TSR's 2024 D3 Outdoor Top 20 Rankings (Women): Update #4 (FINAL)

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Written by Kevin Fischer, Conor Daly & Gavin Struve

Additional edits & commentary by Garrett Zatlin & Gavin Struve

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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, but not strict, guide when determining eligibility.

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20. Shaelyn Hostager, Junior, Wartburg (-8 / 12)

After latching on to a hot early pace in the 10k at the outdoor national meet, Shaelyn Hostager ran into something of a brick wall during the second-half of the race, running her second 5k over a minute slower than her first.

Still, she did enough to hold on for a 5th place finish. Her All-American status, along with superior personal bests compared to other names in contention for this final top-20 spot, is enough to keep her in our rankings despite a slightly underwhelming day relative to expectations. 

19. Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel, Junior, U. of Chicago (-14 / 5)

Despite recording DNFs in both the 5k and the 10k at the outdoor national meet, Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel remains in our top-20 on the merit of what she accomplished throughout the season.

Marks of 16:33 (5k) and 34:25 (10k), along with a double victory over those distances at the UAA Championships, puts Battleson-Gunkel in talented company regardless of what happened this past weekend. 

The Maroon star has proven that she was undeniably one of the better runners in Division Three this year. Plus, a pair of DNF results suggest that she was dealing with an illness or injury (which is simply speculation) rather than anything fitness related.

18. Megan Bell, Junior, Rochester (Unranked)

Entering the outdoor national meet seeded 10th in the half-mile, there was no guarantee of a trip to the finals for Megan Bell. However, she looked sharp on Friday, winning her prelim heat before coming back on Saturday with a personal best mark to take 4th place overall.

All told, this weekend went about as well as it could have for the Rochester star who also anchored her team's 3rd place 4x400-meter relay in both the prelims and the finals. Bell peaked perfectly on the national stage (running a 2:09 PR) that was plenty consistent, even if most of her races were 200-meter and 400-meter efforts.

17. Deyanneira Colon Maldonado, Junior, Aurora (-2 / 15)

Simply stating that Deyanneira Colon Maldonado finished 4th place over 1500 meters at the outdoor national meet this past weekend doesn't do her performance justice.

After Haley Schoenegge broke away, Colon Maldonado was always firmly in the chase pack and ended up just a tenth of a second behind 2nd place. Following that result, she held her own pretty well in the 5k for an 11th place finish on tired legs. 

Yes, the Aurora junior may be falling two spots in these rankings, but that is hardly based on anything that she has done. For the most part, Colon Maldonado had a great overall season where she truly began to deliver on the potential that she had been hinting at with her performances throughout this year.

16. Alessia Sarussi, Senior, Washington U. (Unranked)

Known prior to this season as an 800-meter specialist, Alessia Sarussi narrowly missed out on Saturday’s final in that event. However, she had much better fortune over 1500 meters, where she bounced back in a major way to earn a bronze medal.

We anticipated the potential for Sarussi to earn a high finish in a more tactical setting for due to her half-mile speed. Even so, for her to perform as well as she did off of a hot pace is truly impressive. And with that display of fitness, we feel increasingly more comfortable saying that this Washington U. talent was one of the more complete middle distance runners in Division Three this season.

15. Tanise Thornton-Fillyaw, Sophomore, Goucher (Unranked)

We are watching Tanise Thornton-Fillyaw's rapid star transformation before our very eyes. She improved upon a very solid 5th-place 800-meter finish from the indoor national meet by finishing 3rd in that event on Saturday.

The margin between her and a runner-up spot was razor thin and with the departure of Emma Kelley next year, it's easy to imagine Thornton-Fillyaw contending for multiple national titles over the next couple of years. As far as raw talent goes, this Goucher star is among the best and now she has a valuable (and successful) year of high-level experience under her belt.

14. Riley Buese, Junior, Lewis & Clark (+6 / 20)

Despite finding herself on an island between the top-four and the chase pack for the majority of the 10,000 meters on Thursday, Riley Buese stayed patient, bided her time and found herself moving into 3rd place with a little over a kilometer to go. She held that position to the finish and came away with a highly memorable result.

Even though the 5k didn't go as well (she placed 17th), the weekend that Buese had as a whole has to be considered a resounding success. She had been having a great breakout year since the fall months, but this past weekend felt like the true pinnacle of her junior year potential -- and that's not something that every All-American can say about themselves.

13. Aubrie Fisher, Senior, Wartburg (-7 / 6)

Fading from national title contention to outside of the top-three almost certainly isn't what Aubrie Fisher had in mind for her NCAA title defense this past weekend. She entered as the defending champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase, but was unable to keep pace with Central College's star tandem and dropped to 4th place.

Even so, Fisher's four consecutive top-half All-American finishes in one event are hard to match and she deserves credit for consistently doubling on the national stage. Plus, few women in Division Three had a harder regular season schedule than her.

12. Lexi Brown, Senior, Wartburg (+6 / 18)

While she entered the outdoor national meet as the third-highest Wartburg woman in our last rankings update, it was Lexi Brown who had the best postseason showing of the Knights.

A pair of 5th place finishes between the 1500 meters and the 5k provided a significant scoring punch and proved Brown to be one of the more dynamic distance athletes in D3.

This was Brown's first-ever double All-American showing in one postseason and she matched her 5th place 3k finish from the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships. Not a bad close to her senior academic year for someone who slipped outside of the top-150 at the 2023 cross country national meet.

11. Riley Capuano, Sophomore, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Unranked)

This past weekend felt like Riley Capuano's introduction to the NCAA as a true individual star.

Earlier in this stellar sophomore academic year, the Athena ace's strong contributions worked towards a greater whole as her 11th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships helped CMS to the podium. She then focused solely on the DMR at the indoor national meet as her team finished 3rd.

Capuano's silver medal in the metric mile this past weekend was unexpected, but it certainly didn't feel undeserved for someone who warrants more attention as an individual in addition to a key member of a top program.

10. Rachel Hirschkind, Senior, SUNY Geneseo (+9 / 19)

We've mentioned in the not-so-distant past that Rachel Hirschkind has been inconsistent relative to her talent level. The one exception to that trend has been her performances in the 3000-meter steeplechase where she's stacked top-five finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in three straight years.

Most recently, she posted the best postseason finish of her career, cruising through the prelims before earning a well-deserved bronze medal over the barriers and water pits. Hirschkind was the best steeplechaser outside of the Central College women and outran the defending champion in the event. That feels deserving of a top-10 bump.

9. Danielle Schultz, Senior, Washington U. (Unranked)

The revolving door of national meet runner-up finishes behind Emma Kelley in the half-mile continued for the fourth consecutive national meet. During Kelley's final season with Washington U., the silver medal went to one of her teammates just like it did during her first 800-meter title run.

This 2nd place finish feels like a lifetime achievement award of sorts for senior Danielle Schultz who had never before reached the 800-meter finals at a national meet, but proved to be the best of the rest this spring, running a PR and edging Tanise Thornton-Fillyaw at the line by less than one-hundredth of a second.

8. Grace Richardson, Senior, NYU (-1 / 7)

Grace Richardson's 2024 outdoor national meet double played out very similarly to what she produced at the 2024 indoor national meet. That's fitting for someone who has broken out in her senior season and has added five All-American finishes to her resume after entering this academic year with none.

Richardson finished as the 10k runner-up behind Fiona Smith just as she was in the 5k during the winter, although she wasn't able to push Smith as much this time. Two days later, she snared a 7th place result over 5000 meters. That top-eight finish in a race that had places 5th through 10th decided by four seconds made Richardson's decision to work on her speed with multiple metric mile races this year look like a wise one.

7. Caroline McMartin, Senior, Central College (+2 / 9)

This Central College star is proof that the 5k/steeplechase double is now possible with a schedule that contests the steeplechase final on day two.

In that steeplechase final, Caroline McMartin ran to a silver medal to complete the 1-2 Central College finish. While her teammate (more on her soon) has gotten much of the attention, it mustn’t be overlooked that McMartin ran a rapid 10:22 (one-second off of her PR) and defeated some really impressive names. 

The next day, McMartin took 6th place in the 5k, earning the title of the highest-finishing steeplechaser in that race. Altogether, McMartin put together an incredible body of work over the three-day meet to close out what has been a thrilling season for her on the heels of a slightly underwhelming indoor national meet. 

6. Faith Duncan, Sophomore, Wilmington (OH) (Unranked)

Coming into these NCAA Outdoor Championships, Faith Duncan was well-regarded, but she wasn't even considered a consensus All-American favorite. She had earned her 5k national qualifying time back in March and had mostly run middle distance races since then.

Yet, all of that sounds silly in hindsight as Duncan now stands as the biggest upset national champion crowned over the weekend. The Wilmington (OH) sophomore used a huge move in the final lap to drop D3 legend Fiona Smith and a fresh (but seemingly ill) Grace Hadley in addition to many other highly rated names.

It doesn't feel like hyperbole to say that Duncan wowed us with an instant classic performance.

5. Megan Johnson, Junior, Central College (-1 / 4)

Coming into last weekend, we knew that Megan Johnson could win the steeplechase national title. However, the ease in which the Central College standout accomplished that feat was a joy to watch.

Leading for almost every step in both the prelims and the finals, Johnson won her first-ever national title and did so against a very strong field. She crossed the line in 10:13, a new personal best and the NCAA #5 all-time mark for Division Three. 

It feels odd ranking someone who won a national title by half of a straightaway so low, but that’s just because Division Three is full of top-end talents right now. And while a 10th place 5k effort on Saturday was solid, Johnson didn't offer as much scoring value as some of her contemporaries. None of that should take away from the statement she made over the barriers and water pits.

4. Grace Hadley, Senior, WPI (-3 / 1)

It was devastating news to hear that Grace Hadley was unable to contest her main event, the 1500 meters, due to food poisoning (per her coach). However, she did receive a medical waiver that allowed her to still compete in the 5k two days later. Despite a valiant effort on Saturday, this WPI veteran ended up settling for a runner-up finish in a field filled with tired legs.

It was a shame not to see Hadley at her best when it mattered most, but that doesn’t take away from her otherwise-loaded regular season resume. Hadley finished the season ranked top-three in four different events from the 800 meters to the 10k. That’s some unparalleled talent and dynamism that deserves recognition.

3. Haley Schoenegge, Freshman, Vassar (+11 / 14)

Haley Schoenegge was definitely a well-respected name entering last weekend. After all, she had run 4:25 (1500) on two occasions as a true freshman. However, she elevated herself to a whole new level when she put on a front-running masterclass in the women’s 1500 meters on Saturday.

The rookie's performance was incredibly dominant as she won the metric mile title in a new personal best of 4:19. And that wasn’t all for the newly minted ace. Schoenegge returned to the 5k that same day (although with a larger break due to thunderstorm delays) to place a very impressive 4th. That’s a double that most veterans can’t handle, yet Vassar’s very own pulled it off in just her first-ever outdoor national meet.

Schoenegge is the highest-ranked athlete who is slated to return to the Division Three ranks next fall, so be on the lookout for her over the seasons to come.

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

While Fiona Smith just barely fell short of 10k/5k double gold, she still took home one national title in impressive fashion.

We’re talking about the 10k in which, instead of pushing the pace from the gun, Smith sat in the pack and made a move in the second-half of the race to pull away. It was a racing strategy that displayed great patience and it was nice to see Smith show that she has more than one trick up her sleeve to get the job done.

In the 5k, Smith eventually faltered to 3rd place over the final lap. And while we’re not making excuses for her, it’s necessary to consider that both of the athletes who beat her were racing on rested legs. Ultimately, if a bronze medal signifies Smith’s “worst day", then it’s safe to say that she’s been pretty dominant in Division Three.

1. Emma Kelley, Junior, Washington U. (+1 / 2)

While roughly half of her success comes in an event that we don't cover (the 400 meters), Emma Kelley has done enough in the half-mile alone to earn our top spot.

Of course, It doesn't hurt that she's the only double champion out of the women on this list. The Washington U. star first won the open 400 meters in the ninth-fastest Division Three mark of all-time before returning to the track only 40 minutes later to win her main event, the 800 meters, in convincing fashion with a 2:06.02 mark.

Oh, and we might as well mention that she anchored the gold medal-winning 4x400-meter relay team with a 54.06 (400) split. 

Kelley, now a four-time national champion over 800 meters, was the most dominant individual (men or women) in any D3 distance event this year and has been head and shoulders above her competition in a way that none of our other top-ranked athletes were this past weekend.

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ADDED

Faith Duncan (Wilmington (OH))

Danielle Schultz (Washington U.)

Riley Capuano (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Tanise Thornton-Fillyaw (Goucher)

Alessia Sarussi (Washington U.)

Megan Bell (Rochester)

KICKED OFF

Hope Murphy (Baldwin Wallace)

Natalie Bitetti (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Ellie Rising (George Fox)

Julia Howarth (MIT)

Dale Leonard (Ramapo)

Kayla Werner (Lynchburg)

JUST MISSED (in no particular order)

Hope Murphy (Baldwin Wallace)

Natalie Bitetti (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Ellie Rising (George Fox)

Julia Howarth (MIT)

Dale Leonard (Ramapo)

Kayla Werner (Lynchburg)

Ally Verbauwhede (Edgewood)

Penelope Greene (SUNY Geneseo)

Genna Girard (Williams)

Maddie Kelly (U. of Chicago)

Cyna Madigan (UW-Oshkosh)

Maddie Hannan (UW-La Crosse)

Audrey Maclean (Middlebury)

Sara Stephenson (Johns Hopkins)

Amelia Lehman (UW-Oshkosh)

Kayla Kass (Stockton)

Ellie Meyer (Wartburg)

Annessa Ihde (Bethel (Minn.))

Kelty Oaster (Elizabethtown)

Alexa Estes (Connecticut College)

Elisabeth Camic (U. of Chicago)

Peyton Steffen (Central College)

Lauren Cerda (Catholic)

Sophie Bull (Calvin)

Addy Parrott (Central College)

Ella Whinney (Wellesley)

Jules Bleskoski (RPI)

Rebecca Markham (Hope)

Alison Bode (St. Olaf)

Sophie Porter (DePauw)

Estelle Snider (U. of Chicago)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)

Kate Sanderson (MIT)

Helen Cross (Carleton)

Julia Schor (Amherst)

Annie Huang (Johns Hopkins)

Claire Eberhardt (John Carroll)

Rachel Brennan (Gordon)

Lara Kallem (Simpson (IA))

Mary Blanchard (Carleton)

Kendall Accetta (Colorado College)

Elle Marsyla (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Emma Odle (Augustana (Ill.))

Alexandra Blake (Washington U.)

Mackenzie Setton (Johns Hopkins)

Sophie Tedesco (U. of Chicago)

Grace McDonough (Connecticut College)

Lucy Gagnon (Williams)

Katelyn Chadwick (UW-La Crosse)

Jenna Allman (Calvin)

Allison Sibold (St. Lawrence)

Emily Moehringer (Catholic)

Michaela Jones (Pomona-Pitzer)

Great Koehler (UW-La Crosse)

Zoe Marcus (Amherst)

Hailey Shreffler (Eastern)

Izzy Gorton (Washington U.)

Mary Mason (Mount Union)

Ellie Kitsmiller (John Carroll)

Ciara Gillen (Occidental)

Annika Carlson (Chapman)

Sophie McManus (Carleton)

Julia Patterson (Washington U.)

Abigail Patterson (Washington U.)

Maddy Vantassel (UW-La Crosse)

Caitlin Jorgensen (U. of Chicago)

Molly Fitzgibbons (Williams)

Stephanie Ager (Wesleyan)

Hannah Preisser (Carleton)

Teghan Booth (Simpson (IA))

Courtney Drumm (Lynchburg)

Sophie Bouldin (Centre)

Laura Zimmer (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Notes

- N/A