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NCAA Division 1 Preseason Top 30 Women

Published by
DyeStat.com   Sep 2nd 2017, 3:33pm
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Defending champ Schweizer leads top NCAA returners

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Rankings based on who's back this fall and eligible to run. It does not take into consideration incoming freshmen.

1. Karissa Schweizer, senior, Missouri: Reigning champion has only gotten stronger following 5,000-meter national titles in both indoor and outdoor track, along with a fourth-place result in 15:18.69 at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

2. Allie Ostrander, junior, Boise State: When healthy, she’s as good as anyone in the country, evidenced by her runner-up cross country performance as a true freshman in 2015 and 3,000 steeplechase title on the track in June.

3. Anna Rohrer, junior, Notre Dame: If she can rebound from a back injury suffered during the spring, she’ll again be a factor after placing sixth and third at the past two national finals.

4. Brenna Peloquin, junior, Boise State: The Broncos boast arguably the best 1-2 punch in the country, with Peloquin – ninth and sixth the past two seasons at nationals – and Ostrander.

5. Katie Rainsberger, sophomore, Oregon: Always a factor in championship races, a fourth-place finish last year helped her score for the Ducks at nationals in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.

6. Amy-Eloise Neale, senior, Washington: After capturing Pac-12 and West Region individual titles last season, she placed eighth at nationals.

7. Sharon Lokedi, junior, Kansas: As consistent as they come, she has finished in the top 10 in every national cross country or track final in her career, including fifth last season.

8. Charlotte Taylor, senior, San Francisco: The defending national 10,000 champion got her momentum going in the right direction after improving from 118th at the 2015 cross country finals to 10th last season.

9. Alice Wright, senior, New Mexico: It could be another memorable year for the Lobos, with the veteran seeking a fourth career top-20 national finish, including fifth in 2015.

10. Allie Buchalski, senior, Furman: After placing seventh in the 2015 national final, she redshirted last year, but placed sixth in the outdoor 5,000 championship in the spring.

11. Elinor Purrier, senior, New Hampshire: After not advancing past the Northeast Regionals her first two seasons, she not only won it last year, but placed seventh at the national championships.

12. Ednah Kurgat, sophomore, New Mexico: Competed sparingly for the Lobos during indoor and outdoor track following her transfer from Liberty, where she placed 12th at the 2015 national cross country final.

13. Dani Jones, junior, Colorado: Improved from 49th as a freshman in 2015 to 22nd at last year’s national final, then won indoor track titles in the 3,000 and as the anchor on the Buffaloes distance medley relay.

14. Taylor Werner, sophomore, Arkansas: Impressed in her national championship debut with a 16th-place finish, then capped her first collegiate track season by winning the 3,000 at the Pan American U20 final.

15. Katherine Receveur, junior, Indiana: Following a 100th-place finish at the 2015 Great Lakes regional, she improved to 11th nationally last year, then added a third-place effort in the outdoor 5,000 final.

16. Alli Cash, senior, Oregon: Has been one of the top two finishers for the Ducks in all three of her national final appearances, including career-best 14th-place effort during last year’s team championship run.

17. Kaitlyn Benner, senior, Colorado: Has been a top-three scorer for the Buffaloes in the past three national finals, including a 16th-place performance in 2015.

18. Vanessa Fraser, senior, Stanford: Following a seventh-place result in the 5,000 in 15:25.48 at the USATF Outdoor Championships, the graduate student appears primed for her strongest cross country season.

19. Alsu Bogdanova, senior, Eastern Michigan: An 81st-place finish at last year’s national final doesn’t indicate her full potential, but a runner-up showing in the outdoor 5,000 was a significant breakthrough.

20. Elizabeth Chikotas, senior, Penn State: Following a 15th-place individual effort last year, she could lead the Nittany Lions to a top-10 team finish for the first time since 1994 with the support of Jillian Hunsberger and Tessa Barrett.

21. Peyton Bilo, junior, Cal Poly: One of the country’s most improved performers, elevating from  172nd at the 2015 national final to 23rd last year.

22. Gina Sereno, senior, Michigan: A tribute to her perseverance, she was 200th as a freshman, 90th in 2015 and 30th last season, along with making the indoor 3,000 and outdoor 5,000 national finals.

23. Jordann McDermitt, senior, Eastern Michigan: After only competing at the Great Lakes regionals her first two seasons, she placed 24th at nationals last year, then qualified for the indoor 5,000 and outdoor 10,000 finals on the track.

24. Rachel Koon, junior, North Carolina State: A two-time national finalist, she placed 25th last season and will take over leadership duties for the Wolfpack following the departure of Erika Kemp.

25. Courtney Smith, senior, Stanford: One of the deepest lineups in the country only got stronger following her transfer from Harvard, where she produced a 35th-place performance at last year’s nationals.

26. Lauren LaRocco, senior, Portland: Enjoyed a breakthrough junior year with a 29th-place finish at nationals, followed by championship track appearances at the indoor 5,000 and USATF outdoor 10,000.

27. Jamie Kempfer, senior, Missouri: Could provide valuable support for Schweizer again as the Tigers look to improve on last year’s 16th-place finish at nationals, where she took 27th, before placing ninth on the track in the outdoor 10,000 championship.

28. Fiona O’Keeffe, sophomore, Stanford: Raced only four times in her debut cross country season, culminating with a 37th-place finish at nationals, then competed in the outdoor 5,000 three times, placing fifth at the track championships.

29. Alyssa Snyder, junior, Utah State: The Montana State transfer has never advanced past the regionals in cross country, but her fourth-place result in the outdoor 10,000 final demonstrated impressive upside.

T30. Avery Evenson, senior, Michigan: Looking to regain the form that produced an 18th-place performance at last year’s nationals, following a limited indoor track schedule and redshirting the outdoor season.

T30. Sarah Disanza, senior, Wisconsin: Her finest moment came with a runner-up effort at the 2014 national cross county final, but she placed 54th last season, before rebounding to finish seventh in the 5,000 at the outdoor track championship. 



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