TSR's 2023 D1 Outdoor Top 25 Individual Rankings (Women): Update #1

Written by Maura Beattie, Finn Birnie & Scotty Loughlin

Additional edits and commentary by 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 guide when determining eligibility.

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NOTE: Because we are in a new season, we are treating this week's rankings update as a new series of top-25 names. Therefore, we are not indicating any movement from our winter lists.

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25. Amaris Tyynismaa, Junior, NC State

In her first meet as an official member of the NC State Wolfpack, Amaris Tyynismaa ran a formidable 4:12 (1500) mark on her new home track in the Raleigh Relays. In 2021, Tyynismaa opened up her outdoor track season with an equal performance and went on to finish as a 1500 meter All-American.

So generally speaking, that's a solid start!

Now armed with additional experience and the elite training group that is NC State’s roster, the newest Wolfpack star could be on a similar trajectory as she was two year ago towards another top-eight honor this spring.

Yes, her recent 4:22 (1500) time at the Duke Invitational was underwhelming, but given the meet’s less-than-ideal weather conditions and the fact that Tyynismaa was the only one brave enough to follow the pacer, we're willing to say that she had a simple “off” day.

In our eyes, Tyynismaa is still a top-25 talent.

24. Izzy Thornton-Bott, Junior, Oregon

It’s not every day that you see a middle distance star step all the way up to the 10k, but that’s exactly what Oregon’s Izzy Thornton-Bott did at the Oregon Preview to start her outdoor track campaign.

While her time of 35:15 for the 10k distance was not a mark that will hold up for the West Regional Championships, it was still a respectable rust-buster that would set her up for a big-time result just a couple of weeks later.

Last week, in the "Land Down Under", Thornton-Bott clocked a fiery 4:08 (1500) result to snag 6th place at the Australian Open Championships. Not only was that a new personal best for the Duck ace, but it was also proof that she’s already in top form early in this season.

Big things are ahead for this west coast Aussie star who is still climbing her seemingly never-ending ladder of fitness.

23. Lindsey Butler, Rs. Sophomore, Virginia Tech

Although the recent indoor track postseason may not have gone the way that Lindsey Butler wanted it to, let us not forget that she is a national champion and still posted top times this past winter (including a 4:31 mile PR).

While it’s unknown exactly which event she’ll pursue this season, Butler opened up her spring campaign with a commendable 4:18 (1500) result at Vertklasse where she took the win by nearly six seconds.

That time alone wouldn’t warrant a TSR #23 ranking, but we believe that Butler deserves the benefit of the doubt until she toes the line for an 800 meter race or is able to compete against a stronger field.

22. Parker Valby, Rs. Sophomore, Florida

There are a lot of questions surrounding what we will see from Florida’s Parker Valby this season. When she is healthy, Valby is a clear title contender, but after having to medically scratch from the recent indoor national meet, it’s hard to gauge her potential this spring.

The Gator star is the returning 5k runner-up from the 2022 outdoor national meet. Her 15:20 PR in that event comes from the same meet where she came up two seconds shy of beating NC State’s Katelyn Tuohy.

Since then, we have seen Valby push races from the gun to try and take the kick out of her competitors. That approach (mostly) worked for her at the NCAA XC Championships, but she was eventually run down by Tuohy and had to settle for 2nd place.

Last year, Valby didn’t open up her outdoor track season until the SEC Outdoor Championships. If the redshirt sophomore utilizes the same schedule this year, then we can’t count her out of challenging for another NCAA title -- or at least, making things somewhat competitive with Tuohy.

21. Amina Maatoug, Sophomore, Duke

Amina Maatoug’s only battle this outdoor track season has come against Michigan's Samantha Tran...and Mother Nature.

On her home track at the Duke Invitational this past weekend, Maatoug ultimately just came up short of the win in what was a tactical 1500 meter affair in Durham, North Carolina. Even so, a clocking a 4:18 mark in the metric mile to start the season isn’t too bad, especially considering the awful conditions.

The Dutch distance standout picked up All-American honors this past indoor track season in the mile and had a flat-track converted 4:29 (mile) performance to match. There is no doubting her talent and her recently narrow loss shouldn't be over analyzed.

Is Maatoug at the same level as she was back in February? No, maybe not, and that's why she has fallen all the way to our TSR #21 spot. Even so, she boasts lethal range and is only going to get sharper week after week.

20. Maia Ramsden, Sophomore, Harvard

The ever-consistent Maia Ramsden has continued to string together solid performance after solid performance.

After a double All-American showing at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile (5th) and the 3k (8th), the Crimson ace kicked-off her season with respectable 4:15 (1500) and 16:08 (5k) marks that were both essentially solo efforts.

While Ramsden’s 1500 meter mark was not a personal best, it was a strong start to her outdoor track campaign and it's something to be optimistic about this early in the season.

Conventional wisdom would also lead you to believe that in a more competitive field, Ramsden would likely be capable of running 4:10 or faster. For that reason, and her outright refusal to clock a poor result, Ramsden slots into our top-25.

19. Flomena Asekol, Junior, Alabama

Alabama ace Flomena Asekol was somewhat of a pleasant surprise this past indoor track season as she produced a clutch performance to snag a bronze medal in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

The Crimson Tide standout recently opened up her outdoor track season with a respectable 4:16 (1500) result at the Florida Relays in what was a highly competitive field. And while it wasn’t a world-beating run by the Crimson Tide junior, settling for an unexciting 5th place result, it was still a fine-enough start for someone who was fantastic this past winter.

Asekol proved over the last few months that she can produce top results on multiple occasions. She has shown a tremendous improvement in not just her overall fitness, but her tactics as well.

We have no doubts that Asekol will return to top form come championship season.

18. Alexandra Hays, Rs. Senior, NC State

Alexandra Hays is back, everyone!

After sitting out of the cross country and indoor track seasons due to a lack of eligibility, there was a significant question mark hanging over the fitness of this NC State veteran. However, it's safe to say that any doubts or uncertainties have been erased entirely.

Hays' recent mark of 32:21 (10k) from the Raleigh Relays was wildly impressive. It was a 54-second PR and likely the best victory of her career. What was arguably even more impressive was the fact that she beat out multi-time All-American star and fellow Wolfpack teammate, Kelsey Chmiel, in the process.

This was a statement victory for Hays and it highlights just how remarkable her aerobic endurance is -- and how much she has improved. The Wolfpack stud has certainly put herself straight back into consideration for another All-American finish in the 10,000 meters.

And now, we have to wonder...how much better can she be in this event? What is she capable of doing in the 5k? Can Hays be a legitimate national title contender? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

17. Margot Appleton, Sophomore, Virginia

Virginia’s Margot Appleton is having quite the year on the track, both on the indoor and outdoor ovals. Truthfully, her 4th place finish in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships was surprising, but now, that result makes sense.

Because since then, she has validated her fitness in a major way.

In her lone race during this outdoor track season, the newest UVA ace has chopped off a significant amount of time in the 1500 meters, running 4:08 at the Raleigh Relays, a nine-second PR. Appleton was rewarded with the biggest win of her career against a monster field.

The Cavalier star is no longer an underdog in the middle distance events. Her kick at the end of her races no longer goes unnoticed and her resume holds no flaws. Appleton has consistency, great tactics, constant improvement, postseason success and upwards trajectory.

What more could you ask for?

16. Simone Plourde, Junior, Utah

Simone Plourde truly broke out during the recent indoor track season as one of the premiere runners in the NCAA, ultimately setting a new 3k PR of 8:53 and later finishing 4th in that event at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

As far as her raw talent, as well as her balance between speed and endurance, Plourde is one of the fastest-rising distance runners in the entire NCAA this year. But now, we have an entirely new question for her this season -- which event should the Utah star run this spring?

Plourde opted to take a crack at the 1500 meters to open up her 2023 outdoor track season where she recorded a commendable 4:14 result at the Stanford Invitational. That was good for a new personal best and a narrow runner-up finish after being stuck in a challenging spot.

While that mark doesn’t completely answer our question of which event could fully maximize her potential, it does lead us to believe that this Utah ace could absolutely contend for an All-American finish in the 1500 meters. And given her prior history of being a miler, that step down in distance from the 3k makes sense.

15. Claire Seymour, Senior, BYU

BYU veteran Claire Seymour has been on an absolute tear since late February. She almost (usually) manages to peak at the perfect time each season and was able to fire on all cylinders at the indoor national meet this past winter, finishing 4th place overall in a historically loaded 800 meter field.

Seymour has wasted no time in keeping her momentum moving in an upwards trajectory on the outdoor oval as she kicked off her current season with a jaw-dropping 2:01 (800) time paired with a PR of 4:16 (1500) at the Stanford Invitational.

If Seymour is already showing this level of form in April, then she’ll certainly have an opportunity to move up our rankings in the coming weeks/months if she finds yet another gear in the postseason...as she normally does.

14. Kelsey Chmiel, Junior, NC State

Experience is on Kelsey Chmiel’s side. The NC State star has competed at numerous NCAA-sanctioned championships across cross country and track. She is one of the most consistent runners in the nation when it comes to the longer distances and she has shown that each time that she has toed the line.

In theory, Chmiel’s best race on the track is the 10k, an event that she finished in 8th place in at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She didn’t race last spring, but given her solid showings during cross country and the most recent indoor track season, a top finish at that distance come June isn’t out of the cards for the Wolfpack veteran.

Her start to this current outdoor track season was a 32:55 (10k) mark at Raleigh Relays, a result that was 10 seconds off of her current PR. That wasn't a bad showing given that it was her first 10k race in almost two years, but we certainly expected more from her.

On paper, Chmiel has the resume to vie for an NCAA 10k title and could be an All-American in the 5k if she goes for the double on the national stage. Yes, she will have to rebound from recently-modest 10k result, but we're not looking too heavily into that performance.

13. Ceili McCabe, Junior, West Virginia

Ceili McCabe has not raced yet during this outdoor track season, but the Mountaineer veteran slots into our top-15 as a legitimate national title contender in the steeplechase.

McCabe has two All-American finishes in that event, and although she didn’t finish quite as high (6th) in postseason competition as we may have expected at the recent NCAA Indoor Championships, she still set new PRs of 4:31 (mile) and 8:50 (3k) during the regular season over the last few months.

If her trend of improvement continues, then we should expect faster times for McCabe in the steeplechase, as well as the benefit of additional national meet experience. There’s so much more to like about McCabe than dislike and it feels like she is a lock to finish as an All-American over the barriers for a third-consecutive year.

12. Taylor Roe, Junior, Oklahoma State

As a top returner in the 5k from the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State will be on a mission.

The Cowgirl superstar was denied a second NCAA title in the 3k when she finished 3rd at the indoor national meet this past winter, but as a veteran of the championship stage, she’ll take what she learned and translate it to the outdoor oval.

Roe opened up her 2023 outdoor track season with a 10k debut at the Stanford Invite, running 33:02 for the distance. And although she was middle of the pack, it wasn’t a bad showing for someone who more of a 5k/3k runner.

Roe will most likely drop back down in distance soon and notch a 5k time to qualify herself for the West Regional Championships before refining some speed via the 1500 meters.

11. Emily Venters, Rs. Senior, Utah

Let’s make one thing clear – you don’t run 31:48 (10k) as a fluke.

It would take an elite talent to hit that mark, even with perfect pacing through 8k.

And yet, Emily Venters was able to run that mark at the Stanford Invitational in a competitive field that included multiple All-American-caliber talents.

The Utah superstar is now one of only eight women in NCAA history to break the 32-minute barrier over 10,000 meters. Between cross country and indoor track, the Ute ace has proven that she belongs among the absolute best in the NCAA and it will be exciting to see if she could run even faster in the 10k if she were to be pushed by other competitors throughout the second-half of a race.

Venters has dramatically changed how we think about the women's 10k. While Allie Hays' recent 10k mark from the Raleigh Relays surprised us, it is her west coast counterpart who has forced us to ask if she can contend for a national title in that event.

10. Kayley DeLay, Rs. Senior, Washington

After transferring from Yale to Washington, steeplechaser Kayley DeLay has already made a splash (pun intended) for the Huskies.

With no remaining eligibility across cross country and indoor track, DeLay raced unattached this past winter where she began flexing her growth under Coach Maurica Powell. We already knew that she was a stud, but after running PRs of 4:35 (mile) and 8:58 (3k), we knew big things were on the horizon for her this spring.

The NCAA veteran opened up her spring campaign in the white and purple at the Stanford Invitational via her main event, the steeplechase. Her finishing time of 9:48 might be well off of her personal best, but given that it was her first go at the event in nearly a year, it wasn’t a poor race by any means.

DeLay won that race by four seconds and now has a very solid base to build off of as we head into the month of April.

As the top steeplechase returner from the 2022 outdoor national meet and a current PR of 9:25 in the event, we have no choice but to tab DeLay as the national title favorite. She still needs to prove herself a bit more after such a long hiatus from officially racing collegiate competition which is why she settles in at "only" TSR #10.

9. Mercy Chelangat, Senior, Alabama

Alabama ace Mercy Chelangat had herself a terrific indoor track season, picking up yet another podium finish in the 5k. While she hasn't opened up her spring campaign yet, her wonderfully consistent winter season bodes well for her over the next few months.

One of Chelangat’s biggest pitfalls was (and maybe still is) that she couldn’t quite match the turnover of some of her competitors in the shorter races (or in tactical settings). Luckily for her, keeping up with gear changes shouldn’t be an issue this spring since she will be moving back up to her primary event, the 10,000 meters.

The Crimson Tide veteran has already proved that she is a master over 25 laps. After all, she is the defending NCAA champion at the distance.

We can’t wait for her to begin her campaign and stamp her authority on that distance.

8. Hilda Olemomoi, Sophomore, Alabama

Just like her Alabama counterpart, Mercy Chelangat, underclassman standout Hilda Olemomoi has yet to kick off her season. The Crimson Tide newcomer has had herself a stellar first D1 season on the grass and she successfully translated that form to the indoor oval.

Olemomoi posted a jaw-dropping 15:17 (5k) PR back in December followed by an equally as impressive 8:45 (3k) personal best a few months later. These incredible times were then backed up by a pair of gutsy performances at the NCAA Indoor Championships. A silver medal and a separate All-American honor capped off a fantastic introduction to the D1 indoor track circuit.

The sophomore star is one of the more distance-oriented runners in the NCAA, so she will likely benefit greatly from being able to contest the 10k. Olemomoi has shown phenomenal strength thus far and this spring, she will be able to fully utilize that skillset.

Are we looking at a potential national title winner?

7. Olivia Howell, Junior, Illinois

Olivia Howell was the surprise mile champion at the indoor national meet a little over a month ago. She was flying under the radar, consistently posting strong performances, but her name was never in the conversation to win the title.

But when the Illinois veteran graced the track at the NCAA Indoor Championships, everything came together over the final lap en route to her win.

Heading into the 2023 outdoor track season, the 4:09 (1500) Fighting Illini’ athlete is riding a high. She has been to the outdoor national meet twice in the 1500 meters, finishing 10th (2021) and 9th (2022), but Howell’s ceiling has only gotten higher over the last year.

The Illinois junior is a legitimate national title contender in the 1500 meters and has already opened up her outdoor track season with a two-second PR in the 800 meters, running 2:02 at at her home meet. Howell has become a true veteran of this sport and has demonstrated that she is someone you don’t want around in the final meters of a mile/1500 meter race.

6. Michaela Rose, Sophomore, LSU

Michaela Rose’s transition from “good” to “elite” this year has been spectacular to watch. Nobody is running as fast AND as consistently as her.

Coming off of a terrific indoor track season, we knew that this LSU star would be a force to be reckoned with -- but I don't think anyone was expecting her to find her groove as quickly as she did. A 2:01 (800) split in the DMR and 1:58 split in the 4x800 meter relay at the Texas Relays showed us that Rose is just as sharp as she was during the winter months.

That assertion was then backed up by a huge 2:00.34 (800) effort at her home meet.

The Stanford duo of Roisin Willis and Juliette Whittaker are still the top women in the NCAA when it comes to the half-mile distance. But it also clear that Rose is still a very legitimate threat to their title hopes in June just like she was in the month of March.

5. Olivia Markezich, Junior, Notre Dame

The amount of strength, speed and experience that Markezich brings to the track has only grown over the last year. Already one of the best steeplechasers in the NCAA, the Fighting Irish junior could be a force to be reckoned within the 5k as we have already seen this spring

Markezich was impressive this past fall, finishing 8th at the NCAA XC Championships -- but that was only the start. She quickly built on that cross country strength during the winter months by running a mile PR of 4:34 and 3k PR of 8:50. The success didn’t stop there as the junior finished runner-up in the 3k at the indoor national meet.

The Fighting Irish athlete opened up her outdoor track season with a 15:33 (5k) event debut at Raleigh Relays, taking down a talented field by six seconds. Markezich has made a case for herself to be a top runner in the 5k at the end of the season, but there is still the potential for her to succeed in the steeplechase. She is an All-American in the event and has a PR of 9:35 as well.

Whichever event Markezich chooses to focus on, and it could be both, gives this elite standout a chance to finish as a double All-American at the NCAA Outdoor Championships -- and maybe even a national title winner.

4. Juliette Whittaker, Freshman, Stanford

After an incredible rookie campaign on the indoor oval where Juliette Whittaker flexed both speed and strength as a complete middle distance runner, the Stanford star has begun her outdoor track season with a heavy emphasis on foot speed.

Whittaker soloed a 53.7 (400) and also anchored the Cardinal’s 4x400 meter relay to a comfortable win at the Stanford Invitational.

We haven’t seen enough results yet to move the needle for Whittaker in one way or the other, so for now, it feels appropriate to keep her ranked in our top-five due to her electric indoor track season. She is still just as much of a threat to win the national title in the 800 meter as her fellow superstar freshman teammate is.

3. Roisin Willis, Freshman, Stanford

Stanford’s Roisin Willis has been absent thus far during the 2023 outdoor track season, but there’s no reason to be concerned at this point.

After a heavy racing schedule that culminated into two national titles – one individually in the 800 meters and another as the 800 meter leg of the Cardinal’s DMR – it seems completely reasonable for a freshman to be conservative with the start of their spring campaign following such a successful streak of performances during the winter months.

Willis has broken 2:00 for the half-mile as a high school athlete and is the reigning U20 World Champion for that distance (on the outdoor oval), so she should by all means be considered as the favorite to win the national title unless she gives us a reason to exercise caution.

2. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Senior, Arkansas

What more can be said about Arkansas ace Lauren Gregory that hasn’t already been said?

She is one the most consistent racers on the collegiate circuit and during this past indoor track season, the Razorback veteran showed us just how relentless she can be in essentially any race scenario. A fierce competitor and an astute tactician, Gregory possesses all the qualities of a future NCAA champion.

The Razorback veteran hasn’t begun her outdoor track campaign just yet, but she will be looking to turn those silvers into gold this spring.

1. Katelyn Tuohy, Junior, NC State

Wolfpack stud Katelyn Tuohy hasn’t lost a race to a collegiate competitor since the 2022 ACC Outdoor Championships over 5000 meters -- and that was 14 races ago. Since then, Tuohy has gone on to win four NCAA titles: outdoor 5k, cross country, indoor 3k and indoor 5k.

I would bet over half my salary (albeit, a teacher's salary), on Tuohy winning another title this spring. Which event will it be in? I don’t 100% know the answer to that, but conventional wisdom tell us it's the 5k...and maybe the 10k if she moves up to that distance.

At this time, Tuohy hasn’t opened up her outdoor track season, but that’s not a point of concern. It would be safe to assume that the NC State runner is prepping up for a big performance, maybe even an attempt to break the 15:07 (5k) collegiate record.

Tuohy’s current PR is 15:14 (5k) and she has only improved since she ran that time.

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JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Valery Tobias (Texas)

Rylee Penn (Cincinnati)

Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Oregon State)

Everlyn Kemboi (Utah Valley)

Yasmin Austridge (Lamar)

Lucy Jenks (Stanford)

Sarah Hendrick (Kennesaw State)

Teagan Schein-Becker (Rider)

Imogen Barrett (Florida)

Kaylee Mitchell (Oregon State)

Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)

Samantha Bush (NC State)

Jenna Hutchins (BYU)

Billah Jepkirui (Oklahoma State)

Silan Ayyildiz (South Carolina)

Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico)

Elise Thorner (New Mexico)

Amanda Vestri (Syracuse)

Esther Seeland (Virginia)

Mia Barnett (UCLA)

Annamaria Kostarellis (Baylor)

Carley Thomas (Washington)

Gracelyn Larkin (New Mexico)

Anna Gibson (Washington)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Angelina Ellis (Butler)

Gabrielle Wilkinson (Florida)

Cailie Logue (Iowa State)

Kimberley May (Providence)

Dorcus Ewoi (Campbell)

Katelyn Mitchem (Wyoming)

Emily Cole (Duke)

Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)

Katy-Ann McDonald (Georgetown)

Ruby Smee (San Francisco)

Aurora Rynda (Michigan)

Addie Engel (Ohio State)

Abbe Goldstein (New Mexico)

Lorena Rangel Batres (LSU)

Rachel Gearing (Penn State)

Taiya Shelby (Vanderbilt)

Greta Karinauskaite (California Baptist)

Maggie Donahue (Georgetown)

Sydney Seymour (NC State)

Katie Thronson (Notre Dame)

Haley Herberg (Washington)

India Johnson (Colorado)

Ella Baran (Colorado)

Elise Stearns (Northern Arizona)

Isabel Van Camp (Arkansas)