2023 NCAA DII Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 2
NEW ORLEANS – Here is Week 2 of the NCAA Division II Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index, as released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Only marks from the current season are being used, which gives an objective look at those teams who are looking to contend as we head into the beginning of this outdoor season.
NCAA Division II — Men's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
2
Pittsburg State
Pittsburg State
3
West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M
4
Missouri Southern
Missouri Southern
5
Azusa Pacific
Azusa Pacific
All TFRI Reports
Grand Valley State retains their spot at the top of the TFRI in Week 2. The Lakers have three top-ranked individuals, including Caleb Futter, the top ranked steeplechaser in DII, with an 8:42.20. In the high jump, GVSU holds down both of the top-2 spots, with Eli Kosiba in the top spot (2.20m/7-2½) and Jonathan Rankins-James in second (2.15m/7-0½). They also add two of the top-3 in the shot put, including national leader Myles Kerner (19.59m/64-3¼) and national No. 3 Matt Thomas (18.59m/61-0).
Pittsburg State joins the national top-5 for the first time this season. The reigning indoor national champions hold two nation leading marks, in addition to a national No. 3 4×400 relay (3:09.68). Cordell Tinch holds the national lead in the 110 hurdles, with a 13.33w, and is joined by Daylin Williams in the third place position with a 13.77w. Henry Kiner represents the other national leader for the Gorillas, with a 16.41mw (53-10¼) in the triple jump. Other top-5 marks include Caleb Calvin in javelin (73.02m/239-7), Tinch in the long jump (7.50m/24-7¼), and Treyvon Ferguson in the triple jump (15.48mw/50-9½).
West Texas A&M surges 12 spots to hold onto the No. 3 spot in Week 2. Their sole national leader is their 4×100 team of Joseph Manu, Jerry Jakpa, Jalen Purcell, and Isaac Botsio, which ran a 38.92. Perhaps expectedly based on that relay, the Buffs have three times in the top-10 of the 100, with Manu in second (10.14w), Botsio in fourth (10.21w), and Purcell in ninth (10.38w). Jeremiah Lauzon holds a 20.72 mark in the 200, good enough for second, while Quinton Sansing also holds a runner-up mark in the 400 (46.67c/46.56A). Butare Rugenerwa rounds out the top individuals with a national no. 4 in the 800 (1:49.41), while their 4×400 relay also contributed a third place position (3:09.68).
Azusa Pacific drops one spot to No. 4 in Week 2 of the TFRI. The sole national leader for the Cougars is Jermel Jones II in the long jump (7.68m/25-2½). Jones also holds the national No. 6 in the triple jump with a 15.39m (50-6) mark. They added a national second best in the steeplechase, with Nixon Korir owning an 8;49.59 mark. The Cougars have five other national top-10 marks, in addition to a national No. 8 4×400 (3:12.37).
Missouri Southern rounds out the top-5 of the TFRI in Week 2. Payton Barton dominates the throws for the Lions, including holding a national lead in the hammer throw (65.95m/216-5) and a national No. 4 in discus (53.42m/175-3). Three other athletes hold top-5 marks, including Jon Watts in the long jump (7.49m/24-7), Connor Boyd in the hammer throw (61.82m/202-10), and Rajheim Carby in javelin (68.91m/226-1).
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in the Week 2 TFRI: No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona, No. 7 Texas A&M-Kingsville, No. 8 Harding, No. 9 Angelo State and No. 10 Lenoir-Rhyne.
With the season beginning in earnest, athletes continue to prepare for the 2023 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl in Pueblo, Colorado from May 25-27.
