Track & Field News just released the recruit rankings for 2006. It's amazing how UCLA ALWAYS manages to have the best class.
MEN
1. UCLA
The Bruins have long been a collegiate track power, but since we started these recruiting-ratings in the fall of ’95, this is their first win. All that changed in a big way with Art Venegas’s incredible crop this time around. Hurdler/jumper David Klech (see p. 13) was the biggest prize, with his 13.69/50.35/7-3/4/23-9 1/2 (24-7 3/4w) talents.
Klech will have hurdle competition from No. 1 All-America Darius Reed (13.47/37.01). But what about the weights—Venegas’s true passion—where the UCLAns picked off Nos. 1-2-3 in the discus in Darius Savage (66-3/212-1), Bo Taylor (63-11 1/4/213-7) and Nick Robinson (65-1/197-0). Plus 4 vaulters at 16-5 or higher. A juggernaut in the making?
(full details on each of the following Top 10 recruiting classes in the December issue of Track & Field News)
2. Baylor
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Florida State
6. Wisconsin
7. LSU
8. Nebraska
9. Virginia Tech
10. Minnesota.
WOMEN
1. USC
Ron Allice picked up his first No. 1 rating since ’97 by recruiting a superstar trio who can claim no fewer than 9 All-Am ratings among them from their prep days: hurdler Shalina Clarke (11.92/23.67/13.51/40.40), sprinter Elizabeth Olear (11.33/23.36), and all-rounder Shana Woods (11.62/24.17/14.00/41.90/20-10/5533), who is profiled on p. 18. Great place to start a dual-meet team, if people did that anymore.
Quartermiler Myra Hasson (53.26) rounds things out nicely for the Trojans, who rate just ahead of up-and-coming Texas A&M.
(full details on each of the following Top 10 recruiting classes in the December issue of Track & Field News)
2. Texas A&M
3. LSU
4. Nebraska
5. Florida
6. Tennessee
7. Stanford
8. Oregon
9. South Carolina
10. Duke
For the full scoop on this and how collegiate programs all over the country loaded up on talent buy the December issue of Track & Field News.