Myra Combs will wrap up her 11-time All-American career at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., this weekend. While she’s waited patiently for her time to rise to the occasion, she will get the opportunity this weekend as one of the most critical elements in the Lady Tigers’ title quest.
by Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
Under the tenure of Pat Henry, LSU Track has had a long lineage of superb female sprinters. Helping to carry on that tradition on this year’s squad is Myra Combs.
Combs is a homegrown senior from Southern Lab High School in Baton Rouge. She is a 11-time All-American competing in the 200 meter dash, long jump, 4×100 and the 4×100-meter relays.
Combs is having perhaps her best season in purple and gold, however. Being entered in four events, Combs’ performance will be critical in the Lady Tigers’ bid for their 13th NCAA Outdoor title.
“This year I’ve been really happy that I’ve been able to stay healthy and improve my times,” said Combs. “I hope I can go to the NCAA’s and finish it off with a boom.”
Combs has had a breakout season in 2001. After competing in the shadows of Peta-Gaye Dowdie, Joyce Bates and Valma Bass, Combs has established herself as an anchor on this year’s squad.
Combs also battled injuries last year. She had tendinitis in her left leg which prevented her from competing in the long jump and hampered her performance on the track.
While Combs is an 11-time All-American, she has yet to experience individual success at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. All of her outdoor All-American honors have come on relays.
This year, however, she enters the NCAA Championships ranked in the top five in the nation in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.95 and as the SEC champion in the long jump.
“I really like the 200 (meter dash). I’ve been very strong in the 200 lately. I hope I can put a good race together in nationals.”
Combs is a part of what seems like a staple event at LSU. The 4x100m relay team is once again one of the elite units in the nation. LSU enters the meet tied for the national lead in the event and will search for its first short relay title since 1997.
Combs overcame one hurdle at the SEC Meet which had eluded her prior. In her stellar career at LSU, Combs had never won an individual title in the SEC or NCAA meet.
Combs won the long jump at the SEC to claim her first title.
“I haven’t been able to really concentrate on the long jump. But it’s gotten better as the year gone on.”
Combs surprised a lot of people by winning the SEC title in the long jump. She enters on a hot streak, however, as just five days after winning the SEC title she came up with a season best mark of 20-9 3/4 at the LSU Last Ditch, posting the mark that got her into the NCAA meet.
The long jump will be the first hurdle for Combs at the NCAA Championships, as it will be contested on Wednesday night, the first night of competition.
Combs is confident in her teams ability to defend their NCAA team title.
“We just all have to put it together at nationals. Last year we were able to that and I think we can do it again this year.”