BATON ROUGE – With the 2011 outdoor season set kick off nationwide this weekend, the Lady Tigers are ranked No. 3 and the Tigers are ranked No. 5 nationwide as they prepare to host the LSU Tiger Relays on Friday and Saturday following the release of the 2011 outdoor preseason Top 25 power ranking by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers are looking to improve upon sixth-place finishes earned a year ago at the 2010 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships held in Eugene, Ore.
The Lady Tigers are sure contend for their first national championship since the 2008 season as they only trail No. 1-ranked and two-time defending NCAA Outdoor Champion Texas A&M and No. 2-ranked and two-time defending NCAA Indoor Champion Oregon in the women’s power ranking.
The Tigers are ranked No. 5 in the men’s preseason ranking behind No. 1-ranked and two-time defending NCAA Indoor Champion Florida, No. 2-ranked and two-time defending NCAA Outdoor champion Texas A&M, No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 4 Florida State with the LSU Tiger Relays set to run this weekend.
The semifinal and final rounds of the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships will be held during June 8-11 at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
USTFCCCA Preseason Top 25 Power Ranking
WOMEN
Team (Points) Final 2010
1. Texas A&M (371.66) 1
2. Oregon (310.44) 2
3. LSU (309.27) 6
4. Oklahoma (221.91) 9
5. Southern California (214.43) NR
6. Clemson (201.43) 18
7. Texas (185.28) 51
8. Florida State (168.54) 20
9. Arkansas (149.86) 15
10. Auburn (149.04) 12
11. Arizona (141.63) 13
12. Texas Tech (136.95) 36
13. Stanford (131.37) 14
14. Kansas (113.89) 51
15. Tennessee (110.99) 26
16. Arizona State (110.14) 46
17. BYU (107.79) 36
18. Miami, Fla. (104.12) 11
19. Penn State (100.67) 4
20. SMU (100.43) 51
21. Colorado (98.01) 24
22. Washington State (93.11) 41
23. Indiana (92.20) 16
24. Baylor (87.84) 20
25. Southern Illinois (87.67) 9
MEN
Team (Points) Final 2010
1. Florida (410.01) 2
2. Texas A&M (306.30) 1
3. Texas Tech (266.31) 12
4. Florida State (218.53) 8
5. LSU (193.41) 6
6. Southern California (177.87) 5
7. Stanford (170.32) 8
8. Mississippi State (164.97) 17
9. Nebraska (152.21) 16
10. Minnesota (141.11) NR
11. BYU (140.11) 69
12. Oregon (129.10) 3
13. Ole Miss (122.56) 45
14. Arkansas (122.04) NR
15. Oklahoma (116.81) 27
16. Virginia Tech (116.06) 10
17. Texas (110.85) 17
18. Auburn (102.00) 37
19. Kansas State (101.64) 37
20. South Carolina (100.21) 11
21. Washington (94.08) 15
22. Alabama (93.66) 23
23. Georgia (91.41) 40
24. UCLA (88.18) 52
25. California (84.25) 21