The LSU track and field team will travel to Arkansas this weekend for the second time this season to compete in the Tyson Invitational for fine-tuning before the Southeastern Conference Championship meet in two weeks.
Although LSU hosts the “LSU Twilight” next weekend, this weekend’s meet may be the last competition for many athletes until the SEC meet at the same facility.
LSU head coach Dennis Shaver said the team hosts the event to avoid traveling, and many athletes won’t be competing. Shaver said the Maddox Field House is a good place to compete in field events, but it’s not a great place for athletes to run.
LSU heads to Randal Tyson Track Center for the second of four possible trips this indoor season. The SEC and NCAA Championship meets will be held there, so Shaver said frequently competing at the Tyson Center will benefit his athletes.
“Arkansas is obviously one of the best tracks in the country,” Shaver said. “The more comfortable and the more familiar our kids get with it, the better performance we’ll get out of them at the national meet.”
Shaver said he wants the 1,600-meter relay to improve its time this weekend to qualify for the NCAA Championship. In the field events, he said the long jumpers and triple jumpers have a great opportunity ahead of them.
Senior jumper Damar Forbes will try to improve his long jump mark after winning the event last weekend at the Armory Invitational. Forbes said he’s looking forward to the competition in the 60-meter run and continuing to make a name for himself in the long jump on a runway he likes.
“That’s one of my favorite runways in college league, so it’s gonna be exciting,” Forbes said. “Some really good guys are gonna jump this weekend. I’m just ready to go up against them and let them know who I am.”
Shaver said the indoor season has been tough with lengthy meets and lots of traveling. He said the team has given up useful training days with the travel schedule, but he’s said the relaxed schedule of this week may have helped the athletes recover.
“We’ve tried to take it a little bit easy this week,” Shaver said. “It’s really kind of a hard thing to predict just how ready they’ll be able to go this weekend.”
