2021 NCAA DII Men's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 4

NEW ORLEANS – Another week, another look for the top teams.
Grand Valley State worked its way back to the top in the latest edition of the 2021 NCAA Division II Men’s Indoor National TFRI released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday afternoon.
No. 2 Ashland also gained a spot from a week ago, followed by No. 3 Colorado School of Mines, No. 4 West Texas A&M and No. 5 Central Missouri.
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Grand Valley State is back at No. 1 for the second time this season. The annual GVSU Big Meet was, in fact, a big meet for the Lakers, as they continued to add to their haul of nationally ranked marks. Grand Valley State earned five marks that sit within the top-5 nationally: Dennis Mbuta in the 800 (No. 2, 1:49.03); Eli Kosiba in the high jump (No. 2, 2.14m/7-¼); Jonathon Groendyk in the 800 (No. 4, 1:50.40); Tanner Chada in the 5000 (No. 4, 13:52.62). Groendyk and Mbuta were also contributing legs of the Lakers’ national leading DMR that set a NCAA DII all-conditions best of 9:39.28.
The second-ranked Eagles traveled to Allendale, Michigan for the Big Meet and earned a pair of ranked relays in the process. Ashland clocked 3:12.18 in the 4×400 and ran 9:45.23 in the DMR, both good for No. 2 on the Descending Order List. Out of the 11 top-10 nationally ranked marks Ashland has, nine sit within the top-5 of their respective events.
Although Colorado School of Mine fell two spots due to the improvement of Grand Valley State and Ashland, the Orediggers added a top-5 nationally ranked mark to add to their point total. Grant Redmond cleared 2.09m (6-10¼) in the high jump for the No. 5 mark on the Descending Order List.
West Texas A&M was the only team that stayed still from a week ago. The Buffs had a pair of 800 runners clock times that rank within the top-3 nationally at the Texas Tech Shootout: Butare Rugenerwa is ranked No. 1 after turning in the No. 5 performance all-time in NCAA DII of 1:48.17c/1:48.48A; Arnaud Taki ran 1:50.30c/1:50.61A for the No. 3 time of the season.
The fifth-ranked Mules improved four spots from Week 3’s National TFRI. Central Missouri earned two marks that rank in the top-10 nationally from Christopher Goodwin in the jumps following his performances at the 6th Annual Indoor Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Kansas. Goodwin is ranked No. 4 in the long jump (7.54m/24-9) and No. 7 in the triple jump (15.01m/49-3).
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 1: No. 6 Tiffin, No. 7 Lee (Tenn.), No. 8 Northwest Missouri, No. 9 Texas A&M-Commerce and No. 10 Pittsburg State.
The 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled for March 11-13 at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama.