Hampton earned a 21st place ranking in the Division I Women’s Indoor Preseason Poll released yesterday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

“I think that this is great for the young ladies who are on the team this season. It gives them something to look forward to as the season moves on,” said Head Coach Maurice Pierce.

Hampton has earned the last five MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships and swept the 2007 MEAC track and field honors winning cross country, indoor and outdoor titles last year.

“It is hard to win championships, but having a great group of young ladies who want to learn and grow as a team makes that a lot easier and this is just all of their hard work paying off for them,” said Coach Pierce.

The Lady Tigers of LSU take the No. 1 place behind hurdler Jessica Ohanaja and sprinter Kelly Ann Baptiste. LSU finished second at the 2007 NCAA indoor and outdoor championships.

Defending NCAA indoor and outdoor champion Arizona State ranked second. Rounding out the top 10 are Tennessee, Michigan, Stanford, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Virginia Tech.

Also ranked from the MEAC are the Lady Hawks of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore at No. 71, and the Lady Hornets of Delaware State University at No. 108.

The USTFCCCA Division I Indoor Track and Field rankings are compiled solely from NCAA descending order lists. The preseason rankings are based on the final descending order list of the previous season and are compiled by Tom Lewis of Missouri.

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