NAIA ITF Pre-Championship Rankings Show Front Runners For National Title

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NEW ORLEANS —Believe it or not, it’s championship season. And if you’re competing in the NAIA, it’s going to be difficult to supplant Indiana Tech  on the men’s and women’s sides of 2017 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships on the campus of East Tennessee State University from March 2-4.

The back-to-back-to-back defending men’s national champions have 33 entrants in the national championship fields, with 16 coming in the sprints. Compared to 2nd-ranked Doane (Neb.), who has 19 entrants, that’s a considerable disparity.

However, it’s even wider of a gap on the women’s side, as Indiana Tech’s 40 entrants literally double 2nd-place Wayland Baptist (Texas), who is looking for its second-consecutive title. But will Wayland Baptist (Texas) have enough firepower to hold off the Warriors, who finished 3rd last year and are looking to join the men’s program in becoming the first school since 2004 to capture both the men’s and women’s NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships?

Quick Links: Men’s Team Rankings | Women’s Team Rankings

More Info NAIA Rankings Central
NATIONAL PDFs Top 25 | By Team | By Event Top TFRRS Qualifiers # of Top-10 Athletes by Team Rankings History This Season By Rank | All-Time	NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS March 2-4: Johnson City, Tennessee Meet Information Timing Site Top Entry Totals: By Team | By Conference USTFCCCA National Championships Central

All of that remains to be seen. What we know now is this: the cream rises to the top in the NAIA. Other than one spot on the men’s side, each team in the top-10 a week ago is in the top-10 of the pre-championship rankings. And throughout the whole season, everyone other than Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) – who made its season-debut in the top-10 at 10th on the women’s side this week – have virtually been mainstays in the top-10 from week one. The lone newcomer on the men’s side this week in Bethel (Ind.) jumped three spots to 10th after ranking 8th in the first week and then sitting on the cusp of the top-10 from weeks 2-5.

In terms of national qualifiers, no one comes close to Indiana Tech on either side. But quite a few teams own double-digit totals. In addition to Doane (Neb.) on the men’s side, Concordia (Neb.) has 15, Wayland Baptist (Texas) has 13, Bethel (Ind.) and Marian (Ind.) both have 12, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) has 11 and Cornerstone (Mich.), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and St. Francis (Ill.) each have 10.

On the women’s side, Doane (Neb.) and Hastings (Neb.) have 17 apiece, while Siena Heights (Mich.) (16), Carroll (Mont.) (15), Aquinas (Mich.) (12), Friends (Kan.) (12), Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (12), Oklahoma City (11), Concordia (Neb.) (10) and Westmont (Calif.) (10) will be sending 10 or more athletes to compete for a national title.

Breaking things down into each discipline, you’ll find that many of the aforementioned programs lead the way in terms of total entrants. However, there are some schools that could pull off some upsets, as well.

First, on the men’s side:

• Sprint/Hurdles: Indiana Tech, 16
• Mid-Distance: Siena Heights (Mich.)/Cardinal Stritch (Wis.), 3
• Distance: Wayland Baptist (Texas)/St. Francis (Ill.)/Taylor (Ind.)/William Carey (Miss.)/William Penn (Iowa), 2
• Relays: Marian (Ind.)/Aquinas (Mich.), 3
• Jumps: Doane (Neb.), 10
• Throws: Concordia (Neb.)/Davenport (Mich.), 6
• Combined Events: Doane (Neb.)/Bethel (Ind.)/Northwestern (Iowa)/Westmont (Calif.), 2
• Race Walk: Cornerstone (Mich.), 3

And now for the women:

• Sprint/Hurdles: Indiana Tech, 22
• Mid-Distance: Wayland Baptist (Texas)/Carroll (Mont.)/Oklahoma City, 3
• Distance: Oklahoma City, 5
• Relays: Wayland Baptist (Texas)/Aquinas (Mich.), 3
• Jumps: Indiana Tech, 11
• Throws: Hastings (Neb.), 9
• Combined Events: Doane (Neb.)/Carroll (Mont.)/Friends (Kan.)/Westmont (Calif.), 2
• Race Walk: St. Ambrose (Iowa), 3

Much like last year, Indiana Tech heads into the championship leading the pack in the sprints/hurdles department. With the amount of entrants greater for both the men’s and women’s team from a year ago, expect big things from the Warriors in those races.

Doane (Neb.) should have the jumps events held down on the men’s side, but Indiana Tech leads the way in the women’s portion of the meet. Oklahoma City owns the most distance and mid-distance runners competing across the meet, and Hastings’ (Neb.) women’s throwers pace the women’s side.

Other than that, anyone slated to compete in those disciplines could help their teams tremendously at the ETSU Memorial Center this weekend.

Men’s #EventSquad Leaders (Best Foursome in the Country By Event)

Women’s #EventSquad Leaders (Best Foursome in the Country By Event)