ARLINGTON, Texas - Northwestern State, with its men's team ranked 39th nationally and its women's team at No. 55 in performance-based computer rankings, lines up Saturday in the Bobby Lane Invitational track and field meet hosted by another Southland Conference stalwart, Texas Arlington.
Both NSU teams are the top-ranked Southland squads in the preseason rankings released this week by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Best marks by returning athletes who were NCAA qualifiers last year, and top outdoor performances already this season, are combined to produce a point total for each team in the computer rankings.
The Demons are sandwiched between Missouri and Arizona while the Lady Demons are just in front of Illinois. Northwestern is the second Louisiana school listed in both rankings behind LSU (No. 3 in the women's ratings, No. 5 in the men's).
So far this season, eight performances by NSU competitors rank among the top 30 in those events nationally, with two more in the top 50.
Topping the list is the No. 8 ranking in the women's discus by senior All-American Trecey Rew with her winning 174-8 toss last week at LSU. Rew was the NCAA East Region champion last year. She also ranks 17th in the shot put at 50-8 ¾, also a winning mark at LSU.
The Lady Demons' school record 3:40.71 last week in the 4x400 meters by Quiana Griffin, Andrea Warren, Lawana Perkins and Consuela Lindsy ranks 14th nationally. In at No. 18 in the men's 4x100 relay performances is the 40.54 run by Karllis Perry, Justin Walker, Adam Smith and Mike Green.
Green ranks 21st with his 47.33 in the 400 dash. The 3:11.60 from Michael Batts, Taylor, Juston Charles and Green in the men's 4x400 relay ranks 25th. Standing 29th in the triple jump is NSU's Wayne Douglas (49-1).
In the Southland rankings, NSU has five league-best marks: Rew in the discus, DeJon Griffin in the women's hammer (175-0), the Lady Demons' 4x400 relay time, a 54.99 in the women's 400 dash by Griffin, and Walker's 10.51 (46th nationally) in the men's 100. Another 10 performances by NSU competitors are in the league's top three in their events.
The UTA meet features 15 more schools - Baylor, TCU, SMU, North Texas, Texas State, Texas A&M-Commerce, Abilene Christian, Dallas Baptist, Cameron (Okla.), East Central Oklahoma, McMurry, Midwestern State, Northwood, Tarleton State and Texas College.
The men's 200 meter dash will include United States Olympian Darvis Patton, along with Mike Rodgers, who won the 2009 USA Championships in the 100, and Bryan Barnett, a member of the Canadian Olympic team. Adrienne Power, the Canadian women's national champion in the 200, will compete in the 200 and the 400.
