TSR's 2024 D1 Outdoor Top 25 Rankings (Men): Update #2

---

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, but not strict, guide when determining eligibility.

---

25. Rynard Swanepoel, Junior, Wake Forest (Unranked)

Throughout last year, Rynard Swanepoel showed flashes of promise. He ran 1:47 for 800 meters three separate times and this past winter, he finished runner-up in that event at the 2023 ACC Outdoor Championships.

And yet, despite that success, as well as his recent three-second PR of 3:41 over 1500 meters, very few people were expecting Swanepoel to run a jaw-dropping time of 1:45 (800) this past weekend.

In fact, he skipped the 1:46 range entirely, having never run under 1:47 prior to last Friday.

As is usually the case for breakout talents, we want to see a few more races from Swanepoel at this level before we make any convincing proclamations about him. However, with experience on his side and proven consistency in the 1:47 range, this Wake Forest junior does have a bit more legitimacy on his resume than most sudden breakout stars do.

24. Alex Phillip, Senior, North Carolina (Unranked)

After exceptionally strong indoor track and cross country seasons, we knew that Alex Phillip was thriving with the North Carolina men. However, even as we entered the spring months, we weren't quite sure if this guy had the ability to be an All-American.

Of course, those doubts are no longer needed as the UNC ace scored a massive 10k win at the Bryan Clay Invitational. There, Phillip ran 27:51 after expertly navigating around an ambitious challenger in Texas Tech's Ernest Cheriuyot.

Nowadays, we know that Phillip can be an All-American. That doesn't necessarily mean that he will be, but the composure, poise and raw fitness that he displayed in his latest 10k effort was simply fantastic. And for that reason, he now sits at TSR #24.

23. Parvej Khan, Freshman, Florida (Unranked)

We were already big fans of Florida's Parvej Khan prior to this spring. He had upset Anass Essayi for the SEC mile title in February and he later earned 7th place All-American honors in the mile. However, what really caught our attention was what he has done throughout this still-young outdoor track season.

So far this spring, the Gator rookie has run an incredible 800-meter time of 1:46 (defeating Handal Roban in his primary event with an unreal kick) and he has also posted a 3:38 (1500) PR at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

The upside of Khan is seemingly endless and his finishing speed can best be described as frightening. And now, with fitness that should make him good enough to match most of his counterparts in tactical scenarios, the value of this India native is continuing to rise.

22. Gary Martin, Sophomore, Virginia (Unranked)

We've been wanting to find a way to get Gary Martin into our top-25 rankings for a while now. And while it did take us a while to reach this point, the Virginia star has done enough in our eyes to be viewed as one of the 25 most valuable middle or long distance athletes in the nation.

So far this spring, Martin has run outstanding times of 1:47 (800), 3:37 (1500) and 13:31 (5k). Plus, when you tack on the fact that he has run 7:47 (3k), there is an argument that almost no one in the NCAA has the same kind of range that he does.

However, more importantly, Martin is emerging as a competitive name in every race that he has been in this spring. He was a narrow 2nd place finisher at the Raleigh Relays in the 5k, he won the second-fastest section of the men's 1500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invite and he essentially tied an underrated talent in Harrison Witt this past weekend over 800 meters.

Martin's outstanding racing IQ and in-race execution is rare for someone who is only a sophomore. He'll still need to elevate his fitness to another new tier if he's going to be a top-half All-American favorite, but he's certainly in the running for a top-eight finish on the national stage later this spring.

21. Darius Kipyego, Junior, Iowa State (+1 / 22)

Has not competed since our last rankings update.

20. Anass Essayi, Junior, South Carolina (-1 / 19)

There's admittedly not much to say about Anass Essayi. He began his spring campaign with a 1:47 (800) mark and his latest 3:38 (1500) effort at the Wake Forest Invite (to narrowly defeat Virginia Tech's Nick Plant) didn't alter our opinion of him one way or another.

Raw fitness and fast times have never been a concern for Anass Essayi. However, his postseason endeavors have often left us wanting more, making it challenging to rank him any higher than this for the time being.

19. Ethan Strand, Junior, North Carolina (Unranked)

Most of us at The Stride Report were very high on UNC's Ethan Strand coming off of the winter months. The Tar Heel star had run a 3:54 mile PR on the indoor oval and placed 4th in that same event on the national stage.

However, what we've seen from this North Carolina runner has been fantastic. While racing alongside teammate Parker Wolfe, it was Strand who secured the overall win at the Duke Invitational over 1500 meters. There, he ran the NCAA #10 all-time mark with a jaw-dropping personal best of 3:35.

At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Strand attempted to get past Luke Houser to secure a position on the inside rail in the mile finals. Those surges didn't work out, but he still hung on for an admirable top-half All-American result. That's an extremely challenging thing to do, but given Strand's latest display of unreal fitness (along with a 13:36 PR for 5k), his resilience in that mile final makes a bit more sense.

But now the question becomes, can Ethan Strand translate that all-time 1500-meter mark into a legitimate bid for the NCAA title?

18. Sean Dolan, Senior, Villanova (-4 / 14)

A simple 1:47.11 (800) effort at the Bryan Clay Invitational was a respectable result for Sean Dolan, but it also had the potential to be better. Even so, that is the only race that we've seen from Dolan this season and he showed us throughout the winter months that he is stronger than that. We'll wait to see how he fares in his next few races before making any legitimate judgement on his current status in our NCAA hierarchy of names.

17. Liam Murphy, Junior, Villanova (-5 / 12)

The one and only race on Liam Murphy's resume this spring is a 3:36.48 mark for 1500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. And while that time is fantastic, the Villanova star does drop a few spots in our top-25.

Make no mistake, Murphy's performance was outstanding. However, his fall in our rankings is more based on what other men have done rather than anything that he has done. And given how crowded the men's 1500 meters is this season, we had to start making room for specialists in other events (like the steeplechase).

16. Victor Kibiego, Junior, Texas A&M (-1 / 15)

15. Abdelhakim Abouzouhir, Senior, Eastern Kentucky (+9 / 24)

14. Nathan Mountain, Junior, Virginia (+7 / 21)

We're going to lump these three men together. Partially to save time and partially because you could describe all three of these men as NCAA title favorites in the steeplechase.

Abdelhakim Abouzouhir and Victor Kibiego battled over the barriers and water pits at the Bryan Clay Invitational a few weeks back. There, Abouzouhir adopted a more aggressive front-running approach and ran with the pros while Kibiego hung back before unleashing a massive last lap kick. In the end, both men ran 8:25 in the steeple.

Nathan Mountain, however, took advantage of racing on his home track this past weekend. And in a race that also featured a handful of pros, the Virginia standout thrived, running a monster time of 8:20 over the barriers and water pits. His time now sits at NCAA #13 all-time in that event.

At this point, any of those three men could legitimately win NCAA gold in the steeplechase and no one would be surprised. Mountain earns our top ranking at the moment. Not just because he ran the fastest time, but because he has also had plenty of success in other events and holds an upper-half All-American honor from last year.

However, Kibiego seemingly has the most upside and was the top finisher on the national stage last year, nearly taking down Duncan Hamilton. If he peaks like he did last year, then he'll be the one crossing the line in 1st place come June.

As for Abouzouhir, he has now put together two fantastic steeplechase efforts, both times emerging as the top collegian in loaded fields. When it comes strictly to this season, the EKU star is arguably the most proven and in the simplest of terms, he passes the "eye test."

13. Brian Musau, Freshman, Oklahoma State (Unranked)

I will fully admit, I questioned what kind of value Brian Musau would have during the outdoor track season relative to his efforts on the indoor oval.

The Cowboy freshman was fantastic in the mile and the 3k this past winter (specifically the latter), but the flat 3k is not an event that is contested on the outdoor oval at the NCAA level. And prior to the Bryan Clay Invitational, the 5k results that Musau did hold were underwhelming compared to the rest of his resume.

Even so, after seeing what he did during the fall months, we figured that Musau would be able to run something quick over 5000 meters. Of course, we just didn't expect him to take down a 13:13 guy like New Mexico's Habtom Samuel.

In what turned out to be a thrilling race, one that featured multiple lead changes, big surges and finishing kicks, it was Musau who just barely took down Habtom Samuel with a lean at the line. Both men produced marks of 13:13 (5k).

Admittedly, I didn't think that this was the smartest race that Brian Musau has put together during his short time in the NCAA. One or two of his moves seemingly benefitted the overwhelming aerobic strength of Samuel. But seeing that Musau still had enough in the tank to overtake his Lobo counterpart at the line should speak to the level of talent and fitness that this rookie has.

12. Sam Whitmarsh, Junior, Texas A&M (-1 / 11)

A 3:40 (1500) PR the other weekend was a big step in the right direction for a guy who has predominately been focused on the 800 meters and the 400 meters as of late. However, Whitmarsh's latest personal best in the metric mile distance does reflect the necessary strength needed to run as fast as he did earlier this season when he ran 1:44.

But overall, we haven't really learned anything new about Whitmarsh. Any drop you see of him in our rankings is more based on what others have done rather than anything that he has done.

11. Fouad Messaoudi, Junior, Oklahoma State (Unranked)

After an indoor track season that featured multiple DNF results (per TFRRS) and a flat-out poor 3k effort at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships, it was hard to be too optimistic about Oklahoma State's Fouad Messaoudi this spring.

Luckily, the Moroccan distance star dismissed any and all doubts about his current level of fitness with a huge 3:36 performance over 1500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The Cowboy ace ran near/at the front for nearly the entire race and simply didn't waiver en route to a very strong time.

However, maybe the reason why we're so encouraged about his return is because Messaoudi also ran 3:37 for 1500 meters this past weekend! With two marks under 3:38 (1500) coming in back-to-back weeks, it seems like the Oklahoma State star isn't too far off from the elite status that he held throughout the 2023 indoor track season and most of the following spring.

10. Rivaldo Marshall, Junior, Iowa (-1 / 9)

Not a whole lot to report here. Rivaldo Marshall jumped into his team's 4x400-meter relay at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational. However, outside of that race, Marshall hasn't contested an open event on the outdoor oval since he ran 1:45.86 (800) in the first weekend of April.

9. Yusuf Bizimana, Junior, Texas (-2 / 7)

After running on a few relays at the Texas Relays at the end of March, Yusuf Bizimana ventured to the Mt. SAC Relays this past weekend. There, he produced a strong time of 1:46 for 800 meters to pair with a 3:44 mark in the metric mile.

That first result is very on par with what we expected out of Yusuf Bizimana. He was bound to run 1:46 over 800 meters sooner or later. And when it comes to his 3:44 effort, we know that he can run faster, but it was the half-mile that clearly held the greatest point of emphasis.

8. Nathan Green, Rs. Sophomore, Washington (+2 / 10)

After a challenging month of March, it was fair if there were any questions about Nathan Green's status as a legitimate national title contender this spring. And while we didn't penalize him in the first edition of our rankings, we were prepared to move him further back in our top-25 if he produced another less-than-ideal result.

Thankfully, that was not the case at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Not only did Green drop an incredible 1500-meter time of 3:34 (which now sits at NCAA #4 all-time), but he also battled for the win, throwing down a huge kick with 200 meters to go and finishing a narrow runner-up to Colin Sahlman.

Running 3:34 for 1500 meters is way more than we needed from Green to feel better about his chances at NCAA title contention. Of course, when you consider how loaded the men's mile/1500 meters is this year, trying to remain in the national title discussion isn't an easy thing to do.

7. Colin Sahlman, Sophomore, Northern Arizona (Unranked)

Well...that was wild, huh?

Colin Sahlman's indoor track season was excellent. His 3:53 mile PR to win the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston U. was huge and a 6th place All-American result at the indoor national meet (in the mile) certainly didn't hurt his resume, either.

Even so, nothing that we saw from Sahlman on the indoor oval could have led us to believe that he would run a nearly-unbelievable time of 3:33.96 for 1500 meters to win the Bryan Clay Invitational. That time now sits at NCAA #2 all-time and it barely missed Eliud Kipsang's record of 3:33.74 (from the same meet in 2022).

Some people may see this ranking and think that Sahlman deserves to be closer to our top-five. And truthfully, there is an argument for that. However, this NAU standout is still only a sophomore. There is a dramatic different between a regular season time trial and a postseason battle for NCAA gold.

Even so, that lone performance has suddenly thrusted Sahlman into the national title conversation. And when you pair that time with his growing experience, marquee wins and exceptional range, few men are as dangerous as Sahlman is on paper.

6. Luke Houser, Rs. Senior, Washington (-2 / 4)

A 3:42 mark for 1500 meters in the top section of the Bryan Clay Invitational is obviously not an encouraging sign for someone of Luke Houser's caliber. Even so, there is no need to worry. He was a national champion last month and looked like one of the most fit runners in the NCAA throughout the entirety of the indoor track season.

It would be a mistake to hit the panic button on this Washington veteran. Houser is (probably) still viewed as the man to beat over 1500 meters this spring, although that conversation does seem more fluid after what we saw from him at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

5. Ky Robinson, Rs. Junior, Stanford (0 / 5)

Has not competed since our last rankings update.

4. Habtom Samuel, Freshman, New Mexico (-1 / 3)

Going into the Bryan Clay Invite, Habtom Samuel was viewed as the favorite to win the men's 5k. And for a moment, it looked like he was going to deliver on those expectations. However, a last second surge from Brian Musau allowed the Oklahoma State runner to nip Samuel at the line as both men ran 13:13.

While taking a loss from someone who was moving up in distance from the 3k to the 5k isn't ideal, it's certainly not the end of the world, either. Samuel's best event is the 10k and Musau had one of the more resilient performances of the year. Both men still ran plenty fast and both men are very much All-American favorites in this event.

Then, this past weekend, Samuel soloed a 29:00 (10k) effort on his home track to earn an altitude conversion of 28:03. That performance is hardly a surprise given that he ran 26:53 back in March, but this mark will be valid for the purposes of NCAA Championship qualification.

3. Adam Spencer, Junior, Wisconsin (+3 / 6)

At a glance, it may seem like Adam Spencer hasn't raced since earning a win over 800 meters at the Stanford Invite in a time of 1:47. However, that's because Spencer ventured to the Australian Championships a few weeks back.

There, he ran an excellent time of 3:37 for 1500 meters. But more importantly, Spencer secured a massive win over the likes of Ollie Hoare, Jesse Hunt, Stewart McSweyn, Cam Myers, Jack Anstey and more.

It's one thing to run as fast as Spencer did last summer (3:31 over 1500 meters) and it's another thing to emerge as a legitimate contender for an NCAA title. But to qualify for the World Championships last summer and recently take down a slew of elite Aussie stars is huge. Spencer continues to look better and better with each passing month. And if he extends this momentum to June, then he may end up as a national champion.

2. Parker Wolfe, Junior, North Carolina (0 / 2)

I'll admit, seeing Parker Wolfe run 3:36 (1500) and 13:27 (5k) in his first two races of the outdoor track season led to me simply shrugging my shoulders and thinking, "What else did you expect?"

That, of course, is the ultimate compliment. And while we could dive into each of Wolfe's performances, there really isn't any need to. He still remains as the second-best distance runner in the country and there's no reason to think otherwise, at least not at the moment.

1. Nico Young, Junior, Northern Arizona (0 / 1)

The Bryan Clay Invitational was all about speed and pace work for Nico Young. The Northern Arizona phenom ran 1:48.00 for 800 meters (which is slightly better turnover than he's had throughout his career) and paced the men's 5k before stepping off the track. Of course, the biggest question on everyone's mind is...what will he run next?

---

ADDED

Rynard Swanepoel (Wake Forest)

Alex Phillip (North Carolina)

Gary Martin (Virginia)

Parvej Khan (Florida)

Ethan Strand (North Carolina)

Brian Musau (Oklahoma State)

Fouad Messaoudi (Oklahoma State)

Colin Sahlman (Northern Arizona)

KICKED OFF

Lucas Bons (BYU)

Isaac Basten (Drake)

Finley McLear (Iowa State)

Joe Waskom (Washington)

Aaron Las Heras (Northern Arizona)

Alex Maier (Oklahoma State)

Peter Maru (Arkansas)

Graham Blanks (Harvard)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Ernest Cheruiyot (Texas Tech)

Evan Jenkins (Washington)

Wil Smith (Gonzaga)

Finley McLear (Iowa State) Peter Maru (Arkansas)

Abel Teffra (Georgetown)

Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin)

Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State)

Nick Plant (Virginia Tech)

Tyrese Reid (Mississippi State)

Oussama El Bouchayby (Alabama)

Tinoda Matsatsa (Georgetown)

Handal Roban (Penn State)

Tarees Rhoden (Clemson)

Victor Kiprop (Alabama)

Rob McManus (Montana State)

Levi Taylor (Montana State)

Ezekiel Rop (Iowa State)

Parker Stokes (Georgetown)

Kimar Farquarson (Texas A&M)

Camden Marshall (Indiana)

Gable Sieperda (Iowa State)

Elliott Cook (Oregon)

Lucas Bons (BYU) Isaac Basten (Drake)

Joe Waskom (Washington)

Aaron Las Heras (Northern Arizona)

Alex Maier (Oklahoma State)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Matt Strangio (Portland) Kirami Yego (Arkansas)

Jack Balick (Wake Forest)

Graham Blanks (Harvard)

Alex Stitt (Oklahoma State)

CJ Singleton (Notre Dame)

Max Wehrli (Utah Valley)

Victor Shitsama (Oklahoma State)

Yasin Sado (Virginia)

Evans Kiplagat (New Mexico)

Ben Perrin (Montana State)

Adisu Guadia (Oklahoma State)

Tom Seitzer (Notre Dame)

Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas)

Chandler Gibbens (Kansas)

Joey Nokes (BYU)

Toby Gillen (Ole Miss)

Patrick Thygesen (Providence)

Evan Dorenkamp (Penn State)

Nickolas Scudder (Charlotte)

Will Anthony (Virginia)

Jesse Hamlin (Butler)

Florian Le Pallec (Butler)

David Mullarkey (Florida State)

Notes

- N/A