2017 NCAA DIII Men’s Outdoor Team Rankings – Week 4

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

NEW ORLEANS – When the calendar on the NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings flip from Week 3 to Week 4, marks from past seasons go out the window which leaves us with only those from the current campaign.

After those marks were removed in the most recent rankings released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), there’s a new No. 1 team – and that team is none other but Rowan.

This is the first time in program history that the Profs have been ranked No. 1 by the USTFCCCA Computers. Rowan hit a high-water mark in the preseason when it was listed 2nd and held that ranking twice more (Week 2 and Week 3).

The Profs usurped previous No. 1 UW-La Crosse, a team that is now followed by new No. 3 UW-Whitewater. North Central (Ill.) dropped one spot to 4th, while SUNY Cortland remained in place at 5th to round out the top-5.

Rowan has four athletes who rank in the top-3 of the NCAA DIII Descending Order List. David Benjamin (110 hurdles), Harrison Escoffery (high jump) and Glenn Kohles (discus throw) are all ranked 2nd in their respective events, while Jeffrey Jon Tucker sits 3rd in the long jump.

The Eagles had a big weekend but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Profs. Ross Denman ran the 2nd quickest time over 200 meters (21.38) and UW-La Crosse’s 4×100 relay is now ranked 1st in the nation after its effort of 40.83.

The Warhawks are paced by Parker Witt. The junior sprinter is the top-ranked man at 100 and 200 meters and anchors the 8th fastest 4×100 team in NCAA DIII. Theron Baumann is also expected to score a bunch of points for UW-Whitewater at the national level in the shot put.

Augustana (Ill.) and Tufts jumped into the top-10 following six- and five-spot jumps, respectively. The Vikings received top-2 marks in the hammer throw (Marckus Simmons, 1st) and 4×400 relay (2nd), while the Jumbos saw Luke O’Connor take over the NCAA DIII lead in the steeplechase (9:03.24).

Jamal Watkins helped push Birmingham-Southern up 22 spots from Week 3 to Week 4. Watkins recorded a pair of top-5 marks in the 100 (3rd) and 200 (5th) and took the baton third on his team’s 4×100 relay which is now 4th in the nation.

Several other teams really shook up the rankings as Texas Lutheran (No. 62 to No. 16), Washington (Mo.) (No. 41 to No. 18), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (No. 37 to No. 19), St. John Fisher (No. 30 to No. 20), Case Western Reserve (No. 110 to No. 21) and Simpson (Iowa) (No. 40 to No. 22) all soared 10 or more spots between Week 3 and Week 4.

Be sure to check back over the last month of the regular season as athletes and teams gear up for the 2017 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held from May 25-27 in Geneva, Ohio.