The LSU track and field teams will be in Austin, Texas, this weekend to compete in the 88th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at the University of Texas.
LSU enters the meet with the No. 4 men’s team and the 18th ranked women’s team in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason top 25 outdoor rankings.
The Texas Relays is a well-known meet in the outdoor track and field season. LSU will face an early-season test with several of the nation’s best programs and NCAA qualifiers competing.
“We had a number of athletes who were able to compete for the first time outdoors in Lafayette [at the Louisiana Classics] last weekend, but for most of our team, the Texas Relays will be the true outdoor opener for this season,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver in a news release. “This will be a good opportunity for both our teams to see where they are right out of the gate up against many of the top teams in the country.”
LSU has experienced major success at past competitions, posting 73 relay titles since the event began in 1925. The Tigers have won 30 titles and the Lady Tigers have won 43, more than any women’s program in the event’s history.
LSU kicked off the outdoor season in winning fashion last weekend as both the men’s and women’s teams finished first in the 4×100 meter relay. They will look to carry the momentum into this week as they face stronger competition.
Senior Quincy Downing was set to compete in the 4×400 meter relay event last weekend, but it was canceled due to inclement weather. He will look for a strong start to the outdoor season as he competes in the 400-meter hurdles and possibly the 4×400 relays.
“I have high expectations for this meet,” Downing said “There will be a lot of NCAA qualifiers there that I’ll have to run against, so hopefully I can place in the top five.”
The meet will begin on Wednesday, but LSU will not compete until Thursday. The competition runs through Saturday with the first finals on the track scheduled for noon.
Shaver said he rested his athletes more than usual this week since the Texas Relays is a multiple-day competition, and some of them will have to run all three days.
“It’s a really positive experience for them to learn how to compete day after day, like we have to do during championship season,” Shaver said. “It gives them a wake-up call as to what they need to do to get prepared for championship time.”
You can reach Mario Jerez on Twitter @MJerezIII_TDR.