NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Kentucky State University indoor track and field teams are ranked regionally in the latest NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Ratings Index, as released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

For the Regional rankings, it's based off of how many athletes are ranked Top Ten in each Regional event.

"This week's Regional Rankings are merely a reflection of the hard work our student athletes have put in this school year," said Kentucky State University head coach Fatimah Shabazz. "Our team does an amazing job of being holistic student athletes. We have excellent representation in the classroom, student organizations and on the track. The work isn't finish until we graduate, but in the meantime being regionally and nationally ranked will suffice."

The men's team comes into the ratings eighth with a score of 106.88. Two other Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) schools – Central State (seventh, 148.51) and Benedict (ninth, 81.31) – are ranked in the index.

Three Kentucky State individuals are ranked in the top 10 of the South Region. Sophomore Jaylen Garnett (Louisville, Ky.) is ninth in the 60-meter dash (7.05), while sophomore Easton Phillips-Ware (Kapolei, Hawaii) is seventh in the high jump (1.87 meters). Graduate student Anthony Hampton (Sumter, S.C.) is also seventh in the weight throw (14.3 meters).

Kentucky State's 1600-meter relay team of senior Cameron Galloway (Paducah, Ky.), freshman Nigel Cochran (Woodruff, S.C.), freshman Roderic Walls (Albany, Ga.) and sophomore Chase Tandy (Danville, Ky.) have the fifth-best time (3:23.88) regionally in the event.  The distance medley relay team of Galloway, Walls, sophomore Isaac Fields (Brooksville, Fla.) and sophomore Ma'Rico Holland (Milwaukee, Wisc.) is sixth regionally with the time of 10:52.61. The DMR quartet is currently 24th nationally.

The women's team is also eighth in the ratings with a score of 117.90. Two other SIAC schools – Central State (sixth, 200.20) and Benedict (11th, 73.40) – are ranked in the index.

Sophomore Amani Wagner (Yellow Springs, Ohio) is top-five regionally in two events. She is second in the weight throw (15.35 meters) and fourth in the shot put (12.26 meters). Junior Angel Freeman (Toledo, Ohio) is ninth in the shot put (11.29 meters), freshman Raelle Hill (Covington, Ky.) is ninth in the weight throw (13.43 meters), junior Ephiphany Smith (Belleville, Ill.) is eighth in the 60-meter dash (7.89 seconds) and Jaylynne Williams (Gary, Ind.) is seventh in the 60-meter hurdles (9.26 seconds).

The 1600-meter relay team of Ketisa Akambasi (Buffalo, N.Y.), Esperance Nibitanga (Louisville, Ky.), Timmia Crayton-Prioleau (Cleveland, Ohio) and Williams has the seventh-best time in the region (4:26.76).

Kentucky State returns to action Friday, February 7 at the Cedarville Invitational.