Women?s Track Jumps To No. 11 For Highest Ranking In School History
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Jumping four spots in this week’s USTFCCCA team rankings, Mississippi State women’s track and field is ranked 11th, the highest ranking in school history, while the men are ranked 13th.
“What a year we have had so far,” MSU coach Steve Dudley said. “These athletes keep improving week after week, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The women have seen success continuously since the indoor season began in January. With record-breaking performances last month in the distance medley relay and pentathlon, the 2014 squad is making history.
Most recently, junior Erica Bougard and senior Rochelle Farquharson captured Southeastern Conference titles in the pentathlon and long jump, respectively. The duo became the first MSU athletes to win their respective events at SEC Indoors.
These two athletes will represent Dudley’s women in Albuquerque, N.M., this week to compete at NCAA Indoor Championships on March 14-15. Bougard has the nation-leading pentathlon score of 4,458. She also enters the meet as the No. 6 seed in the long jump, while Farquharson is the No. 5 seed.
On the men’s side, the Bulldogs remain at No. 13 in the rankings. Senior Marcus Jackson will join Bougard and Farquharson in New Mexico to compete in the high jump. He ranks second nationally in the event (7-05.25).
The SEC currently has six teams in the men’s USTFCCCA Top 25, as Florida, Arkansas and Texas A&M remain in the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots, respectively. On the women’s side, nine SEC teams can be found in this week’s rankings, six more than any other conference in the country.
For more information on MSU track and field, fans can follow the team on Twitter (@HailStateTF) and Instagram (HailStateTF).
USTFCCCA Men’s Indoor National Team Rankings (March 10, 2014)
1. Florida
2. Arkansas
3. Texas A&M
4. Wisconsin
5. Arizona
6. Oregon
7. Florida State
8. Penn State
9. Villanova
10. Southern California
11. Alabama
12. Notre Dame
13. Mississippi State
14. Nebraska
15. Colorado
16. Stanford
17. Ohio State
18. Akron
19. Cornell
20. LSU
21. Purdue
22. Michigan
23. Iowa State
24. Texas Tech
25. Texas
USTFCCCA Women’s Indoor National Team Rankings (March 10, 2014)
1. Florida
2. Oregon
3. Texas A&M
4. Georgia
5. Texas
6. Kentucky
7. Arkansas
8. LSU
9. Florida State
10. Dartmouth
11. Mississippi State
12. Penn State
13. Maryland
14. Stanford
15. Texas Tech
16. Alabama
17. Georgetown
18. South Dakota
19. Michigan State
20. Iowa State
21. Providence
22. Purdue
23. UCLA
24. Miami (Fla.)
25. Missouri