January 26, 2016

Eagles ranked in first USTFCCCA posting

NEW ORLEANS – The Carson-Newman men and women indoor track and field teams found themselves both ranked in the first releasing of the Southeast regional poll this season, which was announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

NEW ORLEANS – The Carson-Newman men and women indoor track and field teams found themselves both ranked in the first releasing of the Southeast regional poll this season, which was announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Carson-Newman's men were picked fourth in the standings and the women came in three spots below at No. 7. Both teams have the second-highest South Atlantic Conference ranking in the regional polls, as the Eagles trail Queens (N.C.) in both realms.

"What is nice about track and field is that the rankings reflect where you stand right now," coach David Needs said. "It's good to know right now, but the only ranking that really matters are the ones at the end of the season. You have to get there to prove it and it's nice to know we have some people that are getting close."

The Eagles are no stranger to being in the regional polls. Last season, the men made it as high as eighth-place and the women climbed all the way to a fourth-spot in the standings.

Carson-Newman has competed in three meets thus far into the indoor season and have had success in all three meets. The Eagles have six athletes who have already provisionally qualified for the indoor nations that will be taking place the second week of March.

T.J Davis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Timontrez Eady (Duval County, Fla.) kicked things off for Carson-Newman in its first contest of the season. The duo both provisionally qualified for nations after leaping 7.18 and 7.15m, respectively, at the Appalachian Open's long jump event.

A month later at East Tennessee State University's Kickoff Classic, Kevin Snead (Richmond, Va.) and Tori Gaul (Salisbury, N.C.) each broke C-N indoor records on their way to provisional qualifications in the 60m dash and pole vault. Randall Freeman (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Christian Stumpf (Johnson City, Tenn.) followed suit a week later by posting qualifying marks in the triple and high jumps.

The Eagles have six athletes currently leading the SAC in their respected events with Snead, Davis and Freeman in the 60m dash, long and triple jump. Marshall Shank (Granite Quarry, N.C.) also leads the conference in the men's pole vault.

Carson-Newman sports two women who lead the SAC in their respected categories. Tiana Mills (Chattanooga, Tenn.) ranks superior in the long jump while Gaul sits atop the pole vault standings.

In the national polls, the men narrowly missed out on a top-25 selection and were slated 36^th overall. The women come in at 87^th .

Needs and his squad will take another weekend off before heading back up to Johnson City on Feb. 5^th for another meet at ETSU.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is the non-profit professional organization that represents men's and women's cross country and track & field coaches in the United States. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members, including 91% of NCAA coaches. USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches' interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.

Southeast Region-Men

1. Limestone

2. Queens (N.C.)

3. Mount Olive

4. Carson-Newman

5. Wingate

6. Anderson (S.C.)

7. Barton

8. North Greenville

9. Mars Hill

10. Clayton State

Southeast Region- Women