University of Tennessee Athletics
Volunteers Head North for Jesse Owens Classic
May 01, 2003 | Men's Track
May 1, 2003
UPDATED TRACK & FIELD RANKINGS; VOLS REMAIN NO. 1 IN TRACKSHARK TOP 25
After splitting up for competition in three meets last weekend, head coach Bill Webb brings his track and field Volunteers together for the 18th annual Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, Ohio Friday and Saturday nights. Tennessee joins a group of about 35 collegiate teams and 1,000 overall competitors from across the land in the biggest field in the meet's 18-year history. The meet serves as Tennessee's last tune-up for the SEC Championships.
All events will be held at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, honoring the former Buckeye and U.S. Olympic hero from the 1936 Games, on the campus of Ohio State. The competition carries double meaning for Tennessee, as the Vols not only hope to make progress in their events but also make their last case for inclusion on the 30-man squad for the SEC Outdoors, hosted in Knoxville in two weeks. Meanwhile, no Vol on the roster has competed in a collegiate meet at Ohio State. Tennessee's participation in the Jesse Owens Classic also doubles as a scouting trip because Ohio State also hosts the Mideast Regional May 30-31, the Vols' new pathway to the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 11-14. Thus, Tennessee will be trying to win but also get the lay of the land in Columbus as a headstart for Regionals.
Tennessee plans on bringing a strong contingent of about 30 for the Jesse Owens Classic, the same number of Volunteers allowed to suit up for the conference clash.
TENNESSEE TAKES A SMALL STEP BACK IN RANKINGS UPDATE
Tennessee's track and field squad remains first in the Trackshark Top 25 ranking, but dropped slightly in the Trackwire 25 and Team Power Rankings. The Volunteers held on to first place in the Trackshark Top 25, available at www.trackshark.com, on the strength of a combination of the squad's head-to-head competition, Trackwire ranking and Team Power Ranking.
Meanwhile, UCLA overtook Tennessee for the top spot in the U.S. Track Coaches Association's Team Power Rankings, designed to measure a team's strength across all events in a dual-meet competition. The Bruins stand at 362.85 points compared to the Vols' 360.55 total.
Finally, in the Trackwire 25, available at www.trackwire.com, Tennessee fell to fifth place after tying for third last week. The rankings project the Volunteers to score 38 points at the NCAA Outdoor meet, down from 46 points last week. SEC foes Auburn (54), Arkansas (47) and Mississippi State (46) head the list. USC stands fourth with 40 points, just ahead of Tennessee's 38. South Carolina (seventh, 30), Georgia (eighth, 28) and LSU (tied for 10th, 25) give the SEC seven of the nation's top-10 teams. The Trackwire 25 analyzes event leader lists and other factors to predict scoring at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
