Razorbacks Ranked No. 1 Heading into NCAA Championships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas will enter this weekend’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships as the No. 1 team in the nation according to Trackwire.com. The Razorbacks retained their position atop the poll after claiming the top spot two weeks ago after a dominating performance at the 2006 Southeastern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Gainesville, Fla.

Ten Razorbacks will compete in a combined 12 events on Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center. Arkansas will be seeking its 19th NCAA indoor crown and its 42nd national championship overall under legendary head coach John McDonnell.

The Hogs garnered 59 points in the poll this week and lead No. 2 Florida State (49 points) by a 10-point margin. SEC rival LSU (41 points) is ranked third while Texas (37 points) is rated fourth. Florida and Baylor are tied for the fifth position with 26 points, respectively.

The poll is based on projected scoring and individual rankings in each event at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

All 12 Arkansas entries, including the distance medley relay, are ranked in the latest Dandy Dozen listing published by Trackwire.com. Senior Josphat Boit is ranked second nationally in the 5,000 meters and fourth in the 3,000 meters. Junior Peter Kosgei is ranked third and fifth in the same two events, respectively. Senior Marc Rodrigues earned the No. 7 ranking in the 3,000 this week while sophomore Shawn Forrest is ranked No. 9 in the 5,000.

Senior Said Ahmed is ranked fourth in the mile with teammate Adam Perkins checking in at seventh on the mile list. Senior Jaanus Uudmae will enter the NCAA meet ranked No. 2 in the triple jump and No. 6 in the long jump. Freshman Nkosinza Balumbu has been tabbed as the No. 3 triple jumper in the country.

The Razorbacks are the odds on favorite to take the tape in the distance medley relay according to Trackwire. Arkansas will likely send Perkins or Rodrigues, freshman Jeremy Dodson and junior Brian Roe and Ahmed to the start line in the relay on Friday night.

While Arkansas is ranked No. 1 in the Trackwire poll, Texas claims the top spot in the most recent edition of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) national poll this week. The Razorbacks are ranked second in the listing with Florida State, LSU and Wisconsin rounding out the top five teams in the poll.

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of 38 college coaches representing each region of the country.

The 2006 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships begin with the heptathlon on Friday morning at the Randal Tyson Track Center. Field events begin at 2:30 p.m. while preliminary running events start at 4:30 p.m. The two-day national championship meet concludes on Saturday with heptathlon and field events slated for the afternoon and finals on the track scheduled for 6:15 p.m.

Tickets for the 2006 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships may be ordered in advance by calling 1-800-982-HOGS or by logging onto www.hogwired.com.