Feb. 14, 2008
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University men's track and field team is ranked No. 19 in the country in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) indoor rankings, released on Wednesday evening.
Tennessee is the No. 1 team in the country, followed by Arizona State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and with Brigham Young rounding out the top-five teams. Georgetown is only school from the BIG EAST Conference among the top-25 teams in the country and the highest rated team in the Northeast.
"This is a great honor and we're certainly thrilled to be recognized," Georgetown Director of Men's and Women's Track & Field Patrick Henner said. "We know we have a long way to go this season and for the rest of the year, but our kids have worked very hard and it's great to have a national ranking."
The Hoyas have enjoyed a strong indoor season, led by the sub-four minute mile junior Andrew Bumbalough (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) clocked at the Giegengack Invitational on February 2. Bumbalough won the mile in 3:58.46, an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Championship.
On February 8, Bumbalough continued his strong season, placing second in the 3,000m at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in 7:53.63, a time that was an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championship. Senior Matt Debole (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) placed fourth and was a provisional qualifier for the NCAAs after finishing in 7:56.03.
Freshman Ayalew Taye (Portland, Maine/Cushing Academy) was the top finisher in the mile at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, finishing in 4:03.63.
Junior Kenny Mitchell (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) holds the top times in the BIG EAST in the 60m and the 200m run after recent performances. Mitchell qualified for the BIG EAST Championship and is a provisional qualifier for the NCAAs after running a 6.74 at the Penn State National Invitational in the 60m. This past weekend, he qualified for the BIG EAST Championship in the 200m with a 21.37 outing at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational.
The 2008 USTFCCCA Division I Rankings are released on Wednesdays during the indoor season. The rankings are compiled by Tom Lewis, assistant sports information director at Missouri.
The 2008 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held on March 14-15 in Fayetteville, Ark.
