2022 NCAA DII Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – This past weekend did not disappoint!
Here is the fourth installment of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday. Only marks from the current season are being used, which gives a comprehensive, objective look at which teams have stood out throughout the season.
NCAA Division II — Women's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M
2
Azusa Pacific
Azusa Pacific
3
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
4
Minnesota State
Minnesota State
5
Fresno Pacific
Fresno Pacific
All TFRI Reports
West Texas A&M held steady at No. 1 for the fourth-straight week. Eleonora Curtabbi gave the Lady Buffs their lone top-10 performance from this past weekend. Curtabbi improved her national lead in the steeplechase after running a season best 10:09.85 in the steeplechase at the Mt. SAC Relays on Wednesday night. The Lady Buffs have 13 national top-10 marks to date, including three chart toppers: Curtabbi in the steeplechase; Taylor Nelloms in the triple jump; Zada Swoopes in the shot put.
Azusa Pacific is up two spots to No. 2 in Week 4. The Cougars reeled in five new or improved national top-10 efforts during the Bryan Clay Invitational. The top event for Azusa Pacific was the heptathlon with three new performances in the heptathlon: Nicole Warwick is the national leader with 5552 points; Alysa Henry is No. 5 with 5118 points; Luisa Fischer is No. 8 with a score of 4920. Jennifer Sandoval also clocked the second-fastest time of the year in the 10,000 with her 33:10.74 winner to give her another mark on the NCAA DII all-time list (Sandoval is currently No. 5 at 32:58.39).
Grand Valley State dropped one spot to No. 3 to no fault of its own. The Lakers picked up nine new or improved national top-10 marks between the Mt. SAC Relays and the Kennesaw State Invitational, with eight of those efforts coming in the distance events. Three of those marks reside in the top-3 on the Descending Order List: Taryn Chapko is No. 3 in the 800 at 2:07.24; Hannah Becker is No. 2 in the steeplechase at 10:19.04; Allie Ludge is No. 2 in the 5000 at 16:01.50. Ludge also ran the No. 6 time in the 1500 with her 4:22.95.
Minnesota State made a two spot jump from No. 6 to No. 4. The Mavericks tallied eight new or improved national top-10 marks, including a new No. 1 in the 4×100 relay (44.65) at the Mt. SAC Relays. Two athletes on that relay, Makayla Jackson and Denisha Cartwright, turned in other strong marks to boost the Mavericks: Jackson improved her national lead in the long jump with a windy 6.59m (21-7½) (+2.4) and ran the fourth-fastest time in the 100 of 11.49 (-0.3); Cartwright clocked the season’s second-fastest time in the 100H of 13.65 (+1.0) in addition to running on that relay.
Fresno Pacific fell two spots to No. 5. The Sunbirds turned in three top-5 national marks at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Kyla Richardson had a hand in two of those efforts, as she took over the national lead in the 100 with a windy 11.39 (+3.5) and was part of the Sunbirds’ 4×400 relay that ran a season best 3:39.60 to better their No. 1 position. Madison Flores also ran a season best 54.42 in the 400 for the fifth-best time this year.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 4: No. 6 Adams State (up three spots), No. 7 Pittsburg State (up three spots), No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce (down three spots), No. 9 Fort Hays State (up 10 spots) and No. 10 Academy of Art (up seven spots). The Grizzlies shined at the Mt. SAC Relays, as Roisin Flanagan set the NCAA DII record in the 5000 in 15:28.41 and Brianna Robles is the No. 4 performer in the 10,000 at 25:50.06.
Mark your calendars for May 26-28, because that’s when the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan!
