Grand Canyon, Grand Valley State Remain Atop DII Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – The Grand Canyon men and Grand Valley State women both retain their No. 1 rankings in the first regular-season edition of the National Computer Team Rankings released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The first regional rankings of the season were also released Tuesday.

National Rannking PDFs: Top 25 | Full Rankings By Team | Event-by-Event | TFRRS Top 10 NCAA Qual. Bests
Week-by-Week PDFs: By Rank | By Team | All-Time
Regional Ranking PDFs: Top 10 Teams | By Team | By Event
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The Antelopes of Grand Canyon and the Adams State Grizzlies entered last weekend’s DII Meet of the Week at the New Mexico Cherry and Silver Invitational as the No. 1 and 2 teams on the men’s side, respectively, and the No. 3 and 4 teams on the women’s.

The men’s ranking holds firm, though the Grizzlies gained some ground and moved within 30 points of the Antelopes. They received a significant boost from top-five DII distance performances from top DII miler Tabor Stevens (4:08.75, converted to 4:03.33 for altitude) and No. 4 Matt Daniels in the 3000 (8:29.21, converted to 8:16.67). The Antelopes, meanwhile, garnered four national top-10 performances in the past two weeks, led by freshman Dario Horvat (6.69, converted to 6.71) dashing to the fastest 60 in the division.

Adams State’s women jump past Lincoln (Mo.) into the second spot on the power of a strong showing in the 3000 meters with two runners in the top 10 of the division. The Lakers of Grand Valley State remain comfortably at the top, with 237.45 points and a more than 50 point lead.

The National Computer Team Rankings project how a team will finish in a National Championship Meet setting, rather than a triangular or dual. The rankings are compiled from meet data in the 2012-13 season, but also from returners from the 2011-12 to take into account what a roster might look like should all student-athletes perform at their top level.

While the Grand Valley State women sit atop the rankings, their male teammates are making a charge for the top of the men’s rankings, jumping 11 spots into the No. 5 position. Also moving into the top five is Saint Augustine’s, up three spots to No. 3. UMass Lowell and American International were displaced from the top five.

The Adams State-Lincoln (Mo.) switch was the only movement in the women’s top five.

The next round of computer rankings will be released January 29. The 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Birmingham, Ala., March 7-9.

Biggest Jump (Men): 34 – Academy of Art
Biggest Jump (Women): 21 – Sioux Falls
Biggest Fall (Men): 7 – Missouri Southern
Biggest Fall (Women): 12 – Missouri Southern