BATON ROUGE – With the preliminary rounds of the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships set to run this weekend, the Lady Tigers have strengthened their hold on the No. 1 spot in the national rankings and the Tigers have climbed two spots to No. 4 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25 power ranking released Monday.
This marks the second week in a row in which the Lady Tigers have claimed the No. 1 spot in the national rankings in the wake of their victory at the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 13.
The Lady Tigers will be represented by 22 athletes for 27 entries into the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds that will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
That is tied for the third-most entries into the preliminary rounds of the NCAA Championships as the No. 5-ranked Oregon Ducks lead the way with 32 entries, followed by the No. 3-ranked Clemson Tigers in the second spot with 28 entries into the postseason. No. 2-ranked Kansas features 19 entries this weekend and No. 4-ranked Texas is tied with the Lady Tigers with 27 entries of their own.
The Tigers have climbed two spots in the national rankings this week as they are ranked No. 4 in the most recent national power ranking released Monday. They are tied with No. 1-ranked and defending champion Texas A&M and No. 5-ranked Texas with 31 entries apiece into the NCAA Preliminary Rounds.
The No. 2-ranked Florida Gators will compete with the total of 21 entries, while the No. 3-ranked Indiana Hoosiers boast 20 entries of their own into the NCAA Championships.
This weekend’s action at the East site at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., and the West site at Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, features the first round and quarterfinal round in each event of the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The semifinal and final rounds will follow on June 6-9 at Drake Stadium at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
USTFCCCA Top 25
WOMEN
Team (Points) Last Week
1. LSU (322.94) 1
2. Kansas (279.26) 2
3. Clemson (246.21) 5
4. Texas (244.53) 6
5. Oregon (234.62) 3
6. Texas A&M (224.97) 7
7. Florida (213.49) 4
8. Arizona (186.98) 8
9. Tennessee (151.14) 12
10. Stanford (150.82) 11
11. Texas Tech (147.95) 9
12. Arizona State (147.33) 10
13. Arkansas (142.17) 13
14. Central Florida (135.31) 14
15. Louisville (130.51) 15
16. Oklahoma (129.81) 16
17. Illinois State (122.21) 19
18. Southern Illinois (113.27) 19
19. Illinois (103.64) 18
20. Georgia (103.55) 21
21. Baylor (103.42) 20
22. Ohio State (99.00) 22
23. Southern California (95.83) 23
24. Florida State (95.22) 25
25. Iowa State (94.30) 24
MEN
Team (Points) Last Week
1. Texas A&M (314.46) 1
2. Florida (260.43) 2
3. Indiana (214.50) 3
4. LSU (206.06) 6
5. Texas (205.18) 7
6. Arizona (204.01) 15
7. Florida State (202.64) 8
8. Arkansas (191.33) 4
9. Texas Tech (171.14) 5
10. Nebraska (164.99) 10
11. Ole Miss (164.89) 12
12. Auburn (162.98) 13
13. Southern California (161.12) 11
14. Arizona State (156.65) 14
15. Wisconsin (151.10) 9
16. Virginia Tech (136.08) 17
17. Mississippi State (135.91) 16
18. Stanford (134.48) 22
19. Penn State (131.91) 18
20. Kansas (122.91) 19
21. Oregon (115.98) 20
22. Oklahoma (112.35) 23
23. Iowa (98.19) 26
24. Baylor (94.31) 24
25. Ohio State (93.27) 25