NEW ORLEANS - The University of Toledo track and field team finds itself
ranked 13th in the first USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional indoor poll,
released today.
The
Rockets scored 98.94 points in the computer poll, which is the fourth-highest total
amongst MAC schools. Toledo is at the midway
point of its indoor season after competing at last weekend's Indiana Relays,
and the Rockets have one more meet (The Big Meet, Feb. 12-13) before the MAC
Championships Feb. 26-27 in Mt.
Pleasant, MI.
"This
is a nice sign of the direction of the program," said head coach Kevin Hadsell,
who also directed the women's cross country team to a MAC-best No. 6 ranking in
the fall. "The computer rankings are 100 percent objective, based on
performances. At this point in the season, it shows that we are in a tight
battle for the MAC title."
Junior Ari Fisher (Lebanon, OH)
continues to lead the region with the best time in the 5000 meter run
(16:48.66), which she set at the Golden Flash Gala on Dec. 11. Senior Dagna Sztykiel (Bytom, Poland) and
junior Audra Brown (Ayersville, OH)
also rank in the top-10 in the 5000, and the distance medley relay team of
Fisher and juniors Kimara Morgan (Columbus,
OH), Amanda Kaverman (Sylvania, OH)
and Danielle Jacoby (Carey, OH) has
the fifth-best time in that event (12:09.33).
Kaverman also ranks ninth
in the 200 meter (24.79), while classmate Alexandra Afloari (Deva, Romania)
is sixth in the triple jump (40-01.25) and senior Michelle Sutherland (Maumee,
OH) sits ninth in the high
jump (5-08.75).
The marquee performance of
the season was Toledo's runner-up showing at the
Great Dane Classic in New York
on Jan. 22. The Rockets trailed just Seton Hall, which is ranked sixth in the
Mid-Atlantic Region, and Toledo bested Penn
(11th, Mid-Atlantic), Manhattan (fourth, Northeast
Region) and St. John's
(12th, Northeast).
"It has been a
steady, patient rise since I took over the track program in 2004," Hadsell said. "We
have a young team in place right now that is a huge surprise in the MAC and the
region. We are showing that we can be very competitive both in cross
country and in track."
Complete Great Lakes
Region Rankings
1. Indiana, 337.91
2. Wisconsin,
247.23
3. Ohio State, 216.86
4. Michigan,
205.00
5. Indiana State, 199.04
6. Purdue, 188.51
7. Cincinnati,
179.41
8. Michigan State, 137.29
9. Notre Dame, 135.65
10. Akron,
128.18
11. Miami (Ohio), 116.21
12. Central Michigan, 108.28
13. TOLEDO, 98.94
14. Dayton,
91.48
15. Eastern Michigan, 76.52
16. Kent State, 74.52
17. Western Michigan, 65.25
18. Butler,
36.40
19. Ball State, 32.59
20. Marquette,
29.43
21. Ohio,
26.87
22. Milwaukee,
24.62
23. Wright State, 16.66
24. Bowling Green,
15.71
25. Youngstown State, 10.52
26. Oakland,
8.45
27. Xavier (Ohio),
5.48
28. IPFW, 4.23
29. Detroit,
1.52
30. Valparaiso,
1.50
The regional team
index uses data provided by TFRRS for only the 2010 indoor season and is a
reflection of a team's all-around strength. The regional team index is scored
using the current national-team ranking formula as if there were separate
regional championships across the country.
Contact: Scott Miles
scott.miles@utoledo.edu