A&M Challenge features elite programs in Big 12/SEC/Pac-10 showdown

A&M Challenge features elite programs in Big 12/SEC/Pac-10 showdown
Aggie women remain No. 1 in national rankings, while A&M men improve to No. 4


Jan. 26, 2010


College Station - The Texas A&M Challenge, the Aggies' next home meet, will pit three major track and field conferences against one another as nine schools represent the Big 12, SEC and Pac-10 on Friday and Saturday.

Each conference will feature three schools in a meet that will score the top eight places for each event, including a pentathlon and heptathlon. The Big 12 is represented by Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas. The SEC will contend with Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina, while the Pac-10 brings in Oregon, Stanford and Washington State.

"Of the meets I've been involved in, and I've been involved in a whole lot of indoor meets, this might be the best field I've seen, ever, at one site during the regular season," Aggie head coach Pat Henry said.

"Having a meet where we score it between the Big 12, SEC and Pac-10 is a fun concept. It worked well last year when we had a Big 12 versus SEC Showdown. There is some pride in being in the Big 12 as well as the SEC and Pac-10. It is a different scenario and makes for a great competition."

Of the nine teams competing at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium this weekend, eight of the men's teams and six of the women's squads are ranked among the top 25 this indoor season. Nine of the programs (five men and four women) are currently ranked in the top 10.

"There is a tradition with these schools we have invited here this weekend," Henry said. "There is a great track and field tradition at all of these schools that will come here. You know they are going to have good teams. We have had good crowds so far this season, and I hope we get an even bigger crowd for this one. I think our fans will really enjoy watching this meet."

Action on Friday evening will begin at 6 p.m. with the pentathlon and heptathlon. Track finals on the first night include the distance medley relay and 5,000 meters. Saturday will start at 11 a.m. with the completion of the heptathlon while field events begin at noon. Prelims for the 60 hurdles and 60 meters start at 12:30 p.m. while running finals will begin at 2 p.m.

With data from the 2010 indoor season now being tabulated, Texas A&M women remain ranked No. 1 in the USTFCCCA national rankings followed by Oregon, BYU, LSU and Florida State in the top five. Rankings for teams competing in the Texas A&M Challenge include No. 9 Florida, No. 10 Arkansas, No. 11 South Carolina, and No. 16 Baylor. Stanford and Texas are currently ranked 29th and 30th.

The Aggie men improved from a preseason ranking of eighth to the No. 4 position. Florida State remains atop the men's rankings followed by No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Florida. Following Texas A&M is Nebraska at No. 5.

Rankings for the other men's teams at the Texas A&M Challenge include No. 7 Arkansas, No. 10 Baylor, No. 15 South Carolina, No. 17. Stanford, and No. 21 Washington State. The Texas Longhorns are currently No. 28.

A majority of the teams squaring off in this Challenge finished among the top 20 at the NCAA Championships hosted by Texas A&M last season.

"The athletes that compete here this weekend, you'll see again at the NCAA Championships in March as well as next year when Texas A&M hosts the NCAA Indoor again," Henry noted. "So it gives our fans a real perspective on what's going on."

Oregon men are the defending NCAA Indoor champions while Florida finished second. Baylor men were eighth at the national meet while Texas A&M and Arkansas tied for eighth. Texas placed 10th with Stanford 11th and South Carolina 20th.

On the women's side the Aggie women were runner-up to Tennessee for the NCAA title while Texas finished fourth. Oregon women tied for ninth place with Florida, South Carolina and Stanford tied for 12th as Arkansas placed 20th.

"In our initial thinking, even before we started hosting meets, we knew we were going to host four or five meets at home," said Henry. "So we thought how we could vary the meets we have. We added a dual with Texas and it has been great for us. Then we knew we had to put a couple competitions where we could generate some enthusiasm and have fans involved in the meet.

"This is the kind of meet where we want to keep some consistency with it over the years. I would like for these two conferences to be involved along the Big 12 and have this weekend be known for hosting this Challenge meet."

Courtesy Texas A&M