New Orleans, LA --- The Worcester State men's track and field team has earned their highest-ever ranking in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III computer rankings.
Hovering among the top 30 squads since the preseason in January, the Lancers are now ranked 25th in the fourth reporting week with 35.41 points and have moved up to fourth in the New England regional poll. The composite index is based on individual and relay results during the course of the season leading up to the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships.
Others from the region ranked in the Top 25 poll include MIT (4th – 121.83), Tufts (8th – 96.70), Bates (14th – 55.70), Connecticut College (15th – 54.75) and Southern Maine (19th – 45.74). This marks the first time that the Blue and Gold have cracked the Top 25 since the rankings started during the 2010-11 season.
The men's track team has enjoyed a tremendous indoor track regular season with six individuals who have put up eight performances that are ranked among the top 35 nationally.
Regining ECAC Division III New England Track Athlete of the Week, junior Terrence Gibson (Rockland, MA), is ranked first in the 60 meter hurdles (8.05), seventh in the 60 meters (6.87) and he is tied for 17th in the 200 (21.93).
Gibson blazed the track two weeks ago at the Boston University Valentine Invitational to tie for the 10th fastest 60 meter hurdles split in Division III history. He also eclipsed the MASCAC Championship record with his 55 meter split this past weekend at Southern Maine for a converted time that is 0.07 seconds off the national leaders.
In the field, junior Jason Sliwoski (Leicester, MA) tallied 4,593 points at the URI Heptathlon on January 16. He is currently 26th on the national list and just 702 points off the top spot. He will try to break his school-record of 4,613 points this weekend at the two-day Division III New England Championships hosted by MIT.
The Lancers also have two student-athletes who are ranked in two of the three jumping events. Senior Andrew Johnson (Thompson, CT) and junior David Germain (Malden, MA) are 30th and 34th in the high jump, respectively.
Johnson set his mark at the BU Valentine Invitational (6-6.75/2.00 meters) and he enters the Division III New England Championships as the two-time runner-up in the indoor event. Germain, who started his indoor season late, captured the MASCAC Championship by clearing 6-6.25 (1.99m) in just his second meet of the year.
Junior Duy Truong (Worcester, MA/Doherty) set a new standard with the 23rd longest long jump in Division III (22-9.25/6.94m) while his teammate, senior Todd Paquin (Pelham, NH) is right behind in 32nd (22-6.5/6.87m). Both put up their seasons-best performances at the Springfield Invitational on February 1.
The top 15 individual times, heights, distances and point totals along with the top 12 4x400 and distance medley relay splits will make the field for the NCAA Championships starting on March 13.
In the top 60 leaderboard for this weekend's Division III New England Championships, WSU has six student-athletes ranked in the Division III New England Championship list top 60 in the 60 meters, seven in the 200 and four in the 400.
The Blue and Gold also have the sixth-best 4x400 meter relay in the field and have clocked the fourth-lowest 4x200 meter relay split regionally in the ECAC Division III Championship rankings.
USTFCCCA National Composite Index - Week 4 Poll
USTFCCCA Regional Rankings
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