February 07, 2008
Texas A&M travels to the Armory in the Big Apple this weekend for the 8th annual New Balance Collegiate Invitational, where the Aggie women are the defending team champions.
The meet, billing itself the ?biggest college indoor meet in the country,? will once again host a bevy of top-ranked collegiate teams.
Some of the top teams expected to compete include Arkansas (N. 3 men, No. 4 women), BYU (No. 5 men), Kansas (No. 20 women), Kentucky (No. 10 men, No. 15 women), LSU (No. 1 women, No. 12 men), Oklahoma (No. 7 men), South Carolina (No. 12 women), and Tennessee (No. 1 men, No. 2 women),
Other squads in the meet include Duke, Essex County, Florida State, George Mason, Georgetown, Hampton, Illinois, Iona, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, South Florida, Syracuse, Texas, Tulane, Villanova, and Virginia.
Last season the A&M women gave a preview of things to come in its 2007 campaign following the 86-70.5 victory they posted over then No. 1 LSU. It preceded team championships won by the Aggies at the Big 12 Indoor and Outdoor Championships as well as the Midwest Region title.
Texas A&M men placed fifth last year with 45 points. A collision in the 4 x 400 relay kept the Aggies from a possible top three team finish.
This season the A&M squad returns with even more arsenal in the sprints, hurdles and jumps event areas. The women are currently ranked No. 3 while the men are positioned at No. 21 in USTFCCCA rankings released earlier this week.
While the women?™s 1,600-meter relay leads the nation with a 3:34.61 the men?™s 4 x 400 crew is currently second in nation with a 3:08.03 clocking. Both marks were set last weekend in Lexington, Kentucky, during the McCravy Memorial.
Across the board the Aggies have athletes among the top 15 collegiately in 10 event areas with a dozen qualifying marks. Following is a list of the events and the current ranking by A&M athletes:
Athlete Event Mark Rank
WOMEN
Simone Facey 60 meters 7.28 6
Porscha Lucas 200 m 23.16 2
Jessica Beard 200 m 23.75 8
Jessica Beard 400 m 52.87 2
Jennifer Williams 60 hurdles 8.30 12
4 x 400 Relay 3:34.61 1
Ashika Charan Triple Jump 13.27 (43-6 ?˝) 4
MEN
Richard Adu-Bobie 60 meters 6.69 10
Gerald Phiri 60 meters 6.71 14
A.C. Robinson 400 m 47.03 12
4 x 400 Relay 3:08.03 2
Julian Reid Long Jump 7.68 (25-2 ?˝) 11
On the conference level current Big 12 women leaders include Facey, Lucas, Beard, Charan and the 4 x 400 relay. For the A&M men Big 12 leaders include the 4 x 400 relay and Javier Olivas in the shot put (57-11 ?ľ, 17.67).
Facey will have an individual title to defend during the Armory Collegiate Invitational. She won a 60 final, which featured three LSU sprinters, in a then school record of 7.34 seconds. So far this season Facey has only raced over the 60 in one meet, clocking a new school record of 7.28 for a win at Arkansas.
Khrystal Carter claimed the consolation final of the 60 last year in 7.46 seconds while Adu-Bobie did the same in the men?™s 60 field, clocking a 6.79.
Returning from runner-up performances a year ago include three A&M jumpers ?- Yasmine Regis, Charan and Zuheir Sharif. Regis established a then personal best of 43-4 ?Ľ in the triple jump, Charan long jumped an indoor best of 20-6 ?Ľ while Sharif reached a mark of 50-10 ?Ľ in the men?™s triple jump.
In the sprints Chris Dykes and Facey were each second in the 200 with times of 21.34 and 23.47, respectively.