Adams State Claims DII Men’s No. 1; GVSU Women Remain on Top

NEW ORLEANS – The Adams State men’s team has powered past Grand Canyon to move atop the Division II U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Computer Team Rankings for the first time this season, while the Grand Valley State women remain on top of the women’s rankings for the 19th consecutive week.

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The Grizzlies of Adams State gained 39.47 points from last week’s rankings for a team score of 209.85 and their first No. 1 ranking since winning a national championship in 2010. The force behind the Grizzlies’ surge to the top was the mile run at this past weekend’s New Mexico Invitational. Tabor Stevens won the race with a DII-leading time of 4:04.90 (converted to 3:59.56 for altitude), while his teammates clocked the second-, third- and fourth-fastest times in DII this season. Carlton Lavong also landed DII’s fourth-best winning mark in the triple jump to boost the Grizzlies.

Defending champion Grand Canyon had been the top-ranked team for the past seven editions of the rankings, and the last time the Antelopes did not appear in the top spot was week two of the 2012 season – then also ranked No. 2. The Antelopes lost 17.02 points to fall to 183.05 total team points.

Though immobile in the rankings, No. 3 Saint Augustine’s made a 37.35-point jump behind impressive sprints and jumps to join the battle for the top spot in the division. Ashland remains at No. 4, while UMass Lowell completes the top five after moving up a spot.

The top five for the women remains unchanged from a week ago, with the Lakers from GVSU on top with 228.60 team points. The Adams State women, looking to join their male teammates atop the charts, inched closer at No. 2 with 185.83 points. Lincoln (Mo.) (168.69), Grand Canyon (131.50) and Academy of Art (129.19) fill out the top five.

The National Computer Team Rankings project how a team will finish in a National Championship Meet setting, rather than a triangular or dual. The rankings are compiled from meet data in the 2012-13 season, but also from returners from the 2011-12 to take into account what a roster might look like should all student-athletes perform at their top level.

The next round of computer rankings will be released February 5. The 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Birmingham, Ala., March 7-9.