Women’s Track & Field Earns First-Ever Top-25 National Ranking at No. 24
RINDGE, N.H. (December 12, 2018) – For the first time in program history, the Franklin Pierce University women’s track & field team has been nationally ranked inside the top 25 by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, as announced by the USTFCCCA on Tuesday. The Ravens earned the No. 24 spot in the coaches association’s preseason rankings.
The “preseason” rankings are a bit of a misnomer, as the rankings were released two weeks into the track & field season. The preseason edition of the rankings factors in performances from the first two weekends of the season, plus data from last season, to arrive at its conclusions. Beginning with the Week 1 rankings on Jan. 22, only this season’s performances will be included in calculations.
The Ravens collected 32.74 points in the rankings, which put them 24th, between No. 23 Millersville (32.84 points) and No. 25 Minnesota Duluth (32.21 points). Franklin Pierce is the highest ranked team in the East Region, and the only East Region institution ranked among the top 50 programs in the country. Grand Valley State currently sits at the top of the rankings with 174.24 points.
Franklin Pierce’s ranking comes on the heels of an opening two weekends which are among the best ever put together by the program. A quick look through the national leaders reveals six performances from the Ravens which rank among the top-20 in an individual event so far on the young season. Senior CeCe Telfer (Lebanon, N.H.) is currently ranked first in the country in the 60-meter hurdles (8.33), second in the pentathlon (3735 points), sixth in the 60-meter dash (7.57) and tied for 17th in the high jump (1.65m). Meanwhile, freshman Paola Brena (Queretaro, Mexico) is tied for eighth in the nation in the high jump (1.70m) and senior Lilian Baah (Danielson, Conn.) is tied for 20th in the country in the triple jump (11.64m).
The Ravens return to action on Sunday, Jan. 6, when they send select athletes to the Dartmouth Relays in Hanover, N.H.
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics’ official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce track & field apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics’ online store (https://www.fpuravens.com/store).