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TSR's 2025 Preseason NAIA Indoor Top 20 Rankings (Men): Update #2
Written by Miguel Zacarias & Sam Peterson
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 NAIA 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.
20. Winston Telford, Senior, Milligan (0 / 20)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
19. Serhii Shevchenko, Sophomore, Cumberlands (KY) (Unranked)
The scrappy Patriot out of Ukraine had a promising 14:31 (5k) performance at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invite two weekends ago, good for a 4th place finish. However, more importantly to Cumberlands (KY), the sophomore standout now sits at NAIA #6 in that event!
While Serhii Shevchenko hasn’t contested any other events this season, he did drop nearly 30 seconds from his previous PR. Unless that result becomes a true outlier for him this season, we should only expect more big-time performances from someone who has run 3:47 (1500) and 8:52 (steeple) before.
18. Marti Molins, Sophomore, Lindsey Wilson (0 / 18)
The early NAIA leader over 1000 meters has only dropped one place on the national leaderboard since our last rankings update.
Marti Molins posted a solid double at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invite two weekends ago, running 4:16 (mile) and 1:54 (800), both of which were personal bests. A double like that can only be done with superb strength, something that should bode well for the Lindsey Wilson sophomore once he reaches multiple rounds of the men's 1000 meters on the national stage.
As Molins gains more experience and more strength, look for him to contend at the national level, potentially dropping his 2:25 (1k) PR down a couple of seconds. But for now, we're keeping this middle distance runner at the same spot in our rankings until we know that his fitness has reached a new tier or until he showcases nationally competitive prowess in another event.
17. Tommy Baker, Senior, St. Mary (KS) (Unranked)
Since our last rankings update, Tommy Baker has been on an absolute tear. His 8:20 (3k) mark puts him among the top-five on the NAIA national leaderboard and it doesn't hurt that he also ran a big PR of 4:13 in the mile, either.
And if that wasn't enough to convince us to rank him, then he also opened his indoor track season with a PR of 2:28 (1k)! With each passing race, Baker is adding more and more value to his resume by showcasing sneaky-good range.
The senior is showing time and time again why he deserves to be on this list, and we couldn’t agree more. There’s a general feeling among us writers that a TSR #17 spot won’t be the pinnacle for the steadily improving senior.
16. Tyler Jenkins, Senior, Rio Grande (Unranked)
If we were betting men (which we aren’t), it would be smart for us to buy stock in Tyler Jenkins who has catapulted into the top-five of the national leaderboard in the men's 5k. That was achieved with a strong 14:29 PR over that distance this past weekend!
The Rio Grande veteran has saved his best season for last after running PRs in every event from the mile all the way up to his national-class 5k performance this past weekend. And it's that seasonal momentum which leads us to believe that he may not be done yet.
Look for the steadily improving senior to continue his upwards trajectory.
15. Camden Khon, Sophomore, Spring Arbor (Unranked)
Another Spring Arbor standout has landed in our rankings!
Despite contributing to the Cougars' DMR lineup which sits at NAIA #4 on the national leaderboard, Camden Khon will likely have his own individual event to worry about at the national meet.
The sophomore, who has focused more and more on middle distance events after running a 14:25 (5k) last spring, recently ran two consecutive mile times which BOTH rank in top-15 of the NAIA this winter (4:09 and 4:10). Consistency at that high of a level will not only aid Spring Arbor’s DMR hopes, but it also leaves us feeling better about his chances of Khon making it out of the prelims of the national meet despite his youth.
14. Yanis Le Mouillour, Freshman, Keiser (Unranked)
This rapidly improving freshman was a virtual unknown throughout the fall months and through the early portion of the indoor track season. However, the Keiser freshman has proven since our last rankings update that he’s more than an 800-meter star.
Along with an NAIA #3 result over 800 meters, Le Mouillour's 4:11 (mile) PR puts him among the top-15 in the country for that event.
Make no mistake, it's great to see a rookie flex his mile chops and show us that he has the potential to be nationally competitive in that event. But the more important development is that Le Mouillour's newfound strength suggests that he could make yet another jump in his premier event, the 800 meters.
Look for his 1:51 PR over the half-mile distance to fall in the next couple of weeks.
13. Braden Sweet, Senior, Indiana Wesleyan (Unranked)
When looking at Braden Sweet's resume, there's one thing that jumps out to us: He is seemingly a very team-oriented athlete. That is evidenced by his ability to consistently contribute across multiple events and by his involvement in relays.
The great part about competing in the NAIA is that there are a multitude of relay opportunities, and Braden Sweet has taken advantage of that.
The Indiana Wesleyan senior has contributed to the NAIA #5 mark in the 4x800-meter relay, along with the NAIA #3 result in the DMR. Not many athletes can say that they’re on two national-class relays, let alone two that are ranked among the top-five.
Of course, Sweet is more than just a baton holder. He is, after all, currently ranked at NAIA #7 in the mile with a 4:09 flat-track conversion. And based on his 3:49 (1500) PR from the spring of 2023, we think this IWU veteran could run even faster in the coming weeks.
12. Payton Mauldin, Senior, Dordt (+2 / 14)
There’s a new NAIA leader over 600 meters and his name is Payton Mauldin! The Dordt middle distance superstar is making the most of his final indoor track season of eligibility.
Over the last few weeks, the long-time veteran has flexed his elite speed anywhere from the 200 meters (21.48) all the way up to the 600 meters (1:17.23). And the craziest part? That’s a full two seconds outside of his PR! If Mauldin can translate the raw speed shown in his 200-meter personal best, then we could be in store for something special in the coming weeks.
11. Mehdi Nait Hamoud, Sophomore, Madonna (-2 / 9)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
10. Dean Reynolds, Rs. Junior, Spring Arbor (-2 / 8)
Southwestern Michigan’s finest put his Cougars on the map in a big way at the Jet’s Pizza Invite in Saginaw. There, Dean Reynolds ran on the anchor leg of his DMR, giving his squad the NAIA #4 spot on the national leaderboard.
We also saw the redshirt junior produce a quality mile result (4:09), closely following Tristan Trevino who is having a great season in his own right. Subsequently, that mile race was one of Reynold’s best efforts at the distance; and the closeness of the race suggests that the pace (five men within a little over a second) wasn’t super hot early-on.
In theory, that means that better marks are likely to come if Reynolds is able to find himself in a fast enough race in the coming weeks.
While it’s unclear what Reynolds will choose to run at the national meet (outside of the DMR, of course), the one thing that is clear is that he’ll have multiple options, something that every athlete aspires to have.
9. Hauke Trost, Sophomore, Cumberlands (KY) (+3 / 12)
Distance runners from Cumberlands (KY) and TSR’s NAIA rankings have become as big of a partnership as peanut butter and jelly. And each week, they’re showing us why that is.
Hauke Trost, the Patriots' newest middle distance star, flexed his mile strength a couple weeks back, running a head-turning three-second PR (4:09.26). In addition, the Cumberlands (KY) sophomore is leading the NAIA over 1000 meters (2:24.81), nearly a whole second ahead of the next athlete!
We'll be fascinated to see how Trost's newfound mile strength translates over to his primary event, which is seemingly the 1000 meters. If his latest effort is any indication, then he may still have more to offer in that event, meaning that his national title chances have potentially risen.
While he came away with a disappointing 8th place finish at last year's national meet in that event, it's hard to argue that Trost is the same runner in 2025 that he was in 2024.
8. Luca Madeo, Sophomore, Cumberlands (KY) (-2 / 6)
Luca Madeo is no stranger to the indoor limelight; a bronze medal at last year’s NAIA Indoor Championship (5k) showed us that. The Cumberlands (KY) star then followed that up with a 5th-place finish at the outdoor national meet (10k). And if that wasn't enough, he reinforced his status as an upper-echelon star with a top-10 finish at the cross country national meet this past fall.
All of those accolades proved to the world what we likely already knew; that Madeo is one of the best long distance runners in the NAIA.
The Cumberlands junior opened his post-holiday break campaign with a 14:22 (5k) effort. And while that is seven seconds removed from his personal best, Madeo is still showing us the consistency that is typically required to compete at the top level for the remainder of this season.
Madeo’s 14:15 (5k) effort still ranks as the NAIA #4 mark this winter. And if the German distance star has shown us anything over the last two years, it's that he’ll be ready to go when it matters the most.
7. Daniel Butler, Senior, College of Idaho (+6 / 13)
There have been no shortage of stellar performances from Daniel Butler this season. He continues to squeeze out times that are more-than-worthy of championship-caliber racing. His success from the fall months has now been showcased on the track and we are now witnesses to his season of PRs.
If his recent success is any indication, then Butler is on track to find a postseason peak at the end of this month. From opening his season with a PR in the mile to most recently bringing it down by another six seconds (4:07), we can't help but wonder if an even bigger result is coming.
If Butler finds the right flow in a fast race, then there is no telling how his season will end.
6. Luis Peralta, Junior, Milligan (-4 / 2)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
5. Tristan Trevino, Sophomore, Marian (IN) (+2 / 7)
Tristan Trevino keeps climbing in our rankings, and he has earned each spot every time. With the type of range that Trevino has displayed in the middle distances, he has begun to show his threat level to anyone whom he toes the line with.
Not only that, but Trevino has been a valuable team player as he has now posted two top-two marks, nationally, for Marian in the DMR and the 4x800-meter relay. He has also become an essential piece for his program, both individually and in a relay.
Dominance is definitely in the future for Trevino in the coming years, but for now, we will await to see what he does in the coming weeks.
4. Eli Fullerton, Senior, Indiana Wesleyan (0 / 4)
Although not much has happened in regards to individual racing for Eli Fullerton, he did recently anchor Indiana Wesleyan into a top-three DMR performance. He still sits in a top-five position in both the 3000 meters and the 5000 meters. He also boasts a 4:10 mile time via flat-track conversion.
We will wait and see whether Fullerton has capped his fitness for the season or if there is more in the tank going into the NAIA Indoor Regional Championships.
3. Michael Long, Rs. Freshman, Ave Maria (+1 / 4)
If Michael Long has shown us one thing this season, it’s that he has honed in on consistency. Already having run three 800-meter races this season, Long has hit a mark of 1:51 each time.
It is hard to find a young athlete who understands their respective distance as well as Long does, and it's even harder for a young athlete to be as consistent as Long has been. That is exactly why we have moved him into our top-three.
Even more impressively, Long is able to translate this speed to the mile as previously mentioned. Be on the lookout to see if Long throws himself into another mile race this season.
Regardless, as long as this Ave Maria star stays healthy until the end of the indoor track season, we are going to have a thrilling 800-meter race at the end of this month.
2. Youssef Asslouj, Sophomore, Cumberlands (KY) (+1 / 3)
A dominant force in the longer distances, Youssef Asslouj is constantly proving that he is not to be messed with this season. Still holding the top spot over 5000 meters, Asslouj dropped down in distance to the 3000 meters and found himself in the top spot of yet another event.
We knew Youssef Asslouj was good, but with a 3000-meter like this one where he nearly broke the eight-minute barrier, there is no telling what the sophomore has in store going into the postseason.
We do, however, have to get through the remainder of this indoor track season first, and that in itself will be a treat for fans if Asslouj continues to go all-out.
1. Bryn Woodall, Senior, Milligan (0 / 1)
The Milligan senior should start bringing a chair when reading these rankings; it looks like he might need to get comfortable at the top.
After another couple weeks of racing, Bryn Woodall still stands tall as the star of the NAIA. His depth in nearly all events, along with his absurdly quick times, make Woodall the most exceptional runner who the NAIA has to offer.
It would be hard to bet against a talent like Woodall, regardless of whether the distance is the 800 meters or the 5000 meters. He has seemingly found a balance between tactical and aggressive racing, something that should greatly benefit him on the national stage.
To add even more excitement, as this is being written, Woodall just ran his first 1000-meter race of the season at the Appalachian AC Indoor Track Championships in an astonishing time of 2:23!
If it wasn’t obvious yet, this Milligan senior is having the season of a lifetime -- and we are here for it.
ADDED
Serhii Shevchenko (Cumberlands (KY))
Tyler Jenkins (Rio Grande)
Yanis Le Mouillour (Keiser)
Tommy Baker (St. Mary (KS))
Braden Sweet (Indiana Wesleyan)
Camden Khon (Spring Arbor)
KICKED OFF
Carter Gordon (Lewis-Clark)
Liam Neidig (St. Mary (KS))
Demetris Love Jr. (Embry-Riddle Arizona)
Mathew Keitany (Goshen)
Jack Anderson (The Master’s)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Tommy Baker (St. Mary (KS))
Winston Telford (Milligan)
Dylan Grandon (St. Ambrose)
Julian Avila (Kansas Wesleyan)
Tommy Ott (Indiana Wesleyan)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Liam Neidig (St. Mary (KS))
Braden Vernot (Indiana Wesleyan)
Zack Gacnik (Carroll (MT))
Chris Miserendino (St. Ambrose)
Charles Leedke (Marian)
