Monday, February 09, 2015

Kendell Williams & Georgia Women Leap to No. 1 in NCAA Division I Indoor T&F National Rankings


By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA
February 9, 2015   
Courtesy USTFCCCA
 
NEW ORLEANS – Georgia’s Kendell Williams is used to being No. 1. Just a sophomore, she’s already the defending NCAA pentathlon and heptathlon champion, the collegiate record holder in the pentathlon, an IAAF World Junior Champion, and the 2015 collegiate leader in both the pentathlon and the long jump.

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As of Monday afternoon, she’s now also the leader of the No. 1 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field team in the country, as herGeorgia Bulldogs earned their first No. 1 rank in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Computer Rankings.
In what was otherwise a quiet week atop the national rankings, Georgia deposed formerly top-ranked Florida down to No. 2 behind Williams’ collegiate-leading long jump of 21-5½ (6.54m) andKeturah Orji‘s No. 6 long jump of 21-2 (6.45m) at Virginia Tech.
Rounding out the women’s top five were No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4Texas A&M and defending national champion No. 5 Oregon.
The entirety of the men’s top five remained static: defending national champion No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 5 Penn State.

NCAA DIVISION I NATIONAL COACHES’ POLL TOP 5 – MEN

1)Oregon2)Florida3)Arkansas4)Texas A&M5)Iowa State
OregonFloridaArkansasTexas A&MPenn State
View Complete Men’s National Coaches’ Poll

NCAA DIVISION I NATIONAL COACHES’ POLL TOP 5 – WOMEN

1)Iowa State2)Florida3)Arkansas4)Oregon5)Oregon
GeorgiaFloridaArkansasTexas A&MOregon
View Complete Women’s National Coaches’ Poll
Both genders saw the ascent of new No. 6 teams in the LSU men and the Texas women, who are virtually tied with former No. 6 Kentucky.
Things will shake up this weekend, however. This weekend is the indoor track & field equivalent of cross country’s Pre-Nationals/Wisconsin weekend with big meets at Arkansas, Washington, Iowa State, the Millrose Games and elsewhere. Beyond that, this week is the final edition of the rankings that will take into account marks from the 2014 indoor track & field season.
For the Georgia women, the aforementioned Williams is a significant points contributor to the Bulldogs’ 174.75-point team total, which is just three points superior to Florida’s 171.80 (the rankings system is detailed in full here, and does not mirror the points system used at the NCAA Championships).
Williams accounts for 70 of Georgia’s 174-point total between No. 1 ranks in the pentathlon and the long jump, a No. 2 standing in the high jump, and a No. 14 rank in the 60-meter hurdles. It is important to note that it is highly unlikely Williams will contest all four events at the NCAA Championships.
(For reference, the high jump and long jump are on the first day of the NCAA Championships, and the pentathlon and 60-meter hurdles are both on the second day.)
Williams joined the USTFCCCA’s QA2 Max podcast earlier this season and was asked about the possibility of competing in multiple events:
"I don’t know. That’s something I have to talk to [coach] Petros [Kyprianou] about. I don’t think he’s a fan of me doing an event before my main event [the pentathlon]. Since the schedule does work out where I would have a day break, I’d maybe go back to talk to the trainers and get what I need to get to compete the next day, so we’ll see."
With a national team title now very much a real possibility for the Bulldogs, and with multiple single events in which Williams could take the title or score big points, that outlook might just change as the season progresses. Could it even go as far as Williams bypassing the combined events as she did at the IAAF World Junior Championships this past summer to focus on winning the 100-meter hurdles? Stay tuned.
Beyond the Georgia women, the biggest gainers in either the men’s or women’s top 25 were the Tennesseemen. Behind No. 5 60-meter sprinter Christian Coleman, the Volunteers jumped up 12 spots to No. 13 in the country.
The next-biggest moves were six-spot jumps by the No. 12 Texas Tech women behind Cierra White and the No. 23 Michigan State men.

USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION I

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL TEAM COMPUTER RANKINGS (TOP 25)

2015 Week #3 — February 9

next ranking: February 16

RankInstitutionPointsConferenceHead Coach (Yr)Last Week
1Oregon185.48MPSFRobert Johnson (3rd)1
2Florida178.47SECMike Holloway (13th)2
3Arkansas128.99SECChris Bucknam (7th)3
4Texas A&M102.03SECPat Henry (11th)4
5Penn State79.98Big TenJohn Gondak (1st)5
6LSU76.83SECDennis Shaver (11th)8
7Nebraska72.46Big TenGary Pepin (32nd)7
8Georgia71.53SECWayne Norton (16th)6
9Texas63.43Big 12Mario Sategna (2nd)11
10Stanford60.67MPSFChris Miltenberg (3rd)9
11Villanova57.30Big EastMarcus O’Sullivan (15th)13
12Virginia Tech56.73ACCDave Cianelli (14th)10
13Tennessee54.44SECBeth Alford-Sullivan (1st)25
14Texas Tech54.18Big 12Wes Kittley (16th)14
15Alabama49.60SECDan Waters (4th)12
16Baylor48.21Big 12Todd Harbour (10th)15
17Oklahoma State46.17Big 12Dave Smith (7th)16
18Wisconsin45.23Big TenMick Byrne (2nd)17
19Akron43.62Mid-AmericanDennis Mitchell (20th)18
20Purdue38.41Big TenRolando Greene (3rd)20
21Florida State38.01ACCBob Braman (12th)19
22Houston35.79AmericanLeroy Burrell (17th)21
23Michigan State33.91Big TenWalt Drenth (9th)29
24BYU33.64MPSFEd Eyestone (2nd)24
25Kennesaw State33.51Atlantic SunAndy Eggerth (5th)22
dropped out: No. 23 TCU
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25

Men’s Conference Index Top 10
RankConferencePointsTop 25 Teams
1SEC726.227
2Big Ten358.875
3MPSF340.763
4Big 12315.374
5ACC227.102
6Mid-American119.561
7Big East112.131
8American80.511
9Conference USA67.47
10Mountain West45.47

Men’s Regional Index Leaders
RegionInstitutionPointsLast Week
Great LakesIndiana341.601
Mid-AtlanticPenn State365.601
MidwestNebraska333.693
MountainTexas Tech486.131
NortheastCornell329.901
SouthFlorida407.881
South CentralTexas A&M518.392
SoutheastSouth Carolina257.681
WestOregon514.691
View All Regional Rankings

USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION I

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL TEAM COMPUTER RANKINGS (TOP 25)

2015 Week #3 — February 9

next ranking: February 16

RankInstitutionPointsConferenceHead Coach (Yr)Last Week
1Georgia174.75SECWayne Norton (16th)2
2Florida171.80SECMike Holloway (8th)1
3Arkansas157.09SECLance Harter (25th)3
4Texas A&M142.00SECPat Henry (11th)4
5Oregon135.81MPSFRobert Johnson (3rd)5
6Texas116.75Big 12Mario Sategna (2nd)7
7Kentucky116.75SECEdrick Floreal (3rd)6
8Providence85.23Big EastStephanie Reilly (1st)8
9Stanford70.49MPSFChris Miltenberg (3rd)9
10Kansas State69.40Big 12Cliff Rovelto (23rd)11
11Georgetown65.46Big EastPatrick Henner (8th)10
12Texas Tech56.61Big 12Wes Kittley (16th)18
13Florida State53.15ACCBob Braman (12th)12
14Akron50.49Mid-AmericanDennis Mitchell (20th)15
15Oklahoma State49.04Big 12Dave Smith (6th)14
16Missouri48.83SECBrett Halter (5th)13
17Southern California48.80MPSFCaryl Smith Gilbert (2nd)20
18Wisconsin42.95Big TenMick Byrne (2nd)17
19UCLA42.29MPSFMike Maynard (3rd)16
20Michigan41.34Big TenJames Henry (30th)21
21Maryland38.90Big TenAndrew Valmon (12th)22
22Clemson37.97ACCMark Elliott (2nd)24
23Auburn37.92SECRalph Spry (18th)23
24Mississippi State37.89SECSteve Dudley (5th)19
25Southern Illinois36.96Missouri ValleyConnie Price-Smith (14th)28
dropped out: No. 25 Michigan State
View All Teams Beyond the Top 25

Women’s Conference Index Top 10
RankConferencePointsTop 25 Teams
1SEC977.008
2Big 12353.154
3MPSF343.144
4ACC247.152
5Big Ten238.243
6Big East172.182
7Mid-American70.701
8Missouri Valley45.071
9Summit League42.48
10American38.90

Women’s Regional Index Leaders
RegionInstitutionPointsLast Week
Great LakesPurdue278.131
Mid-AtlanticPenn State495.681
MidwestKansas State377.141
MountainTexas Tech503.161
NortheastHarvard317.251
SouthFlorida368.051
South CentralArkansas593.071
SoutheastKentucky372.901
WestSouthern California388.782
View All Regional Rankings

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