Eighteen members of LSU’s track and field team are traveling to Texas A&M to compete in the NCAA Indoor National Championships.
Headlining the list of 18 on men’s side is senior sprinter Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, who won the 2016 NCAA Indoor Silver Medal in the 200m dash, and senior sprinter Michael Cherry, who won the 2016 NCAA Indoor Bronze Medal in the 400m dash.
Mitchell-Blake’s qualifying time for the 200m of 20.49 seconds ranks fourth in the country, and Cherry’s qualifying time for the 400m is 45.84 seconds, which ranks seventh in the country.
Mitchell-Blake and Cherry are also members of LSU’s 4×400 relay team that will look to capture its fourth straight national championship in the event. Senior LaMar Bruton and sophomore Jaron Flournoy are the other two members of the relay team that ranks eighth in the country with a time of three minutes and 5.45 seconds.
Senior thrower Johnnie Jackson will be making his Indoor Championship debut in College Station. Jackson is the nation’s current leader in weight throw with a throw of 77feet,3¾ inches, and he won the silver medal at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships two weeks ago.
Also debuting for the Tigers is senior middle distance runner Blair Henderson.
Henderson holds the school record for 800 meter with a time of 1:47.34, which ranks No. 13 in the country. Henderson won the silver medal in the event at the SEC Indoor Championships.
The No. 4 ranked women’s team will be represented by 12 members of the roster, three of which won SEC Championships.
The 60 meter dash looks primed for an LSU victory with five runners in the field of 16. Junior Aleia Hobbs won the SEC Indoor Championship in the event with a time of 7.18 seconds, which ranks second in the country. She is followed by senior Jada Martin, junior Mikiah Brisco, sophomore Kortnei Johnson and freshman Cassondra Hall.
Brisco will be competing in the 60 meter hurdles, an event she placed fifth in a year ago. Martin and Johnson are set to compete in the 200 meter dash. Martin won the SEC Indoor Championship in the event, and her time of 22.92 ranks eighth in the nation.
Martin is also leading the Lady Tigers 4×400 meter relay team with senior Travia Jones, junior Kymber Payne and sophomore Rachel Misher. The team’s time of 3:31.50 is ranked fifth in the country.
Senior Morgan Schuetz is returning to the NCAA Indoor Championships to run in the 800 meter dash; freshman Ruby Stauber will also run the event. The two were also a part of the nation’s No.4 ranked distance medley relay team along with Travia Jones and sophomore Hollie Parker.
Sophomore Jordan McClendon, who will be making her debut at the NCAA Indoor Championships, will represent the Lady Tigers in the weight throw. Her throw of 69-feet, 3¼ inches ranks sixteenth in the country.