BATON ROUGE - The LSU Track & Field teams will compete as part of a NCAA Championships caliber field at the Razorback Invitational this weekend as many of the nation's elite programs make a trip to Fayetteville, Ark., for the two-day competition beginning Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
The meet will begin Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. CT as the Tigers and Lady Tigers travel to the Randal Tyson Track Center for the first time during the 2012 indoor season.
LSU Track & Field will also compete in Fayetteville as part of the 2012 Tyson Invitational on Feb. 10-11 following its annual trip to New York next weekend for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational.
Fans of the LSU Track & Field program with a subscription to the Geaux Zone can watch both the Tigers and Lady Tigers in action at the Razorback Invitational by accessing the Geaux Zone homepage atwww.LSUsports.net/live As a fellow NeuLion client, the University of Arkansas will share the live video of the Razorback Invitational as part of its RazorVision premium feature.
Live updates throughout the meet will also be available on the official Facebook and Twitter pages for the LSU Track & Field program. To receive these live updates, fans are invited to like LSU Track & Field on Facebook and follow @LSUTrackField on Twitter. Additional coverage for the LSU Track & Field teams on Twitter will be provided by @WillStaffordLSU by sports information director Will Stafford.
Fans are also invited to join in the Twitter conversation throughout this weekend's Razorback Invitational by using the meet's official Twitter hashtag of #RazInv.
"We're excited about the opportunity to compete in a competitive meet like this that will feature a number of teams we will see again at the NCAA Championships," said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. "This is a competition that will better prepare us to compete against the nation's best in the championship meets."
This year's Razorback Invitational features nine men's teams and eight women's teams ranked among the Top 25 squads in the country in the latest power rankings released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. That includes a combined nine programs ranked among the NCAA's Top 10 as part of the strongest field on the young 2012 indoor season.
Joining the No. 2-ranked Lady Tigers as part of the 11-team women's field this weekend are No. 3 Arkansas, No. 9 Florida State, No. 12 Arizona, No. 13 Georgia, No. 16 Baylor, No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 24 Stanford, Oklahoma State, SMU and TCU.
The No. 3-ranked Tigers are among 12 men's team scheduled to compete as part of this year's Razorback Invitational along with No. 1 Arkansas, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Texas, No. 7 Stanford, No. 10 Arizona, No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 17 Iowa, No. 23 Georgia, Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU.
LSU looks to continue its early season momentum as six Tigers and Lady Tigers earning Top 10 rankings nationally in their respective events are preparing to compete at the Razorback Invitational.
LSU features the NCAA's No. 1-ranked performer in the 400-meter dash on both the men's and women's sides as senior Cassandra Tate and junior Caleb Williams headline this weekend's entries. Williams is the nation's only 400-meter runner to break 47 seconds with a seasonal-best time of 46.60 seconds set a week ago at the LSU vs. Texas A&M Dual Meet. Tate, who owns the No. 1-ranked women's 400-meter time at 53.13, is set to compete in the 200-meter dash in Arkansas this weekend.
The Lady Tigers also feature the reigning NCAA Indoor and NCAA Outdoor champion in the 200 meters in junior standout Kimberlyn Duncan, who opened the defense of her crown with a win at the Texas A&M Dual Meet a week ago after running 23.29 for the NCAA's fastest time this indoor season.
Senior Robert Simmons is tied as the No. 6-ranked 400-meter runner in the country this season with a top time of 47.31, while senior Barrett Nugent ranks No. 10 nationally for the men's 60-meter hurdles on 7.82 and junior Siedda Herbert ranks No. 10 in the country in the women's 400-meter dash at 54.40.
In addition, the Lady Tigers are a favorite to take home the 4x400-meter relay crown this weekend as they own the No. 3-ranked performance in the event this season with a top time of 3 minutes, 35.80 seconds by juniorLatoya McDermott, senior Rebecca Alexander, Herbert and senior Jonique Day in their win a week ago over Texas A&M. Tate is sure to figure into the relay pool at the Razorback Invitational.
Alexander will make her 2012 season debut in the 200-meter dash this weekend after running the nation's No. 3-ranked time of 53.63 in a runner-up finish to Tate in the 400 meters a week ago.
Following their trip to Fayetteville, Ark., this weekend, the Tigers and Lady Tigers will make a return trip to The Armory Track & Field Center in New York to compete at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational that is scheduled to run Feb. 3-4 as one of the nation's premier indoor meets.