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• Published: Feb 5, 2010

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A championship atmosphere awaits the LSU track and field teams today and Saturday at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York.

The invitational is one of the top meets of the indoor season, as the nation’s top teams collide in a field of more than 100 universities.

“We always look forward to this meet every year because it is always an outstanding meet for our athletes to compete in a championship environment,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver. “We expect that our athletes will have a mind-set to not only run fast, jump far and throw farther, but we expect them to put on that LSU uniform and compete like it is the NCAA Championships.”

The two-day meet kicks off for LSU today with the field events at 10 a.m. CST, followed by the first events on the track at 11:55 a.m. Saturday’s action gets under way in the field at 8:15 a.m., followed by the first events on the track at 9:26 a.m.

Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers are ranked No. 4 nationally in the latest Top 25 power ranking published by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The LSU contingent will be led by a pair of athletes ranked No. 1 in the NCAA this season in their events. Junior Walter Henning looks to defend his meet crown in the 35-pound weight throw, and junior Zedric Thomas is among the favorites to win the long jump title.

Henning is the reigning Southeastern Conference Male Field Athlete of the Week following a tremendous performance at the New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque. Henning recorded a new personal record of 75 feet, 8 inches to shatter his own school record in the event and vaulting himself into the NCAA lead.

A native of Kings Park, N.Y., Henning is the defending champion of the weight throw at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational after setting a meet record of 72-8 ‰ in 2009.

Thomas is No. 1 in the NCAA in the long jump with a personal-best mark and NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 26-3.

Tennis

TIGERS VISIT RICE: The LSU men’s tennis team returns to the road to face Rice at 1:30 p.m. today at Jake Hess Tennis Stadium in Houston.

No. 33 LSU (0-2) trails No. 32 Rice (3-1) in the all-time series 11-16, but took both matchups against the Owls last season.

LSU narrowly missed shots at No. 19 Louisville and No. 13 South Florida at the ITA Kick-Off Weekend last week when the Tigers dropped both matches by a 4-2 mark.