.png)
TSR's 2025 D1 XC Top 25 Team Rankings (Women): Update #1
Written by Rachel Hickey, Mike McKean, Finlay McIsaac, Finn Birnie & Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: These rankings are based on how a team fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2025 NCAA XC Championships. Click here to learn more about our ranking criteria (which was published in 2023).
KEY
(Unranked):
Was not ranked in our last update.
(#/#):
First number indicates how much the team has moved in the rankings.
The second number indicates where the team was ranked in our last update.
25. Clemson Tigers (Unranked)
Yes, it's true, Clemson lost to West Virginia at the Louisville XC Classic this past weekend, falling to the Mountaineers by eight points. And yes, it's true, the WVU women didn't even field Naomi Kemboi, either.
However, the good news for the Tigers is that they looked far more complete than they did last year -- and they held their own without Judy Kosgei.
Silvia Jelego (2nd) was the top collegian to cross the finish line on Saturday while teammate Gladys Chepngetich (4th) was two spots behind. Together, those two women offered elite firepower, just as they did last fall. However, the biggest development was seeing Elizabeth Ilanda (11th) step up as an impact scorer while Emily Lamontagne (13th) and Madelyn Dinneen (17th) held their own.
Sure, we still have concerns about Clemson's depth this fall. And yet, we can also see that their supporting cast has made significant enough improvements for this team to (finally) be nationally competitive. The introduction of Ilanda and Lamontagne raises the floor of this team in a major way.
We don't know what Clemson's full potential is yet, but we have reason to believe that they can be a ranked team in 2025.
24. Arkansas Razorbacks (-3 / 21)
This past weekend, at the Chile Pepper XC Festival, the Arkansas women took a tough loss on their home course, falling to Texas for the second-straight year at the same meet. The Longhorns posted 54 points, comfortably putting themselves ahead of the Razorbacks by nearly double that.
The catch, however, is that Arkansas didn't field Paityn Noe, someone who could have easily won the individual title. If she had run, then Arkansas cuts off 57 points and displaces enough runners to give the Razorbacks a 10-point margin of victory over Texas.
In other words, the firepower of this team is just as immense as we thought it would be after seeing Sydney Thorvaldson (1st), Josphine Mwaura (4th) and Olivia Pielemeier (5th) run as well as they did on Saturday. However, their lack of depth is still a massive concern, maybe more so than we originally suspected.
23. Missouri Tigers (Unranked)
Seeing the Missouri women snag a huge 8th place at the Gans Creek Classic, a meet held on their home course, was incredibly impressive. We thought the Tigers had the potential to be a nationally competitive team, but we didn't think that would happen for at least another year.
Monica Wanjiku (11th) was a true ace as expected, but the rise of Suzy Lecoutre (29th) as a fringe low-stick stunned us. With Kobi Walker (59th), Rahel Broemmel (70th) and Mirriam Chepkirui (85th) offering shockingly good support, the Tigers had a far more complete and balanced lineup than we were expecting.
Yes, it's true, Coach Kyle Levermore has been very aggressive recruiting from the transfer portal and from overseas during the last few years. Even so, many of the women who were impactful at the Gans Creek Classic had to go through a lot of development before Missouri was going to be a nationally competitive team.
But so far, this squad seems to be well ahead of schedule.
22. Michigan State Spartans (-10 / 12)
Truthfully, the Michigan State women left us wanting so much more when they placed 13th at the Gans Creek Classic. Rachel Forsyth (28th) was solid, but could have been a bit better, while the rest of this team struggled to close gaps. No other Spartans cracked the top-80.
The good news for Michigan State is that there are numerous avenues for them to improve. The Spartans didn't field Paige Marchant, Makenna Veen or Kaitlyn Hynes a few weeks ago, and each of those women have high-impact scoring potential.
That's why, despite the not-so-great outing that MSU had a few weeks ago, we're keeping this team in our rankings. Although, at the same time, we can acknowledge that our TSR #12 preseason ranking of this team may have been a bit overzealous.
21. Gonzaga Bulldogs (+1 / 22)
Losing Rosina Machu is a tough pill to swallow, but we still thought Gonzaga had enough strong pieces to piece together a lineup worthy of a TSR ranking. That suspicion turned out to be true at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite this past weekend where they were arguably even better than we thought they’d be!
We expected Logan Hofstee (17th) and Willow Collins (20th) to be the top runners for this squad. And while they did provide great secondary scoring, there was actually a new low-stick who emerged. That, of course, was Jessica Frydenlund (6th) who had a huge breakout race, emerging as an unexpected ace for the Bulldogs.
If Frydenlund can continue to be a low-stick, then the 'Zags will have a very complete top-three moving forward. Their fourth and fifth runners were less convincing, but international freshman Charlotte Dillon (38th) and veteran Alexis Fogo (45th) got the job done.
The main concern for this squad is the backend of the lineup -- the options they have don’t inspire as much confidence. Jade Rykema and Anna Grabowski were members of their NCAA XC Championship squad last fall, and both fell back in this field. Each woman could find their way into the top-five by the end of the season and close the gap slightly to the top-three.
But even if the backend doesn’t improve, the positives that we saw at the front of this lineup are undeniable. That, mixed with their victories against some teams previously ranked ahead of them, improves the Bulldogs' ranking by two spots.
20. Iowa State Cyclones (Unranked)
Yes, it's true, the Cyclones weren’t in our rankings heading into the season…but cut us some slack! At that time, it wasn’t yet announced that Mercyline Kirwa was headed to Ames, Iowa.
The Iowa State women were one of the biggest surprises of the Gans Creek Classic with their 7th place finish, led by a massive debut performance from Kirwa. We didn’t know much about the Cyclones' newest recruit, but a 3rd place finish is way more potent than we could’ve reasonably expected.
Behind her, fellow redshirt freshman Betty Kipkore (14th) and veteran Maelle Porcher (20th) formed the second-best scoring trio in the whole field. Yes, there was a fairly large gap to their backend scorers, but Ruby Hughes (88th) and Sydney Morrell (104th) didn't run poorly by any means.
This result alone would’ve been enough to catapult the Iowa State women into our rankings. However, the Cyclones also have another Kenyan recruit in Mercy Kibet. If she provides anything close to the scoring value of Kirwa, then our understanding of this team as a whole changes dramatically.
With a few other key lineup options such as Bella Heikes and Sheridan Wheeler yet to race, the ceiling of this squad feels extremely high.
19. Northwestern Wildcats (Unranked)
Going into this season, we knew that the Northwestern women had a strong nucleus of sneaky-good women. However, they missed our preseason rankings as we struggled to see where the necessary firepower would come from.
As it turns out, this whole squad was more potent than we expected this past weekend as they were phenomenal at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite!
Seniors Ava Earl (4th) and Holly Smith (5th) both acted as low-sticks in this top-heavy field, with Ava Criniti (9th) also impressing with a surprise top-10 result. Their backend scorers held their own, as Jackie Holman (18th) and Sky Ellis (25th) were the second-best fourth and fifth runners in the field. The Wildcats beat numerous TSR-ranked teams with their 2nd place finish, and they did so comfortably.
This team was also without a potential x-factor in Colorado transfer, Samree Dishon. The cross country All-American from 2022 would be a low-stick for Northwestern if she returns to top form, but based on how this team as a whole looked, they don’t need to depend on a comeback from her to be a nationally competitive team.
It’s hard to pick out flaws in this lineup. The Northwestern women dramatically outperformed expectations this past Friday. If this lineup structure holds up in an even bigger field, then the Wildcats will certainly bring home plenty more Kolas points at the Nuttycombe Invitational.
18. Washington Huskies (-10 / 8)
We felt confident that the Washington women would have a “core four” this season, each fighting for All-American spots and giving the Huskies elite firepower. However, at the Loyola Lakefront Invite, that lineup structure did not materialize and the Huskies struggled mightily as a result.
Maeve Stiles (12th), Mia Cochran (14th) and Chloe Foerster (15th) packed up as expected, but they were not nearly as far up in the field as they needed to be. In a relatively small race, those women should have realistically been top-10 runners. With a sizable gap forming behind them to Samantha Tran (48th) and Josephine Welin (58th), the Washington women had to settle for a 4th place finish.
Yes, it's true, Julia David-Smith did not race, but even if she had won the race, the Huskies still would have fallen short of Northeastern. The depth of this team was a known issue, but their top-three from Chicago have to provide more firepower to sniff the top-10 at the NCAA XC Championships. We still believe in this top-four once David-Smith enters the lineup, but the Huskies have to drop in our rankings until we see evidence of improvement.
17. Georgetown Hoyas (-3 / 14)
The Georgetown women settled for a 3rd place finish in the "Gold" race at the Paul Short Run this past Friday. There, they were 28 points off of 2nd place Penn State and 33 points off of the winning team, Villanova.
And as a reminder, those two squads were both without their focal low-stick stars, Florence Caron (Penn State) and Sadie Sigfstead (Villanova).
With all of that information, one may be led to believe that the Hoya women should drop even further than where they currently reside at TSR #17. However, Georgetown didn't have Almi Nerurkar, a 15:45 (5k) runner who could have a major impact on this lineup if/when she does return.
Sure, Nerurkar isn't as talented as Caron or Sigfstead, but she is arguably just as valuable for Georgetown, if not more so. In fact, adding Nerurkar into these results likely cuts off more points for the Hoyas as Caron does for Penn State.
Simply put, when Georgetown and Penn State are at full strength, then they are largely comparable teams from a talent standpoint. That, in turn, is why we placed the ladies from Washington, DC at TSR #17 in this rankings update.
16. Penn State Nittany Lions (-1 / 15)
The women of Happy Valley drop one spot in our rankings, to no fault of their own, after a runner-up finish at the Paul Short Run where they settled five points behind Villanova. Despite the challenges that were presented without veteran ace Florence Caron, the Nittany Lions’ supporting cast filled that void in a noticeable way.
Yes, it’s true, Villanova did not have low-stick Sadie Sigfstead either, but that shouldn’t take away from the subtly strong improvements that the Penn State women appeared to make.
Much of that runner-up performance can be accredited to a superb display of pack-running with Ada Rand (15th), Claire Daniels (17th) and Charlotte Costich (18th) offering a valuable lead scoring presence. Behind them, Katie Dallas (28th) and Lea Hatcher (37th) propped up their team with solid efforts of their own.
Coming into the season, the Nittany Lions’ supporting cast behind Caron raised doubts about just how successful this squad could be in 2025. However, our concerns are all but silenced after their performance in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Sure, there’s not a great deal of upfront firepower behind Caron, but with an underrated and complete group of five behind their ace, they don’t need to be flashy to remain nationally competitive.
15. West Virginia Mountaineers (+5 / 20)
Since the publication of our preseason rankings, West Virginia has landed two massively consequential transfers: Mercy Kinyanjui from Toledo and Anastasia Chepkorir from Texas Tech. Those two women fill massive gaps in WVU's lineup for this season, and now the Mountaineers can field a complete, balanced scoring group.
The Louisville Classic turned into a de facto dual meet between West Virginia and Clemson, two potent squads with a heavy international presence. All-American talent Joy Naukot led the Mountaineers with a 3rd place finish while a pack featuring Mercy Kinyanjui (6th), Emily Bryce (7th) and Anastasia Chepkorir (9th) kept the scoring compact. Alexis Lamb (15th) was their fifth scorer on the day while teammate Naomi Kemboi sat out. That was enough to edge a Judy Kosgei-less Clemson squad by eight points.
While it was great to see the majority of this lineup racing, a small field like this doesn’t tell us too much about this team. Their ranking improvement is largely due to the roster developments that have taken place since our preseason rankings.
14. Utah Utes (+2 / 16)
To no one’s surprise (at least here at The Stride Report), the Utah women were fantastic at the Gans Creek Classic last weekend. A 5th place team finish in one of the most competitive regular season meets is impressive in and of itself. However, taking down the likes of Oregon (albeit, short-handed), a top-heavy Iowa State squad and Michigan State (TSR #12 preseason) deserves major kudos.
Perhaps the most exciting development for the Utes was Annastasia Peters (26th) returning to the low-stick form that we witnessed in 2023. With Erin Vringer (32nd) providing impact scoring as a second fiddle to Peters, the women based in Salt Lake City were sitting pretty through two. However, the unsung heroes of this race were undoubtedly Kyle Martin (51st), Lindsey Peters (52nd) and Millie Wilcox (62nd), providing a massive injection scoring stability.
There’s plenty to love about this squad. And with Marika Couture (72nd) and Madison Hulsey’s (87th) performances in Columbia, this team clearly has a wide safety net to fall back on.
We’ll need to see Peters continue to inch closer to her 2023 form and it wouldn’t hurt to get a bit more from Erin Vringer. The noteworthy absence of Katarzyna Nowakowska also brings forth questions of this team’s ceiling. Even so, we couldn’t be more excited about Utah's overall depth and stability.
13. Virginia Cavaliers (+12 / 25)
Undoubtedly the largest jump in our rankings belongs to the Virginia women. Quite simply, they made mincemeat of their preseason TSR #25 ranking, evident by their outstanding 4th place team finish at the Gans Creek Classic.
We knew that Tatum David (15th) and Gillian Bushee (24th) could be high-impact names for the Cavaliers, but seeing them fully deliver on the raw talent that we knew they had was incredible. Plus, with Mary Ellen Eudaly (46th), Ella Woehlcke (50th), Tatum Olesen (75th) and Stella Kermes (79th) putting forth impressive performances in their own right, it’s clear that we severely underestimated the ‘Hoos.
Sure, this group is far more balanced than we initially expected, but the firepower they provide upfront is what truly excites us when considering their postseason aspirations. We’ll need to see if they can replicate this result moving forward, but that was an eye-opening run from Coach Joelle Amaral’s group, proving their TSR #13 ranking is more than just.
12. Villanova Wildcats (Unranked)
Speaking of monumental leaps in our rankings, how about the women of Villanova?!
Akin to the Penn State women, the Wildcats toed the line at the Paul Short Run without their star ace, Sadie Sigfstead. That, of course, didn’t stop them from making a statement in their first nationally competitive contest. In the end, Villanova took home an eyebrow-raising team title, besting the likes of Penn State and Georgetown in the process.
It’s hard to decipher what was most noteworthy about the Wildcats' latest outing. The leading trio Margaret Carroll (3rd), Tilly O'Connor (6th) and Nicole Vanasse (9th) certainly come top of mind, while Rosemary Shay (31st) being serviceable as a fourth scorer deserves credit, too.
Yes, their fifth scorer, Sophia McInnis, faded to 61st place, but that didn’t even matter at the end of the day. Not to mention, when you add Sigfstead back into this lineup, then Villanova's room for error grows tenfold. Thinking about the potential of this squad with Sigfstead at the helm should strike fear towards the rest of the NCAA.
For now, we have rightly slotted them at TSR #12.
11. Oklahoma State Cowgirls (+2 / 13)
A runner-up finish to the women of BYUat the Cowboy Jamboree is certainly nothing to scoff at for the Cowgirls, even if the Cougars weren’t at full capacity. Of course, that performance isn’t the only reason why the women of Oklahoma State find themselves moving up our rankings.
We are, of course, talking about the wickedly talented and incredibly lethal 1-2-3 punch that we saw from Isca Chelangat, Maureen Rutoh and Billah Jepkirui. The former, in particular, was sensational in her eye-opening win over BYU star, Riley Chamberlain. A result of that caliber easily slots her into the All-American conversation (and perhaps more). Meanwhile, Rutoh (5th) proved that she can handle her own during her first taste of collegiate cross country while Jepkirui’s (7th) return to racing after a near-two-year hiatus was a treat for all running fans.
That said, the drop-off behind the team's top-three is troubling, to say the least. The noteworthy lack of depth on this squad was in the back of our minds during the preseason. And now, with Victoria Lagat’s "off" day (21st), combined with Lauren Ping (23rd) and Jinane Mahi’s (27th) "just okay" performances, our questions about their depth are at the forefront of our minds.
That said, the upfront firepower through three runners is amongst the best in the country. Plus, with the upside of Jepkirui returning to her 2023 form being a real possibility, you can see why this team borders the top-10 portion of our rankings.
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+1 / 11)
Anchored by a commanding performance at the Joe Piane Invitational, the Notre Dame women squeeze into our top-10 in this rankings update. The Irish swept the team title on their home course this past weekend, totaling just 29 points, and placed all five of their scorers in the top-10 individually.
Mary Bonner Dalton claimed the individual crown with Amaya Aramini, Gretchen Farley, Siona Chisholm and Arianne Olson closing the pack to complete a dominant group showing.
That outcome is more than just a win, it’s an early-season statement. Although not the deepest field of the weekend, Notre Dame’s cohesion was on full display. The tightness of their pack, separated by just a 20-second spread over 5k, suggests that the Irish are less vulnerable to variance in mid‑pack performance than many teams found in this tier.
Notre Dame’s small rise to TSR #10 is earned. If they can replicate that kind of lineup structure at future invitationals, especially where competition is stiffer, then they’re not just staying in our top-10 -- they may very well climb higher.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide (0 / 9)
Alabama stays at TSR #9 after a 19th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic. That result that looks severely underwhelming at first glance, but makes far more sense when you remember that national title favorite, Doris Lemngole, and fellow All-American star, Brenda Tuwei, didn’t race.
Without their top two, the Tide still got strong performances from freshmen Caren Kiplagat (16th) and Cynthia Jemutai (19th), two women who offer real firepower in their own right. Senior Lilly Walters (81st) was a serviceable third runners in Missouri, giving this lineup a workable core to rally around.
The issue, of course, is depth. No other Alabama runner finished inside the top-170 at the Gans Creek Classic, leaving the team with little scoring margin if anyone in their projected top-five has an "off" day.
We can’t make the mistake of overanalyzing this result without seeing the full force of the Alabama women. So, despite what may appear to be a rough outing in Missouri, the Crimson Tide remain steady until we can further validate their standing.
8. Stanford Cardinal (-1 / 7)
It’s hard to provide much analysis or feedback on the Stanford women since they haven’t really raced yet this fall. Yes, they did field a squad in the “Black” race of the Gans Creek Classic, but they did not enter their full lineup and pulled out of the premiere "Gold" race altogether.
Their youth-based talent and upside is encouraging, but without Amy Bunnage, Sophia Kennedy and Mena Scatchard, we can’t really fully assess the strength of this team. We continue to have faith that a fully-loaded Cardinal lineup is a top-10 team in the country, but until we see that we have to remain cautiously optimistic and place them at TSR #8 for now.
7. Colorado Buffaloes (+3 / 10)
One of the biggest movers in our rankings, the Colorado women soar to TSR #7 following a shocking bronze medal performance at the Gans Creek Classic. It can’t be understated how impressive their depth was, especially when you consider that expected low-sticks Ashley Jones and Addison Dorenkamp did not toe the line in Missouri.
The Buffaloes' pack-running wasn’t just impressive, it was highly effective in a very deep field -- an enviable trait for a team looking to make some waves in the postseason. Jessie Secor (17th), Mia Larochell (21st) and Hannah Prosser (22nd) put together an impactful core that was hard for teams with larger spreads to overcome. Abbey Nechanicky took 33rd place to provide stabilization for their top-four.
The only criticism you could have with this performance is that their fifth scorer, Holly Barker, was back in 73rd place, which is not a bad result when you consider that she is a true freshman. Of course, once Jones and Dorenkamp return to this lineup, Barker’s result raises next to no alarms for the Buffaloes.
Ultimately, our main takeaway from Colorado's early-season result with an incomplete lineup is that their floor is MUCH higher than we originally thought it was coming into this fall. If their core of scorers can remain even relatively as strong as they did in this field throughout the season, then suddenly, Colorado is not far off from the podium conversation at all.
6. Florida Gators (0 / 6)
We’ll say it again: Few outlets were higher on the Florida women than TSR was entering the season. And yet, even we had some hesitation about the completeness or their supporting cast. But after their convincing win at the Gans Creek Classic, it's clear this group has far more firepower than we initially realized.
The Gators' top-four of Judy Chepkoech, Tia Wilson, Hilda Olemomoi, and Desma Chepkoech were electric in Missouri, going 7-8-9-10 in a loaded field. That kind of front-end firepower is exactly what podium teams are built on -- they're not just strong, but overwhelming.
Caroline Wells (68th) and Bethan Morley (77th) didn’t quite match that top-end scoring punch, but they were solid enough. Both women have the potential to close that gap by the postseason.
Florida didn’t just meet expectations at the Gans Creek Classic -- they strengthened their case as a legitimate podium threat. Of course, with the 2nd place team being less than 30 points behind them without their top-two scorers, we had to keep the Gators at TSR #6 in our rankings...for now.
5. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0 / 5)
The Northern Arizona women remain steadfast in our rankings after a runner-up finish at the Gans Creek Classic. On paper, that is a great result, but when you consider that Karrie Baloga and Addie Engel didn’t toe the line in Missouri, then this great result turns into a fantastic one!
Agnes McTighe and Hayley Burns, both of whom were excellent this past track season, continued their momentum, finishing 12th and 13th, respectively. Behind the squad's low-stick duo were Ava Mitchell (23rd) and Kiki Vaughn (35th), both of whom had brilliant races. Vaughn, in particular, looked like she made a big jump in her own fitness. Meanwhile, Emma Stutzman (43rd) rounded out the scoring, keeping the Lumberjacks' time-spread to a minimum.
From an NAU perspective, there is a lot to like here. Not only did the Lumberjacks produce an incredibly complete team performance without two projected All-Americans, but they beat a number of ranked teams in the process!
This squad has all of the pieces to be a podium team at the cross country national meet in 2025. Once Baloga and Engel slide into place, then the Lumberjacks will be an incredibly difficult to take down.
4. New Mexico Lobos (0 / 4)
A 3rd place finish at the Cowboy Jamboree was a solid outcome for the New Mexico when you consider that Pamela Kosgei, the second-best distance runner in the NCAA right now, did not race. Had she been in the lineup, the squad likely would have finished in the runner-up spot ahead of Oklahoma State.
With no Kosgei, the Lobos’ leading lady was Marion Jepngetich, who looked excellent in 3rd place (even if we expected her to run that well) Behind her, the virtually inseparable quartet of Nicola Jansen, Tilly Simpson, Alice Seguin and Jasmine Wood went 13-14-17-18, respectively, to close out the scoring.
There was a lot to like about the team's cohesiveness in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The backend scoring unit is clearly trending in the right direction, and the progress of Simpson and Jansen was particularly encouraging.
The only real concern was 2024 cross country All-American, Mercy Kirarei. She was well off of her usual standard by fading back to 32nd place. It is still early in the season, but if New Mexico wants to be a top-five team at the NCAA XC Championships, then they will need Kirarei to replicate her All-American form at the very least.
3. NC State Wolfpack (0 / 3)
Heading into the Loyola Lakefront Invite, there was a minor question mark over whether NC State could win. Although, to be clear, that uncertainty only existed because they chose not to field Grace Hartman, Angelina Napoleon, Fleur Templier or Kaylie Armitage.
In the end, that question became irrelevant as the Wolfpack were flawless in Chicago, taking home the victory with a mere 34 points. Although Hannah Gapes secured the individual win, it was sophomore Bethany Michalak who truly stole the show with an outstanding runner-up finish.
Michalak’s performance is, without question, the squad’s biggest takeaway from the weekend. In theory, they now have another low-stick and a potential All-American to add to an already lengthy list -- and that could be the difference maker in the national title conversation.
While Gapes and Michalak were excellent, credit must also go to the rest of the scoring group. Brooke Rauber, Sadie Engelhardt and Kate Putman were terrific, finishing 9th, 10th and 13th, respectively.
This wasn’t even the Wolfpack’s “A” team, and they still made short work of a host of talent teams, including Washington, who was our TSR #8 preseason team. There are a number of things that the NC State fans should leave Chicago excited about, but the emergence of Michalak should stand above the rest.
2. BYU Cougars (0 / 2)
To nobody’s surprise, the BYU women comfortably took home the victory at the Cowboy Jamboree, besting Oklahoma State and New Mexico all without the assistance of Jane Hedengren or Jenna Hutchins.
Riley Chamberlain (2nd) and Taylor Rohatinsky (4th) were great in what was a very top-heavy field. Meanwhile, the Cougars’ supporting cast of Jacey Farmer, Lexi Goff, Nelah Roberts, Taylor Lovell and Zariel Macchia packed up beautifully, going 8-9-11-12-15, respectively.
Truth be told, there isn’t much to analyze when it comes to this performance. BYU's depth looked very strong, arguably stronger than last year. And once you factor in Hedengren and Hutchins, two athletes who could realistically finish ahead of Chamberlain and Rohatinsky, then it becomes obvious why this team is very much in the national title conversation.
1. Oregon Ducks (0 / 1)
Some of you might be tempted to write off Oregon after their 6th place finish at the Gans Creek Classic. For a team ranked at TSR #1 in our preseason rankings, the result looks underwhelming at first glance.
Of course, context matters, and a closer look paints a far more encouraging picture.
The Ducks were without three of their projected stars: Diana Cherotich, Silan Ayyildiz and Mia Barnett. Juliet Cherubet (5th) was the squad’s leader in Missouri, providing an excellent low-stick result. Behind her, Dalia Frias (27th) and Ella Thorsett (36th) served as a very capable supporting cast. Their performances, in particular, should give Oregon fans hope as they have the potential to be excellent depth pieces when the squad is fully assembled.
Anika Thompson admittedly struggled, slipping back to 56th place, while Ali Ince rounded out the scoring in 102nd. Of course, given how fantastic Thompson has been over the last year, we were expecting her to be a top-20 name in this field.
With Cherotich, Ayyildiz and Barnett all expected to return, there’s plenty for Oregon fans to be excited about. Add in the fact that Frias and Thorsett are outperforming expectations, Cherubet is back in top form and Thompson is almost certain to rebound, and it becomes clear why the Ducks are still holding onto our TSR #1 spot.
ADDED
Clemson Tigers
Missouri Tigers
Iowa State Cyclones
Northwestern Wildcats
Villanova Wildcats
KICKED OFF
Florida State Seminoles
Boise State Broncos
Wisconsin Badgers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
North Carolina Tar Heels
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Wisconsin Badgers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
North Carolina Tar Heels
LSU Tigers
South Carolina Gamecocks
Washington State Cougars
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Duke Blue Devils
Tennessee Volunteers
Boston College Golden Eagles
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Texas Longhorns
Louisville Cardinals
Boise State Broncos
Florida State Seminoles
Texas A&M Aggies
Tulane Green Wave
Syracuse Orange
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Princeton Tigers
Oregon State Beavers
Notes
- N/A
