2017 NAIA Outdoor Team Rankings – Week 1

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

NEW ORLEANS – Repeat team champions in NAIA Outdoor Track & Field?

Not so fast.

The first NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings of the 2017 season were released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and the defending champions – Concordia (Neb.)’s women and Indiana Tech’s men – aren’t favored to hoist their respective trophies come May 27 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Instead, that distinction belongs to the British Columbia men and the Indiana Tech women. If the Week 1 rankings come to fruition at the conclusion of the 2017 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, it would be the Thunderbirds first outdoor crown and the Warriors’ 3rd in the past five years.

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	REGIONAL PDFs Top 10 | By Team | By Event

British Columbia started the 2017 season with a bang as it has four athletes ranked atop the NAIA leaderboards. Lukas Jarron headlines the 1500, John Gay tops the 5000, Nathan Downey is the top-ranked race walker over 5000 meters and Joel Della Siega is No. 1 in the high jump. Throw in four other athletes ranked in the top-3 of their respective events and the time is right for the Thunderbirds to make some noise.

Indiana Tech’s men enter the 2017 season ranked 2nd. The Warriors captured the 2017 indoor title and won three of the past four outdoor titles. A deep squadron of sprinters – led by Matt Lockridge and Kejavon Moore – and a healthy dose of talented field athletes – headlined by Justin McKenzie (pole vault) – will keep Indiana Tech in contention once again.

Wiley (Texas) is ranked 3rd and is the only other team in the top-25 to top the 400-point barrier (402.49). The Wildcats are led by Moriba Morain and Oraine Palmer in the sprint events and by three strong relay teams.

Rounding out the top-5 in the men’s rankings are 4th-ranked Southern Oregon and 5th-ranked Westmont (Calif.). Concordia (Neb.), last year’s national runner-up, starts the year 13th.

Over in the women’s rankings, Indiana Tech is a clear-cut favorite. The Warriors totaled 448.37 points in the first rankings compared to just 381.76 for 2nd-ranked Wiley (Texas).

Indiana Tech expects athletes like April Wilson (100/400) and Brianna Woods (100/200) to come through for it in the sprints, Candella Guijarro (high jump) and Jordan Irvin (shot put) to post big marks in the field and the top-ranked 4×100 relay team to continue leading the nation.

The point differential between Wiley (Texas) and 3rd-ranked British Columbia is less than half of a point (0.36). The Wildcats currently have three top-ranked events in the nation (200, 4×400 and long jump), while the Thunderbirds own a plethora of top-5 marks.

Defending champ Concordia (Neb.) settled in at 4th place and has a strong core of field athletes. Senior Kali Robb currently leads the nation in the hammer throw and shot put, while Allison Brooks isn’t far off the pace in the pole vault.

Westmont (Calif.) rounded out the top-5 in Week 1.

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

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