BATON ROUGE — It goes without saying that any Southeastern Conference Championship, no matter the sport, is a showcase of the premier talent in collegiate athletics. In the case of the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, however, it is a showcase of some of the premier talent in the world.
The 68th SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships come to Bernie Moore Track Stadium on the campus of LSU for the first time since 1991 from Thursday through Sunday and the list of entries couldn’t be any more impressive.
Eight of the 11 men’s teams on hand are ranked in the top 25, while six of the 12 women’s teams are ranked. In addition, this weekend’s field boasts one world leader and a total of 17 athletes ranked in the top 10 in the world in their respective events.
“It’s the premier conference meet in college track and field and one of the finest meets in the world,” said LSU head coach Pat Henry. “When you look at the number of athletes ranked among the world leaders, it gives you an indication of the quality of the competition that will be at Bernie Moore Stadium this weekend.”
South Carolina’s Terrence Trammell, the defending NCAA 110-meter hurdle champion and the NCAA indoor champion in the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash, leads the world in his signature event with a blistering time of 13.30 seconds.
The sprints figure to be loaded this weekend, as Trammell also ranks ninth in the world in the 100-meter dash, while Coby Miller of Auburn ranks second in world with his legal time of 10.05. Miller’s wind-aided time of 9.88 in the 100-meter dash is the fastest time in the world this year under all conditions. Miller also ranks fourth in the world in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.17.
Defending SEC 400-meter champion Derrick Brew of LSU will have his work cut out for him this weekend if he is to defend his title, as Avard Moncur of Auburn ranks seventh in the world in the quarter with a time of 45.29. Brew won the SEC title in a time of 44.29 last year, a time that ended up fourth in the world on the final 1999 world list.
The field events will strong as well this weekend, particularly the men’s long jump. Three of the top six long jumpers in the world will be on hand. Melvin Lister of Arkansas ranks second in the world with a mark of 27 feet 3 inches, while Savante Stringfellow of Ole Miss sits in third with a mark of 27-2 +. Miguel Pate of Alabama ranks sixth with a mark of 27-1 +.
So who won the SEC indoor long jump title? None of the three mentioned above. Marcus Thomas of LSU, who currently ranks 20th in the world with a mark of 26-1 beat all three of them in Fayetteville in February making it one of the more wide open events of the competition.
The decathlon figures to be another marquis event at Bernie Moore Stadium on Thursday and Friday. Boris Kawohl of Tennessee leads the NCAA and is ranked fifth in the world with a score of 7,746. LSU’s Claston Bernard is the defending champion, however, and ranks 16th in the world with a score of 7,536.
Russ Buller of LSU ranks seventh in the world in the pole vault with a mark of 18-8 +, while NCAA record-holder Gabor Mate of Auburn sits fourth in the world in the discus with a throw of 219-6.
The women’s competition will be solid as well, particularly in the sprints and jumps.
A pair of LSU athletes find themselves in the thick of things in the world rankings on the track. Peta-Gaye Dowdie ranks fourth in the world in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.21, registered in her last outing at Bernie Moore Track Stadium on April 15.
Joyce Bates ranks ninth in the world in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.03, but her wind-aided time of 12.79 to win the USTCA national title on April 22 is the third fastest time in the world under all conditions.
This weekend’s women’s 100-meter hurdles will be a renewal of one of the great rivalries in the sport. Vonette Dixon of Auburn owns the seventh fastest time in the world this year with a time of 13.01. Dixon edged Bates for the NCAA 60-meter hurdles title indoors, breaking the NCAA record in the event with a time of 7.94, while Bates ran the third fastest time in NCAA history, an LSU record 7.99. Bates then returned the favor, defeating Dixon outdoors to win the Texas Relays title.
LSU’s Keisha Spencer, the NCAA indoor champion in the triple jump, holds the fifth spot in the world with a legal mark of 45-10. Under windy conditions, she has jumped 46-5 + this season and will be one of the heavier favorites at Bernie Moore Track Stadium this weekend.
NCAA long jump runner-up and defending SEC outdoor champion Monique Freeman of LSU will be tested if she is to retain her title. Tasha Mahone of Georgia owns the seventh best jump in the world with a legal jump of 21-7 +.
The SEC Outdoor Championships get underway on Thursday with the opening day of the decathlon and heptathlon competitions. There will be no charge for the first day of competition on Thursday. Three-day packages for Friday through Sunday’s action are available for $20 for adults and $15 for students and children 12 years and under.
Multi events will be completed Friday and some preliminary rounds will be contested. Saturday’s action will have a number of the major preliminary rounds as well as the selected field event finals, while Sunday will have all finals and team champions will be crowned.
Single day tickets are available for $8 for adults and $5 for students and children 12 years and under.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at the ticket office at the LSU athletic administration, or by calling (225) 388-2184. Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Tickets can also be purchased each day of the competition at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium ticket office.