Right next to the home of “Johnny Football,” Texas A&M hosted yet another competitive home invitational where every second and inch counted.

 

The Aggies were able to continue their undefeated home dual / tri-meet streak with a win at the Triangular. The home squad scored 128.50 points, which topped second place Arkansas (99) and third place LSU (82.50).

 

In the most anticipated race of the day, Deon Lendore did not disappoint in the men’s 400m.

 

Lendore’s winning time of 45.91 wasn’t just the fastest mark in the NCAA, but the fastest time in the world this year.

 

Lendore once again showcased his early season speed and anchored the winning 4x400m for A&M with a split of 45.9. A&M’s winning time was 3:07.21.

 

However, the final event wasn’t a runaway. LSU’s freshman Darrell Bush didn’t lose much ground on the “world’s *current* fastest man” as the Tigers took second in 3:07.74.

 

Just as the men’s 4x400m was a nail-biter, the women’s race for the team title came down to the very end of the meet.

 

LSU would narrowly come away with the win with 107.5 points, but their competition was’t far behind. A&M would take the silver with 103.5 points and Arkansas placed third with 103 points.

 

One extra inch or one well-timed lean could have pushed Arkansas into second place. But that’s why the Triangular, or any other head-to-head meet is special: It’s all about the competition.

 

The team title came down to the last event, but it wasn’t the 4x400m. Heading into the last round of the triple jump, Jennifer Madu from Texas A&M was leading the event with a leap of 40-06.50. LSU’s Keri Emanuel and Lynnika Pitts were in second and third with one jump to go.

 

It would be Emanuel who leaped over both her previous mark and Madu with with her last jump of 40-09.50.

 

If Emanuel hadn’t gained those extra inches, LSU and A&M would have tied for first place with 105.50 points. This afternoon in College Station, TX, every inch mattered.

 

We also saw the return of the Queen of the 200m, Kimberlyn Duncan. Duncan would take home the win in a nation leading time of 23.15 while A&M’s Kamaria Brown finished second in 23.21. Duncan said that she still has a lot of work to do, but she was happy with her early season time.

 

While the indoor season as a whole is more about the individuals than the team, it’s good to know that track and field is still sometimes a group effort.

 

Even though it’s in March, this preview of NCAA Indoor Nationals was short (length-wise), fast (track-wise), and sometimes incredibly loud (from the attendance of 1487).