Aggies Travel to Fayetteville for NCAA Indoor Championships

Thursday, March 11

Fayetteville, Ark.

Texas A&M

NCAA Indoor Championships

Photo by: Bailey Orr/Texas A&M Athletics

Mar 10, 2021 | Track and Field

Meet Notes Live Results Day 1 Stream (10:55 a.m.)Day 2 Stream (1:45 p.m.)Day 2 Stream (6:15 p.m.)Day 3 Stream (12:30 p.m.)Day 3 Stream (5 p.m.)

By: Tyler Pounds, Athletics Communications

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Texas A&M men's and women's track & field teams close out the 2021 indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Championships beginning Thursday, March 11-13 at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Meet Schedule
The three-day meet begins Thursday with the multi-events at 11:30 a.m. Day two action for the Maroon & White starts at 2 p.m., while championship Saturday begins with the men's finals on the track at 2 p.m., and the women's session scheduled for a 5 p.m. start time.

How to Keep Up
The Randal Tyson Track Center will not allow spectators into the facility during the meet. Fans can follow @aggietfxc on twitter for live updates as well as follow live results provided by Flash Results. All three days of the meet can be streamed live on ESPN 3. A tape-delayed broadcast of the Championship will air on ESPNU Sunday at 8 p.m. CT.

Aggies Preview
The No. 2 women's team enters the meet with eight marks ranked in the top five in the country, including four leading the NCAA. Tyra Gittens is the only athlete in the top five in three individual events. The multi-athlete leads the nation with season bests in the pentathlon (4,612) and high jump (1.91m/6-3.25), and is also No. 5 in the long jump (6.62m/21-8.75). Athing Mu leads the country in the 400m (50.52) and is a member of the 4x400m, along with Jania Martin, Syaira Richardson and Charokee Young that posted a collegiate-record time of 3:26.27.

Deborah Acquah enters the championships seeded No. 4 in the long jump (6.65m/21-10) and triple jump (13.75m/45-1.5), while Young is No. 5 in the 400m (51.93) and Lamara Distin is No. 8 in the high jump (1.82m/5-11.5). Martin and Laila Owens enter the 200m. Martin ranks No. 11 at 23.17 and Owens is No. 14 at 23.31.

The Aggie men's team is ranked No. 22 entering the championships. Bryce Deadmon leads the squad as the team's highest ranked athlete at No. 3 in the 400m with a season-best time of 45.22. Darius Clark enters the competition ranked No. 9 in the long jump at 7.85m/25-9.25.

Allon Clay is entered in the 800m with a time of 1:48.45, which ranks No. 12 nationally and the 4x400m of Moitalel Mpoke, James Smith, Jr., Omajuwa Etiwe and Deadmon ranks No. 8.

Texas A&M at the Indoor Championships
The 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships marks Texas A&M's 38^th appearance in the competition on the men's side and 25^th appearance on the women's side. The men's team has recorded eight top five finishes including the 2017 national title, while the women's team has placed in the top five on four occasions with its highest team finish at second in 2009. In the history of the program, the Aggies have claimed 22 event titles in the men's competition and four in the women's competition.

Coaches Box
Head Coach Pat Henry
on the women's teams:
"We're in a good position. We have some people that are in the top-scoring position on both sides, but more so on the ladies' side. A championship is not predictable, but you just have to go into the competition feeling like you're in the mix. We certainly do feel like we're right there. It's just about everyone having a good day on the same day. This group has a good attitude about what we're fixing to do. When you're at the championships, it's about stepping up. We're ready to do so."

Multi-athlete Tyra Gittens
on anything she could do at this national meet that might surprise her:
"None of us really know what we are capable of. I'm just waiting for the right moment and I'm going to take advantage of those opportunities. If I see that I'm in the right position I'm going to take complete advantage of it. I wouldn't say I'd be surprised if I came up with a great score or a great mark, I'd definitely be happy and proud but surprised, I don't think I would use that word."