2021 NCAA DI Men's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 4
NEW ORLEANS – The biggest weekend of the collegiate indoor track & field regular season didn’t just wreak havoc on the record book: It altered the complexion of the NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index, too!
When the most recent National TFRI was released on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), nine of the top-10 teams shifted spots behind top-ranked Oregon, which actually strengthened its grip on the No. 1 spot with dynamo efforts this past weekend at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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It’s tough to understate just how dominant the Ducks have been this season since making their debut at the Razorback Invitational back on January 29. Oregon athletes have broken two collegiate records and accounted for 12 different top-10 marks nationally, including four national leaders: Micah Williams in the 60 (6.56); Charlie Hunter in the 800 (1:45.59), Cooper Teare in both the mile (3:50.39) and 3000 (7:46.10). Look at that mile time again: Teare went 3:50.39 this past weekend at the Randal Tyson Track Center to smash the old collegiate record by more than one full second and become the seventh fastest man in world history.
Arkansas jumped one spot to No. 2 after adding several top-10 marks to its treasure chest this past weekend. Amon Kemboi led four Razorbacks under 13:43.00 in the 5000 as all four of them among the top-10: Gilbert Boit (13:40.20), Jacob McLeod (13:41.26) and Matt Young (13:42.59) are the others. Arkansas also bettered its standing in the 60H and DMR.
LSU dropped one spot to No. 3 to no fault of its own. The Tigers continue to dot the national leaderboard across event areas: Terrance Laird took the national lead in the 200 at 20.41; JuVaughn Harrison moved up to No. 2 in the long jump with his 8.09m (26-6½) effort; Damion Thomas (7.69) and Eric Edwards, Jr. (7.71) are No. 3 and No. 4 in the 60H; Davis Bove was one of 20 men who went sub-4 this past weekend and sits 10th in that event at 3:57.49.
Florida State climbed one spot to No. 4 and has seven top-10 marks nationally, including national leaders in the 60H (Trey Cunningham, 7.55) and LJ (Isaac Grimes, 8.33m/27-4). We don’t want to undersell Grimes, though: Grimes matched the fifth-best performer in collegiate indoor history this past weekend with that mark and is the best by a collegian since 2014.
North Carolina A&T is back in the top-5 after a standout weekend at the Tiger Paw Invitational. Randolph Ross led the Aggies in Clemson, South Carolina, as he jumped to the top of the Descending Order List in the 400 at 45.21 and sits third in the 200 at 20.50. Tavarius Wright is now ranked No. 2 nationally in the 60 at 6.57, while Javonte Harding (No. 6, 20.54) and Trevor Stewart (No. 7, 45.55) hit top-10 marks in the 200 and 400, respectively.
Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 5: No. 6 BYU, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 8 Florida, No. 9 Georgia and No. 10 Texas Tech.
The 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled for March 11-13 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.