Top 10 ranking for track and field
FAYETTEVILLE – In this week’s version of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association poll, the Arkansas Razorback men’s and women’s track and field teams both garnered top-10 rankings, it was announced on Monday.
The Arkansas women, seated at No. 5 this week, moved up six spots from last week’s No. 11 position. Arkansas is one of five Southeastern Conference women’s teams in the top 25. The Florida Gators are No. 3, the Tennessee Lady Vols are No. 4, the LSU Tigers are No. 7 and the Auburn Tigers are No. 8.
The Razorbacks currently hold three NCAA automatic qualifiers in senior Katie Stripling and sophomore Tina Sutej (pole vault) and the 4×400-meter relay (junior Edina Brooks, junior Shelise Williams, sophomore Whitney Jones and freshman Regina George).
Arkansas has NCAA provisional qualifiers in Williams and George in the 400 meters, freshman Stephanie Brown and sophomore Kristen Gillespie in the 800 meters and the mile, the distance medley relay (sophomore Samantha Learch, Williams, George and Gillespie) and senior Janice Keppler in the pole vault.
In the last two competitions, the squad has set school records in the distance medley relay, the 4×400-meter relay and Williams in the open 400 meters. They also re-set their own school record in the 4×400-meter relay.
The Arkansas men, seated at No. 6 this week, moved up two spots from last week’s No. 8 position. Arkansas is one of seven Southeastern Conference men’s teams in the top 25. The LSU Tigers are No. 3, the Florida Gators are No. 4, the Auburn Tigers are No. 14, the Alabama Crimson Tide are No. 20, the Kentucky Wildcats are No. 21 and the Georgia Bulldogs are No. 23.
The Razorbacks hold two NCAA automatic qualifiers in senior Dorian Ulrey (mile) and senior Alain Bailey (long jump). Arkansas has NCAA provisional qualifiers in freshman Cobi Hamilton in the 200 meters, freshman Drew Butler in the 800 meters, Ulrey, senior Scott MacPherson and sophomore Lane Boyer in the 3,000 meters, MacPherson, freshmen Solomon Haile and Eric Fernandez in the 5,000 meters, the distance medley relay (Butler, sophomore Ben Skidmore, junior Chris Bilbrew and Ulrey), freshman Brede Ellingsen in the high jump, sophomore Tarik Batchelor in the long jump and sophomore Terry Prentice in the heptathlon.
The Razorbacks will compete next when they host the 2010 SEC Indoor Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships, Feb. 26-28, at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
