Tech Men Regain National Ranking at No. 21
February 18, 2003 | Track and Field
Feb. 18, 2003
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech men's track and field team made its way back onto Trackwire's national power rankings at No. 21 Tuesday. The ranking is the highest for the Red Raiders, who made their first appearance on the power rankings at No. 24 on this year's preseason poll.
A pair of Abilene, Texas, natives have propelled Tech back into the top 25 for the first time since the preseason.
Jonathan Johnson is ranked fourth in the 800-meter run on the Trackwire Dandy Dozen for the sixth-consecutive week and is one of two Red Raiders ranked in the top 5 of their respective events. The sophomore has already qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 1:49.94.
Mike Beasley equaled his personal best jump last weekend in Lincoln, Neb., clearing 7-feet, 2.25 inches in a first-place effort at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. The senior made his debut on the Dandy Dozen two weeks ago at No. 11 and has now moved up to 5th. Beasley's height is the second best height cleared in the NCAA this season.
Both Johnson and Beasley advanced to the NCAA Indoor Championships a year ago where Johnson earned a pair of All-America honors and Beasley placed ninth in the high jump.
This weekend, the pole vaulters will head to Norman, Okla., while the rest of the team will take the weekend off before traveling back to Lincoln for the Big 12 Indoor Championships, Feb. 28 - March 1.
MEN'S RANKINGS1. Arkansas (56)2. South Carolina (49)3. LSU (42)4. Mississippi State (30)5. Florida (28)6. Stanford (24)7. Michigan (22)8. Auburn (21)9. Villanova (20)10. Purdue (18)11. TCU (17)t12. Tennessee (17)t12. The Ohio State (17)t12. USC (17)t12. Nebraska (15)16. Eastern Michigan (14)17. Kentucky (13)t18. Washington (13)t18. Manhattan (13)t18. Southern-Baton Rouge 10t21. Texas Tech (9)t21. Georgia (9)t23. Texas (8)t23. North Carolina (8)t23. Pennsylvania (8)t23. Texas A&M (8)t23. Missouri (8)t23. Cal State Fullerton (8)
(Note: Number is a projection of points scored at NCAA Championships.)