The LSU men’s track and field team is the new No. 1 team in the country, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Tuesday.
The Tigers began the season ranked No. 2, but moved up after several standout performances last weekend against Texas A&M.
Junior thrower Walter Henning, the reigning national champion in both the indoor weight throw and the outdoor hammer throw, posted the country’s longest throw in his first competition of the season with a throw of 72 feet, 3 3/4 inches.
Henning also won the shot put at the meet, an event he rarely competed in last season.
Two other Tigers have the NCAA’s best performance in their events this season.
In the season opener, senior jumper Zedric Thomas nabbed the top spot in the long jump — 26 feet, 3 3/4 inches — and junior college transfer Horatio Williams completed the 60-meter dash in 6.61 seconds.
The LSU track and field teams travel to Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday to compete in the Arkansas Invitational.
The Lady Tigers did not move up in the women’s poll as they held on to their No. 3 ranking.
 
SOFTBALL CRACKS PRESEASON TOP 25 POLLS
The LSU softball team earned a pair of top 25 rankings Tuesday when the preseason national polls were announced.
The Lady Tigers garnered a No. 16 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and a No. 19 ranking in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
“First off, to be chosen among the nation’s elite softball programs to start the season is something we don’t take for granted,” coach Yvette Girouard said in a news release. “We also know at the same time that there are four [Southeastern Conference] teams in front of us and a lot of hard work ahead of us if we want to reach our goals.”
UCLA is the No. 1 ranked team in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, followed by Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida.
LSU has 15 contests scheduled for the spring against top-25 opponents, four of which are against programs ranked in the top seven.
The season begins Feb. 18 at the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic in Houston.
 
SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAM MOVES UP
To go along with the track and field and softball team, the LSU men’s swimming and diving squad moved up one spot to No. 21 in the latest TYR/College Swimming Coaches Association of America rankings.
LSU (6-5) had a close loss last Saturday to then-No. 20 Texas A&M. The match against the Aggies was the last of the dual meet season as the Tigers travel Feb. 11 to Gainesville, Fla. for the SEC Championships.
The LSU women’s team (10-4) failed to move up from No. 21 after a 162-120 loss to then-No. 8 Texas A&M.
The Lady Tigers have their final dual meet this Friday against Houston, Rice and Tulane.
 
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