The Baylor women’s track and field team moved up to No. 7 in the Week 5 edition of the NCAA National Team Computer Rankings that the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released Monday.
The No. 7 ranking ties a program-best for the Lady Bears, who were also No. 7 to end the 2015 season and in the second week of the 2008 season. BU is the top-ranked team in the Big 12, in front of No. 8 Texas and No. 12 Kansas State.
Baylor started 2017 at No. 13 in the preseason rankings - the second-highest preseason placing in program history. Since that point, BU has climbed in the rankings over the last five weeks, going from a total of 54.99 points in the computer-generated rankings to 78.10.
The points are compiled by a mathematical formula based on national descending order lists for 2017 performances.
The Lady Bears are getting a large portion of their points from six performances, including senior Annie Rhodes, who is fourth nationally in the pole vault. Meanwhile, freshman Aaliyah Miller’s 800-meter performance is fifth-best in the country.
The women also received big points from Cion Hicks (shot put), Taylor Bennett (200m) and Leticia De Souza (400m), who all have the NCAA’s seventh-best mark in their respective events.
BU’s final major point performance is the 4x400-meter relay of Bennett, Kiana Hawn, Kiana Horton and De Souza, who own the nation’s sixth-best performance.
Over the past week, the Bears made their latest jump in the rankings from No. 8 to No. 7, after a successful weekend at the Alex Wilson Invitational where the distance medley relay and Kiana Hawn in the 400 meters each improved their season-best times.
The women didn’t score any points at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, but returned several indoor All-Americans from 2015, including seniors Maggie Montoya, Rhodes and Brianna Richardson.
Baylor will now head to the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship in Ames, Iowa for action on Friday and Saturday.
