Findlay Men Move to No. 1 in NCAA Division II Indoor T&F National Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – Findlay may be a program known most predominantly for the prowess of its throwers, but it was freshman sprinters and jumpers who put its men’s team over the top for the No. 1 spot in the third regular-season edition of the NCAA Division II National Team Computer Rankings released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The Oilers struck paydirt at Hillsdale this weekend with a pair of first-year competitors in fourth-ranked triple jumper Michael Bruce and No. 8 quarter-miler Sergi Torres, propelling them past GLIAC rival Ashland and a falling Minnesota State squad.

All three squads remain very close. Findlay claimed the top spot with 143.82 points (a high national rank for an athlete in an event(s) means more points for him/her; more high-scoring athletes means more points for a team), but Ashland remained No. 2 with 135.31 points and Minnesota State took a slight tumble from No. 1 with 131.32 points.

Rounding out the men’s top five were No. 4 Colorado Mines and the 2015 top-five debut of two-time defending national champion Saint Augustine’s at No. 5.

The top three women’s teams remained stationary this week. Central Missouri stayed on top, followed very closely by No. 2 Ashland and less closely by No. 3 Simon Fraser.

NCAA Division II National Coaches’ Poll Top 5 – Men 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Findlay Ashland Minnesota St. Colorado Mines Saint Augustine’s View Complete Men’s National Coaches’ Poll   NCAA Division II National Coaches’ Poll Top 5 – Women 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Central Missouri Ashland Simon Fraser Lincoln (Mo.). Grand Valley St View Complete Women’s National Coaches’ Poll

Moving up to No. 4 was outdoor national champion Lincoln (Mo.), which displaced Grand Valley State down a position to No. 5.

After dropping from No. 5 to No. 18 last week, U-Mary is back in the conversation at No. 6 behind its top-ranked distance medley relay squad.

Reigning indoor women’s national champion Adams State slipped five spots to No. 13.

Making the biggest upward moves of the rankings were the Texas A&M-Commerce men at No. 21 following a 31-spot gain, and the No. 17 Pittsburg State women with a 19-position improvement.