2022 D2 Outdoor Top 25 Rankings (Women): Update #3

TSR Collaboration
May 3, 2022
11 min read

Written by Grace McLaughlin & Eric Baranoski, additional commentary 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. Stevie Lawrence, Senior, Queens (NC) (Unranked)

Lawrence improved upon her 3000 meter steeplechase time last weekend, running an excellent mark of 10:24 which was a four-second improvement, ultimately giving her an individual win.

Last year, running 10:28 got her 6th place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, so there’s no telling where that could get her this year, especially in a field that seems somewhat wide-open. Lawrence currently sits at NCAA #4 in this event, so she should be a contender for a high finish at the national meet at the end of this month.

The only question is...how high will she finish?

As everyone knows, the steeplechase is a very unpredictable event with the barriers as well as the water pits, so there's not a lot of room to operate unchallenged. Luckily, the Royals veteran has plenty of experience in the event and has developed into one of the more consistent talents in Division Two.

In theory, that should serve her well a few weeks from now.

24. Ukeyvia Beckwith, Junior, Embry-Riddle (Unranked)

Beckwith recently flexed her middle distance dominance at the Peach Belt Championships, putting together a wildly impressive sweep. She took on four events at her conference meet, contesting the 400 meters, 800 meters, 4x400 relay and the high jump...and she won all of them!

Then, the very next weekend, she went up to Jacksonville to run one second faster in the 800 meters -- 2:06 is no joke of a time. If she can replicate that performance come the NCAA Championships, which is something that we saw her do this past winter, then Beckwith may as well be an All-American lock.

This Embry-Riddle veteran is really finding her groove. She is able to balance competing in a lot of events while giving her all in each one. Her speed is wildly impressive and she refuses to step out of the nationally competitive tier despite the NCAA-wide improvements made in the 800 meters this year.

23. Ashley Corcoran, Junior, Southern New Hampshire (+2 / 25)

Corcoran took a break from her regularly scheduled steeple training and decided to test her aerobic system in a 5000 meter race. While not the fastest time ever, her 17:32 mark was still respectable and it acted as the fastest outdoor 5k time of her career -- so there are still positive signs to take from this.

To have range from the 1500 meters to the 3000 meter steeplechase and up to the 5k only helps Corcoran's case of being a well-rounded athlete going into the national meet. In theory, that may help her in a variety of race scenarios, although the steeplechase, as we know, is wildly unpredictable.

22. Hailey Streff, Senior, CSU-Pueblo (0 / 22)

Has not raced since our last update

21. Layla Almasri, Senior, UC-Colorado Springs (+3 / 24)

Yes, Almasri did contest the 1500 meters at the RMAC Outdoor Championships, but we’ll talk about that later.

Did you know that she was the one who won the RMAC title in the 5k? Yeah, she beat Zoe Baker of Colorado Mines and took home her first 5k title in the process. We knew that Almasri was an all-around distance weapon who can do a little bit of everything, but to take home a 5k title in a conference known for its 5k runners is wildly impressive.

Ok, and now for the 1500 meters.

Almasri placed 4th in her marquee event and missed a podium spot behind teammate Riley McGrath by just two seconds.

Would Almasri have done better if she was fresh like McGrath? Maybe. Almasri ran the 5k because the team needed the points which ultimately led to UCCS repeating as team champions.

For that reason, we wouldn't look to heavily into her faltering a bit in the 1500 meters.

20. Riley McGrath, Sophomore, UC-Colorado Springs (+1 / 21)

One of the most underrated competitors in our eyes, UC-Colorado's Riley McGrath is no longer flying under the radar after a year where she has built an increasingly stronger resume.

Placing 3rd in the 1500 meters at the RMAC Championships and making the podium sums up the kind of year that she is having. McGrath has seen plenty of small improvements thoughout this year which has led to promising personal bests in fast races which has allowed to stay competitive in larger fields.

McGrath isn't done just yet. She’s still got more work to do. However, given the indoor success she had on the national stage and on the ongoing momentum that she has built up, it's hard to dislike anything about this Mountain Lion talent moving forward.

19. Fiona Hawkins, Freshman, Adams State (-3 / 16)

Yeah, in a tactical race, sometimes you don’t have it. Fiona Hawkins didn’t have it in the 1500 meters at the RMAC Outdoor Championships, finishing 6th in a fairly bunched up field. However, it's important to remember that Hawkins is just a freshman and hasn’t had too many tactical races under her belt.

You can just chalk this result up to lack of experience and move on. If anything it's a good thing that she had this experience now rather than on the national stage.

Something to note is that Hawkins did score in her first RMAC outdoor meet and has run extremely well in fast races -- like those at Bryan Clay (4:24 for 1500 meters and 16:07 for 5k). Tactics are different than simply running fast, but after seeing her success during the indoor national meet, we're not too concerned about her future.

18. Taryn Chapko, Sophomore, Grand Valley State (-1 / 17)

Has not raced since the last update.

17. Alexa Leppelmeier, Senior, Walsh (+2 / 19)

Leppelmeier continues her senior year farewell tour by taking down two of her old personal bests: one in the 800 meters and one in the 1500 meters.

At the Jesse Owens Classic, hosted by Ohio State, Leppelmeier took 5th place in a mostly Division One field, running a solid time of 4:26 for 1500 meters. Then, at the Walsh Invite, she lost at the line in a thrilling 800 meter race, ultimately posting a solid time of 2:11.

Leppelmeier should be incredibly encouraged right now. She's on fire right now after gaining valuable momentum in two "off" distance races which shows us that she is clearly getting better. The added speed should greatly benefit her in the steeple and maybe the 5k.

All of the sudden, Leppelmeier has become one of the more dynamic distance runners in D2.

16. Katie Doucette, Sophomore, Western Colorado (-6 / 10)

Welp, in a race that Katie Doucette certainly wasn’t favored in, she finished a respectable 5th place overall in the 1500 meters at the RMAC Championships.

Doucette proved during the indoor track season that she is more of a long distance running, specializing in the 3000 meters and the 5000 meters. That's why dropping down in distance to the 1500 meters and producing a result like this isn’t the end of the world.

Doucette already has a solid 5k time this spring, one that should get her to the NCAA Championships, although she may need to improve if she wants to return to the All-American conversation.

Even so, doing a different event is a good challenge as it can't hurt for Doucette to work on her speed and turnover prior to the outdoor national meet.

15. Lindsay Cunningham, Freshman, Winona State (Unranked)

Holy Smokes! Lindsay Cunningham she continues to validate herself as one of the best true longer distance talents in the entirety of Division Two. We knew the 5k was her sweet spot in terms of racing distances, but seeing how she performed this past weekend took some of us by surprise.

Winning the Drake Relays 5k in a new personal best time of 16:05, beating out a top JuCo distance talent in Iowa Western’s Hilda Chebet, Cunningham took nearly 10 seconds off of her PR.

Winning a major event like the Drake Relays confirms our theory that her 5th place performance at the NCAA Indoor Championships was not just a one-time deal...although her 7th place finish at the cross country national meet this past fall suggested the same.

But now, there are no doubts. This Winona State youngster is for real and given how fast the 5k at the NCAA Championships is expected to be, we have reason to believe that Cunningham will fare well on the national stage once again.

14. Klaudia O’Malley, Sophomore, Grand Valley State (0 / 14)

Has not raced since the last update.

13. Ava O’Connor, Freshman, Adams State (+2 / 15)

Ava O’Connor is the pure embodiment of a top middle distance athlete.

After winning the RMAC mile title this past winter, O'Connor collected the 800 meter RMAC title this past weekend in Pueblo, Colorado with an impressive time of 2:08, a converted mark that is ultimately one second faster than her PR.

O'Connor's overall progression this year in both her times and her ability to win races is unusual for a freshman unless they are supremely talented and have a high “Track IQ”.

And if you asked us, we think she has both.

12. Hannah Becker, Senior, Grand Valley State (+1 / 13)

Becker faded during indoor track season after winning a national title in cross country, but it seems that she has hit her stride this spring and will now be a top performer in the steeplechase a few weeks from now.

The Grand Valley State star ran 10:19 in the steeple at the Mt. SAC Relays which is currently the second-fastest mark in Division Two and three seconds off from her personal best.

Becker returned to the track and ran 16:35 in the 5k at the Drake Relays this past weekend, which is the NCAA #22 time in Division Two at the moment. However, given her talent and resume of success, it is clear this wasn’t her best performance in the 5k.

Still, we would not worry much about that 5k result. For the most part, Becker knows when to peak for championships and has her eyes set on a national title in the steeplechase. After all, she was the runner-up in this event last year.

If she's firing on all cylinders, then Becker is one of the most dangerous distance talents and the country, and that potential alone is a big reason why we still have her ranked so highly.

11. Jessica Gockley, Senior, Grand Valley State (-2 / 9)

Has not competed since Bryan Clay.

10. Kelly-Ann Beckford, Junior, Lincoln (MO) (+2 / 12)

Beckford moves up two spots in this round of rankings after consistent performances in the middle distance events over the last few weeks.

At the John Jacobs Invitational, the Lincoln standout star ran 2:06 in the 800 meters to win the event, suddenly throwing her name back into the top-contender category.

Beckford is an expert at slowly dropping time in the 800 meters throughout a season and, at least as of late, peaking when it matters most. We saw this during indoor track season where she placed runner-up at the national meet with a shockingly impressive PR of 2:04.

Her 2:06 performance with a few weeks to go until the national meet just shows us that Beckford is, once again, in a great spot at this point in the season to peak at the national meet.

Beckford also competed in the 4x400 meter relay at John Jacobs and at the Rock Chalk Classic, aiding Lincoln in producing the second and fourth-fastest times in the event this season.

Beckford has the turnover and speed from the 400 meters that some of her half-mile competitors may not have at the end of this month. That, paired with her extensive experience and ability to peak in the postseason, makes her a top-10 talent in our rankings.

9. Jennifer Sandoval, Senior, Azusa Pacific (+2 / 11)

Jennifer Sandoval had a big weekend of racing at the PacWest Conference Championships. The Azusa Pacific veteran won the 5k (16:24), the 10k (34:53) and also placed 4th in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:32.

Earlier in the season, Sandoval ran an outstanding time of 33:10 in the 10k for the second-fastest time in Division Two this season. We should also note that Sandoval was the runner-up finisher in the 10k and the 4th place finisher in the 5k at last year's outdoor national meet.

Sandoval is one of the top national meet favorites in the endurance events this year, although she is arguably at her best in the 10k.

Unlike many other 10k specialists, Sandoval has been racing quite a bit this season. Hopefully running the 1500 meters and the 5k throughout this season will give her the edge she needs in the 10k a few weeks from now.

8. Allie Ludge, Senior, Grand Valley State (0 / 8)

Has not competed since Bryan Clay.

7. Elenora Curtabbi, Junior, West Texas A&M (0 / 7)

Curtabbi is the clear title favorite in the steeplechase, but she also has the foot speed for the 800 meters and the 1500 meters, a rarity amongst top steeple talents. She currently holds the NCAA #1 time in the steeplechase, the NCAA #14 time in the 1500 meters and the NCAA #9 time in the 800 meters.

After flexing her middle distance prowess earlier in the season, Curtabbi worked on her endurance at the TTU Corky Classic. Rather than running her usual events, she entered the 5k and managed to win the race with a decent time of 17:38.

Last year, Curtabbbi placed 14th at the national meet in the steeplechase. However, based on the fact that she has the fastest time in Division Two by nearly 10 seconds at the moment, it is clear that this year she will place much higher...or win the whole thing, especially if her middle distance speed allows her to get an edge on her opponents at the end of a race.

6. Fatima Alanis, Sophomore, Queens (NC) (0 / 6)

We've said it before and we’ll say it again.

Fatima Alanis is on fire.

Her most recent performance was a win at the Charlotte Invitational with a new PR of 4:24 in the 1500 meters.

Every race she has run this spring has been a PR, and this is coming off of phenomenal cross country and indoor track seasons. She placed 3rd at the NCAA XC Championships in the fall and placed 2nd (5k) and 5th (3k) at the NCAA Indoor Championships this past winter.

The momentum that Alanis has right now is incredible and she is set up to have a successful ending to her outdoor season as well. She currently has the NCAA #3 time in the 5k, the NCAA #5 time in the 10k and the NCAA #13 time in the 1500 meters.

With the improvements and consistency that she is showing, I think it is safe to say that Alanis is a dark horse in the endurance events when it comes to the possibility of a national title.

5. Yasmine Hernandez, Senior, CSU-Pueblo (0 / 5)

Has not competed since Bryan Clay.

4. Brianna Robles, Sophomore, Adams State (0 / 4)

Robles pulled off another amazing performance and won the 5k in a mark of 16:04 at Payton Jordan this past weekend. She won the 10k at the Mt. SAC Relays earlier this season against a slew of strong Division One competition.

She currently has the best time (32:50) in the 10k by nearly 20 seconds and the NCAA #4 time (16:04) in the 5k. And yet, none of that is surprising.

Robles can run ridiculously fast times, but she is also a fierce competitor. If there is anyone near her or ahead of her in a race, the Grizzly ace manages to out-kick or shake off her opponents.

3. Alison Andrews-Paul, Senior, Simon Fraser (0 / 3)

Has not competed since Bryan Clay.

2. Celine Ritter, Junior, Lee (Tenn.) (0 / 2)

Ritter competed at the Georgia Tech Invitational recently and ran a new 800 meter PR of 2:09, as well as a season’s best mark of 4:19 in the 1500 meters. She placed 6th in both events amongst talented fields.

This Lee ace is versatile, consistent, experienced and has a steady momentum going into the latter portion of this season. She currently has the NCAA #11 time in the 800 meters, the NCAA #2 time in 1500 meters, the NCAA #7 time in the 5k and the NCAA #3 time in the 10k.

That is outrageous range and almost unheard of at this level of Division Two.

Ritter was the runner-up in the 1500 meters at last year's outdoor national meet and she also placed 8th in the 5k. Is it safe to say that she'll do the same this spring?