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TSR's 2025 Preseason D1 XC Top 25 Team Rankings (Women): #23 Boise State Broncos
Written by Brianna Robles & Garrett Zatlin
Edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: Earlier this summer, The Stride Report reached out to nearly every team that was considered for a possible ranking this summer. While we did receive numerous responses and great clarity, we did not get a 100% response rate. On certain occasions, we are referencing TFFRS in order to talk about returners and athletes who are out of eligibility.
Since the pandemic, the Boise State women have worked to reestablish themselves as a formidable force in the NCAA cross country scene. While they haven't been running poorly, they have struggled, at times, to push themselves beyond the mid-pack portion of certain meets.
However, under the guidance of Coach Pat McCurry, there has been a marked improvement in the overall performance and cohesion of this unit. Last season, the Broncos demonstrated significant growth, something which hinted at a promising 2025 fall campaign.
As the Broncos look ahead to this fall, their team will aim to leverage their extensive experience, fantastic depth and a national-caliber low-stick. In doing so, they'll hope to return to the national stage for the first time since the pandemic-altered 2021 winter cross country season.
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Boise State’s 2024 cross country season was a blend of individual breakthroughs, although not always at once.
At the Joe Piane Invitational, the Boise State women faced a top-heavy field stacked with nationally ranked teams. Thankfully for them, Kaiya Robertson led the way with a 6th place finish, establishing herself as a national-caliber low-stick.
Behind her, Emily Jobes, Ines Borba and Autumn Ost offered decent scoring stability, going 38-50-55, respectively. Sure, those results didn't jump off the page, but they did give the Broncos half-decent depth.
However, with Bianca Boehnke fading to 71st place, the Boise State women were unable to finish any higher than 5th place in the team standings. Thankfully for them, they were still able to defeat Texas Tech, Adams State and Michigan State in the process.
Fast forward to the Arturo Barrios Invitational, a still-competitive meet that wasn't quite as loaded as the Joe Piane Invite.
On that stage, Robertson again came through with yet another 6th place result. That performance validated her role as a low-stick standout and someone who could offer valuable firepower to her team. However, more importantly, we saw Yasmin Marghini make her season debut. Her result of 12th place was further complemented by a sneaky-good 16th place finish from Emily Jobes.
Through three runners, Boise State quietly looked very strong. In fact, their top scoring trio was noticeably better at the Arturo Barrios Invite than it was as the Joe Piane Invite. Even so, a backend scoring gap once again opened up between Autumn Ost (38th) and Hanna Ackermann (64th), the team's fourth and fifth runners.
In the end, Boise State would capture runner-up honors. Their team performance wasn't enough to truly contend with Gonzaga, but they were able to hold the rest of the field at bay.
However, it wasn't until the the Mountain West Championships where the Broncos delivered arguably their best performance of this season. On that stage, Boise State finished 2nd overall with 54 points, taking runner-up honors behind a juggernaut New Mexico squad.
Yasmin Marghini led the team with a silver medal effort and was closely followed by Kaiya Robertson who secured bronze. That injection of firepower, paired with quietly solid depth from Emily Jobes (13th), Amit Koma (16th) and Abby Kendrick (20th), was crucial for a Boise State team that was aiming to fend off Colorado State for runner-up in the team standings.
But for as good as that conference race was, the West Regional XC Championships was the meet that held the most importance. While the Boise State women were clear underdogs to qualify for the national meet, an exceptional performance could have positioned them to be "pushed" into Madison, Wisconsin.
In the end, the Broncos failed to advance to the NCAA XC Championships. They did, however, put together a very solid team performance, finishing in 6th place overall.
The Broncos earned three "All-Region" honors between Kaiya Robertson (9th), Yasmin Marghini (15th) and Emily Jobes (20th) who each contributed significant scoring value. However, as was the case throughout most of the season, backend gaps limited the upside of this team.
Although Boise State missed out on national meet qualification, Robertson's individual performance underscored the program's significant potential. The Bronco low-stick would go on to race at the NCAA XC Championships as an individual where she ended her season with a 53rd place finish.
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As the Boise State women prepare for the 2025 cross country season, the team faces a familiar challenge in replacing key veterans who have been pillars of depth and stability. The most notable departures are Yasmin Marghini and Autumn Ost. The former offered valuable low-stick scoring alongside Robertson while the latter's steady performances made her a vital cog in the Broncos’ lineup.
Despite having a solid 2024 cross country season, Marghini is best known for her success during the fall of 2022. That year, she shockingly secured 35th place All-American honors. And while she didn't replicate that kind of performance last year, Marghini was still someone offered for the Broncos firepower beyond just Robertson.
Meanwhile, Ost regularly delivered solid finishes last fall which made her Boise State's fourth scorer in most of their cross country races. Her experience in championship settings and backend scoring contributions were invaluable for a team that was often thin on depth last fall.
With the departures of two experienced scorers, the margin for error on this team now diminishes...by a lot. In theory, the Broncos will be forced to depend on a handful of less experienced runners to bridge the scoring gaps on this team, something that was already a challenge for Boise State in 2024.
And yet, despite the scoring losses, Boise State returns a talented and battle-tested group that promises to keep the Broncos competitive -- maybe even more so than last year.
Kaiya Robertson is a fantastic low-stick. In fact, one could argue that she is one of the more underrated lead scorers in the NCAA right now. Sure, the cross country veteran wasn't an All-American last fall, but she was incredibly reliable last year in terms of offering firepower. For that reason, we listed her at TSR #49 in our preseason individual rankings.
Of course, the real challenge when evaluating this team is figuring out how effective the rest of the Broncos' scorers will be this fall.
Emily Jobes was quietly awesome last fall. Placing 16th at the Arturo Barrios Invite and 20th at the West Regional XC Championships are strong results for someone who was their team's third scorer.
Sure, Jobes may not replace the scoring value of Yasmin Marghini, but she could certainly make a dent. And at the very least, Boise State can take solace in knowing that they have a highly reliable and consistent support scorer in the middle of their lineup.
It's a very similar story for Abby Kendrick, the veteran who had a singular moment of promise last fall. Her 20th place effort at the 2024 Mountain West XC Championships was her best performance of that season and also a major surprise. We say that it was a "surprise" because Kendrick struggled throughout last fall with the exception of her conference meet.
So...what should we expect from her in 2025?
What shouldn't be overlooked is the fact that Kendrick ran a 3000-meter steeplechase PR of 10:02 this past spring. That's a substantial mark which leads us to believe that her Mountain West Conference performance wasn't a fluke, but rather, a sign of what is to come.
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We will admit, Hanna Ackermann wasn't necessarily a high-impact name for Boise State last fall. While she did race at the Arturo Barrios Invite (64th) and the Mountain West XC Championships (43rd), her performances weren't exactly notable or exciting.
And yet, we expect Ackermann to play a significant role in Boise State's 2025 cross country season.
Why do we think that, you ask? Well, that's because Ackermann clocked a tremendous 3000-meter steeplechase mark of 9:54 this past spring! That time was run at both the West Regional Championships and the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
We'll admit, there's no guarantee that Ackermann's success over the barriers and water pits will fully translate to the grass. And yet, her general improvements should still be enough to make her a stabilizing scorer throughout this season.
For a team that struggled with their backend scoring spots last fall, any noticeable improvements from Ackermann could fill a glaring gap that held back Boise State on numerous occasions in 2024.
And how about Julia Kiesler? She is a key name for the Broncos this fall given that she didn't race during the 2024 cross country season. In fact, according to TFRRS, Kiesler hasn't raced collegiately since late February of 2024.
In other words, it's been a year-and-a-half since we last saw Kiesler don a Boise State singlet. However, the best version of this Bronco veteran is someone who provides tremendous steadiness to a team that needs it.
As a freshman in the fall of 2023, Kiesler took 16th place at the Mountain West XC Championships and was later 26th at the West Regional XC Championships. Those are sneaky-good results for someone who was just a rookie. She later went on to run 16:16 (5k) on the indoor oval.
We'll admit, we have no idea what to expect from Kiesler this fall. If she does finally race again, then will she return to her freshman year form? If not, then where in this lineup will she reside? We don't have the answers to those questions, but simply knowing that Kiesler could contribute this fall only raises Boise State's stock.
Be sure to also keep an eye on Amit Koma. Sure, her performances were a bit scattered last fall, but she was clutch when it mattered the most. Her 16th place finish at the Mountain West XC Championships, as well as a respectable 34:37 (10k) PR from this past spring, signal only good things for Koma going into this fall.
In 2025, Koma will no longer be a wide-eyed underclassman. Instead, she'll have valuable experience and a year of further developing her fitness. If she is able to replicate last year's conference meet performance on a consistent basis, then the Boise State women could have a ridiculously high floor.
Other key names to watch this season include Bianca Bohnke, Isabelle Frisone, Ines Borba and Nanette Novak. In some way, shape or form, those three women have produced solid performances and/or have gained valuable experience. Don't be surprised if at least one of those women is on the starting line for the Broncos come October and November.
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The 2025 season promises to be one of further growth for the Boise State women as they strive to build on their past successes.
With Kaiya Robertson and Emily Jobes leading the charge, this team has proven that they can compete with the best in the Mountain West Conference and the West region. If women like Julia Kiesler, Amit Koma, Abby Kendrick and Hanna Ackermann can progress as much as we think they can, then depth should a non-issue for this team unlike last year.
Boise State's potential to blend seasoned experience with youth-based upside should pay dividends in high-pressure championship settings. It’s not far-fetched to expect the Broncos to qualify for this year's NCAA XC Championships. In fact, one opposing coach we spoke to this summer even said that the Broncos, "are poised for a huge year."
Ultimately, the 2025 season feels ripe with potential for the ladies of Boise.
The pieces are in place, the talent is evident and the hunger to advance beyond the regional level is strong. If Boise State can capitalize on their strengths and maintain their upwards trajectory, then this could be the season that puts the Broncos back in the mix of nationally competitive women's cross country programs.
