2021 D3 Outdoor Top 15 Rankings (Men): Update #3

NOTE: The listed eligibility for these athletes takes into account the eligibility extension granted by the NCAA to make up for the discontinued 2020 outdoor track season.

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.

15. Frank Csorba, Freshman, Lynchburg (-7 / 8)

Csorba recorded an impressive 6th place finish in the 10k at Nationals this year against a very competitive field with a whole slew of sub-30 guys. Although he DNF’d the 5k, it was good to see him back up his regular season performances with his first All-American honors.

The improvement Csorba displayed since returning to competition has been incredible- during the 2020 indoor season. He was only running 9:07 for 3000 meters and 16:06 for 5000 meters, but has since dropped his 5k time by more than a minute and a half. After the career year that he has had in 2021, it is only right that he finishes the year in our top-15.

14. Travis Martin, Freshman, Trinity (CT) (-3 / 11)

It is pretty uncommon that running 3:47 in the final at the national meet final is only enough to place you 4th, but that was the case this year in a race that was quick from gun to tape. Travis Martin came in seeded 10th at 3:50, and although he was also qualified in the 800, he opted to scratch that event in favor of the 1500 and not having to worry about multiple prelims. That worked out pretty well as he was able to run a three-second PR and keep himself in the race until the end. He was only 0.3 seconds away from a 2nd place finish.

It will be interesting to follow what he is able to accomplish throughout the rest of his career as this was only his first collegiate outdoor season.

13. Nicholas Hoffman, Sophomore, Hope (-4 / 9)

Hoffman had a breakout year which concluded with a 3rd place finish as well as a new PR in the 1500 final.

Over the course of the outdoor season, the Hope standout dropped his 1500 best by 13 seconds, cementing himself amongst the nation's best. He peaked at the right time too, comfortably securing his first All-American honors.

12. Ben Kuxmann, Sophomore, Millikin (0 / 12)

Kuxmann made a statement in the 800 meter prelims, running the fastest prelim time of 1:50.48, less than half a second off if his career best. He eased up just before the line after seeing that he already had the heat win locked and didn't need to do any more, but if he hadn't, we think he would have been sub-1:50.

The final was a slower and more tactical affair, but he was still able to close hard on his way to an impressive bronze medal performance.

11. Jacob Ridderhoff, Sophomore, Washington U. (Unranked)

Despite a blazing pace in the 1500 final, Jacob Ridderhoff did everything he could to give himself a chance to take the title. He had a slight trip in the final lap, but was still able to edge out fellow 3:47 men Hoffman and Martin for a runner-up finish.

Ridderhoff has taken the next step forward needed to be a household name in Division 3 and it will be exciting to see what he is able to do next year.

10. Iddriss Iddriss, Senior, Stevenson (Unranked)

Iddriss returned to the national meet for the first time since 2018, coming into the 800 with the 7th seed. He would end up outperforming all expectations, closing in a 53 in the final to stay competitive with Mike Jasa and earn a surprise 2nd place finish.

In a national meet that was generally fairly predictable, Iddriss had one of the more impressive underdog performances. Although he just missed out on the title, it's safe to say that he ended his career on a positive note.

9. Lucas Mueller, Junior, Carleton (Unranked)

The National Championship 10k has come full circle for Lucas Mueller, taking home another 2nd place finish in the event behind Pangallozzi. Considering where he was this past indoor season, let alone all of last year, Mueller has come back to the level that he was back in 2019: one of the top competitors in DIII.

8. Joe Freiburger, Senior, Wartburg (-6 / 2)

Taking 4th place in the 10k and 5th place in the 5k is certainly not a bad weekend for Freiburger. He went for it early in both races and put himself in good position, but fell off a little bit in both races. Overall, this was still a very good season overall for the Wartburg ace.

7. Christopher Collet, Freshman, Wartburg (Unranked)

At his first NCAA Championship, Collet had a remarkable weekend, taking runner-up in the steeplechase and earning a 6th place finish in the 5k, running a PR of 14:22. With Wilkinson running far and away from the field in the steeple, Collet ran a tactically sound race to lock up 2nd place ahead of the rest of the entrants. Coming back in the 5k to run as fast as he did was very impressive, he’ll be a serious force to be reckoned with in the future.

6. Matthew Sayre, Junior, SUNY Geneseo (+1 / 7)

Matthew Sayre had a big day at Nationals, taking 3rd place in both the 5k and the 10k. The 5k performance was more or less expected as he entered with the third seed, but it was still impressive to see him run a career best 14:15 after racing two days earlier.

In the 10k, however, it was difficult to know what to expect from Sayre who had potential in the event, but unlike many in the field, has not gone sub-30 coming in. He definitively answered any questions with a 3rd place finish, and for that reason he moves up to TSR #6 in our final rankings.

5. Alex Phillip, Freshman, John Carroll (-2 / 3)

Phillip had himself a weekend at his first-ever NCAA Championship on the track, taking home a 5th place finish in the 10k and a runner-up finish in the 5k, running a speedy 14:10 behind Wilkinson. He ran one of the better 10k/5k doubles of the competitors at Nationals, giving him a wealth of experience for the many years to come for the John Carroll ace.

4. Mike Jasa, Junior, Loras (+2 / 6)

With a fairly tactical 800 final in his hands, Jasa made the most of the opportunity and ran a blazing 53-second final 400 to seal the national title. Although he experienced some opposition in Iddriss Iddriss and Steven Potter, he made the race his own over the final 250 meters. He also was a member of Loras’ 4x400 team that finished 2nd, capping off an impressive weekend for the middle-distance beast.

3. Gabriel Pommier, Junior, North Central (+2 / 5)

Employing a strategy that isn’t seen as often in championship-style races, Pommier pretty much led nearly all 1500 meters of the 1500 final and took home a decisive win over the field. He carried the field to a fast race and took home a shiny new PR of 3:46, which gave him his first national title. Tactics and fitness that are executed and displayed as brilliantly as his deserves to get rewarded in our rankings.

2. Jared Pangallozzi, Senior, Johns Hopkins (+2 / 4)

With a very strong last two miles in the 10k, Pangallozzi crushed the field to win his first national title for the Blue Jays. After letting Lucas Mueller take the brunt of the lead through most of the race, Pangallozzi seized control and never looked back, closing his final 5k fairly hard. He was able to come back in the 5k and take 4th place overall, running a PR of 14:18 in the process and earning a second great performance in his national meet weekend.

1. Matthew Wilkinson, Junior, Carleton (0 / 1)

Finishing the year with a bang, Wilkinson ran an unreal 8:47 (steeple) / 13:55 (5k) double to take home two national titles, each in a very convincing manner. He nearly set both meet records in the process, barely missing the record in the 5k by 0.27 seconds. He ends off the year having established himself as the top runner in D3 and taking home our TSR #1 ranking.