NEW ORLEANS, La. – Minor changes to the latest United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association NJCAA Top-25 polls have led to the Cloud County Community College track and field teams holding steady with the men ranked number one and the women ranked number five in the poll released on Wednesday.
Despite there being only two changes to the top-five of the latest men's poll, things have tightened significantly among the top-four teams in the poll as the difference between the top-ranked T-Birds and number-four ranked Barton Community College is a difference of 13.12 points in the computer generated poll. Sitting just behind Cloud County in second is the Thunderbirds of New Mexico Junior College who come in with 574.54 points while South Plains College ranks third with 570.19 points. Iowa Central rounds out the top-five in a distant fifth with 461.12 points.
CCCC was able to hold down the top spot in the poll thanks in part to adding and improving upon four national top-10 marks this past weekend at the Friends University Spring Open. Big marks from Caden Bach in the javelin (66.29 meters, 217 ft. – 6 in.) and Daniel Cope in the discus (53.33 meters, 171 ft. – 8 in.) were two of the biggest factors in allowing the T-Birds to remain atop the poll.
On the women's side, Cloud County is part of the top-eight schools that remained unchanged from a week ago as the only two changes that come as part of the top-10 come courtesy of Mesa Community College and Cowley swapping spots. New Mexico Junior College still holds down the top spot with 632.72 points, followed by South Plains with 595.99 points and Barton (546.92 points) rounding out the top three. Just ahead of CCCC in number four is Iowa Central with 470.75 points as the T-Birds hold steady with 446.09 points.
Cloud County currently has 13 top-10 national marks this season include the top mark in the 4x800 meter relay (3:44.34) and three runners ranked in the top-nine in the 400 meters (Leonie Beu, Isila Apkup, and Pamela Milano). Apkup is also ranked in the top-15 in the 100 meter dash while Milano is one of two athletes to rank in the top-15 in the 800 meters (Milano - fourth, 2:14.90, Patricia Koma – 15th, 2:20.04).
--cloudtbirds.com--