BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ¬ - One of the nation’s premier track and field meets – the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships – will take place this week at Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., this Thursday through Sunday featuring the finest collegiate competition in the sport.
The event begins at 3 p.m. CT Thursday, continuing at 11:30 a.m. CT Friday, 2 p.m. CT Saturday and 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
All-sessions tickets are available at $20 for adults and $10 for youth that provide admission for each day of the championship on Friday, May 11, Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13. Individual tickets can also be purchased for each day of the meet for $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Admission is free for Thursday’s action that features the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon. Fans can purchase their tickets for the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships today by logging on to the website for the LSU Ticket Office at www.LSUsports.net.
Live coverage of the meet will air on ESPN3.com on Saturday and Sunday. That coverage will air from 4:30-7:15 p.m. CT Saturday and from 3-7 p.m. CT on Sunday. Dwight Stones, Larry Rawson and Lewis Johnson will have the call.
According to the latest poll from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the SEC features 12 ranked teams – seven on the men’s side and five on the women’s side.
For the men, the SEC features a nation-leading seven ranked teams, including five among the top 11. No. 1 Florida leads the way, while No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 9 Mississippi State and No. 11 Arkansas are all among the top 11. No. 13 Auburn and No. 18 Georgia round out SEC men’s teams in the top 25.
On the women’s side, the SEC is led by No. 3 Florida and No. 4 LSU. Other ranked women’s teams include No. 10 Arkansas, No. 18 Tennessee and No. 21 Georgia.
On the men’s side, Tennessee has won a league-leading 25 SEC Outdoor Championships, including most recently in 2007. LSU has won the second most with 22 and Arkansas is third with 16. The Razorbacks have won 16 of the last 20 outdoor league crowns.
For the women, LSU has won a league-leading 12 SEC Outdoor Championships, including each of the last two. Florida, which last won in 2009, has captured five and Tennessee four.
SEC men’s athletes who lead national event categories include: Jeff Demps, Florida (100m); Auburn 4x100m; Ricky Robertson, Ole Miss (high jump) and Andrew Irwin, Arkansas (pole vault). SEC women’s athletes who lead national event categories include: Kimberlyn Duncan, LSU (100m and 200m); LSU 4x100m and Tina Sutej, Arkansas (pole vault).
For complete coverage of the 2012 SEC Outdoor Championships, please log on to www.SECDigitalNetwork.com, www.LSUSports.net or follow @SEC_Sean on Twitter.
2012 SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Where: Bernie Moore Track Stadium (Baton Rouge, La.)
When: Thursday-Sunday, May 10-13, 2012
Participating Teams: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Championship Central:
http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/SECSPORTS/CHAMPIONSHIPS/OutdoorTrackandFieldChampionships.aspx
Schedule of Events:
http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/assets/docs/tf/pdf/12secschedule.pdf
Ticket Information:
http://ev10.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=T&linkID=lsu&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=
RETURNING INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
Men
110m Hurdles: Barrett Nugent, LSU
200m: Marek Niit, Arkansas
Steeplechase: Matt Cleaver, Georgia
High Jump: Ricky Robertson, Ole Miss
Shot Put: Stephen Saenz, Auburn
Javelin: Brian Moore, Georgia
Decathlon: Gray Horn, Florida
Women
100m: Semoy Hackett, LSU
100m Hurdles: Jasmin Stowers, LSU
200m: Kimberlyn Duncan, LSU
400m Hurdles: Ellen Wortham, Tennessee
800m: Chanelle Price, Tennessee
1,500m: Brittany Sheffey, Tennessee
Steeplechase: Genevieve LaCaze, Florida
High Jump: Maya Pressley, Auburn
Long Jump: Rochelle Farquharson, Mississippi State
Triple Jump: Maria Augutis, Georgia
Shot Put: Annie Alexander, Tennessee
Hammer Throw: Nikola Lomnicka, Georgia
Discus: Annie Alexander, Tennessee
Javelin: Fawn Miller, Florida
Pole Vault: Tina Sutej, Arkansas
Heptathlon: Makeba Alcide, Arkansas
ATHLETES/RELAYS GOING FOR MORE THAN TWO IN A ROW
• Gray Horn, Florida – Decathlon (2009, 2010, 2011)
• Nikola Lomincka, Georgia – Women’s Hammer Throw (2010, 2011)
• Brian Moore, Georgia – Men’s Javelin (2010, 2011)
• Barrett Nugent, LSU – Men’s 110m Hurdles (2010, 2011)
• Maya Pressley, Auburn – Women’s High Jump (2010, 2011)
• Ricky Robertson, Ole Miss – Men’s High Jump (2010, 2011)
• Tina Sutej, Arkansas – Women’s Pole Vault (2010, 2011)
• Arkansas women’s 4x400m (2010, 2011)
ATHLETES GOING FOR THIRD TITLE (NON CONSECUTIVE)
• Annie Alexander, Tennessee – Women’s Shot Put (2008, 2011)
• Annie Alexander, Tennessee – Women’s Discus (2008, 2011)
• Genevieve LaCaze, Florida – Women’s Steeplechase (2009, 2011)