Texas Tech Holds Steady In USTFCCCA Top 15
April 13, 2015 | Track and Field
Viershanie Latham is the No. 8 triple jumper in the nation after this weekend's personal-best leap.
NEW ORLEANS, La. --Â The Texas Tech men's and women's track & field teams remained in the U.S Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 15 this week, sitting at No. 9 and No. 15, respectively.
Dating back to the 2014 outdoor season, this is the sixth-straight week in which both the Red Raiders and Lady Raiders have been ranked in the top 15.
Combined, the Red Raiders and Lady Raiders have 24 athletes and four relays ranked in the nation's top 50 in their respective events.
On the men's side, Chris Caldwell is still leading the nation in the 110m hurdles with the 13.56 he ran at the Texas Relays, and holds the No. 41 spot in the 100m dash (10.46).
Trevor Mackey (20.76) ranks 10th in the nation in the 200 meters, and a trio of Red Raiders are ranked in the 400 meters after great runs at the Wes Kittley invite: Joseph Richards III (No. 5, 45.61), Steven Champlin (No. 8, 45.92), Kyle Collins (No. 11, 46.23).
Caldwell is joined in the 110m hurdles rankings by Tramaine Maloney (14.02), who is No. 32. JW Smith ranks 14th in the 400m hurdles, with his personal-best 50.73 he ran at the Texas Relays.
Tech has four male high jumpers ranked in the top 25. JaCorian Duffield (2.31m/7-7) has the top spot, Bradley Adkins (2.24m/7-4.25) is No. 4, Trey Culver (2.14m/7-0.25) ranks 22nd and Dayton Fisher (2.11m/6-11.0) has the No. 29 spot.
Kyle Thompson has the No. 13 spot in the pole vault after his personal-best clearance of 5.30m/17-4.50 this weekend, and Jerome Wilson (7.47m/24-6.25) ranks 28th in the long jump, where he is joined by indoor All-American Keniel Grant (7.40m/24-3.50), who has the No. 41 spot.
Kole Weldon is ranked in three events: the discus (No. 7, 59.39m/194-10), the shot put (No. 29, 18.54m/60-10) and the hammer (No. 50, 61.35m/201-3).
Tech's 4 x 100 meter relay, consisting of Mackey, Richards III, Champlin and Caldwell ran a 40.50 this weekend in Abilene, which ranks 44th in the nation. The 3:03.47 that Champlin, Richards III, Collins and C.J. Jones ran in the 4 x 400 meter relay at the Texas Relays still ranks third in the nation.
On the women's side, Cierra White has the No. 3 spot in the 100 meter dash (11.35), and the No. 8 spot in the 200 meter dash (23.01). Montenae Speight's 53.11 in the 400 meters has her ranked 15th in the event, to go along with her No. 39 ranking in the 200m dash, after running a 23.65 this weekend.
Le'Tristan Pledger's 12.99 in the 100m hurdles at the Texas Relays has her ranked fifth in the event.
The Lady Raiders have a trio ranked in the triple jump, as Viershanie Latham (12.92m/42-4.75) holds the No. 8 spot, Gionna Jackson (12.62m/41-5.0) ranks 26th and Paetyn Revell (12.42m/40-9.0) is currently 48th in the event.
Lygia Forman, White, Pledger and Speight (44.74) rank 22nd in the 4 x 100 meter relay, and Speight, White, Forman and Natalie Thompson (3:36.14) rank 17th in the 4 x 400 meter relay.
Hannah Carson holds two national top-10 rankings, taking second in the javelin (54.84m/179-11), and the No. 10 spot in the discus (54.98m/180-4).
Kami Norton (5,093) and Natalie Thompson (4,716) join the national rankings in the heptathlon this week at No. 24 and no. 45, respectively, after their performances at the David Noble Angelo State Relays.
The Red Raiders continue the 2015 outdoor campaign this Saturday, April 18, with the Michael Johnson classic, to be held in Waco, Texas. Â
Players Mentioned
