UW squads ranked in top 16 in initial USTFCCCA ranking index; Central women number 12 in D2...
Lots of stuff to cover from the last few days:
The USTFCCCA released its first indoor track & field ranking index for the 2026 indoor season, and both Washington squads are ranked inside the top 16 teams in Division I after the first month of competition.
The UW women are currently ranked number 15 in the USTFCCCA D1 rankings, led by four top ten performances in the opening month.
Washington is led by Mia Cochran (Paul Merca photo), whose 4:30.98 mile at the UW Indoor Preview is currently ranked number 4 in NCAA Division I.
The other three top ten marks belong to Chloe Symon in the 800 (#7, 2:04.56) from last month's Sharon Colyear-Danville meet in Boston; and a pair of number 9 marks by Chloe Foerster's in the 3000m of 8:56.22, also from last month's meet in Boston; and Jenica Swartz's 2:04.93 in the 800 set last week in New York at the Dr. Sander Scorcher meet at The Armory.
The nation's top five teams are in order: Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson and BYU.
Other B1G Ten teams in the top 25 include number 7 Nebraska, number 9 Oregon, number 13 UCLA, number 22 Minnesota, and number 23 USC.
Three top ten marks from the UW Indoor Preview lead the way for the number 16 Washington men, led by pole vaulter Jimmy Rhoads' 19-1.25 (5.82m) that is number one in the country.
Reuben Reina Jr has two top ten marks: his mile time of 3:55.26 from the UW Preview is currently number 7, while his 7:43.16 time from last month's Sharon Colyear-Danville meet in Boston is number 8 in the country.
Thomas Diamond's 3:55.33 at the UW Preview is currently eighth in the country.
The nation's top five D1 men's teams are in order: Tennessee, Georgia, Kansas State, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M.
Other B1G Ten teams in the top 25 include number 8 Penn State, number 9 Illinois, number 13 Oregon, number 14 Wisconsin, number 18 Iowa, number 22 Michigan, and number 23 Nebraska.
DIVISION II RANKINGS...
The Central Washington women's team enters the first rankings ranked number 12, thanks to a pair of top 3 marks by reigning NCAA outdoor high jump and triple jump champion Emy Ntekpere (photo courtesy CWU Athletics).
At the UW Preview, she cleared a nation leading mark in the high jump of 5-10.5 (1.79m), which leads Division II, while her triple jump mark of 41-1.75 (12.54m) is ranked number 3 in the country.
At last week's Dr. Martin Luther King Invitational, Ashlyn Nielsen and Elise Hopper ran to the number 5 and 6 marks in the country in the 200 meters. Nielsen ran 24.16, while Hopper ran 24.18.
In the same meet, Hopper posted the number 10 mark in the country, running 55.19 in the 400 meters.
The nation's top five women's teams are in order: Pittsburg State, Grand Valley State, Minnesota State, Adams State, and West Texas A&M.
Simon Fraser at number 14 is the only GNAC school ranked in the women's top 25.
Simon Fraser is the only GNAC men's team ranked in the national top 25, coming in at number 23.
Wingate, Pittsburg State, Grand Valley State, Minnesota State, and Adams State are the nation's top five D2 men's teams.
MOLL TWINS OFF TO AUSTRALIA IN MARCH...
Australian Athletics announced that twins Hana and Amanda Moll (Paul Merca photo) from the University of Washington, who ended the 2025 season by tying for sixth at the Tokyo world championships in the pole vault, will compete at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne on March 28th, where they'll face Paris Olympic champion Nina Kennedy.
Kennedy, who tied for the 2023 world championship with Katie Moon, and won the Olympics the following year, had a rough 2025 season season, topped off by missing the world championships due to an injury sustained two weeks before the championships.
“I’m so excited for the opportunity to compete in Australia, especially knowing it’s where the 2032 Olympics will be held. Nina is an incredible competitor, so I know the competition will be exciting, and I can’t wait!” Amanda said.
“Getting the chance to jump against pros like Nina is always special and raises the level of competition in the best way. I’m really excited to travel to Australia for the first time,” Hana said.
“I’m excited for them to come to Australia. They are great young talents and I wish more elite athletes could come to our country to compete,” Kennedy said.
Here's Australian Athletics' Instagram post:
The Molls will open their season Saturday at the Dempsey when they compete in an invitational pole vault held in conjunction with the Mile City.
SAM TANNER WINS COOKS INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC IN NEW ZEALAND...
Last Saturday (24 January), former Husky Sam Tanner won the mile at the Pak 'n Save Cooks International Classic at Cooks Gardens in Whanganui, New Zealand.
Competing against a domestic field that served as New Zealand's national championship race which included 16-year old teen sensation and training partner Sam Ruthe, Tanner ran 3:53.36 to Ruthe's 3:53.83.
Ruthe's mark is a world age-16 best.
Here's video of the race:
NOTE: The USTFCCCA, Australian Athletics, Athletics New Zealand, World Athletics and the sports information offices of the University of Washington and Central Washington University contributed to this report.
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