Minimal Movement In NCAA DIII Men’s ITF Rankings

NEW ORLEANS — Nearly two months have elapsed since the start of the NCAA Division III indoor track & field season and little has changed according to the National Team Computer Rankings as it pertains to the men’s billing.

NCAA Division III National Team Rankings Top 5 – Men 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) UW-La Crosse MIT Benedictine (Ill.) UW- Whitewater SUNY Cortland 137.45 pts 131.63 pts 100.53 pts 95.64 pts 88.88 pts View Complete National Team Computer Rankings

The most recent rankings, which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), still show the same top-5 as the preseason with a few adjustments.

UW-La Crosse remains the No. 1 team in the land and is followed by No. 2 MIT. Benedictine (Ill.) surged from No. 5 to No. 3 and swapped spots with SUNY Cortland. UW-Whitewater didn’t move at all and is still locked in at No. 4.

Both Eagle teams (UW-La Crosse and Benedictine (Ill.)) as well as the Engineers are the only three teams to have eclipsed the 100-point barrier this week.

Scores were determined by using preseason event rankings that include the top marks of recent NCAA indoor track & field seasons by returning student-athletes and the top marks of the young 2017 campaign. Marks from the outdoor season are not included, nor are marks from incoming freshmen.

The closer an athlete is to the top of his or her event rankings, the more points he or she earns toward the team total. Points from all applicable athletes are added up to determine team scores.

The point system used in the rankings is not the same as the scoring system used for the NCAA Championships.

Elsewhere in the rankings, North Central (Ill.) moved up three spots from No. 10 to No. 7. The Cardinals, already in a solid spot with top pole vaulter Luke Winder, saw several other athletes climb into the top-15 of their respective events.

One of the biggest jumps this week belonged to Christopher Newport. The Captains went from No. 30 to No. 14 primarily thanks to Wesley Shrieves. The junior soared 7.25m (23-9½) in the long jump and is currently No. 3 in the USTFCCA Rankings.

Other than Christopher Newport and North Central (Ill.), the only other team to climb more than two spots was Rowan. The Owls were 18th in the preseason but are now 15th.

Just a few weeks remain until marks from previous seasons are removed and we’ll see who the true No. 1 of 2017 is after that. And in less than seven weeks, we’ll see who will be crowned NCAA Division III team champion at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships held in Naperville, Illinois.