The Texas A&M men’s 4×400 relay team set a new national record at the NCAA Indoor Championships over the weekend. The Aggie quartet of Gregory Coleman, Bralon Taplin, Shavez Hart, and Deon Lendore set a new collegiate record of 3:02.86 in Fayetteville.
That time is also good enough to qualify as the fastest mark in the world this season, replacing the time of 3:02.87 set by the Belgium national team last weekend at the European Championships. In fact, 3:02.86 is the fourth fastest time ever recorded in the sport, behind only the 2006 (3:01.96), 2014 (3:02.13), and 1999 (3:02.83) editions of the US national team.
Taplin and Lendore also scored in the individual 400-meter dash, where the roommates finished second and fourth. Fellow housemate and relay member Hart finished seventh in the 200-meter sprint. These efforts combined with that of Chase Wolfe and Latario Collie, who finished fifth in the pole vault and triple jump, respectively, were good enough to help the Aggie men take fourth at the NCAA indoors.
The Aggie women did not fare quite as well, as they finished outside of the top ten at 15th overall. Shamier Little, who took the gold in the 400 at the SEC Championships two weeks ago, finished fourth at nationals with a time of 52.21.
Senior weight thrower and last year’s national champion, Brea Garrett, failed to defend her crown over the weekend, as she also finished fourth with a toss of 70 feet, 8.5 inches.
Kamaria Brown and Asthon Purvis finished seventh and eight in the 200 meters. Brown also finished eighth in the 60 meters.
Outdoor track and field begins next weekend for the men and women at the Arizona State Baldy Castillo Invitational.