NEW ORLEANS – Two-time defending NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field men’s team champion Saint Augustine’s held on to its position atop the National

Team Computer Rankings, marking the first time the top-ranked men’s team has done that since late March.

Given how close the rest of the field is, however, that may not be a trend that lasts long.

NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS TOP 5 – MEN 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Saint Augustine’s Ashland TAMU-Commerce Minnesota St. TAMU-Kingsville View Complete Men’s National Coaches’ Poll   NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS TOP 5 – WOMEN 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Central Missouri Grand Valley St. Saint Augustine’s NM Highlands Pittsburg St. View Complete Women’s National Coaches’ Poll

The reigning champion Falcons checked in with 170.87 team ranking points in the week seven edition released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday, only barely holding off a surging No. 2 Ashlandsquad looking to regain the top spot it held earlier this month.

Behind No. 3 hammer throwerJordan Crayon and Elijha Owens – who moved up to No. 4 in the 110 hurdles to go along with a No. 2 rank in the 400 hurdles – the Eagles improved two positions in the rankings with a team total of 167.13, just over three points back of Saint Augustine’s.

Four more men’s teams remain in a virtual tie for the two remaining projected team podium spots – though of course, anything can happen at the NCAA Division II Championships in Allendale, Michigan, on May 21-23, meaning neither Saint Augustine’s nor Ashland are top-four guarantees.

No. 3 Texas A&M-Commerce (136.18), No. 4 Minnesota State(135.28), No. 5 Texas A&M-Kingsville (134.89) and reigning indoor T&F and cross country champion No. 6 Adams State (131.91) all remain very much in the hunt for the team title.

In fact, the remainder of the top 10 all checked in with team totals of 99 points or higher, making them contenders for the podium.

The race for the women’s team title is just as deep. In stark contrast to the revolving door of top-ranked men’s teams, Central Missouriremained atop the women’s rankings for the fifth week in a row with 161.86 points – though their cushion over the rest of the field continues to shrink.

Moving up into the No. 2 spot was Grand Valley State with 146.50 points, swapping positions from last week with No. 3 Saint Augustine’s (142.16).

No. 4 New Mexico Highlands (133.61) and No. 5 Pittsburg State(117.49) remained steady to round out the top five.

Like the men’s rankings, teams well beyond the top five remain in firm contention for the team podium. Each of the top 10 teams checked in with 95 points or more; including defending national champion Lincoln (Mo.) with 97.69 at No. 9.

Making the biggest jump of the top 25 this week were the No. 22 New Haven women, who improved 12 spots from a week ago. That narrowly bettered the 10-spot improvement logged by the No. 19 Tarleton State women.

The biggest gainer in the men’s rankings was No. 12 Colorado Mines, which jumped 12 spots from a week ago.

All was mostly quiet at the regional level, with the women of Shippensburg’s move to No. 1 in the Atlantic Region the only changing of the guard this week.