March 31, 2015
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Both the Kentucky men’s and women’s track and field teams have been ranked in the top 25 to begin the outdoor season.
The women’s team is ranked No. 5 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Computer Rankings. The men are ranked No. 22.
The men’s and women’s team are both ranked in the preseason top-25 at the same time for the first time ever.
The women’s team’s preseason ranking (No. 5) tied last outdoor season’s school record.
The men’s team earned the second best preseason ranking in its history. The Wildcats were ranked preseason No. 6 in 2009, which was the second year of the rankings.
Last season the UK women’s team earned the best NCAA Outdoor Championships finish in school history, seventh overall with 26 points. The Wildcat men finished 15th overall with 14 points. The men’s result was the team’s fourth-highest placement and fifth-best total ever.
The women’s team also finished a school-record fifth at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this season. The men placed 38th.
The UK 2015 women’s team is led by defending NCAA Silver Medalists Kendra Harrison and Sha’Keela Saunders.
Saunders claimed the long jump silver last season, and went on to get silver indoors earlier this month. Harrison claimed silver in the 400-meter hurdles last year, and earned the 60m hurdles NCAA Title earlier this month.
The Kentucky men’s team is led by Raymond Dykstra the defending NCAA Javelin Silver Medalist, and Keffri Neal, defending NCAA Silver Medalist at 800m.
The rankings are generated based on a computer algorithm that accounts for previously recorded times and marks to try and predict how teams will finish at the NCAA Championships.
