2021 NCAA DI Men's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 6
NEW ORLEANS – Conference Championships Weekend truly shook up the most recent NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index, which was released on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
While the top-3 teams remained the same for the second week in a row – No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Arkansas – only two of the next 22 teams did as well, meaning that the top-25 looks completely different with the NCAA Indoor Championships just a few weeks away.
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You can’t understate how strong Oregon has been this season across a number of events. With Micah Williams improving his national lead in the 60 to 6.53c (6.49A) this past weekend, the Ducks own five commanding NCAA-leading marks, including collegiate records in both the mile (Cooper Teare, 3:50.39) and the distance medley relay (9:19.42).
LSU cemented its spot in the passenger seat with a big weekend at the SEC Championships. The Tigers added or strengthened six national top-5 marks, including NCAA leaders in the 200 from Terrance Laird at 20.28 and the long jump from JuVaughn Harrison at 8.33m (27-4). Damion Thomas and Eric Edwards Jr. both bettered their season bests in the 60H as well.
Arkansas piled on the points – and big marks – on its way to winning its 24th indoor team title at the SEC Championships. Philip Lemonious and Tre’Bien Gilbert own the No. 6 (7.68) and No. 7 (7.70) marks nationally in the 60H, while Markus Ballengee and Ryan Brown sit third and fourth, respectively, in the heptathlon (5898) and long jump (8.12m/26-7¾)
BYU jumped back into the top-5 thanks to the efforts of Lucas Bons, a previously unheralded freshman. Bons finished runner-up in the mile at the Husky Classic with the fifth fastest time this season by a collegian at 3:55.45 (Sam Tanner of Washington beat Bons by 0.22 seconds).
Georgia picked the right time to enter the top-5 for the first time this season. The Bulldogs saw Matthew Boling and Kyle Garland star at the SEC Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Boling took the national lead in the 200 on Friday at 20.37 (He has since fallen to No. 3) and also added the fifth-best long jump at 8.07m (26-5¾). Garland barely missed the meet record in the heptathlon, but still put up 6012 points for the national lead.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 6: No. 6 Florida State, No. 7 Florida, No. 8 North Carolina A&T, No. 9 Texas Tech and No. 10 Tennessee.
The 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held March 11-13 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
