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*Honorable mentions below*
KEY
(Unranked)
Was not ranked during the last update.
(#/#)
First number indicates the change in a runner's ranking from the prior update.
Second number indicates where the runner was ranked during the last update.
25. Julia Rizk, Senior, Ohio State (-8 / 17)
I just couldn't find enough of a reason to take the indoor mile national champ out of our rankings. Her 2:05/4:15 season bests show off some impressive range, but there are so many talented women that it's hard to put her ahead of certain athletes.
24. Lauren Ellsworth, Sophomore, BYU (Unranked)
She ran 2:02 at the Sun Angel Classic which was enough to defeat Oregon's Susan Ejore and briefly hold the top time in the country for a few weeks (until this past weekend). Her 4:18 1500 is surprising strength for someone who has displayed elite middle distance speed.
23. Whittni Orton, Junior, BYU (0 / 23)
Her 2:06/4:14 seasonal bests are about as impressive as what we've seen from Rizk so far, but she has displayed a lot more consistency this season compared to indoors. She was the 2nd best collegiate at Bryan Clay and was the top collegiate at Stanford. For that reason, she secures the #23 spot.
22. Avi Tal Wilson-Perteete, Sophomore, UNLV (Unranked)
We saw a huge breakout performance from Wilson-Perteete at Bryan Clay where she ran a monster NCAA #1 time of 2:02. She's been a top mid-distance talent, but this is the first time she's entered the "elite" conversation.
21. Paige Stoner, Senior, Syracuse (+1 / 22)
A 10:01 steeplechaser with a time of 32:07 in the 10,000 meters is a strong pair of results for one of the most slept on runners in the country. We may not be giving her enough respect in these rankings, but after a quiet indoor season, I'm looking to see what else she can do.
20. Sarah Feeny, Junior, Utah (Unranked)
4:13 (NCAA #3) and 15:41 (NCAA #7) is one of the best 1500/5k time pairings that we've seen all season. She was a key sleeper pick during the indoor season, but she has emerged as a legitimate ace for Utah and a true national contender. Feeny's progress is exciting and makes her a big name to watch in the postseason.
19. Chalotte Prouse, Junior, New Mexico (-9 / 10)
Her 16:16 5k at Bryan Clay was admittedly underwhelming, but she is entered in the steeplechase for Payton Jordan. She'll be a key name to watch in that event as she is one of the few women capable of challenging Ostrander.
18. Makena Morley, Junior, Colorado (+2 / 20)
Her 15:43 at Stanford was solid (and something we expected), but her 4:19 1500 at the Cardinal Classic was a bit underwhelming. That said, if you're familiar with Morley, then you know that she thrives in championship races. Come mid-May, she'll be peaking at the right time.
17. Sinclaire Johnson, Junior, Oklahoma State (+4 / 21)
She's only finished one race this season, but her 4:13 at the Cardinal Classic where she took home the victory makes Johnson a very legitimate threat to win the national title in the 1500 if Hull opts to move up to the 5000 meters. Do not underestimate this Oklahoma State junior.
16. Josette Norris, Senior, Georgetown (Unranked)
Her 15:46 at the Stanford Invite was a huge breakout performance for the Hoya veteran, but the real stunner was seeing her drop a 10 second personal best in the 1500 meters where she ran a time of 4:13 (NCAA #5). There may not be any woman in the NCAA with as much momentum as her.
15. Lauren Gregory, Rs. Freshman, Arkansas (-1 / 14)
Gregory is in a similar boat as Morley with a respectable 5k time of 15:42, but a very average 1500 of 4:20. However, after such a phenomenal indoor season, it's hard to push her out of the top 15. That said, I'll be looking for a big performance from her as she enters the postseason.
14. Jessica Harris, Senior, Notre Dame (Unranked)
Prior to this outdoor season, Harris was one of the more underrated athletes. Despite personal bests of 4:11 and 2:03, she didn't gain much attention from the TSR crew until now. She's back where she left off with an NCAA #1 time of 4:13 as well as a season best of 2:04. Harris is yet another name who could contend for gold in a wide-open 1500 field.
13. Martha Bissah, Junior, Norfolk State (+6 / 19)
We know Bissah as more of an 800 runner, but a 4:18 personal best is wildly impressive for someone like herself. It's one of her better displays of strength and it should likely benefit her in the next month and a half.
12. Adva Cohen, Sophomore, New Mexico (Unranked)
Like Harris, we failed to acknowledge someone as talented as Cohen. She finished runner-up to teammate Weini Kelati at Bryan Clay with an NCAA #2 time of 15:31 and is set to toe the line at Payton Jordan for her best event (the steeplechase). With a personal best of 9:29, which was run in Germany last August, she is someone who can challenge Ostrander for the title at NCAA's.
11. Rachel Pocratsky, Senior, Virginia Tech (+1 / 12)
Running 2:04 and 4:20 doesn't necessarily jump off the page, but she's still a top talent who will be in the national title conversation for 800 meters come June. As long as she doesn't fall off or get complacent, Pocratsky will keep her rank as one of the top women in the nation.
10. Taylor Werner, Rs. Sophomore, Arkansas (-2 / 8)
I love the range that we've seen from Taylor Werner so far this outdoor season. Admittedly, her 4:17 wasn't crazy impressive. However, when you pair that mark with an NCAA #4 time of 32:26 in the 10k, her range becomes far more valuable. I'll be interested to see how she fares in the 5000 meters later this season.
9. Nicole Hutchinson, Senior, Villanova (+2 / 11)
I value consistency and Hutchinson has plenty of it. She was the top collegiate at the Sam Howell running a time of 4:14 and she later came back to finish 3rd in a time of 4:15 at the Cardinal Classic. Her massive success from indoors keeps in her in the top 10, but I would like to see her in the 5000 meters before the BIG East Championships role around.
8. Allie Wilson, Senior, Monmouth (+7 / 15)
Wilson has one of the best 800/1500 times of the entire spring season so far. Her 2:03 at the Sam Howell Invite validated her breakout indoor season, but her 4:15 is what really caught my attention. That is some impressive range for a woman who likes to make strong surges and get to the front. While the middle distance attention may fall on Danae Rivers, Wilson is someone who is slowly developing into a national title threat.
7. Ednah Kurgat, Senior, New Mexico (+2 / 9)
I wont lie. We've been a bit critical of Kurgat as of late which may be a bit unfair when you consider what she's done so far this season. Her 10k performance at Stanford now sits at #3 in the country (32:14) and her 1500 time of 4:18 shows us that she has some respectable speed. I'm not sure she's still a threat to win a national title, but she's a top-tier talent.
6. Alicia Monson, Senior, Wisconsin (-2 / 4)
For someone of Monson's caliber, I think it's fair to say that her 33:02 10k (NCAA #12) from Stanford was underwhelming. Although it was less than ideal, there shouldn't be any urgency for her. She's likely focusing on the postseason and not concerned with running personal bests. We haven't seen her race since Stanford, but we can likely expect her back on the track in the near future.
5. Weini Kelati, Sophomore, New Mexico (+1 / 6)
Kelati has only raced once this season, but it resulted in an NCAA #1 time of 15:23 and a convincing win. Everyone knows how talented she is and if Hull drops down to 1500 meters, she'll be in the conversation to win the national title...again.
4. Erica Birk, Rs. Junior, BYU (+3 / 7)
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Erica Birk, but it's for good reason. After challenging Hull in both the 3000 and DMR at the indoor national meet, Birk went on to run 15:38 at the Stanford (finishing runner-up to Hull again). Since then, she's run 4:13 in the 1500 and 9:55 in the steeplechase. Right now, Birk is flexing her fitness to the rest of the country and I love the range she's showing off. For that reason, I have her at #4 in our rankings.
3. Danae Rivers, Junior, Penn State (0 / 3)
Rivers has kept her momentum going from the winter. After winning the Florida Relays in a time of 2:03, she moved back up to the 1500 distance and ran 4:15 at the Virginia Challenge. None of this is super surprising, but it's nice to know that she's staying consistent at such a high level.
2. Allie Ostrander, Rs. Junior, Boise State (+3 / 5)
Something just seems different with Ostrander this spring. She soundly defeated her competition at the Stanford Invite, finishing as the top collegiate in an NCAA #1 time of 32:06 and easily cruised past Ednah Kurgat (who has had Ostrander's number for most of her career). After running a personal best of 4:14 (NCAA #9) at Bryan Clay, the Boise State star is displaying range and speed that we've never from her before. She'll race her best event (the steeplechase) at Payton Jordan where she could bolster her resume even more.
1. Jessica Hull, Rs. Junior, Oregon (0 / 1)
She ran 15:34 at the Stanford Invite to easily take home the win over a slew of top-tier names. With still no sign of Dani Jones, Hull is now the undeniable #1 runner in the country...and there's not much of an argument against that.
Honorable Mentions (no order)
Carina Viljoen (Arkansas)
Cailie Logue (Iowa State)
Nia Akins (Penn)
Susan Aneno (UCONN)
Isobel Batt-Doyle (Washington)
Susan Ejore (Oregon)
Jazmine Fray (Texas A&M)
Jessica Drop (Georgia)
Hannah Steelman (Wofford)