By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
NEW ORLEANS – After cracking the top 15 of the USTFCCCA South Region rankings for the first time ever last week, Tennessee Tech track & field has been rewarded with another jump in the organization's most recent poll, which was released on Monday.
Tech now sits at eighth in the South Region after a standout performance at Purdue's Fred Wilt Open last Friday and Saturday. The Golden Eagles are one of four non-Power Five programs in the region's rankings and the top ranked team out of the four (Middle Tennessee, Florida International and Memphis).
Tech is the only women's team in the Ohio Valley Conference currently in the USTFCCCA rankings.
"We were able to get a lot of work done at Purdue last week," said head coach Wayne Angel. "The ladies were focused and highly competitive. We are in our championship phase now, and things are starting to heat up. I am very pleased with the team. We are definitely moving in the right direction."
The full list of the USTFCCCA South Region women's indoor Week 2 rankings is as follows:
- Georgia (last week's ranking: 1)
- Florida (last week's ranking: 3)
- Florida State (last week's ranking: 8)
- Alabama (last week's ranking: 4)
- Tennessee (last week's ranking: 2)
- Ole Miss (last week's ranking: 5)
- Vanderbilt (last week's ranking: 6)
- TENNESSEE TECH (last week's ranking: 11)
- Mississippi State (last week's ranking: 7)
- Auburn (last week's ranking: 13)
- Georgia Tech (last week's ranking: 10)
- Middle Tennessee (last week's ranking: 9)
- Miami (FL) (last week's ranking: 12)
- Florida International (last week's ranking: 19)
- Memphis (last week's ranking: 14)
In all, Tennessee Tech is tops in the conference in eight of the 17 indoor track & field events after adding three OVC-leading marks in the Fred Wilt Open last week.
Micayla Rennick won the 3000m run in a school-record time of 9:35.38, finishing 59 seconds ahead of the second-place runner. Her adjusted time of 9:30.49 (due to track size) leads the conference by almost 11 seconds. Khemani Roberts won the pentathlon with 3,691 points, breaking teammate Sharnique Leonce's school record. Na'Asha Robinson finished third in the 200m dash with a time of 24.58, which leads the conference when converted to 24.21.
The Golden Eagles also lead the OVC in the:
- 60m (Lisa Wickham, 7.57)
- 400m (D'Airrien Jackson, 53.57)
- 800m (Micayla Rennick, 2:14.65)
- mile (Micayla Rennick, 4:48.99)
- 4x400m relay (Na'Asha Robinson; Ceirra Tate; Khemani Roberts; D'Airrien Jackson, 3:43.43)
Tech continues its season in Notre Dame, Indiana, this week at the Meyo Invitational.