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TSR's 2025 NCAA D1 Indoor Top 25 Rankings (Women): Update #1
Updated: Feb 10, 2025
Written by Rachel Hickey & 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. Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Senior, BYU (-5 / 20)
Has not yet competed this season.
24. Alex Carlson, Senior, Northern Arizona (Unranked)
It looks like Alex Carlson is back and better than ever!
After emerging as a national-caliber talent a few years ago at Rutgers, Carlson had struggled to replicate her success in recent seasons (partially due to injury). However, after transferring to Northern Arizona this past offseason, her results thus far indicate that she is not only healthy, but in the best aerobic shape of her life.
At the Lumberjack Team Challenge, Carlson ran a huge 4:37.27 mile time on her home track at 7000 feet. That effort yielded an eye-popping altitude conversion of 4:27.20! And given that Carlson's sea level mile personal best is 4:31, her latest run suggests that she has reached an entirely new tier of fitness.
Despite the impressiveness of that performance, there is still more work that needs to be done. While her 4:27 mile conversion is worthy of a ranking, Carlson needs to replicate that kind of result at sea level. Mile races held at altitude are, after all, often greater reflections of one's aerobic strength rather than their turnover.
Even so, if Carlson can showcase enough seasonal consistency, then she can be put in the conversation as a top contender in the women's mile this winter.
23. Chloe Thomas, Rs. Senior, UConn (-4 / 19)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
22. Maddy Elmore, Rs. Junior, Oregon (-6 / 16)
Has not yet competed this season.
21. Laura Pellicoro, Senior, Portland (Unranked)
Wow, what a great start to the season for Portland’s Laura Pellicoro!
After earning All-American honors at the NCAA XC Championships for the second time in her career, she ventured to the Boston U. Season Opener and clocked an excellent 8:53.32 mark over 3000 meters back in December.
That was an impressive show of aerobic fitness for the Portland standout, but it didn't tell us anything that we didn't already know about the peak of her endurance. However, the same cannot be said about her performance at the UW Preview.
In Seattle, the Portland distance star ran the fastest 1000-meter time in NCAA history by posted a jaw-dropping mark of 2:37.04! That performance will not count as the “official” NCAA record since it was run on an oversized track, but that shouldn't take away from how impressive her performance was.
This resume-altering performance shattered our preconceived notion of what Pellicoro’s ceiling is this season. She was already one of the more versatile runners in the entire NCAA, but she was never the All-American favorite that we view her to be now.
With numerous appearances on the national stage under her belt and recent momentum on her side, Pellicoro seems poised to drop a huge mile time in the somewhat near future. If she is able to validate her stunning performance in the coming weeks, then she will continue to inch closer to our top-10.
20. Meghan Hunter, Senior, BYU (-2 / 18)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
19. Margot Appleton, Senior, Virginia (-4 / 15)
Expectations were high for Margot Appleton going into the “Pro-Elite” mile at the Dr. Sander Scorcher meet. But unfortunately, she had a slight “off” day.
After earning All-American honors at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall with a 15th place finish, Appleton took her cross country fitness to the Boston U. Season Opener and ran a blazing-fast 8:46 PR over 3000 meters! That display of both turnover and strength was very promising for the mile-centric Cavalier, and it seemed like she was going into this indoor season in peak form.
That is why a 4:33 mile result this past Saturday, as well as a 9th place finish (third collegian), felt a little bit underwhelming.
Regardless, Appleton has proven time and time again to be one of the best national meet performers in the NCAA over the mile and 1500-meter distances. It would be no surprise for her to climb back up our rankings later this year.
18. Grace Hartman, Junior, NC State (+5 / 23)
When Grace Hartman produced a 15:32 (5k) mark at the Boston U. Season Opener, we knew that she was capable of running faster based off of, a) her 5th place finish at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall, and b) her 15:28 (5k) PR from last winter.
Sure enough, that is exactly what she did in her first effort of 2025!
In a race that appeared to be a true time trial setting, Hartman was the only finisher in a blistering 5k effort of 15:19! And since the race took place at the JDL Fast Track, that result is worth a flat-track conversion of 15:12.
That converted mark places Hartman at NCAA #5 on the national leaderboard, only behind the four women who finished ahead of her at the cross country national meet this past fall.
That performance is incredibly impressive and it signals that what we saw from Hartman during the 2024 cross country season is translating to the track. And for someone who has already been one of the more reliable long distance talents in the country, an improved 5k PR as big as what she just earned signals that Hartman is a near All-American lock come March.
17. Gladys Chepngetich, Sophomore, Clemson (Unranked)
There was never any question about whether or not Clemson’s Gladys Chepngetich had enough talent to be listed in our top-25 rankings. Her PR of 1:59 over 800 meters is proof that she has the ability to compete at the highest levels of the NCAA.
However, in our preseason rankings, the Tiger ace fell to our “Just Missed” section due to her relative inexperience and prior difficulties on the national stage. But then she opened her indoor track season at the Clemson Invite where she dropped a head-turning mark of 2:39.99 for 1000 meters!
That result lands her at NCAA #4 all-time (NCAA #5 all-conditions). It also shows us that Chepngetich is close to her top form despite missing out on All-American honors at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall. That's an encouraging sign moving forward.
Not only that, but Chepngetich came back the very next weekend to contest the 800 meters at the Purple & Orange Invitational, earning the overall win with a respectable 2:02 mark.
The Clemson sophomore is proving once again that she can consistently hold her own and produce national-caliber marks. For that reason, we are feeling cautiously optimistic that Chepngetich can shake her past postseason woes this year, especially once she reaches the NCAA Indoor Championships.
16. Riley Chamberlain, Junior, BYU (+1 / 17)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
15. Silan Ayyildiz, Junior, Oregon (-3 / 12)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
14. Amy Bunnage, Sophomore, Stanford (-3 / 11)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
13. Sanu Jallow, Junior, Arkansas (+1 / 14)
We have only seen Arkansas' middle distance star compete at one meet this winter. At the Arkansas Invitational earlier this month, Sanu Jallow contested the 600 meters and was part of the Razorback's 4x400-meter relay.
Those may not seem like events that deserve any major attention, but your opinion may change when you realize that Jallow ran 1:25.37 over the 600-meter distance! That mark now sits at NCAA #2 all-time, just 0.21 seconds away from the collegiate record.
Jallow stunned many last year when she ran 1:59 for 800 meters and gave Michaela Rose a run for her money at the SEC Outdoor Championships. Now, in 2025, it seems like the Arkansas star has translated her all-time fitness to the indoor oval. And if she can find similar success at the 800-meter distance, then a sub-2:00 clocking for her this winter seems more likely than not.
12. Hayley Kitching, Junior, Penn State (+1 / 13)
The last few years for Hayley Kitching have been all about consistency, and the start to her 2025 indoor track campaign has been no different.
After a strong cross country season and a new mile PR of 4:37 back in December, Kitching opened up the new year with an NCAA #3 all-time (NCAA #4 all-conditions) performance over 1000 meters with a brilliant time of 2:39.86. And while that result wasn't too stunning for a runner of her caliber, it doesn’t make it any less impressive.
With her momentum building and her aerobic fitness seemingly better than ever, the tactically-sound Kitching will be a force to be reckoned with when she moves down to her signature 800-meter distance.
11. Klaudia Kazimierska, Senior, Oregon (-4 / 7)
Has not yet competed this season.
10. Pamela Kosgei, Freshman, New Mexico (0 / 10)
What can’t Pamela Kosgei do?
After her monster 15:00 (5k) run in early December, and her grand success on the grass during the fall, there were zero doubts about Kosgei’s incredible strength and aerobic capacity going into 2025.
At New Mexico’s home meet this past weekend, Kosgei jumped all the way down to the mile distance to run away with her first collegiate track victory in a time of 4:36. With Albuquerque being at altitude, that result converts to a stunning 4:30 mark.
If that’s not impressive enough, Kosgei’s performance is the fastest ever NCAA mile recorded at altitude.
We didn't necessarily learn anything new this past weekend about Kosgei. Her raw talent and pure endurance was almost certainly going to will her to a fast conversion. Even so, she has acclimated to the collegiate racing circuit and the indoor oval faster than we expected her to.
9. Roisin Willis, Junior, Stanford (0 / 9)
Welcome back, Roisin Willis!
In her first race since this past summer, the Stanford junior navigated the niche 600-meter distance in jaw-dropping fashion. Willis stormed away from the field to cover the distance in a time of 1:25.74, a new facility record at the UW Preview meet. That mark surpassed Oregon legend and Nike pro Raevyn Rogers to take over the top mark in the Dempsey.
There were never any doubts about the Stanford star's sheer speed as the half-mile specialist does hold a 53-second 400-meter PR. Sure, her performance is by no means shocking, but it does reflect that Willis' turnover is at/near it's peak. That's a pleasant surprise given that we're still in the month of January.
With her next move likely being the half-mile distance, is a 1:58 PR out of the question? Between Willis’s raw talent and teammate Juliette Whittaker’s stamina, it does not seem crazy to suggest that one (or both) of these Cardinal standouts will cross the 1:59 barrier this winter.
8. Shannon Flockhart, Senior, Providence (0 / 8)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
7. Wilma Nielsen, Rs. Junior, Oregon (Unranked)
From unranked to our top-10, Wilma Nielsen made quite the impression in her first two track races for Oregon!
Nielsen's 4:31 mile effort at the Boston U. Season Opener was promising. Sure, her time was solid, but we were more impressed by the ease in which she navigated the field and pulled out the win. In our eyes, she clearly had more in the tank.
And yet, we’re not sure anyone saw her most recent jaw-dropping performance at the Dr. Sander Scorcher coming.
This past weekend, Nielsen tailed Katelyn Tuohy throughout virtually the entirety of the mile race in New York City to post an unreal personal best of 4:25.89! Not only is that a new school record at Oregon (which with their rich middle distance history is no small feat), but it is also a new NCAA #3 all-time result!
That performance is actually Nielsen’s second mark on the NCAA's all-time list following her 2:38 mark over 1000 meters while at Bradley two years prior (at the same invitational).
Following her race in Boston last month, Nielsen indicated that the 800 meters was considered her primary event. But now, we can’t help but wonder if her plans have changed given her recent mile success. Given the unreal amount of poise and conviction that we saw from her this past weekend, could Nielsen be considered a legitimate mile national title favorite? How will she fare when she inevitably comes down to her "primary" distance?
Regardless of how (or when) those questions get answered this winter, her elite-level performance thus far have rightfully earned her a spot within our top-10 -- and place her merit among some very, VERY big names.
6. Ceili McCabe, Rs. Senior, West Virginia (0 / 6)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
5. Kimberley May, Senior, Providence (0 / 5)
What an opener for Kimberley May!
The Providence veteran opened her 2025 indoor track campaign at the UMass Amherst Flagship Invitational with a then-NCAA leading time of 4:28 (mile). May walked away with a dominant victory at the low-key meet over teammate Alex Millard who produced a 4:35 mark.
May's time is also less than a second off her 4:27 mile PR from last winter, making that season opener even more impressive and more revealing of her current fitness.
Coming off of a top-10 finish at the NCAA XC Championships from the fall, it was obvious that May has taken another leap in her aerobic ceiling, and it is quite apparent that it's already translating to the track wth a relatively uncontested 4:28 mile run.
4. Hilda Olemomoi, Senior, Florida (0 / 4)
Has not competed since TSR published our preseason rankings.
3. Michaela Rose, Senior, LSU (0 / 3)
Has not yet competed this season.
2. Juliette Whittaker, Junior, Stanford (0 / 2)
She’s back like she never left!
Stanford superstar Juliette Whittaker opened her indoor track season in impressive fashion with a 4:31 mile mark at the UW Preview. Not only was Whittaker the top collegian in this race, but she also posted what was arguably the best opener of her tenured career.
With an all-time mile PR of 4:30, her 4:31 season opener seems even more impressive. Whittaker even helped teammate Sophia Kennedy, whose aerobic strength is geared more towards the longer events, to a stunning 4:32 PR.
While the reigning NCAA indoor and outdoor 800-meter champion will likely jump down to her primary event for the majority of this season, her range over the mile distance is remarkably consistent from year-to-year. That kind of strength would explain why she was able to run as consistently fast as she did this past summer at the Olympics.
Now, as we dive deeper in 2025, what more can we expect from Whittaker with a wealth of new international racing experience? From her early-season performance, it is clear that we are in for another jaw-dropping season from the Stanford ace.
1. Doris Lemngole, Sophomore, Alabama (0 / 1)
Alabama’s Doris Lemngole has been very busy since our preseason rankings.
The Crimson Tide star has been working on her foot-speed over the mile and 3k distances, competing in back-to-back weekends. At the Samford January Invite, Lemngole soloed a 4:36 mile PR to flex promising turnover for a strength-based talent.
The following weekend, at the Orange and Purple Invitational, Lemngole delivered a solid mile/3k weekend double with marks of 4:43 and 8:54, respectively. In a more tactical mile race, Lemngole out-kicked Clemson’s Silvia Jelelgo by less than a second before doubling back to run a current NCAA top-10 time over 3000 meters.
If there were any doubts regarding Lemngole’s range, she has put them all to rest after posting a new mile PR in a solo effort.
ADDED
Alex Carlson (Northern Arizona)
Laura Pellicoro (Portland)
Gladys Chepngetich (Clemson)
Wilma Nielsen (Oregon)
KICKED OFF
Paityn Noe (Arkansas)
Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)
Alex Millard (Providence)
Melissa Riggins (Georgetown)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Judy Kosgei (Clemson)
Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona)
Alex Millard (Providence)
Melissa Riggins (Georgetown)
Sophia Kennedy (Stanford)
Chloe Scrimgeour (Georgetown)
Paityn Noe (Arkansas)
Lucy Jenks (Georgetown)
Juliet Cherubet (Oregon)
Molly Hudson (Boston College)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Isabella Whittaker ( Arkansas)
Chloe Foerster (Washington)
Mena Scatchard (Princeton)
Ali Ince (Oregon)
Tatum David (Virginia)
Ali Upshaw (Northern Arizona)
Aniya Mosley (Ohio State)
Makayla Paige (North Carolina)
Sophia Gorriaran (Harvard)
Mia Cochran (Washington)
Notes
- N/A
