2023 NCAA DII Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 7
NEW ORLEANS – Here is Week 7 of the NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National TFRI, 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 — Women's Outdoor Track & Field
This Week's National Top Five
1
West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M
2
Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State
3
Azusa Pacific
Azusa Pacific
4
Minnesota State
Minnesota State
5
Adams State
Adams State
All TFRI Reports
West Texas A&M jumps two spots into the No. 1 spot in the Week 7 TFRI. Brooke Urban retook her national lead in the high jump, unleashing a monster 1.81m (5-11¼), her first time over 1.80m collegiately and her first time over 1.75m since May of 2021. The Buffs add a national-leading 4×100 relay (44.46c), while Eleonora Curtabbi continues to be the national leader in the steeplechase (9:57.76) and 1500 meters (4:18.72). They add three additional top-5 efforts: Florance Uwajeneza, No. 3 in the 5000 (16:07.13) and No. 2 in the 10,000 (32:49.06), No. 2 Corrssia Perry in the 400 meter (52.82c), and No. 2 Taylor Nelloms in the triple jump (13.29mw/43-7¼).
Grand Valley State continues their hold on No. 2 in the Week 7 TFRI. The Lakers have a pair of throwers holding national-leading marks: Erika Beistle in discus (52.53m/172-4) and Judith Essemiah (63.57m/208-7) in hammer. They added seven additional top-5 performances, including two No. 2 efforts from Emma Richards – one in discus (51.74m/169-9), and one in shot put (15.67m/51-5). With her 4:21.13 1500-meter effort this past week, Natalie Graber adds her third top-10 performance, including a No. 3 spot in the steeplechase (10:13.14) and a No. 6 in the 5000 meters (16:08.27).
Azusa Pacific drops two spots in the Week 7 TFRI to come in at No. 3. They have just one national leader, Esther Conde-Turpin in the heptathlon (6007, a mark that ranks her No. 2 all-time in DII). Alayna Verner inched closer to the 53-second barrier this weekend, dropping her 400-meter best to 53.59, a mark that puts her 5th in DII this season. Nicole Warwick’s 6.37mw (20-10¾) long jump this past weekend was also good enough for a No. 2 position in the nation, to go with her No. 2 heptathlon effort. Molly Olson also showed out this weekend with a 47.13m (154-8) javelin effort good enough for a No. 5 position in the nation.
Minnesota State stays steady at No. 4 for the fourth week in a row. The Mavericks hold three nation leading performances, with Denisha Cartwright’s 13.04 100-meter hurdle mark, Makayla Jackson’s 6.62m (21-8¾) in long jump, and Lexie Hurst’s 15.88m (52-1 ) in shot put. Cartwright alone accounts for five top-10 marks for the Mavericks, including as a part of their No. 4 4×100 (44.91), and as an individual in the 200 meters (23.18w), 100 meter (11.39w), and 400 meter (53.63).
Adams State rounds out the top-5 from this week’s TFRI. They own six top-5 performances, including a No. 2 steeplechase performance from Ava O’Connor (10:07.96) and a No. 4 1500-meter performance for O’Connor (4:20.04). Other top-5 marks for the Grizzlies include a No. 3 performance in the 10,000 meters from Brianna Robles (33:11.64) and a No. 4 10,000-meter performance from Precious Robinson (33:54.15). Stephanie Cotter adds a No. 2 5000-meter performance from this weekend (15:15.62) as well as her 4:20.15 1500-meter that’s good enough for the No. 5 position.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in the Week 1 TFRI: No. 6 Pittsburg State, No 7. Lincoln (Mo.), No. 8 Angelo State, No. 9 Winona State, No. 10 Northwest Missouri.
Just over two weeks stands between us and May 25-27, when the 2023 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl in Pueblo, Colorado.
