TSR's 2023 D2 Outdoor Top 25 Individual Rankings (Women): Update #4 (FINAL)

Written by Marissa Kuik & Grace McLaughlin

Additional edits and commentary by John Cusick & 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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25. Najwa Chouati, Senior, Stanislaus State (-4 / 21)

According to one source close to the Stanislaus State program, Najwa Chouati was unable to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as the Warriors supposedly didn't have enough women competing in enough meets this year due to a series of injuries and an already-small roster size.

After discussion within The Stride Report's D2 team, we felt that it was unfair to remove Chouati without any real precedent to do so.

The Stan State standout showed throughout the year that she was one of Division Two's best long distance talents, an in our eyes, she should not be penalized for something out of her control.

We feel comfortable saying that Chouati likely would have achieved All-American status in at least one of her events (10k and 5k) this past weekend and that's enough for us to give her the final spot in these rankings.

24. Kate Hedlund, Sophomore, UC-Colorado Springs (-7 / 17)

Even though Kate Hedlund does drop a couple of spots in our rankings, it's no fault of her own. Instead, it's simply because of the other performances.

After not qualifying for the finals in the mile at the indoor national meet, she successfully navigated the metric mile preliminaries and ran a great final round to secure 7th place and a well-deserved All-American honor.

Her raw 1500 meter preliminary time of 4:29 actually put her close to her PR, demonstrating Hedlund’s true fitness level. However, what Hedlund does seem to struggle with is her finishing speed.

To be clear, it's not like this Mountain Lion isn’t fast as she does have a 2:09 PR for the half-mile distance. Even so, Hedlund had great placement going into the final lap of the 1500 meter finals, but didn't have enough down the home stretch.

If Hedlund continues to work on her foot-speed, then she will become increasingly more dangerous and develop into a major threat for the national title in the middle distance events in the seasons to come.

23. Morgan Hykes, Junior, Adams State (Unranked)

Morgan Hykes took on a new event, the 3k steeplechase, during this 2022 outdoor track campaign. In a positive turn of events, Hykes impressed us with her 5th place finish in the steeplechase this past weekend, a strong All-American honor.

Finishing that high up in her first-ever season competing in such a tricky and technical event shows us the incredible talent that this Grizzly ace holds.

Furthermore, it means we have only witnessed the floor of her abilities, not the ceiling. She has so much more room to progress, especially when you look back at her excellent personal bests in the 1500 meters and the 5k.

She will be someone to keep an eye on as Hykes will be part of a new regime at Adams State next year while they look to continue their dominance.

22. Leah Taylor, Freshman, Western Colorado (Unranked)

One of the biggest surprises of the NCAA Outdoor Championships was Leah Taylor.

After earning one of the last spots into the national meet over 1500 meters, Taylor would finish an incredible 3rd place overall in the finals! She ended her season with one of the fastest last laps in the whole 1500 meter entire field, simply outlasting far more established women on the final straightaway.

The Mountaineer youngster has consistently been on the rise this whole year, both on the grass and on the oval. But this performance was the first time that Taylor proved that she could race with some of the best names in Division Two.

With such a rich history at Western Colorado, do not expect this performance to be just a fluke. Taylor is here to stay and will help fill in the gap left by Doucette who is going to be a graduate transfer at Colorado next year.

21. Precious Robinson, Junior, Adams State (-2 / 23)

After a great breakout season during the fall of 2021, we were optimistic about what Precious Robinson could do on the oval. Unfortunately, Robinson did not race much during the following 2022 outdoor track season and failed to make the outdoor national meet.

What a difference a year makes.

Robinson ran one of the fastest 10k times in all of Division Two earlier this year and came away with a 7th place finish in that same distance this past weekend for an All-American honor. She also raced the 5000 meters, finishing just outside the podium in 11th.

Robinson is still somewhat new when it comes to championship racing on the oval, so she has a lot of upside going into the next season. And if she can continue to be consistent, then she will be someone to watch as a national title threat next year.

20. Taryn Chapko, Sophomore, Grand Valley State (-8 / 12)

Taryn Chapko had about as much national meet experience as anyone in the women's 800 meter field this past weekend.

Unfortunately, Chapko has yet to win the elusive 800 meter national title. She enters every season as one of the favorites and has the performances to back it up. She works on her weaknesses and does everything right, so to speak, but she continues to run into all-time great talents.

This season Chapko improved her strength, running big personal bests over 3000 meters during the winter and later running a new 1500 meter PR. She also worked on her speed, running a personal best over 400 meters as well.

Yet, it just was not quite good enough. Chapko would finish 8th in the half-mile event at the outdoor national meet this past weekend, far off from where she has finished in the past.

Nevertheless, Chapko has all the intangibles and pieces to win a national title. If we can give her just a little more time, this Laker star will finally stand atop the podium.

19. Ava O’Connor, Sophomore, Adams State (-9 / 10)

Adams State decided to put an emphasis on the steeplechase this spring as many of the Grizzlies attempted the event for the very first time this season. Ava O’Connor was one of those athletes who took on the feat and fared quite well.

The dynamic distance ace ran the second-fastest steeplechase time in Division Two for the season and seemed to be the overwhelming favorite to at least finish runner-up and maybe even challenge Curtabbi for the title.

However, by the second-half of the steeplechase finals this past weekend, O’Connor looked “off.” She was chopping her steps before each barrier and did not land well off of the water jumps. With each jump, she lost the leaders, leading to her 6th place finish.

A 6th place finish is by no means bad, but based on her performances this year in both the 1500 meters and in the 3k steeplechase, it was a surprise to see her fade and not be able to respond once the pace changed.

O’Connor is an incredibly talented runner and given more time to improve in the steeplechase, she will be a force to be reckoned with. Her value also extends far beyond this event given how dynamic she has proven to be.

18. Klaudia O’Malley, Junior, Grand Valley State (-10 / 8)

It is always tough to drop a veteran like Klaudia O’Malley this much, but her performances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships just did not measure up to the rest of the field. And to be truthful, they (probably) did not measure up to her own standards.

It's not that O’Malley performed poorly, but we just expected a little more from her. The Laker talent still finished 6th in the 1500 meters for an All-American this past weekend, but then faded slightly over 5000 meters where she ended up 13th (which wasn't a total shock given that she was on the double).

Though this Laker star drops in our rankings, it's important to note that she is a veteran and her experience still makes her a reliable racer. Plus, when you look at her overall resume, one would suggest that her raw talent alone puts her in the top-10.

17. Emily Schoellkopf, Sophomore, Adams State (Unranked)

In her last few appearances on the national stage, Emily Schoellkopf has been solid. Sure, maybe she hasn't been a superstar name, but a modest 8th place All-American honor this past winter was encouraging for someone who is still fairly young. The same thing can be said about her 25th place finish from the 2022 NCAA XC Championships.

But this past weekend, Schoellkopf took another step up.

The Adams State sophomore chose to contest the very tough steeple/5k double at the outdoor national meet. Even for the most experienced veterans, that can be a grueling day of racing.

However, Schoellkopf had no issues, landing herself on the podium in both events. She finished an astonishing 3rd place in the steeplechase finals, besting most of the field with faster seed times than her, and then doubled back and finished an impressive 6th place in the loaded women's 5000 meter field.

Besides Robles, Schoellkopf was the Grizzlies’ best performer and proved to TSR that she can handle the high stakes of a national meet. Plus, Schoellkopf is still young, so she has plenty more room to grow.

And at the rate that she is improving, she could be the next Adams State superstar.

16. Kaylee Beyer, Junior, Winona State (-1 / 15)

What we've said about Cailee Peterson could also be said about Kaylee Beyer.

Much like the winter months, Beyer went into this national meet with some good marks, but not great marks. Before the national meet, her best times for the season were 2:09 and 4:24 for 800 meters and 1500 meters, respectively. Admittedly, neither of those times jumped off the page and we had questions about how she would handle altitude.

However, Beyer once again showcased her ability to work well in the preliminary rounds and later flexed her speed in the final lap of the tactical metric mile. She came away with a 5th place finish in yet another tactical affair. And in the process, she cemented her name as one of the more dangerous, high IQ postseason runners in Division Two.

Yes, she does drop in our rankings, but a one-spot fall is hardly a penalty, especially as we try to reward a few other women for their stunning efforts.

15. Zoe Baker, Junior, Colorado Mines (-4 / 11)

Another veteran name, Zoe Baker, once again took on the 10k/5k double at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. And once again, Baker held her own, but still failed to finish high on the podium.

The Colorado Mines veteran finished 5th in the 10k and doubled back in the 5k, earning a respectable 9th place results overall.

Obviously, finishing just off of the podium in the 5k is less than ideal, but some athletes do respond differently to the 10k/5k double. Her 5th place finish in the longer distance is still impressive as this Oredigger raced incredibly smart in the 10k, running with the pack for the majority of the race and breaking off in the last mile to come away with that top-five result.

She's a very solid talent who has become a bit more reliable on the national stage this year, but we just want to see this distance star finish even higher rather than just in the middle of the All-American spots which is why we ultimately leave Baker at TSR #15 to end the year.

14. Cailee Peterson, Senior, Minnesota-Duluth (0 / 14)

The best way to describe Cailee Peterson is that she is someone with great racing tactics who peaks just at the right time.

Based on Peterson’s personal bests during the 2023 outdoor track season, it seemed like she had a lot of work to do in order to get on the podium in the 1500 meters. Of course, after seeing what she did at the indoor national meet, it was hard to go into the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a ton of doubts

And sure enough, she finished 4th over 1500 meters this past weekend!

Yes, that is a couple of places back from where she finished in the mile at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships. But to end a tactical race in the upper-half of the All-American spots where the finishing times were within milliseconds of each other further highlights Peterson’s ongoing ability to expertly navigate through a crowded and nuanced field.

She surprised us during the indoor track season, but on the outdoor oval, we knew she would do well once the national meet came around, yet again solidifying her spot in the middle of our rankings.

13. Josii Johnson, Senior, Westminster (UT) (+11 / 24)

After running 2:08 for 800 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, we wondered if Josii Johnson could back up that performance in a high-pressure setting.

Well, she then went on to run an altitude-converted PR of 2:07 (800) at the RMAC Outdoor Championships, earning silver and once more demonstrating her ability to thrive in championship-style racing.

What we really wanted to see was for Johnson to fully translate her entire year momentum to the NCAA Outdoor Championships -- and that is exactly what she did. Johnson ran two smart races, getting herself out of the 800 meter preliminaries and later finishing in an excellent 3rd place against a very tight field where almost anyone could have settled on the podium.

Johnson truly matured as a competitor throughout this season and developed great racing IQ. Last year, she did not even get out of the preliminaries at the 2022 indoor national meet and failed to make it to the 2022 outdoor national meet.

But this year, few women were more reliable than her.

12. Natalie Graber, Junior, Grand Valley State (-3 / 9)

Natalie Graber carried her momentum from the indoor track season onto the outdoor oval. And while she didn’t end her spring campaign quite as well as she did in March, she still left Pueblo, Colorado with two more All-American honors to add to her resume.

The Grand Valley State junior ran impressive series of personal bests earlier this season, posting marks of 4:21 (1500 meters), 10:13 (steeple) and 16:08 (5k). Simply put, Graber was showing ongoing consistency at an elite-level going into the outdoor national meet.

And this past weekend, Graber placed 4th in the steeplechase and 8th in the 5000 meters.

Overall, Graber was great this year, finding an entirely new level of fitness. But while she clearly made massive improvements, that was something that we had already witnessed in the winter.

Yes, earning double All-American honors this past weekend was highly valuable and very impressive. However, I think we also expected Graber to finish just a spot or two higher in the steeplechase.

Regardless, it's hard to say that there was single thing wrong on her resume this spring.

11. Allison Beasley, Freshman, Western Colorado (Unranked)

One of the more surprising performances of the NCAA Outdoor Championships was Allison Beasley’s silver medal effort in the steeplechase. While the Mountaineer ace solidified herself as a solid runner over the barriers and showed improvements in other events, a runner-up finish at the outdoor national meet far exceeded our expectations.

Beasley was 20th at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall and 7th in the mile at the indoor national meet which were highly commendable results. Still, what we've seen from her this year was not at all indicative of a runner-up performance in the steeplechase just two months after her debut in the event.

This performance, along with her 10th place finish in the 5000 meters, put her right outside our top-10 in our final round of rankings.

10. Katie Fankhouser, Junior, Fort Lewis (+12 / 22)

While Katie Fankhouser was an All-American on the grass, she emerged as a truly elite athlete this season and excelled in the metric mile. With every race, the Fort Lewis junior looked more and more dangerous.

After shockingly winning the 1500 meter title at the RMAC Outdoor Championships and running 4:23 for the distance at the APU Last Chance Meet, Fankhouser’s talent could not be ignored. We conservatively put her in the latter-half of our rankings edition and questioned how she would do at her first national meet on the oval.

Well, Fankhouser proved that her RMAC title and recent 1500 meter PR were not flukes and that she could race tactically excel to qualify for the finals at the outdoor national meet. and even after that, Fankhouser was only seen as an All-American contender, not someone who could battle for the national title in the final 100 meters.

Her 63-second last lap and surprisingly great poise in a highly tactical race was extremely impressive, especially for someone so new to this level. And that begs the question...how high is her ceiling moving forward?

9. Katie Doucette, Junior, Western Colorado (+10 / 19)

Katie Doucette jumps 10 spots in our final round of rankings after a successful end to her Division Two career this past weekend.

The Mountaineer standout built momentum throughout the spring months and excelled in the endurance events, running 34:19 for 10,000 meters at the APU Last Chance Meet and a converted 16:13 mark over 5000 meters at the RMAC Outdoor Championships.

Even with her progression through and extensive resume, Doucette exceeded our expectations in Pueblo, Colorado. Her 4th place finish in the 10k and 5th place finish in the 5k this past weekend roughly match the talent that we saw from her in March of 2022.

And after several seasons of not-so-great championship meets, Doucette made a comeback this season and raced like the veteran she is.

Finishing her time at Western Colorado on a high note with two more All-American honors and an increase in confidence puts her at TSR #9 to end this season.

8. Stephanie Cotter, Senior, Adams State (-7 / 1)

Stephanie Cotter drops several spots in our rankings due to the fact that she did not compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Despite her absence, the Grizzly superstar still comes in at TSR #8 in our final round of rankings due to her performances of 4:20 in the 1500 meters and 15:53 in the 5000 meters from earlier this season.

Yes, it's unfortunate that we did not get to see her race this past weekend. Still, Cotter's history of gold medal performances and competitive times this spring made her a title contender in both events, ultimately allowing her to stick inside our top-10.

7. Helen Braybrook, Sophomore, CSU-Pueblo (0 / 7)

Helen Braybrook placed 10th in the 800 meters at last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships, a solid showing, but at all indicative of what was to come. Since then, she has made huge improvements on the grass and on the indoor oval, all of which translated to the spring.

At the beginning of this outdoor track season, it was clear that Braybrook was not only an 800 meter national title contender, but a title favorite due to the departure of Vanessa Aniteye -- and the fact that she would have a home track and altitude advantage.

Her consistency in the 800 meters and PR of 4:20 over 1500 meters were extremely promising heading into the outdoor national meet. However, Ukeyvia Beckwith’s lethal turnover led her to a victory while Braybrook finished as the national meet runner-up at the half-mile distance yet again.

The current momentum and quick development that we saw from Braybrook in the middle distance events this year was insanely impressive. Her consistent excellence and overall firepower, along with another silver medal being added to her resume, puts this Thunderwolf star at TSR #7 in our final round of rankings.

6. Florance Uwajeneza, Senior, West Texas A&M (-1 / 5)

Florance Uwajeneza ended her indoor track season on a high note with a 3rd place finish in the 5000 meters and a 5th place finish in the 3000 meters, leaving us to wonder if she would be able to match that success on the outdoor oval.

And after this past weekend, we think it’s safe to say that she did.

The West Texas veteran won the bronze medal in the longest event on the track and then placed 4th over 5000 meters the following day. Combined with her PRs of 32:49 (10k) and 16:07 (5k) from earlier in the season, Uwajeneza has become one of the best endurance runners this year.

The Buffs' ace is not quite at the same level as Lindsay Cunningham and Brianna Robles, but she is not afraid to go out hard and lead the chase pack (or even run alone). That relentless tenacity, combined with her aerobic talent, has led Uwajeneza to a tier closer to that of Cunningham and Robles rather than a tier below them.

5. Eleonora Curtabbi, Senior, West Texas A&M (-3 / 2)

Eleonora Curtabbi headed to Pueblo, Colorado as the national title favorite in the steeplechase and a national title contender in the 1500 meters.

The West Texas A&M star ran 9:57 (steeple) and 4:18 (1500) earlier in the season and has had insane momentum since September. We knew that she was going into this past weekend fit and ready to defend her national title in the steeplechase while putting herself in the mix to win the metric mile.

Curtabbi easily won NCAA gold in the steeplechase despite running two races the day before and having altitude working against her. The 1500 meters, however, proved to be much more challenging for Curtabbi who quickly faded to the back, crossing the finish line in 12th place.

Despite her disappointing finish in the 1500 meters, Curtabbi still won a gold medal in her main event and completed a difficult double. And truthfully, that last race is not at all indicative of her true talent in the 1500 meters.

Due to her domination in the steeplechase, dynamic talent and consistent excellence throughout the season, Curtabbi cracks our top-five to end the season.

4. Ukeyvia Beckwith, Senior, Embry-Riddle (0 / 4)

Ukeyvia Beckwith was the clear national title favorite in the 800 meters going into the outdoor national meet. But with Helen Braybrook on her home track and holding an altitude advantage, we were not 100% sure if Beckwith could pull off NCAA gold.

Well, the Embry-Riddle star proved us wrong as she crossed the line victorious and nearly a full second ahead of 2nd place. Her time of 2:06 is not quite as impressive as her 2:04 mark from earlier in the season, but with the altitude and tactics of a championship race, this was a fantastic effort for Beckwith.

Beckwith’s consistency throughout the season, speed-based talent and gold medal performance keep her at TSR #4 in our final round of rankings.

3. Brianna Robles, Junior, Adams State (+3 / 6)

Brianna Robles maybe didn't have the fairy-tale year that she arguably had last winter and spring, but she still won two silver medals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this past weekend. And in a world without Lindsay Cunningham, she would have dominated in both the 5k and the 10k.

Robles was having a solid season leading into the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but her times were just a bit off of personal bests and she just didn’t seem quite as sharp as she was last year. It's also possible that we might just hold her to an impossibly high standard due to her insane talent, collection of national titles and All-American honors.

Despite Cunningham's win, Robles’ runner-up finishes become more impressive considering that 3rd place was 22 seconds back in the 5k and 70 seconds back in the 10k. This highlights the fact that Cunningham and Robles are simply on another level compared to the rest of Division Two.

2. Celine Ritter, Senior, Lee (TN) (+11 / 13)

Celine Ritter’s early-season races left us with some concerns about her fitness and competitive edge after a long break from racing. But by the NCAA Outdoor Championships, it was clear that the Lee star was not only back to her old form, but possibly even better.

Her 4:18 mark for 1500 meters from the Georgia Tech Invitational, as well as her 16:25 (5k) effort at the Flames Invitational, were solid indicators that Ritter could be a favorite for All-American honors in both events.

But with Stephanie Cotter (at the time) and Eleonora Curtabbi entered in the 1500 meters as well as Cotter and Lindsay Cunningham being entered in the 5k, it seemed unlikely that Ritter would leave Pueblo with a national title.

Of course, she did just that.

In a true championship-style 1500 meter race, the Flames senior unleashed a fiery kick in the final 400 meters, a blistering 62-second split, to win the national title. Ritter then lined up for the 5k and secured a bronze medal which is even more impressive when the altitude is taken into consideration.

Ritter is a true veteran and her dynamic talent served her well this past weekend. With gold and bronze medals added to her resume, Ritter skyrockets 11 places in our rankings to take over the TSR #2 spot.

1. Lindsay Cunningham, Sophomore, Winona State (+2 / 3)

Altitude did not appear to be an issue for Lindsay Cunningham this past weekend.

The Winona State ace dominated during the cross country season and then brought the same firepower to the indoor oval with her record-breaking performances and gold medal victory over 5000 meters. But the finale to her outdoor track season might be the most impressive addition to her resume yet.

Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of altitude, Cunningham showcased her pure aerobic talent by outlasting her competitors, winning both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters.

In both races, Cunningham and Brianna Robles went hard from the gun and separated themselves from the pack creating exciting races for the national titles. But even with Robles’ surges, Cunningham managed to hold her off each time.

With every season, Cunningham is solidifying herself as one of the best endurance athletes in Division Two history. Her two national titles from this past weekend, combined with her PRs of 15:45 (5k) and 32:43 (10k) from earlier in the season, rightfully earn her the top spot in our rankings.

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ADDED

Leah Taylor (Western Colorado)

Allison Beasley (Western Colorado)

Emily Schoellkopf (Adams State)

KICKED OFF

Marissa D'Atri (Chico State)

Lauren Kiley (Grand Valley State)

Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Amanda Montplaisir (Minnesota State)

Aryelle Wright (Colorado Mines)

Marian Ledesma (Western Washington)

Mackenize Duck (Colorado Mines)

Kaylee Harp (NW Missouri)

Bailey Blake (NW Missouri)

Courtney McAlindon (Westminster (UT))

Jenna Ramsey (Colorado Mines)

Elizabeth Wamsley (Hillsdale)

Kira MacGill (Colorado Mesa)

Ashley Corcoran (SNHU)

Jessica Simon (Adams State)

Maggie Williams (Biola)

Marissa D'Atri (Chico State)

Lauren Kiley (Grand Valley State)

Holly Moser (Colorado Mines)

Reina Paredes (Adams State)

Kyle Anicic (Edinboro)

Caroline Cunningham (NW Missouri)

Ila Davis (Western Washington)

Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Madison Brown (Dallas Baptist)

PJ English (Augustana)

Anna Fauske (UC-Colorado Springs)

Megan Means (Augustana)

Kayce Rypma (Grand Valley State)

Kylie Anicic (Edinboro)

Hannah Tiffany (Chico State)

Isabel Marsh (Adelphi)

Luz Mercado (San Marcos)

Porshe Eismann (CUI)

Alaysia Brooks (Ursuline (OH))

Philippine de la Bigne (Azusa Pacific)

Nicole Lawrence (Adams State)

Lauren Buckner (Saginaw Valley State)

Zanzie Demco (Colorado Christian)

Madison Clay (Catawba)

Gianna Bomarito (Sonoma State)

Grace Pagone (Grand Valley State)

Lynette Ruiz (Biola)

Savannah Ackley (Cedarville)

Emma Everhart-Deckard (Grand Valley State)

Marissa Insinna (Dallas Baptist)