USTFCCCA Ranks TCU No. 22
2/8/2021 11:14:00 AM | Men's Indoor Track
FORT WORTH — The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) ranked TCU's men's track and field team No. 22 in its third edition of the poll.
An outstanding weekend against multiple ranked opponents in Lubbock propelled TCU into the top-15 two weeks ago. The Horned Frogs found themselves outside the USTFCCCA Top-25 poll in its initial set of rankings. Given the circumstances of the season, it decided to forgo producing a preseason ranking.
Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya made his 2021 debut and didn't disappoint. The senior jumped 16.63m and now owns the top mark in the nation. His mark also ranks fifth in the world.
It wasn't just the 2019 outdoor triple jump champion that shined, as three Frogs found themselves inside the top-20 national marks in the 200m. Tinotenda Matiyenga won the men's 200m (20.75) and broke the Zimbabwe national indoor record for the event in the process. The senior's time checks in at No. 8 in the nation.
Matiyenga's record-breaking time lead the way with highly touted freshman Robert Gregory Jr. (20.78) closely behind in second place. Kundai Maguranyanga ran a 20.95 for fourth place to complete TCU's trio in the top five, all of which ran sub-21. Gregory and Maguranyanga check in at No. 10 and No. 19, respectively.
Three Frogs also qualified for the men's 60m finals. TJ Brock (6.68), Matiyenga (6.69) and Blake Hennesay (6.70) finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Hennesay's time was a personal-best while Matiyenga tied his collegiate-best time from the New Mexico Team Open last season.
All three sprinters find themselves in the top-30 of their event. Jais Smith, who didn't compete in Lubbock this past weekend, is also ranked No. 31 from his 6.73 mark that won him the Aggie Invitational.
Ethan Brown clocked a 46.69 en route to third place in the 400m, putting him No. 21 in the nation. It was just the sophomores third competition donning the purple and white. In just his second collegiate race, Brown scored at the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Championship.
TCU travels to Lubbock, Texas, to compete at the Texas Tech Shootout this weekend for its third and final regular season competition.
Players Mentioned
