T&F Hosts Star-Studded Michael Johnson Invitational

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Looking at the list of entrants for this weekend's Michael Johnson Invitational, Baylor coach Todd Harbour can't help but be a little giddy.
            "If you just go event by event and look at the athletes that are competing, you'd go, 'Wow!''' Harbour said. "We have world record-holders, American record-holders, Olympians, medalists, world champions. It's an incredible group. We've always had good ones, especially in the quarter, but this year is almost across the board. Maybe not all the field events, but Jenn Suhr, obviously, in the pole vault if she comes."
            Suhr, the 2012 Olympic champion and 2008 silver medalist in the pole vault, is the headliner in an elite field of athletes that includes 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Spencer and World Champion silver medalist Dalilah Muhammad in the 400-meter hurdles; Olympic gold medal relay runners Natasha Hastings in the 4x400 and Morolake Akinosu in the 4x100; former Texas A&M All-American Deon Lendore of Trinidad, a 400-meter bronze medalist in the 400 at the 2018 World Indoor Championships; and former Baylor All-American Wil London III, who won a gold medal in the 4x400 relay at the 2017 World Championships.
            "For people who love track and field, this is going to be a great meet," Harbour said. "We always say it every year, but this being an Olympic year, it just brings out a few more unattached athletes that are just going to add to a great collegiate meet."
            The Baylor men are currently ranked 23^rd in the USTFCCCCA ratings index and will be joined by No. 7 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Iowa State, No. 16 Kansas and No. 21 TCU. An unranked Baylor women's squad will be joined by No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 19 Kansas State.
            After hosting the Baylor Invitational the week before, Baylor took last weekend off to get ready for one of its biggest meets of the outdoor season.
            "I told the staff after our last staff meeting after the Invite, this is a perfect set-up, if you can just replicate this over the next few years, having a meet early in April and then coming off a week off," Harbour said. "It just gives everybody a chance to catch a break. We've got everything still set up, we didn't have to take tents down. Your facility is still set up, so there's a huge advantage to having that little break."
            Going into this weekend, Baylor has five individuals and all four relays ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Kamden Jackson and Howard Fields III are ranked 14^th in the 100 and 400 meters, respectively, while the Baylor men are fourth in the 4x400 relay and ninth in the 4x100.
            On the women's side, NCAA Indoor 60-meter hurdles champion Ackera Nugent is 15^th in the 100-meter hurdles, fellow freshman Kavia Francis is 18^th in the 200 meters and junior pole vaulter Tuesdi Tidwell is third, while both the 4x100 (15^th) and 4x400 relays (13^th) hold down top-15 marks.
            One of the races to watch is the final heat of the women's 800 meters, which is scheduled to go off around 6:45 p.m. Saturday. NCAA Indoor champion and meet record-holder Aaliyah Williams of Baylor will be joined by NCAA indoor record-holder Athing Mu of Texas A&M, former Baylor All-American Olicia Williams and professional runners Olivia Baker and Kendra Chambers, who have both run 2:00 flat.
            "We've had some great 800s at the MJ before, but this one is loaded," Harbour said. "It's an elite field when you have the collegiate record-holder and the collegiate meet record-holder in the field, and then you've got a couple professionals who have run 2-flat. Aaliyah is making her outdoor debut in the 800. Olicia Williams is Aaliyah's training partner, and she's ready to run. We can handle the coolness, we just need the wind to lie down a little bit so they can roll."
            The two-day meet at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium begins with a handful of field events Friday afternoon and an evening running session that includes the 1,500 and 5,000 meters. Saturday's schedule kicks off with the men's discus at 10 a.m., with a Senior Recognition at 4:45 p.m., between the afternoon and evening running sessions.
            "Hopefully, the weather will cooperate," Harbour said. "We've got a little more praying to do. I just need (Baylor men's basketball coach Scott) Drew to help us on this. He's a had a pretty good run here lately."
            Live results are available at 2021 Michael Johnson Invitational.

WACO, Texas – Baylor track & field welcomes an elite field Friday and Saturday for the annual Michael Johnson Invitational, hosted at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium.

"We are excited," head coach Todd Harbour said. "It's just been such a long time for us to be able to compete in front of fans, it's a big deal. I know we'll have a good crowd this weekend, and we had a good crowd for the Baylor Invite."

The Bears are ranked No. 23 in the latest men's USTFCCCA ratings index and are currently unranked in the women's index. The men's field includes competitors from No. 7 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Iowa State, No. 16 Kansas and No. 21 TCU. On the women's side, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 19 Kansas State will all be represented.

In addition to a star-studded collegiate field, several former Baylor and world-class professional athletes are scheduled to compete at the MJ. The likes of Wil London III, Deon Lendore, Mike Rodgers, Brandon Carnes, Kendall Baisden, Dalilah Muhammad, Jodie Williams, Natasha Hastings, Morolake Akinosun, Gabrielle Thomas, Tynia Gaither, Rushelle Burton, Ashley Spencer, Sparkle McKnight, Jenn Suhr and Shane Brathwaite, among others, are set to make an appearance.

"We have world record-holders, American record-holders, Olympians, medalists, world champions," Harbour said. "It's an incredible group, almost across the board in every event. If you could just go event by event and look at the athletes that are competing, you'd go, 'Oh, Wow, this is impressive!' People that love track and field, it's going to be a great meet."

Heading into this weekend, Baylor has eight individuals/relay teams ranked in the NCAA top 25, with several more within striking distance. On the men's side, the list includes Kamden Jackson (No. 14 – 100 meters), Howard Fields III (No. 14- 400 meters), the 4x100-meter relay (No. 9) and the 4x400-meter relay (No. 4).

From the women's team, Kavia Francis (No. 18 – 200 meters), Ackera Nugent (No. 15 – 100-meter hurdles), the 4x100-meter relay (No. 15), the 4x400-meter relay (No. 13) and Tuesdi Tidwell (No. 3 – pole vault) hold top-25 spots.

Live results from Waco can be found at https://tf.deltatiming.com/baylor/2021-michael-johnson-invitational.

For continued updates on the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.

T&F Hosts Star-Studded Michael Johnson Invitational

Players Mentioned

Howard Fields III

Kavia Francis

Kamden Jackson

Ackera Nugent

Tuesdi Tidwell

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