Mizzou Men’s Track and Field Ranked 19th in USTFCCCA Preseason Poll
1/9/2020 8:42:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Track & Field
The Tigers are one of seven SEC men’s squads in the top-25
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mizzou men's track and field squad was slotted 19th in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association 2020 Indoor Preseason Rankings, released on Wednesday. With a group of newcomers looking to make an impact and returners hitting their stride, Mizzou boosted up the rankings as one of just two teams in the top-20 that finished last year's campaign outside of the top-50. The Tigers are ranked as the fifth-best Southeastern Conference squad behind LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Florida.
The Tigers had a pair of returners conclude last season's indoor campaign with All-American honors as Roberto Vilches (Mexico City, Mexico) and Ja'Mari Ward (Cahokia, Ill.) both saw success at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. Vilches posted a 15th-place finish in the high jump while Ward finished eighth in the long jump. Ward, a two-time SEC champion and two-time All-American, went on to win the U.S. Championship at the 2019 USATF Championships in July.
Coming in at 19th in a field of 270 Division I NCAA men's track and field programs, Mizzou is primed to contend towards the top of the competitive SEC. 15 total SEC men's and women's track and field programs are ranked in the top-25 of the preseason poll released Wednesday. The SEC is tied for the most men's teams in the top-25 with seven. LSU is ranked No. 2, Texas A&M is No. 6, Arkansas is No. 8, Florida is No. 10, Missouri is No. 19, Tennessee is No. 21 and Georgia is No. 24.
SEC programs won both the men's and women's NCAA Indoor Track and Field titles in 2019 as Florida claimed the men's championship and Arkansas won the women's crown. The 2020 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place Feb. 28-29 in College Station, Texas.
Mizzou returns to action on Friday, January 17 in the Missouri Intercollegiate at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouTFXC).
USTFCCCA Men's Indoor Track and Field National Rankings (Top-25 - January 8)
1. Florida State (ACC)
2. LSU (SEC)
3. USC (MPSF)
4. Texas (Big 12)
5. Indiana (Big Ten)
6. Texas A&M (SEC)
7. Oregon (MPSF)
8. Arkansas (SEC)
9. Florida (SEC)
10. Colorado (MPSF)
11. Iowa State (Big 12)
12. Wisconsin (Big Ten)
13. Kansas (Big 12)
14. UCLA (MPSF)
15. Illinois (Big Ten)
16. Iowa (Big Ten)
17. TCU (Big 12)
18. Baylor (Big 12)
19. Missouri (SEC)
20. Texas Tech (Big 12)
21. Tennessee (SEC)
22. South Dakota (Summit League)
23. Oklahoma (Big 12)
24. Georgia (SEC)
25. Penn State (Big Ten)
Players Mentioned
