Indoor Top 25: Update #5 (3/18) (Women) - FINAL

25. Susan Aneno, Senior, UCONN (Unranked)

There were a few women who could have earned the last spot in our Top 25, but Aneno really impressed me this season. She was able to throw down some really impressive times at a consistent rate. The UCONN senior was eventually rewarded with a 6th place All-American finish in the 800 meters at Nationals. I think she was one of the more underrated athletes in the country this season.

24. Hannah Meier, Senior, Michigan (-2 / 22)

It wasn't a great performance for Meier in the mile finals as she dropped to last in the race. Still, she had a great season where she showed notable improvement and won the BIG 10 title over the eventual national champion.

23. Nia Akins, Junior, Penn (Unranked)

Akins had one of the best run races of the national meet. The Penn junior ran a beautiful race and showed that her string of impressive wins towards the second half of the regular season weren't just for nothing. Instead, it led to an NCAA silver medal.

22. Sharon Lokedi, Senior, Kansas (-5 / 17)

Lokedi just seemed to lack a spark this season. Her phenomenal 5k at Boston in December makes it hard to take her off this list, but after falling to 11th in the 5000 meters at Nationals, I can't say I was too excited about her season as a whole.

21. Katie Rainsberger, Rs. Sophomore, Washington (-1 / 20)

You at least have to credit Rainsberger for putting herself out there. She attempted the brutal mile/3k double, but walked away with a 7th place finish (mile) and a 12th place finish (3k) at Nationals. Still, she had a very solid season and deserves a spot in our Top 25.

20. Carina Viljoen, Junior, Arkansas (+4 / 24)

She wasn't super flashy throughout the season, but Viljoen was incredibly consistent. The Arkansas junior quietly recorded a 5th place finish in the mile to earn a respectable All-American finish.

19. Sinclaire Johnson, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (-4 / 15)

The Oklahoma State women went all-in on the DMR and although they didn't win the national title, they still came away with a 3rd place finish. Johnson recorded a huge split of 4:30 to keep the Pokes in contention and I can't help but think that her run was one of the more underrated performances of the national meet. Still, there were just too many good performances that forced her back to the #19 spot in our rankings.

18. Makena Morley, Junior, Colorado (+1 / 19)

Morley posted a pair of strong results at the national meet, finishing 6th in the 3k and 7th in the 5k. Two additional All-American honors added to her resume is super impressive and I like the fact that she was able to come back on day two and stay competitive.

17. Martha Bissah, Junior, Norfolk State (-6 / 11)

In a race that was fast and tactical, Bissah has no reason to hang her head after finishing 5th in the 800 meter finals. This was arguably the tightest race in terms of finishes and overall competition. She may not have won, but she showed that she was the real deal.

16. Karisa Nelson, Senior, Samford (0 / 16)

Nelson's first half of the season was respectable, but her Millrose performance was a bit discouraging. Still, she rallied in the postseason and seemingly returned to her 2017 form at the national meet. The Samford senior finished runner-up in the mile and likely earned herself the title of "Comeback Runner of the Year".

15. Fiona O'Keeffe, Rs. Sophomore, Stanford (+3 / 18)

The second half of the season belonged to Fiona O'Keeffe. Entering the national meet, you could tell she was on a roll, running back-to-back PR's and putting herself ahead of the nation's best. She took advantage of a field that was unable to hang with Monson and Kelati, leaving O'Keeffe with a 3rd place finish in the 5000 meters.

14. Julia Rizk, Senior, Ohio State (Unranked)

After finishing runner-up to Hannah Meier at the BIG 10 Championships, many fans around the country (including us) were focused on Meier as a potential national title winner. However, Rizk was just as good, especially with a 4:32 personal best. Sure enough, Rizk showed incredible poise in the finals and pulled away from Karisa Nelson to win the national title. A phenomenal second half of her season has catapulted the Ohio State veteran to the #14 spot.

13. Millie Paladino, Senior, Providence (+1 / 14)

Yes, I know she finished 3rd in the mile race, but I'm putting her ahead of Rizk and Nelson because she had the better overall season. She never had a bad race, posted strong times, and showed off top-notch range. In the grand scheme of things, she had the better winter.

12. Allie Wilson, Senior, Monmouth (0 / 12)

Much like Bissah, this Monmouth senior has a lot to be proud. She had the fastest non-converted time for 800 meters this season and always put herself in a position to win. Additionally, Wilson's lack of experience on the national stage didn't stop her from controlling the final few moments of the race (which takes a lot of guts). Her 4th place finish is a great result in what was one of the tightest races of the indoor season.

11. Ednah Kurgat, Senior, New Mexico (-3 / 8)

The final half of Ednah Kurgat's season was admittedly not great. The New Mexico veteran fell back to 6th at the Husky Classic, was a DNF in the Mountain West 3k, and just missed an All-American spot in the 3000 meters at Nationals (finishing 9th overall). That said, her 4th place finish in the 5000 meters, paired with her 15:14 personal best, keeps her from falling too far in the rankings.

10. Rachel Pocratsky, Senior, Virginia Tech (0 / 10)

Pocratsky may have waited a bit too long to make her move in the 800 meter final, but she still posted an impressive time of 2:03 to earn the bronze medal. She was a beast throughout the entire season and never gave anyone a reason to doubt her.

9. Nicole Hutchinson, Senior, Villanova (-3 / 6)

Her 13th place finish in the 3000 meters wasn't great, but we should also keep in mind that she split 4:31 on Villanova's DMR the night before. When you look at the big picture, she did a lot this season. Her personal best of 8:55 in the 3000 meters is also hard to ignore.

8. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Freshman, Arkansas (-1 / 7)

Lauren Gregory joined Katie Rainsberger as the only women to attempt the mile/3k double at Nationals. As a result, Gregory had to settle for 10th in the mile and 7th in the 3k. It wasn't an ideal weekend for her, but with team points on the line she got the job done. I also admire her willingness to attempt such a difficult double while so many other women/programs opted not to.

7. Allie Ostrander, Junior, Boise State (-2 / 5)

I was never quite sure what to think of Ostrander this season. Some weekend's she was great, others she just okay. I still see her as an elite collegiate distance runner, especially after she finished 4th in the 3k and 8th in the 5k, but I thought this could've been a season where she contended for an indoor national title.

6. Erica Birk, Senior, BYU (+3 / 9)

I am a huge fan of Erica Birk. She may be my favorite women's distance runner in the NCAA right now. Being a student, a mother, and a top-tier national contender is so wildly impressive. On the track, she finished 5th in the 3000 meters, but that came one day after she pushed Jessica Hull on the anchor leg of the DMR. Her range has improved a great amount over the past couple of years and I wouldn't be surprised if she challenges for a national title in the 5000 or 10,000 meters come outdoors.

5. Taylor Werner, Junior, Arkansas (+8 / 13)

A 4:30 mile split on the DMR and a runner-up finish to Hull in the 3000 makes it hard for anyone to doubt Werner's overall talent. After such a phenomenal national meet, Werner has put herself in the upper echelon of women's collegiate distance running.

4. Weini Kelati, Sophomore, New Mexico (0 / 4)

Kelati hung tough in both the 3000 and 5000 meters, earning bronze and silver medals, respectively. Her pair of podium finishes shouldn't come as a surprise to any knowledge distance running fan. She will likely earn a national title once the women ahead of her graduate, but she could still take home gold later this outdoor season.

3. Alicia Monson, Junior, Wisconsin (0 / 3)

It was an absolute dominant display of fitness in the 5000 meters as Monson ran 15:31 to separate herself from Kelati and take home the national title. Admittedly, her race in the 3000 was a bit rough (she finished 10th), but she did enough this season to keep herself in the top three.

2. Danae Rivers, Junior, Penn State (-1 / 1)

Rivers ran a 4:29 mile, broke the collegiate record in the 1000 meters, and won the national title in the 800. However, she nearly cost herself NCAA gold by timing her final kick a bit too late. It's a minor detail, but it was enough for me to put someone new at #1 spot.

1. Jessica Hull, Senior, Oregon (+1 / 2)

It was really hard to drop Rivers from the #1 spot. However, Hull simply did more. She was able to unleash wicked fast kicks in races that were designed to eliminate strong finishers. She headlined the NCAA leaderboard, never lost a race, anchored home her relay to a national title, and came back to win the 3000 meters the next day (all with relative ease). I don't think there was anything more she needed to do to earn the #1 spot.