The Texas A&M track and field teams received a welcome piece of news Tuesday, as both the men’s and women’s squad were moved to the No. 1 ranking in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) polls.
These rankings, which only include entries to the NCAA Championship meet, came out two days after the Aggies concluded the qualifying season with the NCAA West Regional at Mike A. Myers Track Stadium in Austin.
At the end of the meet Saturday, the Aggies had tickets to the NCAA Championship meet in Eugene, Oregon punched for 25 athletes.
Although U. Oregon is the home team, the Aggies carry some confidence coming into next week’s meet as not only the top-ranked team but also the defending team champions.
The only other Big 12 team in the top 10 for the men is Texas Tech, ranked fifth. Other Big 12 men’s teams in the Top 25 are Oklahoma at No. 11, Nebraska at No. 16, Kansas at No. 17, and Texas, Baylor and Missouri ranked at 21, 23, and 25, respectively.
By comparison, the Big 12 women are a little lighter in the rankings, with five teams other than the Aggies in the top 25. The highest rated team in this category is Oklahoma, which stands at No. 6.
Including alternates for relays, the Aggies will bring 28 athletes – 13 for the men and 15 for the women.
The A&M women have the most event entries in the women’s field with 21. The Oregon Ducks are tied with the LSU Tigers for second with 17. The next closest team, Penn State, only has 12 entries.
Senior Ashika Charan, sophomore Dominique Duncan, senior Porscha Lucas, junior Gabby Mayo and sophomore Jeneba Tarmoh are tied for the most events for Aggie women with three each.
The men’s grid, on the other hand, is more equally spread, with the Aggies and Ducks equal with 16 entries per team. LSU stands third with 15 entries, while Texas Tech and Oklahoma have 12 and 11 entries, respectively.
With four entries (100 meters, 200 meters and part of the 4×100 and 4×400 meter relays), junior Curtis Mitchell leads the men’s side. Junior Melvin Echard will be competing in both the long jump and triple jump.
The Big 12 leads all conferences in entries with 87, with the SEC in second with 82 and the Pac-10 rounding out the top three with 67 events.
The NCAA Championships begin June 9 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.