NEW ORLEANS — Business is picking up with less than six weeks to go until the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships.
One look at the most recent Men's National Team Computer Rankings, released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), reveals 20 of the teams in the top-25 moved around from Week 1 to Week 2.
Ashland and Tiffin are still No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, but a lot changed behind them. In fact, the gap is closing between the Eagles and Dragons and rest of the field.As a refresher, points in the USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings are based on the NCAA Division II Descending Order Lists. The higher an athlete is ranked on the list, the more points he or she provides his or her team. From there, a team's points are totaled and more points mean a better billing in the top-25.
One team that made a huge jump from Week 1 to Week 2 was CSU-Pueblo. The ThunderWolves gained 56.88 points and surged from No. 12 to No. 3 in the process. CSU-Pueblo has five athletes and/or relays ranked in the top-3 of the Descending Order Lists — Paul Roberts (No. 1, 3000), Dante Carter (No. 2, 800; No. 3, mile), DMR (No. 2) and Derrick Williams (No. 3, 3000).
Grand Valley State held steady at No. 4, while Adams State fell two spots and rounded out the top-5 at No. 5.
Another big gainer this week was Sioux Falls. The Cougars rallied from No. 14 to No. 6 thanks to its DMR team that is now ranked 3rd in NCAA DII. This is the highest ranking in program history for Sioux Falls, topping its previous high-water mark of 14th.
Shorter and Angelo State jumped nine and four spots, respectively, from No. 20 to No. 11 and No. 16 to No. 12.
Current National Athlete of the Week David Ribich helped Western Oregon soar 13 spots in the rankings to 14th, its highest ranking in program history. Ribich reeled off the top mile in DII this season this past weekend and anchored the No. 1 DMR team.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Emporia State jumped three spots from No. 21 to No. 18 and St. Thomas Aquinas continued to climb up the rankings from No. 24 to No. 22.
Which one of these teams will be crowned champion in six weeks' time at the Birmingham CrossPlex? We'll find out soon enough.
