2019 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 6
NEW ORLEANS – We continue to nudge our way to the postseason, which means it’s time for the latest edition of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index that was released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.
The 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships are just over a month away as they are set to take place May 23-25 in Kingsville, Texas.
Don’t forget that we’re about to be right in the thick of Conference Championship Season.
NCAA Division II — Men's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
Angelo State
Angelo State
2
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
3
Colo. School of Mines
Colo. School of Mines
4
West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M
5
Texas A&M-Kingsville
Texas A&M-Kingsville
All TFRI Reports
Angelo State is once again in the top spot in the Men’s National Rating Index, a position it has held for a program-record five consecutive weeks.
The Rams spent the weekend split between the West Texas A&M Invitational and the J Fred Duckett Twilight Meet in which top individual performances were added to the index in Z’Antyler Foster-Hooks (now 19th in the nation in the 200) and Ayodeji Adedokyn (22nd in the 110H), among others.
Holding down the No. 2 spot was Grand Valley State, which also experienced no change from its previous position.
The Lakers had athletes at both the Bryan Clay Invitational and its GVSU Al Owens Classic this past weekend. They were led by the new national leader in the 5000 in Zach Panning and the third-ranked 800 runner in Dennis Mbuta.
Moving up one spot to its best mark received so far this year was No. 3 Colo. School of Mines.
The Orediggers attended two meets this past week with the Bryan Clay Invitational and its Nature’s Bakery Invite. Josh Hoskinson was the main standout from the meets as he moved into fourth in the country in the 5000.
Switching spots with them and dropping one to No. 4 was West Texas A&M.
The Buffaloes had a busy weekend as its program was spread out between the Bryan Clay Invitational, Mt. SAC Relays, Beach Invitational and its West Texas A&M Invitational. The team added multiple individual performances to the index with the best going to Abraham Seaneke (now second in the nation in the long jump), Quinton Sansing (eighth overall in the 800) and its 4×400 team which is now ranked fourth overall.
Remaining steady in the No. 5 spot was Texas A&M-Kingsville which was no change from the week before.
The Javelinas might have “only” added three marks tot the index but made them count: Ayman Zahafi (tops the country in the 800), Vitaly Zhgun (eighth in the javelin) and Dyshon Vaughn (10th in the long jump) all turned in strong performances.
The top-10 didn’t have much movement overall as five of the top-7 teams in the country held firm. The rest of the top-10 includes Lincoln (Mo.), Saint Augustine’s, Ashland, Central Missouri and Texas A&M-Commerce, in that order.
The top-25 in comparison undertook a lot more change every team in spots Nos. 8-25 experienced movement. The largest gain overall of the group went to No. 19 Minnesota State after a 34-spot improvement. Other big gains were taken by No. 23 Western Colorado (up 18 spots) and No. 12 Northwest Missouri (up 13). It was a new school best mark for the Northwest Missouri program.
The biggest improvement overall this week went to No. 43 Emporia State after a 95-spot increase. U-Mary also had a big jump with a 73-spot increase.
NCAA Division II — Women's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
2
Adams State
Adams State
3
Lincoln (Mo.)
Lincoln (Mo.)
4
Missouri Southern
Missouri Southern
5
Angelo State
Angelo State
All TFRI Reports
It might have taken until Week 3 for Grand Valley State to get a chance to be outside on the track and into the Women’s National Rating Index, but the program has sure made its time count as the Lakers are once again the No. 1 team in the nation for the fourth consecutive week.
GVSU spent the weekend at the Bryan Clay Invitational and its own Al Owens Classic. The best performances of the weekend belonged to Rachael Walters (tops the nation in the 800), Gina Patterson (fourth overall in the 10000), Angelica Floyd (fifth in the 100), Bobbie Goodwin (sixth in the hammer) and Allie Ludge (seventh in the 5000). The group’s 4×100 unit is also now ranked sixth in the country.
The No. 1 ranking ties the program best for most consecutive weeks in the top spot, matching a four-week run during the end portion of the 2014 season.
Jumping up four spots to No. 2 is Adams State after a weekend between the three big California meets (Bryan Clay and Beach Invitationals as well as the Mt SAC Relays) and the UNC Invite.
The best of the meets went to Roisin Flanagan (tops the country in the 1500 and seventh overall in the 800), Eilish Flanagan (second in the 5000), HaLeigh Hunter-Galvan (sixth in the same event) and Nalena Grover (seventh in the 10000).
Climbing up one spot to the No. 3 position was Lincoln (Mo.) after a weekend away at the UCM Mule and Kansas Relays.
The Blue Tigers were led at the meets by the national leader in the 200 in Rene Medley and its 4×400 unit which is now third in the nation.
Dropping a single spot to No. 4 was Missouri Southern who also added numerous individual performances to the index after competition at the Dewey Allgood Invitational and the UCM Mule and Kansas Relays.
The best of which came from Desirea Buerge (second in the country in the shot put) and Morgan Smith (fifth overall in the 100H).
Falling three spots to No. 5 was Angelo State.
The Rams were split between the West Texas A&M Invitational and the J Fred Duckett Twilight Meet. Top showings from the weekend included Hannah Porter who is now 18th overall in the 100.
The rest of the top-10 was rounded out by West Texas A&M, Pittsburg State, Alaska Anchorage, Ashland and Simon Fraser, in that order. Every team in the top-10 except for No. 1 Grand Valley State experienced some kind of movement from the previous week.
Overall, the top-25 experienced a pretty good shake up as well as 21 of the ranked programs had a change in position from the previous index. The largest leap was taken by No. 13 U-Mary after a 25-spot improvement. Fresno Pacific out of the No. 16 spot also had a rise of 17. It was the best mark received by the U-Mary program since the final rankings of the 2012 outdoor season.
The biggest improvement overall was taken by No. 45 Johnson C. Smith after a rise of 69 spots. No. 81 West Virginia Wesleyan was just behind them for best of the week after a 67-spot improvement.
