NEW ORLEANS – With the end of conference championships and a smattering of “last chance” meets this past weekend, the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field regular season has finally come to a close.

However, the drama of the national team title races is far from over.

NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS TOP 5 – MEN 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) TAMU-Commerce Ashland Saint Augustine’s Adams 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 NM Highlands Lincoln (Mo.) Saint Augustine’s Grand Valley St View Complete Women’s National Coaches’ Poll

As has been the pattern for more than a month, yet another new team took tenuous control of the men’s National Team Computer Rankings released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA): the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions.

Though these are not the final sets of rankings – another edition will be released next Monday taking into account only the accepted entries into the NCAA Championships on May 21-23 in Allendale, Michigan, (to be announced Tuesday afternoon)  – never before have the Lions been in such a strong position entering the national championships.

One year ago in head coach Tom Dibbern’s first season, Commerce was 24th and 23rd in the final two sets of rankings following the regular season before finishing an impressive 12th at NCAAs.

After dropping from No. 3 to No. 9 a week ago, the Lions were boosted by DII-leading triple jumper DeVontae Steele and his No. 5 TJ teammate Gage Bowles, as well as Hendrik Nungess posting the No. 2 decathlon in the country, adding to his DII-leading javelin mark.

Those performances boosted Commerce up eight spots in the rankings – the biggest jump of any men’s top-25 team this week – with a team rankings score of 176.47, an improvement of 62 points from a week ago. The team rankings score does not reflect the scoring system used at the NCAA Championships. A full breakdown of the formula can be found here.

By no means are they clear of the pack, however.

Former No. 1 Ashland still looms large at No. 2 with 167.91 points, as do two-time defending national outdoor champion No. 3 Saint Augustine’s at 156.51 and reigning cross country and indoor champion No. 4 Adams State at 139.06.

Rounding out the top five was Texas A&M-Kingsville at 127.67, heading a group of six more podium contenders that checked in above 100 points this week.

Meanwhile, the indoor champion Central Missouri women continued to be the class of their gender’s rankings, checking in with 194.54 points for their seventh consecutive week at No. 1.

The Jennies’ chase pack continued to jostle for position, as each of the next five teams in the rankings came in at a different position than a week ago.

New Mexico Highlands – led by the record-setting 10 All-Region honors amassed by Salcia Slack – moved back into the No. 2 position with 155.92 points, overtaking defending national champ Lincoln (Mo.).

With 137.20 points, the Blue Tigers find themselves in the midst of a power struggle for the podium. After moving up one spot apiece, No. 4 Saint Augustine’s (135.02) and NCAAs host/cross country champion No. 5Grand Valley State (134.92) are right on Lincoln’s heels.

Also coming in at more than 100 points were No. 6 Pittsburg State (121.62) and No. 7 Hillsdale (108.49).

Making the biggest move on the final weekend of competition were the women of Tarleton State, who jumped nine spots to No. 15. No men’s team improved more than No. 1 Texas A&M-Commerce’s eight-spot gain, but No. 12 Tiffin came the closest with a six spot improvement.

The lone change at the top of the final regional rankings was Central Missouri’s women reclaiming control of the Central Region from Pittsburg State.