Better than ever - what it's about.
Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 9:30 am
Direct comparison is possible with Track and Field. Performances are measured with precision, and recorded for posterity. Both 2024 Bobcat teams are the best MSU has ever produced. You can compare their best performances and score them on paper in dual competition. Currently the '24 men score 102-93 against '22. Our women were 110-90 a few weeks ago against '22 and have surely widened the gap after the Pocatello meet last week. The '22 teams were the first to outscore the 2003 women and 2005 men.
'24 may not win BSC titles as those teams did, but they are better. So is the competition, especially NAU. The NCAA lists aren't so different at the top but the depth seems to get better every year. The 50th ranked performance is one way to evaluate depth. More teams are developing talent faster than ever. The covid year allowed many to develop further with another year of eligibility.
Another way to evaluate team depth is squad ranking. A squad performance is a team's best four athlete's marks in an event averaged. Bobcat men have the top squad in the steeplechase, which kept our men ranked in the top 25 nationally for three weeks. We're pretty good at all the distance events and stack up well in other events, like the hammer.
With more than 300 teams in DI chipping away at you it's a real challenge to stay that high on the list. Our men are #34 this week. Our men placed 25th at the 2022 NCAA Championships, tying Oregon and Texas A&M. We may not surpass that this season but dual scoring is the best measuring stick. I suppose a team could finish high at NCAA's with a small group of elite athletes but that's not a real team.
https://www.ustfccca.org/team-rankings-polls-central
'24 may not win BSC titles as those teams did, but they are better. So is the competition, especially NAU. The NCAA lists aren't so different at the top but the depth seems to get better every year. The 50th ranked performance is one way to evaluate depth. More teams are developing talent faster than ever. The covid year allowed many to develop further with another year of eligibility.
Another way to evaluate team depth is squad ranking. A squad performance is a team's best four athlete's marks in an event averaged. Bobcat men have the top squad in the steeplechase, which kept our men ranked in the top 25 nationally for three weeks. We're pretty good at all the distance events and stack up well in other events, like the hammer.
With more than 300 teams in DI chipping away at you it's a real challenge to stay that high on the list. Our men are #34 this week. Our men placed 25th at the 2022 NCAA Championships, tying Oregon and Texas A&M. We may not surpass that this season but dual scoring is the best measuring stick. I suppose a team could finish high at NCAA's with a small group of elite athletes but that's not a real team.
https://www.ustfccca.org/team-rankings-polls-central