NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — After a week out of the top 25, the Central College men's track and field team returned as the No. 21 team in the latest USTFCCCA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Team Rating Index released Tuesday afternoon.
Placement in the index is reflective of the best NCAA Division III individual marks and times.
Central has been in the rating index four of the eight weeks this season, peaking at No. 18 in week three.
Long jumper
Brock Lewis (senior, Lathrop, Mo.) took over the No. 1 spot nationally following a conference-winning leap of 24-10.5. High jumper
Sam Beatty (junior, Mount Pleasant) is No. 2 nationally (6 feet, 10.25 inches) and discus thrower
Theo Baldus (senior, St. Ansgar) is No. 20 in the discus throw (162-6).
Central has four decathletes on the top-20 list.
Brody Klein (sophomore, Rainier, Wash.) is No. 13 (6,413 points)
Lucas Heitz (junior, Adel, ADM HS) is No. 16 (6,370 points),
Reid Pakkebier (freshman, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) is No. 17 (6,294) and
Jaxon Thompson (sophomore, Marion, Linn-Mar HS) is No. 19 (6,259).
Rowan (N.J.) is the No. 1 team in the country. Wis.-Eau Claire, Wartburg, John Carroll (Ohio) and Wis.-Oshkosh) make up the rest of the top five.
Central is one of four teams from the American Rivers Conference to crack the top-25. They are also ranked No. 5 in the Central Region.
A handful of Central athletes will compete at the Augustana Midwest Twilight Qualifier on Thursday in Rock Island, Illinois.
