Baton Rouge, La. – The LSU track and field program returns from the off week where the team will be competing in three different meets this weekend. The majority of the team will be travelling to Fayetteville, Ark., for the second time in three weeks to compete in the Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Facility. Two of the Tigers’ distance runners will make the trek to Boston, Mass., to participate in the David Hemery Valentine Invitational which will take place at the BU Track and Tennis Center. Finally, Katy-Ann McDonald will make the trip to Ames, Iowa where she will run in the Iowa State Classic.
Live Results (Below) | Competition Guide
Tyson Invitational | Iowa State Classic | David Hemery Valentine Invitational
The fourth edition of the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association rankings were released on Monday. Both the men’s and women’s squads remained in the same spot at two and six, respectively. LSU is one of five schools to be ranked in the top-ten in both the men’s and women’s rankings.
Tyson Invitational | WatchESPN Stream (Friday Only)
The Tyson Invitational will host numerous ranked track and field programs. LSU will be joined by conference rivals Georgia and Arkansas who boast nationally ranked men’s and women’s teams. Both Arkansas and Georgia’s women’s squad are ranked in the top-five as they are No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. The Georgia men’s track and field team is the No. 9 ranked program in the country and Arkansas’s men’s team sits at No. 20 in the latest polls. On the men’s side, the Tigers will face against nationally ranked teams such as No. 6 Indiana, No. 12 North Carolina A&T, No. 14 Iowa, No. 16 Baylor, and many more. Some of the non-conference women’s ranked teams that will be in attendance include No. 10 Colorado, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 17 Iowa, and No. 25 Baylor. Friday’s events can be seen live on the SEC Network Plus starting at 3 p.m. CT. Thirty-five (20 women, 15 men) LSU track and field athletes will be heading back to Fayetteville, Ark. for the second time this season.
David Hemery Valentine Invitational
While the majority of the team will be in Arkansas this weekend, two of LSU’s distance runners will be traveling to Boston to compete in the David Hemery Invitational. LSU will have two athletes competing on Saturday as Davis Bove will run the mile at 3:20 p.m. CT and Eric Coston will compete in the 3,000-meter run starting at 7:10 p.m. CT.
Iowa State Classic
Katy-Ann McDonald will be the only LSU track and field athlete to travel to Ames, Iowa this weekend to compete in the Iowa State Classic. McDonald will run in the 800 meter competition which will be held on Saturday afternoon at 2:45 p.m. CT. She will run in the fifth and final heat, which will be the fastest of the meet.
NCAA Top-10 Marks
The Tigers are a month into the 2020 indoor season and have 14 athletes that are currently ranked inside the top 10 of their event in the NCAA. Nine of the top-10 national marks came at the Razorback Invitational nearly two weeks ago. Abby O’Donoghue cleared a career best of 6′ 2″ (1.88 meters) to rank No. 1 in the NCAA, and Rayvon Grey leapt out to a career best of 26′ 6.50″ (8.09 meters) in the long jump to stay atop the NCAA leaderboard. Eric Edwards Jr. clocked a personal best of 7.66 at the Razorback Invitational to rank No. 3 in the country. Freshman Thelma Davies ran a career best 200 meter time of 22.96 to rank No. 3 nationally; it’s the fastest time by a freshman this season. Freshman hurdler Alia Armstrong clocked a personal best time of 8.07 seconds in the finals of her 60 meter hurdles race to rank No. 4 nationally; no freshman has run faster this year. The other top-10 national marks/times by LSU athletes are listed below:
Tonea Marshall – No. 1 – 60m Hurdles – 7.88@ – Corky Classic
Mercy Abire – No. 3 – Long Jump – 21′ 1.50″ (6.44m) – Corky Classic
JuVaughn Harrison – No. 3 – High Jump – 7′ 5″ (2.26m) – Corky Classic
Terrance Laird – No. 4 – 200m Dash – 20.77 – Razorback Invitational
Lisa Gunnarsson – No. 5 – Pole Vault – 14′ 7.25″ (4.45m) – Purple Tiger Invitational
Damion Thomas – No. 6 – 60m Hurdles – 7.71@ – Corky Classic
Akanni Hislop – No. 7 – 200 Meters – 20.83 – Razorback Invitational
Brittley Humphrey – No. 10 – 60m Hurdles – 8.13 – Razorback Invitational
Amber Anning – No. 10 – 400m Dash – 53.11 – Razorback Invitational
@times converted for NCAA qualifying purposes because they were ran at altitude
LSU Top-10 Marks
Fourteen LSU athletes have either improved upon or made their way into the LSU top-10 lists this season with seven of those coming from the Razorback Invitational. Abby’ O’Donoghue set the school record with her clearance of 6′ 2″ (1.88 meters) in the high jump competition at the Razorback Invitational (Jan. 31). The Denham Springs native broke a school record that had been set by Gai Kaepernick in 1993. In the finals of the 60 meter hurdles at the Razorback Invitational, Eric Edwards Jr. (7.66) and Arthur Price (7.81) the third fastest and ninth fastest times in LSU history. Rayvon Grey made his way up to No. 5 on the school’s list in the long jump with the best leap of his career, a 26′ 6.50″ (8.09 meter) jump at the Razorback Invitational. Julia Palin ran a PR of 9:46.99 in the 3,000 meters at the Razorback Invitational to rank as the fifth-fastest Tiger in that event all time. Alia Armstrong (60 meter hurdles/8.07) and Nyagoa Bayak (high jump/5′ 10″/1.78 meters) both have registered the 10th best times/marks in program history this season. Other top-10 LSU marks registered in 2020 below:
Tonea Marshall – No. 1 – 60m Hurdles – 7.86@ – Corky Classic
Emma Robbins – No. 4 – Weight Throw – 61′ 11.75″ (18.89m) – Purple Tiger Invitational
Mercy Abire – No. 4 – Long Jump – 21′ 1.50″ (6.44 meters) – Corky Classic
Akanni Hislop – No. 5 – 60m Dash – 6.65@ – Corky Classic
Dylan Peebles – No. 8 – 60m Dash – 6.66@ – Corky Classic
Terrance Laird – No. 9 – 200m Dash – 20.70@ – MLK Jr. Invitational
Amber Hart – No. 10 – Shot Put – 47′ 1.75″ (14.37m) – MLK Jr. Invitational
@times ran at altitude
Tonea Marshall has been named to the February edition of the Bowerman Watch List on Feb. 5 marking her first appearance on the watch list. Marshall has put together an impressive season thus far as she holds the NCAA lead for the top time in the 60 meter hurdles. The senior phenom ran a time of 7.86 at altitude at the Corky Classic in January. Marshall was awarded the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week as well as the SEC Runner of the Week for her NCAA leading performance. She would go on to win the SEC Runner of the Week again for her winning time of 7.92 in the 60 meter hurdles at the Razorback Invitational. Marshall will be running the 60 meter hurdles on Friday at the Tyson Invitational. Marshall has yet to lose a 60 meter hurdle race this season and has also set personal bests in the 60 meter dash (7.32) and 200 meter dash (23.74) this season.
JuVaughn Harrison – The Bowerman
JuVaughn Harrison was one of 10 men named to The Bowerman preseason watch list on Jan. 7. Harrison, a junior from Huntsville, Ala., is a two-time national champion, two-time SEC champion and three-time All-American after his first two seasons of competition in Baton Rouge. The long and lanky, multi-talented jumper became the first man in NCAA history to sweep the high jump and long jump national titles in NCAA history last June.
Harrison opened up the 2020 Indoor track and field season with a long jump of 25′ 0.50″ (7.63 meters) at the Purple Tiger Invitational for silver. Harrison followed up his season debut in the long jump with another outstanding performance as he won the men’s high jump with a clearance of 7′ 5″ (2.26 meters) at the Corky Classic. He leaped out to a season best long jump of 25′ 3.25″ (7.70 meters) at the MLK Jr. Invitational to place third. Harrison registered a leap of 25′ 1.75″ (7.66 meters) to place fourth at the Razorback Invitational.
Harrison will be long jumping on Friday, and then high jumping on Saturday at the Tyson Invitational.
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