Razorbacks open 2019 indoor season with No. 1 ranking

NEW ORLEANS, LA — Following a runner-up finish at the 2018 NCAA Indoor meet, the Arkansas women’s track & field team will open the 2019 indoor campaign as the preseason No. 1 team as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Thursday afternoon.

The Razorbacks claimed the top spot in a preseason poll for the second time in program history following their first appearance on top during last year’s outdoor preseason poll.

The Razorbacks are followed by familiar foes Florida State, Texas A&M, USC, and Oregon rounding out the top-five.

Along with Arkansas and Texas A&M, nine additional Southeastern Conference teams including No. 6 Florida, No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Georgia, No. 10 Kentucky, No. 13 Alabama, No. 14 South Carolina, and No. 17 Tennessee earned a spot in the preseason polls.

The SEC had the most teams in the top-20 with nine programs overall and were followed by the Pac-12 with four, the ACC, Big 12 and Mountain West with two teams apiece and the Big 10 with one program.

The national team rankings are compiled by a mathematical formula based on national descending order lists. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race.

Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points.

Preseason rankings will include marks from 2018, and the National Team Computer Rankings will continue to do so through the third regular-season edition.

Arkansas will open the year this Friday at home, hosting the Arkansas Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center.