UA women second, men fourth in preseason rankings

Tori Weeks (left) and Lexi Weeks of Arkansas prepare to compete in the pole vault invitational on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, during the second day of the Tyson Invitational indoor track meet at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.
Tori Weeks (left) and Lexi Weeks of Arkansas prepare to compete in the pole vault invitational on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, during the second day of the Tyson Invitational indoor track meet at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas' women and men are ranked near the top of the national indoor track and field preseason rankings.

The Razorbacks' women are ranked No. 2 in the preseason coaches' poll, while the men are ranked No. 4. Both teams are scheduled to begin the 2017 season Friday with the Arkansas Invitational at Randal Tyson Track Center.

Both teams finished second to Oregon at the NCAA indoor meet last year. Oregon is No. 1 in this year's women's rankings and No. 2 in the men's rankings behind Florida.

Arkansas' women return several of their top scorers from last year's team, including defending NCAA pole vault champion Lexi Weeks and NCAA pentathlon runner-up Taliyah Brooks. Payton Stumbaugh (fifth in the pentathlon and seventh in the 60 hurdles last year) and Tori Weeks (sixth in the pole vault) also return.

The Razorbacks' men return defending NCAA triple jump champion Clive Pullen, as well as Kenzo Cotton who finished third in the 200 meters at the national meet and is expected to be a national contender in the 60 meters. Other notable returners include Andreas Trajkovski (fifth in the long jump) and Carlton Orange (sixth in the 800 meters).

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