2021 NCAA DII Women's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 7
NEW ORLEANS – The Pre-Championships Edition of the NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating has the women’s title race at the 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships to be an exciting one. This edition of the National TFRI, released Monday afternoon by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), is based solely on entries for the meet.
Grand Valley State is the the heavy favorite projected to win the team title in Birmingham according to the computer rankings. Minnesota State is expected to come in second, followed by No. 3 Central Missouri, No. 4 UC-Colorado Springs and No. 5 West Texas A&M fighting for the remaining podium spots.
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The Lakers will come into the meet with 22 entries, while 11 of them boast a top-5 national ranking. Nicole Sreenan leads the Lakers with her national leading marks in the 200 and 400, and is part of the top-ranked 4×4 and DMR. Pacing the mid-distance and distance squads will be Allie Ludge (mile/3000), Taryn Chapko (800), and Klaudia O’Malley (mile/3000), and all three will join Sreenan on the DMR. In the field events, Judith Essemiah is entered in the weight throw (No. 2) and Ellianne Kimes in the pole vault (No. 3).
Minnesota State has 19 entries itself and have 10 that sit within the top-10 nationally, mainly within the sprints. Makayla Jackson (60) and Denisha Cartwright (60H) each own a national leading mark. Cartwright will also be featured in the 60 (No. 3), 300 (No. 3), and part of the fifth-ranked 4×400, while Jackson is ranked No. 3 in the long jump. Katie Taylor will compete in both the weight throw (No. 2) and the shot put (No. 6).
Central Missouri will enter the meet with 11 entires. The Jennies will rely on its field events to claim a podium spot. Madi Wulfekotter leads the team with her national leading clearance in the pole vault. Three other athletes are ranked No. 3 in their respective events: Kayla Goodwin in the triple jump; Ashlan Burton in the shot put; Hannah VanBuskirk in the pentathlon.
UC-Colorado Springs will head to Alabama with eight entries. Hannah Meek will double in the long jump (No. 1) and triple jump (No. 4), while Kayla Zink is entered in the 60 (No. 2) and Layla Almasri is in the mile (No. 3). Almasri is also part of the fifth-ranked DMR.
While West Texas A&M only has seven entires for the national championships, they will pack a punch. Four entires rank within the top-2 in their respective events: Taylor Nelloms in the triple jump (No. 1); Zada Swoopes in the shot put (No. 1); Florance Uwajeneza in the 5000 (No. 2); Flore Gracia in the triple jump (No. 2). Uwajeneza is also entered in the 3000 and part of the DMR.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 7: No. 6 Saginaw Valley State, No. 7 Pittsburg State, No. 8 Colorado School of Mines, No. 9 Augustana (S.D.) and No. 10 Southwest Baptist.
