COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M and LSU will square off in a dual meet this coming Saturday at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in a match-up of two national powers that have similar strengths.
The 2011 Bowerman Award winner Jessica Beard will be introduced prior to the start of the meet and there will be a pair of 60-meter dashes for kids from three or four local elementary schools.
"It's good to get the elementary kids in the building," stated Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. "It's fun for them and fun for us to watch. Plus the crowds like the elementary races. It's always a good time.
"With Jessica Beard being The Bowerman Award winner as the top female collegiate athlete in the country we are going to make sure everyone can see her again."
Following the dual meet the Texas A&M Officials Association will have a banquet at Miramont Country Club to honor the service of those individuals who have served as meet officials over the many years at Aggie home meets.
"We are going to have a function for all the officials who work our track and field meets," said Henry. "That's another important thing for us as well this weekend."
This is the fourth year A&M has held an indoor dual meet and the second consecutive year that the Aggies will host the Tigers in a dual meet. Last season A&M claimed a double victory over LSU as the Aggie men won, 84-75, while the A&M women claimed a 91-67 victory.
"I think our team looks forward to the dual meet, because it gives an opportunity for everyone to be involved and try to score points and win as a team," said Henry, who won 27 NCAA titles as head coach at LSU and currently has six NCAA titles with the Aggies. "As coaches we tend to profess that during the year in talking about the dual meet.
"It's a great meet, and great competition. It's fun to get the team together focused on competing against another team, not just an individual in your event."
The Tigers enter this year's showdown with the women's team ranked second and the men's team ranked third in preseason indoor rankings based on the returning athletes they have. Texas A&M men rank 12th and the women rank 17th in that category. Newcomers to each program will factor into the rankings over the next couple of weeks.
"LSU has a fine track team and it will be a tough competition," Henry noted. "We'll have to do everything right to beat them on both sides. I'm looking forward to it and I think our team is too."
Last season the Aggie men were NCAA runner-up while the women placed fifth. LSU women were third at the NCAA Indoor while the Tiger men placed fourth. Outdoors the Aggies claimed a third consecutive double NCAA Championship while LSU women were third and the Tiger men placed fourth.
The three-hour format of the meet begins at 11 a.m. with the mile and five field events and will conclude with the 4 x 400 relays at 1:45 p.m. Â Two athletes from each school can score in each event while one relay per school will contribute points.
"This is one of those meets where you start to find out about your team balance," Henry said. "Such as how your jumpers are going to do or how the sprinters will do. It will be a great challenge across the board for all of our event areas."