NEW ORLEANS - The Fort Hays State women's indoor track and field team is ranked 22nd in the third release of the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Track and Field Rating Index, released Tuesday (Feb. 10) by the coaches association.
 
Three Tigers have cleared the national qualifying threshold this season, including a pair that rank in the top four in the country.
 
Annabeth Baalmann leads Division II in the pole vault with her school-record clearance of 14-1.25 last month. The three-time All-American is the only DII athlete to successfully clear the 14-foot threshold this season. The senior's top mark is two inches higher than her nearest competitor.
 
Katie Linenberger ranks fourth in the high jump with her personal-best clearance of 5-10, accomplished last month (Jan. 30) at the Charlie Foster Classic in Kearney, Neb. She is one of six athletes in Division II to clear 5-9 or better this season and is the only freshman to post a mark of 5-8 or better on the year. The Hays native ranks second on FHSU DII era performance list and is undefeated in three competitions so far this season.
 
Emily Diercks McCullough broke the school record in the 5,000m run last Friday at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston, Mass., running the 5K in 16:49.86. That time currently ranks 22nd in Division II for the two-time NCAA All-American.
 
The Tigers will be back in action this weekend (Feb. 13-14) when they travel to Pittsburg, Kan. for the 11th Annual Russ Jewett Indoor Gorilla Classic.