Release courtesy of Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA
Click here for complete USTFCCCA "Program of the Year" release
NEW ORLEANS – With the conclusion of the indoor track & field season, standings have been updated in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year races for the 2012-2013 school year. For award consideration, only the outdoor track & field championships remains for each of the three divisions of the NCAA. Men’s program leaders in the standings are Wisconsin, Adams State, and UW-La Crosse. On the women’s side, Oregon, Grand Valley State, and Wartburg lead through two of the three seasons of the school year.
Division II: Adams State men, Grand Valley State women closing in on POY awards
Though neither team finished as high as hoped at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships, the Adams State men and Grand Valley State women emerge from the indoor season as the leaders in the clubhouse for the Program of the Year awards.
Cross country champions Adams State finished third at the DII Indoor Championships after entering the meet ranked No. 1, but the Grizzlies are still on track to claim their fifth consecutive DII Men’s Program of the Year award. The Grizzlies carry a team score of four points (1 XC/3ITF) into the outdoor season.
Grand Valley State is in second with 11 points following a fourth-place showing at the Indoor Championships (4 XC), but they have little margin for error with GLIAC rival Ashland sitting just a half point behind in third following its runner-up finish at the Indoor Championships (t9 XC).
Like the Adams State men, the Grand Valley State women are going for their fifth straight award, which for the first time this season will be named after their head coach: the Jerry Baltes Women’s Division II Program of the Year award. The Lakers could not win a third consecutive indoor title, but their fourth-place finish combined with their cross country championship in the fall has them in the lead with five points.
Just behind GVSU is Adams State with nine points after finishing sixth at the Indoor Championships and third at the cross country championships. Alaska Anchorage is a distant third with 17 points (6 XC/11 ITF).
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field champions in Division II will be determined May 23-25, in Pueblo, Colo.
| Jerry Baltes DII Women's Program of the Year Standings | ||
|
Rank |
School |
Total Points |
|
1 |
Grand Valley State |
5 |
|
2 |
Adams State |
9 |
|
3 |
Alaska Anchorage |
17 |
|
4 |
Western State |
19 |
|
5 |
U-Mary |
22 |
| DII Men's Program of the Year Standings | ||
|
Rank |
School |
Total Points |
|
1 |
Adams State |
4 |
|
2 |
Grand Valley State |
11 |
|
3 |
Ashland |
11.5 |
|
4 |
Alaska Anchorage |
17 |
|
5 |
Western State |
19 |
More Info: Current Standings and Past Winners
The Program of the Year Awards are awarded annually to the most outstanding cross country/track & field programs. The award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution’s finish at the NCAA Championships.
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the team’s finish at each NCAA Division I Championship in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award recipient. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
