By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
NEW ORLEANS – Both Fort Hays State track and field teams are ranked in the top 15 in the country in the latest release of the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Outdoor National Rating Index, released Tuesday (April 5). The men are up to 13th in this week’s release, while the women are 14th in the latest ranks.
The men moved up five spots after recording six provisional performances at the Central Nebraska Challenge last weekend. The men have six marks that currently rank in the top 10 in the country, including the 4x100m relay team of Cole Diffenbaugh, Hayden Albright, Xavier Robinson and Philip Landrum (fourth, 40.54), Robinson in the triple jump (fifth, 49-5), Robbie Schmidt in the 5,000m (fifth, 14:05.87), Ethan Lang in the 800m (sixth, 1:49.76), Jacob Clark in the pole vault (sixth, 16-8.75) and Landrum in the 100m (eighth, 10.41).
The women slid two spots despite a strong weekend that included five provisionals and eight first-place finishes in Kearney. The women also have six performances in the top 10 at this time, including Lyric Holman in the 200m (fourth, 23.94) and the 100m (sixth, 11.66), Mattie Rossi in the 400m hurdles (sixth, 1:00.32) and the 100m hurdles (seventh, 13.93) and both Addie Berens (fifth, 153-7) and Rhyann Brown (sixth, 150-8) in the javelin.
The women are the second-highest ranked MIAA program this week, while the men are third amongst conference competition.
In the regional rankings, the men are up two spots to third this week while the women held steady in sixth.
The Tigers continue their outdoor campaign this weekend (April 8-9) at the KT Woodman Classic in Wichita, Kan.