University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols move to 10th in latest rankings
May 22, 2008 | Men's Track
The Tennessee men???s track and field team is 10th with 165.13 points in this week???s US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings released Thursday.
LSU occupies the top spot with 285.73 points. Florida is second with 249.86 points, with Texas A&M???s 242.10 points ranking third. Florida State and UCLA round out the top five with 212.04 and 211.20 points, respectively.
Auburn is the next SEC team, ranking eighth with 184.99 points. The Tigers are followed by Arkansas in ninth with 168.58 points. After the Vols, South Carolina is 15th with 137.51 points, Kentucky is 17th with 125.98, Georgia is 24th with 94.10 and Mississippi State is 25th with 91.36. The SEC???s nine ranked schools are more than any of the other seven conferences with teams ranked this week and are the most by any conference this season, tying the mark the SEC had the week of April 16th.
The rankings use an updated scoring system based on athletes??? season-best marks to determine a team???s overall chances of making an impact at the national championship meet. The scoring system for the teams, compiled by Tom Lewis of Missouri, is the sum of its individuals??? place on the descending order list and a weighed value of those performances based on the field. The scoring method is based on the latest NCAA performance list.
Tennessee???s team score consists of two relays and 19 individual performances. Three-time All-America Jangy Addy leads the nation in the decathlon after becoming the fifth UT athlete and just the 62nd American to break the 8,000-point barrier with his 8,010-point performance while winning his fourth straight SEC multi-events title last weekend. Fourteen-time All-America Rubin Williams, the indoor 200 national champion, is ranked fifth in the event with his 20.41 clocking and ninth in the 100 with his time of 10.19. Four-time All-America Evander Wells is ninth in the 200 with his time of 20.50 and 15th in the 100 with his 10.25 time.
Tennessee has three athletes ranked in the 110 hurdles, with freshman Charlton Rolle???s 13.68 time leading the way, followed by Addy in 13.70 and sophomore De???Lon Isom in 13.73. All-America Matthew Maloney is 19th in the javelin with his throw of 228-2, while freshman Joseph Berry is 20th in the pole vault with his 17-2 3/4 vault that earned him the first SEC pole vault title by a freshman since 1997. Fellow freshman Michael Ayers is 21st in the decathlon following his third-place, 7,360-point showing at the conference championship meet.
Senior Andrew Dawson ranks 23rd in the 1,500 with his converted time of 3:42.31 and 48th in the 800 with his 1:49.59 time. Junior Nick Panezich ranks 25th in the discus with his 184-3 throw, while fellow junior Akeem Hardnett is 28th in the triple jump following his SEC???runner-up leap of 51-5 3/4. All-America Yarrick Kincaid is 33rd in the 800 with his time of 1:49.12. Junior Richard Wooten???s hammer throw of 205-8 ranks 32nd. Sophomore Brad Holtz???s season-best clearance of 16-10 3/4 ranks him 45th in the pole vault, while senior Matthieu Pritchett???s 10.40 time ranks 47th in the 100.
Tennessee???s All-America 4x100 relay team of Pritchett, Wells, Kyle Stevenson and Williams is second with a time of 38.82, the third-fastest time in school history, and the 4x400 relay team of Samdi Fraser, Stevenson, Williams and Wells is 16th in 3:06.51.
Including Tennessee, 11 of the 191 ranked teams have at least 20 ranked performances this week. The complete rankings can be found at USTFCCCA.com.
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TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR NCAA MIDEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ??? Arkansas Razorback track and field will be hosting the 2008 NCAA Mideast Regional Track and Field Championships, Friday-Saturday, May 30-31, at John McDonnell Field.
Tickets for the NCAA Mideast Championships may be purchased through the Razorback Ticket Office (800-982-4647) or visiting www.hogwired.com. Prices are as follows: $20 - two-day reserved ticket; $15 - single-day reserved ticket; $15 - two-day general admission ticket; $10 - single-day general admission ticket.
For more details and the schedule for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships, visit www.hogwired.com.
