NEW ORLEANS – The UT Arlington men are ranked No. 26 in the country in the initial NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index, as released this week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The Mavericks – the top-ranked team in the Sun Belt Conference by 40 positions – reside as the first team outside the top-25 poll with 98.47 points, but ahead of several notable programs, including Alabama (28th), TCU (30th), Oklahoma State (36th) and others.
Additionally, UTA checks in as the No. 7 team in the South Central Region of the USTFCCCA Poll.
The Mavs last cracked the top-25 of the national rating index on June 1, 2015, when they were No. 25 following the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
UTA catapulted up the rankings this week thanks in large part to a strong showing at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays which included multiple top-10 performances in the nation to this juncture.
- In the javelin, Arthur Petersen continued to impress as he is ranked 2nd in the nation with a mark of 77.75m (255-01), only one inch (77.77m; 255-02) behind the current national leader from Mississippi State. That distance for Petersen is tops in the West Region – more than 15 feet better than anyone else.
- In the 3000m steeplechase, Justin Domangue also ranks 2nd in the country with a time of 8:53.73. That time is currently the best in the West Region by nearly two seconds.
- In the decathlon, Lucas Van Klaveren ranks 6th both nationally and in the West Region with 7,130 points.
- Bryson DeBerry resides just outside the top-10 nationally in the high jump as he is tied for 11th with a clearance of 2.14m (7-00¼). However, that mark is good for a tie for 7th in the West Region.
The Mavs will look to continue building to their top-25 team profile this weekend when they host the UTA Invitational at Maverick Stadium on Friday and Saturday, Apr. 2-3. More information will be released on Thursday, but for the current event schedule (subject to change) and meet information, visit
utamavs.us/invite21.
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