2023 NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 3
NEW ORLEANS – After several months of cold winter weather, and numerous weeks of many programs not being able to be outside, the weather is warming up, and so is this outdoor track & field season.
Southeastern (Fla.) retained its No. 1 ranking in the most recent NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), as did British Columbia with its No. 2 spot, and The Master’s (Calif.) with its No. 3 spot. There are, however, two new changes to the top-5, as Keiser (Fla.) and Life (Ga.) come in at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, with the Running Eagles making their first appearance in the top-5 this season.
Only marks from the current outdoor track and field season have been used in this objective compilation.
NAIA — Men's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
Southeastern (Fla.)
Southeastern (Fla.)
2
British Columbia
British Columbia
3
The Master's (Calif.)
The Master's (Calif.)
4
Keiser (Fla.)
Keiser (Fla.)
5
Life (Ga.)
Life (Ga.)
All TFRI Reports
For the third consecutive week, Southeastern (Fla.) is the top dog in the NAIA. The Fire are ranked in nineteen events, five of which stand alone atop the NAIA leaderboards. Keishon Franklin himself earned a top time in the 400 meters at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational over the weekend, finishing the race with a blazing mark of 46.23. Along with contributing to the Fire’s top-ranked 4x100m (40.35) and 4x400m relay teams (3:11.26) also ranks tenth in the 100 meters (10.49) and eighth in the 200 meters (21.08). James Turner also turned in a top mark with his 400-meter-hurdles time of 52.18. Darion Carter also had a stellar weekend, as he turned in a sixth-ranked 400H time of 53.45. He also ranks fifth in the 110-meter hurdles (14.24). Maximiliano Kittsteiner rounds out the top-10 performances from this weekend, as he turned in a pole vault height of 4.75m (15-7) at the South Florida Invitational.
Sitting at No. 2 once again are the Thunderbirds of British Columbia. While none of their listed performances in the top-10 happened this weekend, they have reached the double-digit mark in that department, including top-ranked marks from Dylan Uhrich in the steeplechase (9:02.93) and Mathew Uliana in the hammer throw (63.58m/208-7). Eight of the eleven Thunderbird performances that land their place on the top-10 leaderboard come from either distance runners, or the 4x800m relay team (7:53.20, 3rd).
Rounding out a top-3 where all three remained in the same spot from last week is The Master’s (Calif.). Daniel Rush is one of several Mustang distance harriers to crack the leaderboard, as he ran a 1500-meter time of 3:52.07 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invite to land him seventh in that event. He also owns a share in the team’s second-ranked 4x800m relay (7:41.81). Meanwhile, Davis Boggess leads the Mustang distance crew thus far, as he ranks second in both the 1500 (3:47.86) and the 5000 (14:07.74). Pole vaulter Caleb Pouliot is the only top-10 member of the team that is not a distance runner or 4x800m relay member, as he owns the top pole vault mark of 5.20 meters (17-¾). He is also the only team member with a No. 1 ranking in an individual event.
The TFRI welcomes Keiser (Fla.) back to the rankings after a one-week hiatus. The Seahawks come in at No. 4 this week, led by eight top-10 efforts. Melvin Johnson guides the way with his 200-meter time of 21.05 that he ran this weekend at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational, ranking him seventh in that event. He also turned in a 100-meter time of 10.36 (third), and anchored his 4x100m relay team to a third-ranked time of 40.75 at that same meet. Also turning in solid performances at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational were Noam Pritchett in the high jump (2.07 m/6-9 ½, fifth), Emil Carlsson (5.05m/16-6 ¾, second) and Tom Paris (4.90m/16-0 ¾, fourth) in the pole vault, Carrington Kirby in the discus (50.70m/166-4, seventh), and Julien David in the javelin (60.45m/198-4, sixth).
Life (Ga.) rounds out the top-5 this week. The Running Eagles put together a 2-3-6 finish in the 400 this weekend at the KSU Invitational, with Jacob Ulrich (47.02), Ngoni Chadyiwa (47.32), and Daniel Williams (47.57) posting highly-ranked times in that event. Ulrich also ranks sixth in the 800 (1:51.52), and ran a leg on the Running Eagles’ top-ranked 4x400m relay (3:11.26). Rounding out the squad’s top-10 performances are Joshua Wagner in the 1500 (3:49.55, fourth), William Jones in the long jump (7.39 meters, 24-3, fourth), and Mark Morozov in the same event (7.38m, 24-2 ½, sixth).
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 3: Westmont (Calif.) at No. 6, Cumberland (Tenn.) at No. 7, Florida Memorial at No. 8, Dordt (Iowa) at No. 9, and Marian (Ind.) at No. 10.
Be sure to mark your calendars for May 24-26, because that’s when the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Marian, Indiana.
