has been near the top of the NCAA since she ran a jaw-dropping 8:56 (3k) at the end of the 2020 indoor track season and her name has remained near the top of the leaderboard since then.

Forbes will be a key talent to watch in the 5k/10k double this spring as she has gone 15:50 and 32:24. The latter mark comes from this past weekend at the Sound Running College Invite and is the current NCAA leading time.

She may not have as much experience as some outdoors, but that isn’t holding Forbes back from having major success. With a 4:37 mile PR, she has a unique mix of speed and endurance that most 10k specialists are unable to emulate.

8. Hannah Steelman, Senior, NC State

Steelman is coming off a phenomenal winter which saw her finish 8th at the indoor national meet in the 5000 meters and later bounce back three days later to place 5th at the NCAA XC Championships. The NC State junior opened up her outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays in the 10,000 meters where she was a DNF. However, that appeared to have been a pace job for her teammate Kelsey Chmiel.

And for what it's worth, the 10k largely wasn't going to be her main focus anyway. She is the second-best returner in the steeplechase from the 2019 national meet and could be the favorite depending on how Prouse and Cohen handle their long-awaited return to the event.

Not only that, but Steelman was a double All-American in the 5k and steeplechase last spring. She's super consistent, incredibly experienced and just hasn't done anything to leave us doubting her talent. Overall, we think the inclusion of the steeplechase this season boosts her ranking quite a bit.

7. Ella Donaghu, Rs. Junior, Stanford

What a difference a couple of years makes. The last time Donaghu competed on the outdoor track, she was finishing 6th in the 1500 meters at the NCAA Championships. Now, she appears to be moving up in distance. After two strong cross country seasons, Donaghu took a swing at the longer 5k distance to open her 2021 season and clocked an NCAA #2 time of 15:36.

Like a handful of other women, Donaghu could be in an interesting position this June. While she has run 4:11 for 1500 meters, it may be challenging to race the prelims, the finals and a 5k all in one meet. On the flip side, if she wanted to race more than the 5k, the 10k would be the logical double. The only problem? She has never run the 10k at the NCAA level.

While we're still unsure of what her future looks like, few women are as proven on the national stage between two very different events. She owns top-tier times, numerous All-American finishes and has only gotten better over the last few seasons.

6. Charlotte Prouse, Rs. Senior, New Mexico

New Mexico’s Charlotte Prouse has been the national runner-up twice in the steeplechase, finishing behind Boise State’s Allie Ostrander in both 2018 and 2019. This could be Prouse’s year to stand atop of the medal stand after having to patiently wait over a year to compete again due to exhausted eligibility.

Over the weekend at the Hayward Premiere meet, Prouse competed in the steeplechase and won with a time of 9:54, about 10 seconds shy of her personal best. This is a solid steeple opener for someone who has been away from her primary event for so long.

5. Joyce Kimeli, Junior, Auburn

Kimeli had a breakout season this past winter, winning an NCAA title in the 5000 meters and finishing 3rd overall in the 3k. She set a new personal best in the 15-lap affair with a time of 8:56 and was only nine seconds off of her personal best in the 5k. Heading into the outdoor season, she could be a title favorite in a number of events.

The last time she was competing during outdoors, Kimeli was a national qualifier in both the steeplechase and 5k. She was knocked out during the preliminary rounds of the steeple and considering her personal best of 9:52 is substantially slower than those of Prouse, Cohen, Steelman and Jennings, it might make sense for Kimeli to go up in distance to an event like the 10k.

Even so, it's a bit early to guess what the better option is for this Auburn runner, especially since she has never run a 10k before. Kimeli isn't exactly known for her finishing speed, so longer races seems like a better option, although she has tried to buck that narrative with her indoor 5k win.

There are a ton of question marks surrounding Kimeli, but between the steeplechase, the 5k and the 10k, few women have the free reign over these distance events like she does. Her national title this past winter was also a wake-up call to the rest of the NCAA as to how dangerous she can be in a championship-style race.

4. Aaliyah Miller, Senior, Baylor

As the NCAA indoor 800 meter champion, Miller has an advantage heading into the outdoor track season. The 2021 indoor season was Miller’s best so far as she was consistent and finally put together a stellar race at the national meet.

The Baylor Bear owns a 2:00.68 PR, a time that puts her right alongside some of the nation’s best. She also just ran personal bests in the 400 and 1500. Miller hasn’t qualified for an outdoor national meet final yet in her primary event, but with the momentum she has coming off of winning an indoor title, Miller could see similar success in early June.

3. Sage Hurta, Rs. Junior, Colorado

Back in June of 2019, Colorado’s Hurta ran 2:00.99 in the 800 meters. Fast forward to April 2021 and she ran 2:00.62 to win at the GCU Antelope Invitational.

Hurta enters the outdoor track season with an NCAA title in the mile, a 4:30 personal best and her recent 800 improvement on what was already an elite-level time. The Buffalo veteran focused on the steeplechase during the 2017 and 2018 season before redshirting in 2019.

It can safely be assumed that Hurta will be opting to focus on the 800/1500 this spring given her dominance in the middle distance events. Her chances for winning a second NCAA title are extremely possible in either event, although the 1500 meters seems the most likely.

2. Courtney Wayment, Rs. Junior, BYU

Wayment was on a roll during the indoor season and has already performed well on the outdoor track following a strong weekend double at the Hayward Premiere. The BYU Cougar could be a contender in the 1500 meters, the 5k or even the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships this year, although it's difficult to figure out which event is truly her best option.

Her 4:16 1500 meter speed gives Wayment the NCAA's fourth-fastest time thus far on the descending order list. The 5k could be another top event for the Cougar as she ran 15:37 during indoors in 2019 and after recently winning the 3k indoors, the longer distance may be the way Wayment goes.

One thing still to keep in mind is that Wayment has gone 10:04 in the steeplechase, but she hasn’t contested the event since 2017. She has mentioned that may pursue that event this spring, but how fast would she have to run in order to seriously contest the event in the postseason?

However, in the end, what she decides to run won't take away from the all-around greatness that we saw from her this past winter. On paper and in races, she has just been flat-out better than almost every distance runner in the NCAA.

1. Athing Mu, Freshman, Texas A&M

We already knew that Mu was going to be a star talent after her incredible high school career and immediately during the indoor season, she exceeded any and all expectations placed upon her. The Texas A&M youngster ran a collegiate record of 1:58 for 800 meters during indoors, but rather than focusing on the 800 at the NCAA Championships, she opted for the 400 and placed runner-up.

So far this spring, Mu has opened her season in the 1500 meters, running the third-fastest time in the nation this season with a 4:16. Mu continues to impress and doesn’t need experience to compete against the NCAA’s most elite talents. Hopefully the Aggie freshman races the 800 at the outdoor national meet so fans can see her compete against a slew of rising half-mile stars in what may be the deepest and top-heavy field in recent memory.

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Julia Heymach (Stanford)

Lotte Black (Rhode Island)

Gabrielle Wilkinson (Florida)

Katie Izzo (Arkansas)

Carmela Cardama Baez (Oregon)

Michaela Meyer (Virginia)

Kaley Richards (UMass Lowell)

Allie Schadler (Washington)

Nicole Fegans (Georgia Tech)

Presley Weems (Auburn)

Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)

Claire Seymour (BYU)

Esther Gitahi (Alabama)

Jenna Magness (Michigan State)

Kennedy Thomson (Arkansas)

Abby Wheeler (Providence)

Savannah Shaw (NC State)

Clare O'Brien (Boise State)

Lexie Thompson (Weber State)

Maudie Skyring (Florida State)

Avi' Tal Wilson-Perteete (UNLV)

Lauren Ellsworth (BYU)

Martha Bissah (Norfolk State)

Jessica Lawson (Stanford)

Sarah Edwards (Virginia Tech)

Dillon McClintock (Michigan State)

Jessica Pascoe (Florida)

Rebekah Topham (Wichita State)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Imogen Barrett (Florida)

Haley Herberg (Washington)

Taryn O'Neill (Northern Arizona)

Jeralyn Poe (Northern Arizona)

Jessa Hanson (Northern Arizona)

Aoibhe Richardson (San Francisco)

Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame)

Alissa Niggemann (Wisconsin)

Kelsey Chmiel (NC State)

Maria Mettler (Air Force)

Kristie Schoffield (Boise State)

Amanda Vestri (Syracuse)

Devin Clark (Arkansas)

Carina Viljoen (Arkansas)

Rachel McArthur (Colorado)

Alena Ellsworth (BYU)

Heather Hanson (BYU)

Kate Hunter (BYU) Simone Plourde (BYU)

Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Oregon State)

Hannah Reinhardt (Oregon)

Sarah Hendrick (Kennesaw State)

Logan Morris (Arkansas)

Jessica Drop (Georgia)

Alyson Churchill (Florida State)

Ericka VanderLende (Michigan)

Allie Guagenti (Ohio State)

Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State)

Abby Gray (Arkansas)

McKenna Keegan (Villanova)

Aneta Konieczek (Oregon)

Poppy Tank (Utah)

Cailie Logue (Iowa State)

Kelsey Harris (Indiana)

Brooke Fazio (Richmond)

Katie Rainsberger (Washington)

Notes

- A lot of people will understandably be surprised that Arkansas' Katie Izzo was not listed in our rankings. She had a very solid regular season on the indoor oval, but began to falter in the postseason. Her 10k effort from this past weekend admittedly did not inspire much confidence. Based on her recent trend of performances, we felt that she needed to move to our "Just Missed" section.

- There are clearly a TON of names listed in our "Just Missed" sections and "Honorable Mention" sections. This is because, at the moment, it is hard to differentiate certain distance talents from one another. The inclusion of the steeplechase and the 10k this season allows some collegiate resumes to get a fresh start in our eyes. Therefore, they need to be considered in our rankings.