2020 NCAA DII Men’s Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 7
NEW ORLEANS – Based solely on entries into the 2020 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships, the men’s team battle is shaping up to be an exciting one, according to this week’s NCAA Division II Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index that was released Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The top-5 has remained familiar faces from a week ago, but entries have shaken up the positioning.
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Lincoln (Mo.) remained at No. 1 for the second straight week and will enter the national championships with 11 entries. In pursuit of the program’s first national title, the Blue Tigers will heavily rely on their long and triple jump squads with a combined 5 top-3 rankings to score big points. Ryan Brown is ranked No. 1 in both the long and triple jumps. Kizan David is second in triple and third in long, while Salif Mane is third in the triple.
Colorado School of Mines is ranked No. 2, also for a second straight week. The Orediggers have 15 entries and pursue its first podium finish. Dylan Ko will lead a distance squad with nine total entries, as Ko will double up in the 3000 (No. 4) and 5000 (No.5). Connor McLean will also enter the meet as the top-ranked performer in the heptathlon.
No. 3 Tiffin rose two spots from No. 5, while No. 4 Angelo State and No. 5 Ashland each dropped one spot from a week ago.
The Dragons have 11 entries as they seek to get back on top of the podium for the first time since 2017, also in Birmingham. Tiffin has several top performers across the sprints and field events, which includes top-ranked Jonte Baker in the 60 and Cameron Burrows in the high jump.
Angelo State will eye a podium finish with nine entries, and eight of them are ranked within the top-7 entering the meet. Ashland, the defending national champions, will look for big points from Trevor Bassitt, who is ranked No. 1 in the 60 Hurdles and 400, No. 2 in the 200, and part of the Eagles’ No. 3 4×400 Relay. The duo of Brent Fairbanks and Alex Hill are also ranked 2-3 in the weight throw.
No. 6 American International and No. 7 Missouri Southern each improved one spot. Of the Yellow Jackets’ seven distance entries, Benoit Campion owns the top time in the mile and part of the No. 3 Distance Medley Relay. Ezra Mutai is also ranked No. 2 in the 3000. The Lions will go into the weekend with 10 total entries and nine in the field events. Rajindra Campbell is the top-seed in the shot put, while Josh Norville is No. 2 in the long jump.
No. 8 Grand Valley State fell two spots and No. 9 Central Missouri maintained its placement. The Lakers have the second most entries at 13, while the Mules have seven. Pittsburg State jumped up one spot to No. 10 for a season-best ranking. With 9 entries, the Gorillas will be paced by Louis Rollins as the No. 3 seed in the 60 Hurdles.
Northern State is the newest addition in the top-25, coming in at No. 25 for a one spot improvement from a week ago.
The 2020 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships will be this Friday and Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.
