The LSU track and field teams compete at the Gator Invitational at the University of Florida Sunday.
Head coach Pat Henry said the track at Florida is the best flat 200 meter track in the nation and looks for more LSU runners to post automatic NCAA qualifying times.
“The facilities are such that it creates a great quality for qualifying,” Henry said.
The men’s team hopes to qualify runners in the 200, 400 and 800-meter races. The Tigers, ranked No. 1 by Tracwire, a service depended on by the NCAA for national rankings, face five other top 10 teams at the meet including No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Tennessee.
Three of the top five men’s 4×400 relay teams battle for bragging rights this weekend. LSU holds the best time this year at 3:06.54. South Carolina and Tennessee hold the third and fifth best times respectively.
The meet also features four of the country’s best competitors in the men’s 60-meter hurdles. South Carolina’s Corey Taylor and Florida’s Josh Walker hold the best time nationally at 7.74 seconds. Shamur Sands of Auburn and Paul Brown from Florida, recorded times of 7.75 and 7.79 respectively.
The women, ranked No. 2, face No. 1 Florida and No. 5 South Carolina.
The LSU women juxtapose three of the nation’s top 4X400 teams in an effort to qualify for the NCAAs in the event. Florida has the second best time in the nation at 3:36.21. South Carolina posted the third and fifth best times nationally earlier this year.
The meet also includes the top six performers in the women’s 200-meter dash with LSU’s Muna Lee leading the pack with the best time of 23.45 seconds.