LSU Track & Field Heads to Site of NCAA Indoors

Track & Field Heads to Site of NCAA Indoors
Updated: February 11, 2010, 04:06 p.m. (CT)
by Will Stafford, Associate Sports Information Director Comments

BATON ROUGE - The LSU track and field teams are set to compete at the site of this year's NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships when they make the trip to Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday and Saturday to participate in the Tyson Invitational to be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

The University of Arkansas will play host to the event as Friday's action is scheduled to get underway at noon CT. The meet continues Saturday with the field events at 11 a.m. followed by the first events on the track at 1 p.m. The final event is set to run Saturday at 5:15 p.m.

The Randal Tyson Track Center will also serve as the host site for this year's SEC Indoor Championships on Feb. 26-28 and NCAA Indoor Championships on March 12-13.

"This is an important meet for our team because this will be the first time that our athletes get a chance to compete in the same venue that will host our SEC and NCAA meets," said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. "It's more a benefit to our younger athletes who have never before competed at the Randal Tyson Track Center. That experience will be important for us when we come back for the championship meets.

"This weekend is also important because we will be competing against many of the teams and athletes we will see in the postseason. It's going to be that kind of environment from the first event."

The Tyson Invitational attracts a championship caliber field each year, and this season is now different as LSU will go up against 17 programs ranked in the latest Top 25 power ranking released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday.

The Tigers are sure to receive a preview of the NCAA Championships as they compete against such clubs as No. 2 Florida State, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Oregon, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 11 Stanford, No. 13 Indiana, No. 14 Baylor, No. 15 Penn State, No. 18 Auburn, No. 19 South Carolina, No. 21 Kentucky, No. 22 Georgia and No. 23 Oklahoma State.

The Lady Tigers will join a competitive field of their own as 12 nationally-ranked programs will make the trip to Fayetteville this weekend, including No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Clemson, No. 9 Penn State, No. 10 Florida State, No. 11 Arkansas, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Nebraska, No. 17 Auburn, No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 22 Baylor and No. 25 Indiana.

LSU also brings two of the nation's best teams to Fayetteville as the Lady Tigers are ranked No. 3 and the Tigers are ranked No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA Top 25 power ranking.

"The Tyson Invitational has earned a reputation over the years as being one of the most competitive meets of the indoor season. This year will be no exception," Shaver said. "We also have another chance to grow and improve as a team and continue to build the consistency we need heading into championship season."

The LSU men and women have combined for a total of four automatic and 21 provisional qualifiers to the NCAA Indoor Championships through three meets during the 2010 indoor season.

The Tigers continue to be led by a pair of juniors as Walter Henning and Zedric Thomas as each holds the NCAA's No. 1 performance in their respective events. Henning, the two-time defending SEC Male Field Athlete of the Week, is the national leader in the 35-pound weight throw with a seasonal-best throw of 76 feet, 6 ½ inches, while Thomas is the nation's top performer in the long jump with a best of 26-3.

Tiger sophomore Barrett Nugent also ranks among the national leaders in the 60-meter hurdles with a best time of 7.71 seconds, which ranks No. 3 nationally and is just .02 seconds off the NCAA lead. Also in the mix is junior Richard Jones, who ranks No. 7 in the NCAA in the 800 meters with a time of 1:48.88.

The Lady Tigers are led by five of the nation's Top 10 performers in their respective events as sophomore Rachel Laurent has set the pace with the NCAA's No. 2 performance in the pole vault with a lifetime best clearance of 14-3 ¼ in 2010 to qualify automatically for the NCAA Indoor meet.

LSU also features the nation's No. 4-ranked 4x400-meter relay team of sophomore Cassandra Tate, senior Kayann Thompson, senior Samantha Henry and senior LaTavia Thomas, which has run a seasonal-best of 3:35.74. Junior Brittani Carter is also ranked No. 4 nationally in her specialty as she has cleared a mark of 6-0 ¾ in the high jump to meet the NCAA automatic qualifying standard.

Freshman Takeia Pinckney is the reigning SEC Female Freshman of the Week after running the country's sixth-fastest time in the 60-meter dash a week ago with a personal best of 7.31. She is joined in the sprints by junior Kenyanna Wilson, who ranks No. 8 in the NCAA with a time of 7.33 in the 60-meter dash.

The Tigers and Lady Tigers return to Baton Rouge next week as they play host to the LSU Twilight at the Carl Maddox Field House on Feb. 19 in their final tune-up before the championship season.

Courtesy LSU