Pat Henry
Donavan Brazier
Texas A&M Track & Field
Previewing the 2016 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship
The Texas A&M track & field team hit the road Wednesday, traveling to Alabama for the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships.
The meet will take place at the Birmingham CrossPlex beginning Friday, March 11 and wrapping up Saturday, March 12. The Aggie men enter the meet with 10 entries (four top-5 seeds), 13 athletes in seven events and are No. 4 in the USTFCCCA national rankings. The women are ranked No. 17 entering the meet with five entries (one top-5 seed) and five athletes in four events.
However, as Pat Henry said in the interview you can watch above, he has won titles with even less entries. Quantity isn’t everything — quality matters.
The meet will take place at the Birmingham CrossPlex beginning Friday, March 11 and wrapping up Saturday, March 12. The Aggie men enter the meet with 10 entries (four top-5 seeds), 13 athletes in seven events and are No. 4 in the USTFCCCA national rankings. The women are ranked No. 17 entering the meet with five entries (one top-5 seed) and five athletes in four events.
However, as Pat Henry said in the interview you can watch above, he has won titles with even less entries. Quantity isn’t everything — quality matters.
Competition is always tough at the NCAA meet, and this year will be no different. The USTFCCCA website predicts No. 1 Florida
taking home the women’s title with eight of its 10 entries entering
the meet as a top-5 seed. Arkansas, who claimed the 2015 women’s title,
has 12 entries for the weekend but sits in the No. 4 spot with just four
top-5 seeds.
On the men's side, No.1 Oregon — coming off back-to-back championships — is slightly favored with five of its 10 entries sitting in a top-5 seed position.
On the men's side, No.1 Oregon — coming off back-to-back championships — is slightly favored with five of its 10 entries sitting in a top-5 seed position.
Women’s Top 5:
1. Florida – 155.54
2. Oregon – 149.51
3. Gerogia – 143.16
4. Arkansas – 119.50
5. Texas – 99.33
Men’s Top 5:
1. Oregon – 134.58
2. Arkansas – 126.03
3. Florida – 105.69
4. Texas A&M – 102.59
5. LSU – 98.82
Three Aggie fish were honored this week with SEC Indoor Freshman of the Year accolades — Donavan Brazier (800m) as Men’s Freshman Runner of the Year, Diamond Spaulding (200m) as Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year and Jacob Wooten
(pole vault) as Men’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.
Brazier and Audie Wyatt (pole vault) both claimed first team All-SEC honors for their first place finishes in the conference meet. Earning All-SEC second team honors were Latario Collie (triple jump), Hector Hernandez (800m), Annie Kunz (pentathlon), Shamier Little (400m), Lindon Victor (heptathlon), Will Williams (long jump), Katie Willard (800m), and Chase Wolfle (pole vault).
Brazier and Audie Wyatt (pole vault) both claimed first team All-SEC honors for their first place finishes in the conference meet. Earning All-SEC second team honors were Latario Collie (triple jump), Hector Hernandez (800m), Annie Kunz (pentathlon), Shamier Little (400m), Lindon Victor (heptathlon), Will Williams (long jump), Katie Willard (800m), and Chase Wolfle (pole vault).
Brazier — SEC champion, collegiate leader, U.S. leader and No. 2 on the world list — is the favorite in the 800m with the American junior record mark of 1:45.93. Hernandez will also be racing the 800m with a fifth ranking mark of 1:46.32. Senior Devin Jenkins and sophomore Wyatt
also hold on to fifth place rankings, with Jenkins in the 200m (20.58)
and Wyatt in the pole vault (18-1).
Other men representing A&M at the meet will include Jacob Wooten (No.9 pole vault), Wolfle (No.14 pole vault), Williams (No.11 long jump), Latario Collie (No.8 triple jump), Victor (No.10 heptathlon) and the men’s 4X400 relay team (No.11 3:06.73) with Robert Grant, Deon Hickey, Fred Kerley and Eric Age.
Other men representing A&M at the meet will include Jacob Wooten (No.9 pole vault), Wolfle (No.14 pole vault), Williams (No.11 long jump), Latario Collie (No.8 triple jump), Victor (No.10 heptathlon) and the men’s 4X400 relay team (No.11 3:06.73) with Robert Grant, Deon Hickey, Fred Kerley and Eric Age.
Little is ranked third in the women’s 400m with a mark of 52.15, which earned
Little a second place finish at the SEC meet. TexAgs' own Kunz is sixth in the pentathlon with her A&M school record of 4,363. Rounding out the women’s squad is Spaulding (No.9 200m), Jennifer Madu (No.10 60m) and Aaliyah Brown (No.13 200m).
Follow
the action online through ESPN3, starting at 6:25 pm on Friday
and 4:55 pm on Saturday.
There will also be a taped version of the meet on Sunday, March 13 at 7
pm on ESPN2.
I will be starting a thread for updates like I did for the SEC Championships, so be on the look out for that starting Friday!
Never miss the latest news from TexAgs!
Join our free email list