The 2023 CTFL draft saw 145 athletes be selected by the league’s four teams in hopes of guiding them to a championship. Almost one year later, the results of the team’s picks have been felt. Some picks panned out, while others didn’t. “Sleepers” lit up the league and injuries sidelined athletes seemingly destined for greatness. 

With athlete registration closing in three days, we look at five additional prospects. These athletes are are extremely talented, some have the potential to be competitive within their division while others look poised for a sweep of all three marks. 

Donna Ntambue, 100m

Ntambue enters the draft pool as a dangerous prospect. The 23-year-old recorded her personal best of 11.54 at the 2023 Canadian Championships in Langley, B.C. Compared to the CTFL athletes 2023 times, Ntambue’s run would see her cross the finish line with a comfortable lead. Ntambue’s indoor season is off to a good start as she broke her own school record, running a 7.32 in the 60m dash at the Mcgill Team Challenge on Jan. 27. In her second year at McGill University, Ntambue was previously a two-sport athlete, running track and playing basketball at both Northeastern University and the University of Utah. Teams will look to take the sprinter high in the draft, as she looks poised to dominate the discipline.

Best Fit: Arctics

Devon Zuchotzki, 400m

A fast runner entering an already fast discipline, Zuchotzki will be valuable. The University of Calgary sprinter clocked his personal best, a 47.78, at Calgary’s CALTAF Classic in June 2023. In a discipline where one runner recorded a sub-fourty-six second time, and three ran sub-fourty-eight, Zuchotzki will face tough competition. At just 21 years old, the sprinter is making rapid improvements to his time. Zuchotzki has run six events in the 2024 indoor season, and recorded a personal best in every one. With noticeable improvements in his already impressive times, Zuchotzki looks like a promising draft pick.

Best Fit: Bears

Matthew Beaudet, 1500m

 Beaudet has the potential to set a new standard in his discipline. Last year, CTFL fans will remember the 1500m discipline delivered one of the most exciting races of the year, where Huskies’ Alec Purnell edged out Bears’ Simon Bérubé in a photo-finish. If Beaudet was able to deliver his 2023 season best, a 3:40.39, he would’ve crossed the line more than two seconds before the pair. Even on an off-day, Beaudet will compete for the top three, averaging a time of 3:43.29 over his nine recorded 1500m times of the 2023 season. The 23-year-old will be on all four team’s radars, as he looks like a threatening talent.

Best Fit: Spitfires

Jadyn Keeler, 5000m

Similar to Olivia Roussel in the last edition of Top Prospects, Keeler will enter the CTFL and make an immediate impact in her discipline. With a personal best of 16:59.68, she will certainly compete for a top spot. The University of North Dakota distance runner recently broke her school’s 3000m record with a time of 9:40.61. Almost a minute faster than the second-placed athlete of the 2023 season, Keeler will be sought after due to her ability to pick up big points.

Best Fit: Huskies

Brandon Smith-Drouin, 200m

Smith-Drouin is an interesting prospect. The sprinter boasts a personal best of 21.43, faster than the mark of any runner in the 2023 season, but that was in 2017. Now 32 years old, the most recent time run by Smith-Drouin was a 21.88 in July 2022. Despite a slight drop off, the Université de Sherbrooke alumni looks like he can still compete for a top 3 spot in the discipline. Teams will look to pick up Smith-Drouin to get an edge in a discipline that saw its top four spots occupied by athletes from all four teams.

Best Fit: Huskies, Bears

With just a few months until the draft, teams will be looking through the draft pool for the best-fitting athletes. These ten will likely high picks in the draft, as they look able to fix gaps in different teams rosters. Aside from the ten athletes, there are many other talented prospects available for selection. With over 100 athletes registered, teams will have to strategically chose who to pick, and when, to boost their chances of victory in the 2024 CTFL season.