Tech Track & Field Ranked Top 25 For Outdoor Season

Both Texas Tech men's and women's track and field teams appeared in the top-20 of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association 2013 Outdoor Preseason Computer Rankings released Tuesday morning.

The Red Raiders appeared at No. 16 while the Lady Raiders appeared at No. 17 as the program looks towards the annual UTEP Springtime Invitational this weekend.

"It's great to have both teams represented in the national rankings," head coach Wes Kittley said. "It gives us some great momentum for the outdoor season, and we are looking to improve with each meet as the year progresses."

Texas Tech is coming off a highly-successful start to the 2013 outdoor campaign as the program enters this weekend with two national leaders and 15 student-athletes ranked in the top-15 on the national outdoor performance list in their respective events.

The Texas Tech men's team garnered its third consecutive top-20 finish at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships last spring, and enters the 2013 outdoor season after securing a program-best fifth place finish at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships.

The Lady Raiders return three student-athletes who earned All-America honors during the 2012 outdoor season including sophomore Cierra White who currently ranks in the top-20 nationally in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash.

White holds the No. 2 time in the 200-meter (22.91) and the No. 17 time in the 100-meter (11.68) after sweeping both events at the 35^th Annual Aztec Invitational in San Diego last weekend. Meanwhile, the Lady Raider 4x400 team, comprised of Christen Rivers, Tiffany Tarver, Olivia Lewis and Candace Jackson currently leads the nation with a time of 3:36.94.

The Red Raiders and Lady Raiders return to action this weekend at the annual UTEP Springtime Invitational scheduled for Saturday at Kidd Field.