BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU track and field team is kicking off the outdoor postseason this weekend with the SEC Outdoor Championships hosted at the UK Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky.
Live Results | Meet Schedule | Meet Information
LSU will have 46 student-athletes (26 men, 20 women) competing this weekend at the SEC Outdoor Championships.
Live coverage of the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will air on SEC Network+ and the SEC Network. The broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Dan O’Brien, Larra Overton and John Anderson.
Thursday: SEC Network+ Stream (10:30 a.m.) | SEC Network+ Stream (4:30 p.m.)
Friday: SEC Network+ Stream (10:00 a.m.) | SEC Network+ Stream (4:00 p.m.)
Saturday: SEC Network+ Stream (1:30 p.m.) | SEC Network Stream (5:00 p.m.)
A total of 23 SEC men’s and women’s track and field teams are ranked among the nation’s top-25 teams, according to the latest national rankings announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association.
The LSU women won the SEC outdoor title last year in Gainesville, Fla., while the Arkansas men claimed the other title. The Tigers tallied 126 points to win the 53rd conference title for the program, and the 26th overall for the women’s program alone. A total of 14 Lady Tigers contributed to the win, including a team-high 16.5 points from Brianna Lyston in her sophomore season. Six of the 14 scorers returned for this outdoor championship.
What to Watch for this Meet
Women’s 100 Meter
The outdoor season has been one for redemption after a few questionable DQ’s at the end of the indoor season for Tima Godbless. The sophomore ranks third in the SEC with a season-best time of 11.12 seconds in the 100 meter. Godbless holds the third-fastest wind-legal time in the SEC, and also has a No. 5 time in the SEC for the 200 meter. This event is one to watch as she hasn’t reached the Tokyo World Championship standard in it like she has in the 200m. She also is inching closer and closer to the sub-11 second mark and the LSU all-time Top 10. She took fifth in the 100m last year at the SECs with a time of 11.14 seconds.
Men’s 100 Meter
The freshman that has stood out the most this season for the Tigers is the dual-sport star Jelani Watkins. He holds a wind-aided SB of 10.01 seconds from the second outdoor meet of the season, while clocking a legal PR of 10.03 seconds a few weeks back. Watkins ranks fourth in the SEC with his SB, but will likely need to close in on the 9.90 second barrier to win the 100m title in Lexington. It will take a lot, but it wouldn’t be the first time a freshman Tiger took a leap in the postseason to shock the world.
Men’s 200 Meter
Cayman Islands’ finest, Jaiden Reid, has a chance to upset the national leader this weekend in his 200-meter appearance. The sophomore holds a wind-aided SB of 20.33 seconds that ranks fourth in the SEC this season. His personal-best comes from this indoor season where he ran 20.27 seconds, but has been unable to go below 20.65 seconds legally this outdoor season. Reid will likely need to clock 20.25 seconds or below to medal in the loaded 200m field.
Women’s 800 Meter
Michaela Rose enters this meet as a heavy favorite and is currently the only Tiger to rank first in an event in conference. Rose clocked a huge personal-best time of 1:58.12 in the last regular season meet, improving her No. 2 time in collegiate history. The second-fastest runner in conference took fourth in that race, six seconds behind Rose. If she was able to win this week’s 800-meter title, it would be the seventh overall and the sixth 800m SEC title in her career.
Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles
In their second season together, Matthew Sophia and Jahiem Stern have proved to be the best duo in the country this season. Both Tigers rank top 10 in the nation and top 5 in the SEC, with Sophia closing the regular season with a SB time of 13.31 seconds and Stern holding a SB of 13.35 seconds. Neither Tiger has medaled outdoors yet, but Stern closed the indoor season taking bronze in the 60-meter hurdles at the SEC Indoor Championships and fifth at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Women’s Javelin Throw
Sophomore Trinity Spooner closed her regular season with a SB toss of 53.37 meters (175’ 1”) at the LSU Invitational. Last season she earned bronze at the SEC outdoor meet and is looking to medal again in her second season. Spooner holds a PR of 55.24 meters (181’ 3”), which is likely near what it will take to medal again in a loaded conference field.
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