Track & field in USTFCCCA top 10
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorback men’s and women’s track and field teams both earned top-10 spots in this week’s poll from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association weekly ranking, it was announced on Tuesday.
The Razorback women are No. 10 in this week’s poll after sitting at No. 17 in the preseason poll. Arkansas is one of six SEC schools represented in this week’s poll. LSU is No. 4, Tennessee is ranked No. 8, Florida is No. 9, South Carolina sits at No. 11 and Auburn is No. 19.
Head Coach Lance Harter’s student-athletes have picked up two NCAA automatic and five NCAA provisional qualifications in the first three weeks of competition. Arkansas holds the top marks in the NCAA and the SEC in the 4×400-meter relay (3:34.80) and the distance medley relay (11:23.61). Individually, junior Shelise Williams clocked the NCAA’s No. 2 time in the 400 meters (52.72) and sophomore Tina Sutej is No. 2 with her pole vault clearance of 14-2.
The Razorback men are No. 7 in this week’s poll after sitting at No. 5 in the preseason poll. Arkansas is one of seven SEC schools represented in this week’s poll. Florida is No. 3, LSU is sixth, Georgia and South Carolina are 14th and 15th and Auburn and Kentucky are No. 18 and No. 19.
Head coach Chris Bucknam’s student-athletes have recorded five NCAA provisional qualifiers in the first three weeks of competition: freshman Drew Butler in the 800 meters, freshman Brede Raa Ellingsen in the high jump, senior Alain Bailey and sophomore Tarik Batchelor in the long jump and sophomore Terry Prentice in the heptathlon. Butler is No. 5 in the NCAA and tops among freshman in the 800 meters (1:50.15) and Prentice’s heptathlon score of 5,350 points is an Arkansas school record and No. 4 in the NCAA.
Both squads will compete at the Texas A&M Big 12 – SEC – PAC-10 Challenge, in College Station, Texas, this weekend. Baylor, Texas and Texas A&M will represent the Big 12; Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina will represent the SEC; Oregon, Stanford and Washington State will represent the PAC-10.
