The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution’s finish at the NAIA Championships.
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NAIA Championships. Scoring is based on the team’s finish at each NAIA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
Doane (Neb.) actually strengthened its hold at the top of the National TFRI. The Tigers are clearly a favorite for the title on that basis, let alone having the most entries in the meet – 24 in individual events plus a pair of relays.
Field events are where Doane is slated to make the most noise, with leaders in the both high jump with Jacob Heitkamp and the decathlon with Levi Sudbeck, who won the heptathlon in the NAIA Indoor meet in March. Four other field-eventers are among the top-4 ranked athletes in the meet.
Doane has never won this meet, but finished as runner-up in 2011.