Twenty-five Aggies punched their ticket to the 2024 outdoor national championships at this weekend's NCAA West First Round. On Wednesday's edition of TexAgs Radio, legendary head coach Pat Henry recapped his team's performance and athlete Nissi Kabongo joined the show.
Key notes from Pat Henry interview
- This was the first round to advance to a national championship up in Arkansas. We advanced 25 athletes which is a big group. This next round is the finals in Eugene, Oregon. This one comes down to elites. This is the best of the best.
- We are excited about this opportunity. This is what it is all about. We have people who have been there and some young ones.
- Connor Schulman is one of the best short hurdlers in the country. The guy next to him fell and hit his leg in Connor’s lane. He could not get over the next hurdle. The referee ruled on it and said somebody interfered. They were going to make him run by himself. That would have been very difficult. It would have been an opportunity, at least, somebody denied it. That’s against the rules.
- Connor was not able to run. It was a bad situation. We will see how the NCAA corrects it. If they don't correct it, it's a bad deal for one of the best athletes in the country.
- They take 12 from the SEC East and 12 from the SEC West. They can budge. There are nine lanes on a straightaway. Connor is handling it better than most kids would. He is a mature kid. This is a tragedy for him. It wasn’t on purpose. We will see if the NCAA takes care of this situation.
- They run the meet well in Fayetteville. It’s a good stadium, and they have a good environment.
- Camryn Dickson ran the 4x100, the 100-meter, 200-meter and on our 4x400 relay. There are not very many times where I have someone do that. She is a good athlete and is getting better all the time.
- Caden Norris had a tough time in the indoor season. He had a foot injury, but he fought through it and qualified.
- They high jump and pole vault until there are 12 left. That’s how they determine who advances.
- Lianna Davidson is doing a great job. Javelin is a tough event on your body. She has trained well.
- Sam Whitmarsh is doing real well. He paced that heat. We had three guys in the same heat. All three qualified.
- We lucked out with Nissi Kabongo. We got her on campus. If you can get here, you have a good shot. Our team did a good job recruiting her. She has been a great addition for us.
