The LSU track and field teams have a longstanding tradition of success at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.In the meet’s 83 years of history, LSU has won 59 relays and set four records which still stand.The Tigers and the Lady Tigers both hold the record in the 4×100-meter relay. The Tigers set it in 1998 with a time of 38.91 seconds, and the Lady Tigers followed in 2003 with a time of 42.63 seconds.The Lady Tigers also set the sprint medley relay record in 1999 with a time of 3 minutes, 44.18 seconds and the 4×200-meter relay record in 2003 with a time of 1 minute, 30.07 seconds.LSU has a chance to build on its storied history this week. The Tigers and Lady Tigers had no athletes participate Wednesday, but both teams will compete beginning Thursday until the end of the meet Saturday.LSU coach Dennis Shaver attributes the success to the elements of the track in Mike A. Myers stadium in Austin, Texas. “It’s got the European radius track … with wide sweeping turns … so you can run faster on it,” Shaver said. “Often times there’s a pretty good little wind blowing there in that stadium.”Shaver said the four-day meet will give both LSU teams a chance to build their confidence against good competition. Some of the teams  — Mississippi State, TCU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Baylor, Southern California and Texas Tech — participated in the NCAA Championships in 2008 and 2009.”Competition’s always great there,” Shaver said. “I think you get a little bit of a mental edge when you go in and you are successful at this meet. Certainly it doesn’t guarantee success down the road, but it does help to build some confidence.”The Tigers and Lady Tigers will both compete in seven relays during the course of the meet: the 4×100-meter, 4×200-meter, 4×400-meter, 4×800-meter, 4×1500-meter, sprint medley and the distance medley.With so many relays, Shaver emphasized the importance of good handoffs and exchanges.”We run the 4×100-meter at 9:30 in the morning. That’s never a good time to run a 4×1 relay,” Shaver said. “If we can get the stick around the track, we certainly have the people to put us in the final. Then on Saturday afternoon, well, that’s when the great performances usually come.”The stadium, known for its tendency to be windy, will likely result in slower relay times.”It throws a whole new element. When it’s that windy, you usually don’t have as many good relay times,” Shaver said. “But it’s still a competitive race, somebody’s going to win. You’re competing against one another instead of trying to run the real fast time.”The Lady Tigers enter the meet as defending champions in the 4×400-meter, 4×800-meter and sprint medley relays.But that doesn’t guarantee the Tigers will be the team to beat this year, Shaver cautioned.”There’s three or four teams in all of the relays that have a chance to win,” Shaver said. “I think the team that executes the best ultimately will win.”—-Contact Katherine Terrell at [email protected].