TSR's 2023 Preseason D1 XC Top 50 Rankings: #20-11 (Women)

Written by Finn Birnie, additional commentary and edits by Garrett Zatlin

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Click here to read our rankings rubric

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20. Amina Maatoug, Junior, Duke

Amina Maatoug was an instant impact name for the Blue Devils this past fall, picking up an All-American accolade in her first season with the east coast program.

The Dutch distance talent first burst onto the scene at the Paul Short Invitational with a runner-up finish. She would lose only to the reigning NCAA 10k champion, Everlyn Kemboi. And if there were any doubts about just how good she could be, Maatoug validated her result with a fairly solid 28th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational.

And while there was still room for improvement, we entered the postseason knowing that the Duke women had a legitimate All-American ace on their hands.

Sure enough, Maatoug kept getting stronger. A 4th place finish at the ACC XC Championships was arguably the highlight of her season. The only women who she lost to in that race were Katelyn Tuohy, Kelsey Chmiel and Olivia Markezich -- a trio of runners who are among the absolute best in the NCAA.

The Duke distance star would later cap off her fall campaign with a very strong 28th place All-American finish on the national stage. Given her regular season performances, that performance wasn't exactly surprising. It did, however, give Maatoug a seasonal resume with essentially zero flaws.

But during the winter months, Maatoug got even better.

The Duke star ran 8:55 for 3000 meters in December and followed that up with a converted 4:29 mile mark two months later. On the outdoor oval, Maatoug switched gears and began to dabble over the longer distances. That change was rewarded with a very strong All-American finish in the 5000 meters and a shiny new PR of 15:48.

While the Dutch standout may not have the top-end aerobic engine of her competitors, Maatoug's ongoing progress and consistently-great performances make her just as good. She seems to still be getting better and now, she'll venture into a cross country season where she has a year of experience under her belt.

19. Grace Fetherstonhaugh, Rs. Senior, Oregon State

This time last year, Oregon State veteran Grace Fetherstonhaugh was in our preseason "Honorable Mentions" list. Nowadays, she finds herself in the top-20 of our preseason rankings -- and for good reason, too.

Her recent transcendence from "good" to "top-tier" has been one of the more pleasant developments of 2023.

Fetherstonhaugh began last fall with a pair of 14th place finishes at both Joe Piane and Nuttycombe, the latter of which captured our attention. At the time, that may have been the best result that we had ever seen from her on the grass. But would the Oregon State be able to sustain that success in the postseason?

Luckily, she would.

Fetherstonhaugh's steady improvements continued on championship stages with top-10 finishes at both the PAC-12 XC Championships (9th) and the West Regional XC Championships (8th). Her ongoing progression (and consistency) was then rewarded with a much-deserved 31st place All-American honor at the NCAA XC Championships.

On paper, those were great results. But truthfully, they weren't quite that of a top-20 cross country runner, at least not this fall. But then the track season rolled around and Fethestonhaugh transformed into one of the most fierce distance runners in the nation.

The Beaver ace started her spring campaign with a bang, clocking a phenomenal 15:30 (5k) PR which was then followed by a seriously impressive 4:11 mark over 1500 meters. The steeplechase specialist then chose to focus on the barrier and water pits in the postseason. That choice led to her finishing in 6th place at the outdoor national meet in the steeplechase.

On paper, Fethestonhaugh’s new personal bests suggest that she could outperform her preseason ranking -- she has truly reached a new level. But for now, we'll keep her at TSR #19. We want to see a little bit more from her on the grass before we speculate any further on her upside this fall.

18. Amy Bunnage, Freshman, Stanford

Amy Bunnage may be an unfamiliar name to most in the 'States, but allow us to introduce you to, potentially, the single-best distance recruit of the year.

The Aussie ace is a phenomenal talent who owns the Australian U20 records in both the 3000 meters (8:51) and the 5000 meters (15:21). These times are nothing short of remarkable and they suggest that she can do more than just hold her own against the very best women in the NCAA.

The incoming rookie is also a four-time Australian champion and the reigning Aussie U20 3000 meter champion.

But what sets her apart is her sneaky-good range. Bunnage also boasts a 4:14 (1500) PR -- and if that wasn't impressive enough, then we should note that she ran that time in 2021 when she was just 16 years old!

Bunnage’s track accolades speak for themselves, but her prowess on the grass cannot be dismissed. After all, she is the reigning U18 Australian cross country champion.

With new teammates like Zofia Dudek and incoming Cardinal rookie, Irene Riggs, Bunnage with have plenty of talented individuals to key off of this fall. However, her ceiling may extend far beyond those women.

Yes, it's true, her times suggest that she should be ranked higher in these preseason rankings. And in our eyes, an All-American finish isn’t just possible, but probable.

However, a lack of experience, specifically within the NCAA, makes Bunnage particularly hard to rank. True freshmen, even the most elite ones, aren't always guaranteed to translate their best performances to a completely different racing environment.

And yet, at the same time, Bunnage isn't like most elite rookies -- she's somehow a level beyond that. That fact alone makes her that much more dangerous.

17. Gracelyn Larkin, Senior, Transfer Portal*

NOTE: The Stride Report does have knowledge of which school Gracelyn Larkin is expected to transfer to. However, until all aspects are finalized, we will not report that information.

Gracelyn Larkin has come leaps and bounds since first entering the NCAA, transforming into one of the most consistent performers in the country, specifically on the national stage.

In her last three appearances at the NCAA XC Championships, this long distance star has finished 21st, 25th and 26th. That is remarkable consistency which has helped the New Mexico women to two podium finishes in the last three years.

The Canadian distance standout also has a very complete track resume. In addition to her 10k PR of 32:32 from this past spring, Larkin has also run as fast as 15:23 over 5000 meters (from earlier this month).

Is there any glaring flaw on Larkin's resume? Truthfully, we're not sure that there is. A pair of 9th place finishes at both Joe Piane and Nuttycombe last fall was fantastic. And with each passing year, she has shown steady improvement in her non-national meet races.

At this point, Larkin stands out as a fairly comfortable top-20 pick for this year's national meet in Charlottesville, Virginia. And when you consider how impressive her recent 5k PR was, then the idea of her being a top-10 runner come November isn't totally out of the question.

16. Samantha Bush, Senior, NC State

In our 2022 Preseason D1 XC Top 50 Rankings, the consensus was that Samantha Bush had a great 2021 cross country season, but it wasn't indicative of her full potential.

That, however, changed last fall.

The NC State veteran went on to fulfill that aforementioned potential throughout October and November of last year, proving that she is just as formidable on the grass as she is/has been on the track.

A 5th place finish at Joe Piane was a cracking start to her season. It was a performance that was then backed up by an almost equally as strong 18th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational.

Bush continued to excel, riding that early-season momentum to a brilliant 5th place finish against a top-heavy field at the ACC XC Championships. Not only was she consistently producing All-American-caliber results, but her presence as a low-stick was becoming increasingly more lethal.

And just when you thought her season couldn't get any better, the Wolfpack ace produced a tremendously clutch 15th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships to propel NC State to their second team title.

Last fall featured a career-defining streak of races for Bush and that's the primary reason why she is ranked so highly. Her prowess on the track is well documented and her times certainly alluded to performances of this caliber.

The only issue, however, is that Bush raced just twice this past spring -- she has been absent from competition since late April. And while she had a great 3k race last December (running 8:54), her indoor track season wasn't quite as good (although it certainly wasn't bad).

Those minor cautionary aspects are why we've placed Bush at TSR #16.

Even so, this NC State standout is going to be a crucial part of the Wolfpack’s dynasty hopes over the next few months. It'll be interesting to see if she can not only replicate her heroic efforts from last fall, but also build on them.

15. Taylor Roe, Rs. Senior, Oklahoma State

It feels wrong to rank Taylor Roe this low.

That, however, is simply because the Oklahoma State standout hasn't been at her best, lately.

After coming in as a top-five threat in our 2022 preseason rankings, Roe mostly delivered on her expectations throughout the season. However, a 13th place finish at last year's NCAA XC Championships was slightly underwhelming, especially after placing 2nd and 5th at the 2020 and 2021 national meets, respectively.

Was her 2022 showing a bad performance?

No, absolutely not.

But an athlete of her caliber likely hoped to finish slightly higher, especially on her home course in a setting that she has always peaked perfectly for.

Transitioning to the indoor circuit, Roe had a fairly quiet season until she found her grove in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With a bronze medal in the 3000 meter finals of the national meet, seemingly out of nowhere, it felt like the Cowgirl ace was "back" as a top-tier contender.

Unfortunately, the Oklahoma State veteran struggled to build momentum off of that result as she ventured onto the outdoor oval. Shockingly, Roe missed out on a spot to the NCAA Outdoor Championships by a single place.

We know how unbelievably talented, and reliable, Roe can be when she's at her best. And honestly, it would be a disservice to her by ranking her any lower than this. Even so, her last year of racing just wasn't as sharp as we had grown to see from her. That, admittedly, has been hard to shake from our heads.

But when you remember the fact that this collegiate veteran has been a two-time top-five finisher at the cross country national meet, we get a little worried about leaving her outside of our top-10...

14. Kaylee Mitchell, Senior, Oregon State

What a year it has been for Kaylee Mitchell. The Oregon State moves up 30 spots from her 2022 preseason ranking that we placed her at last year -- and for good reason.

The Beaver veteran was remarkably consistent last fall, something that she had struggled with in previous seasons, with only one minor blip at the PAC-12 XC Championships. A pair of 4th place finishes at both Joe Piane and Nuttycombe were stunning results that set the standard for the rest of her season.

We knew she was good, but being that potent of a scorer in such crazy-elite fields was not something that we were expecting from this steeplechase specialist last fall.

The PAC-12 XC Championships, as we mentioned above, weren't quite as strong for Mitchell (who placed 12th), but it was the rest of the postseason that validated her incredible regular season performances.

That early-season momentum was eventually capitalized on with a huge win at the West Regional XC Championships followed by a terrific 18th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships. We knew that she would have a good 2022 cross country season, but we didn't think that it would be that good.

While her vast improvements on the grass was the ultimate factor in such a huge ranking jump, Mitchell's progression on the track cannot be ignored, either. New personal bests in the 3000 meters (8:55) and the 5000 meters (15:37) solidified the idea that she is one of the best all-around distance runners in the NCAA.

But it was her recent 9:24 PR in the steeplechase (at the USA Championships) which makes us question if this current ranking is even high enough for this Oregon State star.

Mitchell's resume is improving meet after meet. And if she can keep this trajectory going, then we could see her sneak into our top-10 by the end of the season.

13. Natalie Cook, Sophomore, Colorado

Going into last year, everyone knew that Natalie Cook had the potential to be a true NCAA superstar. But did we think that she had the potential to get to that status in her rookie season? At TSR, I'm not sure that we did.

In her collegiate debut at the Cowboy Jamboree, a lack of experience didn’t seem to phase Cook. In her first-ever collegiate race, she recorded a huge upset victory over fellow Cowgirl star, Taylor Roe, and a loaded field.

Heading into the NCAA XC Championships, there was still a question mark around Cook’s potential. While her performances had been superb, she was still only a true freshman. How would she handle the biggest stage despite her inexperience?

Well, the Cowgirl rookie quickly put all of those doubts to rest with a breathtaking 7th place finish to cap off her freshman season of cross country. And to truly put the cherry on top, Cook went on to run a jaw-dropping 15:24 (5k) PR on the indoor oval in December, setting a new American U20 record in the process.

Unfortunately, things turned sour after that.

An injury held Cook out for most of the indoor track season and acted as the root cause behind a poor showing at the indoor national meet. And following the news that Cook was out for the 2023 outdoor track season, it was reported by TSR that the young phenom was on the transfer portal. Soon after, she was off to Colorado.

While the move was a surprise to many, it's certainly a very exciting one. Cook helps raise the Buffaloes’ ceiling and in our eyes, allows them to become national title contenders.

There is no doubting Natalie Cook's talent. She has exceeded all expectations last fall and that’s why she is ranked so highly. The issue, however, is her health. We simply don't know what kind of fitness she's in after two seasons where she was, for the most part, not able to race.

Is a TSR #13 spot ranking fair for Natalie Cook? Did we put too much emphasis into her recent injury history? Not enough emphasis, maybe? We don't know the answers to those questions right now, but we'll find out soon.

12. Ceili McCabe, Senior, West Virginia

Many of you may be wondering why Ceili McCabe is currently ranked outside our top-10, especially after entering the 2022 NCAA XC Championships undefeated.

Allow us to explain…

Going into the 2022 cross country season, the hype around McCabe was high, and rightfully so. She had just finished 3rd at the NCAA XC Championships the previous fall.

McCabe's fall campaign was going tremendously well as she remained undefeated all the way until Stillwater. However, her meet schedule, truthfully, didn't pose many significant challenges. She did win the BIG 12 individual title, but the team title was likely Oklahoma State's main concern.

The Canadian distance star entered the national meet as a potential national title contender who was being overlooked. That, unfortunately, was not the case. Things didn't go according to plan at the national meet as we saw McCabe slip back to 24th place.

Much like we mentioned with Taylor Roe, this performance is by no means bad, but for someone of McCabe’s caliber, we would have certainly liked to see her finish higher.

And after seeing the Mountaineer veteran thrive on the track -- earning a podium finish in the steeplechase and setting new personal bests in the 3000 meters (8:50) and the mile (4:31) -- it seems fair to say that her performance at Stillwater, Oklahoma was a rare "off" day.

Is there an argument for her to be ranked higher? Absolutely. But with a light racing schedule and an underwhelming national meet performance, we felt like a TSR #12 ranking was a reasonable spot.

11. Addie Engel, Junior, Ohio State

Buckeye low-stick Addie Engel had the season of her life last fall -- and that's saying something after she was one of the more pleasant surprises of the 2021 season.

Engel was one of the most consistent performers in the nation last year, always finishing in the top-two of her races until the national meet. Those performances included a convincing win at the BIG 10 XC Championships, a runner-up finish to Parker Valby at the Arturo Barrios Invitational and a runner-up finish at the (surprisingly competitive) Griak Invitational.

These results highlighted just how tremendous Engel’s upside was and solidified her as an All-American candidate.

After a good, but not great, performance at the 2021 NCAA XC Championships (66th place), the question remained as to whether or not Engel could transition into the postseason and showcase her full aerobic ability against the nation's finest.

And sure enough, she did just that. A superb 10th place finish in Stillwater was a head-turning result which pushed Engel into an entirely different tier of women's distance talents.

Admittedly, Engel’s track times aren't quite on par with some of the women in our top-10 and that only hampers her preseason ranking slightly. That, and we never got to see her race in any of the "Big Three" regular season meets (Joe Piane, Nuttycombe, Cowboy Jamboree).

Even so, Engel delivered every single week. She never had a poor race or even an average race. All of her efforts throughout last fall deserved to be applauded. And if she replicates those results in 2023, then we'll have no choice but to put Engel in our top-10.