April 1, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s and women’s track and field programs enter the 2010 outdoor preseason rankings in the top 25 poll released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Wednesday.

The men’s team enters the poll ranked No. 11 in the nation with 16 athletes ranked in the top 50 in the nation in their respective events. The women’s team is No. 22 in the preseason poll with 15 athletes ranked in the top 50 in the nation in their events.

The men’s poll is led by 2009 national runner-up Florida at No. 1, followed by Texas A&M, Oregon, Florida State and Texas Tech. Reigning outdoor national champion Texas A&M sits atop the women’s poll followed by Oregon, LSU, Florida and Florida State. In arguably the most respected conference in the nation, eight SEC men’s teams and six women’s teams are in the national top 25.

South Carolina returns to action this weekend with the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. The team then returns to Columbia to host the Gamecock Open on Wed., April 7.