LSU is Latest Women’s No. 1 in Division I; Arkansas Men Still No. 1

NEW ORLEANS – For the third week in a row a new women’s team graces the top spot in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Team Computer Rankings, as LSU pounces into the top spot in the first edition of the polls to not include preseason data in its projections. The Arkansas men remain in the top spot.

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As was the case when marks, times and scores from last season were removed from consideration in the Division II rankings, the order of teams underwent a thorough jostling. Only six of the 50 teams in both the men’s and women’s rankings, only six held steady in their positions from a week ago.

The Tigers of LSU jumped two spots to No. 1, gaining 10.13 net points for a team score of 162.45 primarily behind strong efforts by fifth-ranked triple jumper Lynnika Pitts (43-1/13.13m) and the fourth-ranked 4×400 relay team (3:33.91) at Arkansas’ Tyson Invitational. This marks the Tigers’ first time atop the rankings since the final week of the 2008 season, when they were the top-ranked team throughout the duration of the regular season until a runner-up showing at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Speaking of Arkansas, its women’s team moved up two spots to No. 2 with 149.24 team points, capitalizing on slides by former No. 1 and No. 2 teams Kansas and Clemson, respectively. After claiming its first-ever top ranking last week, the Jayhawks of Kansas lost 30.34 net points and dropped three spots to No. 4 with 143.03 points, while preseason No. 1 Clemson lost 12 net points to slide to No. 3 with 146.21 points. Three-time defending indoor champion Oregon remains at No. 5 (136.64 points).

Arkansas’ top-ranked men, despite losing 11.53 net points for a total of 210.20, remain comfortably ahead of second-ranked three-time defending indoor champion Florida, which gained 10.24 points for a team score of 131.78.

Oklahoma State was the biggest beneficiary of the removal of preseason data on the men’s side, as the Cowboys wrangled the No. 3 ranking with a net increase of 51.58 points for a team score of 94.03 – up 20 spots from a week ago. The OSU distance crew – NCAA champions during the cross country season – racked up five top-15 distance performances at the Husky Classic, including the nation’s second-fastest 5000 by Shadrack Kipchirchir (13:38.57 OT) and the fourth-best mile by Raul Botezan (3:57.79 OT).

Texas A&M dropped one spot and 30.41 net points to No. 4 with a team score of 87.62, while the Nittany Lions of Penn State jumped eight spots and 25.7 net points to 81.70 to round out the top five.

In total, five men’s teams made double-digit gains in the rankings due to the combination of strong performances and the removal of preseason data, headlined by Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, which leapt 28 spots from outside the top 30 to No. 6. Three women’s teams similarly launched up the rankings, most notably Illinois 21 spots to No. 15.

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 next round of computer rankings will be released February 19. The 2013 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Fayetteville, Ark., March 8-9.