TSR's 2023 D3 Outdoor Top 20 Individual Rankings (Women): Update #4 (FINAL)

TSR Collaboration
May 31, 2023
12 min read

Written by Kevin Fischer and Hannah Thorn, 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.

20. Windsor Ardner, Junior , SUNY Geneseo (Unranked)

Windsor Ardner knows how to save her best for last.

Throughout most of her 2023 outdoor track season, she was running 4:29 and 4:30 over 1500 meters. And this past weekend, in the metric mile prelims, she grabbed the last spot into the finals with a 4:30.89 mark, only 0.10 seconds ahead of 13th place (the first woman out).

But it was in the 1500 meter finals where Ardner was really able to show off her fitness, throwing down a tremendous 4:24 PR while snagging 7th place overall.

That’s a personal best for the junior and the fastest that she has run this season by a full five seconds. It is also better than her 10th place finish in the event from last year's outdoor national meet. And yes, it's true, most 7th place All-Americans don't sneak into our rankings, but given the caliber of women in that 1500 meter field, this spot feels appropriate for Ardner.

19. Sydney Packard, Senior, WPI (-4 / 15)

Sydney Packard had her first collegiate track race all the way back in 2016. Seven years later, after a handful of hiatuses, she returned to the national stage. And while this was probably the last time that we see her on the track, she still made sure to leave on a high note.

In the 800 meter prelims, Packard was able to produce a 2:10.15 mark and was only a touch off of her seasonal best of 2:09.80 in the event. But in the finals, it's possible that the hot pace didn’t play into her strengths.

Even so, she still finished a respectable 5th place overall in 2:11.16.

That was the seventh All-American honor of Packard's career. And while the WPI veteran was certainly not at her peak form when she ran 2:06 (800) back in the winter of 2020, her longevity and overall consistency will not be forgotten in this deep era of half-mile D3 stars.

18. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel, Sophomore , U. of Chicago (Unranked)

Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel was attempting a very tough double this past weekend as she attempted both the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters.

To start, in the 1500 meters, the Maroon sophomore was able to make it into the finals with the third-fastest time of 4:29.53. But in the finals, Battleson-Gunkel ran almost six seconds faster to finish in 6th place with a 4:23.80 mark, resetting her old PR in the process.

When it came time to double back, Battleson-Gunkel might have been wishing that the race played out different. In a historically fast 5k, the U. of Chicago talent finished in 10th place via a time of 17:08. She let the field get too far out of her reach which is a tactical adjustment that can be addressed with experience.

This past weekend more than makes up for Battleson-Gunkel's winter campaign where she recorded a DNF in the mile at the indoor national meet. And as long as she can continue to make adjustments, then her career ceiling seems incredibly high.

17. Cyna Madigan, Junior, UW-Oshkosh (Unranked)

After grabbing the last All-American spot in the 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships, it's possible that Cyna Madigan was overlooked this spring. She won the WIAC title over 800 meters and was consistently running 2:10 marks.

Those two developments were traits that bode well for a championship setting.

This past weekend, in the 800 meter prelims, the UW-Oshkosh ace ran 2:09.79, a new PR for the junior. And in the finals, Madigan didn’t let the moment overwhelm her, finishing 3rd overall in 2:10.35. Her bronze medal performance could be attributed to great patience and an understanding of when to respond to certain moves.

With almost the entire women's 800 meter field returning next year, we’ll have to wait and see how another year of experience will treat Madigan in her quest for NCAA gold.

16. Anna Kenig-Ziesler, Senior, U. of Chicago (+1 / 17)

Anna Kenig-Ziesler was one of many women doing the 10k/5k double this past weekend. But luckily for her, few competitors handled that double as well as she did.

Starting off strong in the 10,000 meters, the Maroon veteran ran 34:53 to finish in 5th place overall. That’s a new PR for the senior, a rare development for a championship setting, especially given her inexperience on this specific stage. And when it came time for the 5000 meters, Kenig-Ziesler didn’t seem to slow down, finishing in 7th place overall in 16:56.

Overall, this was a super strong weekend for Kenig-Ziesler as it was only her second-ever national meet and her first national meet appearance on the outdoor oval. She didn’t seem to succumb to any pressure and was able to show up when her team needed her.

15. Caroline McMartin, Junior, Central College (+3 / 18)

From placing 13th in the steeplechase at last year's national meet to earning a 3rd place finish this past weekend, Caroline McMartin has made serious steps forward in 2023.

We’ve seen McMartin's progression all year long and her full potential finally shined through on the national stage. In the prelims of the steeplechase, she ran 10:31 to qualify for the finals, a new personal best.

In the finals, McMartin wasn’t able to make the move to follow Fisher and Khosla, so she naturally had to settle into the chase pack. But by the end of the race, the Central College star was able to shake her opponents for a 10:24 mark.

Yes, the 2024 national steeplechase field will be very challenging as only two women graduate from that final. But if McMartin is able to maintain this level of progression, then a national title isn't totally out of the question for her.

14. Rachel Hirschkind, Junior, SUNY Geneseo (-5 / 9)

It’s not that Rachel Hirschkind ran poorly this past weekend, it’s just that everyone else in the steeplechase ran out of their mind. And for that reason, the SUNY Geneseo standout drops five spots in our rankings.

Coming into the meet, Hirschkind was looking to be a national title favorite in the steeplechase alongside Aubrie Fisher. She even came into the finals with the fastest time from the prelims (10:30.83).

And then the finals happened.

In a VERY deep race, everyone else stepped up (literally and figuratively) and Hirschkind just didn't seem to have her usual edge. She would finish in 5th place with a still-respectable steeplechase time of 10:29.88.

Again, that is by no means a bad result, but it's also fair to say that Hirschkind probably could have put herself in the top-three mix.

13. Gillian Roeder, Sophomore, MIT (+3 / 16)

Gillian Roeder contested so many 1500 meter races this spring that, this past weekend, on the national stage, she seemingly had her tactics perfected.

The MIT sophomore was right in the top mix of women in the 1500 meter finals, but ultimately fell just a touch short of the national title. Regardless, she still finished her weekend in a mark of 4:23.10 which was good enough for 3rd place and a five-second PR.

Roeder is only a sophomore, but she has clearly bolstered her race IQ. After placing 5th in the mile 2023 indoor national meet, this high-upside distance talent was able to further capitalize on her abilities. She could be very dangerous if she continues to improve.

12. Emily Konkus, Junior, Washington U. (-1 / 11)

Emily Konkus was one of many women who ran new personal bests in the 1500 meter final. After qualifying for the finals in a time of 4:29.90, the Washington U. standout was able to drop a huge time of 4:23.44 which was good enough for 4th place overall.

After a career performance in the metric mile, it was understandable that Konkus just didn’t have enough pop in her legs to record a top-eight finish in the 5000 meters. She faded to 11th place in that field with a time 17:11. Although in retrospect, that’s still a highly respectable result, all things considered.

This past weekend largely didn't change our opinion of Konkus. She was solid, reliable and is clearly an upper-tier talent with a valuable skillset across multiple events. For that reason, she only drops one spot, but that's hardly a penalty.

11. Sydney Khosla, Junior, Wittenberg (Unranked)

Where did this steeplechase star come from?

Admittedly, Sydney Khosla was not on our radar at all this season. But can you blame us? Before this year, she had never run under 11 minutes in the event. And while she did post steeplechase times of 10:56, 10:49 and 10:39 earlier this spring, we still didn't expect the performance that she gave us.

After running a 10:32 (steeple) PR in the prelims, Khosla had no fear for the finals. She decided to run with Aubrie Fisher and surprisingly pushed the Wartburg star all the way to the line. In the end, she recorded a 10:15 mark and a narrow silver medal.

But let's go back to that final time for a second...10:15?! That's over a minute faster than what she had run coming into the season and well clear of 3rd place in 10:24. Relative to expectations, this was the best performance of the weekend for me.

10. Maddie Hannan, Junior, UW-La Crosse (+3 / 13)

The wildest national meet double from this past weekend was Maddie Hannan doing the 800/5k, an unconventional race schedule for almost any collegiate distance runner.

The UW-La Crosse ace earned a runner-up finish in the 800 meter finals, running 2:09.87. That time was almost identical to her prelim time of 2:09.93. Talk about consistency! That’s also the highest that Hannan has ever placed at a national meet.

But then came the 5000 meter finals where Hannan clearly tired. She faded to a 19th place finish in the event fresh off of her silver medal performance.

The 5000 meters was hardly a priority for Hannan given the aggressive and unique nature of her 800/5k double. The fact that she still snagged a runner-up performance over a very deep half-mile field was essentially the best result that we could have realistically asked for.

9. Maddie Kelly, Junior, U. of Chicago (+3 / 12)

Speaking of people who were hurting in the 5000 meters, Maddie Kelly was another woman who had a rough day in the final distance event of the national meet. The U. of Chicago star finished in 17th place in a time of 17:27, but it’s much more fun to focus on her better race of the weekend, the 1500 meters.

In the 1500 meter finals, Maddie Kelly ended up finishing 2nd overall to the indoor mile national champion, Annika Urban. Her 4:22.97 performance was a major step forward as it was a PR by five seconds.

Kelly did a great job of holding onto the pace and then not fading as she worked to get away from Urban. She simply looked poised the entire way through and also seemed to have excellent control of her fitness.

8. Aoife Dunne, Junior, Washington U. (-3 / 5)

One of the women brave enough to attack the 1500/800 meter double this past weekend, Aoife Dunne didn't fully showcase the top-end potential of her fitness -- but she did prove to be incredibly reliable.

In the 1500 meters, Dunne just squeaked into the finals with the 10th-fastest time of 4:30.45. And once she reached the final round, the Washington U. runner finished in 5th place with a 1500 meter time of 4:23.55.

Dunne was only a second or so behind the winner, making it hard to fault her for finishing 5th. But at the same time, you would think that her combination of speed and strength would favor her a bit more in a tightly-contested race.

In the 800 meter finals, many us at TSR admittedly expected Dunne and teammate Emma Kelley to go 1-2 just like we had seen at the indoor national meet. Unfortunately, Dunne never looked like she got comfortable and instead settled for a still-solid 4th place result. Of course, it's important to remember that she had contested the 1500 meter finals earlier in the day.

Did Dunne ever reach the silver or bronze medal positions that we thought she was capable of achieving this past weekend? No, she did not. But in terms of points, a 4th place All-American finish and a 5th place All-American finish shows you just how valuable this middle distance ace is.

7. Aubrie Fisher, Junior, Wartburg (+1 / 8)

For Aubrie Fisher, we can just ignore her 5k performance. It kind of looked like she just jogged it in. Coming in 22nd place with a time of 18:02 is not reflective of her fitness.

The most important race for her this past weekend was the steeplechase. It’s crazy to think that there was a 20-second difference between her prelim and final times, but that’s how nuts this race was.

Fisher had a great battle with Sydney Khosla, but took the win in a time of 10:15. That victory avenges her loss from last year's national meet. It was also her second national title in the steeplechase after she won it her freshman year.

Her previous PR in this event was a time of 10:20, but that was from last year. This was also a seasonal best by seven seconds. The main point that I'm trying to make is that Fisher seems to know how to peak at the right time. In a race that can be highly chaotic, she has proven that can show up when called upon.

6. Clara Mayfield, Junior, Carleton (+1 / 7)

Clara Mayfield always has to go against Kassie Parker or Fiona Smith and unfortunately, she does not get the flowers that she deserves. In any other year, Mayfield would be the primary star of this division.

In the 10k this past weekend, she was over 40 seconds behind Parker and Smith, but she was also one of two women who didn’t get lapped by them. That was also a PR by 21 seconds en route to a bronze medal after comfortably gapping top D3 talent, Ana Tucker.

Mayfield was even able to bounce back well for the 5000 meters and that’s not something that a lot of women can say after this past weekend. She finished in a time of 16:43 to place 4th overall in the event.

It should also be noted that the Carleton star was able to hold off Annika Urban for that 4th place result. Imagine how scary that is, knowing that you have the 1500 meter and mile national champion chasing you down. But Mayfield seems to race without fear and she continues to be one of the most reliable distance talents in Division Three.

5. Ana Tucker, Junior, Hope (+1 / 6)

After finishing 4th in the 10,000 meters with a new personal best of 34:00, Ana Tucker came back in the 5000 meters against the same star-caliber names and finished 3rd.

Yes, those races were always between Kassie Parker and Fiona Smith with everyone else falling off fairly early, but Tucker battled incredibly well despite being on her own for most of the race after dropping Annika Urban and Clara Mayfield.

Even though her 10k effort was a PR, the 5k was arguably more impressive because of how much tougher it was on tired legs and because of the warmer temperatures. Either way, Tucker cemented herself even further this season as an elite distance runner in D3.

4. Emma Kelley, Junior, Washington U. (-1 / 3)

It was never in much doubt that Emma Kelley would win the 800 meter national title at the outdoor national meet just as she did during the winter months. She opened up the final round with a 61-second split, dropping everybody early-on and earning a wire-to-wire victory.

To make things more impressive, she came back as the anchor to Washington U.’s 4x400 meter relay and took the Bears from 7th place to 5th place with a 54.10-second split.

After a couple of runner-up finishes to Esther Seeland last year on the national stage, Kelley is now the one who nobody can touch over 800 meters. She is a well-deserved national champion after waiting in line for the throne.

3. Fiona Smith, Junior, St. Benedict (+1 / 4)

Fiona Smith gave Kassie Parker everything she could handle in both the 10,000 meters and the 5000 meters this past weekend, tucking in and not giving an inch until the final lap.

In the 10k, she took the lead with just under 300 meters to go before being reeled in again. And while she never led in the 5k, Smith still made the race incredibly interesting.

Despite falling short on both occasions, Smith has to be given a lot of credit for taking someone like Parker down to the wire twice in one weekend, all while earning a total of 16 points that single-handedly put St. Benedict in the top-15 of the team race.

2. Annika Urban, Junior, Emory (0 / 2)

Annika Urban was a clear national favorite going into the 1500 meter finals.

That, however, didn't stop the rest of this field from doing everything in their power to dethrone her. We say that because the 2nd through 9th place finishers in the 1500 meter finals all ran personal bests in the event.

But ultimately, it was still Urban who prevailed with a mark of 4:22, defending her indoor mile national title. She came back in the 5000 meters just a few hours later and battled the heat to earn a really solid 5th place finish.

It's one thing to be dominant in one event (or one event area). It's another thing to be reliable on key stages such as the national meet. And it's another thing to showcase competitive range. But Urban has shown all of that this year, making her our clear-cut choice for this spot in our final set of rankings.

1. Kassie Parker, Senior, Loras (0 / 1)

She certainly had to work for it, but Kassie Parker has finished off her collegiate career with two additional national titles in the 10,000 meters and the 5000 meters to bring her tally to seven, with a total of 14 All-American finishes across all three seasons, along with D3 records in the 10k and the 5k.

Iron sharpens iron, and her exploits have largely been responsible for other big names reaching new levels. There aren’t many women in the history of D3 distance running who have accomplished more than her...and truthfully, it may be a while before someone comes along who does.