The Warm-Up Lap: Half of All Top-25 Teams at Penn Relays and Drake Relays

NEW ORLEANS – With the start of two of America’s longest-running meets, the 120th Penn Relays and 105th Drake Relays, arguably the biggest track & field weekend of the year in the United States is underway.

Many of the world’s best competitors from all levels of the sport will take over Philadelphia, Pa., and Des Moines, Iowa, over the course of the next three days, with perhaps the biggest and most significant contingent coming from the college ranks.

With 100 different men’s and women’s teams ranked in the national top 25 by the USTFCCCA from all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA – exactly half of all this week’s top-25 teams – in action at Penn and/or Drake, it goes without saying that these two historic meets are the USTFCCCA National Meets of the Week.

Having so many nationally prominent teams at both meets, there isn’t sufficient space to list everyone who will be in action at both of these meets, but we’ll give you some of the highlights.

Also be sure to check out the broadcast schedule below and the lists of where top-10 teams are competing this weekend. It’s not just Drake and Penn, with several other invitationals including the UCSD Triton Invitational and the Hlilsdale Gina Relays and conference meets in Division II and III, and the NAIA among the more than 100 collegiate meets on the schedule this weekend.

Penn Relays

Live Results/Start Lists | Meet Schedule | Meet Home

A grand total of 51 top-25 teams from all three divisions and the NAIA will be in action at Penn, including 26 men’s teams and 25 women’s teams.

Of the two meets this weekend, Penn has the biggest Division I representation, including both top-ranked teams in the new No. 1 Oregon men and the Texas A&M women.

 Among the 15 top-25 men’s programs is a match-up between Oregon and defending outdoor national co-champion No. 3 Texas A&M, along with No. 5 Florida State, No. 7 Wisconsin and No. 10 Texas Tech.

Half of the 14 top-25 women’s teams are also ranked within the top 10. Top-ranked Texas A&M heads a loaded field including No. 3 Texas, five-time defending indoor champion No. 4 Oregon, No. 6 Kentucky, No. 7 Southern California, No. 8 LSU and No. 10 Florida State.

On an individual level, meet entries can be found here and Flotrack will continue to break down and preview the meet as it happens here.

Headlining the Division II contingent (six top-25 men’s teams, six women’s) are the defending national outdoor men’s champion No. 1 Saint Augustine’s men and No. 2 Adams State, and a top-four women’s match-up between No. 2 Adams State, No. 3 Johnson C. Smith and No. 4 Saint Augustine’s.

Drake Relays (Presented by Hy-Vee)

Live Results | Start Lists | Meet Schedule | Meet Home

Drake has the edge between these two meets in terms of total representation with 63 top-25 teams from all three divisions and the NAIA, including 35 men’s teams and 28 women’s squads.

Headlining the seven ranked Division I men’s teams are the defending outdoor national co-champion No. 2 Florida Gators, up against three other top-10 squads in No. 4 Arkansas, No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Wisconsin.

Ten top-25 DI women’s teams are in action at Drake with No. 2 Florida, No. 5 Georgia and No. 9 Arkansas representing the top 10 – not to mention defending national champion Kansas at No. 12.

Individual meet entries can be found here.

For Division II, the No. 7 Academy of Art men top a field of five top-25 men’s teams, while No. 5 Lincoln (Mo.) is the highest-ranked of four women’s squads.

Division III is perhaps the best-represented division of any at Drake with a top-three women’s match-up between No. 1 UW-La Crosse, two-time defending indoor champion No. 2 UW-Oshkosh and two-time defending outdoor champion No. 3 Wartburg all set to compete among eight DIII teams in the top 25.

The men of DIII have even more top-25 programs with 12, including seven from the top 10. Defending national champion No. 1 UW-La Crosse headlines in a field including No. 3 UW-Oshkosh, No. 4 Augustana (Ill.), No. 5 UW-Eau Claire, No. 6 North Central (Ill.), No. 7 UW-Whitewater, and No. 10 Wartburg.

Among the 11 NAIA top-25 men’s teams in action are No. 2 Wayland Baptist, No. 4 Oklahoma Baptist and No. 5 Concordia (Neb.), while six top-25 women’s squads will compete including No. 3 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 4 Doane and No. 5 Wayland Baptist.

USTFCCCA InfoZone: Broadcast Schedule

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Friday, April 25, 2014

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Top-Ranked Teams In Action