TSR's 2023-24 D1 Indoor Top 25 Rankings (Women): Update #2

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Written by Maura Beattie & Finn Birnie, additional edits & commentary via Garrett Zatlin

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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.

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KEY

(Unranked):

Was not ranked in our last update.

(#/#):

First number indicates how much the individual has moved in our rankings.

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

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25. Silan Ayyildiz, Sophomore, Oregon (Unranked)

So far, Silan Ayyildiz's decision to transfer from South Carolina to Oregon has only yielded outstanding results.

The Turkish distance first began her indoor track campaign with a 4:34/2:05 (mile/800) double at the Razorback Invitational. And while those were solid performances, they paled in comparison to her fantastic 4:30/8:56 (mile/3k) weekend double from the Husky Classic.

Ayyildiz, despite being a sophomore, actually has a fair amount of experience when racing against national-caliber collegiate competition. And while she has yet to earn an All-American honor, her recent jump in fitness may suggest that she's due for a top-eight honor.

24. Chloe Scrimgeour, Sophomore, Georgetown (Unranked)

Georgetown’s Chloe Scrimgeour was simply superb in the fall, so it was no surprise to see her extend her racing to December by traveling up to the Boston U. Season Opener to compete over 5000 meters. And it was there that the Hoya star shaved a whopping 25 seconds off her personal best, running 15:24, a time that currently places her at NCAA #5 this winter.

Since then, Scrimgeour has been quiet, pacing a few races and competing in a DMR lineup at Penn State. It wouldn't be until this past Friday that we got to see the Hoya standout enter one of her marquee events.

This past weekend, Scrimgeour her validated her early-season 5k performance with a terrific 8:50.97 mark over 3000 meters. With a 15:24 (5k) effort already to her name, that 3k performance didn’t necessarily come as a surprise, but it was something that warranted her being added to our rankings.

With the NCAA Indoor Championships fast approaching, we fully expect Scrimgeour to contest the 5k/3k double. Throughout 2023, Scrimgeour was someone who thrived in championship settings, so it will be interesting to see if she can translate that postseason to what would be her first national meet on the indoor oval.

23. Gladys Chepngetich, Freshman, Clemson (+1 / 24)

Clemson’s Gladys Chepngetich has flown under the radar all season long, but mark my words, it’s time that the NCAA starts taking note of what this freshman is capable of. 

Most knowledgable distance running fans would say that it's surprising to see the 24th place finisher from the NCAA XC Championships find success over 800 meters. But Chepngetich is doing exactly that and keeping us on our toes in the process. 

After a 2:02 (800) mark on her home track two weeks ago, the Clemson Tiger toed the line to take on the half-mile distance once more this past weekend. There, the freshman improved upon that mark and earned a fantastic 2:01 (800) PR en route to an overall win.

The talent, the range, the ongoing improvement -- it's all there when you look at Gladys Chepngetich's resume. Of course, how she translates her unique skillset and talent to the national stage (where she has to go through rounds) is something to keep an eye on with this Clemson freshman.

22. Maggi Congdon, Senior, Northern Arizona (0 / 22)

In our last rankings update, we stated that “finishing speed will be something to monitor as we continue to learn more about this NAU standout.” However, after seeing Maggi Congdon throw down a superb 2:02 mark for 800 meters at the Husky Classic, I think it's safe to say that any questions or concerns surrounding her turnover have since been answered!

That display of middle distance prowess showcases some seriously impressive speed and it's a huge jump from her previous PR of 2:05. What makes this all the more impressive is the fact that, the night before, Congdon ran 9:16 for 3000 meters, just one second short of her PR. 

Right now, the Northern Arizona senior riding a huge wave of momentum, and with this newfound blend of speed and strength, she is going to be a real handful for her competitors as the postseason approaches. The only reason why she doesn't improve in our rankings is simply due to the introduction of multiple fast-rising distance talents.

21. Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Junior, BYU (Unranked)

20. Riley Chamberlain, Sophomore, BYU (Unranked)

BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry and Riley Chamberlain are practically twins when it comes to their personal bests on the indoor oval this season, specifically when you look at their mile and 3k performances. For Halladay-Lowry, the junior owns marks of 4:31 (mile) and 8:51 (3k) while Chamberlain, a sophomore, has run 4:30 (mile) and 8:51 (3k). 

See what we mean? PR twins!

This past weekend at the UW Husky Classic, the dynamic duo went 1-2 over 3000 meters with Halladay-Lowry taking the win just barely over Chamberlain. The next day, Halladay-Lowry, the long distance ace, dropped down to the mile and ran 4:31 for 3rd place. Chamberlain, meanwhile, flexed shockingly good range, as opted for the 800 meters and earned a shiny 2:03 PR. 

As we near the NCAA Indoor Championships, we think it’s safe to assume that these Cougars will focus on different events. The 5k/3k double appears to be doable for Halladay-Lowry and a combination of the mile/DMR or 3k/DMR will most likely be what Chamberlain opts for. 

Regardless, these BYU women hold a crazy amount of value on their resume and boast fantastic range as well. While their upside may not be quite as significant as a few others, it's hard to find any true flaws on Halladay-Lowry or Chamberlain's resumes.

19. Chloe Foerster, Sophomore, Washington (Unranked)

Chloe Foerster has been on fire this season, but we couldn't have possibly predicted what she just pulled off at the UW Husky Classic this past weekend. As such, the breakout sophomore star joins our rankings.

Going into the final lap of the mile this past weekend, Foerster was trailing Portland’s Laura Pellicoro. But Washington runner dug deep and made a decisive move past Pellicoro to earn the first major win of her collegiate career. And when Foerster crossed the finish line, she produced a jaw-dropping 4:28 mile PR, recording an eight-second improvement in the process. 

Coach Maurica Powell has a knack for developing star middle distance athletes and Foerster is just her latest talent to take the NCAA by storm. Even so, this may be some of her best work yet as this result admittedly came out of nowhere.

Naturally, we're being a little cautious with ranking Foerster. While you certainly can't fake running 4:28 in the mile, we do want to see if she can validate that effort over the next few weeks. She's also a younger distance talent, something to remember for the postseason.

Even so, one could argue that Foerster was the biggest stunner of the weekend -- relative to expectations, that is.

18. Sanu Jallow, Sophomore, Arkansas (Unranked)

Since transferring from Texas A&M to Arkansas, we have seen the immediate impact that sophomore Sanu Jallow is making over 800 meters. As an Aggie, Jallow had a respectable 2:05 (800) PR, but as a Razorback, she’s cut that time down to a fantastic mark of 2:01! 

Jallow’s consistency has paid off this season. She hasn’t lost to a collegiate competitor this winter and is now someone the NCAA has to keep an eye on as we grow closer to the postseason. She has tons of momentum and her other middle distance performances (specifically her 600-meter effort) suggest that she is absolutely the real deal.

17. Ceili McCabe, Rs. Junior, West Virginia (0 / 17)

Ceili McCabe has not competed since our last update. 

16. Melissa Riggins, Junior, Georgetown (-5 / 11)

It's no secret that Melissa Riggins of Georgetown has been performing exceptionally well this season. Initially, after her 4:30 mile performance, we believed that her best prospects for the NCAA Indoor Championship pertained to the same event. However, following her impressive 8:52 over 3000 meters this past weekend, we find ourselves a little less certain about that statement than we were two weeks ago!

With her new 3k mark likely qualifying her for the national meet in that event, she now has the option to enter the DMR completely fresh (assuming the Hoyas qualify) and still go after an All-American finish in the 3k. 

And yes, we are dropping Riggins a good bit in this week's update of our rankings. But that isn't necessarily any fault of her own. With the women's mile becoming far more loaded than it was prior to this past weekend, this Georgetown veteran will have quite the challenge on her hands should she contest the mile on the national stage.

15. Amina Maatoug, Junior, Duke (0 / 15)

It’s with great pleasure that we welcome back Duke star, Amina Maatoug! After not racing/finishing a race since December 2nd, the Blue Devil distance star produced an excellent 4:29 mile PR at the Boston U. David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

While that fantastic performance may have been overshadowed by Flomena Asekol's superb 4:26, Maatoug's effort certainly shouldn't be discounted. The Dutch star ran a remarkably smart race and her patience was greatly rewarded. 

Maatoug's versatility is what truly distinguishes her from most of her competitors in the mile. Coupled with her elite-level turnover, she possesses all the necessary tools to clinch gold in that event. Plus, her mastery of these skills makes her just as formidable over 3000 meters.

She may not have run as fast as Asekol, but she ran fast enough to keep herself in the national title conversation -- and that's saying something given how loaded the women's mile is this year.

14. Hayley Kitching, Sophomore, Penn State (+6 / 20)

Hayley Kitching of Penn State is someone who needs to be on your radar. And frankly, she already should have been given her string of races throughout January. But after running her second 2:01 (800) mark of the season in Boston, she has cementing herself to be a top-five contender (and an All-American favorite) in said event at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

The Nittany Lion sophomore may have finished two seconds behind LSU’s Michaela Rose on Friday, but Kitching was two seconds ahead of the next NCAA competitor. That's promising consistency for someone who took a fair substantial jump this winter (going from 2:03 to 2:01).

The only way Kitching falters throughout the remainder of the season is if she lets her inexperience at the indoor national meet affect her racing. But if she delivers a BIG 10 half-mile title after already being the heavy favorite, then she'll enter the national meet with momentum that will be impossible to ignore.

13. Billah Jepkirui, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (+3 / 16)

Oklahoma State's sophomore star, Billah Jepkirui, continues to impress this season. The Cowgirl's tremendous 4:29 mile effort at the Eagle Elite Invitational adds yet another marquee result to her impressive list of performances this year. 

The Kenyan distance star took a whopping six seconds off of her personal best en route to victory over a highly talented field that featured Oregon standouts, Klaudia Kazimierska and Silan Ayyildiz. And that wasn't her only performance of the weekend! Jepkirui returned the following day to lead-off the Cowgirls' DMR quartet with an equally as impressive 3:17 split. That effort helped guide the Oklahoma State women to the NCAA #2 all-time mark.

Jepkirui’s continued success in the middle distances is extremely encouraging for someone who could be an outside contender to Markezich for the 3000-meter national title in March. The Cowgirl’s refined turnover is going to make her extremely difficult to beat if she finds herself in contention in the latter stages.

With Oklahoma State being one of the favorites for the DMR crown, it would be no surprise to see Jepkirui scratch from the mile to focus on that relay and the 3k.

12. Kimberley May, Junior, Providence (-3 / 9)

Kimberley May has not competed since our last update.

11. Juliette Whittaker, Sophomore, Stanford (-4 / 7)

Juliette Whittaker has not competed since our last update.

10. Flomena Asekol, Senior, Florida (+15 / 25)

We at TSR need to apologize to Florida’s Flomena Asekol. After the Gator ace ran 4:37 for the mile and only finished 6th at the Razorback Invite two weeks ago, we dropped Asekol back to TSR #25 in our rankings.

But after her weekend in Boston, Asekol jumps all the way back up to our top-10. 

In a field headlined by professionals, the Florida senior found herself amongst the leaders going into the final lap and the hot pace paid off well for Asekol as she ran herself to a monumental mile PR of 4:26!

This was a great performance for the Gator standout as she not only skyrocketed to the top of the NCAA leaderboard for this season, but also earned herself the NCAA #3 all-time indoor mile mark.

As we head into the postseason, we'll likely get a better idea of what to expect from Asekol moving forward. We still need to see how her unreal leap in fitness can translate to championship races, but we've never been as high on Asekol heading into any championship season than we are right now.

9. Taylor Roe, Senior, Oklahoma State (+4 / 13)

It’s not too often that someone is able to solo a 15:12 (5k) from just two laps in, but of course, Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe shocked all of us at TSR when she did just that. 

At the Boston College Eagle Elite Invite, Roe ran herself to a nine-second PR of 15:12 (5k). That time not only skyrocketed Roe up the current NCAA leaderboard, but it has also given us good reason to believe that she can, once again, realistically win a national title. The only catch is that the 3000 meters might still be her best avenue towards doing that.

And in the words of fellow TSR writer, Ben Wiesel, “She’s back!”

8. Carley Thomas, Rs. Senior, Washington (+2 / 10)

After running 2:00 over 800 meters at the UW Invite, we knew that Carley Thomas was on a mission to win her first national title. And rather than rest for a week, Thomas headed out to Boston for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix to compete against the professionals over the same half-mile distance.

The Husky senior held her own against the loaded field, finishing 4th overall. And even though she ran one second slower than what she did the week before, we were pleased to see the Aussie middle distance talent remain in a competitive spot throughout most of the race.

Thomas is continuing to impress us this winter between her 2:00 (800) and 4:30 (mile) mark. She will have her work cut out for her as we get closer to the postseason, especially with the 800 meters being incredibly top-heavy and the mile being both top-heavy and deep.

Even so, Thomas is riding a great wave of momentum right now. 

7. Hilda Olemomoi, Junior, Alabama (+1 / 8)

Rather than join teammate Doris Cherop for the women's 5k, Alabama’s Hilda Olemomoi went after the 3k in Boston. And although she wasn’t able to improve off of her current 8:45 (3k) PR, an 8:50 result is still head-turning. 

We don’t need to delve too much into this 3k performance for the Alabama junior as she was the first collegiate across the line, holding off Georgetown’s Chloe Scrimgeour in the process. Olemomoi is an established All-American and continues to keep herself in the conversation for yet another honor every time she races. 

6. Roisin Willis, Sophomore, Stanford (-1 / 5)

Roisin Willis has not competed since our last update. 

5. Doris Lemngole, Freshman, Alabama (+1 / 6)

Alabama’s star freshman Doris Lemngole ran a stellar 5k over the weekend and may even be in contention to challenge Florida’s Parker Valby for the individual title in that event at the indoor national meet. 

This past weekend, Lemngole situated herself amongst the professional athletes and nearly took them all down en route to a 3rd place finish. The Crimson Tide runner finished the 5k race in 15:04, only three seconds behind the winner and nearly 40 seconds ahead of the next collegiate athlete. That mark also put her, comfortably, at NCAA #2 all-time.

For Lemngole, we already knew that she was talented given her recent cross country season and the PRs that she entered college with. When Valby and Cherop face-off again in the 5k, is there the potential that we see two collegiate women go sub-15:00 in the same race? Given their aggressive front-running racing styles, that's not totally out of the realm of possibility.

4. Maia Ramsden, Junior, Harvard (0 / 4)

As the season continues to progress, the women’s mile field continues to become increasingly more top-heavy. Right now, there are 18 women who have 4:30 or faster in the mile -- and Harvard’s Maia Ramsden is one of those women (by a very, very big margin).

The Crimson superstar first joined (or maybe even rejoined) the conversation as a mile national title contender after she finished 4th in the mile at the Boston U. Scarlet and White Invite with a mark of 4:30. And as weird as this sounds, Ramsden running 4:30 wasn’t anything head-turning given that there were already two other NCAA women who had gone sub-4:30. 

However, the Harvard runner made us do a double take when looking at the Millrose Games results this past weekend after she ran an unbelievably 4:24 mile PR! That's incredible! Ramsden’s mile time was only 0.57 seconds off of NC State’s Katelyn Tuohy’s NCAA mile record set in 2023. 

Right now, some of you may be thinking, "Well then why on Earth is Maia Ramsden still sitting at TSR #4 in your rankings?!"

Well, Michaela Rose ran the NCAA #2 all-time mark of 1:59.49 over 800 meters this past weekend and the woman ahead of her, Athing Mu, is one of the greatest collegians ever. Markezich, meanwhile, has a better combination of mile/3k times (in our opinion) and Parker Valby destroyed the old collegiate 5k record, breaking past a major milestone barrier in the process.

And when you think about it from that perspective, we weren't entirely sure if we could bump Ramsden into our top-three (as crazy as that sounds).

3. Michaela Rose, Junior, LSU (-1 / 2)

What a weekend it was for LSU’s Michaela Rose in Boston! The junior talent ran her way into the NCAA record books by recording the NCAA #2 all-time indoor 800-meter performance with her 1:59.49 showing. 

The Tiger talent matched her 1:59 (800) PR after outrunning the field at Boston University, fairly comfortably I may add. For Rose, this was a stellar 800-meter debut after running the NCAA 600-yard record and producing a solid 4:38 mile PR earlier this season. 

Rose is primed to win her first indoor national title this March. It’s not going to be an easy task given the depth of the half-mile, nationally, right now, but no one in the NCAA looks nearly as sharp as this LSU superstar does over that distance.

2. Olivia Markezich, Senior, Notre Dame (+1 / 3)

Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich continues to flex her versatility this winter. After the Fighting Irish ace ran the nation-leading 3k time of 8:40 in early December, she was quiet until last weekend at the Meyo Invite. 

On her home track, the Notre Dame senior threw down an absolutely massive seven-second mile PR of 4:27, forcing us to reevaluate what kind of turnover this South Bend star has.

Markezich is on a different level right now. The Fighting Irish star will most likely opt for the DMR/3k double at the upcoming indoor national meet given the way the schedule is set. And with her mile speed, the 3k field is going to have to watch out for what she can do if that race comes down to a kick. 

1. Parker Valby, Junior, Florida (0 / 1)

Parker Valby has not competed since our last update.

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ADDED

Wilma Nielsen (Washington)

Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)

Riley Chamberlain (BYU)

Sanu Jallow (Arkansas)

Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU)

Chloe Foerster (Washington)

KICKED OFF

Margot Appleton (Virginia)

Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)

Shannon Flockhart (Providence)

Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)

Maddy Elmore (Oregon)

Sophie O’Sullivan (Washington)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Margot Appleton (Virginia)

Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)

Shannon Flockhart (Providence)

Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)

Maddy Elmore (Oregon)

Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)

Lindsey Butler (Virginia Tech)

Amy Bunnage (Stanford)

Sydney Thorvaldsen (Arkansas)

Meghan Hunter (BYU)

Aubrey Frentheway (BYU)

Elise Stearns (Northern Arizona)

Annika Reiss (Northern Arizona)

Gracelyn Larkin (Northern Arizona)

Wilma Nielsen (Washington)

Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)

Kenzie Doyle (UMass Lowell)

Rosina Machu (Gonzaga)

Jenna Hutchins (BYU)

Anna Workman (Virginia)

Molly Hudson (Boston College)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Sam Bush (NC State)

Molly Born (Oklahoma State)

Laura Pellicoro (Portland)

Sadie Sargent (BYU)

Ella Baran (Colorado)

Carmen Alder (BYU)

Alyson Churchill (Northern Arizona)

Phoebe Anderson (Columbia)

Florence Caron (Penn State)

Sydney Steely (Kentucky)

Marlena Preigh (Washington)

Olivia Howell (Illinois)

Sophie O’Sullivan (Washington)

Kate Jendrezak (UCLA)

Ainsley Erzen (Arkansas)

Star Price (Virginia Tech)

Bailey Goggans (Texas A&M)

Alli Bookin-Nosbisch (Iowa)

Kelly-Ann Beckford (Houston)

Kileigh Kane (Penn State)

Notes

- N/A