NEW ORLEANS – The Shippensburg University women's outdoor track and field program has dropped three spots to the No. 13 national ranking in the latest computer data released on Tuesday by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

SU is one of three nationally-ranked programs from the PSAC along with Slippery Rock (No. 18) and IUP (No. 22).

On the national level, SU has obtained a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 800 from junior Amanda Raudabaugh and a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 1,500 from junior Neely Spence.

Among conference standards, Shippensburg has had 45 athletes complete individual performances that have qualified them for the 2011 PSAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held in May from Slippery Rock.

Senior throwers Stephanie Harrison and Margaret Merlie are two of five throwers in the conference to have achieved conference qualifying marks in three of the four throwing events. Ashley Pinter and April Doyle of Kutztown, along with Jade Hambrick of Slippery Rock, are qualified in the shot, discus and hammer.

Merlie is the only thrower in the group to have the javelin as one of her three events - in fact she is one of just two javelin throwers in the PSAC along with Slippery Rock's Kim Stitt (a multis competitor) to have qualified in multiple events. Stitt has qualified in the shot and the javelin - both of those events are contested in the heptathlon.

At the sand pits, junior Lauren Redington is third in the long jump and sixth in the triple jump. She also SU's season pacesetter in the 100 meters with a time of 12.58 seconds that ranks fifth in the PSAC.

Sophomore Caitlin Stuetz currently ranks third in the 100-meter hurdles, fourth in the 400-meter hurdles and has qualified in the 400-meter run. She has also run on the 4x400-meter relay squad and is a candidate to compete with that quartet at the conference championship meet.

Junior Neely Spence is the PSAC pacesetter in the 1,500 meters and the 3K. Spence will be competing in the 5K Friday night at the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays in California. The NCAA Division II automatic qualifying standard is 16:39.30 while the USATF qualifying standard is 15:48.

The fastest time in NCAA Division I this season was recorded by former Seattle Pacific and current Colorado standout Jessica Pixler (15:25.58) - who will be running in the same heat as Spence on Friday night.

Shippensburg boasts four of the conference's Top 6 efforts this season in the 800-meters. Junior All-American Amanda Raudabaugh paces the PSAC in the 800 and ranks second to Spence in the 1,500 meters. Junior Jamie McCollum and freshman Megan Rhyner have posted 800-meter times of 2:14 while sophomore Ashley Fornshell ranks sixth in the 800 and seventh in the 1,500.

Thirteen athletes have satisfied the conference qualifying standards in the 1,500 meters. Among the conference's Top 10 are Spence, Raudabaugh, senior Emily Dubs, Fornshell and sophomore Katie Spratford.

Seinor Erica Hess continues to shine in the pursuit of a trip to the national championships. Hess paces the conference in the 400-meters and also ranks fourth in the 200 meters. As she has been every season, Hess is an integral member of the team's 4x400-meter relay squad.

Shippensburg will send a distance squad to Bucknell on Friday but will otherwise be training and assisting with the 85th annual SU/Jack Roddick High School Track & Field Invitational that will be held this weekend from Seth Grove Stadium.