The Battalion
Page 7
Thursday • April 3, 1997
larry Wade
returns in
grand fashion
[ rack & Field
.V
[Jeremy FurtJ
Larry Wade Returns to
■ Hurdle s Competition
I Junior Larry Wade returned to
Hurdle competition last weekend
ai the Texas A&M-Texas dual meet
at the Frank G. Anderson Track
■omplex. Wade had not compet-
m outdoors in the hurdles since
He 1995 NCAA Outdoor Champi
onships, where he turned in the
Hth-fastest 110-meter hurdle
Hne in NCAA history (13.41).
I Wade suffered a stress fracture
lihis back after the 1996 indoor
Hason that kept him out of last
Har’s outdoor and this year’s in-
loor competition. After spend-
lig the first few outdoor meets of
His season running the 400-me-
, ter dash, he was finally ready to
]Hin the hurdles.
HI Head Coach Ted Nelson said
|e was happy Wade is returning
to his best event. Nelson said he
lold his hurdler last week during
practice he would be happy if
Wade finished the race with a 14.5.
I I Wade did better than that,
jurninginan incredible 13.61, the
lecond-fastest time in the nation
Iris season behind Clemson’s Je-
remichael Williams (13.59).
I Wade automatically qualified
. for the NCAA Outdoor Champi-
j| onships and set Frank G. Ander-
|on track and A&M-Texas dual
reet records with the time.
Nelson gave Wade’s perfor-
ance his highest compliment.
“It may have been one of the
best track and field performances
I’ve ever seen," he said, “and I’ve
een world records fall and things
that. It was a fantastic time,
Pnd he st ill banged through some
hurdles and lost probably anoth-
Jr tenth of a second there.”
Other Aggies Qualify For
the NCAA Outdoor
Championships
Two other Aggies join Larry
Vade as automatic qualifiers for
he NCAA Outdoor Champi-
mships. On the men’s side, senior
hissell Nuti qualified in the dis-
us, while senior Anjanette Kirk-
and qualified for the women in
he 100-meter dash.
Other women who have qual-
fied provisionally for the NCAAs
ire senior Donyale Canada in the
00-meter dash, sophomore Kelli
chrader in the discus, and junior
eci Hudson in the heptathlon,
he men who have posted NCAA
rovisional qualifying marks are
Junior Billy Fobbs in the 100-me-
er dash and senior Danny Mo
ray in the 200-meter dash.
Both the men’s and women’s
00-meter relay teams have run
CAA provisional qualifying times.
Aggies head to historic Relays
■
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A&M track and field travels to Austin to
compete in the 70th annual Texas Relays
Tim Moog, The Battalion
Senior decathlete Travis Maher practices pole vaulting.
By Jeremy Furtick
The Battalion
This weekend will provide an
early-season test for the Texas
A&M’s Men’s and Women’s Track &
Field Teams, who are ranked 20th
and 19th in the nation respectively.
Both teams will travel to Austin
today to compete against the coun
try’s best athletes in the 70th Annu
al Texas Relays at Darrell K. Royal
Memorial Stadium, on the Univer
sity of Texas campus.
Schools from across the nation
will attend the meet, as will 10-time
Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis.
The Aggie men’s and women’s teams
will compete in 13 events apiece.
Head Coach Ted Nelson is pleased
with the progress his teams have
made in the last few weeks and looks
forward to competing in Austin.
“Three weeks ago we were not at
a point I wanted us to be at,” he
said. “But we’ve made some big
strides to get back on schedule. This
weekend should give us a good idea
of what we need to do to improve
even more.”
A&M competed well against
the Longhorns’ 15th-ranked
men’s and second-ranked
women’s teams last weekend, los
ing both A&M-Texas dual meets
by close margins (89-74 men, 79-
65 women). But Nelson said he
sees a lot of room for improve
ment in both 4x400-meter relays.
“We were consistently improv
ing in our men’s 4x400 until last
weekend,” he said. “We still won
ri
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Tim Moog, The Baitalion
Members of the women's A&M track team practice hurdles at the Frank
G. Anderson Track Complex.
the race, but we didn’t run really
well. Billy Fobbs was only running
at about 85 percent and that hurt
our performance.”
Fobbs should be 100 percent by
the Texas Relays, which Nelson said
should improve the relay time.
Nelson also said the women’s
4x400-meter relay team struggled
last weekend after running well in
previous meets. He said these are
the two events he wants his teams
to improve on in Austin.
The only major change in the
teams’ lineups will be in the 4x200-
meter relay.
“We are going to run some guys
and ladies in the 4x200 that nor
mally aren’t sprint-type people;
they’re more mile runners,” Nelson
said. “That will really be the only
change this weekend.”
The Texas Relays have become a
showcase for collegiate and profes
sional competitors alike.
Lewis, who said 1997 will be his
last year to compete in track and
field, enters the meet each year as
part of the Santa Monica Track
Club’s 4x400-meter relay team.
McCray sprinting his way to fame
By Chris Ferrell
The Battalion
A s a wide receiver for the Texas A&M
Football Team, senior Danny Mc
Cray caught six passes for 49 yards
in three years. As a sprinter for the Texas
A&M Track Team, he has been named a
three-time All-American.
Danny McCray is a sprinter.
For the first time in his collegiate ca
reer, McCray is concentrating strictly on
track and field. McCray credits his parents
and teammates for helping him make the
difficult decision.
“I really felt like I had a lot more places
to go in track and field,” McCray said. “I
didn’t feel like things worked out for me the
way I wanted them to in football. After I left
the (Olympic) trials this summer, I knew
where I should be and how good I could be.
“I feel that it’s impossible to be a world-
class track and field athlete and not have
that training time in the fall. I wanted to
go through life knowing that I can be the
best that I can be. I think it was one of the
best decisions I made in my life.”
Teammate and fellow All-American
Lany Wade was glad to see McCray focus
his efforts on track.
“I think that was a very positive move,”
the senior hurdler said. “At first I thought he
had second thoughts about doing it. I think
that was the best decision for him because
he is a very talented track athlete and he can
be and is one of the best in the world.”
With his mind now set on track, Mc
Cray is setting high goals for 1997.
“I set some pretty high goals for my
self,” McCray said. “I want to break a col
legiate record. I want to win a national
championship. I want this team to win a
national championship.
“One of the things that I noticed about
A&M this year is that we haven’t had a lot
of success in our sports. And I want to leave
A&M on a good note. I want to bring back
not only an individual national champi
onship, but relay national championships
for both the men and the women.”
In a sport dominated by individual
performers, McCray’s team mentality is
unusual. Even with a track and field career
ahead of him after school, McCray wants
to make sure the Aggies are still running
strong after he leaves.
“I’ve tried to work with some of the
younger guys to get them ready to run in
some of the bigger meets,” McCray said.
“I want them to know that it’s time to step
up because I'm not going to be around
next year. When I’m doing my own thing
next year, I want to be able to look back on
the A&M track team and see all those
young guys running fast.”
His dedication to his events and his
team have made McCray a leader. Despite
his quiet demeanor in practice, the other
runners listen carefully to his words.
“I see myself as a quiet leader,” Mc
Cray said. “Someone people can look at
and follow my example. I offer advice
and help people when I can but I let the
younger guys step up and talk. They’re
the ones who really need to step up, and
I try to put them in a position where they
have to step up.”
Wade said McCray’s influence on his
teammates is evident.
“A lot of times, he doesn’t have to say
anything to get the team pumped up,”
Wade said. “Sometimes him just saying,
‘Let’s get it done, fellas,’ or, ‘It’s time to
run,’ is good enough to get the team go
ing.”
McCray’s ‘get the job done’ attitude
has been important to the Aggies over
the past four years. McCray’s accom
plishments, much like his work ethic,
See McCray, Page 10
■m,
■lifi
Senior Danny McCray (left) runs
Michael McKinney at practice.
Tim Moog, The Battalion
with his partner junior
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