TSR's 2022 D2 XC Top 25 Individual Rankings (Women): Update #3

TSR Collaboration
Nov 8, 2022
15 min read

Written by Grace McLaughlin & Eric Baranoski

Additional edits and commentary by John Cusick & Garrett Zatlin

NOTE: These rankings are based on how a team fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at the NCAA XC Championships or at a singular meet.

KEY

(Unranked):

Was not ranked in our last update.

(#/#):

First number indicates how much the team has moved in the rankings.

The second number indicates where the team was ranked in our last update.

25. Gianna Bomarito, Freshman, Sonoma State (Unranked)

With all the discussion between Stanislaus State and Chico State in the team race, Gianna Bomarito was greatly overshadowed.

We're not sure people realized this, but she finished 2nd overall this past weekend, making it back-to-back strong outings for the Sonoma State star. To beat an entire Chico State team and most of a top-heavy Stanislaus State squad is super impressive.

This was her second-straight result (after placing 5th at D2 Pre-Nationals) that could be viewed as nationally competitive, giving her outstanding momentum going into the rest of her championship meets. Bomarito's next test will be at the West Regional XC Championships where she will attempt to qualify for her first national meet.

And while the inexperience of a freshman can often be a liability on larger championship stages, the upside that youngsters like Bomarito bring to the table is just as exciting.

24. Johanna Wistokat, Senior, Christian Brothers (+1 / 25)

One of the few All-Americans who came out of nowhere last year at the NCAA XC Championships in Florida, Wistokat has seemingly captured everyone’s attention in 2022.

The Christian Brothers ace has been a steady presence at the front of every race that she has run in and she recently won her first Gulf South XC Championship title this past weekend.

Wistokat has emerged as a top name in larger races like the Chile Pepper XC Festival and in the smaller races like the Memphis Twilight. Now, she's validating her regular season success with a promising postseason result.

Simply put, she can thrive in all kinds of settings.

With this type of resume and more importantly, this kind of spotlight, will she be able to deliver at her regional meet and then peak on the national stage? Her most recent results certainly favor a postseason peak...

23. Clare Peters, Junior, Colorado Mines (-9 / 14)

The first RMAC XC Championships for the former NC State club runner was hardly bad, but the inexperience of Peters did catch up to her a bit.

Finishing 15th overall and ahead of RMAC mainstays like Yasmine Hernandez (CSU-Pueblo) and Riley McGrath (UCCS) does enough for Peters to stay in our rankings, even if prior results suggested that she could be better.

Moving Peters back nine spots feels like quite a bit, but her inexperience on championship stages is something that needs to be considered. Remember, the D2 level is all new to her, although with more experience should come better results.

Peters has the ability to be a top-20 runner in the country, that much is undeniable. However, the only question is whether or not we'll see her deliver on that potential.

22. Molly Maksin, Senior, Colorado Mines (-4 / 18)

Molly Maksin led the Orediggers this past weekend at the RMAC XC Championships. The team finished 2nd behind Adams State which is still a good result despite the order change in their scoring lineup.

Normally, Maksin serves as the second scorer for Colorado Mines, but she had to step up after an "off" day from Zoe Baker. We love that Maksin was able to step up when called upon, but her 10th place finish is also on par with her talent level.

She is a phenomenally consistent runner, but we're still looking for greater high-end scoring potency that would move her forward in these rankings. She's a top-25 runner at the moment with a ceiling of being inside the top-15, but she'll take a four-spot slide to our TSR #22 spot this time around.

21. Nicolette Schmidt, Senior, Augustana (-1 / 20)

Nicolette Schmidt has quietly put together a really strong season despite our initial expectation for her. However, for now, we're placing her at TSR #21.

This past weekend, Schmidt finished 4th at the NSIC XC Championships for the second-straight season. She was 10 seconds back of 3rd place and 14 seconds back of 2nd place.

It's important to remember that Schmidt elevated her racing to a higher level during the 2021 fall postseason as she finished 3rd at the Central regional meet and then 20th at the national meet to end her season.

It appears that Schmidt is on that same track in 2022 and it's only fitting that her current ranking matches where she finished at the national meet last year. With a strong performance at the Central Regional XC Championships, we may have no issues arguing that Schmidt is a top-15 name in the country.

Of course, we will need to see her deliver a stronger result before that happens.

20. McKenna Taylor, Sophomore, Winona State (Unranked)

It's time to put some respect on McKenna Taylor's name.

This Winona State ace has been flat-out fantastic this year, quietly putting together consistent performances, often taking down nationally competitive names and thriving in a variety of different fields.

Here's a crazy stat: In the five races that Taylor has toed the line for this season, she only ever placed 3rd overall. And when you consider that she has toed the line for meets like the Griak Invitational, Lewis Crossover and the NSIC XC Championships, that's a crazy-impressive level of reliability and poise.

Taylor has proven to be a highly valuable scorer in the past, but she has risen to the point of being a true national-caliber low-stick who has performed with metronomic consistency throughout this season.

And in the postseason, that reliability is extremely important to have.

19. Alyssa Becker, Sophomore, U-Mary (Unranked)

Alyssa Becker is the other name who joins our rankings after living in our "Just Missed" and "Honorable Mentions" sections all season long.

Becker was the 2nd place finisher at the NSIC XC Championships, making it five-straight top-five finishes for the sophomore. We saw how good she was for U-Mary during the 2021 season and it looks like she's built upon that fitness in 2022.

While taking down Lindsay Cunningham was unlikely, being able to knock off the likes of Nicolette Schmidt and McKenna Taylor is not an easy challenge, either. With another year of training under her belt, it seems that Becker is primed to at least roughly match her 17th place finish from last year's national meet.

She'll have to navigate the Central Regional XC Championships first, but Becker proved that she was more than capable as a freshman last year when she placed 6th in her region. We would be shocked if she finished outside the top-three in that regional race in two weeks.

18. Kylie Anicic, Junior, Edinboro (+3 / 21)

Many of you may be looking closer at our top-10 than the next few names outside of that realm. However, it's important that you keep Kylie Anicic in mind, an east coast standout who has been sneaky-great in her last few races.

This past weekend, Anicic won her first PSAC XC Championship title and while she took home the individual title, she also helped the Edinboro women take home the team title. Not to mention she set a new 6k personal best in the process.

Anicic has proven her worth on the track and now, in her first season of cross country with the Fighting Scots after transferring from Towson, she has really given the Edinboro women something to cheer for on the grass.

Anicic's stock continues to rise and with the regional meets right around the corner, there's no telling how high she could end up in our rankings with yet another strong race.

17. Nicole Lawrence, Junior, Adams State (+6 / 23)

Since her freshman year, Nicole Lawrence has significantly contributed to the Grizzlies at the RMAC XC Championships.

This year was no different as she was the fifth scorer for the Grizzlies, finishing in 7th place overall. This result speaks to her consistency at the conference level which is often a good indicator of national meet success.

Lawrence had been trending slightly backwards before this past weekend, so it's nice to see a bounce-back race from her. Admittedly, the Adams State women don't necessarily need more help, but reliable consistency from veteran runners like Lawrence will always be welcomed.

16. Zoe Baker, Senior, Colorado Mines (-9 / 7)

We're not so sure what to make of this 14th place finish at the RMAC XC Championships from Zoe Baker. That result is actually identical to how she finished at her conference meet during her freshman year (when she also placed 14th).

And if you remember correctly, she missed being an All-American by 28 places that year.

Of course, it seems unfair to suggest that Baker isn't an All-American contender, or even a top-20 challenger, for this year's national meet. One not-so-great, but still decent, result is hardly the end of the world.

We move Baker back quite a few spots this week as consistency becomes more important in the postseason. However, she will have the chance to make up for that drop at the South Central XC Championships in two weeks. A strong performance there would have us reconsidering where she stands within the Division Two realm.

15. Lauren Kiley, Freshman, Grand Valley State (+7 / 22)

It seems like the rich only get richer.

The Grand Valley State women took home their 21st consecutive GLIAC title this past weekend. We mention this because, believe it or not, rookie Lauren Kiley was a major contributor to that title victory.

Oh, you thought she was the fifth scorer for this team?

Nope. She was the runner-up to veteran Natalie Graber as a TRUE freshman.

To say that Kiley's season this fall has been anything but amazing would be anything but the truth. She has raced in the biggest meets (Louisville Classic, Bradley Pink Classic, GLIAC XC Championships) and has performed exceptionally well on each occasion.

Kiley and Adams State's Maggie McCleskey have to be the two candidates in contention for our "Freshman of the Year" award -- and it's not even close with anyone else.

14. Eleonora Curtabbi, Junior, West Texas A&M (-4 / 10)

Eleonora Curtabbi has had a solid season so far, but it hasn't been super exciting, either.

Admittedly, the West Texas A&M star hasn't necessarily stood out in a major way this fall. We truthfully expected just a little bit more from someone who won the national title in the steeplechase this past outdoor track season.

Curtabbi finished 3rd this past weekend at the Lone Star XC Championships, nine seconds behind Dallas Baptist standout Madison Brown and a whopping 28 seconds behind teammate Florance Uwanjaneza. And while both of those women are uber-talented, we thought Curtabbi would be much closer to Uwanjaneza than she was.

But despite all of that, it's important to recognize that Curtabbi hasn't necessarily done anything to hurt her stock, either. We still feel like she is a major competitor and that she will show up at both the South Central Regional XC Championships and the NCAA XC Championships.

13. Madison Brown, Sophomore, Dallas Baptist (+11 / 24)

We simply can’t ignore the fact that Madison Brown is improving -- by a lot.

Brown is the leader of the Dallas Baptist Patriots who just broke up the West Texas A&M duo at the Lone Star XC Championships, losing only to Florance Uwanjaneza and taking down Eleonora Curtabbi.

With this type of performance, the Patriots have a lot of momentum riding into the tough South Central region where they will face off against the likes of Adams State, Colorado Mines and UC-Colorado Springs.

However, maybe more importantly, this could be a big "prove it" meet for Brown who seems to have reached the next tier of nationally competitive women in Division Two.

12. Katie Doucette, Rs. Junior, Western Colorado (-9 / 3)

Katie Doucette drops several spots in our rankings after going head-to-head with several other top-ranked women at the RMAC XC Championships. To put it simply, Saturday wasn’t Doucette’s best performance, but she still placed 6th overall in a competitive field.

While it wasn’t necessarily what we expected from a runner of her caliber, finishing 6th at the RMAC XC Championships is still impressive.

It's admittedly hard to rank Doucette at the moment because while we know that she is a fantastic runner with a deep resume of success, we are not seeing the same firepower from her as we have in the past. While she is certainly performing well, she has not wowed us in her recent efforts.

Of course, when it comes to the NCAA XC Championships, nothing done during the season matters and Doucette may be the athlete with the biggest chip on her shoulder to perform well at the national meet.

For now, Doucette sits at TSR #12 in our rankings.

11. Layla Almasri, Rs. Senior, UC-Colorado Springs (0 / 11)

Layla Almasri stays at TSR #11 after her fantastic 5th place finish at the RMAC XC Championships. While not unexpected, this race validated the talent that we’ve been seeing from her throughout these fall months.

The Mountain Lion ace won her season opener at the UCCS Rust-Buster and placed 17th at the Louisville Classic against solid Division One talent. Along with the solid performances that we’ve seen from Almasri, she also hasn’t been afraid to challenge top names this season, even if she hasn't always come out on top.

This display of confidence and consistency keeps Almasri in the top-half of our rankings.

With the level of experience and the momentum she has going, Layla Almasri is a force to be reckoned with as we head into the regional meets and the NCAA XC Championships.

10. Emily Schoellkopf, Sophomore, Adams State (+6 / 10)

Emily Schoellkopf makes a massive jump in our rankings and cracks into the top-10 after her breakthrough performance at the RMAC XC Championships. The up-and-coming Grizzly star had an amazing day this past weekend as she finished 4th overall against one of the best fields in the country.

Schoellkopf was put on our radar after her 5th place finish at the Joe I. Vigil XC Open where she established herself as a potential scorer for Adams State. She validated this performance by placing 8th at the 2022 Highlander Invitational and finishing as Adam State’s third scorer.

With those performances, along with her 4th place finish at the RMAC XC Championships, Schoellkopf has established herself as one of the best runners in the country.

An important thing to mention is that Schoellkopf is just a sophomore eligibility-wise, making her recent performances that much more impressive. Additionally, she made massive improvements from last year.

With the momentum she has going and the improvement that we’ve seen thus far, Schoellkopf could be Adam State’s next superstar in a year or two.

9. Precious Robinson, Junior, Adams State (+4 / 13)

Precious Robinson rises just four spots in our rankings after her bronze medal performance at the RMAC XC Championships. The Grizzly low-stick established herself as a top-10 name after beating several talented women and showing consistency after her phenomenal race at the Highlander Invitational.

Robinson was 9th at this meet last year and placed 11th at the NCAA XC Championships a month later. But since then, the Adams State ace has shown improved firepower and greater low-stick scoring value.

Looking ahead, we can’t help but wonder how high Robinson’s ceiling truly is when it comes to her placement at the cross country national meet.

8. Kaela Dishion, Senior, Stanislaus State (+4 / 12)

Kaela Dishion continues to rise steadily in our rankings and jumps up four spots this week due to her gold medal performance at the CCAA XC Championships. The Warrior ace won the individual title and led the way for Stanislaus State to bring home the team title.

While not surprising, Dishion ran away from the field and crossed the line 16 seconds ahead of the next-best competitor. That dominating performance, along with her stellar performances at the Cougar Challenge and the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational, proved that she deserves a spot in our top-10.

Dishion is undefeated against Division Two runners this season and has some serious momentum going as we head into regional and the national meets. But despite the resume that she has put together thus far, Dishion seems overlooked, largely because she is not part of a historic program like Adams State or Grand Valley State.

But both Dishion and Stan State have steadily progressed this fall and have emerged as legitimate threats over the last two months.

There is no bigger dark horse in the Division Two scene than Kaela Dishion and maybe the Stan State Warriors as well.

7. Klaudia O’Malley, Junior, Grand Valley State (+1 / 8)

Klaudia O’Malley rises one spot in our rankings after her bronze medal performance at the GLIAC XC Championships. As expected, O’Malley has been a reliable and consistent low-stick for the Lakers this season.

The Grand Valley State ace was the national runner-up last year after a slightly more impressive regular season than what we've seen from her in 2022. But while we haven’t necessarily seen the same competitive prowess and firepower from O’Malley that she has flexed in the past, she is still an incredibly talented runner who tends to shine in championship races.

Her 3rd place finish at the GLIAC XC Championships as part of Grand Valley State’s sweep was a promising performance for her as an individual and for the Lakers as a team.

6. Naomi Bailey, Sophomore, Alaska-Fairbanks (0 / 6)

Naomi Bailey emerged as a top name into our rankings after her phenomenal upset win at D2 Pre-Nationals. She has since followed up that performance with a silver medal result at the GNAC XC Championships.

Bailey and her teammate, Kendall Kramer, had an epic battle to the finish line and only 0.1 of a second separated the two. The duo ran away from the field and finished 33 seconds ahead of 3rd place.

This result wasn’t truly a “loss” for Bailey. If anything it was a huge breakthrough for Kramer and maybe even a concentrated effort to cross the line together. We're not looking too heavily into that.

Bailey’s continued excellence and current momentum are enough to keep her at TSR #6 as we head into the regional meets.

5. Florance Uwajeneza, Senior, West Texas A&M (+4 / 9)

Florance Uwajeneza is back in the top-five of our rankings after the Lone Star Conference XC Championships where she won the title by 19 seconds. The Buffalo veteran took down Madison Brown and teammate Eleonora Curttabi in the process, top women listed in the top-15 of our rankings.

The West Texas A&M ace has had a consistent and impressive season thus far, proving that she is just as sharp as she has ever been.

While we have not seen Uwajeneza race against much of the Division Two scene this fall, we should note that she placed 9th at the Louisville Classic earlier this season, just a few spots behind Natalie Graber. And let's also not forget, she was the 9th place finisher at last year’s NCAA XC Championships.

With these performances, Uwajeneza has displayed the necessary firepower and improved talent level to place in the top-five at the national meet in December.

4. Natalie Graber, Junior, Grand Valley State (-1 / 3)

Natalie Graber falls one spot in our rankings at no fault of her own. She had a phenomenal weekend, but the return of a Division Two great results in Graber moving down to TSR #4.

The Grand Valley State star pulled away from her competition and won the GLIAC XC Championships by 21 seconds.

This season has been a breakthrough for Graber. She had solid performances at the MSU Spartan Invitational and the Bradley Pink Classic before her win at the GLIAC XC Championships. On paper, she's the full package.

With the talent that she has displayed and Grand Valley State’s history of individual NCAA cross country champions, she is certainly still a title contender despite the rise of a new name.

3. Brianna Robles, Junior, Adams State (-2 / 1)

Brianna Robles is not at our TSR #1 spot for the first time this season.

But truthfully, that is to no fault of her own.

In fact, Robles has only been getting more impressive.

The Adams State ace placed 2nd at the RMAC XC Championships and put up an impressive fight for the win. Robles and her teammate, Stephanie Cotter, broke away from the field and finished 40 seconds ahead of the next-best runner.

In the end, Cotter managed to create a five-second gap and take home the win, but Robles showed incredible competitiveness and talent in winning the silver medal.

The last time Robles was upset, in the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she returned with vengeance and won the 5k national title with the same competitive prowess and firepower that she displayed this past weekend.

The South Central Regional Championships should be an interesting race prior to the NCAA XC Championships.

2. Stephanie Cotter, Senior, Adams State (+3 / 5)

Stephanie Cotter is back.

The 2019 NCAA cross country individual champion returned to the Division Two scene and was racing in an Adams State singlet yet again at the RMAC XC Championships this past weekend.

The veteran pulled away from the field with teammate and former our TSR #1 runner, Brianna Robles, and managed to win her first race back for Adams State.

Was this surprising? No, not really, but it validated our expectations for Cotter.

We have kept her in our top-five throughout the season solely based on previous seasons and raw talent. We expected her to debut at the RMAC XC Championships and possibly win the race, and she did exactly that.

Looking ahead, Cotter is certainly a favorite for the individual title, maybe even THE favorite and she moves up to TSR #2. We expect Cotter to win the South Central Regional XC Championships and could very well win the NCAA XC Championships with her aggressive front-running.

However, she will likely have more athletes hanging around with her at the national stage than she did back in 2019.

1. Lindsay Cunningham, Sophomore, Winona State (+1 / 2)

Natalie Graber, Stephanie Cotter, Brianna Robles and Klaudia O’Malley are all well-known D2 athletes who are in contention for the individual national title.

However, none of those athletes are listed at TSR #1.

If you keep up with the Division Two scene, you likely know Lindsay Cunningham from her success last year. She placed 7th at the NCAA XC Championships, finished 5th in the 5k at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was 4th in the 5k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

While last year was impressive, the improvement and momentum that she has this season create a very solid argument for Cunningham to take home the national title in a few weeks time.

The Winona State star is currently undefeated and has won the Griak Invitational, the Lewis Crossover and most recently, the NSIC XC Championships. Winning these races is impressive, but the margins she won them by is the most important factor.

She won the Griak Invitational by a relatively modest 13 seconds and the Lewis Crossover by 19 seconds. Then she won the NSIC XC Championships by a jaw-dropping 64 seconds which came over three women who are now ranked.

That. Is. Insane.

Due to her recent performances, wild improvement and current momentum, Cunningham takes our TSR #1 spot heading into the regional meets.