2017 NAIA Outdoor Team Rankings – Week 8

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

NEW ORLEANS – It all comes down to this weekend.

The best of the best in NAIA Outdoor Track & Field will convene in Gulf Shores, Alabama, starting Thursday for the 2017 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

If the most recent National Team Computer Rankings that were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) have any say in the matters, the Indiana Tech men and the Wayland Baptist (Texas) women are the odds-on favorites to walk out of the Yellowhammer State with their gender’s respective team titles.

The Warriors are seeking their 2nd team title in a row and their 4th in the past 5 years. Indiana Tech has a very strong chance to doing so as it heads into the meet with the most entries out of any men’s team with 39, which are 17 more than anybody else. The Warriors are stacked in the sprint and hurdles discipline with 14 entries and 10 more in the jumps.

British Columbia is ranked No. 2 in the men’s rankings nearly 82 points behind Indiana Tech’s blistering pace. The Thunderbirds have 22 entries to the national championships with six of them coming in the distance events and five more in the mid-distance portion.

Wiley (Texas) might have the best chance of making some noise as it has 19 entries, of which 7 are ranked in the top-3 of the NAIA Descending Order List. The 3rd-ranked Wildcats are tied with the top-ranked Warriors for the most top-3 entries going into this weekend.

Rounding out the top-5 this week is No. 4 Wayland Baptist (Texas) and No. 5 Doane (Neb.). The Tigers are one of five teams with 18 or more entries to the national championships, joining Indiana Tech, British Columbia, Wiley (Texas) and Concordia (Neb.).

Over in the women’s rankings, Wayland Baptist (Texas) might not have the most entries to this weekend’s meet (That distinction belongs to 2nd-ranked Indiana Tech with 29), but it has a good number that can score points. Sixteen of the Pioneers’ 23 entries are ranked in the top-10 of the NAIA Descending Order List, of which 6 are ranked in the top-3.

If Wayland Baptist (Texas) wins the team title, it would be its 2nd in the past three years. The Pioneers also won in back-to-back years in 2008 and 2009.

Indiana Tech’s women could score points in bushels, as could Concordia (Neb.). The Bulldogs know a thing or two about winning NAIA titles as they captured the trophy last year. Concordia (Neb.) will rely heavily on its throwers as a staggering 18 entries make up its total of 23.

Hastings (Neb.) swapped spots with Doane (Neb.) from the previous week as the former is ranked 4th in Week 8, while the latter is ranked 5th. The Broncos are one of four women’s teams with 20 or more entries (Hastings has 21) and the Tigers are alone in 5th with 18 entries.

Make sure to check back after the 2017 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships as we bring you national awards and more on USTFCCCA.org.