AUSTIN, Texas -- The top-ranked University of Texas men's track and field squad garnered 11 bids - five automatic, six at-large - to this weekend's NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, the NCAA announced this evening.
Texas boasts top seeds in two events - the high jump and the heptathlon. Junior Andra Manson (Brenham, Texas), the 2004 NCAA indoor and outdoor high jump champion, enters the meet with the nation's top mark at 7-5.75 (2.28m). Manson recently won his third consecutive Big 12 indoor title with a leap of 7-5.25.
Senior Trey Hardee (Birmingham, Ala.), the NCAA heptathlon record holder, enters the meet with a top national mark of 6,208 points, which broke the NCAA record previously held by his teammate, junior Donovan Kilmartin (Eagle, Idaho). With a top mark of 5,876 points, Kilmartin approaches the meet as the No. 2 seed in the event. Hardee also collected a provisional mark in the long jump while competing in the heptathlon at the New Mexico Multi-Events Meet in January and will take part in the event as the nation's eighth seed.
Sophomore Leonel Manzano (Marble Falls, Texas) owns the No. 3 seed in the mile after clocking 3:58.84 to break his own school record last month at The Husky Classic in Seattle. Manzano burst upon the collegiate track scene as a freshman, winning the 15000 meters at the NCAA outdoor championships a season ago.
Texas will bring considerable depth in the 60 meters to Fayetteville with no fewer than three Longhorns slated to participate. Senior Trey Griffin (Lockhart, Texas) holds the No. 4 seed with a top time of 6.64 set at last month's Tyson Invitational. Freshman Jamaal Charles (Port Arthur, Texas) and senior Quincy Boles (Harker Heights, Texas) earned at-large bids with qualifying times of 6.68 seconds.
Senior Brian Robison (Splendora, Texas) earned an automatic bid in the shot put with a personal-best toss of 63-8.25 (19.41m). He enters the meet as the nation's sixth seed. Senior Ronald Hill (Walnut, Calif.) will make his debut at the NCAA indoor championships as the 11th seed in the long jump with a top mark of 25-3.50 (7.71m).
Notably, Texas' distance-medley relay time of 9:37.13 registered over the weekend at the Alex Wilson Invitational garnered the Longhorns the final bid in the event, giving Texas NCAA bids in seven different events.
The NCAA Indoor Championships are set for Friday and Saturday, March 10-11 at the University of Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Center.
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