The LSU track and field teams will complete their regular season this weekend at one of the premier outdoor events, the 117th running of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.
The No. 1 Lady Tigers and No. 2 Tigers will likely compete in front of the largest crowds of any meet this season.
Last year’s Penn Relays drew more than 117,000 people during the three-day meet, many coming to see superstar Usain Bolt compete in the 4×100-meter relays.
“This is one of the truly great events in our sport,” LSU coach Dennis Shaver said in a news release. “The meet has an atmosphere that we just don’t see anywhere else. It’s electric.”
LSU competes annually in the meet, and if recent history means anything, some athletes may be primed for success.
Three LSU athletes have been named the College Men’s and Women’s Individual Athlete of the Meet in the last two years — former Tiger Jeremy Hicks and junior pole vaulter Rachel Laurent won the award in 2009 and senior thrower Walter Henning won last season.
LSU also has three athletes defending individual event titles this season, with Henning, senior jumper Brittani Carter and junior hurdler Barrett Nugent all winning their respective events last season.
But the individual accolades aren’t the only measure of success for LSU.
The Penn Relays’ signature event is the Championship of America — the name given to the relay events at the meet. The winner of each relay receives a Championship of America wagon wheel trophy.
LSU boasts an impressive 60 Championship of America relay titles in the Penn Relays’ 116-year history, and the men and women have combined to win at least one wagon wheel for 20 consecutive years.
Both the Tigers and the Lady Tigers have a good shot to extend the streak to 21 years, as their vaunted relay teams are near the top of the NCAA performance list in nearly every relay event.
The Tigers set a school record in the 4×200-meter relay at the Texas Relays on April 9, with a winning time of 1:20.45 — the fastest time in the country this season.
The Lady Tigers also own the fastest collegiate time in the 4×200, with a mark of 1:30.88, also ran at the Texas Relays.
 
The “USA vs. The World” portion of the meet will be televised by ESPN2 Saturday at 7 p.m., during which LSU will compete in the 4×200 and 4×800 relays.
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at [email protected]