BIRMINGHAM – Two Texas A&M athletes were selected for SEC Athlete of the Week honours by the conference office today. Brea Garrett, the national leader in the weight throw, and Deon Lendore, collegiate leader in the 200 and 400 meters, were awarded SEC Field Event Athlete of the Week and SEC Runner of the Week, respectively.
In updated national team computer rankings from United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association the Aggie women are No. 3 while the A&M men are No. 4. Points in the rankings are getting closer among the leading teams. Next week’s rankings will only include data from the 2014 season.
Teams competing in the Texas A&M Invitational this Saturday, February 15, will include Cal State Northridge, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Rice, Texas State. The Gator men are ranked No. 2 with the women ranked No. 4 while the Georgia women are ranked No. 5 with the men at No. 22.
Garrett, an honorable mention for the national athlete of the week award, improved her previous best in the 20-lb weight throw by six feet to win the event at the Texas A&M Aggie Invitational this past weekend. She shared the SEC Field Event Athlete of the Week with Georgia long jumper Chanice Porter.
A mark of 74-4.75 (22.66) in the final round of the weight throw at A&M’s Gilliam indoor put an exclamation point on a terrific series for Garrett, who produced five marks that bettered her previous school record of 68-3.75 (20.82).
With three attempts that measured over 71 feet, Garrett moved from 11th on the national collegiate list to the top position as she supplanted the 73-4 previous leading mark by Purdue’s Dani Bunch. Garrett also became the 10th best collegian all-time in the event and is No. 7 among American collegians.
Lendore, who has produced world-leading times of 45.74 and 45.47 this indoor season, matched the world-leading time of 20.68 in his first-ever indoor 200 meter race. Facing roommate Shavez Hart, Lendore battled in the final strides of the race to earn the win with a lean, 20.68 to 20.72.
While his 45.47 world leader was bettered by a 45.17 from professional Lalonde Gordon this past weekend, Lendore remains the collegiate leader in the event and has added a collegiate leading mark in the 200, as teammate Prezel Hardy, Jr. previously held the mark with a 20.70. Lendore broke the meet record of 20.69 set by Curtis Mitchell in 2010 to claim the win.
Texas moved to the No. 1 position in the women’s national rankings with 171.39 points, narrowly ahead of previous No. 1 Oregon, who is second with 170.27 points. Texas A&M is third with 165.97 points and leads six SEC schools ranked in the top 10.
Following the Aggies from the SEC are No. 4 Florida (139.34), No. 5 Georgia (130.18), No. 6 Arkansas (119.03), No. 7 Kentucky (95.45) and No. 10 LSU (61.55).
Arkansas remains the men’s No. 1 team with 210.08 points, followed by Florida (171.91), Oregon (161.64), Texas A&M (119.11) and Wisconsin (106.25). The rest of the top 10 includes Florida State (91.12), Penn State (79.62), Arizona (63.39), Nebraska (58.98) and Oklahoma State (50.15).
