USTFCCCA Rankings
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The preseason track & field poll was released Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and the Purdue women earned their highest ranking in program history. The Boilermakers check in at No. 10 in the country, just the sixth time the program has even been in the top 15 since the polls debuted in 2008.
"First off, I want to thank God for blessing me and this program," head coach Rolando Greene said. "Starting the season in the top 10 is a testament to the work of my staff and the young people. We have a good group, we just need to let them continue to work hard and get better. It's an honor to be recognized for the job we've done, but at the end of the day, this is just a ranking. Now, we need to finish it. We need to put the work in all season and build on the successes thus far."
The team finished 33rd at the NCAA Indoor Championships last season, led by Devynne Charlton's third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles. The team was ranked as high as 16th a year ago, which came after the Big Ten Championships where Purdue finished runner-up. The Boilermakers' previous best ranking for any indoor season was 14th, which came in 2014.
The 2016-17 team brings back a wealth of experience and production, including conference champions in the 60-meter hurdles, high jump and 4x400-meter relay, as well as silver medalists in the 60m dash, two in the 400m dash (one from 2015, one from 2016) and the long jump. The team also boasts three individuals who have won a Big Ten Freshman of the Year award, including the last two from the indoor Big Ten season. This season, the women have nine marks that currently rank in the top 10 in the country, including three that are among the top three.
The Boilermakers are the highest ranked Big Ten team in the preseason poll. Michigan starts the year at No. 12 as the only other conference team in the top 25.
The rankings currently include top performances from last season by returning individuals and marks this year. Freshmen are not included until they record a qualifying mark for their current institution.
The Boilermakers are back in action Saturday at Indiana in the annual dual.