Bulldogs Move Into Top 10 At No. 9
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After a stellar performance at the NCAA Division I East Region this past weekend in Greensboro, N.C., the Mississippi State men's track and field team moved back into the Top 10 at No. 9 in the latest USTFCCCA poll released on Tuesday.
It's the Bulldogs' highest ranking since opening the year at No. 7.
"We've earned these rankings," MSU coach Al Schmidt said. "It's certainly a total team effort. We had a great weekend and it shows in the polls."
The Bulldogs are also ranked in five different individual events, and while the women aren't in the poll as a team, they have players ranked in four individual categories.
Freshman Tavaris Tate remains the highest-ranked Bulldog, coming in at No. 2 in the 400m dash, followed by O'Neal Wilder at No. 5 and Dwight Mullings at No. 9.
Emanuel Mayers also garnered a Top 10 ranking, coming in at No. 6 in the 400m hurdles.
In the relays, the 4x400 fourseome of O'Neal Wilder, Mullings, Mayers and Tate is 3rd after posting the top time of 3:02.10 this past weekend at the regional, while the 4x100 team of Justin Christian, Kendall May, Mullings and Tate is fifth.
The Lady Bulldogs are led by LaQuinta Aaron of Tuscaloosa, Ala., at No. 8 in the heptathlon following her personal-best 5,563 points at the SECs, the second-most in school history.
Also in the Top 25 are Jody-Ann Muir and Crystal Wilson in the 400-meter dash at No. 14 and No. 22, respectively, and Wendy Copeland at No. 18 in the long jump..
The 4x400-meter relay team of Aaron, Muir, Crystal Wilson and Taneisha Baker currently stands at No. 20.
MSU Men's Rankings
100m Dash
T9th Kendall May
400m Dash
2nd Tavaris Tate
5th Dwight Mullings
9th O'Neal Wilder
400m Hurdles
6th Emanuel Mayers
4x100m Relay
5th Justin Christian, Kendall May, Dwight Mullings, Tavaris Tate
4x400m Relay
3rd O'Neal Wilder, Dwight Mullings, Emanuel Mayers, Tavaris Tate
MSU Women's Rankings
400m Dash
14th Jody-Ann Muir
22nd Crystal Wilson
4x400m Relay
20th LaQuinta Aaron, Crystal Wilson, Taneisha Baker, Jody-Ann Muir
Long Jump
18th Wendy Copeland
Heptathlon
8th LaQuinta Aaron