TSR's 2023 Preseason D1 XC Top 25 Rankings (Women): Just Missed & Honorable Mentions

NOTE: Earlier this summer, The Stride Report reached out to nearly every team that was considered for a possible ranking this summer. While we did receive numerous responses and great clarity, we did not get a 100% response rate. On rare occasions, we are referencing TFFRS in order to talk about returners and athletes who are out of eligibility.

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Just Missed (in no particular order)

West Virginia Mountaineers

In theory, at some point this season, the West Virginia women could end up being ranked inside of our top-25 list...or they could fall into our "Honorable Mentions" portion. The possible scenarios for this team in 2023 are plentiful.

Last fall, the Mountaineers put together a solid season. However, it was their championship racing where they rallied after Furman comfortably beat them at the Louisville XC Classic.

At the BIG 12 XC Championships, the West Virginia women took down a rebuilding Iowa State team and posted 49 points to earn runner-up honors. They'd later take silver at the Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships to defeat top Ivy League teams such as Princeton and Penn.

A 27th place finish at the cross country national meet was far from ideal, but it was also far from surprising. While Ceili McCabe was certainly a great low-stick, the gaps after her were significant, especially after the Mountaineers' second and third scorers finished 117th and 126th, respectively.

Yes, both Charlotte Wood and Mikaela Lucki are no longer on the Mountaineers' cross country roster -- and we'll admit, those are brutal losses for a team that was already highly limited on depth last fall.

But what if I told you that, according to TFRRS, the Mountaineers were adding a 9:54 steeplechaser to their team for the upcoming academic year? And another woman who has run 9:41 for 3000 meters?

Great Britain's Sarah Tait is the first name while Portugal's Tatiana Moura is the latter.

Tait could end up being a low-stick, or at least a strong secondary secondary scorer, behind Ceili McCabe later this fall. And if Moura can simply fill some lineup gaps while the rest of this squad continues to mature, then the Mountaineers may be able to build on their best efforts from last fall.

Harvard Crimson

There's good news and bad news when it comes to the Harvard women.

The good news is that they return eight of their top-nine runners from the Ivy League XC Championships, seven of which were listed as underclassmen by eligibility. They also bring back superstar low-stick Maia Ramsden, a breakout ace for the Crimson last fall.

The bad news, however, is that Harvard loses Maya Rayle to Wisconsin. The former Ivy League runner was a key secondary scorer last fall who made the Crimson more than just a one-woman show. A 6th place finish at the Ivy League XC Championships and an 11th place finish at the Northeast Regional XC Championships, along with a 16:09 (5k) PR from this past spring, headline her resume.

The success of the Harvard women in the fall of 2023 will almost entirely depend on how much the lineup behind Maia Ramsden develops. While Penelope Salmon has shown promise, the rest of this group needs to, a) make enough improvements to cover the loss of Rayle, and b) make another series improvements to build on the success that this team had last year.

Luckily, the youth-based upside of this roster isn't so young anymore -- they're a bit more experienced. And yet, they still have a decent amount of upside. Not only that, but Harvard has a whole lot of options to choose from, including a handful of great recruits.

If someone wanted to rank the Harvard women within our top-25 going into this upcoming cross country season, we probably wouldn't argue.

Syracuse Orange

It's been really hard to gauge the Syracuse women over the last few years. At certain times, they have shown plenty of exciting sparks. Other times, they have underwhelmed in the postseason, leaving us wanting so much more.

Last fall, the Orange women started off with a great effort at the Cowboy Jamboree, placing 6th overall and taking down a handful of established programs. It was a similar story at Nuttycombe as the Syracuse women snagged a clutch 13th place finish to validate their rise as a top contender.

But like past years, the Orange women struggled in the postseason. They faded hard to 6th place at the ACC XC Championships, let the Columbia women get awfully close to securing the second automatic qualifying spot out of the Northeast region and then faded 23rd place at the NCAA XC Championships.

The rise of Savannah Roark throughout the last year, specifically in the fall, was outstanding. The Syracuse women seem to have a legitimate star who can they lean on and build around. In a way, she gives the Orange women an identity.

However, it's the losses of this team that are simply too much for us to keep Syracuse inside the top-25 portion of our preseason rankings.

Abigail Spiers, the Orange's second scorer at the national meet, is out of cross country eligibility. Sage Brooks, a pleasant surprise as the 32nd place finisher at the Cowboy Jamboree, has since transferred to Oregon State. Eleanor Lawler, a long-time veteran who offered backend scoring for Syracuse, is potentially done. The same could be said for backend runner Shona McCulloch.

We'll admit, the recent introductions of Rylie Lusk and Baneet Bains as transfers is promising. In theory, they could limit some of the lost scoring that this team is seeing. But given the inconsistency of the Syracuse women last year and the departure of multiple middle-lineup scorers, our confidence in this group is a little all over the place.

Michigan Wolverines

The running joke on the Blue Oval Podcast when it came to Michigan's 2022 cross country season was us saying, "They just haven't had their best race yet," for every meet they competed in...including the NCAA XC Championships.

On paper, the trio of Katelynne Hart, Ericka VanderLende and Kayla Windemuller was supposed to be enough to help the Wolverines overcome their limited depth. But at the Cowboy Jamboree, Ericka VanderLende struggled. And at Nuttycombe, Hart struggled while VanderLende didn't even race. Oh, and the national meet? Hart didn't compete and Windemuller struggled.

In theory, if the Hart-VanderLende-Windemuller trio had all run well on the same day, then the Wolverines were going to be fairly competitive. However, VanderLende, their top scorer at the national meet, is now gone. The same can be said for a key middle lineup scorer in Samantha Saenz as well as backend contributor, Danielle Page.

Without any known transfers/impact additions and key scoring losses from a team that finished 22nd at last year's national meet, we surprised ourselves by leaving the Michigan women out of our rankings.

We may regret this decision in a couple of months, but until we see greater consistency from the most important low-sticks on this team, as well as a more stable backend, we had to leave this group in our "Just Missed" section.

Northwestern Wildcats

Sure, the Northwestern women weren't one of the first teams that we would have chosen for our non-existent TSR #26 spot, but we still like the direction of this distance group.

After a regular season that featured plenty of small meet appearances, the Northwestern women ventured to the BIG 10 XC Championships. There, they finished an unexciting 5th place overall. However, it was the their effort at the Midwest Regional XC Championships that would end up being historic.

With a runner-up result at the Midwest regional meet, the Wildcats made their first appearance at the NCAA XC Championships in 20 years. They did, however, struggle at the national meet, placing 30th overall.

We'll admit, there weren't a ton of "Oh my gosh, they're amazing." moments for the Northwestern women last fall. It's also hard to ignore the fact that Rachel McCardell and Ari Marks, two massively important scorers for the Wildcats, are not returning.

Luckily, incoming transfer additions of Adele Magaud, Pippa Nuttall and Ella Behrens should at least offer far greater depth for Northwestern this fall. And while that trio isn't expected to replace the scoring potency of McCardell and Marks this fall, they'll at least raise the overall floor of this team.

Kalea Bartolotto is a very solid returner who has the potential to eventually evolve into a similar-caliber runner as Marks or McCardell from last year. But firepower will need to be a much greater priority for the Northwestern women in 2023 as they attempt to get back to the national meet.

Iowa State Cyclones

The women from Ames, Iowa had a tough rebuilding year in 2022. After losing many high-octane scorers from their 2021 squad, the Cyclones were left with a lineup that had decent depth, but no true front-running sparks...depending on how you feel about Dana Feyen.

At the Griak Invitational, Iowa State finished 8th place behind Wyoming. At the Nuttycombe Invite, they finished 27th place overall behind three teams who didn't advance to the national meet. And at the Midwest Regional XC Championships, the ISU women settled for 3rd place, effectively failing to qualify for the national meet.

There is, however, good news.

According to TFRRS, the Iowa State women return everyone from their 2022 cross country lineup, including Dana Feyen who finished 92nd at the NCAA XC Championships last fall. And if that returning group comes back and collectively gets better, then maybe the Cyclones could find themselves back on the national stage.

Madelynn Hill had moments of promise throughout last fall and Janette Schraft is coming off of a spring campaign where she ran 9:57 in the steeplechase and qualified for the outdoor national meet.

In theory, there is fairly solid nucleus of talent on this Iowa State roster. There are also a handful of great recruits joining this program. But the lineup gaps on this team throughout last year were glaring and significant improvements need to be made by everyone, not just one or two people.

Even so, there is a very realistic world where Iowa State is ranked inside our top-25, or maybe even our top-20, by the end of the season.

Columbia Lions

We'll admit, the 2022 cross country season that the Columbia women had wasn't necessarily jaw-dropping. They did, however, rally quite a bit in the postseason, showcasing impressive firepower and a clear ability to peak for championship races.

However, at the 2022 Paul Short Invite, the Columbia women were...well, bad. They finished 25th overall in a field where they should have been in/near the top-10. Yes, they were missing one or two names, but that shouldn't have pushed them outside of the top-20. And after placing 5th at the Penn State National Open behind Georgia Tech, it was hard to be excited about the Lions in the postseason.

A 4th place finish at the Ivy League XC Championships, only four points behind Penn, was an encouraging result. However, what we saw at the Northeast Regional XC Championships was beyond incredible. In what was easily the best race of their season, Victoria Patterson, Phoebe Anderson and Elia Ton-That finished 5-6-7 in the overall results. Jordan Mathis (28th) and Mary Caroline Heinen (53rd) closed out the team's top-five.

As a result, the Lions finished 3rd overall, eight points out from an automatic qualifying spot to the national meet.

Admittedly, 90% of Columbia's 2022 cross country season simply wasn't great, at least not from a nationally competitive standpoint. However, it was clear that Elia Ton-That was growing more comfortable as the season went on and the same could be said about Phoebe Anderson. Meanwhile, Victoria Patterson had a fantastic year overall and looks like a true low-stick ace for Columbia in 2023.

But the real reason why the Lions are listed in our "Just Missed" section instead of our "Honorable Mentions" area is because of Nicole Vanasse. She was injured last fall, but has run times of 4:17 (1500) and 9:19 (3k). If she can give Columbia another scorer to pair with their top-three, then this is a scary group.

On paper, this group has the potential to be incredibly exciting and far more dangerous than some people realize. Even so, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding this team. We still need to see how Nicole Vanasse will race on the grass and we also need to see greater depth behind that group.

And truthfully, Columbia only had one good race as a team last fall. If they want to be ranked, they need to replicate their performance from the Northeast Regional XC Championships on multiple occasions throughout 2023.

New Mexico Lobos

If you wanted to call this team the "Bradley Braves," then that wouldn't be a ridiculous nickname. That's because there was a complete overhaul of the Lobos' distance roster this fall, a development that stemmed from Coach Joe Franklin leaving for Louisville and Coach Darren Gauson leaving Bradly for New Mexico.

Nearly all of the star-caliber names from last year's New Mexico team are gone (or are in the transfer portal). That includes Emma Heckel, Amelia Mazza-Downie, Elise Thorner, Maisie Grice, Gracelyn Larkin, Ali Upshaw, Lindsey Peters and others. However, the only name who is unsure as to whether or not they are leaving is All-American standout, Emma Heckel.

Meanwhile, Coach Darren Gauson has since added many of his top Bradley women to his 2023 roster at New Mexico. Names such as Nicola Jansen, Sophia McDonnell, Peyton Schieppe and Tyler Schwartz have all transferred to Albuquerque, each holding talent that makes them more than just backend scorers, but not quite low-sticks.

Whether or not Emma Heckel returns to this team in 2023 will ultimately be the determinant of how good the Lobos will be over the next few months.

If Heckel returns, then there is a very good chance that the New Mexico women will be a top-25 team. But if she doesn't, then you'll need to ask yourself if the Bradley cross country team from last year is a nationally-ranked squad based on their returners.

Villanova Wildcats

If you followed Villanova's women's cross country team last year, then you're probably wondering to yourself, "How on Earth is this team among the programs that "Just Missed" a spot in your top-25 rankings?"

And that's a fair question.

This team loses their top-three runners from last year's varsity lineup at the Mid-Atlantic Regional XC Championships. The Wildcats were also extremely underwhelming in a lot of their meets throughout last fall.

So...why are they listed here?

Well, the Villanova women had a strong squad in the fall of 2021. They weren't perfect, but they were nationally competitive and had a handful of valuable front-runners. Among them were Sadie Sigfstead (36th at Nuttycombe) and Maggie Smith (97th at the 2021 NCAA XC Championships).

Both of those women, Sidfstead and Smith, were redshirted last fall and are both expected to return this fall. That simple fact should immediately bolster your opinion of this group going into the fall of 2023. Not only that, but Emma McGill (4:40 for the mile and 9:19 for 3k) was also redshirted last fall and is going to be racing on the grass this season (for the first time in her collegiate career).

Simply put, the main components of this team in 2023 are going to look nothing like they did in the fall of 2022. Over the next few months, you'll likely find that this group of cross country runners is far more refined and experienced. Plus, adding a top high school recruit in Tilly O'Connor should only help Villanova field a complete scoring five.

Yes, it's true, there are still a handful of women on this roster who need to prove themselves on the grass, specifically McGill and O'Connor. But if this team can put together a complete scoring five, then they'll be listed in our top-25 rankings.

Ole Miss Rebels

Despite what TFRRS suggests, the Ole Miss women are actually bringing back a heavy portion of their 2022 cross country lineup. And while the Rebels weren't necessarily the strongest team throughout last fall, recent improvements and natural growth should allow them to be a bit more competitive in 2023.

A 13th place finish at the Cowboy Jamboree left us wanting more and a runner-up finish at the Panorama Farms Invitational, while respectable, came over a field that wasn't exactly loaded. Placing 3rd at both the SEC XC Championships and the South Regional XC Championships was also hardly surprising.

On paper, this is actually a fairly complete lineup. Ryan Helmers is a quietly-solid lead runner while Loral Winn had a great year on the track and could be due for more success on the grass. It's a similar story for Skylar Boogered and Kristel van den Berg who thrived in the longer distances this past spring.

With a handful of other promising developmental names scattered throughout this roster, the Rebels have a chance to be legitimately competitive this fall. However, they also didn't face the greatest competition throughout last year and when they did (at the Cowboy Jamboree), they struggled.

Not only that, but Laura Taborda is no longer with the Rebels, leaving Ole Miss with a fairly noticeable gap inside their of scoring group.

In theory, this team could be really solid and even a top-25 squad over the next few months. However, the Rebels need to produce greater firepower, find a suitable lineup replacement for Taborda and hope that promising track seasons effectively translate to the grass.

With so many variables at play, we felt like the "Just Missed" section was the right spot for this team...at least for now.

Lipscomb Bison

They may not be the flashiest team, but we really like what the Lipscomb women could end up doing later this fall. Not only do they return nearly everyone from an extremely young lineup, but they also add a D3 All-American to their team in Lindsay Ott, effectively making up for their sole scoring loss.

Sure, the Bison weren't perfect last fall, but they were the runner-up finishers at the Gans Creek Classic behind only Illinois and ahead of Northwestern. They also won the Arturo Barrios Invitational, won the ASUN XC Championships over Liberty and settled for 4th place with an ambitious effort at the South Regional XC Championships.

Based strictly on their returners, this team should naturally be better than they were last year. In 2022, this group was young and inexperienced. In fact, most of their varsity runners were sophomores by eligibility.

But with a valuable year of experience under everyone's belt, Lindsay Ott coming in to fill a lineup gap and Lydia Miller looking like she can be a true low-stick, it's hard to dislike anything about this Bison group going into the next few months.

Now, there is only one question remaining for this team, and it's pretty simple: How much better can they get?

Utah Utes

The losses of Emily Venters, Simone Plourde, Keelah Barger and Ariel Keklak from last year's team aren't just brutal -- they're devastating.

In 2023, the Utes won't look anything like they did in 2022. They do, however, have a few decent reinforcements and enough history for us to give them a nod for a "Just Missed" spot.

Recapping last cross country season (which was majorly successful) would be largely irrelevant for a team that is going to have a very different series of personnel this fall. However, their returners and new additions, when put together, seemingly offer something promising.

Lindsey Peters, a recent transfer from New Mexico, was a borderline low-stick in the early portion of the 2022 cross country season (during her time with Air Force), thriving at the Cowboy Jamboree and Nuttycombe. However, she struggled in the postseason before sustaining an injury in December.

If this former Lobo can return to her top form from last fall and maintain that talent throughout the 2023 cross country season, then the Utes may have a top-50 runner, nationally.

Meanwhile, Erin Vringer returns to this team after finishing 136th at the NCAA XC Championships last fall. She also emerged as the overall champion at the U20 Canadian XC Championships before running 4:18 for 1500 meters during the spring.

If she continues to grow and evolve as a runner, Vringer could be a very solid secondary scorer behind Peters.

And then there's Morgan Jensen (23rd at the PAC-12 XC Championships), Clara Mayfield (grad transfer who finished 3rd at D3 NCAA XC Championships), Kyla Martin (a talented rookie from Canada) and Veronic Boire (a promising Canadian who was injured last year). In our eyes, at least one of those women could end up being better than expected later this fall.

As a collective whole, this is a solid group. But in order for Utah to be ranked, we would have to offer a lot of generous speculation about pretty much everyone on this team. And while there are numerous options for the Utes to choose from when crafting their lineup, they'll need to all make somewhat significant improvements over the next few months.

For now, they'll reside in our "Just Missed" section.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

• Cal Poly Mustangs

• Utah Valley Wolverines

• Boise State Broncos

• Wake Forest Demon Deacons

• Utah State Aggies

• Indiana Hoosiers

• Penn Quakers

• Liberty Flames

• Portland Pilots

• Air Force Falcons

• Illinois Fighting Illini

• Texas Longhorns