.png)
TSR's 2025 NCAA D1 Indoor Top 25 Rankings (Men): Update #2
Written by Rachel Hickey & Finn Birnie
Edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships.
KEY
(Unranked):
Was not ranked in our last update.
(#/#):
First number indicates how much the athlete has moved in the rankings.
The second number indicates where the athlete was ranked in our last update.
25. Collins Kiprotich, Freshman, New Mexico (0 / 25)
In a sneaky-good field in Boston, Collins Kiprotich improved his 3k PR by 10 seconds to post a mark of 7:46. The New Mexico talent placed 6th behind a slew of pros and Colorado’s Isaiah Givens. That effort bolsters Kiprotich to NCAA #12 on the national leaderboard this season.
That performance did not reveal a ton about Kiprotich’s fitness as we already knew how talented this Lobo newbie was prior to his NCAA debut. The cross country All-American from this past fall has already proven he has the aerobic ceiling to match anyone in the country. His 3:53 altitude converted mile from a couple of weeks ago suggested that a 7:46 (3k) mark was plenty reasonable.
24. Emanuel Galdino, Junior, Iowa State (0 / 24)
It is clear that men’s middle distance racing in the NCAA has never been better. Never did we imagine putting a 1:47 (800) and 3:54 (mile) guy at TSR #24 in our rankings.
But that is exactly the case for Iowa State junior, Emanuel Galdino.
Galdino opened his indoor track season with an eye-catching mark of 2:19 (1k) before putting together a string of PR-shattering performances. At the Cyclone Open, Galdino recorded a highly respectable double of 1:47 over 800 meters and 3:55 in the mile to earn two convincing victories within five hours.
This past weekend, at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invite, the Cyclone ace replicated his school-record performance in the mile, improving his PR with a 3:54.23 mark. Currently, that mark sits at NCAA #16 this season. He also placed 5th in that loaded mile field in Boston.
With the composure and consistency demonstrated by the Texas native, we feel confident that we can expect even faster marks out of the Cyclone star this winter. He has proven that he can replicate performances in any setting, whether it be an all-out time-trial environment or in a crowded race.
23. Darius Smallwood, Senior, Penn State (Unranked)
After posting a mark of 1:46.55 (800) mark early in the season, we had some reservations placing Penn State’s Darius Smallwood among our "Just Missed" names. A mark that fast so early-on is admittedly very impressive from the Penn State senior, but it just felt like if we needed to see more.
And thankfully for Smallwood, he validated that effort.
At the Penn State National Open, Smallwood put together one of the most impressive doubles a middle distance ace can do by running 1:46.28 (800) and 1:15.49 (600). His 800-meter mark sits at NCAA #3 this year, while his blazing 600-meter time sits among the top-10 in NCAA history.
Not only that, but the Nittany Lion senior replicated his 600-meter success this past weekend with a 1:15.45 performance!
We are seeing remarkable consistency Smallwood at the highest levels of his fitness. He is, after all, the only collegian who has run under 1:47 (800) more than once this season. And in a wide-open year for the men's half-mile national title, we can't help but ask the question, could this Penn State star win NCAA gold in March?
22. Cole Lindhorst, Rs. Junior, Washington (Unranked)
Cole Lindhorst’s move to Washington from Texas has proven to be a great one for the Longhorn-turned-Husky.
In his Washington debut, Lindhorst smashed his old mile PR of 3:59 (from his time at Air Force) to run a jaw-dropping time of 3:55. He was one of many Huskies who broke the four-minute mile barrier in that same race.
Last weekend on his home track, Lindhorst earned yet another all-time PR of 1:46.47 (800) in what could be argued as his premier event. While he did run 1:46 in the past while at Texas, it was the junior’s first time running that fast of a mark on the indoor oval.
Lindhorst now sits at NCAA #7 this season, becoming one of numerous men to go under the 1:47 barrier over the half-mile distance this season. With that performance now affirming that he is in top form, Lindhorst has safely entered the All-American conversation this winter.
Between his past experience, proven ability to effectively double, improved fitness and recent momentum, it's exceptionally hard to find a flaw on Lindhorst's resume.
21. Dylan Schubert, Senior, Furman (-1 / 20)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
20. Simeon Birnbaum, Rs. Freshman, Oregon (Unranked)
It feels like we are finally seeing the full extent of how far Simeon Birnbaum's raw talent can take him. And the craziest part is that he's still so incredibly young!
In 2025, the Oregon redshirt freshman has improved his 800-meter PR to 1:49 and has run 2:22 over 1000 meters. Back in December, he also ran a quietly respectable 3k PR of 7:52.
Those were all very solid marks, but we had always hoped to see more out of the former high school phenom from South Dakota. Well, two weekends ago, he didn’t just deliver on those ridiculously high expectations -- he shattered the ceiling.
Along with a pacer, Birnbaum controlled most of the men's mile race at the Razorback Invite before being overtaken by Oklahoma State’s Fouad Messaoudi in the final 300 meters. The rising Oregon middle distance star was rewarded with a massive personal best of 3:52.81 to put himself in the top-10 on the all-time list (he currently sits at NCAA #11).
Birnbaum showed a veteran-like ability to hang onto a fast early pace while still putting forth an admirable kick during his outstanding performance. In what is arguably the deepest year ever of the men’s mile, those intangibles may prove to be very dangerous in March if his inexperience doesn't get in the way.
19. Patrick Kiprop, Senior, Arkansas (Unranked)
Arkansas’ Patrick Kiprop decided to add his name to our rankings with his impressive 5k PR from two weekends ago.
Having run a solid 13:23 mark back in December, Kiprop shattered his 5k PR with a monster 13:11 effort at the Boston U. John Terrier Classic! And it was with that result that the Razorback star finally showcased just how high his upside could go. The Arkansas veteran demonstrated a new level of aerobic prowess this past fall, and his latest 5k performance felt like him reaping the benefits of that cross country campaign.
For Kiprop, hanging in with a hot pace isn't too surprising. The Arkansas ace is typically an aggressive front-runner who likes races to be honest and fast. The men's 5k at the indoor national meet will likely play out differently and we still need to see how Kiprop can handle a more tactical affair. Even so, his revamped fitness may be able to triumph whatever strategic weaknesses he may have.
18. Nicholas Plant, Junior, Virginia Tech (Unranked)
This Hokie veteran has launched himself back into the 800-meter All-American conversation after posting a blazing a 1:46.85 mark this past Friday. That was a somewhat comfortable indoor track best for the Virginia Tech ace.
Now, the fact that Nick Plant ran as fast as he did shouldn’t be overly shocking -- after all, the junior posted a 1:46 (800) PR on the outdoor oval last spring. Plant also placed 4th at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, showcasing great positional awareness and timing his moves incredibly well.
With excellent racing savvy and a possible new gear from what he showed this past weekend, Plant may have just reintroduced himself as one of the most dangerous names in the half-mile come March.
17. Ronan McMahon-Staggs, Rs. Junior, Washington (-1 / 16)
Washington junior Ronan McMahon-Staggs has had a relatively quiet past couple of weeks compared to many names on this list.
McMahon-Staggs found his way onto our rankings in our previous update by shattering his mile personal-best with a 3:51 mark! Then, this past weekend on his home track, McMahon-Staggs posted a shrug-inducing mark of 1:50 for the half-mile distance.
After his jaw-dropping mile performance, it's safe to say that we anticipated a bit more out of the Husky junior in this invitational section of the 800 meter race -- one which produced 1:46 efforts out of the race winners.
However, given that McMahon-Staggs' PR is "only" 1:49 (800), it is pretty clear that his strengths lie in the combination of speed and endurance required of the mile race. It is also possible that McMahon-Staggs only ran the half-mile to further refine his foot-speed.
16. Abdullahi Hassan, Senior, Mississippi State (+3 / 19)
Abdullahi Hassan continues to impress in his first season with the Mississippi State men.
At the Charlie Thomas Invitational this past weekend, Hassan earned a tactical victory in the mile, posting a PR of 4:01. And while that time may not stack up to the best milers in the country, this result is still highly respectable for someone who is primarily a 400/800 athlete. The way that Hassan navigated a tightly-packed race to earn a convincing win shows a ton of growth in his racing prowess.
This result also comes not long after the Badger-turned-Bulldog set a new all-time PR and NCAA-leading mark in the half-mile at 1:45. While he is still the only man to break 1:46 (800) this season, what truly bolsters his national title hopes come March is the development of his racing tactics, which is what most impressed us this past weekend.
15. Fouad Messaoudi, Senior, Oklahoma State (Unranked)
In what proved to be one of the best mile fields in the country a couple weeks back, Oklahoma State’s Fouad Messaoudi delivered a big-time performance!
The Razorback Invitational men’s mile field was absolutely STACKED, and the results show just that. Messaoudi led five men under 3:55 and out-kicked Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum to snag the victory in a mark of 3:52.66.
At the time, Messaoudi's mark was an NCAA #8 all-time mark and it now sits at NCAA #10 all-time. And yet, that result only places the Cowboy middle distance ace at NCAA #7 just for THIS SEASON.
For Messaoudi, though, this result proved that the Moroccan superstar is back in top form after a couple of up-and-down seasons. And while this race was definitely set up to be a time trial, Messaoudi threw down a big-late race surge from 300 meters out to defeat another fantastic distance talent in Birnbaum. That move alone has given us plenty to be excited about for the OSU veteran in the postseason.
14. Rivaldo Marshall, Senior, Arkansas (+1 / 15)
In a year where the men’s 800 meters feels remarkably wide open, defending indoor national champion Rivaldo Marshall made an immediate statement by clocking 1:46 (800) in his season debut over the half-mile distance -- and it was a performance that certainly caught our attention.
That is an encouraging result for the newly minted Razorback. Not only did he defeat his new teammate, multi-time NJCAA champion Tyrice Taylor, but he also looked far more comfortable than in his season opener over 600 meters. It’s clear he’s settling into his new environment and is already showing signs of improvement.
Marshall showcased his consistency last winter by running 1:46 (800) twice on the indoor oval before matching that mark twice more during the spring months. He eventually lowered his PR to 1:45 (800).
The former Iowa star has also demonstrated the tactical acumen needed to win a national title -- something that few athletes can claim. With a sub-1:47 (800) clocking in January, we can’t help but feel that the defending champion has even more to give by the time championship season rolls around.
13. Brian Musau, Sophomore, Oklahoma State (-2 / 11)
It feels odd to drop someone in our rankings after they just ran 3:54 in the mile. But in Brian Musau’s case, his slight dip is more a reflection of the movement around him than his own performance.
After his electrifying 13:11 (5k) run back in December, Musau opted to step down in distance at the Razorback Invitational to contest the mile. The Oklahoma State standout has flexed his impressive range before, running 3:55 (mile) twice last winter. However, clocking 3:54 in the mile for 4th place in a stacked field is another level, entirely.
Last winter, Musau led off Oklahoma State’s national title-winning DMR before doubling back for a 6th-place finish in the 3000 meters. While he has yet to contest a 3k this year, that event could be his sweet spot once again, sitting right at the intersection of his two monster PRs.
Of course, OSU would undoubtedly love to have him for the DMR, but it’s not essential. And with his status as one of the fastest 5000-meter runners in the country, his focus could be shifting toward even bigger individual goals -- potentially opening up the distance double if he secures a qualifying mark in the 3k.
12. Yaseen Abdalla, Senior, Arkansas (-2 / 10)
You could write the exact same opening sentence for Yaseen Abdalla as we did for Brian Musau.
In Abdalla’s case, he ran 3:55 (mile) for 5th place in the fast section at the Razorback Invitational, finishing just behind Musau -- but the point still stands. That performance is massive for the Razorback senior who is undoubtedly eyeing the distance double at this year's indoor national meet.
We have to look all the way back to his Texas days to find the last time that Abdalla contested the mile. Coincidentally, the last time we saw him flash this kind of speed, he was out-kicking Yared Nuguse to anchor Texas to a DMR national title in 2022.
And for those who haven't heard, Nuguse just broke world indoor mile record.
None of this is to say that Abdalla ever lost his speed. It’s just more likely that he simply hasn’t had to drop down in distance for a while. But seeing him showcase that turnover yet again is an extremely encouraging sign.
11. Abel Teffra, Senior, Georgetown (+6 / 17)
Admittedly, Abel Teffra’s 5th-place All-American finish in the mile at last year's indoor national meet may have been a surprise. But after seeing some of his performances this season, it’s clear that he can not only replicate that kind of result, but also improve upon it!
His 2:17 season opener over 1000 meters, which is now an NCAA #2 all-time mark, left us very excited. But Teffra's recent 3:52.44 mile PR at the Boston University’s Scarlet & White Invitational has taken that excitement to an entirely new level.
In a race paced by his Georgetown teammate Tinoda Matsatsa, Teffra made short work of a quietly loaded field, delivering a dominant victory and securing his place at NCAA #8 all-time in the mile.
Teffra has taken a significant leap forward this season, looking sharper and more composed than ever before. His ability to produce historically fast marks while executing in competitive fields suggests that he’s no longer just an under-the-radar threat -- he’s knocking on the door of the podium conversation and positioning himself as one of the NCAA’s premier milers.
10. Colin Sahlman, Junior, Northern Arizona (-3 / 7)
It’s unbelievable to think that a collegiate athlete running 3:52 in the mile could be an afterthought in our minds. That, however, is the reality when you finish runner-up to someone who clocked a historic 3:48 mile result.
To be honest, there isn’t much to dissect about Colin Sahlman’s mile performance at the Boston U. John Thomas Terrier Classic. He was excellent, and this was exactly the type of race we expected from the Lumberjack. However, with the standard of NCAA distance running continuing to rise, Sahlman will need to cut off an extra second or two if he wants to keep his national title hopes alive.
9. Tinoda Matsatsa, Sophomore, Georgetown (0 / 9)
Tinoda Matsatsa has not competed since our last rankings update. However, he did a fantastic job pacing fellow Hoya, Abel Teffra, to a 3:52.44 mile, a mark good enough for NCAA #8 all-time.
8. Habtom Samuel, Sophomore, New Mexico (+5 / 13)
Surprisingly enough, prior to the month of February, Habtom Samuel had never run under 13:14 for 5000 meters. But at the John Thomas Terrier Classic, that all changed as he clocked an eye-watering 13:04.
The 10k specialist finally rewrote his 5000-meter PR, something that we always felt he was more than capable of, especially after witnessing his phenomenal performances over 10,000 meters last spring.
This marquee result not only places him at NCAA #4 all-time and NCAA #3 among Division One athletes, but it also suggests that his 10k strength is starting to pay significant dividends in the shorter distance.
The only thing left to see is how Samuel performs in a more tactical affair. While he’s already excelled in time trial-esque scenarios, it will be intriguing to watch how his foot-speed matches up against others in his event group, as that could ultimately determine the national title winner.
7. Adam Spencer, Senior, Wisconsin (-2 / 5)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
6. Marco Langon, Sophomore, Villanova (+6 / 12)
It’s no secret that we’ve always believed that the 3k would be the perfect sweet spot for Marco Langon’s skillset. Well, this past weekend, that belief was solidified when he produced a blistering 7:36 mark over 3000 meters at the Boston U. Scarlet & White Invitational!
Not only did Langon clock an impressive time, but he also dismantled a field of top pros. He was only bested by fellow teammate, Liam Murphy. His mark of 7:36.87 puts him at NCAA #6 all-time.
Over the past six months, Langon’s fitness and overall consistency have improved dramatically. However, this 3k effort truly cements his place amongst the NCAA elites. In the space of three races, the rising Wildcat star has proven that he not only has the times to back up his talent, but he’s also the owner of a menacing kick -- a combination that will make him a serious threat in the postseason.
5. Nathan Green, Junior, Washington (-2 / 3)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
4. Liam Murphy, Senior, Villanova (0 / 4)
Similarly to fellow Wildcat star Marco Langon, Liam Murphy’s sweet spot seems to be the 3k -- and, shocker, that assessment was spot on! A 7:35 (3k) mark is truly exceptional, and that effort now places him at NCAA #4 all-time.
As incredible as this performance is, I don’t think we learned anything new about the Villanova megastar. Murphy has been on a tear over the past year, and his 13:10 over 5000 meters from December is a testament to that. Now, with an arguably more flashy 7:35 (3k) PR to his name, it’s hard not to feel he has one of, if not the, most complete resumes in the entire nation.
The only question left is: What events will he toe the line for come March?
Does he go for the distance double of the mile/3k? Or does Villanova go all-in on the DMR, a national title they could very well win given the talent at their disposal? If so, then we’d likely see a DMR/3k double from Murphy.
Truth be told, no matter the event, Murphy will be a serious threat.
3. Parker Wolfe, Senior, North Carolina (-2 / 1)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
2. Gary Martin, Junior, Virginia (+6 / 8)
This may be the most warranted jump in our rankings...ever!
What Gary Martin accomplished at the Millrose Games this past weekend was truly staggering. Even though it wasn’t quite as fast as Ethan Strand’s run from the previous week, it’s impossible to overstate just how unbelievable Martin’s performance was.
In what was the fastest indoor mile race ever, Martin expertly followed the field on his way to a jaw-dropping 3:48 PR and a 5th-place finish.
That performance shifts the entire landscape of the NCAA mile. Ethan Strand raised the bar, but Martin met it, and I don’t think anyone was truly prepared for a run as Earth-shattering as Strand’s to be humanized within just seven days.
Martin went from being a top-tier NCAA talent to a national title contender in the span of three minutes and 48 seconds. And, in an absurd turn of events, we’re heading into the postseason with at least two men who have run under 3:50 in the mile...but no one having run 3:49 (yet).
1. Ethan Strand, Senior, North Carolina (+1 / 2)
3:48.32.
The first collegian to ever run under the 3:50 mile barrier.
There is no one more deserving of this TSR #1 spot than Ethan Strand. And to fully understand the magnitude of what this North Carolina phenom achieved at the Boston U. John Thomas Terrier Classic, you should read this.
ADDED
Darius Smallwood (Penn State)
Cole Lindhorst (Washington)
Simeon Birnbaum (Oregon)
Patrick Kiprop (Arkansas)
Nick Plant (Virginia Tech)
Fouad Messaoudi (Oklahoma State)
KICKED OFF
Ryan Schoppe (Oklahoma State)
Ishmael Kipkurui (New Mexico)
Lucas Bons (BYU)
Koitatoi Kidali (Oregon)
Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M) Elliott Cook (Oregon)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Brian Kweyei (Clemson)
Darius Kipyego (Iowa State)
Kyle Reinheimer (Washington)
Justin O'Toole (Washington)
Isaiah Givens (Colorado)
Thomas Boyden (Stanford)
Dan Watcke (Villanova)
Aidan McCarthy (Cal Poly)
Reuben Reina (Arkansas)
Rocky Hansen (Wake Forest)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Sam Whitmarsh (Texas A&M)
Lucas Bons (BYU)
Koitatoi Kidali (Oregon)
Ishmael Kipkurui (New Mexico)
Dayton Carlson (Arizona State)
Matt Strangio (Portland)
Sanele Masondo (Iowa State)
Denis Kipngetich (Oklahoma State)
Joey Nokes (BYU)
Taha Er Raouy (Eastern Kentucky)
Notes
- N/A
