Kansas women jump 12 spots to No. 18, men remain No. 13 in latest USTFCCCA poll
NEW ORLEANS – The Kansas women’s track & field team jumped up 12 spots from No. 30 to No. 18 in the latest team rankings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Monday, while the Jayhawk men remained at No. 13 for the second-straight week.
The Jayhawk women hold seven marks that rank in the top-25 of the nation this season, including two from senior Sharon Lokedi.
Lokedi ranks No. 3 in the NCAA in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 32:21.19 at the Stanford Invitational, which broke her own school record in the event. The senior also ranks No. 8 in the NCAA in the 5,000 meters, finishing in 15:42.76 at the Kansas Relays last weekend to break yet another school record.
The Kansas women’s pole vault squad, which ranks No. 3-nationally in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Event Squad Rankings, boasts two athletes inside the top-15 in the NCAA. Senior Laura Taylor ranks seventh in the nation with a clearance of 4.35 meters (14-3.25 ft.) at the Texas Relays, and sophomore Andrea Willis ranks No. 12 with a clearance of 4.25 meters (13-11.25 ft.), also at the Texas Relays.
The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of Megan Linder, Jedah Caldwell, Nicole Montgomery and Honour Finley hold the No. 13 time in the NCAA at 3:33.83. The quartet set the mark at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
Senior Courtney Coppinger ranks No. 17 in the NCAA in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing in 10:09.74 at the Stanford Invitational.
Freshman Alexandra Emilianov ranks No. 17 in the nation in the discus with a toss of 55.58 meters (182-4 ft.), set at the Sun Angel Classic.
The Kansas men also boast seven top-25 NCAA marks this season, including the top mark in the hammer throw, set by sophomore Gleb Dudarev at the Kansas Relays.
Dudarev threw for 78.04 meters (256-0 ft.) at the Kansas Relays to break his own school record, while also setting a new facility record and meet record. The toss not only ranks No. 1 in the NCAA this season, but it also ranks No. 5 in the world this year and makes him the No. 5 performer in collegiate history.
The Jayhawk men’s pole squad, which ranks No. 1 in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Event Squad Rankings, claims two top-25 marks, with Hussain Al Hizam ranking No. 4 in the NCAA with a clearance of 5.60 meters (18-4.5 ft.) and Nick Meyer ranking No. 20 with a jump of 5.35 meters (17-6.5 ft.), both of which were set at the Texas Relays.
Senior Barden Adams is the No. 3-ranked triple jumper in the NCAA this season, hitting a mark of 16.26 meters (53-4.25 ft.) at the Sun Angel Classic.
Junior Dylan Hodgson holds the No. 12 time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 8:47.81, senior Nicolai Ceban ranks No. 17 in the discus with a mark of 57.63 meters (189-1 ft.), and the men’s 4×400-meter relay team of Isaiah Cole, Ivan Henry, Jaron Hartley and Bryce Hoppel rank No. 20 in the NCAA with a time of 3:06.97, set at the Kansas Relays.
The Jayhawks are headed to Fayetteville, Arkansas this weekend for the inaugural National Relay Championships hosted by Arkansas, April 26-27.
FOLLOW
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
