2021 NCAA DI Women's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 7

NEW ORLEANS – The latest edition of the NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index, based solely on the entries for the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, gives us some insight as to what the team battle could look like in Fayetteville, Arkansas when competition begins on Thursday.
No. 1 Arkansas will be the heavy favorites, followed by No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Florida battling it out for a podium finish.
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The Razorbacks are eyeing a repeat of the 2019 season, when they were ranked No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks and won the national championship. Arkansas will come into the meet with 25 total entries that span across all events contested. Among the six top-5 nationally ranked marks, Katie Izzo owns two of them and is expected to double in the 3000 (No. 3) and 5000 (No. 1). The Razorbacks also have the top-ranked DMR and the No. 2 4×400.
The second-ranked Aggies will eye its first podium spot since 2009 when they finished second in the team standings. Texas A&M will come into the meet with only 11 entires, but put an emphasis on quality. The Aggies have six of performances ranked within the top-5 nationally, with three of them being national leaders: Athing Mu in the 400; Tyra Gittens in the high jump and pentathlon; the 4×400 relay. Deborah Acquah will also double in the long jump and triple jump, as she is ranked fourth in both.
Texas holds 12 entires as the Longhorns seek their first podium finish since finishing fourth in 2016. The Longhorns will rely on their sprints crew to advance and set them up well on the final day of competition. Chanel Brissett headlines the team with her national leader in the 60H, with Julien Alfred (60) and Kynnedy Flannel (200) boasting No. 2 rankings in their events.
Out of Georgia’s 11 entires for the NCAA Championships, nine of them are in the field events. Owning No. 2 rankings nationally include Anna Hall in the high jump and pentathlon and Jasmine Moore in the triple. Moore will also compete in the long jump. Julia Fixsen and Kayla Smith are tied for No. 4 in the pole vault standings to round out the Bulldogs top-5 nationally ranked performers for the meet.
The fifth-ranked Gators have 12 entires that span across 10 different events. Florida has a pair of top-5 ranked 400 runners in Talitha Diggs (No. 2) and Taylor Manson (No. 4), while Grace Stark will head to Arkansas ranked No. 3 in the 60H. The Gators also have a 4×400 and DMR entered and expected to score well.
Here is the rest of the top-10 in Week 7: No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Southern California, No. 8 BYU, No. 9 Oregon and No. 10 Texas Tech.