WEEKEND PREVIEW: Tyson Invitational

By Tyler Mayforth, USTFCCCA

February 11, 2016

NEW ORLEANS — Pick a weekend, just about any weekend, during the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season and the odds are strong that a prestigious meet will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Best of the Best

Here is a list of those athletes on February’s "The Bowerman Watch List" who will be competing this weekend at the Tyson Invitational.

You can find the full Men’s Watch List (HERE) and the full Women’s Watch List (HERE).

• Jake Blakenship, Tennessee
• Najee Glass, Florida
• Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas
• Quanesha Burks, Alabama
• Akela Jones, Kansas State
• Shamier Little, Texas A&M
• Kyra Jefferson, Florida

Lo and behold, this weekend is no different as talented athletes converge on Arkansas’ facility for the Tyson Invitational.
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Every year the Tyson Invitational helps prove that the Randal Tyson Track Center is home to the "fastest indoor track in the world."
And based on the marks in the field events that come out of this meet, the runways and take-off zones aren’t shabby either.
Here’s a glance at what we consider to be some of the biggest events of the Tyson Invitational.
Note: These are the accepted entries. Participation in these events is subject to change.

Men’s Long Jump

FINALS: Friday, 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT)
Only two men in the NCAA have broken the eight-meter barrier in the long jump this season — Arkansas’ Jarrion Lawson and NC State’s Jonathan Addison. Lawson was the first to do so two weeks ago at the Razorback Team Invitational, while Addison accomplished the feat this past weekend at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite. Lawson and Addison both recorded identical marks of 8.17m (26-9.75).
Both Lawson and Addison are entered in Friday’s proceedings, as are two former Bowerman Award winners (Marquis Dendy and Ngoni Makusha).
Addison and Lawson will also be joined by Florida’s KeAndre Bates (No. 5 USTFCCCA Individual Rankings) and Florida State’s Keniel Grant (No. 10 USTFCCCA Individual Rankings), among others.

Women’s Long Jump

FINALS: Friday, 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT)
Four of the top-5 women in the USTFCCCA Individual Rankings, when it comes to the long jump, will square off Friday night for the first time this season.
Top-ranked Quanesha Burks of Alabama goes head to head with Kansas State’s Akela Jones (No. 2), Kentucky’s Sha’Keela Saunders (No. 4) and Iowa State’s Kate Hall (No. 5).
Burks owns the season’s best leap of 6.71m (22-0.25) and leads Jones (6.64m, 21-9.5) by more than three inches. Jones’ best leap of the season came during her attempt to break Kendell Williams’ pentathlon record.
Even though she’s only a freshman, Hall hasn’t backed down from a challenge. Hall, a two-time high school national champion in the event, placed second to Georgia’s Chanice Porter (No. 3 in the USTFCCCA Individual Rankings) at the Razorback Team Invitational.

Women’s 60

PRELIMS: Friday, 4:15 p.m. ET (3:15 p.m. CT)
SEMIS: Friday, 6:40 p.m. ET (5:40 p.m. CT)
FINALS: Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET (6:10 p.m. CT)
Seventeen — yes, seventeen — of the best 60-meter sprinters will compete inside the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Let’s list them: Florida’s Shayla Sanders (No. 2), Southern Cal’s Ky Westbrook (No. 3), Texas’ Morolake Akinosun (No. 4), LSU’s Mikiah Brisco (No. 5), Texas’ Teahna Daniels (No. 6), Southern Cal’s Alexis Faulknor (No. 7), Texas A&M’s Aaliyah Brown (t-No. 8), Southern Cal’s Deanna Hill (t-No. 8), Tennessee’s Kali Davis-White (t-No. 8), Clemson’s Myasia Jacobs (t-No. 8), LSU’s Aleia Hobbs (No. 15), Tennesee’s Felicia Brown (t-No. 16), Texas A&M’s Jennifer Madu (t-No. 16), Iowa State’s Kate Hall (t-No. 16), Auburn’s Jonielle Smith (t-No. 20), Missouri’s LaQuisha Jackson (t-No. 20) and LSU’s Jada Martin (No. 24).
Sanders owns the season’s best time of 7.17, which she ran at the Razorback Team Invitational.
No other female athlete has gone sub-7.20 yet this season. That might change Friday.

Women’s 400

FINALS: Friday, 7:20 p.m. ET (6:20 p.m. CT)
This past weekend at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, Texas’ Courtney Okolo roared to an other-worldly 51.16.
Six days later, an accomplished group of women will try to prove they can keep pace with the Longhorn phenom.
Seven of the top-10 women in the USTFCCCA Individual Rankings for the 400 are scheduled to compete on Friday. Texas A&M’s Shamier Little (No. 2) will be joined by Arkansas’ Taylor Ellis-Watson (No. 3), Florida’s Kyra Jefferson (No. 5), Florida’s Robin Reynolds (No. 7), Texas’ Chrisann Gordon (t-No. 8) and Southern Cal’s Jaide Stepter (t-No. 8). Litte, Ellis-Watson and Reynolds are all First-Team All-Americans from last year.
Jefferson and Reynolds have yet to run an open 400 this season, while Little, Ellis-Watson, Gordon and Stepter all have one or two races under their belt.

Men’s 400

FINALS: Friday, 7:55 p.m. ET (6:55 p.m. CT)
When the invitational heats of the men’s 400 step on the track on Friday night, it promises to be fast. After all, there are 13 members of the USTFCCCA Individual Rankings in the field, including second-ranked Najee Glass of Florida, third-ranked Lamar Bruton of LSU and fourth-ranked Michael Cherry of LSU.
You don’t want to forget about Texas’ talented duo of Zack Bilderback (No. 6) and Aldrich Bailey Jr. (No. 7) either.
Based off what we’ve seen this season, Cherry is the favorite based on his nation-leading 45.78 he ran at the Razorback Team Invitational.

Men’s High Jump

FINALS: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)
Get ready for some fireworks on Saturday afternoon when three best high jumpers in the nation — at least according to the USTFCCCA Individual Rankings — vie for the Tyson Invitational title.
Top-ranked Bradley Adkins of Texas Tech takes on Kansas State’s Christoff Bryan (No. 2) and Southern Cal’s Randall Cunningham, who owns the season’s best mark of 2.26m (7-5). Adkins and Bryan have been slow to get going, but both are tied for the fourth best jump this season (2.20m, 7-2.5).
Adkins is the only returning First-Team All-American from last year in the field.

Women’s 4×400 Relay

FINALS: Saturday, 5:10 p.m. ET (4:10 p.m. CT)
Seven of the nation’s best 4×400 relay teams square off on Saturday afternoon.
Texas, Arkansas, Southern Cal, Clemson, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas A&M all entered teams. Don’t forget about South Carolina, Kansas State, Miami (Fla.), LSU or Texas Tech either.
Florida, the team that owns the nation’s best time in the event this season (3:30.51) isn’t entered.

Men’s 4×400 Relay

FINALS: Saturday, 5:20 p.m. ET (4:20 p.m. CT)
The old axiom goes "Save the best for last."
Meet organizers for the Tyson Invitational are doing just that.
Nine of the top-10 4×400 relay teams in the nation are scheduled to compete on Saturday afternoon as the meet comes to a close. All eyes will be on the three-horse race between Texas A&M (No. 1 USTFCCCA Individual Rankings), Florida (No. 2/owners of the nation’s best time this season) and LSU (No. 3).