2022 NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 1

NEW ORLEANS – Spring has sprung!

Here is the debut edition of the NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index for the 2022 season. Only marks from the current season are being used, which gives a comprehensive, objective look at which teams have stood out in the early goings.

NAIA — Men's Outdoor Track & Field

This Week's National Top Five

1
Southeastern (Fla.)

2
The Master's (Calif.)

3
Indiana Tech

4
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)

5
Dillard (La.)

All TFRI Reports

NATIONAL TFRI
PDFs: Team Detail | Event Detail

REGIONAL TFRI
PDFs: Team Summary | Event Summary

When you pack the Descending Order List with top marks, you’re bound to get rewarded. That’s the case for top-ranked Southeastern (Fla.), as the squad has 15 athletes ranked among the top-10 performers nationwide. Look for big things from the Fire in the 100 meters and 110-meter hurdles, specifically. Southeastern (Fla.) has three different athletes ranked among the top-5 performers in each of those events, including a three-way tie for the fourth spot in the 100.

The Master’s (Calif.) parlayed a strong start to the season into a No. 2 ranking. Endurance athletes shall lead the Mustangs, as 11 of their 15 national top-10 performers are in events from the 1500 meters to the 10,000 meters. Wesley Methum is the top-ranked performer in both the 5000m (14:16.57) and 10,000m (29:39.30), while Brint Laubach (30:01.44) and Daniel Rush (30:37.10) are ranked second and third, respectively, on the seasonal 10,000m chart.

Indiana Tech holds down the No. 3 ranking to begin the season. The Warriors have seven national top-10 performers to their credit, including two that top the chart: Daunte O’Bannion in the 400 meters (46.16) as well as the 4×400 relay (3:11.50). Joshua Ballard is the second-ranked athlete in the long jump (7.10m/23-3½), as is Collins Mokuah in the 400m (52.95).

Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and Dillard (La.) are separated by just 0.46 ranking points in fourth and fifth, respectively, which is an infinitesimal total according to the TFRI. The Warriors are buoyed by two national leaders in the guise of Leon Menten in the javelin (63.70m/207-8) and Christian Bothwell in the decathlon (5944 points), while the Bleu Devils also have two of their own with Jamaal Morris Jr. in the 200 meters (20.91) and the 4×100 relay (40.51).

Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 1: No. 6 Montreat (N.C.), No. 7 Milligan (Tenn.), No. 8 Taylor (Ind.), No. 9 Keiser (Fla.) and No. 10 Midland (Neb.).

Mark your calendars for May 25-27, as that’s when the 2022 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held once again in Gulf Shores, Alabama.