The Big Ten featured two of its own in the premier 2010 women's indoor track and field national rankings, released Tuesday by the USTFCCCA. Penn State improved four spots from its preseason standing to earn a sixth-place ranking in this week's poll while Illinois remained inside the top-25, voting in at No. 24.

For a complete look at this week's national rankings, look here.

The conference office announced on Monday the third weekly women's indoor track and field honors for meets through January 18-24. Illinois' Melissa Bates took home the weekly track laurel and Minnesota's Alicia Rue collected her second consecutive Field Athlete of the Week award of the season.

A junior sprinter, Bates posted three top-finishes, highlighted by an NCAA  provisional qualifying effort in the 400 meter (54.74). In other completion, Minnesota's Rue continued her assault on the Minnesota record book bettering her own school record and University Fieldhouse record in the pole vault, clearing 14 feet, 4 1/2 inches at the Jack Johnson Classic. The winning effort marked her third straight individual title on the year as she improved her previous standard by half an inch. The height was Rue's third NCAA automatic qualifying performance of the season and her seventh meet clearing over 14 feet.

Look here for more information on this week's honorees.

The conference office announced on Monday the second weekly women's indoor track and field awards for meets through January 11-17. Fawn Dorr returned the weekly track laurel to State College, Pa., for the second consecutive week while Minnesota's Alicia Rue earned the Gophers their first weekly field honor of the season.

Dorr turned in two NCAA provisional marks to go along with a pair of personal bests at the Penn State Northeast Challenge on Saturday. The Nittany Lion senior provided an exciting finishing kick in the last 100-meters to win the 400-meters in 53.32 - the second fastest time in the NCAA this year.

Rue captured her second pole vault title of the season, clearing a season-high of 4.31 meters at the Minnesota Open on Saturday. The winning effort marked the second NCAA automatic qualifier of the 2010 campaign for the Gopher senior.

For more information on this week's honorees, look here.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Thursday the 10 female collegiate track & field athletes named to the official preseason watch list for the 2010 awarding of The Bowerman as selected by The Bowerman Women's Watch Committee. Included in the preseason watch list is 2009 NCAA Cross Country Champion Angela Bizzarri of Illinois.

On the track in 2009, Bizzarri was the NCAA champ at 5000 meters and placed third in the event at the USATF Championships. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Bizzarri accounted for 18 team points as winner of the 5000 meters and as runner-up in the 1500. Indoors, Bizzarri placed fourth at 3000 meters.

For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the recently-debuted trophy, and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org. Keep up with Bowerman candidates on the USTFCCCA's weekly results page (http://www.ustfccca.org/weekly-results) and by following the organization's twitter feed twitter.com/USTFCCCA.

Penn State's Shavon Greaves and Indiana's Faith Sherrill collected their first career weekly awards after opening the 2010 season in convincing fashion at their respective home openers over the weekend.

Greaves made a statement on the NCAA sprint scene at the Penn State Relays last Saturday, posting NCAA-leading marks in the 60- and 200-meters. The Nittany Lion junior opened the day with an NCAA-provisional qualifying 7.33 in the 60-meter preliminaries, and followed up with an impressive 7.30 in the event final. She then sprinted to a speedy personal-best 23.22 in the 200, which was also good for first place and another NCAA-qualifying effort.

Junior Faith Sherrill posted the nation's best mark in the shot put while also breaking a longstanding IU record that stood for 18 years with a heave of 16.70m (54-9.5). The mark is a foot and a half better than the second best in the Big Ten so far this season. READ MORE ...  

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released the preseason indoor edition of national track and field team rankings for NCAA's Division I on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Four Big Ten teams, including two men's and two women's squads, were featured in the national coaches' poll entering the 2010 season.

Minnesota led the conference representatives in the men's poll with a No. 10 national ranking. Wisconsin also made an appearance in the top 25, checking in at No. 24. On the other hand, the Penn State women's team also appeared at No. 10, while Illinois rounded out the Big Ten contingent at No. 19.

The men of Florida State have been identified as the No. 1 team in the land entering the season with in-state rival Florida at No. 2 close behind. On the women's side, Texas A&M, the defending outdoor champion enters the season No. 1 in the rankings.

The first regular release of updated rankings for NCAA's Division I will start on Tuesday, January 26, with updates occurring the following seven Tuesdays leading to the NCAA Indoor Championships, March 12-13. In addition, the 2010 preseason watch list for The Bowerman will be announced next Tuesday, January 12.

Look here for the complete 2010 preseason USTFCCCA poll.