Jan. 27, 2011
Texas A&M Challenge HEAT SHEETS
COLLEGE STATION -
Texas A&M will host another Challenge indoor track and field meet this weekend as schools from the Big 12 and SEC square off on Friday and Saturday at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium. Prelim action starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and finals begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The Texas A&M Challenge, presented by Mondo America, will feature an eight-team field, seven of which are among the top 25 in team national indoor rankings. The Big 12 will include the Aggies along with Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Defending men's NCAA Indoor Champion Florida highlights the SEC foursome that includes Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina. Team scoring will follow the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 system through eight places.
Some interesting showdowns in the meet will include the 60 and 60 hurdles. The short sprints will provide some fast action with tight finishes across the field. South Carolina's Lakya Brookins, who won the 2009 NCAA Indoor champion on this same track, headlines a field that includes A&M's Jeneba Tarmoh and Gaby Mayo, Oklahoma's Scottesha Miller, and another South Carolina sprinter, Shayla Mahan.
Aggie senior Prezel Hardy, Jr. along with Oklahoma's Rakieem Salaam, Texas Tech's Markus Henderson and Florida's top entrant, Terrell Wilks.
In the women's 60 hurdles the Aggie tandem of Mayo and Natasha Ruddock continue their comeback from injuries from last spring as they compete in a field that includes Oklahoma's Latoya Greaves and South Carolina's duo of Janica Austin and Kierre Beckles.
In the men's hurdles A&M's Wayne Davis II will see a test from Oklahoma senior Malcolm Anderson, Texas Tech junior Brandon Tucker and Florida frosh Eddie Lovett.
Tabarie Henry will make his season debut in the 400 meters for Texas A&M, where he will compete against his cousin, Remuro Henry of Oklahoma. Other top end quarter-milers, such as Florida's Leonardo Seymore, Georgia's Torrin Lawrence and Tech's Gil Roberts, will opt for the 200 this weekend.
Jessica Beard runs her third time over 200 meters, where she is the current world leader with her career best of 22.95. Lisa Steinkamp, who won the long jump in her debut for the Aggies last weekend, will be in a field that includes four others who have bettered 20 feet. They include Georgia's Colleen Felix, Kansas State's Nina Kokot, Mississippi's Brittany Bozeman and Ti'Anca Mock of Oklahoma.
Daphne Fitzpatrick, a Big 12 bronze medalist in the heptathlon, represents the Aggies in Friday's pentathlon, which will feature Ryann Krais of Kansas State. Krais has scored a best of 4,011 points in the pentathlon and had a career best of 5,779 in the heptathlon last summer as runner-up in the Thorpe Cup held in Germany.
Aggie William Markert makes his debut in the men's heptathlon where he will be the lone freshman among a veteran field. Gray Horn of Florida and Moritz Cleve of Kansas State headline that field.
In field events the Texas A&M Challenge will feature a pair of 7 feet, 5 inch high jumpers in Erik Kynard of Kansas State and Ricky Robertson of Mississippi. Georgia will showcase a pair of 17-foot pole vaulters in Paul Malquist and John Smith.
The men's long jump has a pair of 26-footers in Florida's Christian Taylor and Texas Tech's Bryce Lamb. In the triple jump the leading entries include four jumpers who have surpassed 52 feet in Will Claye of Florida, who was previously at Oklahoma, and fellow Gator Omar Craddock along with Texas Tech's Dellon Williams and Georiga's Aaron LaGarde.
The women's shot put will have an Oklahoma pair in Karen Shump and Tia Brooks who have surpassed 57 feet while Georgia enters a pair of weight throwers who have surpassed 61 feet. Meanwhile, Texas Tech's Shade Weygandt cleared 14-5.25 in the women's pole vault this past weekend.