Feb. 11, 2011
COLLEGE STATION - The third version of the Texas A&M Challenge, presented by Polytan, will feature 12 track and field teams representing four conferences - Big 12, Conference USA, Pac-10 and SEC. Finals will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.
This is the final regular season meet for the Aggies, who remain No. 2 in the women's national rankings and No. 3 in the men's national rankings. The Challenge meet provides Texas A&M its final look at athletes in certain event areas prior to the Big 12 Championships, which will be held in two weeks in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Aggies will team up with Baylor (No. 25 men) and Nebraska (No. 14 men, No. 14 women) as the Big 12 contingent this weekend while Conference USA includes Houston, Rice and UTEP. The Pac-10 is represented by Arizona (No. 18 men, No. 13 women), Arizona State (No. 24 women) and USC while the SEC has Alabama (women), Mississippi State and Tennessee (No. 5 women).
Texas A&M has three athletes and two relays who have already achieved the automatic standard for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held at Gilliam Indoor on March 11-12.
The Aggie individuals include Gerald Phiri in the 60 (6.59) and 200 (20.80) along with Jeneba Tarmoh in the 60 (7.24) and 200 (22.98) and Jessica Beard in the 200 (20.95) and 400 (52.25). Texas A&M leads the nation in both 4 x 400 relays with times of 3:05.99 and 3:30.70.
Tarmoh will contest the 60 on Saturday and Beard will run the 400 while Phiri is set to compete in both the 60 and 200. A&M's freshman tandem of Prezel Hardy, Jr. will joi Phiri in the 60 and 200 combo.
While there is only one sprinter who has bettered the NCAA automatic standard of 46.15 in the men's 400 so far this indoor season, that may change after this weekend. Especially with the field set to race at the Texas A&M Challenge.
The Aggie school record holder Tabarie Henry, who ran 45.81 last year and has a 46.33 this season, will seek a NCAA auto along with Tavaris Tate of Mississippi State (46.35) and A&M's Demetrius Pinder (46.87). They will all run in the same section of the 400 along with UTEP's Anderson Mutegi (47.36).
Just missing an NCAA auto standard in the 60 hurdles (8.14) last weekend was Gabby Mayo, who sped to an 8.15 clocking in the prelims of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational. The A&M Challenge field will include national leader Nia Ali of USC, who won the race in New York City last weekend in 8.06. Mayo clipped the first hurdle in the final and was off balance the remainder of the race.
In the men's 60 hurdles a showdown looms between USC's tandem of Oscar Spurlock (7.71) and Brendan Ames (7.75) with A&M's Wayne Davis II (7.81). Prelims for the 60 hurdles and 60 meters will begin at noon.
Joey Roberts returns to the 800 this weekend for the Aggies. He currently ranks 13th in the nation with the 1:49.47 he posted back in December. Roberts, the A&M school record holder, is seeking the NCAA auto of 1:48.00. Another trio of Aggie middle distance runners in run the 600 yards, which is contested at the Big 12 meet, include Michael Preble, Oscar Ramirez and Brett Parker.
Tennessee will have a bevy of talent in the women's 800 led by Chanelle Price, who is currently third in the nation with a 2:05.61. Arizona's Christina Rodgers, who is ranked sixth nationally, offers a challenge with her best of 2:05.91 this season.
While the A&M men enjoy nearly a two-second cushion on the rest of the country in the 4 x 400, most of the teams running here this weekend are seeking to surpass the NCAA auto standard of 3:06.50. Three in that group who are close includes Baylor (3:07.88), Houston (3:08.52) and Mississippi State (3:08.97).
In field events the SEC will feature the top pair of high jumpers in James Harris of Mississippi State (7-3) and Alabama's Krystle Schade (5-11.5).
A 14-foot vaulter in the women's competition will be part of the Big 12 group with Nebraska's Natalie Willer (14-1.25) while A&M's Aly Daily will be eager to return to the 13-foot level and another possible attempt at the Aggie school record. Tennessee's Joe Berry tops the men's pole vault field, having cleared 17-8.5 this eason.
In the women's shot put four of the nation's top throwers will compete at Gilliam with Arizona's Julie Labonte (56-8.5), Baylor's Skylar White (55-8.25), Arizona's Alyssa Hasslen (53-1.75) and Arizona State's Anna Jelmini (52-1.75) already surpassing 52 feet this season.
The men's shot is led by Nebraska's Luke Pinkleman (64-0.25) along with a pair of throwers near 60 feet in Bozidar Antunovic of Arizona (59-6.75) and another Cornhusker in Tyler Hitchler (59-2.25).