Jan. 30, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s and women’s track team are both ranked in the top 20 of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll released Tuesday. The women’s team is ranked No. 10 while the men’s team jumps to No. 16, an increase of 12 spots from its preseason ranking.

Both teams participated at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Fla., last weekend, with the women posting five NCAA provisional qualifying times and the men posting two. On the men’s side, Jason Richardson currently boasts the nation’s second-fastest time in the 60-meter hurdles with a 7.71, a time that is one-hundredth of a second away from an automatic qualifying mark. Sprinters Lakya Brookins and Brandi Cross, long jumper Brittney James and the 4x400m relay team lead the women’s team. Cross holds the nation’s third-fastest time in the 400m while the relay team is second nationally.

The Gamecocks are back in action this weekend when they participate in the Millrose Games Friday in New York City.

About the Trackwire 25

The Trackwire 25 projects a hypothetical score for the NCAA meet, factoring in injury reports and other variables supported by information gathered from coaches and NCAA-qualifying competitions across the country. This projection is generated by scoring the Dandy Dozen, a power ranking of the top 12 athletes and relay squads in each NCAA event.

USTFCCCA Top 25

WOMEN
1. LSU, 201.99
2. Tennessee, 133.57
3. Texas A&M, 99.80
4. Arkansas, 86.77
5. Michigan, 84.64
6. Virginia Tech, 73.01
7. Ole Miss, 70.57
8. Minnesota, 67.12
9. Penn State, 64.38
10. South Carolina, 54.03
11. Florida, 52.54
12. Memphis, 47.06
13. Baylor, 45.78
14. Southern Illinois, 42.49
15. Purdue, 42.31
16. Texas, 40.64
17. Georgia Tech, 38.86
18. Kansas, 38.03
19. Kansas State, 37.73
20. Arizona, 37.58
21. Arizona State, 36.70
22. Indiana, 36.53
23. Oregon, 33.95
24. Florida State, 33.92
25. Texas Tech, 31.94

MEN
1. Arkansas, 117.21
2. Tennessee, 109.12
3. Oklahoma, 84.70
4. Boise State, 80.46
5. Texas Tech, 77.72
6. Nebraska, 69.73
7. Liberty, 68.00
8. Baylor, 64.56
9. Clemson, 60.25
10. LSU, 58.37
11. Florida, 55.61
12. Arizona, 53.81
13. BYU, 52.42
14. Auburn, 46.48
15. Idaho, 42.95
16. South Carolina, 36.93
17. Princeton, 35.51
18. La Salle, 35.14
19. Arizona State, 34.66
20. Oral Roberts, 34.10
21. Ohio State, 33.71
22. Florida State, 31.37
23. Washington, 27.96
24. Michigan, 27.38
25. Purdue, 27.32