NCAA DIII Perennial Powers Headline Pre-Championship Men’s ITF Rankings

NOTE: Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for rankings. Please check your membership status HERE.

NEW ORLEANS — Using logic, the men’s team with the most entries to the 2017 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships should be the top-ranked team in the Pre-Championship Edition of the National Team Computer Rankings since the Week 7 rankings only take into account those athletes who gained entry into the upcoming NCAA meet.

We’re just making sure, because the computers seem to agree.

In the most recent rankings, released Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), UW-La Crosse is projected to win its 18th indoor team title this weekend in Naperville, Illinois. The Eagles tallied 136.42 points in this week’s rankings and have 14 entries to the NCAA meet.

UW-La Crosse has a clear advantage as it has entries in every discipline but distance and the combined events. The Eagles have a whopping six entries in the sprints/hurdles, three more in the throws, two each in mid-distance and relays and one in the jumps.

Conference foe UW-Whitewater sits 2nd to UW-La Crosse in the rankings and is the only other team to eclipse the 100-point plateau (124.38). The Warhawks punched 9 tickets to the NCAA meet and are one of two teams to do so (No. 6 North Central (Ill.) – and host of the meet – is the other).

Coming in 3rd in the Pre-Championship Rankings is Benedictine (Ill.). The Eagles jumped four spots from Week 6 to Week 7 and have 8 entries into the NCAA meet to thank for that, three of which are ranked in the top-4 nationally.

SUNY Cortland tied Benedictine (Ill.) with 8 entries and comes in 4th in these rankings. The Red Dragons are stacked in the field and combined events as they’ll have three in each, including two of the top-ranked heptathletes in the field this season.

Rounding out the top-5 of the Pre-Championship Rankings is UW-Stevens Point. The Pointers jumped four spots from Week 6 to Week 7 and have the 2nd most entries to the NCAA meet (10). The majority of UW-Stevens Point’s entries belong in the jumps (5), where they’ll be led by Jerry Williams (1st long jump; 4th triple jump).

The aforementioned host Cardinals must rely on their distance laurels to make noise at NCAAs. North Central (Ill.) has four entries into distance events, which make up nearly half of its entries. The Cardinals also have three in the jumps and two in relays.

Two-time defending national champion UW-Eau Claire sits 7th after vaulting three spots from Week 6 to Week 7. The Blugolds own six entries to NCAAs with four coming by way of their distance runners.

Three teams jumped 9 or more spots from Week 6 to Week 7 – Dubuque (No. 24 to No. 9), St. Olaf (No. 20 to No. 10) and SUNY Geneseo (No. 25 to No. 16). This is the best ranking in program history for the Spartans, the best Week 7 ranking for the Oles in program history and a season-high billing for the Knights.

Be sure to check back throughout the week for more information and previews on the 2017 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held from March 10-11 in Naperville, Illinois.