University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Pace B1G in Program of the Year Standings
3/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - As track & field season transitions from indoor to outdoor, the University of Minnesota men's track & field and cross country program stands 19th in the USTFCCCA Division I John McDonnell Program of the Year Award, which honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at the NCAA Championships.
Behind a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall and a 44th-place finish last week at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, the Maroon & Gold posted 65.5 points - the top ranking among Big Ten programs. The final rankings will be announced following the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in June.
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the team's finish at each NCAA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award recipient. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
Minnesota kicks off the outdoor campaign this weekend at the Baldy Castillo Invitational in Arizona.
