TSR's 2023-24 D3 Indoor Top 20 Rankings (Women): Update #3

Written by Conor Daly, Kevin Fischer & Gavin Struve

Additional edits & commentary by Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve

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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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20. Sara Stephenson, Senior, Johns Hopkins (0 / 20)

She has yet to put down a mark that has really blown our minds this winter, but Sara Stephenson’s recent 9:47 (3k) result at Boston U. was a solid effort. Depending on what other women achieve, she may need to run a bit faster to get into the indoor national meet in that event, but her sub-17:00 (5k) clocking from a few weeks ago is pretty clearly safe. 

While she may not have run some of the times that other women in these rankings hold, Stephenson certainly hasn’t been bad this winter. Plus, the résumé that she has built over the last few years, most recently highlighted by a 6th place finish at the 2023 cross country national meet, gives us a lot of confidence in her as a serious All-American contender. 

19. Shaelyn Hostager, Junior, Wartburg (Unranked)

As someone who often finds herself in the “Just Missed” sections of our rankings, Wartburg's Shaelyn Hostager needed a considerable performance to cement herself in the top-20. And of course, her 16:45 (5k) result at Boston U. provided just that. 

This was her first time breaking the 17-minute barrier and she smashed it by a comfortable margin. A four-time All-American, Hostager has earned that status twice in cross country and twice over 10,000 meters on the outdoor oval, although she has yet to score at an indoor national meet.

Following the momentum that she has gained from a big breakthrough performance, this is as good of a time as any for her to change that. 

18. Cyna Madigan, Senior, UW-Oshkosh (0 / 18)

Cyna Madigan's last two weeks have been pretty relay-focused. Her only individual effort in that span was a 2:15 (800) result where she finished 4th place behind our TSR #15 runner Danielle Schultz, our TSR #17 runner Maddie Hannan and a strong talent in Alessia Sarussi. 

That result admittedly feels a little underwhelming, but in that time span, she has also run a 58-second split in the 4x400-meter relay along with a solid 3:36 (1200) split in a DMR that will most likely be enough to help get the Titans into the "Big Dance." 

All in all, we know that Madigan is just as fit as she’s been all season, and she will be a top-half All-American threat at the indoor national meet. 

17. Maddie Hannan, Senior, UW-La Crosse (-3 / 14)

If you look at Maddie Hannan’s positioning on the national leaderboard, you might argue that she shouldn’t be in the top-20 of our rankings -- but we see it a little differently. 

The UW-La Crosse veteran has finished three individual races this winter, but her 4:56 DMR anchor split on a 200-meter flat track was probably a stronger effort than any of those races despite getting caught by Central College’s Megan Johnson.

Sure, Hannan still hasn’t quite unlocked her form from the previous academic year when she was an All-American in all three seasons, but she’s getting close. Plus, finishing ahead of Madigan in a loss was a somewhat promising development.

Also, if anybody is built to perform in a championship setting, it’s Hannan. The versatility of a 2:08 (800) and 16:47 (5000) runner indicates that no matter how a race shakes out, she will be in the mix. 

16. Brigid Hanley, Junior, Emory (-5 / 11)

The form that Brigid Hanley held during the cross country season appears to be 95% there, but there is just a little bit of sharpness that we have yet to see from her this winter. 

Her 9:41 (3k) effort at Boston U. was really solid, but it was still just shy of her 9:37 personal best from her time at the University of Arizona. The following week, a 4:52 anchor split in the DMR was enough to lead Emory to a 3rd place finish in the loaded Indoor Eagle Open. That performance allowed Hanley to showcase some speed that we had not yet seen from her.

She drops a few spots because her marks in individual events don’t quite measure up to those of the women ranked above her, but we see how close she is to unlocking the level she was at in the fall months.

15. Danielle Schultz, Senior, Washington U. (Unranked)

In the six 800-meter races that Danielle Schultz has competed in this winter, she has faced some serious competition. Perhaps the toughest challenge that she faced came recently at the Midwest Elite Invitational where she beat three All-Americans (hence her moving above Hannan and Madigan) on her way to a converted 2:12 mark. That's good for NCAA #8 in Division Three. 

Schultz ran the 800 meters at the 2022 indoor national meet when she was at Webster, but this March figures to be her first time doing so in a Washington U. singlet. Judging by the way that she has dealt with high-level competition this season, she will be more than ready for it. 

14. Libby Ranocha, Senior, Emory (+5 / 19)

Consistency has been the name of the game for Libby Ranocha during this breakout season. Her 2:57 and 1:35 marks for 1000 meters and 600 meters, respectively, in the early part of the season suggested that had improved her fitness.

But then she backed up those marks with a converted 2:11 (800) effort at the Camel City Invitational followed by another 2:11 result at Boston U., both providing even more validity to her earlier performances. She hasn’t put a wrong foot forward this season and it’s looking increasingly more likely that she will make her first 800-meter national meet final this March. 

Another thing to note is that Emory ran a very strong DMR this past weekend without Ranocha in the lineup, but her presence would undoubtedly make that relay even more competitive -- and it would mean that she would have two chances at her first All-American honor. 

13. Deyanneira Colon Maldonado, Junior, Aurora (+4 / 17)

After putting forth solid times in the mile and 3k earlier this winter, Deyanneira Colon Maldonado moved up to what may be her best distance, the 5k. She competed with some Division Two stars at the GVSU Big Meet and dropped a strong 5000-meter PR of 16:46.

Her range and adaptability between events is a major strength, and her mile speed -- she raced that event at the 2023 indoor national meet -- figures to help her in the late stages of a tactical distance race on the national stage.

12. Lexi Brown, Senior, Wartburg (-5 / 7)

Lexi Brown hasn't necessarily done any wrong in recent weeks. In fact, her lone action since our last rankings update was a 9:50 (3k) performance in a dominant win which wasn't all too far off from her PR.

And perhaps we should be ranking her higher considering that she has produced wins in five of her six races this season.

But despite the fact that she holds solid marks in the mile, the 3k and the 5k this winter, Brown hasn't run exceptionally fast in any singular distance. And the truth remains that she has largely been untested this winter.

Of course, she can't help that she continues winning in the fields that she's in. But we'd like to see Brown put herself in a more contentious setting ahead of the indoor national meet.

11. Aubrie Fisher, Senior, Wartburg (+1 / 12)

Like her above-listed teammate, Aubrie Fisher only contested the 3k distance since our last rankings update. But she did so against a much more challenging field (at Boston U.) and seemingly emerged better for it with a 9:34 mark that lies just one second from her PR.

It's great to know what winning feels like, but it's probably even more valuable to remain sharp by pushing oneself to their limits against a top-flight field that more closely mimics what the indoor national meet will provide in terms of competition if not racing style/pace.

This mini Wartburg hierarchy in our rankings is part and parcel of that debate.

10. Hope Murphy, Junior, Baldwin Wallace (+6 / 16)

Few women were so busy as Hope Murphy over the last fortnight. The Baldwin Wallace ace raced five times over four distances between three meets in a one-week span. Most notably, she ran a 2:10 (800) mark that, while nearly a full second from her PR in the event, is the nation's second-fastest time this season behind megastar, Emma Kelley.

Is Murphy the most likely silver medalist in any women's distance event? She has the kind of strength and dynamism that should blend well with her raw speed to raise her above all other half-mile contenders save for Kelley (who will soon be off to the Division One ranks to perhaps clear the way for ultimate glory for Murphy).

9. Megan Johnson, Junior, Central College (+1 / 10)

The past two weeks have been nearly as eventful for Megan Johnson as they were for Hope Murphy. She raced twice on Central College's DMR squad, which currently sits at NCAA #2, and also competed individually in the mile and the 3k, producing personal bests in both.

As such, Johnson holds an abundance of options, including the 5k, for which combination of events she'll choose to contest at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships. Her recent success in an array of events is a massive win for fellow steeplechasers who claim that they are jack-of-all-trades talents rather than niche specialists.

8. Caroline McMartin, Senior, Central College (-2 / 6)

Caroline McMartin remains the better-known and more accomplished Central College star even if her teammate, Megan Johnson, has just as much momentum.

McMartin ran the full gamut of longer distance events throughout mid-February. That began with a 16:44 (5k) PR at Boston Uuniversity's Valentine Invite followed by mile and 3k wins that fell a bit short of the personal bests that she set in January. She also ran in a DMR race, albeit on Central College's "B" team, which still posted a very competitive 11:41 mark.

Like Johnson, McMartin has a wealth of options. As another steeplechaser, she may be best suited for the 3000 meters which she opted for at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships in addition to the DMR. We'll be curious to see how many events, if any, that these two Dutch stars overlap in on the national stage

7. Allison Sibold, Junior, St. Lawrence (+6 / 13)

This mile star recently ventured up in distance to race a 3k for the first time in her collegiate career. And now, we’re a bit disappointed that she hadn’t tried it sooner.

Allison Sibold thrived in her first go at the distance, soloing a very strong 9:30 (3k) effort. That result essentially puts her in the same conversation as any woman in Division Three who isn’t named Fiona Smith.

With that impressive mark now on her résumé, we see Sibold as a more well-rounded athlete. After all, she was a top-half All-American in cross country and had some torrid mile efforts to her name, so it only makes sense that she had a 3k effort like this in her legs.

6. Natalie Bitetti, Senior, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (-1 / 5)

Despite a scarce racing schedule for much of the early portions of the season, Natalie Bitetti reminded us why she was the cross country national meet runner-up a few months ago.

The CMS veteran recently traveled to Boston U. to clock a very impressive double. First, she ran a very quick 9:29 (3k) effort, comfortably beating our TSR #9 runner, Megan Johnson, and our TSR #16 runner, Brigid Hanley, head-to-head. 

Bitetti then posted a very strong 4:49 split to anchor her team’s DMR the next day. That’s a huge performance for any Division Three woman, but it’s nothing short of a breakthrough for someone who has never cracked 5:00 in the mile.

5. Grace Richardson, Senior, NYU (+3 / 8)

We have already seen Grace Richardson rip a pair of really strong performances in the 5k and the mile this winter, but we were awaiting her debut in the 3k. And thankfully, she recently put on a show for us over that distance, running 9:27, which sits well within the all-time D3 top-10. 

As such, she surpassed names like Caroline McMartin and Natalie Bitetti (who have done no wrong) in our top-20 rankings.

A lot of Richardson’s value comes from her being a triple threat, but it’s also her streak of shaving down her previous personal bests considerably that gives her so much value as she enters her postseason campaign.

As we mentioned in our group chat article last week, she has the talent to be a national champion in the mile. That’s very much within her reach in the coming weeks. 

4. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel, Junior, U. of Chicago (-1 / 3)

What if I told you that a woman with a 5k personal best of 16:48 just shaved over 20 seconds off of that mark? Well, Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel’s recent 16:27 effort achieved just that. 

Once seen as a mile specialist, the Maroons’ focal ace has produced encouraging marks over the longer events as of late. Battleson-Gunkel stands as a national-caliber threat from the mile to the 5k. She has created a plethora of options and opportunities for herself this postseason. And while the U. of Chicago star may have the same mile speed, it's clear that she has newfound aerobic capabilities.

That, in theory, should pay dividends as she looks to navigate rounds, or a potential double, in the fast-approaching looming postseason.

3. Grace Hadley, Senior, WPI (+1 / 4)

We expected this WPI standout to be a big-time name over the 3k and the 5k this winter. But what we didn’t expect was for her to be just as good over the mile and the 800 meters!

Grace Hadley made the most of a recent trip to Boston U. There, she ran a jaw-dropping 4:46 mile time before coming back the next day to anchor her team’s DMR with a just-as-impressive 4:43 split. Oh, and her converted 2:12 (800) effort the following week stands as the cherry on top. 

This WPI star has built up some incredible momentum right now. For those who are counting, Hadley has run personal bests in her last four races. It’s truly impossible to find a critique of what she’s been doing recently. That's why she surpasses someone as accomplished as Battleson-Gunkel.

2. Emma Kelley, Senior, Washington U. (0 / 2)

We don't have much to update here for Emma Kelley who remains firmly above the rest of the field and behind only Fiona Smith. She raced the 4x400-meter relay and the open 400 meters in recent weeks, producing wins in both.

The Washington U. star is likely refining her speed ahead of an expected 800-meter and 4x400-meter relay double at the indoor national meet.

1. Fiona Smith, Junior, St. Benedict (0 / 1)

The reigning cross country (and indoor 5k and 3k) national champion recently claimed her second nation-leading time this winter.

At the SDSU Indoor Classic, Fiona Smith soloed a fantastic 9:23 (3k) effort. That result barely edged her previous personal best by a few seconds, a very encouraging sign as she prepares to face a more competitive field in early March. 

Smith will certainly have company in the 3k at the indoor national meet. Her national lead stands at "only" four seconds with a handful of athletes who have run within 10 seconds of her performance. While Smith remains the heavy favorite, she may not be by the margin that we once thought. That, in theory, would make another national title all the more impressive.

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ADDED

Danielle Schultz (Washington U.)

Shaelyn Hostager (Wartburg)

KICKED OFF

Maddie Kelly (U. of Chicago)

Genna Girard (Williams)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Maddie Kelly (U. of Chicago)

Genna Girard (Williams)

Rachel Hirschkind (SUNY Geneseo)

Riley Capuano (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Penelope Greene (SUNY Geneseo)

Lexi Fernandez (MIT)

Elisabeth Camic (U. of Chicago)

Alessia Sarussi (Washington U.)

Tanise Thornton-Fillyaw (Goucher)

Caitlin Jorgensen (U. of Chicago)

Rachel Krouse (UW-Stevens Point)

Lucy Gagnon (Williams)

Megan Bell (Rochester)

Alexa Estes (Connecticut College)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Kate Sanderson (MIT)

Elizabeth Csikai (Emory)

Helen Cross (Carleton)

Faith Duncan (Wilmington (OH))

Annessa Ihde (Bethel (Minn.))

Caroline Echols (Washington U.)

Julia Schor (Amherst)

Phoebe Ward (Carleton)

Sophie McManus (Carleton)

Laura Zimmer (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Dale Leonard (Ramapo)

Hannah Preisser (Carleton)

Julia Howarth (MIT)

Mckayla Felton (UW-Stout)

Annie Huang (Johns Hopkins)

Rebecca Markham (Hope)

Emme Koutz (Adrian)

Peyton Steffen (Central College)

Estelle Snider (U. of Chicago)

Notes

- N/A