MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Following a best-ever 10th place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last season, the Texas A&M women’s team is being tabbed as favorites to win the 2007 NCAA title by Track and Field News, the premier coverage source of the sport in the nation.

The December issue of the magazine ranks the recruiting classes of 2006 for the upcoming season as well as providing its earliest prediction on how teams will fare at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California. Form charts used to predict team scoring in the national meet will change throughout the season based on weekly performances.

Based on Texas A&M’s incoming 2006 recruiting class along with the number of NCAA qualifiers from last season who return for the Aggies, Track and Field News tabbed the A&M women as favorites for the team title next June.

“I’ve had the opportunity of being included in these type of predictions at this time of the year in the past,” noted Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. “What I’m most pleased about is the fact Texas A&M is being regarded as an up-and-coming program.

“Those in track and field who look at these predictions understand we are a young program being included with some long-time track powers. Being included is important in the development of our program.”

Jack Pfeifer, who has compiled NCAA women’s predictions for several years, has the Aggies bettering South Carolina by one point, 57-56, for the NCAA title.

The following note on the Texas A&M women appears in the December issue of the magazine: “A big winner in his tenure at LSU, coach Pat Henry has taken a couple of years to bring Texas A&M into prominence. So much so, in fact, that women's predictions guru Jack Pfeifer has looked at this year's recruiting results and says that the Aggies are now the narrowest of favorites in next year's outdoor NCAA Championships.”

The predictions for the top 10 teams at NCAA meet include: 1. Texas A&M 57; 2. South Carolina 56; 3. Arizona State 54; 4. USC 49; 5. tie, LSU & Michigan 37; 7. Nebraska 36; 8. BYU 32; 9. Stanford 31; 10. Texas 24.

In the recruiting rankings compiled by Track and Field News, the A&M women were second only to USC. The top 10 schools included: 1. USC; 2. Texas A&M; 3. LSU; 4. Nebraska; 5. Florida; 6. Tennessee; 7. Stanford; 8. Oregon; 9. South Carolina; 10. Duke.

A note about the Aggies 2006 recruiting class stated: “Pat Henry regularly had top-5 classes while at LSU but this is his first at A&M, which has jumped into NCAA-favorite status. All-Americas Ashika Charan (19-11 ½ long jump, 41-10 triple jump), Porscha Lucas (11.49 / 23.22) and Merideth Snow (4:51.53 / 10:15.49) and former All-America Khrystal Carter (11.57 / 23.61 / 23.44w) are part of the reason, but the big key is JC transfer Simone Facey. The Jamaican speedster has dashed 11.22 and 22.71. Relay help will come from Elizabeth Adeoti (11.50 / 23.92) and Sandy Wooten (11.78 / 53.84)."

The Aggie track and field team will open the indoor track season on January 12, 2007, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.