2023 NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 1

NEW ORLEANS – The outdoor season is here.

Are you ready for it?

Here is the debut edition of the NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index for the 2023 season, as released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Only marks from the current outdoor track and field season have been used in this objective compilation.

NAIA — Women's Outdoor Track & Field

This Week's National Top Five

1
British Columbia

2
Southeastern (Fla.)

3
Vanguard (Calif.)

4
Life (Ga.)

5
The Master's (Calif.)

All TFRI Reports

NATIONAL TFRI
PDFs: Team Detail | Event Detail

REGIONAL TFRI
PDFs: Team Summary | Event Summary

Defending national champion British Columbia headlines the National TFRI in Week 1. Besides their eighth-ranked 4×100 meter relay (48.15), a balanced attack truly defines the squad, as all of the other seven Thunderbird performances come from a different athlete. Those include Sonya Urbanowicz’s third-ranked pole vault leap (3.61m/11-10), Emma Rastad’s third-ranked long jump (5.78m/18-11¾), Rebecca Dutchak’s sixth-ranked performance in the same event (5.67m/18-7 ¼), Allison McDonald’s eighth-ranked performance in the triple jump (11.64m/38-2¼), Michelle Dadson’s fourth-ranked hammer throw (51.30m/168-4), Bella Hall’s sixth-ranked hammer throw (50.15m/164-7), and Giovanna Janes’ third-ranked javelin toss (43.18m/141-8).

Southeastern (Fla.) comes in this week at No. 2. The Fire’s eleven top-10 performances are buoyed by Tenae Grigsby, who owns the top mark in the 400-meter hurdles (1:00.42), the fifth-ranked mark in the 100H (14.46), and a share in the second-ranked 4x400m relay team (3:49.97). Oluwafikayomi Lawrence has also contributed a heavy load of top performances for SEU, owning a top-10 mark in the 400 meters (57.14, 5th) as well as shares in the second-ranked 4x400m relay team and the top-ranked 4x100m team (46.42). Having anchored that 4x100m relay team, Toni Canfall also comes in third in the 100 (11.93). Along with anchoring the 4x400m relay team, Namiah Simpson sits third in both the 400 (56.50) and the 400H (1:02.20). Other national top-10 performers for the Fire include the 4x800m relay team (9:38.09, 4th), Mariam Davis in the high jump (third, 1.65m/5-5), and Julia Rohm in the 5000 meters (17:33.60, 4th).

Vanguard (Calif.) opens the season as the third-ranked team in National TFRI and is led by none other than the Burke twins, who combine for six of the team’s nine top-10 performances. Eryn Burke leads the nation thus far with her 400-meter effort of 55.43. Her twin sister, Jordyn, ranks eighth in the same event (57.52). Jordyn also ranks 2nd in the 400m hurdles (1:01.99). Eryn is ranked seventh in the 200 herself (24.49), and the two also make up half of the team’s 4×100 (47.73, sixth) and 4×400 (3:53.81, fifth) relay squads, respectively. Also earning top-10 efforts for the Lions this season are the 4x800m relay team (9:35.25, third), India Moors in the 10,000m (39:28.95, tenth), and Penelopi Leach in the heptathlon (4,101 points, second).

The Master’s (Calif.) is the second team from California in the top-5 and a bulk of the fourth-ranked Mustangs’ performances came in the distance events. Hannah Fredericks (4:30.40) and Ellen Palmgren (4:45.22) rank first and fifth in the 1500 meters, respectively. The two also contributed to half of their top-ranked 4×800 relay team at the Westmont Classic this past weekend (9:12.55). The 10,000 meters is an event in which the Mustangs are particularly strong, as Autumn Nootbaar (37:09.50), Kimberly Page (37:44.68), and Brooke Milam (39:20.41) are respectively ranked second, fifth and eighth in that event. Nootbar is also standing seventh in the 5000 (17:45.67). While Mariah Hildebrandt (29:58.14) and Allie Methum (30:30.95) make up an 8-9 ranking in the 5,000m racewalk, Micaiah Scott caps off the rankings for the Mustangs with a top-ranked throw in the javelin (45.66 meters, 149-10).

Coming off an indoor season in which they cracked the top-5 of the rankings, fifth-ranked Life (Ga.)  appears to have picked up right where they left off. The Running Eagles have nine of their ten listed performances ranked in the top-10, four of which stand alone atop the NAIA. This season, sprinter Maya Smith-Speed has contributed to the top-ranked 4×400 meter relay team (3:48.65), and owns nationally ranked marks in the 100m (12.04, sixth) and 200m (24.64, eighth). The 200 is also an event in which the Running Eagles rank 1-2 in respectively, with Talayla Davis leading the way (23.63), followed closely by her teammate, Sabrina Richman (23.73). Brianna Florvilus rounds out the running events for the squad, ranking second in the 400m (55.45). Not to be outdone, Levonis Davis and Jennifer Batu own NAIA No. 1 marks in the shot put (14.50 meters, 47-7) and hammer throw (54.87m, 180-0) respectively.

Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 1: William Carey at No. 6, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at No. 7, Mobile (Ala.) at No. 8, Montreat (N.C.) at No. 9, and Dillard (La.) at No. 10.

Mark your calendars for May 24-26, because that’s when the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.