Aggies battalion for national championship challenge grows on final day of NCAA West

Published by Texas A&M SID on May 28th, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kansas – Texas A&M completed its track and field battalion with seven more individual entries and all four relays advancing to Hayward Field on the final day of action in the NCAA West Preliminary rounds at Rock Chalk Park on Saturday.
 
The Aggies will have a total of 33 entries, 17 for the No. 1 men's team and 16 for the No. 5 women's squad, in challenging for national team titles in Eugene. Texas A&M's tally includes 31 athletes, 17 men in 11 events and 14 women in 10 events, competing on the national championship weekend, which will be held from June 8-11.
 
"I've been to some tough competitions and this one was extremely difficult with the weather delays and adjusted schedule," said Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. "That's why I'm so pleased with this team. To advance the people we did and for them to compete the way they did, we just did a really good job."
 
Texas A&M added a fourth event where they advanced three individuals. It was the men's triple jump with the trio of Latario Collie (53-8 ½|16.37), Jeffrey Prothro (52-4 ½w|15.96) and Lathone Collie (52-2|15.90) as they finished second, ninth and 10th. Prothro moved up from his seed of 19th entering the event. A 53-11 (16.43) from Arizona State's Tim White led the field.
 
A pair of Aggies advanced in the discus. Two-time defending champion Shelbi Vaughan secured her advancement with a toss of 182-0 (55.47) to finish seventh among the women's field while Jeff Bartlettproduced a career best 190-10 (58.16) to place sixth in the men's field and move to No. 9 on the Texas A&M all-time list.
 
"A guy like Jeff keeps getting a little bit better with each competition," noted Henry. "To throw 190-10 today was a huge throw for him. I think he'll throw even better the next time he gets in the ring.
 
"Shelbi's conditions were so tough that nobody threw really well. I know she was disappointed with what happened with the delay from Friday to Saturday. But this meet was about advancing and finishing in the top 12. Some performances suffered from time to time this weekend, but we did the things we needed to do."