2021 NCAA DI Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 10
NEW ORLEANS – By this time next week, the best of the best in NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field will be in Eugene, Oregon, for the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the reimagined Hayward Field.
It’s time to find out which men’s teams the most recent National TFRI – released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association – feels will be in contention for a national title and those other coveted podium spots come next Friday night.
NCAA Division I — Men's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
LSU
LSU
2
Oregon
Oregon
3
Southern California
Southern California
4
Texas
Texas
5
BYU
BYU
All TFRI Reports
LSU is the overwhelming favorite to win its first outdoor national title since 2002. Eleven of the Tigers’ 15 entries into the NCAA Championships are ranked among the top-5 in their respective events, including five national-leading efforts: JuVaughn Harrison (high jump-long jump) and Terrance Laird (100-200) each have two of them, while Noah Williams headlines the 400. LSU hopes to score big points in the 110H, too, as Damion Thomas and Eric Edwards Jr. are ranked second and fourth, respectively. Look for other top Tigers in the field and relays as well.
Host Oregon is expected to be LSU’s biggest competition next week. The second-ranked Ducks, looking for their first outdoor national title since 2015, own 15 entries – of which six are ranked among the top-5 in their respective events. All eyes are on Cole Hocker in the 1500 and 5000, as he’ll look to become the first man in meet history to win both events in the same year (Sheila Reid of Villanova is the only athlete to do so back in 2011). Two stars from Oregon’s run to the indoor title stepped up in a big way at the NCAA DI West Preliminary Round: Emmanuel Ihemeje bounded to the third-best mark of the season in the triple jump; Micah Williams improved his seasonal best in the 100 to 10.00, which sits fifth nationally.
Southern California has its sights on its 49th podium finish in program history. The third-ranked Trojans hauled in 14 entries across 12 events, of which six are ranked among the top-5 in their respective events. Isaiah Jewett is a national leader in the 800 with his 1:45.16 mark from the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships a few weeks ago, while Matthew Katnik and Nathan Bultman are ranked second and third nationally in the shot put and hammer, respectively.
Texas hasn’t made the podium since 2008, but is looking to update that stat next week. The fourth-ranked Longhorns take 12 entries with them to Eugene, Oregon, including three that are ranked among the top-5 in their respective events. O’Brien Wasome is still the national leader in the triple jump at 17.06m (55-11¾), a mark that he recorded back on March 6. Steffin McCarter is ranked second in the long jump at 8.35m (27-4¾) and Tripp Piperi has come on strong after an early-season injury to hit the No. 6 performer this season in the shot put.
BYU enters the NCAA Championships ranked fifth, fighting for its first podium finish since 2005. The Cougars qualified 14 entries for the meet and surprisingly, only six of those came in mid-distance and/or distance events (1500, steeple, 5000, 10,000). Outside of those events, BYU could shake up the form chart in events such as the 400, 4×100 and 4×400 relays, with top-5 potential in the pole vault (Zach McWhorter) and javelin (Cameron Bates).
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 10: No. 6 Florida State, No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 10 Iowa State. While the Seminoles remained in place from Week 9, the Aggies, Crimson Tide, Wildcats and Cyclones all jumped multiple spots.
