The Tigers will return to Gilliam Stadium on Saturday out for revenge after both the men’s and women’s track teams lost to Texas A&M in the same dual meet last season.
The Tigers lost, 84-75, in College Station, Texas, a year ago, and the Lady Tigers were defeated, 91-67.
“There’s definitely pay back that’s coming to them,” said senior hurdler Barrett Nugent. “The whole team is ready to focus on beating A&M. It’ll be a good weekend.”
Nugent leads a strong men’s program as the reigning national champion in the 110-meter hurdles, breaking LSU’s 25-year national champion drought in the event.
The Tigers are No. 3 in the nation following a fourth place finish in last year’s national meet — one spot behind the Aggies.
“There’s always pressure, but the key is to stay relaxed and not focus on the rankings too much,” Nugent said. “We’re just doing what we’re supposed to be doing, and it will all come in the end.”
The Tigers will face a tough Aggie opponent who have placed second the past two seasons.
Leading the Lady Tigers is junior sprinter and defending national champion in the 200-meter, Kimberlyn Duncan. Duncan was the leading individual point scorer at the outdoor national meet last season with 20.5 points for the Lady Tigers.
In last week’s meet at the Crimson Tide Indoor Opener, Duncan didn’t run the 200-meter dash-arguably her best event-instead, only running the 60-meter.
“I’m just trying to get my 60 [meter] together first, and that will help me in the 200,” Duncan said. “I just ran the 60 to get ready for the 200 this weekend.”
Duncan will be running both the 60- and 200-meter dashes this weekend.
While the on-track talent will steal the show, one of the more interesting subplots of the meet will take place off the track.
Former LSU coach Pat Henry is now the current head coach at Texas A&M. Henry is best remembered for his 27 national titles, 19 Southeastern Conference titles, 15 SEC coach of the year wins and five national coach of the year wins — all at LSU.
“LSU has a fine track team, and it will be a tough competition,” Henry said in a Texas A&M press release. “We’ll have to do everything right to beat them on both sides.”
Henry, who took over the Aggie program in 2004, has never coached any of LSU’s current athletes. However, current LSU coach Dennis Shaver was an assistant under Henry from 1995-2004, when he took over the team following Henry’s departure.
Since Shaver’s takeover, he has won six SEC titles and one national championship in women’s outdoor competition.
“It’s always fun to compete. We’re both great competitors, and we like to go at it and see our teams perform well,” Shaver said. “Last year at this meet, they beat us on both the men’s and the women’s side, and then I think at the NCAA meet it was a whole other story.”
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Contact Michael Gegenheimer at [email protected]