The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Track and Field earns No. 4 ranking from Trackwire
01.17.2006 | XC: Men_Old, Track & Field / Cross Country
AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas men's indoor track and field squad garnered a No. 4 national ranking Tuesday from Trackwire, a leading online track and field news publication, on the strength of five projected NCAA top-10 event placings.
Trackwire compiles its team rankings by projecting the top-12 finishers in each event to be held at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Texas landed projected top-10 finishers in four different events, including two in the heptathlon.
"It's always nice to start near the top at the beginning of the season," said UT coach Bubba Thornton. "We feel like we have a very good team, and the attitudes of these young men have been tremendous."
Junior Donovan Kilmartin (Eagle, Idaho) and senior Trey Hardee ( Birmingham, Ala.) rank one and two, respectively, in the heptathlon after placing second and third in the event at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Junior Andra Manson (Brenham, Texas) - the 2004 NCAA indoor and outdoor high jump champion who set new meet and facility records at Houston's Yeoman Field House last Saturday with a leap of 7-5 3/4 - is projected to finish second in the event behind USC's Jesse Williams.
Sophomore Leonel Manzano ( Marble Falls, Texas), the 2005 NCAA outdoor 1,500-meters champion, projects as the nation's second-fastest runner in the mile. Texas' distance-medley relay squad has been tabbed to finish sixth in the nation.
"One of the neat things about our sport," added Thornton, "is that on the days of the national championships, the athletes decide who finishes where. Though the projections won't matter at that point, we're excited to be noticed on a national level early in the season."
Arkansas sits atop the rankings, while Florida State, Wisconsin, Texas and LSU round out the top five.