It’s Moving Week in Men’s NCAA DI National Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – Just as (almost) all preseason marks are now gone from the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings, so, too, are the two-time defending national men’s champions gone from this week’s top five.

NCAA Division I National Team Rankings Top 5 – Men 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Texas A&M Florida LSU Arkansas Georgia 337.81 pts 261.30 pts 242.67 pts 193.48 pts 179.19 pts View Complete Men’s National Team Computer Rankings

The Oregon men have fallen from No. 3 to No. 7 this week, leaving behind a top-five now composed entirely of teams from the SEC. The rankings were announced Monday afternoon by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Texas A&M (337.81 points) not only remained atop the rankings but widened its lead over No. 2 Florida (261.30), which also stayed firmly in place from last time. No. 3 LSU (242.67) jumped two spots from last time, while both No. 4 Arkansas (193.48) and No. 5 Georgia (179.85) leapt up three.

Resetting the rest of the top 10: No. 6 Texas (178.85) fell two spots from last time, followed by No. 7 Oregon (150.18), No. 8 Alabama (149.58), No. 9 Texas Tech (139.84) and No. 10 Virginia (123.74). Alabama and Tech both improved one spot from last week, while Virginia fell four.

Another big change may be in store for next week as A&M, Florida, LSU, Arkansas and Alabama all clash at the LSU Invitational, alongside Kentucky and Miami (Fla.). Many other teams flock to the Penn Relays and Drake Relays, and distance runners converge on Stanford for the Payton Jordan Invitational.

No team was hit harder by the removal of preseason marks than the two-time defending national champion Oregon men – but that comes with a significant caveat. Seemingly always the exception and never the rule in the rankings, Edward Cheserek now only receives credit in the rankings at 5000 meters, but not at either 1500 meters or 10,000 meters.

Preseason marks in the 5000 and 10,000 stayed on the board so long as an athlete has competed in that event this season. Cheserek has competed at 5000, and therefore keeps his No. 1 rank in that event. But since he has not yet contested the 10K, his No. 1 performance there comes off the board – for now. He also lost his No. 1 standing at 1500 meters, but will contest that event this weekend at Payton Jordan.

With those points from Cheserek likely to return by season’s end, and still no points on the board from big-time scorers Marcus Chambers at 400 meters and Blake Haney at 1500 meters, it’s still significantly too early to hit the panic button in Eugene.

Meanwhile, the scene is much more jovial in College Station, where Texas A&M added more than 50 points to its team total after the removal of preseason marks. The well rounded Aggies have top-six marks in nearly every broad discipline across the board – in the sprints with No. 1 Fred Kerley (400m), No. 3 Robert Grant (400H), No. 4 Devin Jenkins (200m) and both relays; in the mid-distance with No. 6 Hector Hernandez (800m); in the jumps with No. 2 Chase Wolfle and Audie Wyatt (pole vault) and Latario Collie (triple jump); and in the throws with No. 1 Ioannis Kyriazis (javelin).

In peril of taking a significant hit in the rankings, the Florida men came through this weekend with big-time marks in the 400 meters. Having not competed in the event until the Tom Jones Memorial, Arman Hall and Najee Glass posted the No. 2 and No. 10 times in the nation this year. Also providing big points were big moves by No. 3 hammer thrower Anders Eriksson and No. 7 400-hurdler TJ Holmes.

LSU was boosted by four top-12 performers at 200 meters, including new qualifying leader Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake. Arkansas got three top-10 efforts between the 100 and 200 meter distances at its home meet this weekend, while Georgia is powered by six top-10 performers in the decathlon and the throws.

No top-25 team for either gender climbed farther than the No. 20 Mississippi men, up 31 spots from last time.

Also posting significant gains – in descending order of most places gained – were No. 11 Minnesota (up 25), No. 18 Houston (up 23), No. 12 Syracuse (up 17), No. 15 Mississippi State (up 16), No. 25 Florida State (up 14) and No. 22 Iowa (up 13).

The National Team Computer Rankings are complied by a mathematical formula based on national descending order lists. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race.

Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points. Preseason marks will be included through week three of the rankings (with the exception of marks in the combined events and the 5000 and 10,000).

A full description of the rankings can be found here.