MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Texas A&M finished atop men’s and women’s 2019 National Relay Rankings generated by Track & Field News magazine. The Aggie men shared the top honor with the Florida Gators while the Texas A&M women edged out Arkansas for top billing.
In the women’s relay rankings the Aggies totaled 14 points from placing first in the 4×400 and sprint medley relays along with a runner-up finish in the 4×200. Arkansas followed with 13 points from a runner-up in the 4×400 along with a trio of third-place rankings in the 4×100, 4×1500 and shuttle hurdles.
Earning nine points each in the men’s national rankings were Texas A&M and Florida. The Aggies ranked first in the 4×400 relay and second in the sprint medley while the Gators led the 4×100 and were runner-up in the 4×200.
This marks the fifth time for the Aggie men to headline the national relay rankings since 2011. They were also first in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. Previously, the A&M women have ranked first in the national relay rankings in 2011 and 2014.
In the 4×400, the A&M men totaled 11 victories on the season in 14 races. In winning the NCAA Outdoor title in 2:59.05, the Aggies missed the collegiate record by 0.05 of a second and bettered the American collegiate best of 2:59.59 set by LSU in 2005.
The A&M school record time of 2:59.05 remains the world leader for the 2019 season and ranks as the No. 15 performer on the all-time world list. Texas A&M’s 4×400 relay also swept SEC titles indoor (3:03.61) and outdoor (3:01.77), while placing second at NCAA Indoor (3:05.15).
The Aggie women’s 4×400 relay also claimed 11 victories amid 14 races during the season. Texas A&M posted a world-leading time of 3:25.57 to break the school record in winning the NCAA Outdoor title. The time ranks No. 6 on the collegiate all-time list.
A&M women also won the SEC Indoor 4×400 title (3:29.15) and were runner-up at NCAA Indoor (3:30.85) as well as SEC Outdoor (3:29.99).
With the Aggies both winning the 4×400 relay at NCAA Outdoor Championships, it marked only the sixth time it has occurred in the 38 years since the women joined the meet. Texas A&M is the first school to accomplish the feat twice, having first achieved the double victory in 2011.
Texas A&M women posted the collegiate leading time in the sprint medley relay as their 3:42.20 performance won the Texas Relays. A time of 1:31.88 in the 4×200 also claimed first place at the Texas Relays while the Aggies were second among collegians for the season, trailing only a 1:31.80 by Alabama.
A&M men produced the second fastest time on the season in the sprint medley with a 3:14.47 when they placed second in the Texas Relays.
The rest of the women’s top 10 in the National Relay Rankings included Oklahoma State and South Carolina tied for third with eight points, while there was a four-way tie for fifth place at seven points apiece for Alabama, Indiana, Oregon and Villanova. Tied in ninth place with five points each were Georgia Tech and USC.
Houston ranked third in the men’s National Relay Rankings with eight points while there was a three-way tie for fourth place as LSU, New York/New Jersey TC and South Carolina each totaled seven points. Tied for seventh place with six points were Arkansas and Georgetown. Equal in ninth place with five points were Brooks Beasts, District TC, Navy, Notre Dame, Texas and Wisconsin.