Five out of 11 Tigers and Lady Tigers moved their way into better position to get into the NCAA Indoor Championship meet on Friday night at the LSU NCAA Qualifier.
“We basically did what we needed to do in the meet today to give our teams the best chance to compete at the NCAA meet next weekend. That’s the bottom line,” LSU track and field coach Dennis Shaver said. “I’m proud of the way both of our teams have competed to this point in the season, but we need to step it up in a big way next weekend if we want to make a run at a championship. We look forward to the challenge.”
Freshman sprinter Takeia Pinckney clocked a new personal best in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.28 seconds,which ties for fourth in the nation and sixth on LSU’s all-time performance list. Pickey said in a news release that she had been working on her start in practice.
“It came from practice. Coach Shaver has been working with me on my start, and I knew that once I got it that I was going to finally hit the auto,” Pinckney said. “I know I can run even faster. I will run faster. It’s important that I step it up next week at NCAAs. My goal is to go there and try to win it. I’m in it to win it. I’m going to continue to work hard this week to prepare myself to run as fast as I can.”
Sophomore Michael Lauro moved into the No. 12 spot in the nation in the weight through with a 68-3 ¼ mark. The throw also moves him in closer to second place on LSU’s all-time indoor list.Senior Will Coppage and freshman Damar Forbes both had personal bests in the long jump. Coppage is tied for 15th in the nation.
Shaver said LSU expects to have between 20-25 athletes in the NCAA meet.
“The NCAA Championships are here. That’s what we’ve worked so hard for in training since we first got together in the fall,” Shaver said. “We have a great opportunity to go to Fayetteville and compete with the best teams in the country for a national championship. We look forward to that opportunity. It is what this program is known for and it’s what we work for every year.”
LSU will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., next weel for the Indoor Championships, held on March 12-13.