Top-3 In DII Men’s ITF Pre-Championship Rankings Same For 4th-Straight Week

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NEW ORLEANS — Three teams with varying histories in terms of national championships finished in the top-3 of the Division II Men’s National Team Rankings, as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday, and each will look to add to their trophy cases at the end of the week at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex from March 9-11.

Ashland continued its historic season with its 7th-straight week in the top spot, but will that translate to a national title? If so, it would be the first for Jud Logan’s Eagles. For Ashland to accomplish that historic feat, it will have to compete against teams who have seen the top of the mountain in the past.

Adams State finished 2nd in the pre-championship rankings and is looking for its 2nd national championship in three seasons, as the Grizzlies captured the title in 2015 at the same facility in which they’ll compete this weekend. But Tiffin – ranked 3rd – could disrupt either team from claiming the title, as the Dragons hope to repeat after winning the program’s first championship in 2016.

Don’t be surprised to see some other teams score major points to rattle the standings. Ten individual event champions from a year ago are returning to the fold this year, and six of them hail from schools other than the three mentioned above.

Ashland’s Myles Pringle should factor heavily into the championship picture, as the sophomore leads Division II in the 400 meters, while also ranking 3rd in the high jump and 11th in the 200 meters. But while Pringle is easily the Eagles most diverse athlete, Ashland’s throwers are where they’ll generate most of their points. Four of the top-10 marks in Division II in the weight throw have come from Ashland athletes, including the top-3 marks from Daniel Roberts, Alex Hill and Jordan Crayon. Additionally, Elijah Talk and Jason Zahn sit 3rd and 5th in the shot put on the year.

If Adams State wants to pull off the victory, the Grizzlies will have to rely heavily on its distance runners. Division II leader Oliver Aitchison is set to defend his title in the mile, while teammate Jackson Sayler sits right behind him with the 2nd-best mark in the nation on the year. Returning 3000 and 5000 meter champion Sydney Gidabuday is 1st and 3rd in the events this year, respectively. Aitchison and Gidabuday make up half of the distance medley relay squad that should finish towards the top of the pack for Adams State.

Tiffin athletes only have three top-3 performances on the year, but two of them lead the way in their respective events. Coy Blair owns the Division II top shot put mark, while Marquise Corbett lays claim to the best long jump mark on the season. Reginald Thomas is the other top-3 athlete for the Dragons, having run the 3rd-fastest time in the 60 meters heading into the meet.

More Info NCAA Division II 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 WHEN: March 10-11 | Schedule WHERE: Birmingham, Alabama (Crossplex) Meet Entries: MEN | WOMEN Entries By Team : MEN | WOMEN Entry Leaders: By Team | By Conf Meet Records: Men’s | Women’s Division II All-Time Bests

Don’t count out GVSU just yet, though. Led by Isaiah Thomas in the long jump and Zach Panning in the 5000 meters, the Lakers could be poised to make a splash in Birmingham. Grand Valley State finished 2nd in 2015 for its best finish at the NCAA Division II Championships.

Texas A&M-Commerce is the only other school with double-digit entrants. The 8th-place finishers a year ago will be looking for big performances out of returning champions Luis Romero and DeVontae Steele in the 800 meters and triple jump, respectively.

One team is going home with the hardware this weekend. What remains to be seen is if the title will return to a team that has captured one in the past, or if it will fall into the hands of a program looking for its first taste of being a champion.

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