Track & Field Report: Pat Henry & Co. gearing up for SEC Championships

The level of competition will rise this weekend for Aggie track & field, heading to Gainesville, Fla., for the 2024 SEC Championships. Head coach Pat Henry and senior associate athletic trainer Saul Luna joined Wednesday's edition of TexAgs Radio to preview the meet.

Key notes from Pat Henry interview

• We are prepared. We have the opportunities with our sport to look at it differently. Every meet has been a rehearsal. The play starts tomorrow. The goal is for everyone to have a good day on the same day.
   
• The big atmosphere at the Penn Relays is a little different. It’s great prep. It puts more pressure on you to get it down and do it right. There is great competition there. The SEC Championships is the best meet of the year, and that includes the NCAA Championships. None of these SEC teams want to lose. 
   
• If you look at the years that have gone by, with the exception of Texas, that might have been the first out-of-conference team to win the national championship in 10 years. You want to compete against the best.
   
• This group has confidence in themselves. We have developed that as the season went on. 
   
• Our trainer, Saul Luna, has been with me for 18 years. He treats people before they are ever hurt, and we are trying to eliminate all the little injuries. He does a tremendous job. The training room is one of the reasons we have been successful.
   
• That is the goal. We have a 100 athletes. Everyone has an issue. My communication with Saul is important. “Who is able to train? Who should have a rest day?” It’s about communication. 
   
• This is a group that doesn't have many seniors.