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TSR's 2025-26 D2 Current Freshman Class Rankings: #5-4 (Women)
Despite our research, it is possible that certain names have been erroneously omitted. Did we miss someone? If so, send us an email at contact@thestridereport.com & let us know!
5. Adams State Grizzlies
The women of Adams State narrowly won out over three other teams for the final spot in our top-five freshman class rankings (Biola, Cedarville and Fort Lewis were the toughest omissions) as ultimately, the Grizzlies' young firepower got them here.
This is a small-but-mighty class, featuring just five women, four of whom are star-caliber runners and another who could definitely be a contributor.
Addison Bisceglie is one of the headliners. She was one of the best and most versatile prep distance runners in Arizona, matching her new program's balanced ethos in posting personal bests of 2:13 (800), 4:56 (1600), 10:55 (3200) and 18:23 (5k XC). She has a number of state meet medals and competed at Nike Outdoor Nationals and New Balance Indoor Nationals, meaning that Bisceglie shouldn't be daunted by the loaded meets that the best Adams State athletes find themselves in.
Bisceglie already seemed comfortable in a 36th-place finish at the 2025 RMAC XC Championships, which was a nice start to her collegiate career. Plus, her credentials indicate that she should be just as effective on the track.
Chloe Swain similarly profiles as a three-season threat. She holds eerily similar middle distance personal bests to Bisceglie, with a 2:15 (800) mark altitude converted to a 2:13 and a 4:55 (1600) clocking. The difference is that Swain, who has familiarity training at altitude from growing up in Utah, has even greater aerobic strength. She ran 10:40 for 3200 meters and dipped under 18 minutes for five kilometers on a cross country course.
Emma Robinson is slightly more of a strength-based runner, but even she has a 2:18 half-mile PR. She's run 5:01 (1600) and 11:07 (3200) and won Oklahoma 5A state titles in both of those events. Robinson may be new to the American Southwest, unlike her two aforementioned classmates, but she has invaluable winning experience and the kind of raw talent that Coach Damon Martin could hone into D2 distance stardom.
Janessa Segay has familiarity with Bisceglie from finishing ahead of her at the 2025 Arizona State Track and Field Championships when she was the 3200-meter runner-up in 10:50. She has run as fast as 5:03 (1600) as well and was the 2024 Arizona D3 cross country state champion. Swain and Bisceglie are the biggest names in this class, but Segay and Robinson would be the top freshmen at most other D2 programs and could be just as impactful in some respects.
The final member of this rookie group is Chiara Surtz, who comes from Illinois with 5:19 (1600) and 11:28 (3200) chops. Surtz ran both of those marks in the spring of 2023, when she was one of the best sophomore runners in one of the most competitive distance running states. She remained competitive since then, but struggled to reach the same level.
That being said, Surtz showed she has high upside, so altitude training in Alamosa with the Adams State women and Martin is as good a recipe as any for unlocking her greatest potential.
Any of Bisceglie, Swain, Robinson and Segay could be the kind of D2 star that we've become accustomed to seeing in Alamosa. Odds are, at least half of them will become that level of runner. That suggests Adams State successfully restocked the coffers after losing five varsity cross country runners from 2024.
4. Grand Valley State Lakers
The Grand Valley State women could have been argued to be as high as TSR #2 in our 2025 D2 freshman class rankings. That's how close the battle for our TSR #2, TSR #3 and TSR #4 four spots once appeared.
However, other top-end teams had women who ultimately had a more immediate collegiate impact. That, in turn, helped give them the edge over the Lakers. But rest assured, GVSU fans: There are multiple women in this rookie rotation who could be focal runners for this proud program in the future.
That discussion starts with Annie Alkema and Violet Hrabovsky. The former name is an in-state signee who finished top 10 at the 2024 Michigan Lower Peninsula D1 XC Championships (the most competitive classification in the state), where she ran 17:44 (5k). She was just as impressive on the track, running 2:13 (800), 4:57 (1600) and 10:56 (3200) en route to two more top-10 state meet finishes in the half-mile and over 1600 meters last year.
Hrabovsky, meanwhile, is also staying in the Mitten State to attend GVSU. She was a bit behind Alkema at the 2024 Michigan Lower Peninsula D1 XC Championships, placing 20th, but she went on to place 145th at the 2024 version of Nike Cross Nationals. On the track, 2:17 (800) and 5:01 (1600) are strong middle distance times, but her 10:35 (3200) mark is what makes her one of Division Two's top distance running rookies.
Given the success that GVSU coach Jerry Baltes has had in turning Michigan prep stars into NCAA stars (all five of the Lakers' 2025 cross country All-Americans are from the state), it's easy to get excited about the potential of those two women, not to mention all the other Michigan-based rookies in this class.
Emma Gunnett isn't too far off from her aforementioned classmates in terms of talent or skillset. She's run 5:06 (1600) and 11:11 (3200), impressive times on their own, and was also a top-25 finisher at the 2024 Michigan Lower Peninsula D1 XC Championships. However, none of those are her best distances on paper, given she's run 2:15 for the half-mile. Don't forget that Grand Valley State has had high-level success in that event as well.
Kamryn Lauinger is more of an aerobic-based athlete. She's dipped under 18 minutes for five kilometers on the cross country course and has elite 5:02 (1600) and 10:52 (3200) marks from 2024.
Sydney Roberts is just as talented, but is on the opposite side of the skillset spectrum. She's most notably run 56 seconds (400) and 2:15 (800), but 5:15 (1600) and 19:13 (5k XC) marks show that she can hold her own when she moves up in distance.
That's only the beginning of this class's depth. Ava Crews, Mea D'Agostino, Shaela Elert and Sinead Noonan have all run 5:16 (1600) or faster and dipped under 18:30 (5k XC). Grace Oberski and Mackenzie Sellenraad have run 2:15 and 2:17, respectively, for the half-mile, while Mia Williams is rangy enough to have run 2:20 (800), 5:15 (1600) and 18:31 (5k XC).
All told, that's a dozen freshmen, all of whom appear good enough on paper to eventually be contributors in some capacity for one of Division Two's very best distance running programs. With that kind of depth, star power at the top, and most of their runners having real range, the Lakers clearly have one of the five best freshman classes in Division Two. That should become clear over the next year or two.
Just Missed (in no particular order)
Stanislaus State Warriors
Fort Lewis Skyhawks
Biola Eagles
Chico State Wildcats
Cedarville Yellow Jackets
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)
Northern Michigan Wildcats
Colorado Mesa Mavericks
Western Washington Vikings
Cal Poly Pomona Broncos
Western Colorado Mountaineers
