2023 NAIA Women’s Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS — We are right in the heart of the indoor track & field season, nearing the homestretch.
After having no changes in the top-5 for the first two weeks of the NAIA Women’s National Rating Index, there was one this week, as William Carey (Miss.) and Concordia (Neb) traded places at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Two-time defending national champion Indiana Tech, for the second time in as many weeks and 33rd time in program history, stays put as the top-ranked squad in the rankings, which were released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Only performances from the current indoor track and field season have been used in this objective compilation.
NAIA — Women's Indoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
Indiana Tech
Indiana Tech
2
William Carey (Miss.)
William Carey (Miss.)
3
Concordia (Neb.)
Concordia (Neb.)
4
Huntington (Ind.)
Huntington (Ind.)
5
Central Methodist (Mo.)
Central Methodist (Mo.)
All TFRI Reports
Indiana Tech – The Warriors, who have never been ranked lower than first in the history of the NAIA National TFRI (which goes back to 2018), have 15 athletes who turned in national top-10 performances this season, nine of which are in the top-5 and five of which are in the top-2. Along with Juanita Webster-Freeman’s top mark in the pentathlon, and third-ranked mark in the high jump (1.67m/5-5¾), Lisa Voyles’ 800-meter time of 2:09.83 at the Mayo Invitational this past weekend vaulted her into the No. 2 ranking in that event, one of four events in which she ranks second. Voyles also ranks second in the 600m (1:32.78), 1000m (2:50.71), and the mile (4:50.74).
William Carey (Miss.) – Led by eleven top-10 performances this season, ten of which rank in the top five, the Crusaders were able to move up one spot to the No. 2. While none of their 20 ranked performances took place last weekend, they still hold top marks in the 5000 (Lina May in 16:57.07), as well as the 60m hurdles (Salieci Myles in 8.38). Joy Abu also remains ranked in the top-5 in four events herself, as she ranks fifth in the 60m (7.57), second in the 60m hurdles (8.41), third in the 200m (24.35), and third as a member of her 4×400 relay team (3.53.88).
Concordia (Neb.) – The Bulldogs dropped one spot to No. 3 this week. Despite turning in sixteen performances that were good enough to make the national leaderboards at their home meet this weekend (Concordia Classic) this weekend, only Josie Puelz’ pole vault of 3.97m (13-0¼) was good enough to crack the national top-10. They do, however, have six other performances from earlier this season that are in the top-10, three of which are courtesy of sophomore Rylee Haecker. This season, Haecker has turned in efforts of 2:56.44 in the 1000m (third), and took part in two relays that are in the top-10 nationally, as the DMR team is ranked fourth (12:20.68) and 4x800m relay team is ranked seventh (9:39.96). Puelz’ teammate, Erin Mapson, ranks sixth in the pole vault (3.72m/12-2½) and Amy Richert is fourth in the pentathlon with 3487 points.
Huntington (Ind.) – As was the case the past two weeks, the Foresters come in at No. 4. Addy Wiley continues to lead Huntington (Ind.) and put up another all-time mark this past weekend at the Camel City Invitational. Wiley set an NAIA record in the mile of 4:32.15. To this point of the season, Wiley is ranked at the top of all five of her events, including her most recent mile performance, as well as the 600m (1:28.69), 800m (2:08.28), 1000m (2:49.71), and the 3000m (9:24.28). Those five No. 1 spots held by Wiley contribute to a national-leading eight No. 1 marks by the Foresters this season, which also include Destiny Copeland’s top marks in the triple jump (12.43m/40-9½) and the long jump (5.87m/19-3¼), as well as Erica Xayarath’s top performance in the high jump (1.71m/5-7¼).
Central Methodist (Mo.) – The Eagles, who round out the top-5 this week, turned in three of their ten top-10 performances at the Bearcat Invite this past weekend, headlined by Gizel Clayton’s No. 5 ranking in the 60m hurdles (8.53). Tre’Breh Scott is right behind Clayton at No. 6 in the same event. Other standout performances came from the 4×400 relay team of Scott, Kjirsten Guilford, Darly Camilo-Montenegro, and Sakoya Johnson (No. 2 in 3:52.52), Montenegro’s third-ranked effort in the 600m (1:34.03), Guilford’s eighth-ranked performance in the same event (1:35.54), Paninka’s fifth-ranked time in the 3000m racewalk (16:17.94), Baylee Beard’s rankings of ninth in the shot put (13.75m/45-1½) and sixth in the weight throw (17.04m/55-11), Delaney Miller’s eighth-ranked high jump (1.65m/5-5), and Karli Wolfe’s ninth-ranked weight throw (16.75m/54-11½).
Rounding out the top-10 are No. 6 Milligan (Tenn.), No. 7 Hastings (Neb.), No. 8 Life (Ga.), No. 9 Cornerstone (Mich.) and No. 10 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.).
We are less than four weeks away from the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, which will be contested March 2-4 in Brookings, S.D.
Zach Austin is an intern for USTFCCCA, and a communications major at Dickinson State University, where he is a member of the cross country and track & field teams. He can be found on Twitter at @ZDollas_. He can also be reached by email at [email protected].
