NJCAA DI Rankings Shift As Season Hits The Home Stretch

NEW ORLEANS — The best of the best in NJCAA Division I will meet in Levelland, Texas next week for the outdoor championships.

If the most recent National Team Computer Rankings have any bearing on what to expect from The Lone Star State, it’s going to be quite the race to decide what teams walk away with the respective championships.

In the rankings that were released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), both Iowa Central teams found their way on top. The Triton men have been ranked No. 1 since the beginning of the season and hold a healthy lead, while the women overtook New Mexico Junior College.

It has been quite the season in the women’s rankings as the Tritons, Thunderbirds and Central Arizona have all led the charge at some point.

Early in the season, the Vaqueras owned the pole position while New Mexico JC made a run a few weeks later. Then Iowa Central knocked off the Thunderbirds, but that didn’t last too long as New Mexico JC reclaimed the No. 1 ranking last week. Seven days later, the Tritons surged thanks to their performance at the Region XI Championships.

No women’s team dropped out of the top-10 this week, but the top-5 was reshuffled. Aforementioned Iowa Central is No. 1, followed by New Mexico JC, Central Arizona, South Plains and Monroe.

In the men’s rankings, the top-2 teams are still Iowa Central and South Plains. Behind that duo, Iowa Western moved up two spots to No. 3 and is trailed by Barton County CC and Butler (Kan.) CC.

The next NJCAA Division I rankings will come out next Monday and serve as the pre-championship version since the meet starts 24 hours later.