2019 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 5
NEW ORLEANS – We’ve officially entered the home stretch of the 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season.
Three weeks from Friday, the best of the best from the outdoor campaign will have converged on the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, for the 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
But who does the Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) expect to compete for those coveted national titles and spots on the podium? We’re glad you asked. Let’s take a look at the most recent installment of the National Rating Index that was released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
There will be three more iterations of the National Rating Index: May 7, May 14 & May 20.
NCAA Division III — Men's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
UW-Eau Claire
UW-Eau Claire
2
Pomona-Pitzer
Pomona-Pitzer
3
UW-Oshkosh
UW-Oshkosh
4
UW-La Crosse
UW-La Crosse
5
North Central (Ill.)
North Central (Ill.)
All TFRI Reports
Nothing changed between the top-2 teams of the Men’s National Rating Index as top-ranked UW-Eau Claire is still followed by second-ranked Pomona-Pitzer. What did change is the lead that the Blugold have over the Sagehens.
UW-Eau Claire surged ahead thanks to a pair of national-leading marks from the talented duo of David Kornack and Kyler Leuck. Kornack won the shot put crown at the Drake Relays when he heaved the orb 19.38m (63-7) to become just the third man in NCAA DIII history to eclipse the 63-foot barrier in the event. Lueck improved his time in the 800 to 1:51.23, which displaced Pomona-Pitzer’s Carter Floyd atop the Descending Order List.
UW-Oshkosh improved its billing one spot to No. 3. The Titans watched Jonathan Wilburn improve his season best in the triple jump to 15.09m (49-6¼). UW-Oshkosh was also helped by its 4×400 relay team, which is now ranked seventh nationally at 3:15.16.
UW-La Crosse jumped nine spots from No. 13 to No. 4 between Week 4 and Week 5. The Eagles are home to the nation’s top-ranked 4×100 relay team (41.08), the second-ranked athlete in the steeplechase (Zach Shoemaker-Allen) and the eighth-ranked 4×400 relay team.
North Central (Ill.) is back in the top-5 after falling out of it last week. The Cardinals added two more strong marks to their ledger this past weekend in the guise of the nation’s second-ranked 4×400 relay team and Nolan McKenna’s third-ranked time in the 5000. Don’t forget that North Central (Ill.) also has Dhruvil Patel, the NCAA DIII record holder in the 5000.
The rest of the top-10 included No. 6 Mount Union, No. 7 MIT, No. 8 John Carroll, No. 9 Rowan and No. 10 RPI, in that order. The 10th-ranked Engineers jumped nine spots between Week 4 and Week 5 after senior distance runner Grant O’Connor moved to No. 2 on the Descending Order List in the 5000 (He is also ranked second in the 10,000).
NCAA Division III — Women's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
George Fox
George Fox
2
Redlands (Calif.)
Redlands (Calif.)
3
Nebraska Wesleyan
Nebraska Wesleyan
4
Loras
Loras
5
Williams
Williams
All TFRI Reports
The top-5 of the Women’s National Rating Index looks a bit different from the previous week.
While George Fox remained No. 1, the program is closely followed by No. 2 Redlands, No. 3 Nebraska Wesleyan and No. 4 Loras, who moved up one, two and three spots, respectively.
Redlands already had the top-ranked athlete in the shot put (Reyna Ta’amu) and added a pair of top marks following competition this past weekend. Jessica Fields is now the double national leader in the 100H (14.10) and the 400H (1:01.05) after her efforts at the SCIAC Championships.
Nebraska Wesleyan pieced together a big weekend behind its 4×400 relay team and Ellie Beiermann’s run in the steeplechase. The Prairie Wolves’ foursome is now billed second nationally at 3:46.61, while Beiermann cracked the national top-8 at No. 7.
Loras is right there thanks to Gabrielle Noland, Bella Solis and Kassie Rosenbum. Noland is the national leader in the 100 and 200, had a hand in the nation’s top-ranked 4×400 relay team as well as the third-ranked 4×100 relay. Solis is ranked third nationally in the 400H at 1:01.57, while Rosenbum comes in at No. 7 in the 10,000.
Williams fell three spots from No. 2 to No. 5. Despite winning their sixth consecutive NESCAC title this past weekend, the Ephs didn’t turn in any performances that helped their positioning in the National TFRI.
Want to know a fun fact? Just 3.79 points separate second-ranked Redlands and sixth-ranked Johns Hopkins, so there could be a lot of movement over the next few weeks.
The rest of the top-10 included No. 7 Washington (Mo.), No. 8 Emory, No. 9 SUNY Geneseo and No. 10 Dubuque, in that order. The Spartans jumped three spots from No. 13 to No. 10 this week, which matches their best ranking in program history.
