Team and individual titles up for grabs at NCAA Division I Indoor Championships

News & Notes, Volume 10, Number 7

Team and individual titles up for grabs at NCAA Division I Indoor Championships



The University of Oregon's men's and women's teams are considered strong contenders to win their respective team titles at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, March 12-13 at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.



Currently ranked #2 in the U.S. Track and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings, the Oregon men's squad enters the competition in Fayetteville as the defending NCAA Indoor team champions. The Ducks will be led by 2008 Olympian Andrew Wheating in the 800 meters, and 2009 U.S. World Outdoor Championships team member and 2008 NCAA decathlon champion Ashton Eaton in the heptathlon.



The Ducks will face a strong challenge from the University of Florida, who will enter the fray on Friday as the #1 ranked squad in the land by the USTFCCCA. The Gators feature sprint stars Jeff Demps in the 60m, who ran his personal best of 6.59 seconds earlier this year in Fayetteville, and Calvin Smith in the 200m, who posted his indoor personal best and the fastest time in the world this year of 20.67 seconds on February 27, also at the Tyson Track Center. Florida also features triple jump standout Christian Taylor, who won the gold medal in that event at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Ostrava.



The Texas A&M men's squad is currently ranked #3 in the nation after posting six marks that fall as top five seeds. The Aggies feature the men's 4x400m relay team that owns the fastest time in the world this indoor season (3:04.86) consisting of Tran Howell, Bryan Miller, Tabarie Henry and Demetrius Pinder.



The University of Oregon's women's squad is primed for a strong performance in Fayetteville with 16 entries including four in the sprint/hurdle events, seven in the middle and long distance category, the Ducks have squads entered in both relays, two entries in the jumping events and one pentathlete. Six of Oregon's entries are seeded top three or higher, including the #1 seeded distance medley relay squad.



Texas A& M, who finished second in the women's team competition in 2009, enters this year's championships ranked #2 in the nation with 12 entries ready to compete in Fayetteville, of which nine come from the sprints and hurdles. Also keep an eye on LSU, which is currently ranked #3 in the U.S. by the USTFCCA.



ESPN360.com will stream portions of the championships live beginning at 8 p.m. Central time, Friday, March 12, and 6:10 p.m. Central time, Saturday, March 13. To access the live stream, visit www.ESPN360.com. Click on the FAQs link for software and system requirements, etc.



Anyone with an .edu e-mail address is able to obtain access to ESPN360 at no cost. NCAA.com will stream supplemental coverage as available when ESPN360.com is not live. Additionally, ESPN2 will air a 90-minute show at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, Wednesday, March 17.



For more information on the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., visit: www.ncaa.com.




About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org