The Lee University Track & Field teams claimed four of the six Gulf South Conference Track & Field Performer of the Week awards for their performances at the Emory Invitational. Camilla Sims was named the Women’s Field and Freshman Performer of the Week. On the men’s side, Josiah Brooks was selected as the Field Performer of the Week and Christian Noble was the Freshman of the Week.
Sims scored a top ten finish for the Lady Flames in three events to help lead Lee to a second place team finish out of 40 teams.
Two of her three performances were GSC-leading marks, while all three are new Lee records. She placed fifth in the shot put (12. 46 meters), fifth in the discus (37.39 meters) and sixth in the hammer throw (38.93 meters).
Brooks placed second in the triple jump and in the long jump. Brooks’ triple jump mark of 14.92 meters ranks him first in the GSC and second among NCAA Division II athletes. His long jump distance of 7.14 meters is also a conference-leading mar. The Lee standout met the provisional standard in the triple jump and in the 100-meter dash where he posted a time of 10.57.
Noble made his debut in the 3000-meter steeplechase by winning the event by nearly nine seconds. His time of 9:07.63 ranks him third among DII runners, was good for a provisional mark and set a new Lee record.
The Lady Flames and Flames will compete in two meets this coming weekend. A handful of athletes will travel to Raleigh, N.C., for the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State University, while the rest head to Knoxville for the Tennessee Relays at the University of Tennessee’s Tom Black Track.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its first NCAA Division II Men’s Team Computer Rankings of the 2017 outdoor season this week and the Lee University Flames settled into the No. 11 spot.
The ranking marks the highest for the Flames since joining NCAA DII. The previous high was in the first ranking of 2016 at No. 24.
Chico State is ranked first at 281.27 points. Shorter University is eighth with 97.86 points. Lee amassed 96.59 points.
The National Team Computer Rankings are compiled by a mathematical formula based on the NCAA Division II Descending Order Lists. Only marks from the current season are used in the current Computer Rankings. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the race for a national title. Ranking points don’t equate with points that will be scored at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The next ranking will be released Mar. 28.