Aug. 20, 2014
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Tiger men were predicted to finish fourth and the women seventh at the Conference Championships this fall, as released by the SEC Office on Wednesday. The rankings are based off votes submitted by the conference's head coaches.
Both rankings reflect the finishes of the teams at last year's Championships in Gainesville, Fl., as the teams graduated only one of last year's conference competitors - Hayden Legg, who earned his second All-Midwest Region honor at the end of last season.
Among the returners are both 2013 SEC Freshmen of the Year - Kaitlyn Fischer and T.J. Carey. Fischer led the women's team for all but one of the meets during her debut season with the Tigers, including timing in a sixth-place finish at both the SEC Championships and NCAA Midwest Regional. She ended her season as the sole Tiger qualifier for the NCAA Championships, where she placed 79th overall. She earned First Team All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman Team, and All-Midwest Region honors.
Fischer went on to have another exciting season during outdoor track, where she once again qualified for the NCAA Championships. She finished ninth in Eugene, Ore., in the 10,000-meter run, crossing for Second Team All-American and timing in a new Mizzou Record of 33:12.37.
Carey also saw some time at the front of the pack for the Tigers, leading the squad at the Notre Dame Invitational and finishing as second for the team at both the Roy Griak Invitational and the NCAA Midwest Regional. He was joined by Drew White and Dan Roe on the SEC All-Freshman Team last fall. Roe went on to make the SEC All-Freshman Team during the indoor season for the 5000-meter run, along with Tyler Schneider (3000-meter run).
Not to be missed among the returners is senior Sam Dickerson, who had one of the best races of his career at last year's SEC Championship, crossing in 11th-place for Second Team All-SEC. He also went on to have an exciting track & field season, clocking in a PR of 8:51.74 in the 3000-meter Steeplechase, the No. 5 time in Mizzou history. He ended the year at the NCAA Championships West Preliminary Round in Fayetteville, Ark.
Points for the men's poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 basis, while the women's poll was awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13 basis. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The 2014 SEC Championships will be hosted by Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Friday, October 31. The Tigers are gearing up to kick off their season on August 29 in Champaign, Ill., with the Illini Challenge.
2014 SEC Men's Predicted Order of Finish
|
RANK 1 |
TEAM Arkansas |
POINTS 16 |
2014 SEC Women's Predicted Order of Finish
|
RANK 1 |
TEAM Arkansas |
POINTS 13 |
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