UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; February 6, 2007- After posting solid performances at last weekend??s New Balance Collegiate Games, the Nittany Lion women??s track and field team has been picked 18th in the latest TrackWire 25 power rankings. Arizona State tops the rankings, while Big Ten foe Michigan sits in second, and Louisiana State appears in third.
According to the TrackWire.com website, ??The Trackwire 25 projects a hypothetical score for the NCAA meet, factoring in injury reports and other variables supported by information gathered from coaches and NCAA-qualfying competitions across the country. This projection is generated by scoring the Dandy Dozen, a power ranking of the top 12 athletes and relay squads in each NCAA event.??
Appearing in the Dandy Dozen for Penn State is standout Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.), who posted a school and facility record 400-meter time of 52.31 at the Penn State National Invitational. Cox, whose 52.31 is an NCAA automatic qualifier, currently sits in fourth in the Dandy Dozen 400 rankings, behind Natasha Hastings of South Carolina, Big Ten rival Kineke Alexander of Iowa, and Georgia Tech??s Ashlee Kidd. Cox??s performance is the third-fastest run in the collegiate ranks this year.
Cox, along with teammates Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.), Briene Simmons (Decatur, Ga.), and Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), are also expected to make a splash at the national championships after clocking a provisional-qualifying 3:35.20 in the 4x400-meters last weekend. The performance is the third fastest time run this season.
The Nittany Lion relay took on a national-caliber field at New Balance, finishing third behind NCAA-leading South Carolina (3:30.95), and LSU, which holds the nation??s second-fastest mark (3:31.77). Penn State held its own amongst elite opposition, bettering teams from sprint-fueled schools such as Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Miami.
Penn State??s distance medley team also appears among the nation??s best, as it is picked eighth in this week??s rankings. The squad of Megan Hutchinson (Quakertown, Pa.), Cox, Simmons, and Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) clocked a school-record 11:14.78 last month, which is currently the sixth-best time in the NCAA.
Also making an appearance in the Dandy Dozen is Barber in the 60-meter hurdles. The sophomore is currently among the top 10 in the NCAA with a personal-best mark of 8.25. Barber is listed 10th in this week??s rankings.
Complete TrackWire 25 and Dandy Dozen rankings can be found at www.TrackWire.com.
The Nittany Lions wrap up their home indoor schedule this weekend, hosting the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup on February 9-10, at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.