Defense wins championships in sports like football and basketball, but for the Lady Tigers’ track and field squad, the key to being the best may be something entirely different. “Teamwork is very important in winning championships,” said Andrea Linton, reigning Southeastern Conference outdoor triple jump champion. The Tigers and Lady Tigers will host the NCAA indoor qualifier today as a last chance meet for the remaining athletes who have yet to qualify for next weekend’s NCAA indoor championships. The Lady Tigers secured their first SEC Indoor Championship since 1999 this past weekend and did so with dominant performances. Linton set a personal best with an NCAA qualifying mark of 44 feet, 6 1/4 inches in the triple jump, good enough to earn her an SEC indoor title for the second consecutive season. “Winning the SEC championship meant a lot to me,” Linton said. “I’ve always wanted to win titles since I came here.” The Lady Tigers burned up the track portion of the meet. Led by seniors Jessica Ohanaja and Kelly Baptiste, LSU swept the top-three spots in both the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash. Ohanaja jumpstarted LSU’s success as she beat out teammate Nickiesha Wilson for the title in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.11 seconds. Baptiste kept the momentum rolling in the 60-meter dash, setting a new school and meet record with the second-fastest time in the world this season at 7.13 seconds. Linton said the Lady Tigers have really gelled as a team this season, and that is a big reason they have had so much success. “The fact that we can come together and work as one is great,” the Jamaican native said. “[The runners] are there cheering for the jumpers, and likewise the jumpers are there cheering for the runners.” LSU coach Dennis Shaver said it is crucial for the team’s success to have balance between both the track and field squads. “There’s not any one event group that’s going to win a championship,” he said. “You’ve got to have more than one event area contributing to the point total.” On the men’s side, sophomore Will Coppage will attempt to solidify his spot at the NCAA Championships in the long jump competition. Coppage has the 14th-best mark in the country. The top 16 marks will compete for the championship. Junior Jeremy Hicks will also compete to improve his mark. He is currently ranked No. 29 in the nation with a length of 24 feet, 11 3/4 inches. “We’ve got Hicks and Coppage long jumping. Hopefully they’ll be able to improve their standing,” Shaver said. After this weekend’s competition, the Tigers and Lady Tigers will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the NCAA National Championship meet.