Expectations high as Kats open season at LSU
1/7/2016 12:10:00 PM | Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
It does not take long for eighth-year Sam Houston track and field head coach David Self to make clear the upcoming 2016 season could be a special one.
“As a whole, this is probably the most complete team we've had since I've been here,” Self said. “For the first time in a long time, we look to be able to score in each event we compete in and that's tough to do. When there are 17 events and four major disciplines, it says a lot.”
The Bearkats, coming off second-place Southland Conference indoor finishes for both men and women, open the season Friday in Baton Rouge, La., at the LSU Purple Tiger. The meet is the first of four leading up to the league championships at the famed Birmingham CrossPlex from Feb. 15-16.
After opening practices the day after Labor Day, the teams picked up what Self calls the 'hardcore training,' in October, a schedule that features three weight room visits and six training sessions a week.
“We come back in August and truly a good chunk of the team stays over the summer and is still doing recovery or are getting ready to go,” Self said. “It's a lot of training. It's not like we all just came back and started in January. We've got four months under our belts already.”
On the women's side, the Kats welcome back several conference champions including senior All-Americans Danielle Demas and Ashley Jenkins. Demas owns two of the Kats' top five school marks in the 60-meter hurdles while Jenkins captured the top three marks in the weight throw last fall, including a program-record toss of 62 feet, 10 inches to claim the league title.
Sam Houston will also be bolstered by Ruth Amaku, a three-time Southland champion as the third leg of the 4x100-meter relay team and Jordan Grady, who served as the final leg of the winning quartet a season ago and first leg on the 2014 championship relay squad.
Meanwhile, senior Nicole Aponte, who redshirted last season due to injuries, is coming off a strong cross country season that featured two top finishes. The Kingwood product was the third leg on the team's school-record distance medley relay team that went 12:09.53 at the 2013 league championships.
In addition to a talented group of incoming freshmen, the Kats have back familiar names in highly-ranked sprinter and jumper Paula Smith as well as Nicole Jenrette and Avery Zamzow in the multi-events.
Several key pieces also return for the men, including senior and three-time league champion Justin Jenkins, who earned the top spot in the 100-meter dash and 4x100-meter dash outdoors as well as the 60-meter dash indoors.
The Bearkats also return the conference's last two freshmen of the year in Tyler Adams and Jay Roberson as well as sophomore Chris Jefferson, who ran the final leg of the outdoor championship 4x100-meter relay last fall in Hammond, La.
Elsewhere, junior Garrett Larson, who finished 21st at the 2015 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round in the pole vault, is back along with 800-meter school-record holder Jeffrey Moore, who broke the mark at the 2015 league championships, and distance specialist Chris Speaks.
“We have a great group of kids that are motivated,” Self said. “A lot of things in track and field you have to do on your own. We've had some team leaders and seniors step up. They realize how good everyone is in all the different groups.”
Friday's competition at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse begins at 2:30 p.m. with the field events, while the running events start at 3:30 p.m. The Bearkats are one of 14 teams including Hinds, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Meridian, Mississippi State, New Orleans, Nicholls, Northwestern State, McNeese State, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Southern and Tulane.
“We want kids to go out and compete while executing some of the things we've been working on,” Self said. “If someone does well, you get excited, but conference meet is where it matters. Let's run and try to put things together the following week at Texas A&M.”
