The LSU track and field team will take a trip down memory lane this weekend, all while preparing for the toughest stretch of the NCAA outdoor season.
Along with the Alumni Gold Meet slated for Saturday at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium, the team will honor current and former Tigers tonight at the third annual Track and Field Awards Banquet and Alumni Recognition at the PMAC.
Most notably, the 1987 NCAA Champion women’s track team will be honored on the 25th anniversary of its crown – the first in Lady Tiger history. The team will also be recognized in a ceremony during the meet on Saturday.
As for the meet, LSU coach Dennis Shaver said he expects individual competition that extends beyond the collegiate ranks.
“It’s going to be quality fields in all the events,” Shaver said. “It’s a time where a lot of post-collegiate athletes [will be] coming in to compete.”
Shaver pointed specifically to the Canadian national team, which he said will have roughly 19 athletes competing Saturday. He also pegged perennial powers like Texas A&M and Ole Miss as two of the more premier teams slated to compete.
Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers will look to build on momentum carried over from last week’s Arizona State Tri-Meet, where there were a combined 14 personal bests set.
Senior Brieanna Kennedy highlighted the Lady Tigers’ personal records, shattering both her hammer throw and discus bests by two feet. Senior Riker Hylton also shaved two-tenths of a second from his 200-meter-dash personal best for the Tigers.
“We have a great opportunity this weekend to run and compete in all the individual events, which we will try to take advantage of,” Shaver said.
The Alumni Gold Meet serves as the final tune-up before the prestigious Penn Relays, which begin April 26. The Tigers and Lady Tigers will then return home for the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium, beginning May 10.
 
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Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected]