Week 4 USTFCCCA Division III National Composite Index
New Orleans, MA --- The Worcester State women's outdoor track & field team has earned their highest-ever ranking in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III computer rankings.
This week the Lancers are ranked 20th and join a list of impressive track and field programs from around the region. Others include Williams (6th – 81.92 points), Middlebury (8th – 71.94 points), MIT (9th – 71.61), Wheaton (19th – 51.56) and Amherst (25th – 39.92). Worcester State was just 0.56 points off of Wheaton's sum with 50.60 points.
The national rankings are based upon times and distances throughout the course of the season and how many student-athletes are ranked in the top 20 in Division III. The composite index was started during the 2010-11 season.
The Blue and Gold currently have five individuals and one relay team in the top 25 of their respective events.
Leading the way is junior Briana Wise (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) who has the second-best 100 meter time (12.05) and the third-highest 200 meter time (24.61). She broke school record in the 100 at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina to begin the season before she smashed the previous program standard in the 200 a month later at UMass Amherst.
Wise also anchors the best 4x100 meter relay team in the ECAC Division III who is currently ranked 9th nationally. The squad, who also includes senior teammates Mara Kralian (N. Grafton, MA) and Sarah Rafferty (Uxbridge, MA) along with sophomore Christy Deininger (N. Attleboro, MA) eclipsed the previous mark set last season with a time of 47.78 at the Fitchburg State Jim Sheehan Invitational.
Deininger herself put up a good time this past week at the Fitchburg State Eric Loeschner Invitational in the 100 meter hurdles as she shattered a 16-year mark in the event with a time of 14.80 for the 20th-best time in Division III.
Freshman classmates Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, MA) and Katie Cataldo (Attleboro, MA) round out the group with the 18th (39.98m/131-2) and 21st (130-5/39.75m) nationally. Jasper hit her mark at the UMass Amherst while Cataldo opened her season with the outstanding toss at the Worcester City Meet.
The top 22 individuals make the Division III Women's Outdoor Championship field while the top 16 relays qualify for nationals.
The Lancers will try to return the MASCAC Championship trophy back to Worcester this weekend at Westfield State. The Owls earned a nine point win last year after the Lancers ended a 12-year run by Westfield State in 2010.