As the early indoor track and field season rolls on, Texas A&M travel to compete in the Razorback Invitational, their first away meet of the year. Hosted by Arkansas on Friday and Saturday, the meet will bring 10 nationally-ranked schools under one roof to compete at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The Aggies come in with a men’s team ranked No. 3 and a women’s team ranked No. 7.
Other teams competing in the Razorback Invitational include Arkansas (Men No. 7, Women No. 2), Florida (M 1, W 5), Florida State (M 23), Georgia (M 2, W 3), Iowa State (W 22), Kansas State (W 24), LSU (W 9), Mississippi (W 10), Oklahoma State, and Southern California (M 13, W 4).
“This meet is another step up in the progression towards conference and nationals,” Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry said to 12thman.com. “It’s going to be a great competition, so you should be able to get the best out of yourself in this kind of meet. It’s always about the level of completion and who shows up.”
Friday’s competition, beginning at 12:45 p.m., will start with the heptathlon for the men and pentathlon for the women. The evening session will begin at 6 p.m. with the distance medley relay and 200m races on track and pole vault, long jump, high jump and weight throw on the field.
“Taking a trip at this stage of the season and competing in a different venue makes you focus on a few different things that you have to learn how to do,” Henry said. “We’re fortunate to have both the SEC and NCAA Indoor Championships at home this year, but we will have to travel for those two meets outdoors.”
Already claiming two high jump titles and one long jump title in three meets, junior Tyra Gittens will compete in her first pentathlon this weekend. Joining her in the field for the Aggies will be Shaina Burns and Lajarvia Brown. Nathan Hite will be the lone man representing Texas A&M in the heptathlon on Friday.
Sophomore Danyel White headlines the Texas A&M female sprinters in the 200m, coming in with a collegiate leading time of 23.10. Other Aggies competing in the race will be Amber Ivy, Julie Madubuike, Jarra Owens, Diamond Spaulding and Brenessa Thompson.
Coming into the meet, Texas A&M are the only team with two pole vaulters having cleared 18-feet this season. Senior Audie Wyatt, the two-time defending SEC Champion, and junior Jacob Wooten, who won three consecutive home meets to start the season, will be in the field at Arkansas.
After finishing second in both the 60m and long jump at last week’s Quadrangular meet, NCAA Indoor long jump silver medalist Will Williams is starting to gain confidence and hopes to carry his momentum into this weekend’s meet.
“I was satisfied with my marks from last weekend,” Williams said to 12thman.com. “It was one of my best openers in the long jump. I ran career best in the 60 and that felt real good. I’m trying to translate some of that speed to the long jump runway. I’ve been training more with the sprinters this season, working on my sprint mechanics as well as my take off mechanics in the long jump. Everything is starting to come together.”
Saturday will feature Invitational events in the 400m, 800m, 3000m and 4×400 relay. Field events will include the triple jump and shot put.
Texas A&M boasts the number 2-3-4 fastest 400m collegiate times this indoor season and all three, Mylik Kerley (46.10), Robert Grant (46.22) and Ilolo Izu (46.34), will be competing on the track this weekend.
“It was great for Mylik and I to open up together in the same race last weekend,” Grant said to 12thman.com. “When you practice together, it’s always fun to race one another as well. Running a PR in the 400m shows a lot of promise for what I can do outdoors in the 400m hurdles. I’m hoping to drop my time some more at Arkansas.
Junior Jazmine Fray will make her second consecutive 800m start this weekend. The collegiate record holder ran a 2:04.97 to win last week’s meet in College Station. Defending SEC Champion Devin Dixon will make his 800m season debut on Saturday.
Senior Alex Riba will run in the 3,000m for the men, while sophomore Ashley Driscoll, who set a personal best of 9:34.85 in her victory last weekend, will represent Texas A&M on the women’s side.
The 4×400 relays will close out the meet, in which Texas A&M will have multiple teams representing. The Aggie men improved upon their collegiate record at this meet last year with a time of 3:02.52.
A portion of Saturday’s action be will broadcast on the SEC Network from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.