2023 D1 Indoor Top 25 Rankings (Men): Preseason (Part One)

Written by Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve

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

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

TFRRS is used as a general, but not strict, guide when determining eligibility.

25. Tiarnan Crorken, Senior, Ole Miss

It's hard to dislike Tiarnan Crorken. He wasn't the flashiest name in the NCAA last year, but he consistently delivered great results, showcased excellent improvement and peaked at the perfect time.

This Ole Miss star, who joined the Rebels last summer, ran 1:47 (800) during the winter of 2022 to win the Music City Challenge and ultimately qualify for the national meet. And although he barely snuck into the national meet, Crorken was still able to advance to the 800 meter finals and display fantastic tactical poise.

The Ole Miss ace ended his 2022 indoor track season with a 5th place All-American finish, but that would be the last time that we saw Crorken for the entirety of 2022. According to TFRRS, he hasn't raced since then.

The long-standing absence of Crorken, whether intentional or not, is ultimately what places him at TSR #25. He also hasn't run faster than 1:47 during his time in the NCAA while certain names who aren't ranked have comfortably posted 1:46 marks.

But let's not forget, Crorken owns personal bests of 1:46 (800), 3:39 (1500) and 3:58 (mile) from the summer of 2021 before he ventured to Oxford, Mississippi. The 23-year old British middle distance runner clearly offers excellent dynamic value and has proven that he can thrive in a variety of competitive stages.

Crorken isn't a perfect talent, but his resume is void of any major flaws other than a simple lack of racing. If he does return to the indoor oval at top fitness, then he'll be a top contender in the 800 meters yet again.

24. Jesse Hamlin, Sophomore, Butler

One of the recent breakout stars from the still-very young 2023 indoor track season is Butler's Jesse Hamlin, an Indiana native who just had the race of his life at Boston University earlier this month.

While in Boston, the Butler ace recorded a massive 3000 meter personal best of 7:44, taking Oklahoma State's Fouad Messaoudi to the line while easily fending off Nike pro Craig Engels. Hamlin didn't win the race, but he came close, and his new PR would have been enough to qualify for last year's NCAA Indoor Championships.

But let's be clear, one great race isn't entirely responsible for Hamlin cracking these rankings. This is also a guy who has 3:38 for 1500 meters twice throughout his college career. He also boasts an 800 meter personal best of 1:48 as well as a 5k PR of 13:55.

That latter mark is almost certainly due to be reset, but the rest of Hamlin's resume showcases a tremendous blend of speed and explosiveness. The Butler runner clearly has some of the best dynamic talent in the NCAA and his subtle improvements from the fall have (so far) translated beautifully to the oval.

Hamlin still needs to prove himself on the national stage and he also needs to build a greater streak of consistency on the indoor track. On paper, he has less staying power than a handful of more established names.

But Hamlin is very clearly riding a massive wave of momentum and he quietly has one of the more well-rounded resumes in the NCAA.

23. Duncan Hamilton, Senior, Montana State

If these rankings were for outdoor track, then Duncan Hamilton would be listed so much higher than TSR #23. After all, this is a guy who ran 8:18 in the 3000 meter steeplechase and was less than a second from winning a national title in the event.

However, the Montana State star also offers plenty of value on the oval, showcasing some of the best all-around versatility and range from the mile and up.

Last winter was a big season for Hamilton. The Bobcat ace took that next jump to a truly nationally competitive status. Flat-track and altitude converted marks in the mile and the 3000 meters did create some questions about how he would perform at sea level However, a 3:59 mile mark and 7:45 (3k) PR validated his fantastic conversions, especially the latter result.

Hamilton would go on to finish 10th in the 3000 meters at the indoor national meet, but his spring campaign also produced marks of 13:30 over 5000 meters and 3:39 over 1500 meters, both of which came on the same weekend at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

Everyone knows Hamilton because of his reputation in the steeplechase. But this is also someone who can be absolutely lethal in the mile, the 3k and the 5k this winter. He still needs to take that next step up in those events like he did in the steeplechase, but in terms of value, he brings plenty of that to the NCAA in the winter of 2023.

22. Cole Sprout, Sophomore, Stanford

This ranking, at the surface, may seem a bit insulting -- and we understand that!

Cole Sprout is a true NCAA superstar. He is one of the most reliable All-American-caliber talents in the nation and is one of the country's most consistent performers when healthy. With personal bests of 7:43 (3k), 13:24 (5k) and 27:42 (10k), Sprout boasts a resume that should put him on the fringes of the top-10 in our rankings.

The Stride Report has confirmed that Cole Sprout plans to compete for the upcoming indoor track season. However, a recent injury sustained at the tail-end of the 2022 cross country season -- a partially-torn hamstring which kept him out of the West Regional XC Championships and forced him back to 118th place at the NCAA XC Championships -- has admittedly left us unsure about expectations for Sprout this winter.

When will Sprout return to competition? And when he does, how sharp will he be? His resume is clearly good enough to keep him in our rankings, but the uncertainty surrounding his health, and more importantly, his ability to recovery effectively, has left us with no other choice than to place Sprout at TSR #22.

21. Jason Gomez, Senior, Iowa State

Gosh, how on Earth do we properly gauge Jason Gomez?

Going into the 2022 indoor track season, the Iowa State star was preparing for his second winter campaign with the Cyclones after a breakout year in 2021. But Gomez struggled (a lot) last winter. He recorded two DNF results (one of which was in a DMR), ran 1:51 or slower over 800 meters four different times and didn't qualify for the indoor national meet in the half-mile event.

But the version of James Gomez that we saw last spring was nothing like the version of him that we saw last winter. He won the 800 meters at the Sun Angel Classic in a time of 1:47, moved up to the 1500 meters where he ran a 3:41 PR, won the 800 meters at the Beach Invitational, advanced to the national meet in the half-mile, advanced to the finals and ran a stunning personal best of 1:46 to finish 4th place overall.

Talk about a turnaround...

Jason Gomez's indoor and outdoor track seasons in 2022 were night and day. He went from being a major concern to an outside title contender for this winter season.

Is ranking Gomez at TSR #21 fair? Honestly, we don't know. If we're looking solely at last spring, then he's a borderline top-10 name. But if we're looking solely at last winter, then he's not anywhere close to being ranked at all.

Of course, our rankings are never that black and white. Context and nuance are required to accurately assess and rank athletes such as Gomez. We know that he has a history of success, at some points more than others, but we also know that he has some inconsistency.

For now, we think this is a good spot for him. But if he shows any signs of being the same guy that he was in the spring of 2022, then he'll comfortably move up our list.

20. Sean Dolan, Sophomore, Villanova

A personal favorite at The Stride Report, Villanova's Sean Dolan seems primed to evolve into a major national-caliber star this winter -- or at least, more than he already was / is.

The east coast middle distance ace had a fantastic year on the track last winter and spring. The traditional miler began to shift his focus to the 800 meters at the tail-end of the 2022 indoor track season despite running 3:56 in the mile in mid-February.

At the 2022 BIG East Indoor Championships, Dolan posted a big 800 meter time of 1:47, edging Georgetown's Matthew Payamps for the conference title. Dolan would later qualify for the indoor national meet in the half-mile event where he failed to make it out of the prelims.

But during the spring, Dolan looked like he took his fitness up to an even higher level, specifically in the postseason.

After winning yet another BIG East title in the 800 meters (once again, over Payamps), Dolan would run 1:47 yet again, this time at the East Regional Championships. And once he reached the national stage, Dolan took advantage of the fast paces. He advanced to the finals and then ran 1:46 (in both rounds) to finish 5th overall, earning All-American honors in the process.

For the most part, Dolan is one of the best postseason middle distance runners in the NCAA. Despite his previous youth, Dolan earned All-American honors as a redshirt freshman in the mile during the 2021 indoor track season and has since moved down in distance, proving to be just as effective.

There are truthfully not too many flaws that we could point to on Dolan's resume. He was still a freshman by eligibility last winter (despite that being his third year in the NCAA) and he was only a sophomore by eligibility in the spring.

However, we did opt to push Dolan back to TSR #20 based on his regular season history. For the most part, he doesn't produce many top-tier performances until his very last opportunity to do so.

We saw it during the 2021 indoor track season, we saw it during the 2022 indoor track season and we saw it during the 2022 outdoor track season. Sure, none of that largely matters as long as he delivers when he needs to, but if these rankings are based on someone's overall seasonal resume, then that does have to play some kind of role.

Regardless, there's a good chance that we could see yet another leap in fitness from Dolan later this winter. And if that happens, then a top-three finish on the nation's biggest stage could very easily be a possibility.

19. Joe Waskom, Junior, Washington

This might seem like a somewhat insulting ranking.

Placing Joe Waskom at TSR #19 six months after he won NCAA title in the 1500 meters feels almost criminal. But anyone who is familiar with his resume as a whole may understand, at least partially, why this Washington standout has only barely cracked the top-20 portion of our rankings.

The 2022 indoor track season was very kind to Joe Waskom who truly began to breakout and reach that next tier of national competitiveness. He brought his mile PR from 4:04 to 3:56 and then helped the Huskies earn All-American honors in the DMR at the indoor national meet.

However, Waskom's indoor resume was fairly one-dimensional, emphasizing an event that was unable to put him on the national stage as an individual. Yes, his outdoor track season was much stronger, but he only began to showcase his true talent in the postseason.

Leading up to the PAC-12 Outdoor Championships, Waskom's top steeplechase time was 8:47 (he would later run 8:41 on the conference stage) and his only complete 1500 meter race resulted in a 3:45 mark.

But at the PAC-12 Outdoor Championships, Waskom threw down a monster kick over the last 200 meters to win the conference title, this time in a mark of 3:40. And after advancing to the national stage where he ran a new PR of 3:39 in the prelims, Waskom replicated his kick from the PAC-12 meet almost exactly, ultimately giving him the 1500 meter national title.

When it comes to tactics and finishing kicks, Waskom is arguably the best in the NCAA. His ability to position himself for end-of-race success while finding enough strength to fend off his rivals over an entire half of a lap is so much more challenging than some people may realize.

Waskom doesn't mind being hunted, and for the most part, it's worked out for him.

But when it comes to his indoor track resume, or even his overall personal bests, it's truthfully hard to put him in the same conversation as some of these other guys. Does that make his national title any less impactful? No. Does it mean that his ability to peak in the postseason and consistently execute on his race tactics shouldn't be rewarded in these rankings? Also no.

All we need to see now is for Waskom's times to match the best finishes of his career.

18. Anass Essayi, Sophomore, South Carolina

Perhaps the biggest surprise name from last year, this sophomore Morocco native has championship pedigree that he could very well unlock (even further) in only his second go around of NCAA competition.

Anass Essayi has yet to match his gaudy 3:34 (1500) PR from the summer of 2021 while in the NCAA. However, the South Carolina star has shown more than just flashes of brilliance. He won the SEC indoor mile title last winter with a 3:57 mark and then qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the metric mile while also looking like a nationally competitive talent in the 800 meters.

But maybe the most important takeaway from last year was Essayi's tactics. Despite his relative inexperience at the collegiate level, this Moroccan superstar put on a master class in terms of in-race execution and positioning.

In fact, one could argue that Essayi was the best tactician in the entire NCAA last year!

Sure, Essayi recorded a DNF result at the outdoor national meet in Eugene, but that spoke more to his NCAA inexperience than any legitimate concerns about the ability of this then-dark horse title contender.

And let's not forget, this guy has big-race experience as well, toeing the line for multiple international meets, including the 2021 Olympic Games.

In our eyes, this is a guy who appears right on the doorstep of being the next Eliud Kipsang, or even better. But Essayi has also not run faster than 3:57 in the mile on the indoor oval and his end to the 2022 outdoor track season is admittedly hard to ignore.

For those reasons, we have placed Essayi at TSR #18, but there's a very good chance that this recent Olympian will catapult up our rankings throughout his 2023 indoor track campaign.

17. Parker Wolfe, Sophomore, North Carolina

Are we looking at the NCAA's next biggest superstar? That's probably the best way to talk about North Carolina's Parker Wolfe, at least for the moment.

Wolfe's rookie campaign on the indoor oval was very solid, but not enough to put him on the national stage. He ran 4:00 in the mile, earned a 7:47 flat-track conversion over 3000 meters at Camel City and finished 4th in a blistering fast 5k race at the ACC Indoor Championships.

The Tar Heel star would go on to run 3:41 for 1500 meters in the spring and be the dreaded "first man out" of qualifying for the outdoor national meet in the 5000 meters.

But what we have seen from Wolfe so far in his sophomore year is a leap so large that we simply didn't see it coming. The UNC talent was a top-10 name in the country this past fall and just ran an American Junior Record in the 5000 meters earlier this month, posting a jaw-dropping time of 13:19 at Boston University.

We'll admit, we don't entirely know what to expect from Wolfe this winter. He'll obviously be substantially better than he was last year, but by how much? And how much higher can he go from here? Will his raw displays of talent translate to tactical scenarios in championship settings? How much of a role will his relative youth play this winter?

Wolfe is probably one of the most naturally gifted distance runners in the NCAA and he's probably going to light up the track. However, we still need to see a full season from him at this level before we can move him closer to our top-10.

16. Thomas Vanoppen, Senior, Wake Forest

Another experienced international miler, Thomas Vanoppen didn’t truly showcase his full potential until last year’s outdoor track season. In fact, he never broke 4:00 in the mile last winter despite showing plenty of promise (although he did earn a 3:58 flat-track conversion).

But after garnering an All-American honor in the 1500 meters last spring and evolving into a tactical nightmare for his opponents, this Belgian distance star has more than proved himself. The Wake Forest standout ran 3:37 for 1500 meters, won the Duke Invite, won the Virginia Challenge and won the ACC title.

Vanoppen found himself in numerous race scenarios against high-level competition last spring, but always came out on top thanks to his fantastic positioning, veteran patience and quick decision making.

His stock has only risen since then with a consistently strong cross country campaign that almost landed the Wake Forest men on the podium. Oh, and his 7:55 (3k) personal best points to some further upside in that event this winter.

Despite not toeing the line for the indoor national meet last year, Vanoppen feels like one of the safer picks to leave this season with some hardware. Needless to say, we’re excited to see Vanoppen back racing at his most natural distance.

15. Casey Clinger, Sophomore, BYU

Casey Clinger may lack the high-end track upside that some of his contemporaries possess, but the four-time cross country All-American can do more than just hold his own off the grass.

Another national meet qualification appears imminent for this BYU veteran (who is still a sophomore by eligibility) in 2023, especially after his recent 13:17 (5k) effort during his season debut at Boston University.

Clinger is undeniably a long distance juggernaut who thrives in events like the 5k. However, it's his 3:38 PR over 1500 meters which suggests that there is some untapped upside over 3000 meters should he want to contest that event as well.

Admittedly, Clinger's indoor track resume at the collegiate level is limited. He only raced twice on the indoor oval last winter and only raced once during the 2021 indoor track season (where he opted to focus on cross country with his teammates).

We'd also like to see Clinger be more aggressive on certain championship stages and establish a greater identity outside of the 5k distance.

Even so, few men in the NCAA have as much raw aerobic talent as he does. This BYU runner has clearly shown on the grass and in his latest race that he is at the peak of his fitness. If he carries this newfound momentum to March, then he'll be incredibly difficult to shake.

14. Crayton Carrozza, Senior, Texas

Texas born-and-raised middle distance talent, Crayton Carrozza, has proven to be one of the most disruptive and versatile 800/mile hybrid talents in the country. With dual times of 1:46 (800) and 3:57 (mile), the latter of which was altered to a 3:55 mark via a flat-track conversion, this Longhorn veteran brings tons of value to our top-25 indoor track rankings.

Last winter, Carrozza recorded a head-turning pair of results on the biggest stage, earning All-American honors in the mile with a 7th place finish and contributing to Texas’ surprise DMR national title.

He won the BIG 12 indoor title in the 800 meters, was the top collegiate finisher in the mile at the Camel City Elite Invitational, ran 3:40 for 1500 meters on the outdoor oval and was also a finalist for the 2021 outdoor national meet in the 800 meters.

Simply put, this guy has done it all.

It’s a bit unclear what this veteran has in store for us this winter. While he is incredibly accomplished across the middle distance spectrum, he's also had a few minor hiccups, including his national qualifying miss in the 1500 meters last spring.

But when you consider that he's the second-best returner in the mile from last year's indoor national meet, we think his ranking should reflect that.

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Cade Flatt (Ole Miss)

Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona)

Cole Johnson (Michigan)

Cole Lindhorst (Texas)

Evan Dorenkamp (Penn State)

Antonio Lopez Segura (Virginia Tech)

Matthew Payamps (Georgetown)

Sam Gilman (Air Force)

Michael Power (Tulsa)

Dayton Carlson (Arizona State)

Samuel Rodman (Princeton)

Luke Houser (Washington)

Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M)

Adam Spencer (Wisconsin)

Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State)

Barry Keane (Butler)

Graham Blanks (Harvard)

Acer Iverson (Harvard)

Isai Rodriguez (Oklahoma State)

Victor Kiprop (Alabama)

Nathan Green (Washington)

Aaron Ahl (Washington)

Yaseen Abdalla (Tennessee)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Luis Peralta (Oregon)

Davis Bove (LSU)

Cameron Ponder (Furman)

Gary Martin (Virginia)

Miles Brown (Michigan)

Sam Austin (Florida)

Ayman Zahafi (Miami (FL))

Sebastian Fernandez (BYU)

Baylor Franklin (Ole Miss)

George Kusche (Northern Arizona)

Aidan Ryan (Washington)

Zach Facioni (Wake Forest)

Vincent Mauri (Arizona State)

Parker Stokes (Georgetown)

Ben Fleming (North Carolina)

Clayborn Pender (Georgia)

Cebastian Gentil (Iowa State)

Scott Beattie (Tulsa)

Jack Aho (North Carolina)

Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin)

Finley McLear (Iowa State)

Dylan Schubert (Furman)

Baldvin Magnusson (Eastern Michigan)