TSR's 2023 D1 XC Top 50 Individual Rankings (Women): Update #5 (FINAL)

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

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KEY

(Unranked):

Was not ranked in our last update.

(#/#):

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

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

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NOTE: These rankings are based on how an athlete fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at the NCAA XC Championships or at a singular meet. You will notice that these rankings may mirror the national meet results, but not precisely. That is intentional. These rankings are intended to be an aggregate. They are not recency lists.

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50. Fatima Alanis, Junior, North Carolina (Unranked)

There were admittedly not many bright spots for the North Carolina women this fall. However, if there was any silver lining, it was that Fatima Alanis evolved from being a support scorer to a true low-stick.

The North Carolina talent was incredibly consistent throughout the fall months. A 26th place finish at the Virginia Invite was strong, a 41st place finish at Nuttycombe was solid and a 12th place finish at the ACC XC Championships deserved a nod of respect.

Alanis had a nice season, but she did not produce any results which suggested that she would place 32nd on the national stage. An end-of-season ranking inside the top-40 seemed a bit generous, but after Saturday's race, there's no denying that Alanis was a top-50 name in the country.

49. Sarah Carter, Rs. Senior, Colorado State (-21 / 28)

Finishing 195th at the NCAA XC Championships was a tough end to Sarah Carter's season. The Colorado State ace had been so good and, more importantly, so consistent throughout the fall months. However, Saturday was a different story.

Despite that, we looked for every way to keep the Rams' top scorer in our rankings. With a 4th place finish at the Griak Invite, a 20th place effort at Nuttycombe and a Mountain West title, the latter two races producing wins over Nicola Jansen, it felt a little silly to say that Sarah Carter was not one of the top-50 women in the country this fall.

48. Paityn Noe, Freshman, Arkansas (-15 / 33)

This Arkansas rookie is another one of those runners whose national meet finish wasn't indicative of her full talent. We say that because Paityn Noe was the 3rd place finisher at Pre-Nationals and the 5th place finisher at the SEC XC Championships.

Between those two meets, Noe defeated Margot Appleton, Jenna Hutchins, Sydney Thorvaldson, Aubrey Frentheway, Sadie Sigfstead, Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Jenny Schilling, Izzy Thornton-Bott, Ashley Jones, Judy Kosgei, Ryann Helmers and more.

Despite fading to 101st place on Saturday, which was likely a product of Noe's inexperience rather than her abilities, we felt like she had done enough to remain inside of our top-50.

47. Chloe Foerster, Sophomore, Washington (0 / 47)

In our last rankings update, we listed Chloe Foerster at TSR #47. And after seeing that she finished 47th at the NCAA XC Championships, we have no reason to move her in our final rankings update.

The Washington sophomore made tremendous strides and improvements this fall, offering consistently great scoring value every time she toed the line. Finishing 18th at the Virginia Invite, 40th at Nuttycombe and an eye-opening 7th at the PAC-12 XC Championships gives Foerster a complete cross country resume with few flaws and a clear inclination to peak for the postseason.

46. Jenny Schilling, Junior, Virginia (Unranked)

One of the biggest surprises of the season was seeing the unexpected rise of Jenny Schilling. The Virginia distance talent used to be a club runner, but has since evolved into an All-American standout at the Division One level.

Despite her inexperience, Schilling was remarkably consistent this fall. Her 23rd place finish at the Virginia Invite, 13th place finish at Pre-Nationals, 10th place finish at the ACC XC Championships and 7th place finish at the Southeast regional meet were quietly great results. And the fact that the Cavalier standout didn't have a poor race going into the national meet was almost stunning.

If Schilling was going to have a poor race this season, it was going to happen on the national stage. Of course, the exact opposite happened: She finished 39th on her home course and earned a backend All-American honor.

Truthfully, we don't have a perfect idea as to where we should rank Schilling, but it was hard to dislike anything that she did this fall.

45. Sam Bush, Senior, NC State (Unranked)

44. Amaris Tyynismaa, Senior, NC State (Unranked)

NC State needed big-time races from both Amaris Tyynismaa and Sam Bush this past weekend to help them legitimately challenge for the national title. And you know what? These two veteran delivered potent low-stick performances in a "must have" scenario en route to the Wolfpack winning their third consecutive national team title.

Tyynismaa, who was struggling this season after recording two DNF results heading into the NCAA XC Championships, raced like the All-American athlete that she is. The former Alabama runner moved up the entire race before finishing in 25th place overall, providing arguably the most clutch result of the entire meet.

As a three-time cross country All-American honoree, Tyynismaa made a case for herself to re-enter the top-50 in our rankings, although her prior DNF results hold her back from being listed any higher.

As for Bush, she ended up peaking at the perfect time. The veteran had a rocky start to her season, but when she finished 6th at the Southeast Regional XC Championships, things were looking up for the NC State venter. And sure enough, Bush made a big move over the last kilometer during Saturday's race, going from 42nd place to 28th place.

Even though both of these women have finished higher at prior cross country national meets, earning top-30 All-American finishes this past weekend were very pleasant surprises. Truthfully, their 2023 resumes on the grass didn't suggest that they would be as good as they were on Saturday and that's why they stick in the middle of our 40s range.

43. Leane Willemse, Sophomore, Wisconsin (+2 / 45)

Leane Willemse was never the flashiest low-stick in any field this season, but she was consistently great throughout the fall months, offering strong scoring potency for the Wisconsin women.

A 44th place finish on Saturday was spot on for what we thought Willemse would be able to produce on the national stage. Her prior results, a 34th place finish at Nuttycombe and a runner-up effort at the BIG 10 XC Championships, largely equate to what we saw from this Wisconsin sophomore on Saturday.

And yet, despite finishing 44th at the national meet, we're moving Willemse up to TSR #43 -- her consistency and reliability on major stages is very valuable in our eyes.

42. Addie Engel, Junior, Ohio State (-16 / 26)

Earlier this season, Addie Engel lost to Rosina Machu (at the Loyola Lakefront Invite) and Juliet Cherubet (at the Arturo Barrios Invite). In retrospect, those two losses shouldn't have been as surprising as they were given how well Machu and Cherubet ran on Saturday.

But despite finishing 11th at the Virginia Invite and winning the BIG 10 individual title, it was still fair to argue that Engel just wasn't as sharp as she had been in 2022. This isn't to say that she wasn't a nationally competitive name, but a 61st place finish at the national meet was fairly representative of how her season went: good, but maybe not great.

41. Ella Baran, Senior, Colorado (Unranked)

Colorado’s Ella Baran is an excellent championship racer. For the second year in a row, the collegiate veteran pulled off an All-American honor after a regular season that didn't necessarily indicate that she was at that level.

Throughout the season, Baran was recording respectable performances, but nothing really caught our eye. The Buffalo’s highest recorded finish of the season prior to the NCAA XC Championships was an 11th place finish at the Mountain regional meet and truthfully, we don't even put much emphasis on regional results.

But this past weekend, the Colorado senior hovered around the middle of the field until making her move at the 3k mark. That move shot Baran up from 82nd to 49th place. She only continued to move up from there and when she reached the finish line, she was in 27th place.

This former Johns Hopkins standout did something similar last fall at the 2022 cross country national meet. Fellow TSR colleague Ben Weisel was right in choosing the Buffalo standout to be an All-American thanks to the fact that she, “usually peaks perfectly.”

40. Ryann Helmers, Senior, Ole Miss (Unranked)

Ryann Helmers got off to an encouraging start this fall. Her 4th place finish at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational was sneaky-good, but her 28th place finish at Nuttycombe suggested that she could be a nationally competitive individual.

But then the Ole Miss veteran began to struggle in the postseason. An underwhelming 18th place finish at the SEC XC Championships was later met by an unexciting 15th place finish at the South regional meet.

That's why you can understand our surprise when Ryan Helmers crossed the line in 23rd place on Saturday. Even when she was racing at her best, Helmers had never once produced a performance which suggested that she was a top-25 name in the country.

That stunning result was enough to lift Helmers into our rankings despite prior postseason efforts that had left us wanting more.

39. Melissa Riggins, Sophomore, Georgetown (-16 / 23)

Prior to the NCAA XC Championships, middle distance ace Melissa Riggins was establishing herself as one of the more versatile athletes in the country. Riggins had finished 13th at the Virginia Invite and 15th at the Nuttycombe Invite ahead of the postseason, monster performances which signaled her ability to thrive in large, nationally competitive fields.

But during Saturday's national meet, the Hoya sophomore was around 27th place at the 1k mark, but then slowly began to slip back in the field before ultimately stepping off the course at the 4k mark.

Despite the highly unfortunate DNF result, most people would recognize and agree that, from a wholistic perspective, this Georgetown sophomore was truly one of the 50 best runners on the grass this season. Her unfortunate end to her season shouldn't change that.

38. Annastasia Peters, Freshman, Utah (Unranked)

37. Mckaylie Caesar, Senior, Utah (Unranked)

Wow! What an absolutely fantastic pair of races by this Utah duo on Saturday!

Mckaylie Caesar and Annastasia Peters were clearly the top-two runners on their team this fall, although they showcased that at different times. Peters, a true freshman, finished 3rd at the Griak Invitational and 23rd at the Nuttycombe Invite. Caesar, meanwhile, was decent at those two meets, but truly stood out at the PAC-12 XC Championships when she placed 9th.

At the NCAA XC Championships, those two women would ultimately have the best races of their lives. Peters took home a fantastic 33rd place finish. And while that was definitely better than what we expected her to do, it wasn't an unrealistic result for Peters' given her youth-based upside and regular season success.

But Mckaylie Caesar? Placing 26th on the national stage? Despite cracking the top-10 at the PAC-12 XC Championships, that result was absolutely stunning. She had been running well this season, but wasn't even favored to be an All-American.

These two women have so much to be proud of. They became the focal names of a team that had been depleted of scoring following the departures of key women last year. And although some of their races were better than others, you can't help but be impressed by their fall campaigns.

36. Kimberley May, Junior, Providence (-15 / 21)

Sadly, it wasn’t a day to remember for Providence’s Kimberly May. Seeing her fade back to 116th place at the NCAA XC Championships was disappointing, especially given how terrific she has been over the course of the fall months.

The New Zealand native threw down a huge 10th place finish at the Virginia Invite earlier this season in what felt like a monster statement race. She then earned an equally impressive 19th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invite.

Those results were superb and they suggested that the Friar standout was capable of a top-20 finish at the national meet this past Saturday. But unfortunately for the Providence ace, she couldn’t carry her momentum into Charlottesville.

Despite her trip to Virginia not going to plan, it was still a fantastic breakthrough season on the grass for May. After seeing how she fared in a variety of different races, it would be silly to remove this mile-centric star from our rankings.

35. Ali Upshaw, Junior, Northern Arizona (-13 / 22)

Alright, so here's the thing: Ali Upshaw only has two results from this season that we would put any legitimate stock into.

Those two meets are the Nuttycombe Invite (where she finished 12th) and the national meet (where she finished 57th). Her other meets were the conference and regional stages (or a rust-buster) which the NAU women clearly put limited emphasis on.

Upshaw's Nuttycombe result was fantastic and better than what she produced this past weekend. But at the same time, a 57th place finish on the national stage is hardly a poor result. Sure, it may not stand out in any major way, but it's a result that still holds good scoring value.

For that reason, we're putting Upshaw at TSR #35.

34. Grace Fetherstonhaugh, Rs. Senior, Oregon State (-18 / 16)

Grace Fetherstonhaugh was consistently great in her lead up to the national meet. After a strong year on the track, the Oregon State veteran looked like a far more complete and refined runner. That was shown in her Nuttycombe (22nd) and PAC-12 XC Championship (2nd) performances.

That latter effort, a runner-up finish where she list only to Amy Bunnage, suggested that Fetherstonhaugh could potentially climb all the way into the top-15 on the national stage. Unfortunately for her, that didn't happen as the Oregon State standout had an "off" day and settled for a 74th place finish.

Given the resume that Fetherstonhaugh had going into the national meet, this Oregon State standout should almost definitely remain in our rankings despite failing to crack the top-70. However, it was a struggle to justify keeping her in our top-30.

33. Maddy Elmore, Junior, Oregon (-2 / 31)

Over the course of the fall months, Oregon’s Maddy Elmore proved that she is far more than just a miler. Her breakout season from this past spring wasn't reserved for just the 1500 meter distance, but rather the 6k distance on the grass as well.

The Ducks' rising star made a huge leap in fitness and that was reflected in her race results this season. A 2nd place finish at Pre-Nationals and a terrific 4th place finish at the PAC-12 XC Championships suggested that she had the capability to contend for an All-American honor, maybe somewhere in the top-25 on a good day.

Unfortunately for Elmore, she didn't quite have the legs to crack the top-40, fading from 31st place to 52nd place over the final kilometer. But while that may not have been the desired finish for the junior, it was still a very solid result which clearly hinted at her being a nationally competitive talent.

As such, her reliability allows her to remain within the top-40 portion of our rankings.

32. Margot Appleton, Junior, Virginia (-13 / 19)

It feels a bit aggressive to drop Margot Appleton 13 spots despite finishing 51st at the NCAA XC Championships this past weekend. This is someone who, prior to Saturday, had finished in the top-five of every race that she had toed the line for this fall. That schedule included meets such as the Virginia Invite, Pre-Nationals and the ACC XC Championships.

Appleton didn't look quite as sharp as we thought she would be this fall, but she was still plenty reliable and a clear favorite to be an All-American, especially since she was racing on her home course. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and we had to drop Appleton to TSR #32.

31. Brianna Weidler, Junior, UC Davis (+17 / 48)

It's hard not to be happy for an often underrated and consistent mid-major veteran like Brianna Weidler. The UC Davis standout was the 51st place finisher at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships, but this past weekend, she improved upon that result with a huge 31st place showing, validating the top-50 potential that she flashed throughout this fall.

The junior out of California moved in and out of our rankings this season and not to any fault of her own. Weidler was extremely consistent, always finishing amongst the leaders anytime that she competed.

Weidler found her way back into our rankings following her 6th place finish at the West regional meet. We expected the Aggie star to be right on the cusp of an All-American honor, but instead, we were surprised when she cracked the top-40 and earned a 31st place finish.

Her jump in our rankings this week is well-earned when you pair her big-time performance with a series of consistently solid results from earlier this fall.

30. Katie Osika, Senior, Michigan State (+12 / 42)

Michigan State veteran Katie Osika proved once again why she is one of the most reliable runners in the nation. The Spartan star had been on a tear this season and her splendid early-season endeavors were rewarded as she picked up an All-American honor for the second-consecutive year.

Osika’s 12th place finish at the Virginia Invite and her 27th place finish at Nuttycombe proved that she could perform when the lights were brightest. But frankly, we already knew that about her following a terrific 2022 fall campaign.

That's why it was no surprise to see her use her experience in Charlottesville as she navigated her way through the crowds to a 30th place finish.

A career-high national meet finish to cap off a marvelous season is exactly why Osika takes a giant leap up our rankings. In terms of All-Americans who you can trust the most, she is easily among the best in the country.

29. Leah Stephens, Freshman, NC State (-2 / 27)

There are so. many. things. that had to go right for NC State this fall if they were going to win their third-straight national title. Finding another standout scorer from their still-young developmental group was likely near the top of the list.

In her very first season of collegiate competition, Leah Stephens was incredibly valuable. Despite her youth, she turned out to be far more reliable than many established veterans. Finishing 4th at Joe Piane, 14th at Nuttycombe, 8th at the ACC XC Championships and 43rd on the national stage was a string of results that demanded respect.

Sure, she may not have been an All-American this fall, but her season as a whole was definitely better than a large handful of women who did crack the top-40 on Saturday. We should also be careful not to overlook that 14th place finish at Nuttycombe, the second-most competitive meet of the season.

28. Nicola Jansen, Junior, New Mexico (+1 / 29)

Throughout the fall months, New Mexico’s Nicola Jansen stayed incredibly consistent. Despite her fitness reaching a new tier of competitiveness, the Lobo ace never wavered. And because of that, the South Africa native concluded her junior season with an All-American honor.

When Jansen finished 2nd at the Griak Invitational in September, we knew that she was elevating her ceiling. And a few weeks later at the Nuttycombe Invite, the Lobo ace validated that suspicion after earning an excellent 21st place effort.

The two meets leading up to the NCAA XC Championships were essentially a cakewalk for Jansen as she recorded back-to-back 2nd place finishes. And when she arrived in Virginia, the case for her to finish as an All-American honor was made.

Jansen was amongst the leaders early-on in the race this past weekend, sitting in 12th place by the 3k mark. The hot early pace started to take its toll on the Lobo star, but she still managed to remain in top-40 territory (36th), an impressive feat all things considered.

27. Judy Kosgei, Freshman, South Carolina (+22 / 49)

South Carolina’s Judy Kosgei began turning heads after winning her opening three races of the season, many of which were basically rust-busters. However, a slightly underwhelming 11th place at the SEC XC Championship left us unsure as to how the rookie's lack of championship experience would hold up as the postseason progressed.

A 4th place finish at the hotly-contested Southeast regional meet suggested that her SEC performance was potentially just a fluke. That theory was later validated when Kosgei thrived at the NCAA XC Championships. After attacking the early pace in Charlottesville, the Gamecock star fluctuated inside the top-20. It was an aggressive run that was deservedly rewarded with a fantastic 19th finish.

Capturing an All-American honor in your first season is no small feat, let alone doing it in the manner that Kosgi did. Admittedly, her lack of competitive races during the regular season and an unexciting conference meet performance is ultimately why the Gamecock rookie goes no higher than TSR #27. But in terms of actual talent, it's clear that Kosgei is one of the very best in the NCAA.

26. Alyson Churchill, Senior, Florida State (+6 / 32)

After nearly taking down Kelsey Chmiel at the Joe Piane Invite, Florida State’s Alyson Churchill left us on high alert. Yes, she had been good before that performance, but it looked as though her fitness was at a whole new level this fall.

That was an assumption that was later proved right...mostly.

Churchill's 31st place finish at Nuttycombe was solid, but for someone of her caliber, we admittedly expected a bit more. Thankfully, we certainly got "more" at the ACC XC Championships where she placed 6th as well as the South Regional XC Championships where she took 5th place.

Entering the NCAA XC Championships it looked like the Seminole veteran was ready to compete for an All-American finish. However, Churchill's season finale result was certainly on the better end of our expectations for her.

For the entirety of the race, Churchill found herself in the top-25, battling for a top-half All-American finish. That resilience and commitment to the pace was rewarded with a 22nd place finish, a 55-place improvement from her last national meet showing.

We felt like placing Churchill at TSR #26 was a good medium between her exceptional national meet effort and her strong, but not amazing, season prior to that.

25. Taylor Roe, Rs. Senior, Oklahoma State (-10 / 15)

24. Molly Born, Rs. Senior, Oklahoma State (+16 / 40)

For one of these Cowgirls, Saturday was a great race. For the other, it was a slight "off" day...which still yielded an All-American honor.

Oklahoma State’s Molly Born had been fighting her way back to top form following a plague of injuries over the last few years. Back in 2019, Born placed 16th at the NCAA XC Championships, an indication that she would eventually evolve into one of the more elite talents in the nation.

But after multiple hiatuses and setbacks, the redshirt senior didn't begin to truly race again until this past weekend. Fast forward to Saturday, and Born made her way back into the top-40 at the cross country national meet where she finished 21st overall.

Born’s lead up to the national meet was highlighted by three top-five finishes, one of which was the top-heavy BIG 12 XC Championships. And after earning a top All-American honor, it's hard to find a legitimate flaw in her 2023 resume.

We then come to Taylor Roe who had finished as high as 2nd at the cross country national meet (winter of 2021) during her career. She had a minor "off" day this past weekend, but still produced a highly valuable 34th place All-American finish.

Roe had only raced twice leading up to the "Big Dance", earning a major win at the BIG 12 XC Championships before settling for a clearly conservative 2nd place finish at the Midwest Regional XC Championships. The Cowgirl veteran had the experience and resume to challenge for a top-10 finish on Saturday, but the redshirt senior was only able to manage a 34th place result.

Even so, these two Cowgirls end their cross country careers on a high note. Born and Roe’s performances were key for Oklahoma State en route to the podium finishing 3rd at the NCAA XC Championships. And when you look at their seasonal resumes, it seems fair to keep both of these ladies within our top-30.

23. Gladys Chepngetich, Freshman, Clemson (+18 / 41)

Clemson’s Gladys Chepngetich was simply superb this season.

The Tiger rookie initially caught our eye after finishing in the top-three in all four of her opening races. But for as good as those performances were, it was hard to truly gauge just how well she would fare in a loaded field.

The ACC XC Championships was the first time that we got to see Chepngetich in a competitive field and her 7th place finish ultimately confirmed that exciting suspicions about her competitive prowess. The same could be said about her 5th place finish at the Southeast regional meet.

Entering the NCAA XC Championships, Chepngetich was someone who we felt had the talent to capture a top-40 finish. However, with no experience at the NCAA level, it was hard to say whether that would actually be obtainable.

With momentum on her side, Chepngetich didn't let that inexperience hold her back. The freshman situated herself in the top-25 for the entire race, ultimately finishing in 24th place.

That result was truly the icing on the cake for what was a truly remarkable rookie campaign. The Clemson standout never had a poor race, she fared well in a variety of fields and she had her best race when it mattered the most. That subtle seasonal steadiness is a major reason why we listed her at a spot that was one position ahead of her national meet finish.

22. Greta Karinauskaite, Sophomore, California Baptist (+8 / 30)

California Baptist’s Greta Karinauskaite was an athlete who we had a particularly hard time ranking during the summer and through this season. The sophomore's cross country history was solid, but nothing special. However, her track campaign this past spring was simply remarkable.

We tentatively placed Karinauskaite at our TSR #37 spot, concluding that our assessment was either going to be about right or criminally underrated. And as you have probably already guessed, it was the latter.

The Lithuania native took no time to impress as she completely dismantled the field at the Griak Invitational. However, an underwhelming 52nd place at Nuttycombe left us doubting her ability to perform in a large field. Of course, that concern was quickly put to bed with Karinauskaite excelling at the West regional meet (2nd).

With postseason momentum in her favor, the Lancer ace produced a stellar performance in Charlottesville, crossing the line in 17th place. Admittedly, it feels a bit aggressive to rank this Lancer star in the top-25 after an unexciting effort the Nuttycombe Invite. But with so many other good things on her resume, we're trying to look past that Wisconsin result.

21. Amy Bunnage, Freshman, Stanford (-8 / 13)

In her first-ever cross country season within the United States, Stanford's star rookie, Amy Bunnage, truly impressed.

The Aussie native needed no time to adapt to NCAA racing, placing 6th at the Virginia Invite and later flexing her talent with a huge 13th place effort at Nuttycombe. Her statement victory at the PAC-12 XC Championships suggested that she had the capability to be a top-10 runner on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Bunnage, it seemed that her inexperience caught up with her in Charlottesville. The rookie ace struggled to maintain the furious early pace and ultimately faded back to 59th place.

Now, to be clear, that was by no means a "bad" performance for a freshman (or most runners), but for someone as good as Bunnage, we expected a little better. That's especially true after she had shown glimpses of being a top-10-caliber athlete.

With experience gained and time on her side, we have little doubt that Bunnage can evolve into one of the best runners in the NCAA. And when you look at her season resume, you could argue that we may actually be too harsh by dropping her this much in our rankings.

20. Phoebe Anderson, Junior, Columbia (-2 / 18)

Columbia’s Phoebe Anderson has been, without a doubt, one of the biggest and best breakout stars of the fall months. The Lioness ace has utilized her newfound fitness to great affect, turning into one of the most consistent runners in the nation.

The junior burst onto the scene this year with an extremely impressive 4th place finish at the Virginia Invite, a result that surpassed our expectations for someone who we knew was talented, but may not that talented.

Anderson's performance at the Virginia Invite was then validated as she crossed the line in 17th place at Nuttycombe, a huge result which made us realize that the Columbia talent could at least be competitive with Harvard's Mara Ramsden at the Ivy League XC Championships.

Entering the national meet, we felt like Anderson was a sure-fire pick for an All-American finish. And sure enough, we were right.

Her 29th place finish was a 162-place improvement on the previous year, a testament to just how far she has come this fall. And while she does drop in our rankings a bit, we still felt like her season was stronger than what her national meet result indicated.

19. Aubrey Frentheway, Senior, BYU (+17 / 36)

Absolute brilliance from Aubrey Frentheway on Saturday as the veteran showed the country how valuable years of experience can be on the national stage. Despite the BYU women have an "off" day, it was their elder leader who threw down a HUGE 14th place finish, one spot better than her finish at the 2021 NCAA Winter XC Championships.

Here's a fun fact: Prior to the national meet, Frentheway never finished better than 5th in any of her meets. That's ultimately why we opted to put a few women who finished behind her at the national meet ahead of her in these rankings. But in retrospect, that lead up shouldn't have mattered. Going into Saturday, this BYU star had been a three-time All-American on the grass and now, she has four of those honors.

Few women have been as consistently reliable on the national stage as Frentheway has. She may not have the jaw-dropping times or national titles that some of her past teammates earned, but this BYU standout has provided outstanding scoring for this team since her early days with the program.

18. Sydney Thorvaldson, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas (+17 / 35)

As a high school prep, Sydney Thorvaldson was one of the best distance runners in the country, winning national-level races and running head-turning times. Naturally, we had high expectations for the Razorback ace.

Well, it took a few seasons at the collegiate level for this Arkansas runner to find her groove, but on Saturday, this redshirt sophomore delivered on the monster potential that we had consistently been saying that she held. She finished 11th at the NCAA XC Championships.

All season long, Thorvaldson just got better and better. Her two 6th place finishes at both Pre-Nationals and the SEC XC Championships were promising heading into Virginia. We were anticipating the Razorback talent to be right around the top-40 mark, but she surpassed all of our expectations...and maybe even her own.

Thorvaldson was among the top-10 women in the field through 5k mark this past weekend. She was bumping elbows with the best of the best, proving that she’s one of them, too. And by the time that she crossed the finish line, Thorvaldson was in 11th place and only three seconds behind 10th place finisher, Maia Ramsden.

Consistency and confidence paid off big time for the Arkansas redshirt sophomore this season. We knew that she could be a standout talent in the NCAA, but Thorvaldson had yet to have a complete season of strong efforts.

That, of course, changed on Saturday.

17. Juliet Cherubet, Freshman, Texas Tech (+8 / 25)

Freshman Juliet Cherubet was stellar in her first season on the NCAA scene. The Texas Tech rookie really caught our attention following her 1st place finish at the Arturo Barrios Invite, taking down All-American standout Addie Engel in the process.

As the season progressed, Cherubet prepared for the NCAA XC Championships by finishing 3rd at both the BIG 12 XC Championships and the Mountain regional meet. And even without any NCAA level experience, the freshman ace didn’t falter on the course at Panorama Farms this past Saturday.

The Red Raider freshman found herself amongst the top-11 for much of the race before ultimately finishing in 18th place. That was a tremendous result which validated suspicions that Cherubet held upper-echelon talent, but had yet to fully put that fitness on display in a major invitational.

Given her reliability throughout this fall, we don't mind matching making Cherubet's end-of-season ranking one spot better than her national meet finish.

16. Rosina Machu, Sophomore, Gonzaga (+1 / 17)

When Rosina Manchu took home the victory at the Loyola Lakefront Invite (in dominant fashion), we started watching her performances more closely. The Gonzaga sophomore only improved from there by earning two more 1st place finishes and a 4th place effort at the West Regional XC Championships. Of course, it was still hard to get a gauge as to just how good she was this fall.

Despite competing in her first NCAA XC Championship race, Machu didn’t let inexperience affect her. The Bulldog star floated around the top-18 throughout the race in Virginia before ultimately finishing 16th overall, perfectly matching our expectations for her.

Machu beat countless women who are, career-wise, more established en route to her first All-American honor. She never had a poor race this fall and she was unafraid to be aggressive, all characteristics which signal a VERY bright future for her.

15. Annika Reiss, Senior, Northern Arizona (-1 / 14)

14. Gracelyn Larkin, Senior, Northern Arizona (-3 / 11)

Week after week, we have seen Northern Arizona’s Gracelyn Larkin and Annika Reiss finish nearly side by side. This dynamic duo once again impressed at the NCAA XC Championships and were instrumental in the Lumberjacks' near national title win (which they lost by a point).

After her Mountain regional meet victory, Larkin moved up nicely through the field en route to her best-ever showing at the cross country national meet. The senior ace crossed the finish line in 13th place, the perfect result that she essentially recruited to produce for NAU.

Only one second behind Larkin was her teammate Annika Reiss in 15th place. This was also about where we anticipated the Lumberjack veteran to finish as she had been consistently putting herself near the top of nationally competitive fields.

For Reiss, that was a massive improvement from her 47th place finish at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships. And more importantly, it showed the country that she was not only more fit, but also far more reliable as a true low-stick in comparison to last year.

Larkin and Reiss were reliable scorers for the Lumberjacks and are being rewarded with top-15 spots in our rankings at the conclusion of the season.

13. Flomena Asekol, Senior, Florida (+11 / 24)

Florida’s Flomena Asekol has been brilliant this season, adapting seamlessly to her new life as a Gator. The recent graduate transfer followed her strong 16th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational with an equally strong 4th place effort at the SEC XC Championships.

But for as good as those results were, they were hardly too surprising, especially coming from someone who was featured in the top-15 at last fall's NCAA XC Championships.

Entering the "Big Dance," there was reason to be optimistic about Asekol’s ability and that was because it had arguably been her most consistent string of races ever. However, even our optimism couldn’t have have anticipated what she would produce.

The Kenya native smashed our expectations on Saturday, crossing the line with a jaw-dropping 6th place finish. That run proved to be pivotal to the Gators' success as it provided some much-needed scoring support for fellow star, Parker Valby.

Asekol wasn't necessarily the sixth-best runner in the nation throughout this entire season. That's why we opted to cap her ranking at TSR #13. But in terms of scoring, no transfer proved to be more valuable to her cross country team on Saturday than her.

12. Kaylee Mitchell, Senior, Oregon State (-2 / 10)

Oregon State veteran Kaylee Mitchell is just about as reliable as they come and a 12th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships this past weekend showed us exactly why that is the case.

The Beaver ace maneuvered her way through the front group, but just missed out on a top-10 finish by a mere four seconds. But while her extensive resume suggests that she had the potential to feature in the top-10, a 12th place finish is hardly something that anyone should be disappointed about.

Let's not forget that Mitchell placed 5th at Nuttycombe earlier this fall and 3rd at the PAC-12 XC Championships. When she was firing on all cylinders, she was incredibly challenging to take down.

11. Kelsey Chmiel, Senior, NC State (-6 / 5)

Kelsey Chmiel has been one of the most consistent runners in the NCAA over the last few years. She has earned numerous All-American honors during her time with NC State and was primed to earn another honor last weekend...but that didn’t pan out for the veteran.

Earlier this season, Chmiel recorded three top-three finishes, one of which was a 3rd place finish at Nuttycombe. Wolfpack Coach Laurie Henes rested the senior at the Southeast Regional XC Championships, something that we didn’t worry about. But when Chmiel was spotted on crutches in Charlottesville, we realized that her regional meet absence should have held far greater concern.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Chmiel toe in the line at the NCAA XC Championships this past weekend. But even though the Wolfpack veteran wasn’t healthy enough to race, there’s still a case to be made for ranking Chmiel in our top-11. In terms of her overall seasonal resume, she was still one of the top women in the country.

10. Elise Stearns, Junior, Northern Arizona (-6 / 4)

After a stellar season, Elise Stearns of Northern Arizona ended her 2023 fall campaign on a tough note (by her resume's standards) at the NCAA XC Championships.

The junior had earned an excellent win at the Virginia Invite earlier this season and later placed 4th at the Nuttycombe Invite. In our eyes, the NAU veteran was a shoe-in to finish amongst the top-five at the cross country national meet given her seasonal results. However, on the day it mattered most, the Lumberjack leader wasn’t able to replicate her prior results.

Stearns was within range of the top group through the 3k mark, but then started to slip. By the time the race ended, Stearns was in 20th place, crossing the line as the third NAU athlete.

A 20th place finish at the cross country national meet is nothing to scoff at. If that's a "bad" race for Stearns, then that's a good problem to have. An despite how her season ended, we felt like Stearns was still worthy of a top-10 ranking based on her dominance and consistency throughout the fall months.

9. Maia Ramsden, Junior, Harvard (-2 / 7)

Harvard standout Maia Ramsden was on a tear this fall, racking up four wins in six races. And for as good as those wins were, her most impressive race was actually her 6th place finish in a loaded Nuttycombe field.

That performance suggested that the Crimson superstar had all of the tools to feature in the top-10 at the NCAA XC Championships. And sure enough, Ramsden proved that suspicion to be right, closing out her fall campaign with fantastic 10th place finish on Saturday.

It's admittedly hard to be too surprised by this result from Ramsden. Her entire season suggested that she would be just inside the top-10 and she had previously placed 11th at this meet last year. Naturally, you can see why we ranked her where we did.

8. Amina Maatoug, Junior, Duke (+1 / 9)

To be quite honest, I don’t think there is anything that we can say about Duke’s Amina Maatoug that hasn’t already been said. To put it simply, she was outstanding this fall and her 9th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships caps off what has been a remarkable season.

Maatoug’s consistency is something that truly sets her apart from the rest of her competitors. We knew she was good, but her ability to consistently put herself at the top of certain fields (and even upset Kelsey Chmiel for runner-up at the ACC XC Championships) clearly makes her one of the most valuable distance runners in the nation this fall.

7. Chloe Scrimgeour, Junior, Georgetown (+1 / 8)

Consistency has been Chloe Scrimgeour’s strong suit this fall. The Georgetown junior has been a fearless leader for the Hoyas all season long and it was her monster breakout year that was the primary reason why they looked like such a threat to be on the podium.

A 2nd place finish at the Virginia Invite was a monumental performance for this Hoya veteran and, to be quite honest, it far exceeded our expectations. Yes, we knew she was good, but we didn’t expect her to be that good! That huge leap in fitness was then validated with an equally impressive 6th place finish at Nuttycombe.

Entering the national meet, the Hoya star was in the best shape of her life, but could someone who we dubbed a "fringe" All-American at the beginning of the season really crack the top-10 on Saturday?

The answer to that question was, "yes!"

In Charlottesville, Scrimegeour needed little time to connect with the leaders, and her courageous display was enough to earn her a terrific 7th place finish. While it may not have been a day to remember for the Hoyas as a team, Scrimegeour can certainly leave the Panorama Farms course with her head held high as her top-10 finish capped off a season that was far better than what we expected her to produce.

6. Olivia Markezich, Senior, Notre Dame (+6 / 12)

We should never count out Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich.

For the third year in a row, the Fighting Irish star impressed at the cross country national meet, recording her third straight top-11 finish. Markezich crossed the finish line in 3rd place this past weekend, well ahead of 4th place finisher, Hilda Olemomoi.

Over the course of the fall, the Fighting Irish veteran was posting similar results to what she had done in years past. Numerous finishes in the top-nine were earned by Markezich, but we were still a little hesitant to rank her in the top-10 heading into the NCAA XC Championships.

And oh man, did we get that wrong!

At Panorama Farms, Markezich started out in 7th place at the 1k mark, moved up to 5th place by the 3k split and distanced herself from the chase pack to earn a tremendous 3rd place finish. A race like that moves the senior up six spots in our rankings.

Markezich, already an NCAA champion in the steeplechase, is a veteran of Coach Matt Sparks’s program and ends her cross country career with the Fighting Irish as a one of the best to walk the halls of Notre Dame.

5. Billah Jepkirui, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (+15 / 20)

When Billah Jepkirui faded to 155th at the 2022 NCAA XC Championships last fall, it was clear that she simply had an "off" day and that her performance was a fluke. Sure enough, the Cowgirl superstar would go on to earn wins at the Cowboy Jamboree and the Midwest regional meet as well as place runner-up at the top-heavy BIG 12 XC Championships.

But despite how insanely high we were on Jepkirui's talent, I'm not sure that many people saw this Oklahoma State ace producing a 7th place effort on Saturday.

After a year of strong performances and a steady build up, Jepkirui came through on the biggest stage and flexed her aerobic superiority. And with certain top stars fading in our rankings, Jepkirui actually cracks the top-five in our rankings despite "only" finishing 7th on the national stage.

4. Hilda Olemomoi, Sophomore, Alabama (+2 / 6)

To nobody’s surprise, Alabama’s Hilda Olemomoi was fantastic at the NCAA XC Championships last weekend.

The Crimson Tide ace threw her hat in the ring early-on and was one of the main drivers of the chase group. Her perseverance and commitment to the race were rewarded with a superb 4th place finish, two positions higher than where she had finished the previous year.

The sophomore star has been in fabulous shape all season long (despite racing ill at Joe Piane), so it wasn’t a shock to see her crack the top-five. In doing so, Olemomoi was able to help her team out tremendously.

Olemomoi and her new protege, Doris Lemngole, showed why they are the most formidable duo in the nation as they posted the strongest one-two punch in the field. The pair's exceptional showings were enough to guide their team to a fantastic 7th place finish.

3. Katelyn Tuohy, Junior, NC State (-1 / 2)

The fact that Katelyn Tuohy fell ill at the NCAA XC Championships and still finished 5th place overall was incredible. Most women wouldn't even finish that race, much less remain as one of the top contenders in the field.

On Saturday, Tuohy lost to Parker Valby, Doris Lemngole, Olivia Markezich and Hilda Olemomoi. And truthfully, we think Tuohy still had a better overall season than Markezich and Olemomoi when looking at their seasonal results. That's why she remains at TSR #3.

2. Doris Lemngole, Freshman, Alabama (+1 / 3)

All season long, Alabama’s Doris Lemngole was finishing in the top-two of her races. That trend continued this past weekend at the NCAA XC Championships this past weekend as she earned yet another 2nd place finish in the toughest field that she faced all season (obviously).

Lemngole, competing against Florida’s Parker Valby for the third-consecutive meet, put together what may have been her best-executed race of the season. The Alabama runner didn’t get flustered when Valby took off. Instead, she bided her time and cut Valby’s lead from 21 seconds at the 4k mark to 10 seconds by the finish.

The leading lady for the Crimson didn’t need any time to acclimate to the NCAA scene and has solidified herself as the top freshman.

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

Florida’s Parker Valby capped off an undefeated season at the NCAA XC Championships when she took down the field by a solid 10 seconds. The Gator talent was the pre-race favorite heading into the "Big Dance" (depending on who you asked) following her dominance at both Nuttycombe and the SEC XC Championships.

At the cross country national meet this past weekend, Valby did what Valby does best -- she distanced herself from the field and grinded out the race alone. Halfway through the race, the junior was 19 seconds ahead of the field and extended that lead to 21 seconds by the 4k mark.

It’s hard to not like Valby for her gutsiness. She’s put Florida on the map in the longer distance events and has proven on numerous occasions that she’s on a different level than her competitors. This era will be headlined by Katelyn Tuohy, but we won't be able to talk about Tuohy without also highlighting the greatness of Valby.

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ADDED

Annastasia Peters (Utah)

Ella Baran (Colorado)

Mackaylie Caesar (Utah)

Amaris Tyynismaa (NC State)

Sam Bush (NC State)

Fatima Alanis (North Carolina)

Ryann Helmers (Ole Miss)

Jenny Schilling (Virginia)

KICKED OFF

Sophie O’Sullivan (Washington)

Ruby Smee (Northern Arizona)

Lucy Jenks (Stanford)

Makenna Veen (Michigan State)

Sadie Sigfstead (Villanova)

Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU)

Jenna Hutchins (BYU)

Carmen Alder (BYU)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Sophie O’Sullivan (Washington)

Ruby Smee (Northern Arizona)

Lucy Jenks (Stanford)

Makenna Veen (Michigan State)

Sadie Sigfstead (Villanova)

Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU)

Jenna Hutchins (BYU)

Carmen Alder (BYU)

Hannah Prosser (Boston University)

Laura Pellicoro (Portland)

Emily Covert (Colorado)

Madelynn Hill (Iowa State)

Yasna Petrova (California Baptist)

Izzy Thornton-Bott (Oregon)

Erin Strzelecki (Notre Dame)

Andrea Markezich (Notre Dame)

Lydia Miller (Lipscomb)

Ashley Jones (Tennessee)

Gabija Galvydyte (Oklahoma State)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Julia David-Smith (Washington)

Keira Moore (Northern Arizona)

Joy Gill (Alabama)

Savannah Roark (Syracuse)

Grace Hartman (NC State)

Loral Winn (Ole Miss)

Karrie Baloga (Colorado)

Riley Chamberlain (BYU)

Sierra Atkins (UC-Davis)

Brooke Wilson (Wake Forest)

Daniella Santos (Ohio State)

Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)

Daphnee Lavassas (Miami (FL))

Maggie Donahue (Georgetown)

Lona Latema (Kansas)

Ella Gilson (Harvard)

Notes

- N/A