Princeton University Athletics
Men's Track and Field Nationally Ranked Eighth by Team-Power.org
February 11, 2002 | Men's Track and Field
Feb. 11, 2002
The Princeton men's track and field is ranked eighth in the latest Team-Power.org national poll. In its last two meets the Tiger team has broken three school records. Ryan Smith set a new standard in the 800m while competing against nationally ranked Penn State (7) and UConn (12). Josh McCaughey set a Princeton record in the 35-pound weight throw and the Princeton distance medley relay team set an NCAA provisional qualifying mark while breaking the school record at the Armory in New York, N.Y. this past weekend.
Ryan Smith and David Dean finished two and three in the 800m run with times of 1:49.59 and 1:49.69. Both Smith and Dean broke the previous school record 1:49.70 held by Omar Simmons '92 and Smith and Dean's times make them provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Championships as they both finished under 1:50.20.
While at Penn State, Tora Harris finished first in the men's high jump competition, clearing 2.21m. Cameron Atkinson, who has been strong for the Tigers all season, placed first in the 60m dash with a time of 6.91. Atkinson's time in the preliminaries was 6.86. Atkinson placed second in the 200m dash with a time of 21.63, finishing behind Ryan Olkowski of Penn State.
McCaughey broke Dave Pellegrini's record of 69-3.5 with a toss of 69-6.5. McCaughey, an NCAA participant the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 35-pound weight throw, registered a 63-11 at the Armory Invitational a year ago. His throw of 69-6.5 is the fifth best in the nation this year.
The distance medley team consisting of Ryan Smith, Josh Kauke, David Dean and Jon Kieliszak ran a record time of 9:42.14. The previous record, set in 1994, was 9:42.54.
Team-Power ranks teams on the basis of athletic performance, team depth, and dual meet scoring potential. The system rates team in the same fashion as a decathlete, points are assigned for two athletes in each event contested in a dual meet and points are assigned on the basis of performance.