Eagle Men Move Up To No. 17, Women Stay In Top 10 Of USTFCCCA Rating Index

With a week-and-a-half to go before the 2026 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships, Ashland University now has two track and field teams in the top 25 of NCAA Division II.
 
As announced on Tuesday (Feb. 17) morning, the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) D-II Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index has the Eagle women at No. 10, while the AU men have moved into the top 25 for the first time this winter at No. 17.
 
On the women's side, Ashland has 80.05 computer points this week, mostly compiled by:

• Junior Molly Winner, weight throw, No. 1 in D-II – 21.45 meters/70-feet-4½ – 24.82 points
• Junior Leslie Pollock, weight throw, No. 3 in D-II – 20.29 meters/66-feet-6¾ – 18.45 points
• Winner, shot put, No. 4 in D-II – 16.02 meters/52-feet-6¾ – 15.66 points
• Senior Jade Avance, 800-meter run, No. 5 in D-II – 2:07.64 – 13.15 points

The Eagle men have 47.81 team computer points, led by:

• Graduate Brayden Jackson, pole vault, No. 5 in D-II – 5.25 meters/17-feet-2¾ – 13.41 points
• Freshman Jon Lutz, 60 hurdles, No. 7 in D-II – 7.88 seconds – 10.30 points
• Junior Colton Thress, 800 run, No. 7 in D-II – 1:48.87 – 10.01 points
• Distance medley relay team of sophomore Wes Taylor, senior Joe Wahl, Thress and junior Zach Vales, No. 7 in D-II – 9:44.83 – 9.40 points

Ashland's men and women's will play host to a last chance meet on Saturday (Feb. 21) before doing the same for the conference meet on Feb. 27-28. Both meets will be at the Niss Athletic Center.
 
2026 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD USTFCCCA POLLS: No. 11 (preseason), No. 10 (Feb. 3), No. 8 (Feb. 10), No. 10 (Feb. 17).
2026 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD USTFCCCA POLLS: No. 37 (preseason), No. 34 (Feb. 3), No. 26 (Feb. 10), No. 17 (Feb. 17).