2024 NCAA DI Women’s Indoor Track & Field Rating Index – Week 7

NEW ORLEANS – Let’s crown a champion!

Here is the Pre-Championships Edition of the 2024 NCAA DI Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index, which was released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday. Only marks from athletes who will be competing at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships this weekend are used in this objective calculation.

National TFRI is presented by AthleticNET.

Arkansas is the odds-on favorite to win the national title in Boston. The Razorbacks, who have a whopping 17 entries to the NCAA Championships, are nearly 100 ranking points clear of their closest pursuer in the National TFRI. If Arkansas is to win its fourth national title in the past five editions of the Championships, it will be primarily due to its sprinters. The Razorbacks have five athletes entered in the 400 meters and four in the 200 meters, including three that will be doubling: Amber Anning, Rosey Effiong and Nickisha Price.

Florida might be tied for the fifth-most entries with nine, but it’s all about quality, not quantity for a program that last won a national title in 2022. The Gators spread their entries across seven different events with the 3000 meters being the only one with multiple athletes. Parker Valby is one of those athletes in the 3000, as well as the 5000 meters. Valby obliterated the collegiate record in the 5000 earlier this season and just cracked the all-time top-5 in the 3000 off a solo effort at the SEC Indoor Championships.

Texas has the second-most entries out of any women’s program with 11. The third-ranked Longhorns, who finished runner-up at this meet in back-to-back years, are looking for their first title since 2006. Texas hopes to see big points from its field athletes in Boston, as it features three entries in the shot put and two more in the long jump. Ackelia Smith is the national leader in the long jump by a five-inch margin with a mark of 6.85m (22-5¾)

Oklahoma State sits fourth ahead of its trip to Boston. The Cowgirls have nine entries into the Championships with nearly half of those in the 3000 and 5000. Taylor Roe is scheduled to double, while Billah Jepkirui and Molly Born will compete in the 3000 and 5000, respectively. Oklahoma State’s best finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships is tenth from 2016.

Oregon finds itself ranked fifth. The Ducks, who have ten entries, hope to make the podium for the tenth time in program history. Oregon will spread its entries across nine events with two in the mile. Jadyn Mays and Jaida Ross are two top-3 ranked Ducks in the 60 meters and shot put, respectively.

Here are the rest of the top-10 teams in Week 7: No. 6 Southern California, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Georgia.

Get ready for the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships, which start on Thursday and run through Saturday at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston.