2020 NCAA DIII Women’s Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 7
NEW ORLEANS – Entries for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships were officially released last night, so it’s high time to check out what the National Rating Index projects to happen this weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
According to the National Rating Index, top-ranked UW-La Crosse, second-ranked Ithaca, third-ranked UChicago, fourth-ranked Williams and fifth-ranked Loras all put themselves in a perfect position to contend for the podium on the women’s side.
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UW-La Crosse hopes to have a similar result as the last time NCAAs were held at the JDL Fast Track. Back in 2015, the Eagles won their first indoor national title in program history. This year UW-La Crosse brings 13 entries to the Tar Heel State with seven ranked in the top-5 nationally, including Skye Digman, who is top-5 in both the shot put (No. 1) and weight throw (No. 5).
Ithaca owns 11 entries into the meet, seven of which are ranked in the top-5 nationally. You might have heard about Parley Hannan, who is the top-ranked athlete in the mile, 3000 and 5000, as well as the anchor on the top-ranked DMR. Hannan will only contest three of those events since she chose to forgo the mile. Tia Jones is top-5 in both the 60 and 200, while Meghan Matheny is currently the No. 2 seed in the pole vault.
UChicago improved one spot from No. 4 to No. 3 and eyes only its second podium finish in program history (The last time the Maroons were on the podium was in 2010). One of the big reasons UChicago is optimistic is because of the duo of Laura Darcey and Isabel Maletich. Darcy is the top-ranked athlete in the pentathlon and will also contest the high jump, while Maletich owns the nation’s top marks in both the long jump and triple jump.
Williams fell two spots from No. 2 to No. 4 and will have 14 entries in Winston-Salem. Only four of those entries are ranked in the top-5 nationally, led by Emma Egan’s No. 2 billing in the high jump and No. 3 billing in the pentathlon, but the Ephs have athletes across 10 events.
Loras enters the meet with confidence on its side from last year’s outdoor national title, but the squad knows indoor is a different animal. The Duhawks have made one podium in program history, which happened last year. Loras has nine entries into the meet, of which feature two athletes who are entered in three events: Terrianna Black in the 60, long jump and triple jump; Gabrielle Noland in the 60, 200 and 4×400.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 7: No. 6 MIT, No. 7 Johns Hopkins, No. 8 Carthage, No. 9 Washington (Mo.) and No. 10 Wheaton (Ill.). It should be mentioned that the Thunders’ scoring chances rest completely on Favor Ezewuzie’s shoulders since she is the only athlete from the program that qualified – and did so in three events.
Be sure to check back later this week as we’ll have much more on the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships!
