

2019 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Preseason
NEW ORLEANS – With nearly three weeks of action from the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season already in the books, it’s time to check out the National Rating Index as it was released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
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NATIONAL TFRI PDFs |
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NATIONAL TFRI PDFs |
The 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held May 23-25 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
Our next NCAA DIII National Rating Index will be released on April 2.
Men’s Story
North Central (Ill.) is two-thirds of the way to a Triple Crown and if the National Rating Index is correct, the third jewel could be added to complete the headdress. The Cardinals, who won national team titles in cross country and indoor track & field, are ranked No. 1 to begin the season and own a clear-cut advantage over the rest of the field.
Dhruvil Patel and Peyton Piron are expected to be the leaders for North Central (Ill.) according to the TFRI Individual Rankings. Patel is ranked No. 1 in the 5000 and No. 3 in the 10,000, while Piron is No. 2 in the 400H.
UW-La Crosse sits No. 2 to begin the season. The Eagles have one athlete ranked in the top-3 of the TFRI Individual Rankings and that’s Eli Temansen in the pole vault. Andrew Jarrett is coming off a strong indoor season and could very well move up the ladder in several throwing events, namely his specialty (hammer).
Mount Union comes in third thanks to a trio of top-3 rated athletes. A.J. Digby is expected to shine in the 400 once again, while Louis Berry and Mason Plant are standouts in the 100 and 100H, respectively.
Redlands had only cracked the top-10 of the National TFRI four times in program history before this year. Well, make that five times now that the Bulldogs own their best ranking ever. Luke Bohlinger is the top-ranked athlete in both the 100 and 200, while the 4×100 relay and 4×400 relay are expected to shine as well.
Pomona-Pitzer rounds out the top-5 at No. 5. The Sagehens will look toward Andy Reischling in the distance events, while Carter Floyd could add valuable points for them in the mid-distance races.
Women’s Story
Johns Hopkins is ready for its close-up.
The Blue Jays are the preseason favorites to capture the national title at the end of May. Felicia Koerner is the main source of points for Johns Hopkins, according to the TFRI Individual Rankings, as she is ranked first in the 10,000, second in the 1500 and third in the 5000. Ellie Clawson is expected to be up there with Koerner in the 10,000, while Maya Hammonds can provide strong leadership in the long jump.
It is projected to be a close battle for the rest of the podium spots as No. 2 Occidental, No. 3 George Fox, No. 4 Redlands, No. 5 Washington (Mo.) and No. 6 UW-Eau Claire could all have a say in the matter, in that order.
This is quite the rise for the Tigers. Never before had Occidental been ranked in the top-20 of the TFRI in program history, let alone No. 2. Sabrina Degnan should give the Tigers big points in the javelin, while Jada Newkirk is a talented athlete in both the 100 and 200.
Sarah King and Annie Wright have big-point potential for the Bruins. King is ranked in the top-5 of the 200, 400 and 400H, while Wright is ranked second in the heptathlon based off her score from the Northwest Conference Championships last year.
The Bulldogs will be led by Reyna Ta’amu – who is the top-ranked athlete in the shot put – and the No. 1 4×100 relay team. Jessica Fields is also a major contributor for Redlands in the 100H. This is the first time that the Bulldogs have been ranked in the top-5 in program history, topping the previous high-water mark of No. 8 from 2010.
Here is an idea of how close it is between the Bears and the Blugold for the No. 5 spot: WashU was given 90.207 points by the formula, while UW-Eau Claire has 90.205 points. Both of those round up to 90.21, yet the Bears have a slight edge based on having six athletes ranked in the top-10 of the TFRI Individual Rankings.