2023 NJCAA Women’s Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 5
NEW ORLEANS – New Mexico JC is No. 1 for a fifth-straight week in the latest edition of the 2023 NJCAA Women’s Indoor National Track & Field Ratings Index (TFRI), released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Only marks from the current season are used in this objective ranking.
As virtually all of the regular season is completed, the focus now moves to the 2023 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, set for March 3-4 at the Washburn Indoor Athletic Facility in Topeka, Kansas.
NJCAA — Women's Indoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
New Mexico JC
New Mexico JC
2
Barton (Kan.) CC
Barton (Kan.) CC
3
Cloud County (Kan.) CC
Cloud County (Kan.) CC
4
Iowa Western CC
Iowa Western CC
5
South Plains (Texas)
South Plains (Texas)
All TFRI Reports
New Mexico JC‘s season-long ride as a dominant No. 1 shows no signs of slowing as the T-Birds aim for its first national crown since 2020. New Mexico – runner-up last year – owns 32 top-10 marks, with 20 of those in the top-5 including five national leaders and seven No. 2 marks. Leading the country are Calisha Taylor in the 600 meters at 1:31.45 and 800 at 2:13.13 and Deshana Skeete in the 400 at 54.40 as both figure prominently on relay squads – both are on the No. 1 4×400 (3:42.83) and Taylor is also on the No. 1 4×800 (9:14.31).
Moving up three positions to No. 2 is Barton (Kan.) CC after winning the Region VI Indoor Championships. The Cougars have 21 top-10 marks, with 14 in the top-5 and three leading the country – Danae Nembhard in the 60 hurdles at 8.29, Kelsie Murrell-Ross in the shot put at 16.30m (53-5¾) and Ana Couto in the pentathlon (3748). Barton – which in 2019 won its record 17th NJCAA Indoor Championships title – is primed to move up from being fifth last year.
Cloud County (Kan.) CC remains at No. 3 after a nine-point loss to Barton at the Region VI Indoor Championships. The T-Birds have 15 top-10 marks, with 11 in the top-5 and one leading the nation – current M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Miracle Thompson in the 60 hurdles at 8.29. Cloud County finished third in the last two NJCAA Indoor Championships.
Two-time defending national champion Iowa Western CC is No. 4 after a runner-up finish in the Region XI Indoor Championships. The Reivers have 17 top-10 marks, including three national leaders in Miracle Ailes in the high jump with an NJCAA-record 1.87m (6-1½) and long jump at 6.17m (20-3) in addition to Mercy Biwott in the 5000 at 17:24.09.
South Plains (Texas) improved its point total but dropped one position to No. 5. The Texans have 15 top-10 marks with two national leaders from Success Umukoro in the 60 (7.39) and 200 (23.85). SPC – which last won the NJCAA Indoor women’s title in 2015 – fourth last year after being runner-up in 2021.
Rounding out the top-10 teams in the national TFRI are No. 6 Iowa Central CC, No. 7 Mesa (Ariz.) CC, No. 8 Central Arizona, No. 9 College of Southern Idaho and No. 10 Cowley (Kan.). Iowa Central has two national leaders and Cowley has one.
