2022 D1 Outdoor Top 25 Rankings (Women): Update #4

Additional contributions by Garrett Zatlin

Click here to see our Just Missed names, Honorable Mention names and Notes.

Listed eligibility takes redshirts and Covid-related extensions into consideration.

TFRRS is used as a general guide when determining eligibility.

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. Emily Mackay, Senior, Binghamton (-8 / 17)

Unlike most conferences that held their championships this past weekend, the America East Conference held their championship meet the week prior.

Binghamton’s Emily Mackay, who was an All-American last spring in the 5k, appears to be focusing on the middle distances this season as she has only contested the 800 meters and 1500 meters; a somewhat unique approach given her background.

Mackay won both the prelims and the finals in the 800 meters at the America East Championships, running 2:12 and 2:06, respectively. The senior held off UMass Lowell’s Isabella Giesing by a mere 0.33 seconds en route to her victory.

Binghamton doesn’t have any more races on their schedule for Mackay to run a 5k, so it looks like the 800 meters and/or the 1500 meters will be what she goes after at the regional meet, likely the latter. She has run 2:06 and 4:13 this spring.

This is an admittedly surprising move for Mackay as we thought she was a stronger 5k runner, especially given how her mile race at the indoor national meet went this past winter. However, in fairness to Mackay, she hasn't been bad by any means this spring, but it feels like she hasn't quite reached her full potential in the 1500 meters.

And maybe that's a good thing!

After all, owning a 4:30 mile personal best suggests that the best is still to come.

24. Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes, Senior, BYU (-3 / 21)

Ellsworth-Barnes has not competed since the Penn Relays.

23. Aaliyah Miller, Senior, Baylor (Unranked)

During the 2021 indoor track season, Aaliyah Miller stunned the country by throwing down a ridiculous pace in the women's 800 meters, ultimately running 2:00.69, a mark that had once been the collegiate record held by Jazmine Fray.

That race ultimately gave Miller a national title, but when she failed to make it out of the prelims at the outdoor national meet, we were a bit surprised. However, what was even more surprising was Miller running just one 800 meter race during the 2022 indoor track season (2:05) and not advancing past her conference meet.

But then Miller ran 2:06 in her outdoor debut.

And then she ran 2:05.

And then she ran 2:03.

And then, finally, she ran 2:02 in the finals of the BIG 12 Championships, a time that was ultimately converted to 2:01 when factoring in altitude.

Miller is on a massive hot streak right now and momentum is very clearly in her favor. And while it would be easy to have questions about a new breakout star, that's not who Miller is. She is a well established national title winner who is known for throwing down one of the fastest indoor 800 meter races in NCAA history.

And when you realize how close to her former fitness she has gotten, then it's hard not to list Miller in these rankings.

Admittedly, we have Miller ranked at "only" TSR #23 because progressing towards a 2:01/2:02 mark is a little different than consistently running those times all season/year long.

Even so, there are far more positives right now for this Baylor star than negatives.

22. Adva Cohen, Senior, New Mexico (0 / 22)

After leading us to believe that she wasn’t going to contest the steeplechase this season, New Mexico’s Adva Cohen came out and won the event at the Mountain West Championships.

Cohen came into her conference championship after running a 15:26 (5k) PR as well as a mark of 4:23 for 1500 meters in one weekend. That 1500 meter race wasn’t anything spectacular given her 4:15 seasonal best, but it still complemented her strong 5k result.

In the steeplechase this past weekend, the Lobo senior won the event with a time of 9:49. This wasn’t exactly close to Cohen’s PR of 9:29, but given that she hadn’t raced the event in almost a year, it was still a solid result.

Cohen won the steeplechase by 21 seconds and this time easily gives her a regional qualifying time if she opts to go for the steeplechase/5k double like she did in 2019...but what will she actually pursue?

Cohen has historically been better in the steeplechase, but her 5k results this spring have been phenomenal. Either way, this Lobo star is beginning to shake off any past inconsistencies and seems to be capitalizing on her incredible overall fitness.

21. Madison Boreman, Rs. Senior, Colorado (Unranked)

Boreman was the runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase back in 2017 and could very well replicate that performance within the next few weeks if she continues to play her cards right.

Boreman running 9:42 over the weekend wasn’t super surprising as she did run 9:46 earlier in the season, matching her 2017 PR.

However, Oregon’s Aneta Konieczek was the heavy favorite in this race given her 9:25 PR. That, of course, didn’t deter Boreman from running away from the field. The Colorado ace ran a new PR en route to the win, crossing the line in 9:42, six seconds ahead of runner-up Kaylee Mitchell from Oregon State.

The question that now needs to be asked about Boreman is, can she dip under 9:40? If so, how much lower can she get?

Boreman might not be the favorite for the NCAA title in the steeplechase, but she is surely a top-three talent on the right day. On paper, she has everything you could ask for as the Buffalo star has a solid mix of speed and endurance. Just look at her recent 4:14 mark for 1500 meters en route to the win at Fresno State.

The 1500/steeplechase double is not exactly doable at the NCAA Championships as they are back-to-back events, so Boreman will need to choose which event is her best shot at a top All-American honor.

Based on her win over a star steeplechaser in Konieczek, a up-and-coming talent in Grace Fetherstonhaugh and an established veteran in Kaylee Mitchell, Boreman has all of the momentum in the world in the steeple.

Now it's just a matter of whether or not she can build upon her current momentum. If she can, then she'll catapult up our rankings.

20. Mia Barnett, Freshman, Virginia (-5 / 15)

A lack of experience seems to have taken its first toll on Mia Barnett this weekend at the ACC Championships in both the 1500 meters and the 5k.

The freshman, taking on some of the nation’s best, found herself in a ridiculously fast 1500 meter final at the ACC Championships. Barnett had a solid prelim, winning her heat with a 4:16 mark, but was ultimately overwhelmed by Tuohy's hot pace in the finals.

The UVA rookie finished 4th overall with a time of 4:12. However, that result is by no means a poor performance for Barnett as she was only one second off of her 4:11 PR. Still, she was essentially out of the race after finishing six seconds behind winner Tuohy.

Barnett came back and contested the 5k a few hours later, finishing 19th overall in her college debut in the event. The Virginia youngster's time of 16:32 was respectable, but it was admittedly nothing to delve into as Barnett is more of a 1500 runner.

The next two weeks leading up to the regional meet will be an opportunity for Barnett to regroup and show us that is capable of qualifying for the NCAA Championships amongst a deep field.

We fully believe that she can, and her poise for someone so young leads us to believe that she will, but her spot amongst All-American contenders will be an interesting development to watch.

19. Samantha Bush, Junior, NC State (Unranked)

Welcome back to the rankings, Samantha Bush!

Bush was in our rankings earlier during the outdoor season, but then was dropped out, hanging around in our "Just Missed section". However, following her massive 1500 PR at Liberty and her promising 5k win at the ACC Championships, she’s back.

Starting at the mid-week Liberty Twilight Qualifier, Bush was paced for a good portion of the women's 1500 meters. When the pacer stopped her duties, Bush took over and dominated the field. She finished eight seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher en route to a nine second PR of 4:13.

A little over a week later, the Wolfpack’s most versatile athlete contested both the 800 and 5k at the ACC Championships. Her 2:06 mark, resulting in a 7th place showing in the 800 meters, was respectable, but it was her 5k that takes the cake.

Bush passed teammate Katelyn Tuohy late in the race and picked up her first ACC title. Bush ran a strong 15:46 mark in the process, only one second off of her 15:45 personal best. She beat Tuohy, the NCAA leader in the 1500 meters and the 5k, by four seconds, although NC State may have been more concerned about team points in that race.

Either way, it's hard not to like Bush right now. She has run three personal bests this season, resulting in marks of 2:04 in the 800 meters, 4:13 in the 1500 meters and 15:45 in the 5k.

The junior should lean towards the 1500 meters, the 5k or the double. There isn’t much time between the 1500 and 5k, less than two hours. So, looking at Bush’s options again, the 5k might be her stronger event. Her mix of leg speed and endurance could land her an All-American honor on the outdoor oval come June.

But regardless of what she chooses, it's clear that her raw talent, unique versatility and recent momentum will make her a legitimate problem for her competitors on the national stage.

18. Sarah Hendrick, Junior, Kennesaw State (-4 / 14)

Hendrick had some close finishes at the ASUN Championships this past weekend in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters, but that didn't stop her from picking two wins.

In her main event, the 800 meters, the Kennesaw State junior ran 2:04 in the prelims before coming back with a 2:06 mark in the final. She won said event by about six-tenths of a second. Later, in the 1500 meters, Hendrick won the race by less than a second, crossing the line in a time of 4:21.

Winning isn’t new for Hendrick, especially given the way that she has competed this outdoor season as she has won every race that she has contested.

Can she continue this trend heading into the regional and national meets when she begins to see the nation’s best? It's certainly possible as she seems to have a better grasp of her tactics as well as just flat-out better fitness.

Her 2:00 PR from earlier in the season surely shows us that she’s capable of holding her own and qualifying for yet another NCAA Championship. However, replicating that mark on the national stage and using it to take down other women who will be at their best is the real challenge.

17. Ceili McCabe, Rs. Sophomore, West Virginia (-1 / 16)

McCabe only contested one event at the BIG 12 Championships over the weekend: The steeplechase. The West Virginia Mountaineer didn’t run a head-turning time as she crossed the finish line with a 10:12 result.

That mark was well off of her 9:32 PR from the Mountaineer Twilight meet in late April, but there was no reason for McCabe to exert too much energy in a race before the regional meet if she didn't have to.

This performance by McCabe was an eight second victory and it was fairly similar to what she did in 2021 at her conference meet before she went onto finish 6th at the NCAA Championships.

McCabe is on track to not only repeat as an All-American in the steeplechase, but she could easily challenge for a top-three finish. Her fitness has clearly jumped upwards since last year and a handful of her times have reached all-time territory.

We're not sure where McCabe's ceiling may be this season, but that makes her one of the more dangerous names in the NCAA over the next few weeks.

16. Jenna Magness, Junior, Michigan State (+3 / 19)

I have been waiting a long time to see what Magness could do in the 10k and now I finally have my answer.

Magness made her 10k debut at the BIG 10 Championships and won the race by 56 seconds. The Michigan State ace broke the finishing tape with a time of 33:37. Admittedly, after running personal bests of 4:16 in the 1500 meters and 15:26 in the 5000 meters earlier in the season, this recent 10k mark wasn’t all too surprising.

Even though this isn’t the nation's leading time, Magness has now gotten a 10k race under her belt and could see an improvement in her time when she is in a setting where she is bumping elbows with elite talents the entire way.

Magness followed up her 10k debut with a win in the 5k, crossing the line in a modest mark of 16:17. She finished ahead of 2nd place by one second and never fell out of the top-two over the course of the entire race.

This Spartan veteran is extremely consistent on the national stage in the 5k and could catch her competition off guard in the 10k. Her range from the 1500 meters up to the 10k is solid and Magness, for the most part, is probably one of the safest bets to do well on the national stage this year.

15. Carley Thomas, Sophomore, Washington (Unranked)

We knew she was good.

We knew that she could contend for a title when she made her collegiate debut back in 2019.

But after a severe injury in the latter half of 2020, we weren’t sure how Thomas would bounce back.

The 2021 outdoor track season and the 2022 indoor track season were solid for this Washington Husky ace, but it has been the 2022 outdoor track season that is showing us once again that Thomas belongs in the conversation for the women's 800 meter national title next month.

A week before the PAC-12 Championships, Thomas traveled to California to partake in the Sound Running Track Meet. In her second 800 meter race of the outdoor season, Thomas ran a then-season’s best of 2:03, only about one second out of the win. This was a very promising result heading into the championship portion of the season for Thomas as it clearly indicated that she was building momentum.

Over this past weekend, she advanced out of the PAC-12 prelims with a 2nd place finish, matching her 2:03 performance that she had just run the week prior. Then, in the final, Thomas won the conference title in a time of 2:02, sending a statement to the rest of the NCAA that she may be back in her most dangerous form.

Thomas is capable of running faster, just look at her 2:01 PR, but her consistent improvements and her improved high finishes is what we like to see heading into the final few meets of the season. Her momentum is incredible.

Thomas has yet to compete in an individual event final at a national meet. She qualified last spring in the 800 meters, but failed to make it out of the prelims. She was also going to battle Nia Akins at the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships, but then the pandemic got in the way.

But now? She has a chance to make up for lost time.

14. Lauren Ryan, Junior, Florida State (+4 / 18)

Lauren Ryan has only run two races this season, but she’s made both of those opportunities count.

After running 15:30 (5k) at Payton Jordan, the Florida State star doubled the distance and took on her first collegiate 10k race. She dominated the race, crossing the finish line with a time of 32:56, a total of 26 seconds ahead of runner-up. Although this was 40 seconds off of her 32:16 PR from her time in Australia, she hadn’t contested an event this long since January of 2021.

Ryan has some solid range as she is capable of running 4:12 in the 1500 meters and being a national caliber star in the 10,000 meters. Having that kind of 1500 meter speed gives this junior a lethal racing tool that she can utilize in the late stages of a long distance race, especially if it's tactical.

As we enter the regional and national portions of the season, it’s pretty obvious that Ryan has decided that the 5k and the 10k are her key events. When she's in a race where she has competitors with her the entire time, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Ryan to run a sub-32:30.

And if that happens, then one has to think that she has a somewhat reasonable shot at the 10k national title.

Ryan has only competed at one NCAA Championship on the track, the most recent indoor national meet. The Florida State Seminole ace will be entering somewhat uncharted territory for herself over these next few weeks, but given how often she is racing elite competition, that may not be an issue.

13. Katy-Ann McDonald, Junior, LSU (0 / 13)

A win wasn’t in the cards for LSU’s Katy-Ann McDonald this past weekend at the SEC Championships, but her two top-four finishes were still well earned, as was her 1500 meter PR.

McDonald has been very consistent this spring in the 800 meters, never failing to run slower than 2:04. Her season has been highlighted by a 2:00 mark at Bryan Clay which she then doubled back from that weekend to run 4:13 in the 1500 meters.

The Tiger superstar finished 4th in the 800 meter SEC final this past weekend, but a couple of the women who beat her are also in the conversation to win the 800 meter national title at the NCAA Championships in a few weeks.

And for someone who has been so darn good this spring, maybe it was best that her only "off" day of the season came at her SEC meet and not the national meet.

McDonald also took on the 1500 meters this weekend, finishing 3rd with a one second PR of 4:12. With that time, the LSU ace has left us wondering how she would fare in a 1500 meter race when she's fresh...

12. Julia Heymach, Senior, Stanford (-2 / 10)

Heymach went for the 800/5k double at the PAC-12 Championships over the weekend and had a decent showing in the 800 meters, but faltered a bit in the 5k.

The Cardinal senior ran a 2:03 in the 800 meter final to finish runner-up behind Washington’s Carley Thomas. Heymach was close to breaking her 2:02 PR, but 2:03 is still no walk in the park and it gives her some solid closing speed for the 1500 meters, an event that she ran 4:11 in earlier this season.

For someone who has run 15:33 in the 5k and was an All-American last year in said event, one would think that Heymach would be near the front again in this race, but that wasn’t the case. Heymach was out of the race by the end, finishing in 12th place with a time of 16:23. She was almost 40 seconds behind Colorado’s Abby Nichols, the winner.

This time won’t qualify Heymach for the regional meet in the 5k, so the 1500 meters will have to be her sole focus. The Stanford runner has run 4:11 this spring, as mentioned above, and has a PR of 4:04.

With the way that Ole Miss’ Sintayehu Vissa and Florida State’s Maudie Skyring ran over the weekend, Heymach will have her work cut out for her in the 1500 meters if she goes for the win. Luckily for Heymach, Tuohy has said that she will focusing on the 5k

And yet, at the same time, few metric milers are as reliable as Heymach is on the national stage.

11. Elise Thorner, Sophomore, New Mexico (0 / 11)

The steeplechase wasn’t in the conference weekend lineup for Thorner. Instead, she ran in the 1500 meters and the 5k at the Mountain West Championships.

Thorner came into her conference meet with a 1500 meter PR of 4:15, leading her New Mexico teammates. Although she didn’t run an identical time, she did end up winning her second individual conference title in the 1500 with a time of 4:22. She was the Lobo leader this weekend as she led three other teammates across the line behind her.

The 5k wasn’t nearly as strong for Thorner as she finished 8th in the event with a time of 16:28 in her event debut. This 5k performance doesn’t do much for Thorner moving forward as she most likely won’t qualify for the regional meet with it, but it was still a respectable result for someone who is primarily a steeplechaser and was racing in the 1500 meter earlier this season.

10. Mercy Chelangat, Junior, Alabama (-3 / 7)

Chelangat left the SEC Championships with two victories, winning both the 5k and 10k. This double is nothing new for the Alabama star and it doesn’t require much analysis as it sets her up nicely to contest the same two races in the upcoming weeks.

With the 10k first, Chelangat won the race by a large margin over Skylar Boogerd of Ole Miss, winning by 56 seconds with a time of 33:15. This might not be close to Chelangat’s PR of 32:13, but she clearly didn’t have to exert too much energy to win the race.

Then, with the 5k, the Alabama star was only five seconds off of her 15:17 PR when she ran 15:22 to win the race by 10 seconds.

Chelangat is a very consistent runner, always finishing either at the top or amongst the leaders when it comes to the 5k and 10k. She is the highest returning competitor from the 2021 NCAA Championships in the 10k and could sneak past the likes of Abby Nichols (Colorado) and Lauren Gregory (Arkansas) for a potential national title.

The 5k might be a little tougher for Chelangat as it’s getting crowded at the top, but that won’t stop the junior from going for the win. Her front-running tactics will ensure that she is seen near the front of that race.

9. Claire Seymour, Junior, BYU (0 / 9)

Seymour paced the 800 meters at the Oregon Twilight and has not completed a race since the Penn Relays.

8. Micaela DeGenero, Senior, Colorado (+4 / 12)

The reigning mile champion from this year’s indoor national meet is right on track to contend for yet another title this spring.

DeGenero competed in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters this past weekend at the PAC-12 Championships, finishing amongst the top-three in both races.

The 1500 meter final saw DeGenero take down a very solid field including Christina Aragon of Stanford, Anna Gibson of Washington and teammate Madison Boreman. The Colorado senior won the race in a seasonal best of 4:13, winning the title by just over a second.

In the 800, she may not have gotten the win, finishing 3rd, but it was a solid single-day double for DeGenero. She finished the 800 meter final with a time of 2:04, just matching her 2021 PR.

As impressive as DeGenero was this past weekend, what she did simply validated what we already knew. She has an incredible command of her fitness and her ability to turn on a certain gear, as we saw at the indoor national meet, is wildly impressive.

She might not be able to use the same "surprise the field" tactic at the NCAA Championships this time around, but you can’t count out a 4:09 runner who seems like, tactically, she is sharper than ever.

7. Imogen Barrett, Junior, Florida (+1 / 8)

It might be a small PR, but it’s a PR.

Imogen Barrett of Florida shaved 0.33 seconds off of her 800 meter personal best when she ran 2:01.42 to win the 800 meter title at the SEC Championships this past weekend.

Barrett has been extremely consistent all season long in the 800 meters, winning three of her five contested races. This SEC title for Barrett was a one second victory and it continues to solidify her as one of the best in the event this season.

The Gator junior also ran the 1500 meters at the SEC Championships, a race that was loaded upfront with the likes of Sintayehu Vissa of Ole Miss, Lauren Gregory of Arkansas, and Katy-Ann McDonald.

Barrett just made her way into the final, finishing 11th in the prelims, and had a respectable race in the final. She ended up finishing 5th in the event with a time of 4:14, matching her PR.

Barrett has been riding a high of huge success all season long and has clearly maintained that momentum as we head deeper into the postseason. All of that exciting potential that we saw in Barrett over the last few seasons is finally being realized.

It just so happens that her true potential is being reflected in the 800 meters and not the mile.

6. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Junior, Arkansas (-1 / 5)

Although she didn’t win an individual event over the weekend at the SEC Championships, Gregory of Arkansas recorded two top-three performances. She finished runner-up in the 1500 and then 3rd in the 5k behind women who are in the conversation to win NCAA titles.

Gregory finished runner-up to Sintayehu Vissa of Ole Miss in the 1500 meters, cracking the 4:10 barrier with a huge time of 4:09. This was a six second improvement for Gregory and only one second out of the win.

In the 5k, Gregory finished behind Alabama’s Mercy Chelangat and Florida’s Parker Valby when she ran 15:39. Her 5k personal best might be 15:25, but the 15:39 should not be overlooked after Gregory ran 4:09 not too long beforehand.

It is extremely likely that Gregory that runs the 5k given her experience in said event and given her recent incredible success in the 10k, it looks like that event may be on tap for her as well.

Gregory clearly has the raw speed and the dominant endurance to succeed in that distance based double. She is a phenomenal runner when it comes to positioning and generally speaking, she's a reliable name on the national stage.

Gregory does have a chance to win her first national title this spring, more likely in the 10k than the 5k, but even if she doesn't, her chances of being a double All-American seem boarderline probable.

5. Sintayehu Vissa, Junior, Ole Miss (+1 / 6)

Could Sintayehu Vissa win her first NCAA title this year?

That's a question where "yes" doesn't seem unreasonable as an answer.

The Ole Miss Rebel dropped a massive PR in the 1500 meters over the weekend at the SEC Championships en route to the victory. Vissa ran a massive mark of 4:08 to knock eight seconds off of her previous personal best and to take down Lauren Gregory of Arkansas by one second.

Since the indoor track season, Vissa has consistently caught our attention week after week. In all of her individual events since the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championship, the junior has finished amongst the top-five each time she has toed the line.

As we saw at the indoor national meet, Vissa is outstanding at responding to moves. and surges. While she can't cover all of them, she can handle most race scenarios with brilliance. She also has the 800 meter speed that some of these 1500 meter title contenders don't have.

With career defining win and PR at the SEC Championships, Vissa is on fire right now and may be the most dangerous woman in the 1500 meters at the national meet this spring, regardless of whether or not you pick her to win the title.

4. Taylor Roe, Junior, Oklahoma State (-1 / 3)

It wasn't a head-turning time, but it was a solid finish for Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe in the 1500 at the BIG 12 Championships over the weekend.

Roe easily won her final, taking down West Virginia’s Hayley Jackson by six seconds. The Oklahoma State standout broke the tape in a time of 4:17, a mark that was ultimately converted to 4:13. When you consider that her personal best is 4:13, that result seems to check out.

Roe was the 3k national champion this past winter after making a decisive move to put away the field. While everyone will be monitoring what she does this spring, Roe is still capable of making things interesting with Tuohy. In terms of race execution, she's the full package.

3. Abby Nichols, Senior, Colorado (+1 / 4)

She ran two 5k races, one 800 meter race and one 1500 meter race leading up to the PAC-12 Championships. Those three races ultimately prepared her for a big 10k performance.

Nichols, in her fourth career 10k, improved upon her 2021 runner-up finish at the PAC-12 Championship, taking home the title this past weekend. The Colorado star crossed the line with a monster time of 32:27 en route to a nation leading mark and a 22 second PR. She held off Oregon’s Alessia Zarbo by one second in this thrilling race.

The Buffalo ace doubled up with the 5k and picked up a second win that weekend, beating teammate Emily Covert in the process, 15:47 to 15:48. This was a respectable finishing time following a nation-leading 10k after one day of rest between the two races.

A quick 10k time was absolutely in the cards for Nichols in the 10k after she ran 15:15 two weeks after running 15:27 in the 5k. But her 32:37 mark was certainly on the better end of what we expected to see from her in her 10k season debut.

Does this result make Nichols the title favorite in the 10k?

She does have experience competing on the national stage and has been on an absolute roll this outdoor season. Nichols has yet to lose to a fellow collegiate competitor in races longer than 1500 meters and has very clearly elevated her fitness to an entirely new level this year.

Sure, women like Gregory, Zarbo, Ryan and Chelangat are legitimate threats to Nichols in this race, but when we pair them in head-to-head battles, it's hard not to pick the Buffalo ace.

2. Courtney Wayment, Rs. Senior, BYU (-1 / 1)

You can’t always be at the top of your game when it comes to running races and posting quick times. Wayment showed us that at the Sound Running Track Meet a few weeks ago as we saw a rare glimpse of her being human.

With BYU not competing in a conference track championship, Wayment traveled out to California to take on a field of professionals in the 5000 meters on May 7th. There were some high expectations for Wayment heading into this race, mainly revolving around how close she could get to the NCAA record of 15:07.

However, things didn’t end up going as planned for Wayment as she faded far off the pace and from the leaders. The BYU standout finished 20th in the race with a time of 15:50, a result that is well off of her 15:15 5k PR.

What does the mean for Wayment heading into the postseason?

Honestly, not too much.

The Cougar veteran is still the title favorite in the steeplechase after running 9:26 earlier this season. And frankly, it's best to get that not-so-great result out of the way now rather than have it at the national meet.

1. Katelyn Tuohy, Sophomore, NC State (+1 / 2)

Immediately following the 1500 meter final at the ACC Championships, I sent Garrett a text letting him know that I was moving Tuohy to TSR #1 in our rankings. If he was going to tell me no, then I was going to argue my case.

Luckily, this seemed like a unanimous decision.

Tuohy dominated the 1500 meters at the ACC Championships this past weekend, winning by a three second margin over Florida State’s Maudie Skyring. The NC State sophomore ran an eye-popping time of 4:06, a six second improvement upon her previous PR. This time lands Tuohy amongst the best 1500 runners in NCAA history and she still has two more years on the college scene...in theory.

The Wolfpack sophomore didn’t stop there. Only a short time later, Tuohy toed the line again in the 5k. She was near the front the entire race before finishing runner-up to teammate Samantha Bush with a time of 15:50. Although this time wasn’t close to her 15:14 PR, it was a remarkable double considering the time frame and the simple goal of earning team points.

Tuohy has said that she'll go after the 5k in the postseason, and her recent display of unreal turnover seemingly makes her a greater national title favorite than before. No one is in the small ballpark as Tuohy this spring and regardless of the race scenario, she seems primed to be in contention for the win.

ADDED

Madison Boreman (Colorado)

Samantha Bush (NC State)

Carley Thomas (Washington)

Aaliyah Miller (Baylor)

KICKED OFF

Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico)

Aneta Konieczek (Oregon)

Krissy Gear (Arkansas)

McKenna Keegan (Villanova)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico)

Aneta Konieczek (Oregon)

Krissy Gear (Arkansas)

McKenna Keegan (Villanova)

Parker Valby (Florida)

Maudie Skyring (Florida State)

Alessia Zarbo (Oregon)

Emily Covert (Colorado)

Joyce Kimeli (Auburn)

Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Oregon State)

Ellie Leather (Cincinnati)

Anna Gibson (Washington)

Olivia Howell (Illinois)

Rachel McArthur (Colorado)

Sydney Seymour (Tennessee)

Greta Karinauskaite (California Baptist)

Nicole Fegans (Georgia Tech)

Grace Forbes (Rice)

Logan Jolly (Arkansas)

Kayley DeLay (Yale)

Kristie Schoffield (Boise State)

Rachel Gearing (Penn State)

Lucy Jenks (Stanford)

Emma Heckel (New Mexico)

Lydia Olivere (Villanova)

Valery Tobias (Texas)

Brooke Jaworski (Texas)

Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)

Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)

Eusila Chepkemei (Middle Tennessee State)

Alexandra Hays (NC State)

Avi'Tal Wilson-Perteete (Texas A&M)

Michaela Rose (LSU)

Melissa Riggins (Georgetown)

Victoria Tachinski (Penn State)

Gabrielle Wilkinson (Florida)

Gracelyn Larkin (New Mexico)

Cara Woolnough (Utah)

Maggie Donahue (Georgetown)

Gracie Morris (TCU)

Christina Aragon (Stanford)

Izzy Thornton-Bott (Oregon)

Haley Herberg (Washington)

Allie Schadler (Washington)

Alissa Niggemann (Wisconsin)

Emily Cole (Duke)

Olivia Markezich (Notre Dame)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Bethany Hasz (Minnesota)

Anna Vess (NC State)

Grace Jensen (Vanderbilt)

Alexa Hokanson (Grand Canyon)

Jenna Schwinghamer (Kentucky)

Kassidy Johnson (Kansas State)

Hannah Steelman (NC State)

Ruby Stauber (Florida State)

Bailey Hertenstein (Indiana)

Kayla Johnson (Miami)

Savannah Shaw (NC State)

Dominique Clairmonte (NC State)

Hannah Branch (Utah Valley)

India Johnson (Colorado)

Kayla Windemueller (Michigan)

Abbe Goldstein (New Mexico)

Samree Dishon (New Mexico)

Kate Hunter (BYU)

Isabel Van Camp (Arkansas)

Aziza Ayoub (Ohio State)

Dorcus Ewoi (Campbell)

Carmen Riano (Miami (OH))

Tori Herman (Kentucky)

Laura Pellicoro (Portland)

Jessa Hanson (Northern Arizona)

Emily Venters (Utah)

Evelyn Kemboi (Utah Valley)

Madison Heisterman (Washington)

Carmen Alder (BYU)

Lexy Halladay (BYU)

Kayla Schiera (Southern Illinois)

Sydney Steely (Mississippi State)

Madaline Ulom (Penn State)

Megan Marvin (Furman)