Feb. 24, 2011
LINCOLN, Neb. - Texas A&M will compete for multiple conference titles this weekend during the Big 12 Indoor Championships in track and field. The Aggies, with its No. 4 men and No. 5 women in the national team rankings, will be contenders for individual, relay and team titles at the Bob Devaney Center as Nebraska plays host to its final Big 12 meet.
Action begins on Friday and concludes on Saturday. The multi-events open the competition at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Prelims in running events are set for 2 p.m. while field events start at 3:30 p.m.
Running finals on the first day include the 5,000 meters and distance medley relay, which start at 8 p.m. Saturday action begins at 10 a.m. with the conclusion of the heptathlon. Field events start at 1:30 p.m. while running events resume at 3 p.m.
The men's and women's field at the conference indoor meet features six teams among the nation's top 25. Three of those teams - Texas (No. 3 women / No. 8 men), Texas A&M and Oklahoma (No. 8 women / No. 9 men) - currently reside among the top 10 and are the teams considered the favorites among team title contenders.
Nebraska is hosting its ninth Big 12 Indoor Championship before departing the league for the Big 10 next season. The Cornhuskers, who always have strong conference teams, are currently No. 11 in the women's rankings and No. 13 in the men's rankings. Other nationally ranked teams in the women's field include Texas Tech (17) and Baylor (20), while in the men's field there are Texas Tech (18) and Kansas State (19).
"Overall our team is in good shape and we come into this meet strong and healthy," Aggie head coach Pat Henry said. "We will have a couple of jumpers on the men's side who are testing themselves for the first time this indoor season.
"It's always a battle for the team title in the Big 12. This is a great conference championship. Teams will have athletes going to the wall trying to win this meet."
Texas A&M has won the past four Big 12 Indoor team championships, the longest consecutive streak achieved on the women's side. One more victory for the Aggies women would tie them with Texas and Nebraska, at five apiece, for most team championships won overall at the conference indoor meet.
The Aggies point totals during its four-year reign as league champions - 141 (2007), 119.25 (2008), 130 (2009) and 130.5 (2010).
Oklahoma is the defending men's team champion. Last season the Sooners became the first men's team other than Nebraska or Texas to claim top honors. Nebraska has accumulated nine indoor Big 12 titles, including six in a row from 2000-2005, while Texas has five titles, including one tie with Nebraska in 2007.
The Aggie men, third in the last two conference indoor meets, have increased their point total in each of the past three seasons. In 2008, the last time Nebraska hosted the Big 12 Indoor, A&M placed fourth with 76 points. The Aggies improved to third in 2009 with 84 points and totaled 99.5 points last year with another third-place effort, behind Oklahoma (114) and Nebraska (110).
"The women have been able to win this team title the past four years while the men have been close, but we haven't won it yet," noted Henry. "It's a challenge and a goal for this group of guys and that sets us up for a great meet this weekend."
Returning Big 12 champions for Texas A&M include a trio of seniors in Gabby Mayo (60, 60 hurdles), Jessica Beard (400), and Tabarie Henry (400). The Aggies also won both 4 x 400 relays in 2010.
Mayo has won her sprint-hurdle double the past two years, adding conference high point honors each season as well. Meanwhile, Beard is aiming for her fourth straight indoor crown in the 400 and her seventh consecutive Big 12 win as she has also won the 400 three times at the conference outdoor meet.
"I'm eager to have good races this weekend and get points for my team," stated Mayo. "We can't break the tradition now, we want to keep winning the team title."
Beard, also a returning silver medalist in the 200, is the current collegiate leader in both the 200 (22.95) and 400 (52.25).
"It feels like my freshman year meet, when there was a lot of anticipation and excitement," noted Beard, who started her streak of conference 400 victories in Nebraska. "I'm expecting a lot from myself and my teammates. I'm glad I get to run here again and try to defend my title."
Henry, who swept both Big 12 titles in the 400 a year ago, is the conference leader this season with a time of 46.33. He will also be a key leg on the A&M 4 x 400.
The women's relay has claimed 4 x 400 gold the past four seasons, while the Aggie men snapped Baylor's 12-year winning streak and now have an eight-meet indoor winning streak dating back to the 2010 Big 12 meet. Both relays are the current collegiate leaders with times of 3:30.70 for the women and 3:05.48 for the men.
Returning medalist for the Aggies includes Gerald Phiri, who claimed silver in the 60 and bronze in the 200, double bronze medalist Jeneba Tarmoh (60, 200), 400 silver medalist Demetrius Pinder, silver medalist Natasha Ruddock (60 hurdles), silver medalist Joey Roberts and bronze medalist Michael Preble, both in the 600 yards.
Roberts will contest the 800 this weekend. He has set the school record in the event twice, running a best of 1:49.15 that tops the conference. Preble broke the school record in the 600 yards with a time of 1:08.50 that threatened the collegiate record of 1:08.26 and is the current world leading time in 2011.
Texas A&M also has a quartet of athletes returning who placed fourth a year ago in the Big 12 meet. The group includes Bryan Miller (400), Andrea Sutherland (600y), Daphne Fitzpatrick (high jump) and Tyron Stewart (triple jump). Fitzpatrick also placed sixth in the pentathlon while Stewart added a seventh place in the long jump.
Kevin Burnett, seventh in the 3,000 meters, and Katherine Devlin, fourth in the 10,000 at the Big 12 Outdoor in 2010, will headline the distance effort by the Aggies.
In addition to the experience of the returning upperclassmen, the Aggies will seek contribution from a freshman class of 17 athletes A&M has entered into the Big 12 Championship meet.
The talents of the frosh are spread across a range of events. The sprint group includes Prezel Hardy Jr., Bryan Michael, Ashley Collier and Ibukun Mayungbe. In middle distance events there are Ethan Doherty, Aliese Hyde, Taylor Buckner, Colbea Harris, and Hillary Hagan.
Wayne Davis II makes his conference debut in the hurdles after a back injury curtailed him last year. In field events the frosh include Tyler Lee (high jump), Dustin Phillips (pole vault), Lisa Steinkamp (long jump), Jordan Wilson (triple jump), Melissa Mays (triple jump), Casey Strong (shot put, weight throw) and William Markert (heptathlon).