South Plains Men and Women Stay on Top of NJCAA DI Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – For the fourth straight week, the South Plains men and women are the No. 1-ranked NJCAA Division I track & field teams.  The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released the division’s computer rankings on Wednesday morning.

Both top tens remained the same. The men’s decet remained exactly the same: behind South Plains were No. 2 Central Arizona, No. 3 Iowa Central, No. 4 Barton County, No. 5 Iowa Western, No. 6 Coffeyville, No. 7 Western Texas, No. 8 Monroe, No. 9 Mesa, and No. 10 Cloud County. 

In the women’s rankings, No. 2 Iowa Central and No. 3 New Mexico held down the top three for the second straight week. Nos. 4 and 5 Central Arizona and Coffeyville swapped spots, as did Nos. 8 and 9 Western Texas and North Iowa Area.  Between them, Nos. 6 and 7 Iowa Western and Barton County stayed there for the third straight week. No. 10 Vincennes filled out the top ten.

No. 17 Essex County (N.J.) made the biggest jump in the men’s rankings, climbing there from No. 22.  At No. 24, Richard Bland—named not after vanilla flavors but a member of the House of Burgesses—was the only men’s squad to be newly ranked this week.

Lansing, at No. 19, was the only women’s team to join the top twenty-five in week six.  The Stars moved up eleven spots to do so.

Iowa Central and Iowa Western continue to trade the No. 1 men’s spot in the Midwest region. The Tritons of Iowa Central have the regional number one ranking this week.

The NJCAA Division I rankings will be released every Wednesday between now and the May 14-16 national championships in Hutchinson, Kansas.