Women's Track and Field 11th in USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings

Jan. 13, 2014

NEW ORLEANS – The South Carolina women’s track and field program enters the season at No. 11 according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Division I National Team Computer Rankings released Monday.

The spot is the women’s highest preseason and overall ranking since 2010 when the Gamecocks entered the season in the seventh spot. The 2010 squad went on to finish 19th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

After coming in at the 15th spot in the final poll before the championships last season, South Carolina finished 31st at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Three individual qualifiers return – senior Jeannelle Scheper, who captured high jump silver, junior 400-meter runner Erika Rucker and senior pole vaulter Petra Olsen. Rucker and Olsen finished ninth in their respective events, one spot outside of scoring position.

The Gamecocks also qualified a 4×400-meter relay in 2013. The quartet finished 10th, with Rucker and sophomore Tyler Brockington returning from last year’s team.

With a nation-leading eight teams in the rankings, the SEC dominates the preseason list. All eight conference representatives landed in the top 15.

The national team rankings are complied by mathematical formulae based on national descending order lists and data taken from previous seasons. For the preseason ranking and early-season rankings, data will be taken from previous seasons as well as the current season.

The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race. Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points.

South Carolina travels to Blacksburg, Va., this weekend for the Virginia Tech Invitational. Competition begins Friday and concludes Saturday.

2014 Preseason – Jan. 13, 2014 (next ranking Jan. 28)
1. Texas, 177.09
2. Texas A&M, 155.74
3. Florida, 146.62
4. Oregon, 126.09
5. Georgia, 96.86
6. Kentucky, 93.45
7. Arkansas, 93.32
8. LSU, 77.68
9. Stanford, 76.68
10. Kansas, 66.89
11. South Carolina, 55.99
12. Providence, 55.71
13. Michigan, 53.95
14. Dartmouth, 50.55
15. Mississippi State, 50.06
16. Kent State, 48.78
17. Purdue, 46.83
18. Georgetown, 43.10
19. Florida State, 42.81
20. Washington, 41.88
21. Maryland, 39.23
22. Villanova, 38.45
23. Arizona State, 38.39
24. Harvard, 38.30
25. Akron, 37.92