2017 NCAA DII Women’s Outdoor Team Rankings – Week 3

NOTE: Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for rankings. Please check your membership status HERE.

NEW ORLEANS — A gradual climb in the rankings was not in the plans for West Texas A&M and Pittsburg State this past week.

Tremendous outings from both programs have vaulted them into 1st and 3rd, respectively, of the NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Team Rankings, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday, after each team sat outside the top-10 a week ago.

The Lady Buffs literally leapt from 11th to 1st – the highest ranking in program history – thanks to an outstanding weekend from super senior Rellie Kaputin. The native of Papua New Guinea recorded the top triple jump mark in all of NCAA Division II at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at 12.98m (42-7) while also posting the 4th-best long jump (6.04m/19-9¾) and 8th-best high jump (1.70m/5-7) so far this year.

Kaputin wasn’t alone in helping the Lady Buffs reach the top. Norma Cunigan recorded NCAA Division II Automatic Qualifying marks in both the discus and shot put in Austin, Texas, as did Malika Ouedraogo in the triple jump.

As impressive as West Texas A&M’s rise in the rankings was, Pittsburg State’s was even more so.

The Gorillas jumped from 51st to 3rd this week after beginning the season at 19th just three weeks ago, and the team didn’t have to go far to achieve that rise. At their home meet, the Wendy’s/PSU Invitational, the Gorillas got 8 top-10 NCAA Division II marks, including two each from Imani Hutchinson and Kelsey Lewis in the 100 and 200 meter races.

More Info NCAA Division II Rankings Central
NATIONAL PDFs Top 25 | By Team | By Event Top TFRRS Qualifiers # of Top-10 Athletes by Team Rankings History This Season By Rank | All-Time	REGIONAL PDFs Top 10 | By Team | By Event #EventSquad Rankings Top-16 Summary Full Reports: By Team | By Event

Relatively quiet weeks were detrimental to the trio of teams that fell in the top-5. Angelo State slipped one spot in the rankings to 2nd, while Johnson C. Smith (4th) and Chico State (5th) each fell as well.

Angelo State saw Kami Norton post the 7th-fastest time in the 400 hurdles this season at the Texas Relays with a time of 1:00.86. Chico State had 4 athletes post NCAA Division II Provisional Qualifying marks at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival and the Stanford Invitational. Johnson C. Smith did not compete over the weekend.

Saint Augustine’s jumped 2 spots into 6th, while Cal Baptist (7th), San Francisco State (8th) and Humboldt State (9th) all fell in the rankings. Alaska Anchorage (10th) made a 30-spot leap for a new season-best ranking after strong performances at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, led by Danielle McCormick (2:07.75 in the 800 meters) and Zennah Jepchumba (36:11.04 in the 10000 meters).

Western State also made a 30-spot leap, coming in at 11th this week for the program’s highest ranking since the final week of the 2014 campaign. Alicja Konieczek (15:59.22) and Georgia Porter (16:11.01) each recorded NCAA Division II Automatic Qualifying marks by running the 1st and 2nd-best times in NCAA Division II, respectively, in the 5000 meters at the Stanford Invitational.

Shippensburg was the only other team on the week to make a double-digit spot increase in the rankings, moving from 23rd to 11th. Casey Norton’s NCAA Division II-leading 10000 meter mark of 35:36.72 at the Colonial Relays played a big part in that leap.

Three new teams broke into the top-25 from a week ago, with two of them making their season debuts. Grand Valley State sat at 26th a week ago, but made an 8-spot jump into 18th, while Chadron State (19th) and Minnesota Duluth (24th) both saw themselves in the top-25 after truly revving up their outdoor campaigns for the first time over the weekend.

The 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, from May 25-27. Check back at www.USTFCCCA.org each week throughout the season for updated rankings.

Women’s #EventSquad Leaders (Best Foursome in the Country By Event)