2021 NCAA DI Men's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 5

NEW ORLEANS – With a number of teams resting up for their respective conference championships this upcoming weekend, those athletes and teams who competed this past weekend had a big impact on the most recent installment of the NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index, released on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
While the same teams who were in the top-5 in Week 4 remained in Week 5, the order shifted a bit: No. 1 Oregon is followed by No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 North Carolina A&T. The only difference here is that the Tigers and Razorbacks flip-flopped due to what transpired at the Camel City Invitational and the Matador Qualifier.
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We’ll start with what happened in Lubbock, Texas. That’s where Texas Tech, now ranked seventh after a three-spot jump from No. 10, turned in an incredible solo effort in the DMR to own the … You guessed it: No. 7 spot on the Descending Order List. The Red Raiders foursome got the baton around in 9:36.72, which down converts to 9:32.06 due to altitude.
Cincinnati is the Biggest Mover of the Week thanks to a 19-spot improvement from No. 38 to No. 19. Aaron Bienenfield and Alec Sandusky starred at the Camel City Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where they moved up to No. 4 and No. 5 on the Descending Order List in the 5000 at 13:33.18 (13:41.89) and 13:34.30 (13:43.02), respectively. Even without the generous conversion from being contested on a 200-meter flat track, those marks would still reside in the national top-15 at No. 10 and No. 12, respectively.
Miami (Ohio) surged, too, after its effort at the Camel City Invitational. The Redhawks soared from No. 31 to No. 24, following its sterling performance in the DMR. Miami (Ohio) captured the victory in 9:29.34 (9:37.07) over Virginia Tech at 9:30.73 (9:38.48) and North Carolina at 9:31.21 (9:38.96). All of those teams are now ranked No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6 on the Descending Order List in that event.
The 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held March 11-13 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Live coverage of the NCAA Championships will be available online via ESPN3 and through the ESPN App. A tape-delay telecast of the meet will debut on ESPNU on Sunday, March 14 at 9 pm ET.