Vikings stay in top 25 in NCAA Division III outdoor power rankings

The Augustana Vikings used some impressive performances at the Drake Relays and the Loras Open last weekend to stay in the top 25 of the NCAA Division III Women’s Track & Field poll. Augustana is currently 25th with a total of 158.42 points. The ranking is sponsored by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Association and it encompasses the top two performances by each team in every event.

This week the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh kept the top spot with 194.32 points. Williams College jumped to second with 189.79 points. Massachusetts Institute of Technology held the third spot with 183.53 points while Tufts University rose all the way to the fourth spot with 181.78 points.

Fellow CCIW member North Central is fifth with 181.32.

So far this season the Vikings have competed in a total of seven meets, including last week when head coach Fred Whiteside split his squad between the Drake and Loras meets. Augustana has a dual meet victory over St. Ambrose on March 19 and were second in the Augustana Invitational on April 15. The Vikings were fifth at the Lee Calhoun Invitational on April 9 and ninth at the Wartburg Select Invitational on April 2. The other meets (NIU Invite on April 23 and the Drake Relays and Loras Invitational last weekend) were non- scoring events.

The Vikings will host the CCIW championship on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7.

2011 NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD DUAL MEET POWER RANKINGS

US Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association May 6, 2011 – Ranking #5 1 – Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Midwest, 184.32 2 – Williams, New England, 189.79

3 – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New England, 183.53 4 – Tufts, New England, 181.78 5 – North Central, Midwest 181.32 6 – Wisconsin-LaCrosse, Midwest, 179.31

7 – Ithaca, Atlantic, 179.13 8 – St. Benedict, Central, 179.12 9 – Monmouth, Midwest, 178.71 10 – Ohio Wesleyan, Great Lakes, 174.61 11 – Nebraska Wesleyan, Central, 173.62 12 – Johns Hopkins, Mideast, 173.21 13 – Claremont-McKenna-Harvey-Mudd-Scripps, West, 170.39 14 – Colby, New England, 169.57 15 – Emory, South, 167.37 16 – Chicago, Midwest, 167.32 17 – Whitworth, West, 167.12 18 – Texas Lutheran, South, 166.81 19 – Baldwin-Wallace, Great Lakes, 166.74 20 – Moravian, Mideast, 164.18 21 – DePauw, Great Lakes, 162.98 22 – Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Midwest, 162.46 23 – Southern Maine, New England, 160.67 24 – Redlands, West, 160.31 25 – AUGUSTANA, MIDWEST, 158.42