Women's Indoor Track and Field ranked No. 2 by Trackwire
AUSTIN, Texas -- Buoyed by nine projected top-12 finishes, the University of Texas women's track and field squad earned a No. 2 early-season ranking Tuesday from Trackwire, a leading online track and field news publication. The web site lists Texas as one of the top contenders to win the NCAA indoor championship based on the team's depth and versatility throughout the roster.Trackwire predicts Texas to land nine top-12 NCAA finishes at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships set for March 10 and 11 in Fayetteville, Ark. "The ranking will not affect what we're going to do to prepare for the rest of the season," said UT coach Bev Kearney. "We're focused on what we need to do to reach our goals. Junior Marshevet Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) has been tabbed to win national titles in the 60-meter dash and the long jump.The UT 4X400-meter relay squad ranks first in the NCAA, and junior Michelle Carter (Ovilla, Texas) is projected to place second in the shot put. Freshman Alexandria Anderson (Chicago, Ill.) is projected to place fourth in the 200 meters and 12th in the 60 meters. Junior Jerrika Chapple (Lancaster, Texas) ranks as the nation's fifth-fastest 400-meter runner, while senior Melaine Walker (Kingston, Jamaica) projects sixth in the 60-meter hurdles. Freshman Janine Davis (Elizabeth, N.J.) ranks as the nation's 10th-fastest runner in the 800 meters. "We can't worry about whether we're ranked number one, two, six or seven," Kearney continued. "The rankings will probably switch around some during the season. Anyone ranked in the top 10 now - and especially in the top five - is capable of winning the national championship." Tennessee sits atop the rankings, while Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska and Stanford round out the top five. The Longhorns placed ninth at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships behind All-America finishes from Hooker, Carter and Walker.
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