Posted: February 9, 2005

Athletics: Arkansas Maintains No. 1 National Ranking for Fifth-Straight Week

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the fifth-straight week the Arkansas track and field team has maintained its No. 1 position in the latest Trackwire 25 rankings released on Tuesday, Feb. 8. The Hogs were given 70 points and have a substantial lead over second place Indiana (44). Michigan is third with 33 and Texas is fourth with 28. Southeastern Conference opponent and defending NCAA Indoor Champion, LSU, is at No. 5 with 27 points.

Wisconsin grabbed the sixth position with 25 and Florida, the 2004 national runner-up, is close behind in seventh with 24 points. Arizona was placed at eighth (22) and Florida State is No. 9 and has 21 points. Oregon rounded out the top 10 and tallied 19 points.

The Trackwire 25 is a power ranking of NCAA Division I track and field teams. The rankings’ methodology takes into account a variety of statistical predictors and is intended to project the outcome of the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships to be held in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 11-12.

Arkansas is also very well represented in Trackwire’s Dandy Dozen. Eleven Razorback athletes and two relay teams were ranked among the top 12 collegiate athletes and teams in each NCAA event.

Junior sprinting star Tyson Gay is ranked in two events. He is No. 1 in the 60-meter dash and No. 2 in the 200-meter dash, while teammate and sophomore Wallace Spearmon Jr., took the top spot in the 200 as the national outdoor champion and current world leader in the event.

Senior Terry Gatson debuted in the 400 meters after posting outstanding performances in New York City at the Armory Collegiate Invitational over the weekend. He was placed at No. 9 in the event.

A pair of Hogs made it on the 3,000-meter list. Junior Josphat Boit is second and sophomore transfer Peter Kosgei is close behind in third. Boit is also second in the 5,000 meters and is joined by junior Marc Rodrigues and senior Jason Sandfort who are at 10th and 11th, respectively.

In the mile run junior Said Ahmed is listed at No. 3, while freshman Shawn Forrest is No. 12. Senior James Hatch is the lone Razorback in the 800 meters in fifth place.

Senior Jaanus Uudmae is the only Razorback ranked in a field event. He is seventh in the triple jump.

Arkansas’ reputation to consistently produce quality distance medley relay teams has the Hogs in third behind defending NCAA champion Michigan and Indiana. UA’s 4x400-meter relay is also highly regarded and is in the No. 7 position.

Complete Trackwire 25 Rankings
1. Arkansas      70
2. Indiana          44
3. Michigan        33
4. Texas            28
5. LSU               27
6. Wisconsin      25
7. Florida           24
8. Arizona          22
9. Florida State  21
10. Oregon         19
11. Texas Tech   18
      Tennessee     18
13. Arizona State  17
      Colorado State  17
15. Auburn         16
      USC             16
17. East Carolina     15
18. UCLA           14
      Oklahoma     14
      Mississippi     14
21. Baylor          13
22. Kansas State  12
      Nebraska      12
      Virginia Tech   12
    25. Texas A&M   10
      Stanford      10