New Faces Dot Top-5 of NCAA DIII National Team Rankings

NEW ORLEANS — The balance of power on one side of the National Team Computer Rankings, as released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), in NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field is perfectly clear. The other? Not so much.

NCAA Division III National Team Rankings Top 5 – Men 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse UW-Whitewater St. Olaf Monmouth (Ill.) 146.67 pts 131.79 pts 96.95 pts 96.79 pts 96.42 pts View Complete Men’s National Coaches’ Poll   NCAA Division III National Team Rankings Top 5 – Women 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Illinois-Wesleyan Nebraska-Wesleyan MIT UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse 144.89 pts 114.04 pts 101.87 pts 98.70 pts 88.24 pts View Complete Women’s National Coaches’ Poll

After some reshuffling in the men’s rankings, the state of Wisconsin boasts the top-3 programs in the nation — No. 1 UW-Eau Claire, No. 2 UW-La Crosse (up from No. 3 last week) and No. 3 UW-Whitewater (down from No. 2).

In the women’s rankings, no state owns a true stake in the proceedings — but Nebraska Wesleyan is making quite the charge at the No. 1 spot. The Prairie Wolves vaulted from No. 6 to No. 2 this week behind top-ranked Illinois Wesleyan.

Overall, there are three teams in the women’s rankings with more than 100 points — Illinois Wesleyan (144.89), Nebraska Wesleyan (114.04) and No. 3 MIT (101.87) — compared to only two men’s teams — UW-Eau Claire (146.67) and UW-La Crosse (131.79).

Points in the National Team Computer Rankings are based off placement in the descending order lists. The higher an athlete sits on the list, the more points he or she adds to his or her team’s total. These points do not reflect placement or scoring at the NCAA Championships, but show the individuals and teams that have the best chances at scoring well at said meet.

Note: The National Team Computer Rankings should not be referred to as a “poll” since no voting occurs during the process.

Starting with the men’s rankings, UW-La Crosse cut into UW-Eau Claire’s lead this past weekend at the Wisconsin Red & White Open and the UW-Stevens Point Eastbay Open. It was in those meets that Ernest Winters (now top-10 nationally in the 60 and 200), Cyrus Mason (top-6 in the 400), Nathan Berg (top-6 in the weight throw) and two relay teams (4×400, DMR) turned in strong performances.

St. Olaf surged from No. 9 last week to No. 4 this week after its DMR team turned in Division III’s third fastest time (10:02.06). This is the highest ranking in program history for Phil Lundin’s men.

Speaking of DMR teams, Washington (Mo.) really showed off its speed at the Illinois College Alumni Classic. The Bears, who jumped from No. 39 to No. 17, posted the nation’s fastest time in the event (9:59.23) and broke a school record.

Wheaton (Ill.)‘s 4×400 team moved up to fifth on the descending order list and pushed its team into the top-25 for the first time in program history.

Looking at the women’s rankings, Nebraska Wesleyan ascended to No. 2 behind several top-6 efforts. Samantha Dolezal (weight throw) and Ashton Rakow (60 hurdles) are each second nationally in their respective events, while Katie Krick is now sixth in the 400.

Two other women’s teams soared incredible lengths from one week to the next. Buffalo State went from No. 74 last week to No. 17 this week and Southern Maine bounded 20 spots from No. 43 to No. 23. The former saw Niasha Houpe take over the national lead in the long jump and Jazlyn Porter earn fifth in the same event. The latter will rely on senior Peyton Dostie to either come through in the pentathlon (fourth nationally now) or 60 hurdles (fourth as well).

The NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held March 11-12 in Grinnell, Iowa.