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TSR's 2022 Preseason D2 XC Top 25 Rankings: #15-11 (Women)
- Grace McLaughlin
- Jul 31, 2022
- 5 min read
Written by Grace McLaughlin & Garrett Zatlin, additional edits by Garrett Zatlin
15. Morgan Hykes, Sophomore, Adams State
If you're a fan of Adams State, then you're going to enjoy this section.
Morgan Hykes may be one of the most underappreciated distance runners in the RMAC and on Adams State's roster. Her extremely promising rise over the past year has put her in a completely different tier and by season's end, she could easily crack the top-10 portion of our rankings.
For the most part, Hykes didn't have a great 2021 cross country season. She was 48th Paul Short, 31st at the RMAC XC Championships and 10th at the South Central Regional XC Championships.
On paper, those results were hardly worthy of a ranking.
However, Hykes then had the best race of her life on the national stage, dropping a huge 15th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships to earn All-American honors. The Adams State youngster then used that momentum to rip off fantastic performances on the indoor and outdoor ovals.
This past winter, Hykes ran 4:51 (mile) and 9:23 (3k). Then, in the spring, she ran 4:27 (1500) and 16:16 (5k) -- both at Bryan Clay! Although Hykes wouldn't end either season as an individual All-American (she did place 3rd in the DMR), it was still very apparent that she had developed an elite-caliber resume.
Hykes' 3k and 5k times are some of the best that Division Two has to offer and she already has a top-15 finish at the NCAA XC Championships to validate her talent.
There is certainly potential for Hykes to be ranked higher, although we just want to see a bit more consistency throughout her entire season. Still, if that's the biggest critique we have, then the future of Hykes and the Adams State women is pretty darn bright.
14. Precious Robinson, Junior, Adams State
If you need a better understanding of Precious Robinson and where she stands in these rankings, it may be best to think of her in the vein as Franziska Althaus (TSR #11), her teammate. For the most part, it's hard to find many flaws on her resume and when you look at her entire performances across all three seasons, Robinson brings tons of value.
Unlike Althaus, Robinson's effort at the Paul Short Invite showing didn't necessarily jump off the page. A 59th place finish in that field was far from bad, but it didn't spark much excitement, either.
However, a 9th place finish at the RMAC XC Championships and a 7th place finish at the South Central Regional XC Championships was when Robinson really began to build momentum. Her eventual 11th place finish at the national meet was a massive statement to the rest of Division Two, showing the country what her true potential as a low-stick was.
On the track, Robinson would show off a similar level of talent, running 4:53 (mile, altitude converted), 9:42 (3k) and 16:34 (5k). However, much like her teammates Althaus and Hykes, Robinson would not secure an individual All-American honor during the winter or spring months.
For the moment, we think TSR #14 is a good ranking for Robinson. She proved herself on multiple occasions last year and peaked when it mattered the most. Some of her results weren't quite as strong in comparison to someone like Althaus, but they weren't that far off, either.
For that reason, we think this is a good spot for her.
13. Eleonora Curtabbi, Junior, West Texas A&M
Eleonora Curtabbi’s 30th place finish at last year's cross country national meet was a strong performance, but her true speciality is in the steeplechase. Her huge improvement in the event over the past year (14th place to national champion) suggests that she will surpass last year’s cross country campaign.
Which, on paper, was already pretty solid!
Last fall, the West Texas A&M star was a DNF at the Louisville XC Classic, but later earned silver at the Lone Star XC Championships followed by a promising 6th place finish at the South Central XC Championships.
And when you step back and look at her overall resume, those results seemed to fit the caliber of her 30th place All-American finish.
Curtabbi then had a short and unexciting indoor track season, but returned with vengeance for an outstanding outdoor track season. She established herself as the steeple queen of Division Two while flexing shockingly impressive range.
The West Texas A&M star went on to post marks of 2:08 (800), 4:24 (1500) and 10:09 (steeple).
Curtabbi is a dynamic runner -- maybe one of the most versatile women in the country -- and has shown off elite-level firepower. She had a solid 2021 cross country season, but it's clear that Curtabbi's steeplechase success will lead her to even greater results this fall.
12. Taryn Chapko, Sophomore, Grand Valley State
Taryn Chapko may be classified as a middle distance runner due to her prowess in the 800 meters, but that shouldn't overshadow her accomplishments on the grass -- nor should the fact that the Lakers are a historic long distance powerhouse.
Despite fall of 2021 being her first on the grass, Chapko was a pleasant surprise as a scorer. After two modest openers against strong D1 competition, this Laker standout thrived in the postseason. Her 3rd place finish at the GLIAC XC Championships flexed far greater scoring potency than we expected to see from her and her 14th place finish at the the NCAA XC Championships validated her monster breakout season.
Following Chapko’s amazing debut cross country season, the Grand Valley State standout placed 5th in the 800 meters and 5th in the DMR at the indoor national meet. She later secured a 6th place finish in the 800 meters at the outdoor national meet.
For those keeping track at home, that’s four All-American honors in one year, proving to us that she will be a well-known name for years to come.
Chapko’s ability to compete like a veteran has made her one of the most reliable three-season talents that Division Two has to offer. Her scoring potency on the grass was far more lethal than we were expecting and it's hard not to think that she'll improve yet again given her relative youth.
For that reason, she slots in at TSR #12.
11. Franziska Althaus, Senior, Adams State
Franziska Althaus was just flat-out great last fall. The Adams State veteran emerged as a true star and flexed incredible aerobic prowess across all three seasons of competition. Now, in 2022, Althaus has the chance to not just be a top-10 or top-15 runner, but maybe even a top-five runner as well.
Throughout last fall, Althaus never had a poor race. After her rust-buster meet, the Adams State ace placed 22nd at Paul Short, a great finish against a large field with fairly respectable Division One opponents. She was just one spot behind teammate Brianna Robles.
Althaus would venture to the postseason where she continued to be a boarderline star. She placed 6th at the RMAC XC Championships and then placed 4th at the similarly loaded South Central Regional XC Championships. A 10th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships proved to us that Althaus was, in fact, peaking perfectly for the postseason.
On the track, Althaus would mirror her cross country success by posting outstanding times of 9:32 (3k), 16:33 (5k) and 35:32 (10k). Unfortunately, the Adams State ace would be unable to deliver on her All-American potential.
For the most part, it's hard to find a flaw on Althaus' resume. She never had a poor race last fall and she posted times on the track which properly reflected how good she is. We may be robbing her of a few spots in our rankings, but that's only because of recent breakout stars and high-upside youngsters.
By November, Althaus may make us regret this conservative ranking.
