CORVALLIS, Oregon (KRHD) — Texas A&M track and field earned a nation-leading 33 qualifiers into the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, and head coach Pat Henry says the meet is where the best athletes separate themselves.
"I've said this before, you can bring a lot of bullets to the meet. This meet is about the elites. This meet is about the top 8 that can score in the United States. And if you're in the top 8 in this country — if you're in the top 8 quarterbacks in this country, you're pretty good. This is the same situation. If you're in the top 8 in 100 m, you're a dang good athlete," Henry said.
The Aggies are no strangers to success in Oregon, winning the men's 6th and the program's 10th national title last season. Entering as the fourth seed, Texas A&M has strong chances this year with Ja'Qualon Scott in the 400 hurdles, Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi in the javelin, and the 4x400 relay team — all of whom rank inside the top five in their events.
Henry says it will take contributions from unexpected athletes to bring home a title.
"We've got to have some people that no one anticipates, and except us, we know what some of our people can do, and some of our people are very capable if they have their best day on this day," Henry said.
Consistency has been a strong point for both the men's and women's teams this season, with each ranked in the top 10 nationally all 10 weeks.
Leading the charge on the women's side is standout sprinter Cameron Dixon. Already a national champion from Penn, Dixon has continued to grow and impress her coaches heading into the championships.
"Yeah, Cameron is one of those that we've just watched mature in the sport, and that's what's fun for coaches to see. She takes coaching well. Kurt's done a great job with her and just brought her along slowly. She's a senior and she's running the best she's ever run in her life, and that's the goal," Henry said.
The outdoor championships kick off Wednesday at 5 p.m. with the men's 4x100. All the action streams on ESPN and ESPN2. Results are available at flashresults.com.
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