Buckeyes Ranked No. 27 in USTFCCCA Poll – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
June 1, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s track and field team is ranked 16th in the June 1 edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings, the highest ranking for the Buckeyes in at least eight seasons and the first appearance by the team in the Top 25 since 2013. The women’s team is ranked 27th overall, its highest ranking since 2012.
The Buckeye men gained nearly 50 points — moving from a total of 59.79 to 103.95 — and climbed 17 spots from their previous rank of 33 prior to the NCAA East Preliminary Round. The current rankings represent the final poll of the season ahead of next week’s NCAA championships, providing an idea of where teams are projected to finish at the national meet.
An impressive weekend at the East prelims in Jacksonville, Fla., accounted for the jump in the rankings for the Buckeyes. The men’s 4×400-meter relay team added 26.17 points to the team total with a fourth-ranked time in Division I this season (3:02.67), while senior Jackson Neff contributed 21.92 points after running a personal-best and sixth-ranked time of 8:36.88 in the steeplechase. In addition, a personal-best and 10th-ranked time of 45.67 by sophomore LaMar Bruton in the 400-meter dash netted 12.92 points, while redshirt junior Antonio Blanks contributed four points with an 18th-place national standing in the 400-meter hurdles.
Three Big Ten men’s teams are featured in the USTFCCCA Top 25, led by Big Ten champion and 11th-ranked Illinois. Penn State is ranked 15th, followed by the Scarlet and Gray. Florida is the No. 1-ranked team, with Oregon ranked second and Texas A&M third.
The women’s team climbed 10 spots from their pre-East Preliminary standing, gaining nearly 14 points in the process. Ohio State’s top point contributors were the 4×400-meter relay team, ranked third nationally with a season-best time of 3:28.37, redshirt junior Aisha Cavin in the 200-meter dash (ninth, 22.86 seconds) and junior SoSo Walker in the 400-meter dash (10th, 45.67).
Ohio State is one of four Big Ten women’s teams ranked in the Top 30, led by Big Ten champion and 14th-ranked Michigan State. Nebraska is 22nd, followed by No. 23 Michigan, No. 24 Wisconsin and the Buckeyes. Oregon is the No. 1-ranked team in the country, with Arkansas ranked second and Kentucky third.
OSU will feature eight NCAA-championship entries on the men’s side — 11th most among all teams — and seven entries on the women’s side, 15th among qualifying squads.
The 2015 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships are set for June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
