Release Courtsey of Tom Lewis: U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Communications Manager
NEW ORLEANS – The men’s team at Lincoln University of Missouri is the preseason No. 1-ranked team in the country for the 2012 NCAA indoor track & field season in Division II. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national team computer rankings placed Lincoln – who placed third at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships - in the top spot.
Click here for the release on the USTFCCCA website
Lincoln’s men returns a squad that placed third (41 points) at last year’s NCAA Championships. The Blue Tigers return defending 200-meter champion Terrel Cotton among five other individual scorers set to make another run in 2012. In addition, Lincoln sophomore Romel Lewis currently leads the division with a 6.67 clocking in the 60 meters that was recorded in December.
Defending men’s national team champions Abilene Christian begin the season at No. 24 in the national rankings. Of the 49 points scored last year to win the national crown, only five return for the Wildcats with now-senior Nick Jones in the shot put (fourth place). No. 2 Saint Augustine’s placed sixth at last year’s indoor championships and is looking for their first indoor crown since 2009. No. 3 Adams State – seventh a year ago – won the NCAA title in 2010. Ashland, last year’s runner-up team, starts the season at No. 4 and returns defending weight throw champ Ryan Loughney who has already bettered his season-best from last year in the event.
The GLIAC holds the top spot among conferences to start the season with five member institutions in the preseason top 25 in both men’s and women’s rankings.
The next round of computer rankings will be released on January 24. The 2012 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Mankato, Minn., on March 9-10.
| USTFCCCA Men's Indoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings 2012 Preseason -- January 17 | |||||
| Rank | School | Points | Conference | Head Coach (Yr) | 2011 FINAL |
| 1 | Lincoln (Mo.) | 176.25 | MIAA | Victor Thomas (11th) | 3 |
| 2 | Saint Augustine’s | 129.28 | CIAA | George Williams (36th) | 6 |
| 3 | Adams State | 124.29 | RMAC | Damon Martin (17th) | 7 |
| 4 | Ashland | 121.53 | GLIAC | Jud Logan (9th) | 2 |
| 5 | Grand Canyon | 115.41 | PacWest | Tom Flood (2nd) | 8 |
| 6 | Grand Valley State | 95.36 | GLIAC | Jerry Baltes (13th) | 20 |
| 7 | Findlay | 86.71 | GLIAC | Marc Arce (24th) | 14 |
| 8 | Central Missouri | 79.23 | MIAA | Pedersen (16th)/Janvrin (14th) | 4 |
| 9 | Southern Connecticut | 71.11 | Northeast-10 | John Wallin (2nd) | 24 |
| 10 | UMass Lowell | 69.98 | Northeast-10 | Gary Gardner (10th) | NR |
| 11 | Lake Erie | 67.28 | GLIAC | Bryan Harmon (5th) | 16 |
| 12 | American International | 65.77 | Northeast-10 | Leo Mayo (6th) | 24 |
| 13 | Chadron State | 61.41 | RMAC | Ryan Baily (3rd) | 9 |
| 14 | Johnson C. Smith | 60.57 | CIAA | Lennox Graham (5th) | 11 |
| 15 | Shippensburg | 59.95 | PSAC | Dave Osanitsch (7th) | 9 |
| 16 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 52.20 | Lone Star | Ryan Dall (4th) | 42 |
| 17 | Indianapolis | 52.09 | GLVC | Scott Fangman (15th) | 26 |
| 18 | Neb.-Kearney | 51.58 | RMAC | Brady Bonsall (2nd) | 42 |
| 19 | Colorado Mines | 49.19 | RMAC | Art Siemers (7th) | 11 |
| 20 | MSU Moorhead | 48.96 | NSIC | Keith Barnier (10th) | 23 |
| 21 | Minnesota State | 48.27 | NSIC | Mark Schuck (30th) | NR |
| 22 | Stonehill | 41.03 | Northeast-10 | Karen Boen (14th) | 16 |
| 23 | Queens (N.C.) | 38.75 | Conf. Carolinas | Scott Simmons (4th) | 18 |
| 24 | Abilene Christian | 37.65 | Lone Star | Roosevelt Lofton (3rd) | 1 |
| 25 | Lake Superior State | 37.16 | GLIAC | Matt Sparks (2nd) | 27 |
| Men’s Conference Index Top 10 | |||
| Rank | Conference | Points | Top 25 Teams |
| 1 | GLIAC | 466.14 | 5 |
| 2 | MIAA | 382.59 | 2 |
| 3 | RMAC | 315.58 | 4 |
| 4 | Northeast-10 | 269.02 | 4 |
| 5 | CIAA | 236.69 | 2 |
| 6 | NSIC | 158.46 | 2 |
| 7 | PacWest | 122.45 | 1 |
| 8 | PSAC | 115.04 | 1 |
| 9 | GLVC | 105.74 | 1 |
| 10 | Lone Star | 90.20 | 2 |
