Bulldog Track & Field Remains Among Nation's Elite
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State men's track team travels to Tennessee this week for the SEC Championships ranked No. 15 in the latest USTFCCCA poll released on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs are also ranked in six different events, and while the women didn't crack the poll as a team, they have players ranked in seven events.
"It's a nice way to start the SEC Championships," said MSU coach Al Schmidt, whose team was off this past week. "We've put ourselves in position to earn these rankings, and I'm expecting great things this week in Knoxville.
Freshman Tavaris Tate is the highest-ranked Bulldog, coming in at No. 2 in the 400m dash, while Dwight Mullings is No. 7. Mullings is also 9th in the 200-meter dash. Tate's time of 44.86 is currently the third-fastest in the world, while Mulling's time of 45.48 is the 20th fastest time in the world.
Emanuel Mayers also garnered a Top 5 ranking, coming in at No. 4 in the 400m hurdles.
Also in the Top 20 are Mayers and Tate in the 200m dash at a tie for 19th.
In the relays, the 4x400 team of O'Neal Wilder, Mullings, Mayers and Tate is 6th, while the 4x100 relay squad of Justin Christian, Kendall May, D'Angelo Cherry and Mullings is 8 th.
The Lady Bulldogs are led by Tupelo native Wendy Copeland and LaQuinta Aaron of Tuscaloosa, Ala., at No. 20 in the long jump and heptathlon, respectively.
Jody-Ann Muir is No. 26 in the 400m dash thanks to her time of 53.46, which is currently the 9th fastest time in the world.
"We're not all the way where I want us to be, but I like the direction we are headed," Schmidt said.
The SEC Championships are set for May 13-16, while the NCAAs are slated for June 9-12 at the University of Oregon.
MSU Men's Rankings
100m Dash
22nd Kendall May
33rd Dwight Mullings
200m Dash
9th Dwight Mullings
T19 th Tavaris Tate
T19 th Kendall May
400m Dash
2nd Tavaris Tate
7th Dwight Mullings
36th O'Neal Wilder
52th Emanuel Mayers
400m Hurdles
4th Emanuel Mayers
4x100m Relay
8h Justin Christian, Kendall May, Dwight Mullings, D'Angelo Cherry
4x400m Relay
6th O'Neal Wilder, Dwight Mullings, Emanuel Mayers, Tavaris Tate
MSU Women's Rankings
200m Dash
38th Taneisha Baker
400m Dash
26th Jody-Ann Muir
45th Crystal Wilson
100m Hurdles
44th Keisha Wallace
4x400m Relay
26th LaQuinta Aaron, Crystal Wilson, Taneisha Baker, Jody-Ann Muir
High Jump
44th Jessica Merriweather
Long Jump
T20th Wendy Copeland
Heptathlon
20th LaQuinta Aaron