Track & Field Teams Travel to New York
(02/07/2008) BY
www.LSUsports.net BATON ROUGE --
The LSU track and field teams are looking to build momentum for the postseason as they travel to New York this weekend to compete in the New Balance Collegiate Invitational beginning Friday at the historic Armory Track and Field Center.
The New Balance Collegiate Invitational is one of the premier collegiate meets of the regular season as many of the nation’s elite programs will square off against a strong field of more than 100 universities from across the country.
The two-day meet kicks off Friday with the field events at 10:30 a.m. CT followed by the first events on the track at 11 a.m. Saturday’s action gets underway on the track at 8 a.m.
The top-ranked Lady Tigers will go toe-to-toe with the likes of No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Arkansas, No. 12 South Carolina, No. 15 Kentucky and No. 20 Kansas, while the 12th-ranked men’s squad battles top-ranked Tennessee, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 5 BYU, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 10 Kentucky, No. 21 Texas A&M, No. 24 Cal State-Northridge and No. 25 Princeton.
“This is going to be an outstanding track meet for our athletes to run in a really competitive atmosphere,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “We’ll see some improvement in the way our athletes perform simply because of the environment and the great facility we will be running in.
“That’s really what we’re looking for right now. I’m confident that both teams will compete well this weekend and come back and get ready to go to the Tyson Invitational next weekend. These next two weeks are important as we get an idea of where we stand heading into the postseason.”
Shaver said this meet is especially important for LSU’s middle distance athletes as many will be making their season debut in their specialty.
Senior All-American Deonna Lawrence is scheduled to run the 400 meters for the first time on the 2008 campaign. In addition, five LSU athletes will be making their season debut in the 800-meter run, including juniors Reuben Twijukye and Kayann Thompson, sophomores Jamaal James and LaTavia Thomas and freshman Brittany Hall.
“This is an important meet for those guys because it’s their first time this season getting on the track and lining up in the event they’re going to run at the NCAA meet,” Shaver said. “We’re anxious to see if they’re as ready and prepared to run as we hope they are at this point.”
In addition to those who will be making their season debut for LSU this weekend, many athletes will be looking to strengthen their NCAA qualifying marks when they line up at The Armory.
Senior Richard Thompson and sophomore Trindon Holliday will go head-to-head for the 60-meter title, while senior Reggie Dardar (400 meters), senior Ryan Fontenot (60 hurdles), junior Ricky Jean-Francois (shot put), junior Jeremy Hicks (long jump), sophomore Patrick Lee (60 hurdles) and sophomore Will Coppage (long jump) will also be in action.
The Lady Tigers will be well-represented as senior Kelly Baptiste, senior Juanita Broaddus, sophomoreSamantha Henry and freshman Kenyanna Wilson are set to double in both the 60 and 200 meters. Senior Jessica Ohanaja and junior Nickiesha Wilson will line up in the 60 hurdles.
Leading the way in the field events will be senior Kathy Coleman in the long jump, junior Andrea Linton in the triple jump and sophomore Katelyn Rodrigue in the pole vault.
The Tigers and Lady Tigers follow their trip to New York by traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., for the second time this season to compete in the Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center from Feb. 15-16 before returning home to the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse to play host to the LSU Twilight Invitational on Feb. 22.