April 8, 2003

The TCU men's track & field team opens the outdoor season ranked in a tie for 17th place in the nation, according to the first Trackwire Top 25 poll, released today.

The Frogs are expected to score 14 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, matching Florida and Texas Tech. Four teams from the Southeastern Conference, Auburn, LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi State, hold the top four positions. The Frogs are the only team from Conference USA ranked in the first poll.

In Trackwire's "Dandy Dozen," TCU's 4x400 meter relay team is expected to place second, Jackson Langat is projected to finish fourth in the 800 meters, Aundre Edwards is rated eighth in the long jump, the 4x100 relay unit is projected for a ninth place finish and Michael Frater is slated to place 10th in the 100 meters. On the women's side, TCU is ranked as having the fourth best 4x100 meter relay quartet.

The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled for Sacramento, Calif., June 11-14.

The TCU men tied for 14th place at the NCAA Indoor Championships, held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, March 14-15. The Frogs 4x400 relay team took the silver medal, junior sprinter Michael Frater placed fifth in the 60-meter dash and sophomore Jackson Langat logged a sixth-place finish in the 800 meter dash.

Here is the Trackwire Top 25 Men's Poll:

1 Auburn 50

2 LSU 48

3 Arkansas 46

4 Mississippi State 44

5 USC 39

6 Nebraska 37

7 Tennessee 32

8 South Carolina 30

9 SMU 25

10 Eastern Michigan 24

11 Oregon 23

12 Stanford 20

Georgia 20

14 Texas 19

15 Minnesota 17

16 UTEP 16

17 TCU 14

Florida 14

Texas Tech 14

20 Michigan 13

21 Indiana 12

Missouri 12

North Carolina 12

Iona 12

25 Seton Hall 11

Purdue 11

Colorado State 11

Pennsylvania 11