Tech Track & Field Maintains Top-15 Rankings
February 16, 2015 | Track and Field
Steven Champlin moved up to No. 30 in the national 400 meter dash rankings this weekend.
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Texas Tech men's and women's track & field teams remained in the top 15 once again this week, holding the No. 13 and No. 14 spots, respectively, in the U.S Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) computer rankings.
Week 4 of the indoor rankings is the latest into the season that both teams have held top-15 rankings since 2009, when the men took 13th at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and the women placed ninth.
The men's and women's teams combine to have 19 ranked athletes and two ranked relays over a combined 17 events.
On the men's side, JaCorian Duffield once again remains No. 1 in the high jump (2.28m/7-5.75), while Bradley Adkins sits at No. 4 after his performance at the Masked Rider Open (2.25m/7-4.5).
The big mover on the men's side was Chris Caldwell, whose personal-best 7.74 in the 60 meter hurdles vaulted him up to No. 6 in the nation in the event.
Joseph Richards III is ranked 15th in the 400 meters, after running a personal-best 46.59 at the Masked Rider Open., and Steven Champlin moved back into the 400 meter rankings this week at No. 30 after a personal-best 46.97 at the Tyson Invite.
Trevor Mackey ranks 33rd in the 200 meter dash rankings after running a personal-best 21.18 on Saturday.
Kyle Thompson's pole vault of 5.26m/17-3.0 has him at No. 33, and Kole Weldon's school-record 20.25m/66-5.25 toss in the weight throw at the Texas A&M Quadrangular ranks No. 32nd in the nation, while his season-best launch of 19.36m/63-6.25 from this weekend's Tyson Invitational ranks 15th in the shot put.
Jerome Wilson had a huge jump of 7.66m/25-1.75 on Saturday to move into the No. 17 spot nationally in the long jump. Keniel Grant ranks 21st in the long jump, leaping 7.58m/24-10.5.
Tech's 4 x 400m relay quartet of Steven Champlin, Joseph Richards III, Kyle Collins and Charles Jones ranks 14th in the nation (3:08.16).
Cierra White leads the way on the women's side with her No. 4 ranking in the 200 meter dash and her No. 7 ranking in the 60 meter dash. Shanice Stewart still holds top-16 national rankings in three events--the 60m hurdles (8.27, 16th), the long jump (6.30m/20-8.00, 13th), and the pentathlon, where she sits in 11th after putting up a school-record 4,152 at the Masked Rider Open.
Natalie Thompson (3,765, 37th) joins Stewart in the pentathlon rankings.
Le'Tristan Pledger sits in fifth in the 60 meter hurdles after running an 8.12 in Fayetteville this weekend. She also ranks 28th in the long jump, after leaping 6.13m/20-1.5 in Albuquerque.
Montenae Speight's 53.62 in the 400 meters ranks 26th in the country.
Gionna Jackson's school-record leap of 12.81m/42-0.5 places her in 26th nationally and second in the Big 12 in the triple jump. She is joined in the triple jump rankings by Paetyn Revell (32nd, 12.74m/41-9.75) and Viershanie Latham (36th, 12.71m/41-8.5). Jackson is also ranked 49th in the long jump, with a mark of 6.00m/19-8.25.
The women's 4 x 400m relay (Lygia Forman, Cierra White, Natalie Thompson and Montenae Speight) ranks 15th in the nation after their run of 3:36.42 at the Tyson Invitational.
The Red Raiders will host the Red Raider Open, this Friday, Feb. 20, in Lubbock.
Players Mentioned
