NEW ORLEANS, La. - The George Mason men's track & field team
finds itself ranked second in the Southeast Region rankings, as announced by
the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USFCCCA) in
its weekly poll released on Tuesday.
Mason moved up 12 spots in the region after being ranked 14th
just a week ago, and now trails only Virginia Tech.
"We're at the mid-point of the season and all of our major
goals lie ahead of us still to accomplish, but last weekend was a good weekend
for us across the board in many events," said Head Coach Andrew Gerard. "Our
progress is reflected in this new ranking. We're in a tough region with
some excellent teams and for us to be ranked in with them at this point shows
we're on the right track."
The Patriots have several outstanding performances among CAA
competitors this season, including 10 top times: Rachaunn Ruffin in the 100m
(10.36), Nick Vaughn in the 200m (21.70), David Verburg in the 400m (46.24),
Everett Hackett in the 5000m (14:03.16), George Empty in the 400m hurdles
(52.98), Daniel Callan in the 3000m steeplechase (9:23.26), Lavell Handy in the
long jump (7.45m) and Gustavo Osorio in the decathlon (6121 pts.).
Two relays also top the current CAA results, including the 4x100
team of John Jones, Nick Vaughn, Travaughn Baker-Johnson and Dwight Webley (40.99),
and the 4x400 squad of Nick Vaughn, Verburg, Empty and Ja-Vell Bullard (3:07.50).
The Patriots return to action this weekend, hosting the Mason
Spring Invitational on Saturday.
