There's a new leader in the clubhouse in the NCAA Division II Men's National Team Rankings.
For the first time in program history, Tiffin is the team to beat in the rankings, announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday. The Dragons jumped up one spot to overtake Colorado Mines in the rankings.
Tiffin got a couple of solid marks in field events at the Kent State Tune Up and the Findlay Meet for Everyone. Vincent Vogel hit an NCAA Division II Automatic Qualifying Mark in the long jump with a leap of 7.62m (25-0) while Toryko Grace's weight throw mark of 20.66m (67-9½) is good for fifth on the NCAA Division II Descending Order List.
Ashland also saw a rise in its ranking, as it moved from sixth to fifth. Adams State (third) and Grand Valley State (fourth) rounded out the top-five.
TU had 11 athletes ranked in the top 10 in 11 different events nationally. James Ngandu is second nationally in the 5000 with 13:57.54. Cameron Burrows appears in two categories - 5th in the high jump with 2.12 meters and 8th in the heptathlon with 5240 points. Toryko Grace also jumped to 5th in the weight throw with 20.66.
Dylan Cornwell was 6th nationally in the pole vault with 5.10 meters. Reginald Thomas holds the 3rd best time in the 60 meters with 6.71 and Jonte Baker is 4th with 6.74, while Eric Jackson is also 6th in the shot put with 18.04 meters and Ngandu also appears in the 3000 with the 4th best time in 8:01.61. Vincent Vogel jumped to 4th in the long jump, hitting an automatic qualifying mark of 7.62. Jalon Monigan joined the national list with a 7th place effort in the triple jump with 15.24 meters, while Nikolas Curtiss also joined Jackson in the shot put with a 9th place effort (17.89) and Mackenzi Rickman popped up in 6th in the 60 hurdles in 7.95.
Regionally the Dragons have even more standouts. Ngandu (3000, 5000), Vogel (long jump), Thomas (60), and Monigan (triple jump) are all top ranked in the Midwest Region. Burrows (high jump, heptathlon), Baker (60), Cornwell (pole vault), and Jackson (shot put) are second in their respective events.
Other standouts include Jalon Monigan (3rd in triple jump), Kevin Roberts (5th in triple jump, 7th in long jump), Toryko Grace (5th in weight throw), Vogel (3rd in triple jump), Errik Snell (6th in 60 hurdles), Davis Bowers (3rd in pole vault), Drew Hickman (5th in the 400), Burrows (3rd in long jump), Nikolas Curtiss (3rd in shot put), Mackenzi Rickman (2nd in 60 hurdles), Shaquille Hildreth (2nd in 200), Thomas (3rd in 200), Michael King (6th in 200), Ngandu (7th in mile), and the 4x400 relay team of Abbitt, Hildreth, King, and Hickman (2nd). The DMR team of Korir, Abbitt, Carlton, and Ngandu are ranked 5th.