Three-Time Defending Champs Florida and Oregon Closing in on Top DI Rankings

NEW ORLEANS - The Arkansas men and LSU women remain atop the latest U. S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Computer Team Rankings released Tuesday, but both squads lost ground to the three-time defending NCAA indoor champions for their respective gender, significantly so for Arkansas.

National Ranking PDFs: Top 25 | Full Rankings By Team | Event-by-Event | TFRRS Top 10 NCAA Qual. Bests
Week-by-Week PDFs: By Rank | By Team | All-Time
Regional Ranking PDFs: Top 15 Teams | By Team | By Event
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All-Division Collegiate Bests: Full PDF | Best Marks by Football Players

Despite defending their home track and claiming the SEC crown, the Razorback men dropped 16.8 net points to a team total of 196.27,  marking the first time they have dropped below 200 points this season. Hot on their heels at No. 2 are the runners-up from the SEC meet in three-time defending NCAA Champ Florida, which leapt 46.7 team points for a team total of 175.95 – by far this season’s closest margin between No. 1 and 2 on the men’s side.

Though the Gators did not ultimately pose a serious threat to the Razorback’s title at the SEC Championships – a meet places significant value on team depth, favoring Arkansas – they did manage to produce 10 top-10 nationally ranked performances, compared to Arkansas’ three.

The LSU women were not as fortunate as the Arkansas men at the SEC Championships, falling to the Razorback women to finish runner-up in the meet, but were able to retain their top ranking at 167.44 team points after a small net loss of 1.78 points. Continuing to gain momentum in their climb toward the rankings’ top spot are the three-time defending indoor champion Ducks of Oregon, who pulled within 11 points of the Tigers at 159.28 team points and a gain of 7.33.

Fresh off an MPSF Championships crown, Oregon was propelled in the rankings largely by a pair of student-athletes who moved into the top 10 nationally in their respective events: second-ranked Phyllis Francis at 400 meters (52.03 OT) and No. 10 Anne Kesselring at 800 meters (2:05.29 OT).

A trio of big gainers round out the men’s top five, led by No. 3 Texas A&M , which earned a 27.67 net gain for 114.33 team total. Up six spots and 35.15 team points to No. 4 is Big 10 Champ Wisconsin (99.37), while MPSF Champ Oregon also jumped six spots to No. 5 with a net gain of 23.38 points for a total 85.62.

On the women’s side Big 12 Champion Kansas improved two positions to No. 3 after an 8.78 net increase to 147.70. SEC Champion held steady at 145.84 team points, but slid a spot from last week to No. 4, and preseason No. 1 and ACC Champ Clemson slid 12.52 net points and a spot to No. 5 (130.74).

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.

The final round of computer rankings will be released March 5, and will be based on qualifiers to the NCAA Championships. The 2013 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Fayetteville, Ark., March 8-9.

Biggest Jump (Men): 20 – Baylor
Biggest Jump (Women): 25 – Florida State