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TSR's 2025 NCAA D1 Indoor Top 25 Rankings (Women): Update #2
Written by Mike McKean & Finlay McIsaac
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. Chloe Thomas, Senior, UConn (-2 / 23)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
24. Sophia Kennedy, Sophomore, Stanford (Unranked)
It is no secret that Stanford’s Sophia Kennedy has been one of the NCAA’s brightest rising stars. The first few performances of her indoor campaign were great, but not quite enough to earn a spot in our rankings.
However, her resume this season has become too good to ignore. Using her 25th place All-American finish at the 2024 NCAA XC Championships as momentum, the Cardinal runner has notched a personal best in every event she has touched this winter. At the Boston University opener in December, she ran a blazing 15:26 over 5000 meters to set the tone for her winter season. She then moved down in distance to set a new mile PR of 4:32 at the UW Preview, an impressive display of turnover.
Her most recent performance, however, was the result that secured her a place at TSR #24.
Kennedy’s 8:54 (3k) clocking at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic is arguably her best performance of the season so far. And more importantly, this result continues to show an elite mix of consistency and versatility.
She currently sits at NCAA #12 in the 5k, NCAA #12 in the 3k and NCAA #18 in the mile. That is a collection of results which shows us that Kennedy has some of the better range among longer distance runners in the NCAA.
She will almost certainly focus on one, if not both, of the longer-distance events at the national level if she stays in the qualifying bubble, but her newfound level of dynamism will make her an All-American threat in whichever event she challenges.
23. Margot Appleton, Senior, Virginia (-4 / 19)
A 2:06 (800) effort from Margot Appleton this past weekend was likely meant to work on her speed and turnover. Attempting to draw any meaningful insights from that result would be us trying too hard to analyze something that doesn't need it.
22. Alex Carlson, Senior, Northern Arizona (+2 / 24)
After her dazzling mile at altitude earlier this season, Northern Arizona’s Alex Carlson seemed primed to drop a very quick time at sea level. At the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, she did just that, except it was over 3000 meters!
The Lumberjack standout was the third-fastest collegian on the day, with a new 3k personal best of 8:53.77. That run is a nice validation of her altitude-converted mile (4:27), as well as proof that her improved cross country ability from this past fall has paid dividends for her aerobic strength on the track. Her recent mile performance does suggest that she is capable of running a tad faster in the 3k. Even so, her latest result does confirm that Carlson’s altitude performance was not a fluke!
Carlson will still need to run a sea-level mile close to her converted mark of 4:27 to be considered a contender in that event come the NCAA Indoor Championships. However, her continued display of consistency and range is very encouraging, and warrants a rise in our rankings.
21. Grace Hartman, Junior, NC State (-3 / 18)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
20. Gladys Chepngetich, Sophomore, Clemson (-3 / 17)
There is not much to analyze about Gladys Chepngetich’s recent performances. At the Bob Pollock Invitational, The Clemson half-mile specialist got in some speed work over 400 meters, clocking a time of 54.91. She then went on to run on Clemson’s DMR with a 3:24.24 split in the opening 1200-meter leg.
Based on her 800-meter pedigree and her ability to move up in distance formidably, it’s clear that she is capable of running a good bit faster over the unorthodox 1200-meter distance. However, the DMR was less than two hours after her 400-meter race, so she was clearly not running on fresh legs.
Chepngetich falls in our rankings due to the unconvincing "off" distance performances. But truthfully, these results do not hold much stock in the grand scheme of her season.
19. Sanu Jallow, Junior, Arkansas (-6 / 13)
It was a busy weekend of racing for Sanu Jallow at the Razorback Invitational.
Her first performance was the 800-meter leg for Arkansas’ DMR team on the meet’s Friday night slate of racing. Jallow turned in a formidable split of 2:01.82, which was the second fastest 800 meter leg in the field behind Michaela Rose (TSR #4). The next day, the Razorback ace tackled the open 800 meters where she was the clear favorite to win on paper. However, she finished 3rd behind professional Rachel Gearing and Kentucky freshman, Janet Jepkemboi Amimo.
Jallow will need to sharpen up before facing stiffer competition in the postseason.
The middle distance standout then came back to anchor the Razorbacks' 4x400-meter relay with a quick split of 51.92. This season, Jallow has shown impressive turnover, even for a speed-based 800-meter athlete. However, she falls back in our ranking simply because she hasn’t raced up to her potential (yet) in what we believe to be her primary event.
18. Makayla Paige, Senior, North Carolina (Unranked)
It looks like North Carolina’s Makayla Paige is picking up right where she left off last spring!
Paige opened up her indoor track campaign with a solid mile PR of 4:38 at a home meet in mid-January, but she truly began to make waves when she dropped down to her signature 800 meter distance. At the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, the Tar Heel standout ran a patient, well-timed race to yield a second overall finish and a blazing new PR of 2:00.57. The result now places her at NCAA #6 all-time.
The Massachusetts native first rose to national prominence last spring, when she broke through over 800 meters and ran a blistering 2:00.97. She qualified for her first national meet via the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but was not able to advance to the finals.
It is clear that Paige’s current fitness is at a level where she can compete with (almost) anyone in the NCAA. However, her relative inexperience at the national level compared to the other top women over 800 meters is cause for some hesitation. She will need to prove herself in the tactical postseason environments to continue to climb up our rankings.
17. Hayley Kitching, Junior, Penn State (-5 / 12)
The Penn State star drops five spots in our rankings, but that's largely due to the excellent racing that we've seen from other athletes rather than any fault of her own.
On Kitching’s home track at the Penn State National Open, she continued her string of impressive racing with a win and a head-turning time of 2:01.14 (800). That time is an indoor PR for the Aussie ace and it lands her at NCAA #15 all-time (NCAA #16 all-conditions).
There is truly not much else to say about this performance. Based on her results earlier this season, this was right on par with what we were expecting from her 800-meter season debut. That mark will certainly qualify her for the national meet, meaning that the Australian star can focus on letting her tactical brilliance shine as she prepares to peak for the postseason.
16. Roisin Willis, Junior, Stanford (-7 / 9)
It’s safe to assume Stanford’s Roisin Willis didn’t produce the result she wanted in her 800-meter season debut.
In the top 800-meter heat at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, Roisin Willis was the top collegian in 2:01.45, only being bested by three professionals. However, the second heat went almost a second quicker, and three collegians picked up faster times than Willis. Some inconsistent pacing is partially to blame for why the top heat ended up slightly slower, but regardless, Willis did not look to be quite at her best.
The Stanford star is one of the most purely talented half-milers in the NCAA, with an individual NCAA title and a sub-2:00 (800) personal best. This recent performance was a bit of an “off” day for her standards, but the time will be good enough to qualify for the national meet. Willis has proven that she is a top national meet performer, and now she can focus on gaining momentum into the postseason so that she can replicate her past success on the national stage.
15. Silan Ayyildiz, Junior, Oregon (0 / 15)
At this point in her highly successful NCAA career, we have grown to expect elite performances from Oregon’s Silan Ayyildiz every time she touches the track. And so far this season, she has lived up to those expectations.
At the highly competitive Razorback Invitational, Ayyildiz emerged as the top collegian with an electric mile PR of 4:27.84 -- that result puts her at NCAA #13 all-time (NCAA #15 all-time, all-conditions). And while that is a stellar results, it is not totally unexpected as the Oregon superstar as proven to be one of the more dynamic distance runners in the NCAA.
While not quite as impressive as her open race, Ayyidiz also anchored Oregon’s top-10 NCAA all-time DMR with a formidable 4:33 split on the anchor leg.
Those performances do not tell us anything that we did not already know about Ayyildiz. And truthfully, the main drawback on her resume is her prior national meet struggles -- she has always been fantastic in time trial environments. Even so, her excellent show of fitness proves that she belongs at TSR #15.
14. Shannon Flockhart, Senior, Providence (-6 / 8)
Ahead of the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic, we were anticipating a quick collegiate time -- and Providence’s Shannon Flockhart seemed to be the odds-on favorite to make that happen. Unfortunately, the British distance star wasn’t on her “A” game that day.
Luckily for her, the Friar standout is still fairly competitive at the NCAA level even with a “B” or “C” level performance. In that race, Flockhart finished as the second-fastest collegiate on the day with a clocking of 4:31.71.
There is no doubt that the five-time All-American is capable of runner faster. She did, after all, produce a 4:04 (1500) PR this past summer and she flexed her aerobic fitness over 3000 meters at the beginning of the season.
Flockhart will likely make another attempt at a fast mile in the coming weeks. We know she is one of the best national meet performers in the mile and the 1500 meters, so she will just need to prove that her fitness is close enough to the top milers to make her postseason peak effective.
13. Riley Chamberlain, Junior, BYU (+3 / 16)
As mentioned above, we were expecting a VERY fast time in the women’s mile at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. However, instead of Shannon Flockhart producing that kind of result, it was BYU’s Riley Chamberlain!
Chamberlain was the top collegiate in that women’s mile field, settling only behind elite professionals, Elise Cranny and Gabrielle Jennings. The Cougar standout shattered her mile PR by four seconds and became the fifth-fastest performer in NCAA history (NCAA #6 all-time, all conditions) with a jaw-dropping result of 4:26.19.
Chamberlain has had a great NCAA career up and to this point, but her latest result raises her ceiling to the next level. A time like that certainly cements her as an All-American favorite and we can't help but ask the question, can she realistically contend for NCAA gold?
Last year, Chamberlain elected to focus on the 3000 meters and the DMR at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships instead of the mile. As of right now, it appears that the Cougar star will have that option again in 2025. However, a mile performance of this caliber makes the event an enticing prospect for Chamberlain.
12. Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Senior, BYU (+13 / 25)
Coming into the 2025 indoor track season, we had plenty of question marks for Lexy Halladay-Lowry. After nursing an injury throughout November, we weren’t sure what version of the Cougar veteran we’d be getting.
Quite frankly, we weren’t sure we’d get to see her on the indoor oval at all!
In our preseason indoor track rankings, we felt that the superstar belonged in the top-25 despite not knowing if she was at 100%. Well, suffice to say, every possible question that we had about Halladay-Lowry was answered emphatically two weekends ago.
In her season debut on the indoor oval, the talented veteran dropped an eyebrow-raising 14:57 (5k) PR! That mark makes her the fourth collegiate woman to ever go under the 15:00 (5k) barrier in-season, slotting her at NCAA #4 all-time for the indoor 5k.
The Cougar star’s performance becomes so much more impressive when you consider how quickly she came back from an injury in November. And given her credentials on the oval, we knew that the best version of Halladay-Lowry belongs in the upper-echelon of NCAA stars.
Now that we know what we're going to get out of this savvy veteran, it’s evident that she’s ready to take another leap and contend for her first individual national title...right?
11. Ceili McCabe, Rs. Senior, West Virginia (-5 / 6)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
10. Meghan Hunter, Senior, BYU (+10 / 20)
There’s certainly no shortage of BYU women on our latest rankings update, and deservedly so! Meghan Hunter is another Cougar star who deserves her flowers.
At the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston, we witnessed the Cougar half-miler post a staggering 2:00.27 (800) mark while coming away with a marquee win in a stacked field! That performance puts Hunter at NCAA #5 all-time for the indoor half-mile distance.
Hunter's shiny new personal best isn’t the only impressive feat worth highlighting, though. We are, of course, talking about her growth in racing tactics. Her late-race strength, underrated kick and perfectly-time in-race moves has given her the ability to win in a variety different ways. That is ultimately the reason why she’s a huge threat to to contend for NCAA gold in March.
And after running a solid 53.01 (400) personal best at the Millrose Games this past weekend, we’re finding it difficult to find a glaring weakness on Hunter's resume this winter. Of course, she may not have the fastest 400-meter personal best amongst the NCAA’s best half-milers, but her intangibles are arguably second to none.
9. Hilda Olemomoi, Senior, Florida (-5 / 4)
Expectations were high for Hilda Olemomoi going into the women's 3000-meter race at the Millrose Games. But unfortunately for the Gator star, she had a slight “off” day and faded to 11th place against an impressive field of professionals.
After earning bronze at the 2024 NCAA XC Championships this past fall, Olemomoi picked up right where she left off at the Boston U. Season Opener, running an eye-popping 14:52 (5k) personal best. That mark slots the Gator superstar at NCAA #3 all-time for the indoor 5k, just 0.27 seconds away from Doris Lemngole’s newly minted NCAA indoor 5k record.
Of course, an 11th place finish in a time of 8:51 (3k) this past weekend looks more disappointing than an all-time mark. And if we’re being honest, a race that was won in 8:28 (3k) is a pace far too hot for most collegian. That being said, we did expect that Olemomoi would be besting her 8:45 (3k) personal best that was set in 2023.
Regardless, Olemomoi has proven to be at the top of the NCAA time and time again. Her aerobic prowess and aggressive racing tactics put her at the top of the list when it comes to title contenders in the 5k. Can she finally get over the hump and win her first career NCAA title? Only time will tell.
8. Pamela Kosgei, Freshman, New Mexico (+2 / 10)
New Mexico rookie Pamela Kosgei has impressed us yet again. The Lobo ace seems to keep one-upping herself week after week, further solidifying herself as a legitimate national title threat.
After a season debut performance of 15:00 (5k), the distance running newcomer jumped down to the mile distance by posting an eye-opening 4:36 mark at altitude, ultimately resulting in a converted time of 4:30 (mile). Did we mention that the performance was the fastest-ever NCAA mile recorded at altitude?
So how could Kosgei one-up herself after running the fastest-ever NCAA mile recorded at altitude?
Well, she did it by recording a staggering 8:44 (3k) personal best at the UW Invite, putting her at NCAA #7 all-time on the indoor oval! That mark is impressive in and of itself, but what makes it even more impressive is the fact that Kosgei won the race by 16 seconds!
With an incredible display of dominance in such a short amount of time, Kosgei is becoming one of the more formidable in the entire NCAA. She has acclimated to the collegiate racing circuit and the indoor oval with relative ease, and concern about her inexperience have begun to dissipate.
7. Kimberley May, Senior, Providence (-2 / 5)
The Providence star drops two spots in our rankings, but that is mostly due to the brilliance displayed by other athletes -- not by any poor racing from Kimberley May.
After opening her indoor track season with a then-NCAA leading time of 4:28 (mile), the Lady Friar seemed poised to build off of her astounding season on the grass which saw her earn a 10th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships. With a dominant season-opening win and the strength built from her best fall campaign yet, we had reason to believe that May had taken another step, aerobically.
Sure enough, the New Zealand native validated that suspicion by showcasing her phenomenal range at the John Thomas Terrier Classic. Emerging with an incredible personal best of 8:44 (3k) was good enough to slot her at NCAA #8 all-time in the event.
While May was bested by Stanford’s Amy Bunnage by a second, there’s more to be happy about than upset about. May was the aggressor early-on and one has to think a more conservative approach would’ve allowed her to flex a bit more turnover in the latter portions of that race. And yet, despite that theory, she still earned a top-10 NCAA all-time mark!
May's lethal combination of speed and strength is what makes her so unbelievably dangerous. Her leap in aerobic fitness allows her to thrive in a multitude of races. As such, we find May rightfully placed at TSR #7.
6. Laura Pellicoro, Senior, Portland (+15 / 21)
The Pilot senior has turned in one resume-altering performance after another. As a result, we have to keep adjusting our expectations for Laura Pellicoro as she enters a new tier of fitness after each head-turning mark.
After the Portland distance star ran the fastest 1000-meter time in NCAA history with a jaw-dropping mark of 2:37.04, we had to step back and question the ceiling of this Italian star. That mark immediately put Pellicoro in contention for All-American honors come March.
Of course, now we have to reassess again.
We felt that a huge mile time was in store for the experienced veteran, but a 4:25 personal best shattered our expectations. The mark validates her historic 1k result from earlier in the season and it firmly puts her in the national title conversation. With two historic performances under Pellicoro’s belt, there’s no telling what she can do with this recent momentum.
We’d also be remiss to mention that the Pilot superstar has numerous appearances on the national stage under her belt. Her vast experience assures us the stage won’t be too big for her, although she has admittedly struggled to get out of the prelims of those championship races.
Pellicoro continues to be part of conversations that she wasn't part of before, and it begs the question, what does she have in store for us next?
5. Amy Bunnage, Sophomore, Stanford (+9 / 14)
After a delayed start to Amy Bunnage’s fall campaign, we were quickly reminded of how naturally talented the Aussie ace is after a 4th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships. The sophomore star then backed that up with a stunning 15:00 (5k) season opener at the Boston U. Season Opener.
However, her performance at the John Thomas Terrier Classic further validated the unreal upside that Bunnage entered the NCAA with. In fact, it has become clear that the superstar has entered upper-echelon status.
The strength-based Bunnage dropped down in distance and posted an unbelievable 8:43 (3k) personal best in Boston, earning top collegiate honors and putting her at NCAA #6 all-time. That mark in and of itself puts Bunnage on another level, but what impressed us most was the poise that the underclassman showed.
Her conservative race plan paid off beautifully, and the confidence that she raced with suggests that she'll be far more dangerous in often-chaotic championship battles. With newfound control of her fitness, we feel like a top-five ranking is an homage to that.
4. Michaela Rose, Senior, LSU (-1 / 3)
At first glance, it looks like there’s not much to analyze about the most recent performances of LSU’s Michaela Rose.
At the LSU Purple Tiger Invite, Rose moved up in distance for her season debut, clocking a time of 4:41 (mile). That mark felt insignificant given that it was an "off" distance. However, there’s something to be said about opening the season with a mark only three seconds off of the Tiger’s personal best (4:38).
When looking at Rose’s second appearance on the indoor oval, she went on to run on the Tigers’ DMR squad which earned a new school record of 10:51. That time was good for the NCAA #2 mark on the national leaderboard this season.
However, it's not until you take a closer look at Rose's 800-meter split that you start to realize why she’s slotted at our TSR #4 spot. We are, of course, referencing her eyebrow-raising 1:59 split on that leg at the Razorback Invitational!
That half-mile split is faster than anything that we’ve seen so far this season at that distance. However, it’ll be crucial for Rose to replicate that performance in an open 800-meter race.
Rose is an ultra-aggressive front-runner who has, at times, been susceptible to late-stage surges from her opponents. Even so, her front-running strategy isn’t going anywhere, leaving us to wonder if her raw fitness can reach a point where no one else in the NCAA can touch her.
3. Juliette Whittaker, Junior, Stanford (-1 / 2)
Stanford superstar Juliette Whittaker takes a small dip in our rankings after, admittedly, an underwhelming 800-meter effort a few weeks ago.
A 2:02 (800) season debut would be a dream for most athletes in the NCAA. But then again, those athletes aren’t Juliette Whittaker. The Stanford star had a clear “off” day in Boston as she looked human for a change. Her struggles to hold position and get to the front of the field were evident. However, if your “off” day still yields a 2:02 (800) mark, then you must be the reigning NCAA indoor and outdoor 800-meter champion.
Oh, and an Olympian, too.
We won’t look too deep into Whittaker’s latest result, especially when you consider that she opened her indoor track season with a 4:31 (mile) mark at the UW Preview, just one second off of her personal best.
2. Wilma Nielsen, Rs. Junior, Oregon (+5 / 7)
Swedish superstar Wilma Nielsen takes another big leap in our rankings after a very narrow 4:25 (mile) personal best at the Millrose Games.
Nielsen's stock continues to soar after posting her second 4:25 (mark) of the season this past weekend. And with experience racing against professionals now under her belt, the Oregon superstar has seemingly gained a sense of control and poise in her racing tactics while still being able to run all-time marks.
That, of course, becomes incredibly valuable when looking at the NCAA’s top contenders for gold in March.
The middle distance talent has reached an entirely different tier of elite fitness. And with a massive wave of momentum behind her, we feel even better about her national title chances in the mile.
What’s even scarier about Nielsen’s emergence into the upper-echelon of the NCAA? She has indicated that the 800 meters is considered her primary event. Granted, her plans may change after back-to-back 4:25 (mile) performances, and rightfully so. However, we can’t help but wonder what Nielsen has in store for us when she drops down to her supposed ideal event.
1. Doris Lemngole, Sophomore, Alabama (0 / 1)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
ADDED
Sophia Kennedy (Stanford)
Makayla Paige (North Carolina)
KICKED OFF
Maddy Elmore (Oregon)
Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Maddy Elmore (Oregon)
Klaudia Kazimierska (Oregon)
Victoria Bossong (Harvard)
Smilla Kolbe (North Florida)
Elise Stearns (Northern Arizona)
Alex Millard (Providence)
Amina Maatoug (Washington)
Chloe Foerster (Washington)
Melissa Riggins (Georgetown)
Carmen Alder (BYU)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Salma Elbadra (South Carolina)
Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)
Isabella Whittaker (Arkansas)
Ali Ince (Oregon)
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)
Paityn Noe (Arkansas)
Lucy Jenks (Georgetown)
Alyson Churchill (Northern Arizona)
Vera Sjoberg (Boston U.)
Mena Scatchard (Princeton)
Notes
- N/A
