BIRMINGHAM – Texas A&M had a pair of sprinters earn SEC Runner of the Week honors as freshman Shamier Little and junior Deon Lendore received the honor from the conference office today.
Little became the 2014 U.S. and collegiate leader with a career best time of 56.55 to win the 400 hurdles at the 35th annual Sun Angel Track Classic. Little, already the World Junior leader for 2014, lowered her season best from a 57.58 run the previous week at Stanford and improved her career best time of 57.44 from 2012.
Lendore, who was also the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week, set a world-leading time of 44.90 in winning the 400 meters at Sun Angel ahead of teammate Carlyle Roudette's 45.77 as both ran career best times. Lendore's time places him at No. 9 on the Trinidad & Tobago's all-time list and equal No. 5 on the A&M all-time list.
Running in the 4x400 relay Lendore split 44.7 as the Aggies won the race in 3:02.67 over Arizona State (3:06.12) and Kansas (3:07.19) to record the second fastest collegiate time this season.
In the 400 hurdles Little posted her 56.55 win over Penn State's Kiah Seymour, who ran 57.07 as runner-up, and Aggie teammate Janeil Bellille, who ran 58.12 for third.
Little also anchored the A&M 4x400 relay to a 3:33.75 victory as she split 52.7 on her carry. The Aggies defeated Penn State (3:35.15), Arizona State (3:36.11) and Kansas (3:40.13). In the 4x100 Little ran the anchor leg of a second Aggie squad that finished as runner-up in 44.48 to the winning A&M crew that clocked 43.87.
Aggie women remain No. 1, A&M men maintain No. 4 position
NEW ORLEANS – Updated national team computer rankings from United State Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association kept the Aggie women in the No. 1 position for another week with the A&M men remaining at No. 4.
The top four women's teams remained the same with Texas A&M leading over Florida, Texas and Oregon. Georgia moved from eighth to fifth this week and three more SEC schools following with Kentucky, LSU, and Arkansas. Rounding out the top 10 are Southern California and Arizona.
The top six men's teams were unchanged from a week ago with Florida leading Oregon, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Florida State and Wisconsin. Alabama moved from ninth to seventh with Texas Tech, Georgia, and LSU rounding out the top 10.
This weekend the Aggies travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to compete in the LSU Alumni Gold Invitational. In addition to the host Tigers and A&M the field will also include another SEC squad in Tennessee. Other teams include New Orleans, Northwestern State, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Tulane.
USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings
MEN
1. Florida                        331.99       Â
2. Oregon                      307.27
3. Arkansas                   291.61
4. Texas A&MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 283.07
5. Florida State            197.05
6. Wisconsin                 187.26
7. Alabama                    171.27
8. Texas Tech               167.47
9. Georgia                     166.97
10. LSUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 162.28
11. Mississippi             151.99
12. Nebraska                147.33
13. Baylor                      146.68
14. USCÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 145.33
15. UCLAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 133.81
16. Texas                       126.06
17. Tennessee             113.20
18. Penn State             107.82
19. Arizona                    103.89
20. BYUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 101.47
21. Cornell                       93.74
22. UTSAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 85.45
23. California                  83.66
24. Illinois                         75.30
25. Kentucky                  74.13
WOMEN
1. Texas A&MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 396.89
2. Florida                       349.08
3. Texas                          320.26
4. Oregon                      250.13
5. Georgia                     238.77
6. Kentucky                  233.80
7. LSUÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 189.87
8. Arkansas                   163.63
9. USCÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 155.18
10. Arizona                    136.80
11. Kansas                     128.98
12. Penn State             118.37
13. Washington           117.09
14. UCLAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 116.85
15. Florida State          114.26
16. Texas Tech             111.07
17. Stanford                 109.46
18. San Diego State   108.65
19. Baylor                      107.24
20. Providence              90.82
21. Arizona State          86.83
22. Notre Dame            84.98
23. Missouri                    84.42
24. Maryland                  81.20
25. South Carolina        80.56