Texas A&M Quadrangular next challenge for No. 2/No. 4 Aggies
Jan 22, 2015 | Track and Field
COLLEGE STATION – The nationally ranked Aggies host the Texas A&M Quadrangular at Gilliam Indoor with visiting teams from Arizona State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech squaring off at noon Saturday in a three-hour meet.
After hosting a dual meet during the first four years of the Gilliam Indoor venue, the Aggies held a triangular the past two years. This season four teams face one another in the dual meet scoring format. Coverage of the meet will be available online via the SEC Network + at the following link: http://es.pn/1xZhoH2 or through the Watch EPSN app.
Texas A&M enters the meet with the Aggie women ranked No. 1 and the A&M men ranked No. 2 in the initial dual meet rankings published by Track & Field News for the 2015 season. The Aggie men are undefeated with an 8-0 mark since 2009 in dual meets they have hosted at Gilliam while the A&M women sport a 5-3 record.
In preseason team rankings by USTFCCCA, the Aggie women are No. 2 in the nation with the A&M men No. 4. Among the men's top 25 ranked teams Texas Tech is ranked ninth, while the women's rankings have the Red Raiders at 17th.
Texas A&M will have five individual NCAA champions in action during the Quadrangular with Kamaria Brown (400m, relay), Brea Garrett (shot put, weight throw), Deon Lendore (4x400 relay), Shamier Little (400m, relay) and Shelbi Vaughan (shot put, weight throw).
Brown, who set a career best of 7.35 to win the 60 meters last weekend, teams up with Little in the 400 meters and the 4x400 relay. Brown's 2014 mark of 50.94 is the top returning time among collegians while Little posted a best of 51.86, fifth best returning mark, and placed third in the NCAA Indoor 400m.Bowerman Award winner Lendore makes his 2015 debut on the 4x400 relay along with teammates Gregory Coleman, Carlyle Roudette and Bralon Taplin.
Garrett, the defending NCAA Indoor champion in the weight throw, has a season best of 67-6.5 that ranks sixth in the nation for 2015. She is the top returning thrower with a mark of 74-4.25 from 2014. Vaughan, the NCAA Outdoor discus champion, will join Garrett in the shot put and weight throw.
SEC Runner of the Week Shavez Hart, who set a world-leading time of 20.76 seconds last Saturday, races in the 60 and 200 meters this weekend along with teammate Devin Jenkins. Taplin, who posted a 20.80 in the 200 last weekend, races at 400m in the Quadrangular.
Arizona State features Shelby Houlihan in the 3,000m as she races against the Aggie duo of Grace Fletcher and Hillary Montgomery. All three earned All-America honors this past fall at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Last season Houlihan placed third in the NCAA Indoor mile before claiming the NCAA Outdoor 1,500m title.
The Sun Devils also have a pair of strong sprinters in Jasmine Gibbs (7.39 – 60m) and Brianna Tate (53.08 – 400m) on the women's side while their 4x400 relay has clocked 3:45.13 this season. Frosh thrower Maggie Ewen will offer a challenge in the shot put (50-11) and weight throw (61-9.75). Arizona State men bring in a top 10 hurdler this season in William Taylor (7.86 – 60H) along with sprinter Devan Spann (6.72 – 60m) and thrower Thomas Anderson (60-11.5 – shot put).
Oklahoma head coach Jim VanHootegem returns to Aggieland after his first year with the Sooners. VanHootegem was an assistant coach at Texas A&M from 2004 to 2013 and part of seven national champion teams with the Aggie men and women.
Throwers provided OU with an early season spark as Chase Sammons (62-3) is seventh in men's shot put nationally while Avione Allgood (52-10) is 14th on the women's shot put list. In the women's weight throw the Sooners have a solid pair in Sarah Tolson (61-9.75) and Julia Reedy (60-8.75). Pole vaulter Everette Favorite cleared 17-4.5 indoors last season while in the sprints the Sooners enter a talented crew of Traveyon Armstrong (60m, 200m), Mike Wells (60m), Erin Jones (60m, 200m) and Leya Buchanan (60m, 200m).
The Red Raiders sport a pair of returning meet record holders from the Texas A&M Triangular a year ago in high jumper Jacorian Duffield and shot putter Kole Weldon. Duffield equaled the meet record of 7-1.75 in 2014 while Weldon improved the shot put record to 61-8.5.
Duffield, who cleared 7-3.75 indoors last year along with teammate Bradley Adkins, has already cleared 7-4.25 this season and ranks third in the nation. Weldon produced a best of 65-11.75 indoors in 2014 and has the third best mark among returning collegians. On the women's side Texas Tech is led by sprinter Cierra White (7.34 – 60m, 23.43 – 200m) and Le'Tristan Pledger, who combines her talents in the 60 hurdles (8.09) and long jump (20-9).
