Issue date: 6/10/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: File Photo Junior De'Lom Isom runs hurdles earlier this year in the A&M-UT Dual Meet. Isom is one of 32 Aggies going to Fayetteville for the championships. [Click to enlarge]

The Texas A&M track team will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, beginning today and ending Saturday, at the John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas.

Coming off of the Midwest Region team championships, both men and women will look to win the outdoor championship after the women came in second behind Tennessee in the indoor championship by five points and the men finished ninth.

"We had an awfully good meet indoors but it only takes a little bit," Head Coach Pat Henry said. "The difference between nationals and a regular meet is kind of like a Volkswagen and a Porsche, if you aren't hitting on everything, you're in big trouble."

The Aggies will need great performances by everyone if they are to claim their first national championship. They have shown their skill throughout the season as the women and men are both currently ranked No. 1.

"It's the kind of situation where it's about excellence and a great performance all on the same day," Henry said. "You have to have a little bit of luck but you have to make a little luck for yourself too."

The Aggies will send 32 athletes to nationals, including 17 women and two alternates, and 12 men with one alternate. The women's 4x400 meter relay was added four days after the Aggies won the Regional meet and that means that both relays for the men and women will compete at nationals.

"Of course we are sprint, hurdle, jump heavy," Henry said. "We have all four relays and there aren't many schools that have all four."

Key opponents for the Aggies include defending indoor champion Oregon men, LSU men and women, Arizona State men and women and defending indoor champion Tennessee women.

"I think Oregon is our biggest competition," said sophomore sprinter hurdler Gabby Mayo. "They have a lot of good distance girls so I think they are our main competition, but then again you never know who will show up at track meets so we can't worry about anybody else but just what we have to do."

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