Troy University Athletics
Three Trojans Ranked Nationally
4/1/2009 5:00:00 AM | Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The USTFCCCA and the Sun Belt Conference released their performances lists this week, as well as the preseason rankings for the outdoor track and field season.
The Trojans are represented by three individuals in the USATFCCCA national rankings, with one in track and two field competitions.
Redshirt sophomore Latoya Ragland is currently ranked 10th in the nation in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.58 seconds, just 0.03 seconds away from being ranked fifth in the nation. She is currently the second-fastest female in the sport in the Mideast Region, trailing only Kimberley Laing of Alabama at 13.57 seconds.
Junior Tiphanie Baker currently ranks third in the nation in the discus with a throw of 52.28 meters. The reigning Sun Belt Conference Field Athlete of the Week is just 0.43 meters away from the second-longest throw in the nation, and she currently holds the best mark in the Mideast Region. The closest competitor from the region is Emily Pendleton from Michigan with a throw of 51.91 meters.
Senior Agata Cichoszewska is ranked third in the triple jump with a distance of 12.76 meters. The three-time Sun Belt Conference Field Athlete of the Week (twice in indoors) is second in the Mideast Region, with the leader - Seidre Ford from Louisville - leading the country with a jump of 12.95 meters set March 21.
While the Trojans have three individuals ranked among the nation's best, the USTFCCCA released its preseason polls this week based on returning student-athletes who qualified for the region last season. The Trojan men are ranked 103rd to open the season, while the women are ranked 134th to open the 2009 campaign. The results will change drastically when the first poll is released next week as the polls will revert to student-athletes who have qualified for the region all ready this season.
Meanwhile, the Sun Belt Conference also released its performance lists Tuesday after and several Trojans are in the Top 10 in their respective sports.
On the men's side, senior Lamar Hicks leads the Sun Belt Conference in the 100-meters with a time of 10.38 seconds run at the FSU Relays this past weekend. He is not ranked in the nation however due to the wind factor being too high during the meet. He is followed closely by Antonio McLeod in second with a time of 10.58 seconds run at the FSU Relays with the same wind factor.
Junior Matavis Madden, who has returned to full strength this season, is currently third in the 400-meters with a time of 48.54 seconds run at the Georgia Relays two weeks ago, while teammate Shane George is ninth in the conference with a time of 49.49 run at the FSU Relays this past weekend.
Adam Vise is ranked in the 800-meters, coming in at 10th for the Trojans with a time of 1:58.97 run at the Southern Invitational in the first meet of the season. In distance competition, senior Denzel Ramirez is ranked third in the conference with a time of 4:00.91 in the 1500-meters, while Brett Lewis is 10th in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:50.16 at the Georgia Relays and Jeremy Moujoodi is seventh in the 5000-meters with a time of 15:25.37 run at the FSU Relays last weekend.
Senior Mike Conley and junior Leander McKenzie are both ranked in the Top 10 in the conference in the 110-meter hurdles, with Conley coming in at seventh with a time of 15.03 and McKenzie at 10th with a time of 15.37 seconds - both run in the Decathlon at the FSU Relays last weekend. Sophomore Michael Alexander is ranked sixth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.16 seconds run at the FSU Relays, while Conley is 10th with a time of 56.96 run at the Georgia Relays.
In relay competition, the Trojans are represented by the fourth-fastest time in the 4x100 in the conference with a time of 41.12 seconds at the FSU Relays. They are also sixth overall in the conference in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:20.81 at the Georgia Relays.
In the field events, the Trojans' Grant Bullington and Erik Burkett are ranked ninth and 10th overall with jumps of 1.88 meters and 1.82 meters, respectively. Bullington and Conley are both ranked in the pole vault, coming in at eighth with heights of 4.25 meters (both at the FSU Relays).
Lamontrey Stamper is ranked third in the long jump with a distance of 7.32 meters at the FSU Relays. He is joined by Terrell Irons in sixth with a jump of 6.82 meters at the FSU Relays, and by Conley who is ranked ninth with a jump of 6.49 meters at the FSU Relays. Stamper is also ranked in the triple jump, coming in at fourth this week with a jump of 14.52 meters at the Georgia Relays. He is joined by Irons in the triple jump conference rankings with a jump of 13.97 meters at the FSU Relays, placing him sixth overall.
In the throws, Scott Neal is ranked 10th in the conference in the shot put with a distance of 13.16 meters at the Southern Invitational. Senior Ryan Schmeling is ranked 10th in the discus with a throw of 44.96 meters at the Southern Invitational, while senior Norman Austin is ranked third overall in the javeling with a throw of 61.42 meters at the Georgia Relays. He is joined by freshman MacKenzie Howell in the rankings with a throw of 51.57 meters at the Georgia Relays - good for ninth place - and Conley at 10th with a throw of 51.45 meters at the Georgia Relays. Schmeling is also ranked in the hammer, coming in at seventh overall with a throw of 45.01 meters at the FSU Relays this past weekend.
The trio of Conley, McKenzie and Bullington are ranked as the top three in the Decathlon after just one week of the competition.
Meanwhile, on the women's side, Ragland is ranked eighth overall in the conference in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.34 seconds. She is also ranked first in the conference in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.58 seconds at the FSU Relays.
Senior Jenean Corcoran is one of two student-athletes ranked in the Top 10 in the 3000-meter steeplechase, coming in at fourth with a time of 11:47.68 at the Georgia Relays. She is joined by junior Kelly Harrington with a time of 12:19.03 at the Southern Invitational, placing her seventh overall in the conference.
Naquita Rowe joins Ragland in the 100-meter hurdles rankings, coming in at ninth in the conference with a time of 14.29 seconds run at the FSU Relays this past weekend. Meanwhile, Kapri Hockaday is ranked eighth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.98 at the FSU Relays, and Shay Matthews is ninth with a time of 1:06.22 run at the Georgia Relays two weeks ago.
In the relay events, the Trojans are currently eighth in the 4x100-meter standings with a time of 48.45 seconds run at the FSU Relays; while they are ninth in the 4x400-meter relays with a time of 4:05.56 run at the FSU Relays.
In field events, Hockaday is currently eighth overall in the conference in the high jump with a height of 1.64 meters. Meanwhile, Cichoszewska is ranked sixth in the conference in the long jump with a distance of 5.69 meters, while Ragland is eighth with a distance of 5.66 meters at the Georgia Relays.
Cichoszewska leads the conference in the triple jump with a distance of 12.76 meters at the Georgia Relays, while teammates Ariel Cavazos is ninth with a jump of 10.52 meters at the FSU Relays and Hockaday 10th with a jump of 10.02 meters at the Southern Invitational the first weekend of the season.
Baker is ranked in three throwing events for the Trojans, coming in at seventh in the shot put with a distance of 12.89 meters at the Southern Invitational the first weekend of the season. She also leads the conference in the discus with a throw of 52.28 meters at the Georgia Relays and leads the conference in the hammer throw with a distance of 53.36 meters at the FSU Relays. She is joined in the discus and hammer by senior Monique Jordan with a throw of 41.56 meters in the discus - placing her ninth overall - and a throw of 45.01 meters in the hammer throw - placing her nintth overall.
Cichoszewska leads the Trojans in the javelin with a throw of 36.52 meters, good for sixth in the conference; and she is also ranked second in the conference in the Heptathlon with 4558 points. Sophomore Chontia Allen is ranked third in the Heptathlon with 3994 points.
The Trojans return to action this weekend in Auburn at the Tiger Track Classic on Friday and Saturday.
