By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information

NEW ORLEANS – With the release of the first USTFCCCA rankings of the outdoor season, Tennessee Tech track & field stands at 22^nd in the South Region. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its Week 1 regional rankings on Monday.

Tech is also ranked 84^th nationally and was previously ranked a program-best No. 74 in the preseason.

The Golden Eagles are tied as the third-highest regionally ranked team out of all 12 Ohio Valley Conference outdoor programs (Murray State is No. 22 in the Southeast Region, SIUE ranks 21^st in the Midwest and defending OVC champion Eastern Illinois leads at 20^th in the Midwest).

Tech leads the conference in five outdoor events and ranks within the top five marks in 10 events through just two meets:

• 100m (2. Ceirra Tate, 12.04)
• 200m (4. D'Airrien Jackson, 24.50)
• 400m (1. D'Airrien Jackson, 53.90; 5. Khemani Roberts, 56.68)
• 800m (1. Micayla Rennick, 2:09.37)
• 1500m (1. Micayla Rennick, 4:20.92)
• 5000m (1. Micayla Rennick, 16:30.27; 4. Purity Sanga, 17:18.06)
• 4x100m relay (2. Ceirra Tate/D'Airrien Jackson/Lisa Wickham/Na'Asha Robinson, 46.26)
• 4x400m relay (1. Na'Asha Robinson/D'Airrien Jackson/Khemani Roberts/Ceirra Tate, 3:38.03)
• High jump (4. Na'Scottisha Drummond, 1.65m/5'5")
• Triple jump (4. Raven Smith, 12.14m/39'10")

Tech continues its season this weekend at Western Kentucky's Hilltopper Relays in Bowling Green, Kentucky.