Women's Track and Field Moves Up in Rankings to No. 19
May 28, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>LAWRENCE, Kan. – With the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships just a few days away, the University of Kansas women’s track and field team continues to move up in the USTFCCCA national rankings. Climbing two spots from last week, the women now stand at No. 19, their highest position since the preseason outdoor rankings were released. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Fourteen women will be competing in 18 events for the Jayhawks this weekend at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Lincoln, Neb., May 30-31. That total also ranks them 19th among teams with the most participants. Seven men will be competing for Kansas in eight different events.
The top-five finishers from each regional individual event and the top three finishers from each regional relay event will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. After the automatic bids are established by the NCAA, the remaining field for the Championships will be determined based upon the student-athlete’s best mark of the season.
Seniors Crystal Manning and Ashley Brown and junior Nickesha Anderson will each compete in four different events for the Jayhawks. Each one will compete on the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relay teams. Manning will also participate in the long jump and triple jump, Brown in the 100 and 400 hurdles and Anderson in the 100 and 200-meter dash.
Senior Julius Jiles will compete in both the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles for the KU men.
The women climbed to sixth in the final rankings of the indoor season and finished 10th at the NCAA Championships – the best finish in team history.
The 2008 USTFCCCA Division I rankings are released every Wednesday during the outdoor season. The rankings, based on the top regionally qualifying performances for each team, are compiled by Tom Lewis, assistant sports information director at Missouri. For more information about the rankings, please visit www.ustfccca.org.
Be sure to log on to www.kuathletics.com for all the Jayhawk news and information from Ed Weir Field.
Jayhawks in the Rankings
Kansas‘ Week-By-Week Outdoor USTFCCCA Rankings (Top 30)
Week: Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Men 18 — — — — 29 28 — —
Women 15 — 22 27 29 28 30 21 19
