The Lincoln women's indoor track and field team maintained its No. 1 ranking in the country while the Blue Tiger men moved up to No. 12 in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II national poll, released Tuesday.
The Lincoln women increased their lead against No. 2 Grand Valley State as the Blue Tigers tallied 179.47 points, while GVSU earned 162.22 points in the latest rankings.
Adams State was ranked third this week after earning 154.30 points, while Ashland was fourth (129.14 points) and Johnson C. Smith was fifth (107.27).
Lincoln leads four Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association programs ranked in the Top 25. Nebraska-Kearney is ranked No. 16 with 44.50 points, while Southwest Baptist claimed the No. 19 spot and Central Missouri was ranked No. 20.
The Blue Tiger men moved up from No. 16 last week to No. 12 this week after receiving 65.29 points.
Lincoln was one of five MIAA programs listed in this week's rankings, the second-most of any NCAA Division II conference.
Missouri Southern is the league's top-ranked program, claiming the No. 7 spot with 83.58 points, while Nebraska-Kearney is eighth and Pittsburg State is ninth. Southwest Baptist rounds out the ranked MIAA programs at No. 15.
III
Blue Tigers sweep MIAA honors again
For the second straight week, the Lincoln men's and women's indoor track and field teams swept the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Track Athlete of the Week awards.
Jermaine Blake was honored on the men's side and Twishana Williams was recognized on the women's side, the league announced Tuesday.
Blake turned in a pair of top-five performances at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, including a fifth-place finish in the 800-meter run. Blake, the only Division II athlete competing in the race, finished with a provisional time of 1:52.38 that ranks second in the MIAA this season.
The senior from Manchester, Jamaica also helped set the top mark in the league, and the third-fastest in the country, in the 400-meter relay. In that event Blake teamed with Roger Blake, Winston Edwards and Michael Ashley to help Lincoln finish fourth behind three Division I programs in 3:14.01.
Williams won two events at the Missouri Invitational and set the MIAA's second-fastest time in the 3,000 meters. The senior from St. Catherine, Jamaica won the race in 10:12.23, a full second faster than the second-place competitor.
Williams also won the mile, again finishing as just one of two non-Division I athletes in the top 10, with a time of 5:09.41.
Lincoln also swept the MIAA's Men's and Women's Track Athlete of the Week honors last week, as Romel Lewis and Donna-Lee Hylton were both honored for performances at the Grand Valley State University Five-Way on Feb. 1.
For the season, the Blue Tiger men have been recognized by the league twice, while the women's team has earned a total of seven Athlete of the Week awards.